Sorted by date Results 601 - 625 of 894
For the third time in recent history voters will be asked to make changes to the sales tax ordinance. Be it exemptions for senior citizens’ purchases, establishing sunset dates on exemptions for seniors or raising the cap on taxable sales, the voters seem to be consistent. Their response has been, and we think will continue to be, No. That is why it is reasonable for the Assembly to work together with the Chamber of Commerce to craft some ballot propositions that both bodies can agree on, and perhaps, work together, to sell the resulting c...
Set the record straight To the Editor: Just to set the record straight, you really should have checked the accuracy of the statement made by Eric Castro in the April 20 edition of the Petersburg Pilot. Every single pound of seafood we process at Coastal Cold Storage is charged the 6% sales tax, as required by the Petersburg Borough (previously the City of Petersburg), unless it qualifies for a Senior exemption or Resale exemption. I can assure you that if Mr. Castro's uncle comes in the door with three fish to be filleted, vacuum packed and/or...
Fluoridation debate will continue Dear Editor and Assembly Members: In June of 2004, the Juneau Fluoride Commission was appointed and given the task of reviewing existing studies and reports. They were to come up with a recommendation whether or not to use the public water supply as a vehicle for dispensing fluoride. After two years of public meetings, the commission was divided in its recommendations. Three members firmly believed fluoridating the water supply was a good way to prevent dental caries, two members believed the practice should...
Fluoridation proven safe To the Editor: The safety and effectiveness of community water fluoridation has been scientifically proven and documented for 60 years. Dental decay is still the number one disease of children. Water fluoridation can greatly reduce decay across the population. The safety and efficacy is supported by over 100 National and International organizations, the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, the U.S. Public Health Service(CDC), the American Cancer Society, the World Health Organization, and the...
How much flouride is safe? To the Editor: How much fluoride can you safely allow your baby to drink? Or bathe or shower or swim in? I’m not talking about topical fluoride applied to teeth. I’m talking about what you ingest, and absorb through the skin. We’re all familiar with the "Warning" label on fluoride toothpaste, advising us to call Poison Control if our child swallows more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. How much fluoride would that be if swallowed as a glass of fluoridated water? By some estimates, it could be the equivalent of 1...
Rethink flouride To the Editor: I would like to request the Borough reevaluate its practice of adding fluoride to our water supply. It is time to investigate what the current research is on the safety of fluoride after so many years of public use. I found that fluoride in drinking water does give dental benefits to people across the board, and over and over I read, “the benefits outweigh the risks.” But that made me wonder, if there are recognized risks associated with fluoride introduced into the drinking water of municipalities, why don...
Not much has changed To the Editor: Due to circumstances beyond our control, Deb and I had to move back to Juneau temporarily a bit over a year ago. As a result, I’ve missed much of what has been happening in the Petersburg Borough. But a couple of recent visitors and phone calls lead me to believe that not much has changed. The other day we were driving down Calhoun in Juneau where it turns into 12th Street. It was a chilly 33 degrees but the sun was out and most of the snow and ice from a recent storm was gone. A man who appeared to be in h...
After two years of kicking the can down the road, this may be the year the Legislature finally gets serious about closing the budget gap. For two years, action in the Alaska House and Senate has focused primarily on cuts, which has reduced the yearly deficit from $4 billion to $3 billion but can go little further without substantial negative impact to the state's core services — items such as education, transportation and public safety. Finally, there appears to be an emerging recognition by legislators that new revenue for the state is an a...
Incorrect facts thrown around To the Editor: Thank you for the mention in the paper this week. The borough assembly was throwing around some incorrect facts at the meeting. Only one member of Planning and Zoning was appointed. The other six of us were elected. One of seven is hardly a majority. I spoke up because I don’t see how changing the seats to by appointment is going to fix the consistent vacancy problem. There are two empty seats on the hospital board that have been vacant for a very long time, and are essentially by appointment b...
Student request To the Editor: My name is Max M. I am a fifth grade student at Harlan Intermediate School in Harlan, Iowa. My class is studying geography and history of the United States. I am very excited to learn more about your beautiful state of Alaska. I would really appreciate it if you would send me pictures, postcards, or information on your state. My teacher, Mrs. Newlin, would like a car license plate, if possible, for a teacher project. I really appreciate your time and look forward to learning more about your beautiful state of...
A demand for floathouses To the Editor: I’ve been following the Stikine River houseboat dilemma for some time now with interest. I did moose patrols for the Fish and Wildlife Service on the river in 1957, 58 and 59. I also ran the river in the 70 and 80s with friends in Petersburg and Telegraph Creek with a youth camp. There were no house boats on the river in that time. There were, however, numerous private cabins and moose tree huts. Soon after statehood, the Forest Service, after taking much criticism for being a mere “Logging Ser...
To the Editor: I’m writing to you to mention a problem that all parents have during the winter months with having children who take the bus. Sometimes our children miss the bus due to the road and sidewalk conditions because of it being so slippery out and the roads and sidewalks not being properly maintained. My suggestion is that during winter months the buses should pull over at every stop and wait an extra 5 minutes and school started at 8:30am. This would help our kids to make it to school without breaking any bones trying to make it to t...
Ice safety reminder To the Editor: Petersburg Search and Rescue would like to issue the following warning. The recent cold temperatures have caused local lakes and some streams to freeze allowing for recreational activities out on the ice. However this weekend’s predicted warm temperatures and rain will cause the ice to melt and weaken. Please be extremely careful on or near the ice, especially with children. If someone falls through the ice if possible reach out to the victim without leaving shore. If you venture out on the ice to reach for t...
This week several people asked why we would print a story based in part on an anonymous source? The fact is that often news stories are developed from unidentified sources. In the past three months we have received two anonymous tips that resulted in four stories. Sometimes information is provided over the telephone, as was the case last Friday. That caller provided their name, but asked that it not be made public. We’re working on that story during the upcoming weeks. We printed stories this week and last after talking to recipients of the let...
The Borough Assembly acted appropriately to advance the sale of property at 919 Sandy Beach Road by continuing the rezone process and eventually putting the land up for auction. Assembly member Eric Castro noted correctly that the action would not impact the character of Sandy Beach nor harm the petroglyphs and fish traps on the nearby tide flats. Visitors seeking out the petroglyphs access the site from Sandy Beach Park, not by crossing over the borough owned lot. The borough’s administrators will use revenue from the sale of three parcels o...
Roads with ferries don’t work To the Editor: This fall Governor Walker has been weighing the pros and cons of proceeding with the Juneau road extension. The project entails fifty miles of new pavement, which would dead end at a ferry terminal on the uninhabited Katzehin River delta across the Lynn Canal from Haines. As residents of Petersburg and Wrangell know, long roads with short shuttle ferries have not worked out as hoped for in Southeast Alaska. The South Mitkof and Coffman Cove terminals, while beautiful facilities, have been largely shu...
To the Editor: Thank you for welcoming us into your communities. We are grateful to you for making time to visit with us to discuss the land exchange legislation and share your concerns about potential timber sales on Trust land near your community, if the legislation does not pass. At the meetings, we heard how important public safety is to the Petersburg community. We realize the announcement back in August about the potential timber sales surprised members of the community, and that created great concern. We take responsibility for the way...
The State of Alaska provided Petersburg pedestrians with one of the most important safety measures that money could buy. They completed the Haugen Drive walking path to Sandy Beach Park. It’s a smooth, dry solid walking surface that’s easy to navigate with strollers, bikes, dogs or kids. However, it can only keep walkers safe if they use it. We continue to see people walking along the sometimes very narrow Haugen Drive right-of-way, at night, wearing no reflective clothing and with no light. Certainly there’s no prohibition to walking next...
IFQ violations To the Editor: I am writing this letter in regards to the October 27 article “Two Petersburg vessels charged with IFQ violations.” I am the current owner/operator of the F/V Lone Fisherman. It is common for NOAA enforcement reports to only note the date citations were issued, not the date the violation occurred. I understand that this can cause confusion when reporting on information found in the enforcement reports. The violation mentioned in this article occurred prior to my becoming the owner/operator of the F/V Lone Fis...
Vote your conscience To the Editor: The current political environment in America is very polarized and vitriolic. Many are, rightfully, disillusioned with the two party system and really want a fresh choice. Many people do not like either of the “main” options running for President, but feel like they have to vote for one or the other of the “main” candidates in order for their vote to “count.” I’ve heard many people say they don’t like either of the “main” candidates, but they are going to vote for “the lesser of the two evils”. The problem w...
Tax the biggest city To the Editor: To Governor Bill Walker - instead of stealing money from Alaskans, why not tax one of the biggest cities in Alaska – Anchorage? Tax them with sales tax, alcohol tax and car and tire sales tax. Why you are not looking into this is beyond me when there are 399,086 people living there. That is over half the population of Alaska not counting all the tourists and people who have to go there for one reason or another. Just think of all the money you could be getting the right way instead of stealing Alaskans m...
Waterfront property with utility services (water, sewer, power) is in limited supply. Waterfront property zoned for industrial use is even scarcer. That is why the borough assembly should uphold the planning and zoning commission’s decision to keep the Menish building on S. Nordic Drive a warehouse and not a duplex residential structure. We’re a fishing town and it’s important that the Borough maintain a supply of industrial property along the waterfront. The fishing industry has to have room to expand and industrially zoned land must be kept...
Thank you for movie To the Editor: Thank you to all who organized the showing of the movie “Chasing the Dragon.” And thank you to the panel members. It was worth seeing. I do wish that someone on the panel had responded to the person who asked the question, “What about Marijuana?” Maybe something like the following could have been said: “Thank you for your question. Marijuana use can be addicting but it is not as dangerous as opiate use. A similar discussion could be held regarding the effects of Marijuana use at some later date. Especiall...
Ballot initiative wording confusing To the Editor: Voters in the October municipal election need to be careful when they check their preference. In simple terms, no means yes and yes means no. If no, you don’t want the legal sale of marijuana in town, then you vote yes. If yes you do, you vote no. Be careful. I already know of one voter who voted just the opposite of how they intended. Don Cornelius Base your vote on facts To the Editor: So, you think you’re going to vote in favor of opting out of legal sale of marijuana products in Pet...
Voters who want to ban commercial growing and sale of marijuana within our borough should not be intimidated by some of the arguments for allowing the enterprise to exist. Voters should remember that there is no harm in waiting. 1. Wait for federal law to change. Should other states allow for the commercialization of marijuana, it’s likely elected officials will change federal regulations. 2. Wait for banking regulations to change. Eventually legal business enterprises will have to be permitted to deposit funds in federally controlled banks. 3...
