Sorted by date Results 651 - 675 of 851
New state forest To the Editor: A couple of weeks ago now, Mr. James Schwarber from the State Division of Forestry (DOF) visited Petersburg to gather citizens' views on upcoming DOF actions on Mitkof Is. He got an earful. This event was not covered by the radio station or the paper which was surprising considering the serious impacts of the DOF proposals. Part of the new Southeast State Forest; containing 49,000 acres, are the south facing slopes of Mitkof Is., that face Sumner Strait, also several odd shaped units right in the middle of...
Jet foot damage To the Editor: I'm writing this letter because something has to be done about the jet foots that go up Petersburg Creek. They are damaging the spawning beds because of them eroding away the embankment causing it to smother the spawning beds and sucking up the hatching minnows and also washing away the gravel so the fish can't even spawn there. The embankment is unstable because the jet foots are eating away underneath the bank making it so you can't stand on the edge of the bank because it might collapse on you. My fiance has...
Influenza information To the Editor: Due to several recent influenza type A and type B cases in Petersburg this week I wanted to reiterate the importance of key flu prevention measures. CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first step in protecting against flu viruses. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a...
State of the State To the Editor: I am greatly concerned that our local entities are not taking the fiscal crisis seriously. We, as Alaskans have permanently lost 60% of our income yet we keep spending as if this is a short term problem. Would this make sense if as a family you knew from now on that you would be bringing home 50-60% less each paycheck? Would you feel it was okay to spend all your savings to keep the same lifestyle? We as a state and borough are not borrowing from our savings. We are permanently depleting it. We are not all of...
With the filing of the second initiative petition comes additional time to continue discussion on the Borough’s recycling program. Yes, it delays the purchase of recycling equipment, but it does allow citizens, the assembly and the borough staff to reach consensus on how the program may be carried out. The report this week by Karl Hagerman noted the diverse range of pricing of recycled materials. Glass is priced at a negative $30/ton while aluminum comes in at $1,500/ton. Currently the Borough receives a $67/ton value for their mixed loads, o...
To the Editor: I have been lucky enough to not have had any pesky animals mess with my bags, but I did notice one household in town that puts their blue bag inside a round plastic garbage can brightly painted “Recycling”. They were able to work a kink out. Myself, and many others would be more than willing to purchase our own bags through Amazon, and would consider that helping to work out a kink. If this system was so flawed, with so many kinks that seemed unworkable, why would so many citizens speak in favor of it in front of the ass...
What am I missing? To the Editor: How are . . . 100's of big, blue plastic containers that will continuously need replacing and recycling, or will end up as another huge item in a landfill; a huge truck that will continuously require gas and will end up in a landfill; a specially trained city employed mechanic to maintain the truck; the part time use of two full time city employees with full employee benefits; a baler facility now reduced to fewer hours of use, supervision, and maintenance less expensive and more environmentally friendly than...
Don't give up on recycling To the Editor: I have been a proponent of recycling for decades. The recycling effort, which has been managed and maintained by the municipality for as long as I can remember, is just that: an effort to renew, reuse, and recycle. It's what is best for our community and our planet. From having to separate our recyclables to hauling them to various drop-off places around town to hauling them to the baler facility to hauling commingled blue bags to our curb, recycling in Petersburg has been quite a journey where much...
While the sanitation department gets the go-a-head to purchase recycling carts and a new collection truck, the Borough’s recycling program took a giant hit Monday night. The goodwill that is necessary to build the recycling program was sacrificed to meet the financial goals of the sanitation department. Ruger’s Trucking built a significant following as they fulfilled their contract to collect recycling for the Borough and many of their supporters have vowed to pull out of the program due to the heavy handed treatment dealt to Wes and Ang...
Share your opinions on recycling To the Editor: If you are a participant of the blue bag recycling program, then please be aware of the changes being presented. The borough assembly is very close to deciding whether or not to take over the program and turn it into a cart-based system. We signed up for the present program because it is not only a worthy program, but it is designed to be very convenient. The borough assembly proposes a system that is inconvenient and, in my opinion, will be a costly mistake. This program needs to appeal to those...
With only 90-days to conduct the public’s business, we never cease to be amazed at the bills that attract consideration by our state legislators. In the, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” category comes SB 6 and a companion bill HB 64 that proposes to eliminate daylight savings time in Alaska. Why? First, it puts Alaska out of sync with the rest of the country, particularly our neighbors in Canada and for S.E. residents, the west coast cities where we conduct much of our business. Second, public safety would be compromised. We need more dayl...
Community opinions needed To the Editor: The Petersburg Borough Assembly needs community opinion regarding the co-mingled recycling program. Monday, March 16th at 7:00pm the Assembly will decide if the current blue bag program should continue as is or if they will approve the new supplemental sanitation budget. This budget includes the purchase of a new $210,000 garbage truck and purchase 96-gallon blue cans for $75,000 (this does not include wages, fuel, maintenance, insurance; all the expenses the operate). This new plan will cut the hours...
Local economy overlooked To the Editor: An open letter to our Alaskan neighbors, The recent trade war over who makes the steel for the renovation of the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal in Prince Rupert is a tale of two economies: the national economy and our local economy. With Canadian politicians of all stripes opposing the investment in our community because of their distaste for “Buy American” restrictions, we fear that relationships that have been built up with our Alaskan neighbors over many decades may be jeopardized. We would like...
Offer the jobs To the Editor: I took offense to the last article with me being the mama of deceased Elem. Ed Teacher/Salvation Army Minister, Capt. Vicki Lynn (Susie) Jackson. I feel that Lisa Stroh made the right decision. It was stated that there are health issues in the family and she put her family before the job. As I have read there are two more than competent people, Erica Kludt-Painter and Teri Toland. If either would like the positions, hire them immediately. Since money was the concern, it would seem that money would be saved from...
City Creek trail stairway To the Editor: The Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department is working on evaluating the stairway at the eastern entrance to the City Creek Trail that connects to the City Creek Foot Bridge. The stairway is currently closed and a danger to the community in its current shape. Through the evaluation process we are seeking public comments on whether the staircase should be removed or if there is a community group interested in rebuilding it. The Parks and Recreation Department will continue to look for grants to rebuild...
Superintendent groundhog day To the Editor: On Thursday, Jan. 8 I attended the Petersburg School Board meeting. The school board decided, along with their attorney, to pay the now ex-superintendent Lisa Stroh through the end of June full salary and benefits and she doesn’t have to work a day for it. In the 20 plus years I have lived in Petersburg and the 30 years I have worked in education I have only had the pleasure of working with one superintendent that was an educational, innovative leader in the a district and that lasted for only 2 y...
Other school districts, or any other employer wishing to hire Dr. Lisa Stroh, should contact the Petersburg City School District for an employment reference and ask the question “was she fired or did she resign her position?” Parents of students, the residents of Petersburg and student body, as well as Stroh’s next employer, deserve a response to the question. We disagree with the payment of six months salary and benefits to the outgoing superintendent who apparently resigned voluntarily due to family medical reasons. Why would the Distr...
Keep Stroh To the Editor, Dear School Board, Upon arriving at school today we heard rumors that our new superintendent might be leaving (fired). Being members of the student body, we thought we had the right to put forth our opinion on the matter. Lisa Stroh has worked with us both on various school matters and when doing so she has not only been helpful but she has also put forth what the students want, regardless of her opinion, she has always put the students first. She listens to us and always takes in each students opinion, never simply...
Petersburg's Fedrelandet #23 Sons of Norway membership should take a bow. According to Rikke Saetermo who hails from Alta, Norway, Petersburg is more Norwegian than many communities in Norway. Saetermo (a visiting foreign exchange student) elaborated that Petersburg's version of Little Norway represents a time past in her home country. (See interview in last week's Petersburg Pilot) Saetermo explained, "It's old Norwegian. Norway is nothing like this at home, but I definitely see some old stuff...
The borough assembly is listening. Let them know if they should participate in the purchase of land at Papke’s Landing. Some feel the Assembly should walk away from the property purchase. Too many adjacent landowners could make development of the property dicey. Yet others say, yes. The purchase of upland lots will allow for additional parking for users of the launch ramp and dock. One couple wrote that Papke’s is a link to Mitkof Island for many Kupreanof Island residents. Given the relatively strong financial standing of the borough gov...
In favor of land acquisition To the Editor: The Petersburg Borough Assembly should make every effort to acquire Lots 5, 6 and 7 of the Seaduck Subdivision. The Papke’s Landing harbor facilities will become increasingly important to the whole community. If this facility were improved, it would get much more use by the people in Service Area 1. For boaters that can trailer their vessel and are headed to points south of Papke’s or to Tonka Landing, there is significant fuel savings and reduced boat wear and tear to launch at Papke’s. Also, at th...
To the Editor: I believe the Petersburg Borough should not involve itself in land acquisition at Papke’s Landing unless it is part of a plan to take over the ownership and management of the entire complex. At present, the dock, trestle, parking area and ramp are in a state of decline with no agency stepping forward to address upkeep, repair, or use management. Abandoned vehicles and trash litter the lot, the dock is falling apart, some treat the transient dock as their private property and the trestle is covered in fungus and nearly i...
The right to trial by jury developed over centuries in England beginning with Viking raiders. Trial by jury was a concession the English barons extracted from King John in 1215 in the Magna Carta. On July 4, 1776, members of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring that the United States of America was dissolving its “political bands” with Great Britain because King George III had denied the colonists their rights as British citizens, including “in many cases, the benefits of trial by jury.” Benjamin Frankli...
To the Editor: I was fortunate to be able to attend the 102nd Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood Grand Camp convened in Petersburg. I would like to thank the Petersburg Alaska Native Sisterhood President Brenda Louise for contacting me throughout the year asking for friendly advice on preparing for the convention. Ms. Brenda Louise also acted on behalf of the Alaska Native Sisterhoods in her role as the 2nd Vice President to the Grand Camp. Ms. Louise did an outstanding job making sure there was housing for the delegates,...
To the Editor: Thank you so much to all for the hospitality from the community who the delegates came upon or were able to be part of at the ANB and ANS Grand Camp Convention. As the driver for them I was able to hear the words of what a wonderful and beautiful town we have and they felt as if they were at home with caring, beautiful and respectful people of our community. Ray Ochoa, Sergeant at Arms, Camp 16...
