Petersburg's first baby of the year arrives

Maari Jean Birch was born at 5:13 a.m. on February 4 in Anchorage. She showed up weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces and measuring 19 and ¾ inches long. The new baby's proud parents are Petersburg resident Mike Birch who works for the borough's sanitation department and Janine Iknokinok who moved to Petersburg around five years ago and works for the Petersburg Medical Center Home Health department. Baby Maari Jean is named after Mike's mother, and she joins three siblings: Alma (age 2), Oliver (age 10), and Autumn (age 17). "These gifts from the community are going to help us out a lot!" said Janine, in awe at the generosity shown by Petersburg businesses and organizations with their first baby of the year gifts. "I've never heard of a community doing this to celebrate new additions. Thank you!"