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On April 20, Stacey Dahl left Petersburg and arrived in New York City. She was there to help in the COVID-19 pandemic. Dahl would spend the next three weeks working in "the hot zone" of a lower Manhattan hospital on a designated COVID-19 floor as a nurse. Dahl's journey started three years ago when with some time on her hands she registered to be part of the International Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) with Samaritan's Purse (SP) organization to do some volunteer work. She had...
In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared May 10 Mother's Day as a national holiday. Hannah Balcom never planned to marry, let alone have children and celebrate Mother's Day as a Mom. This May 20 however, she is scheduled to have a C-section in Ketchikan to bring her third child, a little girl, into the world. Hannah and her husband Brad Balcom met and fell in love on Princes of Wales Island (POW) seven years ago and moved their young family, Seth now four and Arianne now two, to Petersburg...
One of the things Petersburg residents look forward to with the change of the season and the weather is The Market, which in the past has been held in the John Hanson Sr. Hall and included homemade baked goods, fresh vegetables and flowers, local jewelry and art and more for purchase. This year The Market is going to have a different look, because like a lot of other things in the world right now, COVID-19 is bringing about a change. Chelsea Tremblay, chair of The Market board says this year...
There was a time when masks were associated with Halloween, horror movies, dances, and merrymaking. In today's current environment they've been elevated to a new status; as a way to protect and stop the spread of COVID-19. In Petersburg specifically the making of masks has become a cottage industry, helping to encourage good mental health and as a way to reach out and help others, while practicing social distancing. Back in mid-March Erica Kludt-Painter, School Superintendent and Heather Conn,...
Sunday, March 29, started out with a blanket of snow on the ground with more falling from the sky. It wasn't ideal weather but that didn't stop the residents of Petersburg from getting outdoors and going on a "bear hunt." "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" is not only the title of a beloved children's story book by Micheal Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, but also a song that kids are often taught in elementary school and the inspiration for this social media idea. With kids at home from school for over two...
There was tension in the room Friday afternoon, August 2 as around 20 Petersburg Parks and Recreation (P&R) users and parents met with Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht, newly hired Facilities Supervisor Stephanie Payne and Parks and Rec. Director Chandra Thornburg regarding some of the proposed changes to the P&R operating rules. The meeting came about after Kellii Schurb Wood posted online about the changes P&R is thinking of adopting at the start of the new school year. The number one concern...
After nine months of fundraising, 23 enthusiastic students and four intrepid chaperones left Petersburg on March 29 for a once in a lifetime personal experience, Close-Up in Washington D.C. Close-Up's mission is to "Inform, inspire, and empower young people to exercise the rights and accept the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy." Since 1971, over 850,000 participants have participated in the program. Petersburg High School (PHS) has been partaking in the Close-Up programs since at...
A quilt is a layer of batting or stuffing between two layers of fabric. Early American quilts were the result of patched together pieces of worn out blankets and clothing. Since fabrics had to be woven these items were purely functional. By the mid-18th century Americans were making elaborate quilts designed to be handed down, often pieced together from salvaged pieces of clothing and other bedding. Today's quilts span the spectrum from traditional to modern to being an art form. According to...
There are many ideas, books, quotes, videos and even classes on what makes a good, lasting relationship, but all one has to do is ask lifelong Petersburg residents Roald and Jeannine Norheim, married 64 years this July. Their joint response, "doing things together." The Norheims' love story from the beginning was about doing things together, such as both being born and raised in Petersburg by Norwegian immigrants. They both attended elementary and high school together, although Roald is three...
It is better to give than receive, is an old adage, and an especially poignant one this time of year. One that Marlena Erickson took to heart as the organizer of Petersburg's First Annual "Adopt a Grandparent" drive. Erickson was inspired by a friend of hers in California who had done the same thing for senior citizens in her area. The people of Petersburg make a strong effort to make others feel loved and included, said Erickson, but this time of winter can be a really hard time for the...
Juliette Low, the founder of Girl Scouting once said. "Scouting rises within you and inspires you to put forth your best." That quote was especially fitting on Sat., Nov. 11 as the local Petersburg Girl Scouts gathered to mark their founder's birthday, which is Oct. 31 and to celebrate one of their own, Gold Award recipient Avery Herman-Sakamoto. The Gold Award in Girl Scouting is equivalent to the Eagle Scout Award in Boy Scouts. You must be dedicated, motivated and inspired to achieve it and...
Knowledge, bonding and storytelling are the words used by the organizers to describe the First Annual Fall Adult Culture Festival that took place at Sandy Beach Park Sept. 7-9 in conjunction with the Rainforest Festival. Marsha Cook, Kayla Perry and Christina Sargent, the key organizers for the event, were inspired by their own time foraging for berries, mushrooms and other edibles. Cook had sent four years living in Kake and participating in the annual youth culture camps held there. They...
Forty miles with no motor, no support, no problem - summed up the thoughts of local resident Jake Hammer, 39, as he rowed a borrowed fiberglass rowboat from Port Townsend, Wash. to Victoria, B.C. in April. Hammer took a swing at his dream with a harried late entry in the Race to Alaska (R2AK), its fourth year in the running. He raced his 13-foot Davis replica rowboat with only a compass for navigation. He would also, because of a time constraint, only be able to do the first 40 miles of the...
Nine year old Grace Morrison is no stranger to the spotlight. She regularly gets perfect attendance at Rae C. Stedman Elementary. At Award Assemblies she and her schoolmates are called up front in a group, she receives her certificate of acknowledgment with the rest of them and sits back down. But this time was different Morrison said, she felt "awkward" as she stepped up in front of her school, "like all eyes were on her." Taking center stage alone this time, she was presented a plaque for winn...
Traveling is not new to most Petersburg High School students. They hop on a ferry for extended weekend sports, academic, and music competitions. They fly on planes when heading even further north or south. Our geography demands travel. But what would take seven PHS students over 5,600 miles from Petersburg, Alaska to San Jose, Costa Rica you might ask? Why Spanish, of course. Rowan Beraza, PHS Spanish teacher had a vision of a kind of cultural and language immersion for her second year Spanish...
There has been a huge wave crashing through the school district over the years according to High School principal Rick Dormer and that is the Class of 2018. He went on to say "based on the sheer size of the class and frequency of successful achievements to produce an appropriate wavelength that has resulted in a powerful force in our district without the destructive tendencies of a tsunami." With 45 students receiving their diplomas Tuesday night, it was indeed a wave of blue. Out of the 45, 37...
Richard Peterson, Central Council Tlingit and Haida President gave an analogy Monday night that all Alaska Natives should be in the same canoe, and if they aren't, they are working against one another. Since Petersburg Indian Association made the final drop from the compact of Tlingit and Haida three years ago and became a self-determining tribal government, their relationship with T&H has been bumpy. The dinner along with a meeting earlier in the day with the PIA Board was one of the steps in s...
