Sorted by date Results 651 - 675 of 692
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has notified the Forest Service of an investigation into allegations of misrepresented and omitted pertinent information from its application for permission to store logs from the Tonka Timber Sale during log transfer to Klawock. DEC’s letter requires the Forest Service to respond in writing by Dec. 19 and was prompted by a request by Earthjustice, an environmental law firm on behalf of its client, the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council i...
William Howard Pawuk, 70, went to be with his Lord and Savior on November 25, 2012. Bill was born February 20, 1942 in Idamar, Penn. to John and Verba (Work) Pawuk: the second of four children. His early adolescence was spent enjoying a carefree life of fishing, dump scavenging, baseball, and playing all day, only to return for dinner in the evening. In 1952, the family moved to Coraopolis, Penn. There he formed a fierce loyalty to the Pittsburgh Steelers, completed junior and senior high... Full story
The Federal Subsistence Board has closed Federal public lands within Unit 3 on Kuiu Island to the trapping of marten for the December 1, 2012 to February 15, 2013 season. This action is in response to conservation concerns raised by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Recent studies indicate the marten population on Kuiu Island is among the lowest in Southeast Alaska and suggests that the population has continued to decline over the last several years. A high natural mortality rate and continued low recruitment has resulted in a...
A skull found near the mouth of the Stikine River in October may require radiocarbon date testing to determine if it came from a Native Alaskan. The skull, which was discovered by Wrangellite Vena Stough while hunting near Government Slough on Oct. 5, was first turned over to the Wrangell Police Department, who then handed it over to the Tongass National Forest supervisor’s office in Petersburg. According to Forest Service anthropologist Jane L. Smith, the office of the Alaska State Medical Exam...
Petersburg City Councilor Susan Flint is a lifelong resident of Petersburg and has put her name in the hat as a candidate for the proposed Petersburg Borough Assembly. Flint has served on the city council since 2009 and decided to run for the council seat after a group from Bellingham tried to develop a dam in Thomas Bay. She explained that she feels that the formation of the borough will be good for the community. “I am very hopeful that the borough will pass,” Flint stated. “I think it will... Full story
Let’s Talk continues To the Editor: Imagine a community where your viewpoint is heard and where a variety of different opinions are valued and respected. Last Wednesday nearly 60 people took part in “Let’s Talk Petersburg: A Community Conversation”. The event, hosted by the Petersburg Public Library and the Petersburg Community Foundation, focused on having respectful, open conversations and sparking discussion about the issues that are important to our community. We tackled some difficult issues. Small towns can be cliquish and gossip oriente...
More borough government To the Editor: Is now the time for more government? It sounds like the City of Petersburg is having trouble rounding up candidates for the proposed borough Assembly. Who would be foolish enough to sit on an Assembly that is dead set on more purchases and more spending? That person would be eaten alive if he or she tried to stop the spending. Why extend this kind of government to a huge borough area that will require more government? Extra staff will be needed for such a large area. That will only be the beginning; there...
After only 2-1/2 months on the job, Bruce Jones, Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Administrator was fired by a 4-2 vote of the tribal council on Tuesday night. Jones was hired on August 1 of this year. Jones did not give a reason for his firing and referred questions to his attorney John Hoag. Tribal member Ronelle Beardslee told the Pilot she and other tribal members will be seeking legal council to determine their next move. “I’m very disappointed the board didn’t support their triba... Full story
An irresistible source of borough revenue To the Editor: I find it inconceivable that anyone in Petersburg would even consider voting “yes” for the borough petition which gives the Borough Assembly the power to levy personal property tax without a vote (page 4, subsection 11-B). This would include taxing cars and private and commercial boats. Because fishing is so vital to the local economy many believe that the possibility of personal property tax on boats is very remote. But how remote is it when borough costs are projected to exceed the reve...
KETCHIKAN (AP) — The Tongass National Forest stakeholders’ group known as the Tongass Futures Roundtable has voted to support a proposed land exchange in Southeast Alaska. The Tongass Futures Roundtable voted earlier this month to support the land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. The deal involves nearly 39,000 acres of federal and Mental Health Trust lands. As proposed, the exchange includes about 20,900 acres of federal land in the Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island area, and about 18,...
September 29, 1982- KRSA, Southeast Alaska’s newest radio station signed on the air at noon Friday, September 24 with a signal that reaches to Petersburg, Kake, Wrangell, Gustavus, Juneau and Telegraph Creek. In at least one case, the signal reached all the way to Eagle, Alaska, about 700 miles away. The official sign-on was followed by the national anthem, the Alaska State Flag song, a prayer of dedication and a song, “My Tribute,” to bring the radio station on the air. Finally, the station air...
A $10,000 reward is being offered by The Southeast Alaska Power Agency (‘SEAPA’) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandal, or vandals, responsible for causing an hour-long, region-wide power outage on Sunday, August 19, 2012, in both the City and Borough of Wrangell and the City of Petersburg. It is suspected that multiple rifle shots into an insulator core on one of the main power delivery towers on Wrangell’s Back Channel were caused by a vandal or vandals. Although power was restored quickly utilizing diesel gener...
THORNE BAY — The Thorne Bay Ranger District is mourning the loss of District Ranger Kent Nicholson, who passed away unexpectedly last weekend at his home on Prince of Wales Island. Although Nicholson had held his current position in Thorne Bay for less than a year, he enjoyed a long career in Southeast Alaska. Nicholson joined the Forest Service in Hoonah in 2004, when he was hired as a civil engineering technician. Soon after, Nicholson accepted a promotion to forester at the Petersburg R...
The U.S. Forest Service and Alaska Department of Fish & Game remind Southeast Alaskans to use extra caution when recreating outdoors at this time of year. A decrease in natural food sources leads to a greater likelihood of encounters between bears and humans. Rarely, these encounters can be aggressive. When in bear country, always be aware of your surroundings and keep pets under control. Avoid surprising a bear by being bear aware: be observant of bear sign and consider limited sight distances on trails. Remember to make noise while traveling...
Due to very low public use, the cabin at Binkley Slough has been removed from the U.S. Forest Service’s public reservation system – a situation not unusual among other structures in Southeast. Because of this, the USFS is looking for public comment on whether a number of cabins across the Tongass should be removed from public use. “Many of these cabins are dilapidated and have not been on the cabin reservation system for many years,” stated Tongass National Forest supervisor Forrest Cole in an email. “The cabins that were available for rent...
WRANGELL — With the rising costs of heating homes and businesses in Southeast Alaska, an earth-friendly product may be the answer to lower costs – and possibly creating jobs in Wrangell. The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, in collaboration with the Wrangell Cooperative Association, has been working in past weeks to bring a feasibility consultant to the borough in an effort to determine the economic and strategic possibilities of producing a biofuel – or “biobrick” – product locally. Bi...
July 21, 1982 - The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and The Boeing Company have announced the schedule for the forthcoming free demonstration of the Boeing Jetfoil in eleven Southeast Alaska communities. The Jetfoil built by Boeing Marine Systems, is the boat that flies like an airplane on underwater “wings” or foils. The demonstration came about in response to legislation introduced in the recent legislative session by Sen. Bill Ray of Juneau. The $1.2 million pro...
July 11 An officer requested help for a possible intoxicated individual who had been asked to leave establishment four times. A suspicious person was reported to be urinating in the parking lot at the ferry terminal. Police assisted a person on to his boat at North Harbor. An individual driving erratic at Libby Straights was reported. Burglary at the ballfield concession stand was reported. An officer responded. A child was found wandering the street at 2nd Street. The child's mother was later located. An officer responded to a report of boys...
Fourth of July activities brought out visitors and residents alike. Semi-clear skies and no rain made for great times for all. Festivities began in earnest Tuesday, with competitors hitting the water for the Blindfold Row Boat Races, the two person Tote Race, the four person Tote Race and the Herring Toss. After several boats got hung up in the pilings, the winners of the Blindfold Row Boat Race were Brian Pike with child navigator Kobuk VanHouten. As the Tote Races began, the tide ran stronger... Full story
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry has provided the grant to assist the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department in providing training and equipment to assist the United States Forest Service in wild land fire response and other emergencies. This grant will be provided on a ten percent match basis. The Volunteer Fire Assistance program is used for both wild land and structure protection needs. The assistance is provided to increase firefighter safety, improve the fire fighting capabilities of rural volunteer fire...
June 9, 1982 - Susan Payne is an artist at heart and a businesswoman out of necessity. When she receives a new shipment of earthenware slip for pottery, she also receives a $500 bill. The money’s got to come from somewhere. She believes she’s found a way—producing earthenware octopus pots for what she and a few others around Petersburg believe may become an important new off-season fishery. Octopots, Payne’s brand name for her pots, will be manufactured in a 30 by 40 foot warehouse she plans t...
Robert G. Dzur was born at home on an Indiana dairy farm on July 18, 1934. He died in Eureka on May 27, 2012 at the age of 77. Bob contracted polio while a toddler. His mother, dismayed by lack of doctors’ treatment, brought him home and massaged him with warm oil which cured his paralysis. He earned a degree in forestry from Purdue University and was hired by the U.S. Forest Service, Six Rivers. After serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to the Forest Service-Shasta-Trinity, Tahoe, Plumas a...
On Monday, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell signed into law three budget bills for Fiscal Year 2013 appropriating an estimated $870 million for transportation. Among the budget items is the allocation of $40 million for the controversial Kake-Petersburg Road. Many residents from the cities of Petersburg and Kupreanof sounded off during the last City Council meeting. They asked for city action toward a line-item veto of the project. The council voted in favor of drafting a resolution, but there wasn’t enough time to send it out. Kupreanof Mayor D...
Let your inner-Norwegian out. The Little Norway Festival begins today. The annual event celebrates Syttende Mai, or May 17, the signing of Norway's Constitution in 1814. Petersburg has been formally celebrating the occasion since 1958. The celebration includes live music, food, traditional dance, art receptions, softball and the return of the Viking/Valkyrie jail. Activities run from Thursday to Sunday. “We are bringing back the classics,” said Little Norway Chair Holli Flint. “The Style Show,...
The U.S. Forest Service continues to host a series of meetings with members of the community to discuss the possibilities of a stewardship contract in connection with the Tonka Timber sale. Forest Ranger Jason Anderson initiated, and is facilitating, the workshops to gain a better understanding of what the public wants. “It's just a chance to have some communication, discussion regarding a broad range of projects,” said Anderson. “A chance for people to have a creative dialogue about what they want from their landscape,” he added. The sale wi...
