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An ordinance which would increase rates at Petersburg's municipal harbors was unanimously approved by the Petersburg Borough Assembly in its second reading during Monday's meeting. Ordinance #2022-03, which also passed unanimously in its first reading, would be the first rate increase since 2018 and would increase harbor moorage fees by around 5% among other changes. The ordinance also has the support of the Harbor and Ports Advisory Board and Harbormaster Glo Wollen who said the increase is...
During the February 21 Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting, Assembly Member Dave Kensinger gave a report on his attendance at the 2022 Southeast Conference Mid-Session Summit which included an update on the U.S. Coast Guard's interest in Petersburg, federal funding in Alaska, and other important matters to the assembly. The future of the Coast Guard's presence in Petersburg has been in question since it was announced that only three of the four coastal buoy tenders, the class of ships that the...
February 23 – An officer responded to assist a locked out citizen on Second Street, but they had managed to help themselves before arrival. An officer responded to a parking complaint on Harbor Way and directed the owner of a vehicle blocking the snow dump to move it. An individual submitted their quarterly sex offender registration. Black ice conditions were reported on Harbor Way, DOT was already addressing the problem. Jonathan Mazzella was arrested for violating conditions of release. Black ice conditions were reported from 3-mile to 8...
During Tuesday's meeting, the Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously, 7-0, in support of Ordinance #2022-03 in its first reading which would increase harbor moorage fees by approximately 5%. The proposed fee increase was first presented to the Harbor and Ports Advisory Board during a meeting on February 1 where Harbormaster Glo Wollen said the increase was necessary to keep up with inflation and that fees have not increased since 2018. During that meeting, the harbor board approved a...
The Estate of Molly Parks v. Petersburg Borough, et al. went before the Alaska Supreme Court for oral arguments earlier this month in an effort to overturn the Superior Court's decision to dismiss the case and reopen the lawsuit against the borough and Allen. The wrongful death claim stems from a van crash in 2016 which killed Molly Parks and argued that the borough should be held civilly liable for her death while the borough argued that workers compensation is the sole source remedy since the...
If at first you don’t succeed, it’s not always better that you try, try again. But try, try again is what we do well in Alaska. Well, not so successfully, but we are consistent in trying the patience of common sense and fiscal restraint. For Alaskans, that could apply to the long-proposed, longingly dreamy North Slope natural gas pipeline project — a $39 billion quest in search of customers, partners, investors and lenders. Other than that, it has all the free political support it needs. The state has poured about $1.5 billion into vario...
Come fly your flags with me Americans To the Editor: I’ve recently found myself in many interesting conversations with my six year old about patriotism and what that means. Last week as we watched the big trucks and American flags stream past our house, I was reminded that no matter which side of the Covid aisle you stand on, so to speak, we are all united in one way: patriotism. My son and I started discussing the idea, “what does patriotism mean to me?” We explored many ideals and shared meaningful conversation on the topic, and I invit...
February 9 – A disabled vehicle was reported on Birch Street and later moved by its owner. Police assisted with a report of illegally parked vehicles on Harbor Way. An officer responded to a complaint of barking dogs on South Nordic. February 10 – Icy road conditions were reported on Mitkof Highway. DOT was notified and responded. An officer responded to a parking complaint on Haugen Drive. An officer conducted a civil standby on Dolphin Street. Officers conducted extra patrol watches at an undisclosed location. February 11 – An officer conduct...
During the Petersburg Borough Assembly's meeting on Monday, Mayor Mark Jensen reported that he and Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht recently took part in a conversation with two representatives from the U.S. Postal Service about the ongoing problems at the post office. The assembly has previously discussed staffing issues and the resulting long wait times at the post office which culminated in the passage of a resolution requesting a formal discussion with the USPS about solutions and...
A small electrical fire was reported Friday at about 3 p.m. in the South Boat Harbor after smoke was seen on a boat according to Assistant Fire Chief David Berg. A passerby called 911 when they saw smoke coming from the Seniavin Sunset owned by Greg Birchell. Harbor staff worked fast and knocked down the fire with a fire extinguisher. The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department sent two fire engines to the South Boat Harbor where the squad turned off the shore power and put out the remaining...
February 2 – Officers received a parking complaint, Fram Street. An officer responded to a report of a vehicle driving with inoperable tail lights. A warning was issued; next time the vehicle will be impounded. A citizen was assisted on Unimak Street. Icy road conditions were reported on Mitkof Highway. DOT was notified and responded. Icy road conditions were reported on Haugen Drive. DOT was notified and responded. February 3 – Officers responded to a burglary on South Nordic. There is an on-going investigation. February 4 – Officers respo...
January 26 – Suspicious activity was reported on First Street. An officer responded and determined it was non-criminal. Dogs in the roadway were reported on Skylark Way. An officer responded, but the dogs had departed the area. Keys found on Harbor Way were turned into the police department. Found property was reported on North Nordic. A warning was issued for failure to use turn signals on South Nordic. January 27 – A dog found on Dolphin Street was returned to its owner. A theft was reported on South Second. Malcolm Ware was arrested on charg...
Doris Gregg Smith passed away from Covid on December 25, 2021, Christmas Day, at North Cascades Health & Rehabilitation Center in Bellingham, WA. She was 101 years old, just a month shy of 102. Doris was born Doris Ruth Gregg in Oak Park, Illinois on January 26, 1920. She graduated from Denison University as a Registered Nurse, then served in the Army in France as a nurse in WWII. She was a Lieutenant. She met her future husband in France, Tarleton (Tee) Smith, also a Lieutenant, from Waco, Texa... Full story
January 12 — A citizen reported a power failure on Haugen Drive. Power & Light was notified and responded. An officer responded to a parking complaint on Valkyrie Street, issued a warning for expired registration, and removed the vehicle from the roadway. An officer responded to a complaint of dogs barking on Mitkof Highway. January 13 — A citizen reported lost property between Hungerford and downtown. A warning was issued for expired vehicle registration on N. Nordic. Officers responded to an alarm activation on S. Nordic and determined the...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed Ordinance #2021-22 in its third and final reading Tuesday evening, increasing the FY22 budget. Passing unanimously in its first two readings, the ordinance sets out to increase the budget for dredging the South Boat Harbor by $271,600. The ordinance also accepts an additional $553,081 in Fisheries business Tax Revenue and transfers $353,081 of that to the Harbor Fish Tax revenue fund. The ordinance would also see the borough accept $1,222,750 from the...
Southeast Alaska was covered in a fresh layer of snow last weekend followed by rainfall which caused frozen roads, flooding, and damage to buildings across the region. The NWS issued a winter storm warning in anticipation of last weekend's weather with the expectation of total snow accumulations of 3 to 13 inches and wind gusts up to 45 mph for cities in Southeast including Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan. Petersburg recorded 7.5 inches of snowfall on Saturday which brought the total snow de... Full story
January 5 — An assault was reported on Lumber Street. A citizen was assisted on Fram Street. Ryan Dawson was arrested for Violation Conditions of Release. A moose was struck and killed on Mitkof Highway. Alaska Fish and Wildlife Troopers (AFWT) was notified and responded. January 6 — Police responded to a 911 hang-up call from South 3rd St. All was okay. Officer assisted with keys locked in a vehicle on Mitkof Highway. A citizen was assisted on Odin Street. Fraudulent activity was reported on Nordic Drive. An officer responded. It is a civil is...
Leaving his warm house and family behind at 2:30 a.m., during winter months in order to plow snow can be downright taxing for Martin Odegaard. The Public Works (PW) foreman lives out on Cabin Creek, and he's no stranger to putting chains on his pickup just to make it to work. Recently, it took him a half hour to complete the three-mile drive, no joke. "I know the road pretty well, know what to look for, and I've always got it figured out how I'm gonna make it in," Odegaard says. "Always made... Full story
January 6, 1922 The largest Masquerade Ball ever given in Petersburg was pulled off last Saturday night, New Year’s Eve, by the Sons and Daughters of Norway. Over forty couples were masked, the largest number of masqueraders who ever attended any single affair here, and the fun was fast and furious until after four o’clock on New Year’s Day. Many preparations for the enjoyment and comfort of the guests had been made by the committee in charge and the affair was most enjoyable from every standpoint. At midnight an excellent luncheon was serve...
I was nineteen when I first rode the M/V Columbia up to Petersburg, back in 2003, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I parked myself on the ferry's starboard side and watched the landscape grow wilder the further north we sailed. The scenery was more spectacular than anything I had ever seen: Mountains plunged into the sea and mist ribboned through forested shores. As we passed through the Wrangell Narrows the trees seemed close enough to reach out and touch. A passenger near me... Full story
Why not involve the Petersburg Harbor Board? To the Editor: My short testimony to the January 3, 2022 Assembly meeting concerning the Scow Bay project could be summed up in one sentence: “Why not involve the Petersburg Harbor Board?” voter elected members who provide guidance on harbor projects and policies. I am disappointed no one addressed my concern in the Assembly’s discussion. The Borough code specifies the Harbor Board meetings are to be called for by the Borough. Last meeting was over one year ago. John Murgas Congratulations To the Edi...
December 29 — A warning was issued for headlight requirements near the South Boat Harbor. An officer spoke to a citizen about a civil issue near Mitkof Hwy. Officers responded to a dispute about snow removal near Chief John Lott St. An officer spoke to a driver about their vehicle blocking traffic near S. 2nd St. An area-wide power outage was reported near Excel St. PMPL was notified and responded. December 30 — Officers responded to a disturbance near S. 3rd St. Sex offender registration was completed at the police department. A civil issue wa...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed Resolution #2022-01 during Monday’s meeting which requested a formal discussion with the U.S. Postal Service about providing additional services at Petersburg’s post office. The resolution cited ongoing staffing issues at the post office, irregular hours, and long lines and asked the USPS to explore the possibilities of adding self-help kiosks in the post office and mail collection boxes downtown. The assembly failed to approve a similar resolution tha...
Since 1991 the weekly Fish Factor column has highlighted Alaska’s seafood industry with its annual “Picks and Pans - a no holds barred look back at some of the year’s best and worst happenings, and my choice for the year’s biggest fish story. Here are the choices for 2021, in no particular order - Most business potential – Seaweed mariculture. The market value of U.S. seaweed is pegged at $41 billion by 2031. Driving the demand is increased use in pharmaceuticals, health supplements, as a natural thickening agent and in animal feeds. Best fish...
Orin Pierson, currently general manager of the Petersburg Pilot, will take over as Publisher of the Petersburg Pilot effective January 1, 2022. Pierson is purchasing 100% of the stock in Pilot Publishing, Inc. (the Pilot's parent company) that is held by Ron and Anne Loesch. The business will continue at its current location on Nordic Dr., as well as the printing operations on Harbor Way. The office supply business will also continue under Pierson's ownership and all subscriptions and advertisin...
