Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 263
Higher than expected recycling collection contract bids have forced the Public Works Department to exceed its budget this year by $43,000. The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously Monday night to award the $80,400 annual collection contract to Ruger’s Trucking. Assembly member Jeigh Stanton Gregor asked how soon the unanticipated budget shortfall would be corrected. “If we approve this contract, what is the vision to narrow that deficit as much as possible or make this potentially profitable,” Stanton Gregor asked. Karl Hager...
The Petersburg Indian Association held elections last week. Christina Sakamoto was re-elected to serve as Board President for a one-year term. Mary Ann Rainey and Michael Sheldon were re-elected to each serve a two-year term. Rita Byrer was newly elected and will serve a one-year term. Because a third candidate did not run for a two-year seat, Barb King was appointed by the board to serve one year of the two-year term. The PIA Tribal Council still needs to officially approve the final votes....
The borough manager reported the following during this week’s assembly meeting: The Sales Tax Committee meetings are scheduled for February 4 and February 25. It hopes to formulate a recommendation to the assembly at its February 25 meeting. The January 16 Transient Room Tax meeting to review outstanding grants wasn’t completed. Notices have been sent out to community service organizations that their request for budgeted funds is due by March 15. Annual DARE classes have kicked off. Officer Jared Popp will be administering the program to 5th gr...
The Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood is requesting donated space in the parks and rec community gym to host its Grand Camp convention in early October. Ross Nannauck III, ANB Camp 16 president, said between 200 to 400 people will attend, including delegates from Oregon to Anchorage. “It’s a very big thing,” Nannauck said. “The last time we had a convention here was in 1971…it’s been awhile and something we’ve been working towards for a long time.” In a letter to assembly members ANB and ANS officials wrote, “We plan to wor...
The stuff you flush down the toilet might spruce up town if Petersburg Indian Association's new compost plan works out. "It's a lot less gross than you think," said Jason Wilson, PIA tribal resource director. Justin Haley, wastewater-operating supervisor, and his staff calls it sludge and Wilson took a tour of the facility earlier this week. "Sludge is what we refer to it as until we take the water out," Haley said. Haley said an average of 400,000 gallons of sludge per day flows from...
January Petersburg residents contributed a record amount to the Salvation Army Christmas program last year-$15,618.17-more than $9,700 than the year before. Jan. 4, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck 58 miles west of Craig and 203 miles south of Juneau prompting a tsunami warning across Southeast. Petersburg Police Chief Jim Agner and Sergeant Heidi Agner announced their intentions to retire. Officer Ben King joined the Petersburg Police Department. The Petersburg Borough Assembly members were... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Sanitation Department has set February 4 to be the start date of the new comingled voluntary recycling program. Residents who want to participate must call Public Works at 772-4430 to sign up. Once that’s done, sanitation staff will drop off blue bags, free of charge, at residences and businesses during the week of January 20. Current residents who already practice curbside recycling will be automatically transferred into the new program. After the initial rollout of the recycling program, free bags will be available f... Full story
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht presented the following report to the Assembly on Monday night. Joe Nelson and power and light staff are working on incorporating a thorough capital project plan into the electric rate study to better outline the needs of our electric system. Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs officials are drafting a letter to the Alaska Department of Transportation in an effort to partner with Alaska Marine Highway to curb illegal controlled substances being transported on state ferries. Postal interdiction efforts...
Local artists Pia Reilly and Susan Christensen were among the participants in a printmaking class presented by the Petersburg Public Library and taught by acclaimed Seattle artist Mette Hansen. Hansen's art can be viewed throughout the library in the form of carvings and engravings identifying the Library's major donors....
Petersburg Mental Health Services will take the reins on running a second Pedometer Challenge this spring after Petersburg Indian Association found out it couldn’t secure grant funding for the program. Interest in last year’s challenge sparked and Mark Banda, PIA Tobacco Prevention Specialist saw participation double from what was expected. “What started out at about 150 assumed participants turned into 200 very quickly and that followed up and turned into over 300,” Banda said. Banda gave pedometers to participants who were able to track h...
Petersburg Indiana Association officials are hoping by March to restore recently cut employee hours. Former Tribal Administrator Bruce Jones laid off himself and three other administrative positions last month in an effort to balance PIA’s budget. Most other PIA positions are paid for through grant funding associated with its programs and services. Ronelle Beardslee, PIA Office Manager, said in combination with those layoffs and other efforts, PIA’s financial situation is back on course. “It was very difficult to cut these positions,” Beardslee... Full story
Petersburg Public Works Director Karl Hagerman’s co-mingled recycling recommendations to the borough assembly come after a successful trial run that saw recycling rates increase by more than 400 percent this past summer. The sanitation department along with Petersburg Indian Association ran the six-week pilot project in June and July to get an idea about how participants would judge the comingled bag recycling system. According to Hagerman’s recycling report, 120 participants were drawn from residents who already recycle. Before the trial, the...
The Rasmus Enge Memorial bridge on Sing Lee Alley might prove to be beyond repair after officials pull planks and inspect the stringers underneath. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht said the borough currently isn’t allowing its garbage trucks to drive over the bridge and told other large trucks not to cross the bridge either. Giesbrecht said the bridge has been re-planked many times over the years and that process weakens the stringers—boards the bridge planks are nailed to. “It’s like Swiss c... Full story
The Borough Assembly voted to award the gymnasium floor refinishing contract to Alaskan Industries based on a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Dept. Alaskan Industries is the company that has worked on the floor for the last 15 years, said Parks and Recreation Director Donn Hayes. The cost for the floor refinishing will be $32,400, or $35,900 with the Petersburg branded logo installed in the middle of the gymnasium floor. Part of the funding, $13,000, has been provided by a grant...
The Petersburg Indian Association has been working hard to expand its recycling program and has unveiled a few new services recently. PIA Tribal Resource Director Jason Wilson has implemented new programs beginning with recycling services for big events. “We started this service during Mayfest,” Wilson stated. “We will offer it again for the July 4th event as well as any event in the community.” For this service, anyone planning events in the community such as weddings, reunions, dances, etc. will be able to call PIA and order bins to be plac... Full story
June 14, 1913 – Mr. and Mrs. Barkdull returned last Tuesday and brought back with them a very credible certificate of their prowess as hunters in the way of a large bear pelt. In speaking of their experience, Mrs. Barkdull-for it was Mrs. Barkdull who did the killing- said that when the bear appeared on the scene and noticed the hunters, it presumably and instantly got into its head that its picture was wanted, for it immediately reared up and displayed a white spot on its breast which gave Mrs. Barkdull a clear point of attack and which, with...
The Petersburg Public Works Sanitation Department will introduce a new and improved recycling program to the community called commingled recycling. This commingled recycling program will accept a wide range of materials all bagged together. This new program will be running in Petersburg as a trial for the next six weeks. “This program is an extension of our solid waste contract,” Petersburg Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said. “As part of that contract we have pricing for the shipp... Full story
After a winter respite, the First Fridays art walk resumes next week at art galleries in downtown Petersburg....
The 55th Little Norway Festival begins today and Petersburg is ready to celebrate. This festival celebrates Syttende Mai or May 17, the signing of Norway's Constitution in 1814. Over the more than 50 years since its beginning, the Little Norway Festival has expanded to celebrate, not only, Norway's Constitution but also U.S. Armed Forces Day and the coming of spring and the beginning of the fishing season. The activities for this celebration run from Thursday to Sunday. The Little Norway... Full story
Wednesday May 15th 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm $ The Little Norway Festival Paddle Battle - Sons of Norway Hall. Join in this ping pong battle for the coveted Purple Paddle. Single Elimination Bracket Play. Youth ages 12-20 will play from 4 pm - 6 pm and Adults 21+ will play from 6 pm - 9 pm. Cash bar will be open! Brought to you by the Sons of Norway, Kito’s Kave and Petersburg Parks & Recreation. Thursday, May 16th 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Visitor Information Center Open - 1st and Fram 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Clausen Memorial Museum: Little Norway Art Show open (... Full story
Petersburg Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht and Petersburg Police Chief Jim Agner approached the challenge of the failing public safety building with an understanding that the only funds available for the project would be from the Fire Hall re-appropriation, and any grant money provided by this legislative session. To date, the project has $4.1 million to work with. “Our assumption is that any project undertaken must meet current building standards for police stations and jails,” Giesbrecht stated. “We assumed that $4.1 million will not neces... Full story
On Tuesday afternoon a group of over 40 paddlers from Juneau, Yakutat, Sitka and Kake arrived for an overnight stay in Petersburg, after battling several days of high seas and rough weather. They were greeted in traditional fashion by members of ANB, ANS and PIA alongside other members of the Petersburg community. Wednesday the group continued on toward Wrangell for this weekend’s historic re-dedication of the Chief Shakes Tribal House....
Tattoo artist, Tammie Wales moved to Petersburg in December and has been working hard to open T.W. Tattoos. The opening of the new business has been slated for Wednesday, May 1 and will be located inside the PIA building, Room 112. “I want my patrons to know that I do business a little different,” Wales stated. “There are no tattoo designs to choose from on the walls. I prefer to work with customer's photos, drawings and ideas to help me see what is in their imagination.” According to Wales,...
