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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,...
Petersburg residents can now pay their utility bills online. A new program allows utility customers to register their accounts and then pay monthly bills on the web site with a credit card. Customers can log on to verify their accounts with an account number and either a meter number or phone number associated with the account. “The new program will let customers view usage and billing history for themselves,” said City Manager Steve Giesbrecht reported to the City Council on Monday. He also noted that online bill pay offers the added con...
Tribal Administrator Will Ware handed in a letter of resignation this weekend after two years of service at the Petersburg Indian Association. The 38-year-old father of four boys, was unavailable for comment, but he did offer an explanation to the Pilot via email. “After ten years of work within the Tribe, in a variety of different capacities, I have decided to move on to a new chapter in my life. In Tribal governments, as there is in any government, there is the element of politics that must b...
PIA changes To the Editor: Out of respect to the many relationships that the Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) provides to the Petersburg School District, City of Petersburg, Roads Programs, and businesses in the community, the PIA Board of Directors would like to reassure the community of the strength and stability of our organization. PIA has undergone many organizational changes within the last year with the addition of new board members and changes in leadership. Change is always a challenge however be reassured that PIA is moving...
The Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) held elections on Friday for a board of director chair position and four open board seats. According to election results, Ronelle Beardslee will serve as the new chairman. This is a one-year term. Beardslee ran uncontested. Christina Sokamoto, who also ran uncontested, took the one available one-year term as board member. Mary Ann Rainey and Chris Lopez nabbed two of the available two-year terms. Derek Lopez, who was a write-in candidate, took the last available two-year term. Serving one-year terms on...
A claim for unemployment insurance benefits made pages of Petersburg Indian Association emails and financial statements public last week, and reveals reasons why two employees and four board of director members resigned last October. Susan Harai was the director of the Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) program for the PIA and claimed there was a $300,000 to $360,000 deficit and discrepancy involving the IRR grant monies, according to the report of the State Employment Security Division’s f... Full story
PIA Tribal Administrator Will Ware on Wednesday rebutted information made public when former employee Susan Harai appeared at a public hearing for unemployment benefits on Feb. 9. “I was perplexed and surprised,” at the accusations made against me at the hearing, Ware said. “It was character assassination.” The allegations of missing Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) grant money being used for other PIA projects was based upon, “misinterpretations and mislabeling of accounts,” according t... Full story
A concerned tribal member To the Editor: It is with troubled emotions that I write this letter concerning the outcome of the unemployment hearing of Susan Harai and Petersburg Indian Association. Tribal members have not been able to get clear information of what is the financial condition of the tribe. Profit and Loss statements have only been let out to board members for review then required to return them before the meeting closes. The exhibits listed on the unemployment hearing site are alarming especially when the hearing officer states in...
Two Petersburg Indian Association tribal council members presented testimony at the unemployment benefit hearing on Feb. 9 for employee Susan Harai showing their determination to resolve the financial crisis reported to them by Roads Director Susan Harai and bookkeeper Nicole Dean. Ultimately, distrust of tribal leadership along with failure to secure a new, outside auditor to look at the tribal books resulted in their resignations from the tribal council. Jeanette Ness, former council...
The Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) will be holding board elections on Friday, Feb. 17, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. According to Tribal Administrator Will Ware there are four seats open, including three board seats and the position of chairman. “Usually, there are three seats open, plus the chairman,” Ware said. “This year there is an extra seat available.” According to Ware, Ronelle Beardslee is running uncontested for the chairman seat. Christina Sokamoto is running for a one-year term seat. Five people...
In 1945, the Alaska state legislature signed the Anti-Discrimination Act into law, and began an era of improved racial relations in the state. Civil rights leader Elizabeth Peratrovich was instrumental in this bill’s passage and her work is celebrated across the state on February 16, Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Anti-Discrimination Act. Festivities in Petersburg on February 16 will include a parade through downtown at 4 pm and an event at the Seaside House f... Full story
The city council was informed that the city can retain the excess fire station construction funds, “for a really, really long time,” according to City Manager Steve Giesbrecht. After the purchase of additional fiber optic communications cable and Scott Airpack equipment the city will still have $1.1 million in excess construction funds when the Haugen Drive Station One is completed next spring. The excess funds are a result of favorable contractor bidding when the project was put out to bid, according to Jerod Cook, fire chief. The arc...
Winners of the Christmas decorating contest sponsored by Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Petersburg Municipal Power and Light were announced this week. Boats-1st and only entry to Pam Speck in the North Harbor, slip #25 Homes-1st to Kevin Granberg, #42 at Magill's Trailer Park Honorable Mention to Don Reyes, 1101 Lake Street Organizations/Churches-1st to the Sons of Norway designed and decorated by Tom Rockne Neighborhoods-1st and only entry to Sparkling Sandy Beach-8 homes (Jones's,...
