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This Saturday marks a historic milestone for Petersburg as the community celebrates the first-ever Amy Hallingstad Day, honoring the Tlingit civil rights pioneer who transformed education and social justice for Alaska Natives. "This is the first year we are having Amy Hallingstad Day. We had it formally proclaimed by the borough as an annual holiday now, and it's to commemorate Amy Hallingstad, who lived in Petersburg most of her life and was a huge proponent in a lot of civil rights matters,...
Petersburg Indian Association disposed of ten junk vehicles from around the community last month. "Ten junk vehicles for people who couldn't get them up to the dump," said Brandon Thynes who oversees the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (IGAP) for PIA. "It went really well, people were really up for it and it helped the community," said Thynes. "We contracted a towing company, and they towed the vehicle and took out the fluids and did the tires." More residents signed up than...
Petersburg Public Library will reduce its Monday evening hours starting in May. The library will now close at 4:00 p.m. on Mondays instead of remaining open until 8:00 p.m., a change Library Director Tara Alcock describes as a careful compromise to meet borough-wide budget constraints while minimizing impacts on patrons. "We're still open a fair amount for a library of our size and a community of our size," Alcock explained during a recent interview with the Pilot. "We'll still be open three...
For Petersburg families wondering what their children will do this summer, Petersburg Medical Center's Youth Programs are offering more activities, more accessibility, and more options than ever before. After a six-month effort to secure critical funding streams, the programs have achieved a milestone that will help ensure more families can participate, regardless of financial circumstances. PMC Youth Program administrators have spent months advocating for access to state child care assistance...
Petersburg Indian Association Council President Carol Martinez portions out frozen Sitka herring eggs on branches into gallon bags for Petersburg's tribal citizens. A fisherman volunteer collected and provided these eggs for free distribution by PIA. Herring roe on branches is not something that can be bought or sold, so PIA appreciates those volunteers who help to gather the subsistence foods. In recent years, the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Tribes purchased herring roe on kelp - which...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly has once again rejected a proposal to establish a police K9 unit, voting against the request by a 5-1 margin despite grassroots advocacy efforts and significant financial pledges. The proposal, which returned for reconsideration at Monday's assembly meeting after being initially rejected in February, failed to gain approval even with new funding commitments from the Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) and local businesses. Perspectives on the drug dog proposal...
The Petersburg Police Department's previously rejected K9 unit proposal has gained significant momentum through community financial support and grassroots advocacy efforts. Reconsideration of the proposal is anticipated at the Borough Assembly's first meeting in April. The Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) has emerged as a major supporter, pledging $14,000 from opioid settlement funds to help cover the unit's maintenance costs. "We received opioid settlement funds from class action lawsuits...
This month the Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) was honored at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet with the Community Impact Award — for transforming local transportation infrastructure through decades of partnerships, generosity, and community engagement. Glowing with pride as she presented the award, Petersburg Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Payne described the partnership between the borough and PIA “in creating and maintaining trails for the community, along with ro...
Petersburg Indian Association led a March on Sunday in observance of Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, to honor the woman who spearheaded Alaska's Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. The procession (pictured below) makes their way up Gjoa Street toward the John Hansen Sr. Hall, with the Elizabeth Peratrovich mural, painted by Janine Gibbons in 2020, visible on the Petersburg Courthouse in the background. Once inside the hall, the Johnson O'Malley program's dancers shared dances and songs with those in...
While many economic indicators in Alaska draw concern, outdoor recreation stands as a bright spot, generating $3.1 billion in economic output in 2023. That's according to Mariyam Medovaya, who is coming to Petersburg next week to discuss the growing potential of adventure tourism as the guest speaker at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on Feb. 15. "Outdoor recreation is kind of an underappreciated giant of American economy," says Medovaya, noting that Alaska ranked first among...
HIP Volunteers Courtney Martin and Ashley Kawashima stock the table of travel-sized hygiene products during Project Connect last week. 138 community members participated in the event. Of those, 19 reported currently experiencing homelessness in Petersburg and 23 reported experiencing homelessness at least once during the past three years. The volunteers at Project Connect distributed a lot of good resources to those who need them in the community. And through the donation drive HIP was able to...
Jake Slaven, president of the Petersburg Rod and Gun Club, presented a report to the Petersburg Borough Assembly on Feb. 3 to provide updates on the activities of the club and improvements at the Petersburg Shooting range. The club has installed new security cameras at the range through $8,000 in funding contributed by club members and a matching grant from Petersburg Mental Health Services. The facility has also added a new shelter at the pistol range, funded by an NRA Foundation grant, and the...
Petersburg nonprofit Humanity In Progress (HIP) is preparing for its ninth annual Project Connect event, which will provide resources and services to community members experiencing housing insecurity. The event will take place Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 2-6 p.m. at John Hanson Sr. Hall, thanks to the space being donated by Petersburg Indian Association (PIA). Preparations for the event have been underway for several months. "Our main goal is just to make sure that we have resources available for the...
Petersburg's tribal members picked a new council president on Monday, January 6. Voters elected Carol Martinez president of the Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Council, ending Debra O'Gara's term in the role after just one year. Brenda Norheim also ran for council president as a write-in candidate. Three two-year terms were open on the tribal council. The two incumbents running, Brandon Ware and Jaclyn Eide, both kept their seats. Adam Ware won the third seat. Marc Martinsen and Cina...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Monday to transfer seven parcels of borough-owned land in the Airport Addition Subdivision to Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority (THRHA) in exchange for the development of 11 residential lots, a project that builds on a successful 1996 partnership between the organizations. "About 25 years ago, PIA allocated federal housing monies to the Tlingit and Haida Housing Authority, and in the partnership with the assembly, several...
January 2024 A prized Mental Health Trust lot by Blind River Rapids, a popular recreation site for sport fishing, was sold at auction to a USCG family. Toler and Jessie Alexander are eager to return to Petersburg after retiring from the Coast Guard in a few years. The borough listed its top priority capital projects, and the Petersburg Medical Center replacement was first and second on the list – for the main hospital construction and the main hospital interior build out. Petersburg Indian A...
Chris Herren, a former NBA player and renowned addiction recovery speaker is flying in on Wednesday, Dec. 5 to speak with Mitkof Middle School and Petersburg High School students and share his eye-opening journey from success to addiction to recovery. Once a high school basketball star recruited to play in college and then two seasons in the NBA, Herren's promising career was derailed by addiction. His story has been documented in the memoir, "Basketball Junkie" and in "Unguarded," an...
Lifelong gymnast and founder of Fitness Fundamentals Madeleine Valentine is leaping into a new chapter for her business. After three years of operating her gymnastics and fitness school from various rented, temporary spaces around Petersburg, Valentine has secured a permit from the borough to convert a large detached garage on her recently purchased property into a permanent location for her classes. Finding a consistent space to house the program has been a challenge. Valentine explored several...
An acre of muskeg along Petersburg's busy Haugen Drive has been slowly transforming into a parking lot over the last month. It's owned by Petersburg's tribe, the Petersburg Indian Association, or PIA. Tribal Administrator Jalyn Pomrenke said the end goal isn't just a parking lot at the corner of 12th Street, but there is no specific plan yet for what to build beyond parking. "That would be something for the council and the tribe to decide on eventually," she said. "You know, finding funding is...
Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) filled two positions in October, hiring Jalyn Pomrenke to the Tribal Administrator position and Hillary MacDonald as Director of Finances. "I am excited to have this opportunity to listen to and uplift the voices of tribal citizens in Petersburg," Pomrenke said in a message to the Pilot. Born and raised in Petersburg, Pomrenke has a career in residential property management and real estate, working at Petersburg Properties LLC and at PIA in her previous role...
A major copper-and-gold mining project in the rugged mountains of northwestern British Columbia — upstream from a Southeast Alaska fishing town — is poised for a boost from the Canadian government. Canada's department of natural resources last month announced that it plans to inject about $15 million U.S. into a massive copper and gold development just 25 miles from the Alaska border. The project is perched above tributaries of the Stikine River — a major salmon-bearing waterway that flows... Full story
Upgrades are in the works for a few amenities at Sandy Beach recreational area, including a year-round restroom, parking improvements, and the ongoing extension work on City Creek Trail. Sandy Beach is a place for all sorts of recreational happenings. The beachfront park and picnic area includes a few shelters, benches, firepits, barbecues, a playground, as well as a totem pole and four informational signs at the plaza installed this summer. Visitors also park at the Sandy Beach area to access...
As the new owners of Tides Inn hotel and Highliner Car Rental, Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) is now in the local hospitality business. "My sisters and I are very pleased with the conclusion of the sale of the Tides Inn and Highliner Car Rental to the Petersburg Indian Association," Dave Ohmer shared in a written statement. "The Ohmer Family started doing business in Petersburg in 1916, and it is wonderful to now be selling the Tides Inn and Highliner to an organization whose families were...
A sitka spruce from the Wrangell Ranger District was selected to represent Alaska as the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree. "This is the first time the Capitol Christmas tree has come from the Tongass National Forest," Public Affairs and Partnerships staff officer Paul Robbins Jr. told the Pilot in an email. According to Robbins Jr., the tree will be transported over 900 miles by sea and 2,899-mile cross country to Washington D.C. Alaskans have been asked to provide over 10,000 handmade...
Petersburg's tribe plans to add sidewalks to some streets and build a new trail in coming years. The Petersburg Indian Association approved a four-year infrastructure plan on July 17 after finalizing the project list at a public meeting earlier in the month. The tribe will partner with the Petersburg Borough to add sidewalks along residential streets near the Petersburg Community Center. Debra O'Gara is the tribal council president. "Right now, in the middle of winter, it's really dark back...
