Sorted by date Results 726 - 750 of 793
Survey data recently released to the Petersburg School District shows “cyber bullying” as a risk factor in the community and school officials are taking steps to curb the act. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, filled out by high school students last February, compares local risk behaviors with state averages. Cyber bullying is a form of harassment through the medium of electronic devices and social media. 15.4 percent of Petersburg high school students reported to have been cyber bullied compared to 14.7 percent reported statewide. While the numb... Full story
An auditing company presented their financial report to the Petersburg School Board Tuesday evening and congratulated the district on reining in its expenses. The school district’s revenue over expenses was $153,000 in total. It also increased its general fund balance by more than $100,000 from last year. Eric Campbell with BDO gave the presentation. When he went over the student activity fund budget Campbell said there were more student activity funds than he’s ever seen. “Every student in Petersburg has an activity fund,” Campbell joked....
October 11, 1913 – Those of us who wish to keep up with the style of new dances, had better take notice of the latest. This dance which is called “The Mustard Flutter” is the simplest affair. The man holds his partner as he likes and flutters around the ballroom with her with mincing step and sinuous movements of the upper part of the body, the legs being kept rigid with the chest protruding as in the “bunny hug”. It is claimed for this that it will soon displace the tango in popularity. October 19, 1983 – Measuring glacier movement is...
Thanks Assembly To the Editor: A couple of weeks ago I read and was appalled by a statement of one of our Assemblywomen as she was quoted as saying “what have senior citizens done to deserve a tax exemption other than get older?” I guess a short history lesson might be in order. The tax exempt status for seniors was a sign of respect and a thank you for all the things they had accomplished in aiding Petersburg's economic development before and during their fixed income days. Let's start with the Petersburg Indian Association. They were not alw...
The Petersburg School board prepared a resolution Wednesday to send to the Alaska Association of School Boards, or AASB, urging the state legislature to clarify a statute that makes school districts responsible for paying for physical examinations of incoming students. School districts across Alaska require incoming students to receive physical examinations and parents or caregivers are responsible for paying for the exams. But after several Petersburg parents questioned the requirement, the school board had its attorney, Allen Clendaniel,...
Every school district in Alaska requires new or incoming students to receive physicals before starting school and most, if not all, don’t cover those costs. Most school districts in Alaska might be in violation of state statute. That’s if Petersburg School District’s attorney Allen Clendaniel’s interpretation of Alaska Statue 14.30.070 is correct. In part, it states, “The governing body of each school district shall provide for and require a physical examination of every child attending school in the district.” “If you look at the literal l...
Rae C. Stedman Elementary is welcoming two of its previous students back as staff as the new school year kicks off. Kerri Curtiss will be teaching reading to third through fifth grade students as well as teaching a high school physical education class. Curtiss grew up in Petersburg before graduating from Central Washington University in 2005. She taught second graders in Washington for two years and decided to move back to Petersburg to be closer to family. “It’s pretty cool to walk around and...
Petersburg School District Superintendent Dr. Rob Thomason was awarded a Superintendent of the Year Award last week. Bruce Johnson, Executive Director for the Association of Alaskan Superintendents, presented the award to Thomason PSD staff during a welcome back school board meeting. “It is my great honor to announce that your superintendent, Dr. Rob Thomason, is Alaska’s 2014 Superintendent of the year,” Johnson said to an applauding crowd. Johnson said a selection committee sought nomin...
Petersburg District Schools are ranked in the top 10 across the state and in the top 7 in Southeast Alaska after the Alaska Department of Education’s implementation of new performance standards last June. The new regulations come after the US Department of Education approved a waiver permitting the state to develop regulations that are, according to PSD Superintendent Robert Thomason “more rigorous” than the Common Core standards used by most of the states in the lower 48. “It’s still a measurement but it’s not as cut and dry, Draconian o... Full story
Schools are scrambling To the Editor: Back to school is always an exciting time. In Alaska, every one of our 53 school districts and school staffs have diligently prepared so the new school year will be one of deep learning and strong emotional growth for all of Alaska's students. As educators, nothing pleases us more than welcoming back students to launch a new academic year. This year, like none other in recent memory, school districts across the country, including every district in Alaska are scrambling. Districts are feeling the negative ef...
The Petersburg School Board voted during a July 31special session to repair a leaky boiler and update the 8-12 mathematics curriculum. Tye Petersen, Petersburg School’s Maintenance Director says he’s already capped several leaks in the tube where heated water flows but couldn’t maintain a tight seal in the latest repair. An inspector told Petersen the tubes needed to be replaced. “They’ve been retubed once in their lifetime,” Petersen said during the meeting. “There are two boilers. One can handle the current capacity but not in the wintertim... Full story
Rotary Youth Exchange To the Editor: The local Petersburg Rotary Club participates in the Rotary International Youth Exchange program: annually we send out one student, and accept one student from a foreign country. July is one of the most significant months for changes: Fernanda Soto, from Mexico, was in our community this past year and she has just returned home. River Quitslund has returned from Thailand, where he spent the last school year. Manon Paul is preparing to leave for Austria in early August, where she will spend a year....
Who sets the tone? To the Editor: My husband Edgar and Jim's parents, Jim and Shirley Agner – want to thank all of you for welcoming “our kids” (Officers Jim and Heidi Franz Agner) into your community and into your lives – and thus giving all of us an experience beyond any luxurious world cruise anywhere. It all began in 1984 when Chief Dale Stone “initiated” us as only Chief Stone could do. “Doc” Lopez gave my husband Edgar professional shooting lessons – and a lot of fun. John Hamilton took all of us (toddler Jesse and older brother Bar...
Dean John Weeden, 82, passed away on July 17, 2013 at St. Mary's Assisted Living in Eureka, Mont. He was born on November 7, 1930 in Lynn, Mass. to Dagny Thoresen and John Sven Weeden (Widen). Age five to seventeen he lived in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his mother and step-father Ole Olsen. Dean hopped a train out west when he was seventeen years old launching his first job in the Forest Service doing seasonal work in Idaho. In 1951 he served in the Air Force as a Surgery Technician for the 452 Bomb...
The Petersburg School District Board approved a policy allowing home school students to participate in activities at the high school without being enrolled in classes. This policy has come about by a change in state law mandating this allowance. “The students will have to fill out quite a bit of paperwork,” Petersburg School District Athletic Director Jaime Cabral said. “There is a long checklist that will have to be gone over with the student and their parents in order to make sure the information is correct.” Each of the students wishing... Full story
Six local organizations received a total of $9,000 in grants from the Petersburg Community Foundation, bringing the total community grant amount to $33,000 over the past five years. “The Petersburg Community Foundation is proud to partner with these great organizations,” PCF Advisory Board Chair Liz Cabrera said. “Thanks to our donors and their generous investment in our community, PCF was able to support a variety of projects and programs this year.” Organizations and projects that received funding were: the Petersburg School District receive...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly awarded four bids for projects taking place in the borough during its regular meeting Monday evening. The new library shelving procurement bid opening was completed Thursday, April 11 and three bids were received ranging from $168,803 to $179,000. All bids were below the funds available for the shelving. MRV Architects recommended the Assembly award this bid to Think Office, LLC for an amount not to exceed $168,803. The new library furniture, fixtures and equipment bid was also completed April 11. Two bids were...
April 24 Kristinn Thorsteinson, 17, was issued a citation for speeding 63 mile per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone at 6.5 mile Mitkof Highway. Two people refused to leave bar after being disruptive with other patrons. April 26 Orange construction netting was reported blowing loose in the area at N. First Street. Alaska District Attorney requested an application for search warrant for a vehicle in the impound lot and the warrant was issued. An alarm was activated by work being done at the elementary school. April 27 Suspicious activity was...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly met with department heads Monday afternoon in a work session to discuss the proposed 2013-14 fiscal budget. “For the 2013-14 budget, the general fund is presented to the Petersburg Borough Assembly as a balanced budget,” Petersburg Borough Finance Director Jody Tow stated. “Property tax revenue is budgeted to increase due to the new library bond and the proposed budget does not include any increase to the base tax rate of the borough.” Tow also explained that the borough is expecting to receive an additional $193...
After six weeks of competition, a winner for the first ever Losing Big Petersburg competition has been declared. Christin Fankhauser is the first “Biggest Loser” of Petersburg. According to Petersburg Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Hayes the resounding number of votes for all of the contestants was phenomenal. Fankhauser is the winner of a one year membership to Petersburg Parks and Recreation; an iPad from a grant that was partnered by Parks and Recreation and the Petersburg Schools; a n...
The annual Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Banquet was awash in green and sparkles as business owners and residents attended to hear Representative Beth Kertulla speak about herself and her experiences, the legislative session and the future. Kertulla's family has a long history in Alaska and her father, Jay was the state's longest-serving legislator and the only legislator to have served as both Speaker of the House and Senate President. Kertulla, herself has been elected eight times to the... Full story
Marcus Hom, lead instructor for Dark Horse Defense has taken on the task of developing an emergency response plan for the Petersburg Schools. Hom attended the regular meeting of the Petersburg School Board Tuesday, Feb. 19 to update the board on the progress of the plan. "I have been working with the staff of the high school, middle school and elementary schools," Hom stated. "I have also observed the security in place now during school hours." Hom is now moving from the observation phase and into the development of a new plan for the Petersbur...
February 2, 1983 - The acute care building of the Petersburg General Hospital should be “razed, torn down” when the new building is completed, the administrator of the hospital said. Craig Slater said it is estimated that the building would cost $450,000 to renovate. Even then the building is not suited for offices and they could not utilize every portion of the building, he said. Slater spoke to the Hospital Board at their meeting Jan.25. The board decided to bring up the issue at their next meeting. February 4, 1993 - Faced with fewer stu...
WRANGELL — With the 2012 school shootings in Connecticut and California still fresh in our collective memory, a proposal from an Anchorage lawmaker would allow for teachers or other permanent school employees to carry concealed weapons on campus “for defensive use” in the State of Alaska. House Bill 55, from Republican Rep. Bob Lynn, would allow public districts and private schools to adopt written policies spelling out the circumstances under which firearms could be possessed and used. The proposal, which was released on Jan. 11, would allow...
The Petersburg School Board has hired Marcus Hom of Dark Horse Defense to improve the school district’s Crisis Response Plan. Hom is the manager and lead instructor for Dark Horse Defense. He has experience in law enforcement and security, working as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer, Reserve Municipal Police Officer and Private Security officer. Hom also holds instructor certifications from both the National Rifle Association and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, FLETC. Petersburg Schools Superintendent Rob Thomason stated that ... Full story
