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Have you thanked a school board member lately? School board members volunteer hundreds of hours and immeasurable amount of energy to assure that our schools are providing the best education possible for the children of our community. February is School Board Recognition Month, and I encourage you to show your appreciation for the tireless work of our local school board members. School board members are citizens whose decisions affect our children – what they learn, who will teach them, and what kinds of facilities house their classrooms. T...
State Rep. Jonathan Kreiss Tomkins and Alaska Department of Revenue Director Ken Alper gave a state budget crisis presentation for community members two weeks ago. They used colored blocks of wood representing different revenues and expenditures balanced on a large scale to provide a visual representation of the state's budget deficit and the continued gutting of our state's savings should the legislature not create a more sustainable budget for the state. On the revenue side of the scale sat a... Full story
Petersburg High School sophomore Helen Martin, 15, will take a trip to the state capitol in early March and spend four days sitting in on the legislative session. Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins selected Martin to participate in his Legislative Externship Program after her world history teacher talked to her class about the program. Martin, who is the vice president of her sophomore class, talked it over with her mom and they both thought it would be a good idea. "I'm pretty excited to sit in and... Full story
January 22, 1916 – The red-light buoy in the Narrows was broken away from its anchorage by ice the first of the week and drifted about to various locations. The mishap was reported by wireless to the proper authorities, and the tender is due here today or tomorrow to replace the light. Work is to start next week on repair of the dock at Tonka, on completion of which the Packing Company's wharves in Petersburg will be given an overhauling. January 24, 1941 – Petersburg is to have a Cold Storage plant. Costs and estimates were submitted at the...
January 6 A caller reported a truck running for awhile and exhaust is entering into a business. January 7 A caller reported a vehicle accident. A caller reported theft. Police received a report of the sewer treatment plant spewing an offensive odor. January 8 Officers responded to a report of a fight outside of a bar. Officers arrested Brittany Martin, 22, on a charge of Violating Conditions of Release after report of a possible break-in of the F/V Marathon. A caller reported a deer hit two days ago and still alive but only using three legs. A...
Susan Erickson from Petersburg/Wrangell Insurance gave the board an update about property and casualty insurance trends concerning the school district. The district had a great year in terms of premiums, and the increase in premiums accounted for less than one percent of that budget item, Erickson said. “We stayed with Alaska Public Entities. They have been a great carrier for us for many years now, and we just signed a three year commitment to stay with them for another three years,” she said. “They are doing a great job for us provi...
January 8, 1916 – The army department has been trying for some years to switch the lines over to the postoffice officials, who heretofore have been reluctant to take charge, as they have always been operated at a loss. Postmaster General Burleson has been won over to the proposition, and will soon ask congress to turn the cable military telegraph over to him. Burleson recommends that the cable and telegraph and telephone wires be appraised by the interstate commerce commission and turned over to him before July, 1916. Congress will be asked t...
January-June January Petersburg School Superintendent Lisa Stroh resigned from her position citing family medical issues as her reason for leaving although communication between borough staff and student letters indicated turmoil between Stroh and school staff. Two third and fourth grade elementary students published their own class newspapers. Former Petersburg School District Maintenance Director Tye Petersen was sentenced to 12 years in prison for Distribution, Receipt and Possession of... Full story
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Data released by the U.S. Department of Education shows Alaska has one of the lowest graduation rates in the country. Only the District of Columbia, New Mexico and Nevada had lower graduation rates during the 2013-14 school year than Alaska, whose graduation rate was 71.1 percent. Federal data shows Alaska's rate has hovered around 70 percent since at least 2010-2011. Nationally, the graduation rate was 82.3 percent. Brian Laurent with Alaska's education department says the state's preliminary graduation rate for 2...
We are in this together To the Editor: I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the School Board members and administration that worked for literally hundreds of hours to develop and pass the amended Memorial policy. As we all know, it is heartbreaking to lose someone that you love, no matter the age, circumstance or relationship. No one grieves in the same way. Some are comforted by reminders of the person, but others can’t face any reminders at all. I appreciate the opportunities that our close-knit community offers in the way of r...
The memorial policy has received much debate for and against the removal of memorials from the Petersburg school grounds and Petersburg School District properties. The policy was approve unanimously by the board in a room filled with almost 30 people, including many school staff members. The policy was in its final reading, and the only amendment to the language was the removal of “temporary memorials” and changing it to “temporary memorabilia.” The approved policy states the conditions that are acceptable when dealing with memorial activit...
When Kate Smith moved to town she immediately found the community welcoming, and the fact she found a cute cream-colored house to live in just made it that much sweeter. Smith came to Petersburg just over two months ago to take a clinician position at Petersburg Mental Health (PMH). "I really like it a lot, everyone here is so friendly," Smith says. "It's such a wonderful community, everyone is so sweet. It's been great so far." In 2012, Smith graduated with a master's degree in social work from...
November 20, 1915 – The building of the board walk along the beach at Scow Bay was completed last Saturday, and Olaf Arness has notified J. C. Hays, of the road commission, that the job is ready for inspection. The walk is 5,820 feet in length. Although the specifications called for but two planks in width for part of the way, Mr. Arness used three planks the entire length of the walk, and also renewed numerous portions of the old single planking. This extra work and material cost him about $50, which he contributed, in addition to taking t...
Petersburg School District administrators and teachers are wondering what's next after the state released results from the new Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) testing assessments. PSD students scored higher than the state average, but scores in every grade were below the median level in mathematics. (Note that median is not a measure of average, but the middle number in any list of numbers and is sometimes more accurate than an average score if data is relatively skewed.) Fifty percent of...
The results of the 2015 School Climate and Connectedness Survey Report are in and have given the Petersburg School District a gauge of how the district is perceived to be operating. It was a survey taken last spring by students and staff. They answered a different set of questions based on multiple categories like peer climate and school safety. Funding for the survey went through the district’s healthy living grant, and was administered by the Alaska Association of School Boards. “The initial reaction is good,” says Principal Rich Dorme...
The Clausen Museum Board hired Petersburg local Kathi Riemer as the new Museum Director this month. Riemer, retired administrator from the Juneau School District, said she plans to bring her skills from that position to the museum. "I have a lot of experience with the administrative part and the people," Riemer said. "I'm from here and I know a lot of the history. My kids are fourth generation graduates of Petersburg High School." Riemer spent the past several days moving into her new office,...
The Petersburg School Board delayed a vote on its new memorial policy so board members can receive more feedback from the public. The policy would, in part, limit the display of student memorials to a two-week period. The memorial policy has sparked a variety of reactions from community members, some of whom expressing frustration because previous Petersburg High School student Jake Madsen’s memorial would be taken down should the School Board approve the policy. Madsen passed away after a hunting accident in 2008 and his friends and basketball... Full story
PSD Superintendent Erika Kludt Painter discussed the Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) scores—a new state adopted standardized test that students completed for the first time last spring. Kludt Painter said the tests are totally different than what students are used to and they’ve been expecting scores to reflect that. The AMP standards are higher than previous tests and measures English language arts and mathematics for grades 3-10. “It came in pretty much what we thought which is they don’t look the same as they used to,” Kludt Painter s...
Students and staff of the Petersburg School district along with community members met in the school gymnasium for a Veteran's Day assembly celebrating the veterans of the Petersburg community. Ninth graders took turns reading the Gettysburg Address and seniors did the same for President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address. The high school band played songs and teacher Jim Engell asked members of the audience to stand up if they had relatives who served during wartime. After starting with the...
The school board proposed policy on memorial placement on school property does a good job of justifying the reasons behind the creation of this policy. In short, the school will work with families to select appropriate memorial activities and events following the death of a student or district employee, but the school cannot become the site for permanent memorials. The District also states the circumstances upon which existing memorials will be maintained or continued. The policy is posted on the school district website and at district offices...
Public Works Director Karl Hagerman reported the following information to the Petersburg Borough Assembly in lieu of Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht’s absence: The underground cable connecting the Blind Slough hydro plant to our distribution system failed, and that portion from the plant to the hatchery had to be replaced. Harbor staff continues to remind people to give them a call so they can keep an eye on your boat when owners leave town. It is also important for folks to check their skiffs during our very wet weather. The Public Works c...
The Petersburg School Board voted in its first reading a district memorial policy last week—the lack of which caused some confusion and conflict between district staff and members of the public two years ago. The policy would, in part, limit the display of student memorials for a two-week period. Petersburg School District Superintendent Erika Kludt-Painter said her predecessor, along with district staff, removed a memorial to Jake Madsen, a Petersburg High School student athlete who died in a... Full story
Memorial policy To the Editor: I am very saddened by the decision of the School Board to not include the Jacob Madsen Memorial with the other memorials in the school that the School Board has decided to grandfather in. The memorial will be taken down with the writing and passing of their new memorial policy at the next reading/meeting. The Jacob Madsen Memorial is currently hanging in the High School gymnasium. I understand the reason we need a memorial policy. I am writing today because I feel the existing memorials that are already in the...
The Petersburg School Board met in a work session last week to discuss the implementation of random drug testing for Petersburg High School students participating in activities. The board kicked off the discussion highlighting criticisms and questions they’ve heard from community members regarding drug testing. Board member Mara Lutomski said one of the common concerns she hears is whether or not teachers and coaches will be tested along with students. While coaches and teachers wouldn’t likely be randomly drug tested, the board can request dru...
The local Rotary Club had a special guest at their weekly lunch meeting last Wednesday when District Governor Brad Gamble stopped by. Among the chief responsibilities for Gamble as district governor is to oversee all of Alaska and Yukon territories, and pay a visit to each club in the district during his year in the position. Gamble has been a part of Rotary for 10 years, and all club members, including leadership positions are unpaid volunteers. He says Rotary International and district funds financially help support his travel expenses, but...
