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William K. Neumann aka 'Swampy Creek Bill' passed away peacefully October 5, 2019 of recently discovered bladder cancer at home in Petersburg in his newly acquired and beloved electric reclining chair surrounded by the echoes of the countless memories in his "Great Story Telling Room" in the house he and his late wife Fran designed and built in 1978 with close friends. Bill was a unique and rare individual who was blessed with a remarkable and full-life surrounded by countless friends and... Full story
Mayoral candidates Jeff Meucci General Information Age: 64 Experience: I served on the Petersburg Park & Recreation advisory board, the Petersburg City council and served two terms as the Petersburg mayor from 1995 thru 1999. I was appointed to my current Borough Assembly seat and was elected to my Assembly seat two years ago. During my time as the Petersburg Mayor I traveled extensively as the number one advocate for the City of Petersburg. Why do you seek public office? I am seeking public...
A forum was held on Thursday to give representatives from KFSK, the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and the Petersburg Pilot the chance to ask the two mayoral candidates questions on local issues. Mayor Mark Jensen and Assembly Member Jeff Meucci were given two minutes to answer each question. Both candidates were asked the same question and the order of the candidates changed with each question. After giving their opening statements, each candidate began answering questions. Some of the...
Rae C. Stedman Elementary School class lists To register a new student, please stop by the office at 303 Dolphin Street by August 23. Bring current vaccination record and birth certificate (legible copy ok). Students currently enrolled do not need to register. Supply lists can be found online at www.pcsd.us. Elementary students attend 8:15-2:45 Monday-Thursday, and 8:15-1:45 on Fridays. Kindergarten attends 8:15-11:15 for the first week, then stay until 1:30 every day If you have questions,...
KFSK radio in Petersburg has a scheduled spring and fall fundraiser, and often an impromptu solicitation each June when the state budget is announced. They've salvaged their state grant from the jaws of budget slashers for many years, but not this year. This week they've announced they intend to make up the $80,000 state grant (or 18% of their total budget of $450,000) that was cut by Governor Dunleavy. It's a mighty task. If they're successful this year, what about next? This year's cuts are...
The Muskeg Maleriers donated a sign to the Petersburg School District's garden that sits next to the high school track. Founded in 1974, the group tries to make one donation a year. The members spent about a week and a half painting the aluminum sign, which comes just in time for the summer garden program that will begin later this month. According to garden coordinator Chris Sargent, the produce grown in the garden is used by the school cafeteria. Back row from left to right: Rhoda Gilbert,...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — One of the most powerful Republicans in the Alaska Senate is bucking the Senate president’s call to meet in Juneau on Monday, as legislative factions barrel toward trying to hold special sessions in two different cities, hundreds of miles apart. Senate Majority Leader Mia Costello, in an opinion piece published by her hometown Anchorage Daily News, said Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a legitimate call for lawmakers to convene in Wasilla and she will heed that call. “It doesn’t matter how we feel about the governo...
The Alaska State Legislature adjourned last week, but before adjourning, the most significant accomplishment was the agreement to transfer $10.5 billion from the Earnings Reserve Account (ERA) to the Corpus of the Permanent Fund. For the majority of legislators, including Senator Stedman and myself, it is a top priority to protect and enhance opportunities for the Permanent Fund to grow so that there will continue to be PFDs for Alaskans well into the future. The Permanent Fund is comprised of the Corpus (also known as the Principal) and the...
The Petersburg School Board approved the district's fiscal year 2020 operating budget at their monthly meeting last week. "This is a solid budget," said Finance Director Karen Quitslund. "It's fiscally conservative." The district's budget ignores uncertainties in Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proposed 2020 fiscal year state budget. The district did not believe a state budget was going to be passed before it had to submit the district's budget to the state by July 1. Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter...
Borough unfairness To the Editor: I moved here 30 years ago and fell in love with this community. Everyone helped each other and the city government was run quite well and fair. But as time has gone by the government has gotten bigger and created a borough that costs us lots more than it's worth in my opinion. I understand that the people that got swallowed up by the borough needed to pay for some of the benefits like school and such, but in most cases they are paying taxes for little to no...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Senate failed Monday to revive a bill that would pay residents a full dividend of about $3,000 from the state’s oil-wealth fund this year, a sign of the struggle lawmakers are having in reaching agreement on one of the special session’s last issues. Instead, senators narrowly voted to create a working group with the House to make recommendations on future use of Alaska Permanent Fund earnings. The House approved the measure Sunday. Some suggested existing committees could buckle down on the issue and quest...
Outliers feel like second class citizens To the Editor: The Pilot must have misquoted the Honorable Councilmember Jeff Meucci. "I just don't think community members should be paying for roads that aren't part of the borough". I cannot think of a more divisive, condescending or astonishingly uninformed comment by a community official. Just extrapolating from that comment; all of us outside service area one are not community members even though we pay taxes to the borough? The roads outside...
This past May was not my first visit to Petersburg as a Senator, but it was my first time attending the Little Norway Festival. And what a weekend it was! Little Norway is giving "Big" Norway a run for its money. I felt right at home from the moment I got off the plane. The Vikings and Valkyries were quick to whisk me away in the Grog Van and get the festivities and fun underway. I was sure to grab a Dale sweater at Lee's before the parade to fit right in (and avoid a second visit to Viking jail...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) —The Alaska Senate on Tuesday narrowly voted down a full dividend payout from the state’s oil-wealth fund this year, with a prominent supporter of the proposal absent. The 10-8 vote came after the Senate, by the same tally, adopted an amendment calling for a full payout with checks to qualified residents estimated to be around $3,000. The initial bill proposed $1,600 checks. At least 11 votes were needed for the bill to pass. Sen. Mike Shower, a Wasilla Republican who has supported a full payout, posted on Facebook Sat...
May 30, 1919 C. A. Arness, president of the Arness Lumber Company arrived Friday with the new tug boat which was purchased in the south. The boat is called the Wanderlust and is equipped with a 60 h.p. Speedway engine and makes an average of 12 knots and better. The boat will furnish a speedy means of communication between Petersburg and various camps and do the lighter towing. May 26, 1944 Roy Otness, our new fire chief, has taken on his responsibilities by asking different students what they would do if our school was on fire. Here are a few...
The Petersburg School Board approved the hiring of Heidi Cabral as Rae C. Stedman Elementary School's newest fourth grade teacher at their board meeting last week. Cabral has been an instructional aide with the district for the past year, but has experience teaching sixth grade and English as a Second Language in Kansas. There is a large class of about 44 students coming into the fourth grade next year, so the district had to hire a second fourth grade teacher. Cabral said there will likely be...
May 8— Ryan Dawson, 31, was arrested for violation of conditions of release. A drug take back bin was emptied and counted by authorities. A disturbance was reported on S. 3rd St. Sandi Medina, 33, was arrested for two counts of violation of conditions of release. May 9 — Authorities responded to a disturbance at the Tides Inn. A disturbance report was made against an individual trespassing at a location on S. Nordic Dr. Alexander Behary, 73, was issued a citation for excessive speed. Sandi Medina, 33, was arrested for violation of con...
May 1 — A pit bull was running loose near the 100 block of N. Nordic Dr., but authorities were unable to locate it. Authorities instructed an unwanted individual at a residence at a location on N. 3rd St. to leave. The individual complied. A disturbance was reported at a location on S. 3rd St. The individual left the residence at the direction of authorities. May 2 — A resident reported a theft from a vehicle at a location on Chief John Lott St. A phone scam was reported claiming to offer assistance with interest payments. A bear was seen at...
April 25, 1919 US Department of the Interior: Notice is hereby given that Olaf Arness of Petersburg, Alaska has filed notice of his intention to submit final five year proof in support of his homestead, located on Mitkof Island, Scow Bay, Wrangell Narrows. Proof will be submitted along with the following witnesses: Ole Benjaminson, J.M. Bjorge, I.M. Hofstad and P.M. Bjorge all of Scow Bay. April 21, 1944 Under the direction of Mae Stephenson, district home demonstration agent, 4-H Club work in Petersburg got off to a good start this week. A...
Elizabeth Roberts, center, teaches Mrs. Brock's first grade class about the harmful effects of plastic getting into the ocean. She brought a box filled with pieces of plastic that she found littered around beaches to give the kids a visual aid of just how much everyday plastic items get into the ocean. Roberts said 80 percent of that litter comes from the land and finds its way to the water whether the wind blows it or rain washed it into the ocean. "If you guys pick stuff up you find on the...
Redirect $32 million to "legitimate" transportation need To the Editor: Only 15 seconds into my April 12, one minute public testimony for the state operating budget, my microphone was abruptly muted by finance committee co-chair Senator Stedman. His justification explained afterward was, "We are talking about the operating budget." If freeing up $32 million dollars to put toward genuine transportation needs is an invalid suggestion toward relieving our state's fiscal crisis, then Alaska resident...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The biggest issues heading into this year’s legislative session remain unresolved in the session’s final weeks, with Gov. Mike Dunleavy facing resistance to pieces of his agenda. Lawmakers have yet to finalize a budget. The size of the check residents will get this year from the state’s oil-wealth fund, the Alaska Permanent Fund, is unsettled, as is the debate over the program’s future. The Republican governor wants lawmakers to pass his package of bills related to crime and act on proposed constitutional amendment...
In a trip through Southeast Alaska, Congressman Don Young (R) stopped in Petersburg on Tuesday to meet with constituents and talk about the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Signed in 1980, the act provided protection to over one million acres of land in Alaska, which includes parts of the Tongass National Forest. Under ANILCA, cabins cannot be built on protected land designated as wilderness. The cabins that were already built prior to ANILCA were grandfathered in; howev...
Over 35 people were in attendance at the Petersburg Public Library on Saturday where the Friends of the Petersburg Libraries kicked off National Library Week by recognizing three community members for their dedication to Petersburg's libraries and young readers. "Today we celebrate our libraries and our kids, they are excellent readers," read Friends of Petersburg Libraries vice president Marilyn Menish-Meucci from a statement written by president Sue Paulsen. "It takes a village to raise these...
