Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 217
Clear Answers to our Petersburg Medical Center, Part 1 To the Editor: Like many in Petersburg, I didn’t understand specifically why we needed a new facility and how it would be paid for. I addressed the facility problems in the previous two letters. Apparently the decision to build a new facility was made over twelve years ago. Our CEO, Phil Hofstetter, was hired almost six years ago to rebuild by the hospital board. The 2015 architectural report (8 years old) cites $43 million to repair the systems. This is not possible with patients there a...
After a yearlong public process, the U.S. Forest Service has announced eight potential sites for new recreational cabins in the Petersburg and Wrangell Ranger Districts. After considering the environmental impacts and accessibility of hundreds of sites suggested by members of the public or identified by staff, the district picked the ones that are most likely to see substantial traffic and compete for federal funding, and announced them in a draft decision published Thursday, Oct. 19. There are...
The air in town is crisp, leaves continue to fall and the mornings are turning frosty. Even with the bright sunshine seen in Petersburg this week, the season is certainly shifting. The transition of summer to winter brings more than a change in weather; seasonal industries shift, and the change prompts reflection. How did this summer go? Several of Petersburg's new tourism businesses look back on their 2023 season. VIKING TRAVEL James and Madeleine Valentine are the owners of Viking Travel, a...
David Dodsworth Wallen, a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend, passed away at the Evergreen Health Center in Kirkland, Washington, on September 23, 2023, surrounded by his family. The oldest of eight children, David was born to Glenn and JoAnne (Dodsworth) Wallen on December 25, 1943 in Macomb, Illinois. He graduated from Western High School in Macomb in 1961, then attended the University of Washington, where he earned his Bachelors of Science in Oceanography. While pursuing a... Full story
After 23 years, Brandy Boggs moved away from Petersburg. Although she may no longer be here in person, her substantial contributions to the community will continue as she remains Petersburg Medical Center's patient navigator - now working in a hybrid role. Over the years, Brandy has held various roles serving rural Alaskan communities. She worked for the state doing child protection with the Office of Children's Services for a number of years before transitioning to her role in the court, where...
Three Alaska Public Entity Insurance (APEI) staff members from Juneau presented the findings and recommendations from their recent review of safety and human resources of the Petersburg Borough to the Assembly on Sept. 18. Earlier this year, the borough agreed to engage an outside organization, later selecting APEI, to help evaluate and make improvement recommendations regarding the safety and human resources practices of the borough, the review arose from a community demand that an effort be made to prevent a situation like the fatal 2016 car...
Let’s think long-term about the Petersburg emergency services To the Editor: Let’s think long-term about the Petersburg emergency services. Structure fires grow larger before PVFD can assemble enough trained firefighters to deal with the danger. Likewise, frequently the ambulance must wait to respond until a full crew of EMTs can assemble to answer the patient’s distress. These delays are absolutely not the fault of our volunteer fire and EMS department. The trained volunteers who do respond must work the emergencies short-staffed. Peter...
Paul Bowen was born in Spokane, Washington in 1932 and grew up living in Montana, Nebraska and California. He attended Palo Alto High School where he excelled at track as a top miler in northern California. In the early 1950s he became a smoke jumper, traveling from his Montana base around the region and parachuting into sometimes-dangerous terrain to contain and combat wildfires. He took part in a U.S. Geological Survey project in Lituya Bay in 1952 and took the opportunity to participate in th... Full story
Eighteen Petersburg youth ages 7 to 12 have been spending their afternoons at Sandy Beach Park participating in Petersburg Medical Center's ORCA (Outdoor Recreation Creation Adventure) Theatre Camp, an eight-day experience that uses nature as a backdrop to educate and inspire children with their local environment while practicing life skills through theater with Camp Director Brad Younts. Younts, who earned his BFA in theater at Boston's Emerson College, has been involved with theater for more...
NOAA Fisheries whale experts were on the water near Juneau most of Monday, July 17, disentangling a well-known humpback whale calf from a crab pot line. Biologist John Moran, Auke Bay Laboratories, discovered the entanglement while he was out on the water conducting research last Monday morning. Marine mammal experts Suzie Teerlink and David Gann from the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office and Fred Sharpe with the Alaska Whale Foundation were shuttled out by a local whale-watching company to...
WRANGELL — Want to golf for a good cause? The WMC Foundation and SEARHC are offering the women of the community an opportunity to do just that at the Rally for Cancer Care fundraiser at Muskeg Meadows on Aug. 5. The event will feature a luncheon, beverages, prizes, a silent auction and a “fun and frolic” golf tournament — a non-scored, no-skills-necessary take on the game. The tournament is ladies only, but organizer Patty Gilbert said she “wouldn’t mind men attending” the lunch, games and auction. The fundraiser will support the WMC Foundatio...
The Petersburg Medical Center Foundation is inviting all members of the community to bike or kayak as part of the annual Pedal/Paddle Battle this year on Saturday, July 29. The course will take participants from Scow Bay to Sandy Beach while contributions raised by the event will support continuing education for PMC staff and go toward scholarships for Petersburg High School seniors. "We were really successful last year, we had about 75 participants, and a lot of families participated. Anybody...
A potential Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAPA) wholesale rate increase has been deferred by at least a year due to record high power sales in Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Wrangell this spring, according to Vice Mayor Bob Lynn. “It’s a record, I mean it’s about 5% above any previous sales that we did this past winter, which is pretty significant,” Lynn said during his July 3 report to the Petersburg Borough Assembly about the latest SEAPA Board meeting The SEAPA Board last approved a wholesale rate increase in December 2022, raising the pri...
The U.S. Coast Guard held a Change of Command Ceremony for the new officer in charge of the USCGC Pike at the Sons of Norway Hall Monday morning. Command of the Pike was transferred from Lt. Jak Loewenstein to Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Kay Jones in a formal reading of orders in front of the crew and Capt. Darwin Jensen, the Commander of Sector Juneau. The ceremony was attended by the crew of the Pike, their families, Coast Guard personnel, Petersburg Borough staff, representatives of Sens....
The Petersburg School Board approved the district's FY24 budget at its last meeting of the school year on Tuesday. The uncertainties surrounding education funding in Alaska as well as rising inflation and utility costs have made the budget's development a long and winding road, but advocacy efforts by school officials on both the local and state level have helped ensure stability in the district for another year. "Honestly this is a much better scenario than what I had...predicted, so I mean...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously passed an ordinance that will raise the amount that sewer utility rates will increase by in FY24 during its June 5 meeting. In May 2022, the assembly voted to increase sewer utility rates by 3% annually from FY23-FY26, but this new ordinance will double the planned rate increase in FY24, raising rates for one year by 6%. According to an annual rate review of the utility, the 6% raise is needed to keep up with increased costs and expenses to the...
Up until last year, Southeast Alaska’s Mitkof Island was home to a creek with some unique salmon: They only turned left. Officially, anyway. There is a fork in Ohmer Creek, on Mitkof Island. On the west side, the state’s Anadromous Waters Catalog, or AWC, reported the presence of all five species of wild Alaska salmon, as well as Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout. On the east side of the fork, according to the AWC, there were only steelhead. One afternoon last summer, U.S. Forest Service fish biologist Eric Castro, of the Petersburg Ranger Dis...
The last year has been filled with many trials for Joseph Tagaban, but with each step he is proving that he has the courage to keep marching on. "Overall, feeling really good," Joseph said while resting in the comfort of his own home on Monday. "I have weekly labs, like with the doctor, and then we're also meeting with the doctor every week or so discussing about how I'm doing, you know, updates and then any changes to medications like that, but overall, I'm feeling really great." After...
The Petersburg Medical Center is planning to hold free youth mental health first aid classes, teaching adult community members how to look for warning signs and help young people experiencing mental health problems. The classes are being made possible through a $10,000 grant awarded by the Petersburg Community Foundation. The grant will be used to get two hospital staff members-Katie Holmlund and Becky Turland-certified as youth mental health first aid facilitators so they can put on free...
Last week’s article “Petersburg Community Foundation awards $28,000 to local organizations” incorrectly stated that PMC’s grant funding would go to support establishing free of charge youth mental health services in town. As clarified in the story this week on page 3, the grant funding awarded to PMC will not establish direct mental health services, but is designed to provide training and tools to community members to be able to best respond to youth experiencing mental health issues....
The Petersburg Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Alaska Community Foundation, presented eight grants last Saturday supporting community nonprofits. Hosted by Sue Paulsen, the event brought together volunteers, community members, and representatives from local organizations to award over $28,000 in grants. Before the grants were announced, Jeanette Ness was named as this year's recipient of the foundation's Volunteer of the Year award. Glo Wollen, who presented the award, said, "When...
The Petersburg Arts Council recently installed a new wireless sound mixer at the Wright Auditorium that will make productions easier and improve sound quality according to Dave Berg. The upgrade was made possible by a $1,000 grant given by the Petersburg Community Foundation during the Little Norway Festival last year. The Mackie Wireless Mixer will be used for concerts, plays, dance recitals, and other events put on by the Petersburg School District and local organizations. The previous sound s...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly discussed potentially hiring an independent specialist to review the borough's current hiring practices and safety policies during Tuesday's meeting. Over a dozen people spoke and even more crowded the assembly chambers, filling it so much that some had to stand along the perimeter, to show support for a review. The assembly ultimately voted to direct borough staff to contact Alaska Public Entity Insurance-the borough's liability carrier-along with The Safety...
In light of the recent ruling issued by the Alaska Supreme Court in the case filed by the family of Molly Parks, I think it is important to provide an update to our community about what has been done in the time since the tragic events of July 4, 2016. I know this is very much on everyone’s mind right now and I have given it a great deal of thought myself trying to figure how best to help. I have spoken with the Parks family, I have met with and interviewed borough administration, and I have reached out to municipal administrators in neigh...
Serious scrutiny needed To the Editor: When we think about our rapidly growing national debt, it is wise to remember that the vast majority of the money owed has been spent on bad ideas that never would have gotten anywhere in the first place if not for the illusion of prosperity that comes from having money that has largely been created out of thin air. Our politicians at every level of government are happy to spend money on the various bad ideas presented to them to ensure that the grateful voters who receive it will return them to their...
