Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 5549
Subscribers log in for access to this week's PDF .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Subscribers, click here for the Full PDF of this week's Petersburg Pilot...
Cedar Social Club, the adult day service program at PMC, soft-launched nearly a year ago. And thanks to new funding avenues from the state, the program continues to grow. The State Health Department has awarded PMC's Home Health Department an Adult Day Services grant to support staffing and participant scholarships for Cedar Social Club. Home Health is also newly state certified to provide support for participants who are under a Medicaid waiver. "It's exciting, because I feel like we're...
Facing unavoidable costs for water and wastewater upgrades, borough authorities stress the need for voters to pass Proposition 4 in the municipal election next week. Passing Prop 4 will authorize the borough to borrow up to $19.3 million from the state to fund 12 water and wastewater projects slated for the next six years in Petersburg. The loans would not be borrowed all at once. On a project-by-project basis, each would need to be approved by the assembly before the borough could pursue the... Full story
Like Icarus flying too close to the sun, a blue heron got too close to a power source near South Harbor last Friday morning - causing a power outage in the darkest hours of the night. The encounter with the power lines around 1:20 a.m. cost the waterfowl its life and part of Petersburg its power until PMPL crew brought the lights back on by 3:00 a.m. "Unfortunately, in the middle of the night ... a large blue heron made contact with our primary power in the area of South Harbor and ... put the...
This summer, the Petersburg Landslide Warning Committee established three new weather stations to monitor weather conditions on the hillsides of Mitkof Highway —the area near residences where the potential for landslides is historically most likely. After a presentation by the Sitka Sound Science Center (SSSC) in January, the group formed to develop a community-based landslide warning system inspired by a model used in Sitka. The goal of the project is to have multiple weather stations collectin...
In response to low bike helmet use in the community and close-call accidents involving children, an up-and-coming incentive project is bringing more helmets to the streets of Petersburg. In the works since spring, the Helmets Are Sweet project is a joint effort through Petersburg's SHARE Coalition to encourage the use of helmets by promoting and providing access to high-quality helmets, educating the community on proper wear, and rewarding individuals for wearing appropriate helmets. The goal...
The Petersburg Pilot and KFSK teamed up to present a two hour long candidates forum on Thursday, September 12. All five candidates for Petersburg Borough Assembly were given one minute each to answer questions on topics ranging from EMS volunteer recruitment, to bears in the garbage, the future of tourism in Petersburg, and a whole lot more. Thomas Fine-Walsh Candidate Opening Statements: My name is Thomas Fine-Walsh. I was born and raised here in Petersburg, and I've had the honor of serving...
Students in Petersburg outperformed their peers across the state when tested on core school subjects last spring. Statewide assessment data recently released to the public by Alaska's Department of Education and Early Development revealed most students in Alaska are not proficient in the core subjects of science, mathematics and English language arts. In Alaska, almost 32% of students met grade-level proficiency standards in both the English language arts and mathematics tests; and not quite 37%...
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary officially stands up the Petersburg Flotilla on the sunny afternoon of Sept. 11, 2024. At the drive down dock, the USCG Cutters Pike and Elderberry tied up bow to bow, with active duty Coast Guard crew standing on each side to set the stage for the Auxiliary Flotilla ceremony....
A warm aroma of cooked food and the scent of cedar embers sifted through Sandy Beach during the first ever Rainforest Survival series, hosted by Petersburg Parks and Recreation on Saturday Sept. 7. The two-day event focused on helping teach kids about survival skills. The class on Friday consisted of emergency bag preparation and knot tying lessons. On Saturday, lessons featured shelter building, flare signaling for rescue and fire building. "For the most part, I think it went beautifully,"...
There is a nationwide shortage of providers for behavioral health services, and Petersburg is no different. "We've definitely had times in Petersburg where we've had more providers, and there's still been people on a wait list. That's just the reality of it," said Ashley Kawashima, a behavioral health clinician at Petersburg Medical Center. Because there are wait lists, Kawashima said less preventative care is provided as providers, like herself, must triage based on severity: "We're really...
Petersburg Medical Center is beginning a new program for folks to come together, chat about health, and go for a stroll with a healthcare professional. "Walk with a Doc" serves as an opportunity to promote health while also fostering community relationships - by simply going for a walk together. Started in 2005 by a cardiologist in Ohio, the nonprofit Walk with a Doc program now has over 500 chapters worldwide. The first walk of this program in Petersburg will take place this Saturday, Sept....
While the black bears on Mitkof Island usually eat their fill of natural resources like blueberries and salmon before it's time to hibernate, unsecured garbage cans in Petersburg tempt the animals with a buffet of easy eats. Black bears have made their trek to town, breaking into a number of garbage bins and stashing litter over the past several weeks. Local authorities on the situation stress that abiding by borough law and properly securing garbage is essential to deterring bears from town....
Local nonprofit Humanity in Progress is partnering with Petersburg School District to launch a pantry on campus - a new stepping stone toward improving access to basic needs for students in all grades. Food and hygiene products line the shelves of the new pantry, which is located inconspicuously inside the door to an office supply room by the middle school/high school office. The idea to start a pantry was brought into conversation at a school wellness meeting just before summer, as the...
Disposing of large derelict vessels abandoned in Petersburg's harbors comes at a cost - one that the borough is taking steps to mitigate. In August, the Petersburg Borough Assembly amended municipal code and approved a significant budget adjustment to address the issue of derelict vessels in local harbors. The assembly authorized the transfer of $240,000 from the harbor department reserves to a derelict boat disposal budget item, bringing the total amount allocated to $250,000 to fund the...
In a strategic move to support management of critical services for the community, Petersburg Borough has made structural revisions to its utility departments, reorganizing responsibilities and reverting to a former leadership model. This change was made as Utility Director Karl Hagerman -who has overseen the borough's power, water, and sewer departments since 2018- plans to retire in 2026. In the past, the Public Works Director managed the water, sewer, roads, sanitation and motor pool...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly has taken a stance against the potential listing of Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Assembly members voted unanimously to send a letter of opposition to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in response to a petition from the Wild Fish Conservancy, an environmental group based in Washington state, which requested the ESA listing and designation of critical habitat of any GOA...
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...
The certified negotiated agreement between the Associated Teachers of Petersburg (ATP) and Petersburg School District is now official. The contract will serve for the next three years. The contract was ratified by ATP in summer, after the borough funded the district to the maximum allowable cap and the legislature's one-time funding survived the veto pen. With the conditions met, the school board approved the agreement at their meeting Aug. 13. "It's a relief to know that our negotiations have...
Petersburg students return to class this Tuesday, and students and families will experience some changes to Petersburg School District policies this academic year. The local school board reviews the student handbooks for Stedman Elementary School, Mitkof Middle School and Petersburg High School every year and makes updates as deemed necessary. Language in the Stedman handbook about dress code was added to include a "three-finger rule" for tank tops to advise the width of sleeves should be about...
The filing window for candidacy in the 2024 Petersburg Borough Municipal Election officially closed Tuesday afternoon. A total of 14 open seats are up for election this fall, each as a three-year term. The race for Petersburg Borough Assembly is contested, with five people running for the two open seats. Incumbents Bob Lynn and Thomas Fine-Walsh are running for reelection. And James Valentine, Marc Martinsen, and Tony Vinson have joined the contest for the two assembly seats. The race for...
The sound of plucked strings and women's voices singing in unison could be heard at the outdoor Market in Petersburg on Sat. Aug. 17. The performers were a six-person ensemble known as the Uke'a Ladies. The group formed last summer thanks to music lessons offered at Petersburg's music store Bearing Song and Gifts. "I was advertising that I wanted to do a ukulele drop-in group, and [Danielle MacPhee] was my first person to come in for the ukulele class," said Sarah Hofstetter, owner of Bearing...
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...
A power outage occurred downtown Tuesday morning when an "elbow" near Petersburg Medical Center faulted. The elbow that was damaged is a component used to connect and disconnect a circuit to the town's electrical system. PMPL employees replaced the elbow and restored power in about 70 minutes. Located next to PMC, it was an elbow that had been in service for decades. Utility Director Karl Hagerman noted that it "must have had a crack in it or some other issue as it made a circuit ... and caused...
Be it boating safety classes, courtesy vessel inspections, maritime observation missions or last-minute substituting for chefs on Coast Guard Cutters, members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary provide support to Coast Guard units and promote boating safety in local communities. And now, the Auxiliary in Petersburg will stand up a local Flotilla after years operating as a detachment. The Coast Guard Auxiliary has about 20,000 volunteers nationwide - about 225 in Alaska, which is District 17 for...
