Sorted by date Results 551 - 575 of 924
Thank you To the Editor: A bit of excitement at the Tuesday night PHS Music Concert? Yes. Is everything all right now? Yes. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say what a wonderful community of people we live in. From the EMTs who immediately came to help, to the nurses who also came, talked us through it, or followed us out the door, to all the friends who inquired after us and wished us well, this town is comprised of some big-hearted individuals. Each of the individuals who came to our aid ended up taking time away from watching the...
Roadless areas are the cornerstone to the economy and well being of southeast. The Roadless Rule is working for its designed purpose which is to ensure that the 99% of the economy that depends on intact old growth forest is protected from the less than 1% that wants to clearcut it and export it round. It is a myth that old growth is a renewable resource. There is a limit to how many 300 yr. old logs can be piled on a log ship bound for China. The ecosystem itself probably takes three times that long to mature. It’s simply unsustainable. A...
The 2001 Roadless Rule, covering 58 million acres of National Forest Land, including the Tongass and Chugach National Forests, was pushed through the entire national rulemaking and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes in 15 months. The 2001 Roadless Rule was promulgated by the outgoing Clinton Administration just eight days before President George W. Bush was inaugurated. The Roadless Rule was justified by the Clinton Administration’s claim that a national level “whole picture” review of National Forest roadless areas was neede...
Passage of Proposition 1 will reimburse citizens who most desperately need the sales tax exemption — the elderly people living on various assistance programs. It’s pure folly to have millionaires and well-off retired and elderly residents benefiting from the exemption while the Petersburg Borough administration cuts quality of life programs that benefit the youth in the community. Parks and Rec. programs such as the aquatic center, weight room, racquetball courts, gym, park maintenance will be cut back or eliminated first. Cuts will follow in o...
MVFS misconception To the Editor: I want to address a small point in Glo Wollen’s letter this last issue. Thanking Glo for her fine support of Proposition 1, which I agree, she referred to a popular misconception as she described our quality of life in Petersburg. Many citizens use the term “Meals on Wheels” when they refer to Petersburg’s Senior dining program. The Mt. View Food Service is not an affiliate of Meals on Wheels. We are an organization in Petersburg which is dedicated to a senior group dining experience. If eligible consume...
Fair Share To the Editor: 574 seniors have been given tax free cards, 89 of them get some form of assistance. That leaves almost 500 seniors that don’t really need a hand out. I don’t understand why people that have huge homes, million dollar homes, multiple homes feel they deserve not to be taxed just because they are 65 or more. To me that is the same is saying since I’m 65 or older I don’t have any pride in my community and I shouldn’t have to pay my fair share. Show you still do have pride and support your community. Pay your fair shar...
SB 134 becomes law To the Editor: SB 134 becomes law this week. This law will allow a victim of rape crimes the right to petition the courts from allowing the perpetrator the ability to seek custody of a child conceived illegally. The legislature enacted this law in response to a situation that originated here in Petersburg almost nine years ago. Nearly all states and the Federal Government now have laws that prohibit or limit the rights of sex offenders from being awarded custody against the wishes of the victimized parent. Two months ago in...
Clarification To the Editor: Thank you to the Petersburg Pilot for the coverage of the 1st annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Walk/Run. I would like to clarify that while my granddaughter Amalia was correctly identified as Alaska Native, I am not. I am however a proud member of the Seetka Kwann Dance group, founded in 1990 and led by Jeanette Ness. Many thanks to SEARHC, WAVE, PIA and Petersburg Parks and Rec for coordinating this event and to all who participated. Karin McCullough Senior exemption thorny issue To the Editor: The...
Vote yes To the Editor: Push is coming to shove at the borough budget due to declining revenues. Management is having to make budget cuts. Property taxes and sales taxes are the largest two sources of revenue that pay for schools, police, fire protection, library and museum, even part of Mt. View Manor food service and KFSK. Now we have almost 600 senior sales tax exemption cards in our population of just 3,000. Sales tax revenue is consequently less. This October’s ballot proposition changes the sales tax program to give sales tax rebates t...
Public responsibility To the Editor: I wish and hope that people would be responsible but I have not found that to generally be the case. I am promoting the banning of plastic bags or at least charging people a $.25 tax for each because I know people sometimes need to be incentivized/ encouraged to be responsible. My family comes from PA/ Cleveland. Both my grandfathers, coal miners, were dead before they were 50 thanks to clean coal. Living in Cleveland I got to watch our local river catch on fire, thanks to the personal responsibility of...
Personal responsibility is the solution To the Editor: It’s not about the bag. I was dismayed to hear that Petersburg is following in the steps of too many other cities by considering a prohibition on the use of the common plastic grocery bag and will instead “encourage” the use of reusable shopping bags (typically made of plastic). Let’s think about it with a few examples. Plastic grocery bags are pure genius as they indeed can be used over and over (think recycling). How about keeping feet dry in wet boots? On commercial fishing boats,...
Senior Benefits To the Editor: Remember the old Alaska Longevity Bonus Program of 1972? It ran into trouble with fairness due to residency requirements. Seniors who had lived here a long time got $250 per month. It has morphed into the Alaska Senior Benefits Program now based on need for low or moderate income Alaskans. Eligibility is based on income not on assets. When the sales tax refund takes effect seniors who qualify for this program will also qualify for the sales tax refund checks from...
Senior sales tax debate To the Editor: My question is what about all of those seniors who live on their SS and maybe a small retirement and do not receive any type of assistance? For those who are recently retired it may not be a hardship now but in 10 years it certainly may be when the prices continue to climb when you are on a fixed income. Hopefully I will still be able to pay for my home and essentials, but wonder what the quality of my life here will be like. Will I still want to stay with limited income and services being cut? I do not...
Keep senior sales tax exemption To the Editor: The wonderful thing about our community tradition of extending a senior tax exemption is that any senior who does not want to use it can choose not to. I will be voting against the Tax Rebate for Qualified Senior Citizens on October 2nd, an ordinance to repeal the senior tax exemption. Using a tax exemption should not be equated with not having pride, not doing your share and not carrying your own weight. Imagine facilities like our Clinic, the...
Hunting and fishing our way of life To the Editor: In regards to the letter from Lynn Escola. People keep moving here and expect everything to change to their way, but if we did then we would end up being in the cesspool like California. This is our state and our world, if you came to join our world then you must have loved it and the reason you loved it is because we are who we are and that is because of the way we were raised. We are not people who will change for you or anyone else, unless there is a good reason to do so. Hunting and...
This newspaper is blessed to have the opportunity to publish dozens of wildlife photos each year. For balance, some animals are featured alive, and some are dead. This is Alaska, right? Many Petersburg families rarely shop the meat counters at local grocery stores. They live largely subsistence lifestyles and consume salmon, black cod, halibut, crab, clams, bear, moose, venison, ducks and sometimes elk. Before you eat it, you have to kill it. We especially appreciate the generosity of many hunters and fishers who share their take with their...
Dead bear pornogrphy To the Editor: The Pilot needs to stop running photos of bear kills. Recent issues of the Pilot have included photos of local hunters gloating over their bear kills. These photos are distasteful and of questionable newsworthiness. Not everyone in town wants to see the photographic evidence of someone else’s bloodlust. Even in Alaska, values are changing. The photos of the two Kerr children and their kills are particularly disturbing. Kaleb and Nathan Kerr are apparently the young children of our new police chief, James Kerr...
In response to my annual performance appraisal, I would like to offer some commentary. First, thank you to the Assembly, the Department Heads and the Community for your ongoing faith in my ability to help the Petersburg Borough. Your support is what makes this all work. While I agree with my appraisal for the most part, I do feel some changes to the process and some commentary by me is appropriate. The current process does not allow me to see individual input from specific Assembly members. This means I only see the average scores, and...
Look for people who will listen To the Editor: I certainly agree with Merrily Jones and her letter a couple of weeks ago but I don’t think she was forceful enough. I am writing this letter reluctantly, since I or my family, along with many other “seniors”are not looking for a “thank you” but are trying to say “thank you” to the community with our attempts to help when and where we can. I have spoken to and visited with a few seniors and they do contribute, but do not want recognition so won’t allow me to print any names or contributions,...
Thank You To the Editor: Thank you to my harbor heroes and EMTs for getting me back on dry land. You know who you are. Carroll Nilsen...
I’ve helped pay To the Editor: This is in response to last week’s article on a proposed revision (read that repeal) of the senior tax exemption plan. I found the arguments given for the proposal a bit specious. The current plan is burdensome to the local merchants, I agree. To the borough staff? No. They’re paid for it, it’s part of their job, and according to the borough finance office, the borough will recoup more than enough to make up for that cost by the burden placed on senior residents who are paying for it (which is still less than th...
Freedom is not free To the Editor: Memorial Day is another holiday to have cookouts and play. We may even put out the flag of our country. I do hope we take time to reflect about the sacrifice both men and women have given to the freedom and security of our country. Let us also not forget the sacrifice of family and friends whose loss of loved ones they have had to endure. We have a lot to be thankful for and I hope we do not take what we have for granted. Freedom is not free. Steve Murphy Wrangell, Alaska Successful shrimp dinner To the...
Seek truth To the Editor: In 2014 a nationwide study was published by 2 social scientists. They determined Alaska to be the most corrupt state in the union on the basis of convictions of public officials per capita. The corruption was all about money, in some cases, surprisingly small amounts achieved political results. So one can easily imagine the effect that 7 figure amounts have on public policy. Also, in 2014, Sen. Lisa Murkowski was recorded on NPR holding a chair over her head while screaming “I am the chairrr…maaan!” She had every...
Little time to waste To the Editor: One of our most familiar adages has now been updated. It now reads, “There is nothing certain in life except death, taxes, and Global Climate Change.” It is interesting that a little town, one of several dozen along Alaska’s coastline, founded on the ocean’s bounty and dependent on the ocean ecosystem for its prosperity, makes nary a peep in defense of healthy ocean conditions. Neither does it ask or press our Federal Representatives for any positive policies or actions that even begin to mitigate the det...
Sea otter creating imbalance To the Editor: The reintroduction of the sea otter has created an imbalance of human resources and sea life. A much larger impact is looming: Before the sea otters reintroduction to Southeast Alaska’s Archipelago, fishermen fished all types of fish and crustaceans but find themselves now regulated nearly out of business while the reintroduced sea otters continue to ravage the shallow bottoms of all estuaries of Southeast. I can assure that within the next ten years, without proper regulation and control of this pred...
