Sorted by date Results 801 - 825 of 947
Congratulations To the Editor: Congratulations on your 40 years of serving Petersburg. As a PHS alumni, I still enjoy getting the Pilot. Greg Severson...
With this edition, the Petersburg Pilot turns 40 years old. Wrangell publisher Jamie Bryson brought this publication into being on February 8, 1974. The Pilot’s predecessor, Petersburg Press folded in January and Bryson stepped up to the plate to make sure Petersburg continued to have a newspaper. He had the equipment and staff in Wrangell to produce the paper and many volunteers and staff member Jean Ellis in Petersburg to write stories, columns and ads. Most important to the operation was Bryson’s airplane, which enabled him to fly back and...
Petersburg Borough Comprehensive Plan To the Editor: The comprehensive plan is an attempt by the Petersburg Borough to look into the future and set forth principles and parameters of actions on the part of the Borough to best serve the citizens. The effort is to be lauded. I feel the plan should incorporate two overriding mandates: 1. The plan should reflect the desires of the majority of the citizens of the Petersburg Borough while respecting the history and culture of all borough residents. 2. The plan must be founded on fiscal realities. As...
While walking through Sandy Beach Park this week I found a plastic grocery bag on the ground, about 20-feet from a trash can provided by the Parks and Recreation Dept. I marveled that someone didn’t care enough to walk a short distance to properly dispose of the bag, rather than throw it on the beach. Trash cans are quite plentiful and appropriately spaced throughout the park. As I followed the driveway to Sandy Beach Road, I continued to gather trash strewn along the route, and to make a long, sad story short, by the time I covered less than t...
Too often elected officials are turning their administrative hiring duties over to corporate head-hunter organizations which advertise and screen candidates to fill positions for city managers, hospital administrators, police chiefs and school superintendents. We applaud the Petersburg school board for breaking the mold, by conducting the hiring process in-house. Their current superintendent Rob Thomason will write and publish the advertisements, screen resumes, post the hiring timeline, schedule telephone and in-person interviews and then...
Thank you Petersburg Letter to the Editor: The Petersburg School District would like to thank our community for supporting the 10th Annual Little Norway Invitational Basketball Tournament that took place in December. The tournament is a high school basketball invitational tournament in memory of Jerry Dahl, Sr. The committee, composed of the family of Jerry Dahl, Sr., Rick and Dino Brock, Jaime Cabral and Rick Dormer, has worked to bring teams from varying areas to town for three days of competition at the beginning of the HS basketball...
Cookie Walk results To the Editor: To the community of Petersburg, Petersburg Lutheran Church has been celebrating our centennial this year. Our theme has been "Celebrate and Serve.” Last Saturday we had the last event in the celebration of this centennial. We did a "Cookie Walk" with the proceeds to go to the Salvation Army for Christmas turkeys and also to our quilting group for the batting and postage costs. We would like to thank those who came and bought cookies - we had fun and we hope you did, too. The result is that we made over $...
The announcement at Monday’s borough meeting that construction of a new sawmill could begin as early as this spring, was good news. The employment of 35 to 50 employees will bring new people and new dollars to Petersburg. With the departure of Petersburg’s largest sawmill in 1987, which relocated to Haines, Petersburg lost over a million dollar annual payroll. Salmon and crab harvests were so substantial; the town’s economy barely felt the loss of the timber income. Both Stikine River Forest Products owner John Glenn and Forest Service Range...
The Borough Assembly acted correctly in releasing the complete text of the city attorney’s opinion on the relationship issues between the borough and the hospital. Important topics were previously redacted that need to be the part of the upcoming discussions between the hospital board, borough assembly and the public. While the hospital has operated in a largely autonomous fashion for decades, Petersburg Medical Center’s decision to request financial assistance from the borough logically shifts the discussion to who is ultimately res...
Toffee Bars By Mary Tice Mix: 1 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1 egg yolk Bake in 9x13 pan 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Place about 10 Hershey bars on top and put in oven just long enough to melt chocolate so it's spreadable. Ginger Crinkles By Sue Harai 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup cooking oil 1/4 cup molasses 1 egg Stir together the first 5 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt....
Luke 2:13, 14 Luke 2:13, 14: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” After receiving Jesus as my Lord and Savior in 1973 I began a journey of revelation I never expected. Like any other human on the planet my ideas don’t always match God’s. I assumed the declaration of this phrase concerning Jesus was all about world peace. Even Jesus followers had their own ideas as they were being discipled by Jesus the Messiah...
They say it's better to give than to receive. But try explaining that concept to your child during the holiday, and they’re likely to look at you as if they just found coal in their stocking. Nonetheless, teaching children about charitable acts will give them a valuable appreciation of showing kindness and compassion toward others. You can begin by establishing charitable family traditions during the holidays. START GIVING Introduce your children to the concept of giving — while also making room for the new toys and clothes they’ll recei...
Red Kettle Campaign To the Editor: Last year, The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign raised $16,650 here in Petersburg. These donations help provide meals and shelter for families in need, Christmas toys for hundreds of Petersburg children, and numerous other social services. With this year's campaign being five days shorter-- which equates to potentially $3000 less than in previous years-- donations coming in between now and the end of the year are critically important to our ability to meet people's needs here in Petersburg. All funds...
To the Editor: What is my Borough Assembly doing...? Around town some residents have called it coercion, others think it’s worse, seeing it as textbook intimidation. I think the correct label is more basic than that. Our Borough has called their new plan well meaning... and I agree their basic goal does have merit. It’s the new, improved, Borough recycling program. Yes, this voluntary (?) program will be paid for by Borough residents, who choose not to participate. Using a not to subtle monetary penalty, to bring pressure on folks to participat...
Additions to story To the editor: Thank you for making “Petersburg Girls Sing in Nashville for Honors Choir” your lead story in the Nov. 14 issue of the Petersburg Pilot. I would like to contribute a few more details of interest to the story: The National Honor Music Festival is put on by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and is the largest association of its kind in the US. Besides being an advocacy group, it is the organization that hosts music teacher conferences and regional music festivals like All-Northwest and All...
Veteran's Day assembly To the Editor: I would like to thank all of the veterans who arrived at school this afternoon (11/11/13) for the Veteran's Day assembly. It means a lot to the school staff as well as all of the Petersburg students to have a face to honor in their own town. When the veterans show up they are not only allowing us to honor them, but they are also promoting a healthy respect towards the military for both those who wish to serve and those who don't. If there are more vets in Petersburg who were not able to participate in this...
Hats off to Petersburg youth To the Editor: Karen and I underestimated how many kids would come to our house trick or treating this year. Thus, as our supplies dwindled, so did our handouts. As the volume in our basket approached the zero mark, I mentioned to one boy trick or treating by himself that he would have to take less. So, he didn’t take anything, instead he reached into his bag, grabbed a handful of his treats and tossed them into my basket. What a fine young man. I just wish I knew who he was. If anyone knows his identity, I’d lik...
Thank you PMHS To the Editor: We once again want to thank Petersburg Mental Health for putting on the Fall Ball for us senior citizens. We at Long Term Care really look forward to the parties you put on for us. Great music, food and entertainment. The costumes were great as were our hosts and we're looking forward to our next one. Merry Armin...
City spent a lot of money To the Editor: I appreciated Ted Smith's recent letter to the Pilot. As a former mayor here and pretty much lifelong resident here, he has a lot of knowledge of the history. I think if people hadn't fallen for all the hype to get a borough, we wouldn't be having quite as many money problems. The city spent a lot of money on a one sided argument, and then had to have extra people to take pictures of us old folks that have had our senior exemption cards for years just so they could put a B in front of our same...
Thanks Assembly To the Editor: A couple of weeks ago I read and was appalled by a statement of one of our Assemblywomen as she was quoted as saying “what have senior citizens done to deserve a tax exemption other than get older?” I guess a short history lesson might be in order. The tax exempt status for seniors was a sign of respect and a thank you for all the things they had accomplished in aiding Petersburg's economic development before and during their fixed income days. Let's start with the Petersburg Indian Association. They were not alw...
Greatest resource To the Editor: I am very excited that they finished the new library. It’s going to be great to go and sit in the library to do my homework because there aren’t really that many public places to go to. You see I am a freshman in high school and my options are limited where I can go to do my homework in peace; school or home. But now we have an alternate place. For the past few months the only places where you could get books, magazines and movies cost money. Now that the new library is open we will have a whole building ful...
Vulnerable Adult Awareness month To the Editor: There are good reasons for Governor Parnell to proclaim September 2013 “Vulnerable Adult Awareness” month. Alaska has the fastest growing senior population in the nation. Reports of harm to Adult Protective Services have risen 183% in the last five years. The Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman now opens four times as many cases each month as it did in 2009. Our state has many vulnerable seniors who need us to stay vigilant so that their dignity, safety and rights are protected. The Omb...
Senior exemption encouraged pioneers to stay To the Editor: I'd like to clarify my comments on the senior sales tax exemption that were in the Pilot last week. When I said they were earned by just getting older, we were discussing my generation, the baby boomers. Boomers are coming in to get their tax exempt cards almost daily as they turn 65. This exemption was part of a package of benefits enacted to encourage our retired pioneers to remain living in Alaska. Those pioneers who are left are now in their 80s and 90s. They are our parents and...
Supports Public Safety Advisory Board To the Editor: I attended the Public Safety Advisory Board meeting August 21. The agenda included the two questions that were sent out with our utility bills, concerning the speed limit on Sandy Beach and additional stop signs on Ira II St. There were about 12 people in the audience, and there was relaxed interaction between the board and the audience. The results of the survey were tallied, and each person had a chance to speak. I felt that I was listened to with respect and my opinions were thoughtfully...
Schools are scrambling To the Editor: Back to school is always an exciting time. In Alaska, every one of our 53 school districts and school staffs have diligently prepared so the new school year will be one of deep learning and strong emotional growth for all of Alaska's students. As educators, nothing pleases us more than welcoming back students to launch a new academic year. This year, like none other in recent memory, school districts across the country, including every district in Alaska are scrambling. Districts are feeling the negative ef...
