Sorted by date Results 876 - 900 of 1002
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...
Four way stop on Ira II To the Editor: I am writing in support of two four ways stops on Ira II St., one at 4th & Ira II and the other at 6th & Ira II. My daughter and her family reside at 605 Ira II St. one block above the Borough owned 5th St. Playground. I am concerned about the safety of their children and others in their neighborhood due to heavy traffic on Ira II St. Ira II is a gravel road with no sidewalks that parallels Haugen from 2nd to 8th street. Haugen is a three lane paved road with a sidewalk on each side. There are no stop...
The speed limit on Sandy Beach Road should not be established by a referendum, or a public opinion poll. The police chief needs to set the speed based on hard facts, not from a volley of public comments. In the name of public safety a few well-meaning souls have decided drivers cannot safely operate within the right-of-way of a paved, well lighted roadway designed to safely accommodate vehicles operating at 35 miles per hour. The State Dept. of Transportation built the road with a design speed of 40 miles per hour. Wide, paved berms allow...
PSAB Questions To the Editor: The Public Safety Advisory Board and Petersburg Police Department by a request from the public, are seeking responses on the following questions: 1. Should the speed limit on Sandy Beach Road from 14th St. to LDS Drive be increased to 35 MPH? and 2. Should a 4-way stop at Ira II and Fourth St. and Ira II and Sixth St. be implemented? The PSAB and Police Dept. are looking for data from public input to use at the next board meeting. You can e-mail your responses to sbacom@petersburgak.gov, or attend the next Safety...
Rotary Youth Exchange To the Editor: The local Petersburg Rotary Club participates in the Rotary International Youth Exchange program: annually we send out one student, and accept one student from a foreign country. July is one of the most significant months for changes: Fernanda Soto, from Mexico, was in our community this past year and she has just returned home. River Quitslund has returned from Thailand, where he spent the last school year. Manon Paul is preparing to leave for Austria in early August, where she will spend a year....
Who sets the tone? To the Editor: My husband Edgar and Jim's parents, Jim and Shirley Agner – want to thank all of you for welcoming “our kids” (Officers Jim and Heidi Franz Agner) into your community and into your lives – and thus giving all of us an experience beyond any luxurious world cruise anywhere. It all began in 1984 when Chief Dale Stone “initiated” us as only Chief Stone could do. “Doc” Lopez gave my husband Edgar professional shooting lessons – and a lot of fun. John Hamilton took all of us (toddler Jesse and older brother Bar...
Tonka facts To the Editor: U.S.D.A. Forest Service has led the public to believe pre-commercial thinning (PCT) creates wildlife habitat but conversely PCT promotes nothing of extended value but potential timber harvesting opportunities. For the Tonka Timber Sale the U.S. Forest Service never cites Cole etal. (2011) which was an agency research project that demonstrated the main positive effects of pre-commercial thinning (PCT) are short lived, about 7 years, which includes the time needed to collapse the slash enabling deer access to food. Inst...
Local preference To the Editor: I attended the Borough Council Meeting on July 1, 2013. I was disappointed to see attendance was so low but maybe the listening audience was large. Other than Department Heads, Councilpersons, me, Joe Viechnicki and the new police chief, there was only one other person present. Acting Mayor Sue Flint conducted a short, sweet, and to the point meeting that everyone appreciated. Bravo. There were two things that bothered me. The first was personal in that they are going to enter into a contract with Mike Renfro...
PIE Thanks To the Editor: We would like to thank Island Flowers for their generous donations during Teacher/staff appreciation week (May 6-11). The teachers and staff all received a lovely tulip with a message attached. We would also like to give a huge thank you to Danya Davis for coming in during that week to give much needed chair massages. It was a great treat. We appreciate all the teachers and staff and those who helped make that week a success. Heidi Cabral and Partners in Education (PIE) Board Members Petersburg in the running To the...
AMHS: Thanks for celebrating To the Editor and Mayor Jensen: I would like to extend a sincere thank you for helping us make the Petersburg community celebration for our 50 Anniversary a great success. Many people came to help celebrate and it was indeed an honor to welcome a very large group of Petersburg citizens to the Malaspina to enjoy the Leikerring dancers, the beautiful handmade cookies, dignitary speeches and thank you exchanges. It was wonderful to see so many members of the community enjoying dinner in the ship's cafeteria and partici...
The public deserves a complete and candid explanation from the Petersburg Medical Center administrative staff concerning the allegations and information presented at the May meeting of the board by Ramona Thompson, an employee of PMC just prior to her termination before the board meeting on May 23. At that meeting, Thompson presented a long list of problems at the facility that have resulted in billing errors, loss of billable income, a warning from Medicare and other concerns. Thompson charged that department heads are not working with the...
Pennies for Patients fundraiser total To the Editor: We have just received the grand total from our “Pennies for Patients” fundraising drive this spring, and are pleased to announce that Stedman Elementary students earned $1,240.41 to send to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to support ongoing cancer research. Way to go, Stedman Elementary students and the community of Petersburg. A big thanks to the Stedman Elementary student council for organizing this important fundraising activity in our school. Erica Kludt-Painter, Principal Con...
I would like to thank the EMTs that responded to the 911 call in May when my husband needed help because he was barely breathing and unresponsive and turning blue. I am so thankful that they responded as fast as they did. Two police officers arrived first and began CPR on him right away and they did a great job. Police Officers Bruce Westre and Jared Popp kept my husband alive until the EMTs arrived and those few minutes were a big deal and was a huge part in saving him. Once the EMTs arrived they got right to work on my husband. They all did...
A village that raises children To the Editor: Jeff and I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the community of Petersburg and the Petersburg school system. Our children have been privileged to experience community support and high school mentoring as they blossomed into young citizens. They transitioned into colleges in natural resources, law, and civil engineering, an attribute to a village that raises children. Mr. Dormer alluded to this in his introductory address, “acting like a parent when we parents aren’t aroun...
Raptors coming To the Editor: The Rainforest Festival steering committee would like to publicly thank the Petersburg Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Alaska Community Foundation, for their recent grant to our organization. We will add those funds to contributions from Partners in Education and other donations to bring two raptors from the Sitka Raptor Center to visit our town during the festival September 5-8. Besides the festival, the birds are also scheduled to make appearances at all three schools and long-term care. We are excited...
Mange Tusen Takk To the Editor: Having worked on the organizational end of the Festival for many years, I understand the huge amount of year-around effort it requires to pull off a successful event like this past Little Norway Festival. Thank you so much to Holli Flint and her Festival Committee, to the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and their Director Sally Dwyer and all the organizations hosting Festival events for another job well done. Rain or shine, visitors and locals all had a great time. Congratulations to Jill Williams as the well...
This letter is late in coming. I’ve been putting it off because there just aren’t words I can think of to express how thankful and humbled my family and I have been by everyone’s generosity and love during my sister, Sharon McAdams’s illness and her passing. It was a very sad time for my family and it would have been much harder without the love and support of everyone. I want to start with giving a BIG “Thank You” to everyone at the Petersburg Medical Center. You should all be so proud of the genuine loving care that you provide here in Peters...
Stikine River mineral development To the Editor: This letter is to inform Petersburg residents of an important presentation coming to our community next week. On Wednesday, May 22, Guy Archibald of SEACC and Chris Zimmer of Rivers Without Borders will be giving a very informative power point presentation on the proposed mineral development up the Stikine River. The following night there will be an informal question and answer gathering. Both events will be at the Council Chambers, starting at 7...
Since the Petersburg Borough is a 6% partner with every business within their jurisdiction, it seems intuitive that their best interests would be served by working with those businesses to expand the economy with the use of tax-free shopping incentives for local shoppers. Since the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce had worked with the body to create Ordinance 954 and voters approved the ordinance allowing up to two tax free days per year, the effort was making inroads to give shoppers yet another reason to shop at home… not in Juneau, not in S...
Thank you To the Editor: It's 4 am on Tuesday morning and like the past three mornings that my wife and I have been in Petersburg, I find myself wide awake...you have to love jet lag. As long as I'm awake, I wanted to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you all for the hospitality that you've shown to us. We are truly amazed at how many friends we've made in our short time here. One of the main inviting factors in our decision to apply for the chief's position in Petersburg was the sheer natural beauty of the Inside Passage. What we've...
Nice when we were trusted To the Editor: The sky didn’t fall when we became a borough. In fact, nothing much seems to have changed at all. The old city limits sign is still in place. The council, er.. the assembly, still meets in the same chambers with the same old city emblem on its bench. There is only one change I’ve noticed. This is my 3rd year as a senior citizen. The first two years I paid for my tax-exempt card. Not once was I asked to show it. I just told them my number or wrote it down. It was nice to be trusted. Now that we are a boro...
