Author: kfskadmin

Local residents celebrated the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Petersburg and also voted to prohibit smoking in most public buildings, including bars and restaurants. The city also continued with efforts to form a new borough government and heard from employees frustrated over the lack of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Preparedness, quick thinking and a fast Coast Guard response helped prevent a tragedy earlier this month, when the cabin cruiser Sandy M went down north of Petersburg. The flooded vessel eventually broke apart and sank, but all five people on board escaped without serious injury and were lifted to safety by a coast guard helicopter. Several of those involved later shared their story with KFSK’S Matt Lichtenstein, who filed this report.

Scientists will conduct field experiments on juvenile red king crab this summer in Southeast Alaska. It’s part of a larger study that could someday lead to a king crab hatchery program.

Scientists studying sea otter populations in Southeast Alaska hope to have a new estimate of the number of animals in the region out by this time next year. Aerial surveys of otters in the southern Panhandle this past summer show a 13 percent annual growth rate for the reintroduced mammals and researchers say otter numbers there have doubled since the last survey was completed seven years ago. Meanwhile, other research continues on the otters’ diet and how that may be impacting shellfish species caught by commercial fishermen.

Three young couples and their families celebrated their love and Native Alaskan culture last week in a traditional Tlingit wedding at Petersburg’s community gym. According to the celebrants, it was the first time in living memory that this particular ceremony was held in Petersburg.
The guests sat at tables on either side of an aisle lined by cedar boughs. At the back of the gym, there was a feast of local dishes including salmon, halibut, moose, herring eggs, gumboots and beach asparagus. At the front, there was a large painted screen of the two Tlingit moieties, Eagle and Raven, with the solstice sun. The image was created by the mother of the three grooms, Brenda Louise, and painted by her daughter Clara Sallenbach. Down the aisle and in front of Raven and Eagle, the regalia-clad wedding parties drummed, sang, and danced before a crowd of loved-ones and well-wishers. Louise welcomed the witnesses and narrated each part of the event, which was open to the whole community. Matt Lichtenstein compiled some excerpts of sound from the ceremony