Author: kfskadmin

The Petersburg School District will get the money it asked for from the city this year. Petersburg’s city council last night voted against a proposed reduction in the local contribution to the school district for the upcoming school year.

Compared to some other Alaska communities, Petersburg escaped relatively unscathed during the latest round of capital project vetoes announced by the Palin Adminstration last week. Petersburg will not be getting $5.3 million to help build a new fire hall this year but will get a portion of that money. In addition, funding for a number of other city projects made it through the budget process intact

Local property owners upset about assessment levels for their homes, businesses and land found a sympathetic ear before members of Petersburg’s City Council earlier this month. Council members serve as the town’s Board of Equalization and, in that role, councilors decide on property assessment appeals. Most of the assessments that made it to a hearing this month were reduced by the board

Retired Petersburg fire chief Sam Bunge recently spent five weeks in Vietnam and helped to build a school there. It was the first time Bunge had visited the country since he served with the army during the Vietnam war, 40 years ago. Bunge was part of a team of veterans who made the trip this April. He says it has changed the way he thinks about the country. Matt Lichtenstein spoke with him about the experience.

The winning fish in the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce 27th Annual Salmon Derby is the second-largest fish brought to the docks over the weekend. Petersburg resident Sparky Swainson takes the first place prize of $7,500 for her 45.1 pound king caught early Saturday morning. Swainson was not atop the leaderboard when the derby finished up Monday night at 5 p.m. That honor belonged to another local resident, Dan Vick, who weighed in a 45.6 pounder just before 7:00 Saturday evening. However, according to Chamber of Commerce officials, Vick decided to withdraw his fish from the derby. He was fishing on a commercial vessel and forgot to cut the dorsal fin from his king salmon after landing it. That’s a state regulation and a local derby rule, designed to stop anyone sport fishing on a commercial boat from selling their catch.
In total, angers brought in 431 kings on the weekend, only seven fewer than last year. Neither the 10-thousand nor the five-thousand dollar tagged fish were caught.
So the new leaderboard has Swainson taking the first prize, Brian Doyle wins the $3,500 cash prize for his 43.2 pound Chinook weighed in at 10:36 Monday morning. Larry Peterson takes the third place prize of $2,750 dollars for a 42 pounder weighed in just before 4 o’clock Monday afternoon. The winner, Swainson, says she was just happy to be on the leaderboard. Joe Viechnicki talked with her about catching the winning king.