Author: kfskadmin

A 30-year-old graduate student from the University of Oslo is spending the next five months in Petersburg, studying the community’s strong Norwegian culture and the customs of local residents. Jens Maehlen, is originally from a suburb of Oslo, and is doing field work for a two-year masters degree program. He stopped by KFSK this month and spoke with Joe Viechnicki about the work he hopes to do over the next five months.

Petersburg’s harbor advisory board last week recommended some fee increases for using local harbor facilities. That was after about two dozen boat owners urged the board not to reduce staff hours. The board is also hoping to drop the price for some skiff stalls in South Harbor that have not seen many customers.

A bill that could pay for up to half the cost of new library projects in Petersburg and many other Alaskan towns has made it through a key legislative committee. Senate finance members passed SB119 unanimously Friday (2/8) after hearing testimony from library advocates in Petersburg and Ketchikan.

Support was strong Friday for finding a way to increase Petersburg’s marine services industry. At a meeting hosted by the local non-profit Petersburg Economic Development Council, members of Petersburg’s fishing fleet and other harbor users said they wanted more vessel haul-out options and covered space to work on boats and said Petersburg should be trying to lure out-of-town business to either public or private marine service businesses.

Local residents watched the premier of a World War II documentary produced at Petersburg High School this past year. Entitled, “When The War Got Personal,” the film tells the story of the men on the naval destroyer U.S.S. Hoel, sunk by the Japanese navy during the Battle Off Samar October 25th, 1944. Some 252 men onboard the Hoel died during the battle and another 15 died afterwards awaiting rescue in the water. The fighting between the two naval forces off the Phillipine Islands during October 23rd-25th is billed as the last great naval battle in modern history. U.S. ships were able to repel a much larger Japanese fleet and protected their own fleet of air craft carriers, as well as General Mcarthur’s invasion force.
Petersburg resident Erling Husvik was one of the survivors of the sinking and he’s featured in the film along with several of his shipmates. High school teacher Jim Engel and four students interviewed Husvik and the other sailors during a reunion last October in Tucson.
The final product is roughly an hour and 20 minutes long and is narrated by PHS alum Forrest Sebastian. It includes over 100 historic pictures of the ship and the battle for the Phillipines. Joe Viechnicki spoke with Engel about the story of the U.S.S. Hoel.