Second Alaska Wildlife Trooper comes to Petersburg

PETERSBURG ­- The local Alaska Wildlife Trooper post held an open house on Saturday to welcome the community to their new location on Haugen Dr. and to introduce Petersburg's new wildlife trooper.

Curtis Vik transferred to Petersburg from Eagle Rover, following Cody Litster's promotion to sergeant. Vik first joined the state troopers in 2002. Since then, he has worked with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation in Palmer tackling property crimes and major crimes. Then from 2010 to recently, he worked with a statewide drug enforcement unit that he founded.

Feb. 16 was Vik's first day on the job in town. He and his wife have been talking about moving to Southeast Alaska for quite some time, and when the job opened up, Vik took it.

"We like being on the water and doing the outdoor type of stuff," said Vik. "We started looking at Petersburg and all that Petersburg had. It seemed like the right fit for us."

Vik's wife, Amy, and their four kids have yet to join him in Petersburg. He is still house hunting, but when he finds a home for his family, they will come join him.

In his free time, Vik enjoys camping with his family and collecting coins. His collection of coins includes rolls of quarters that feature the 50 states, foreign coins and vintage coins.

Within the several weeks that he has been in Petersburg, Vik can already tell that he made the right decision in moving here. He said he

enjoys the laid back atmosphere of the town and its residents.

"It just seems like the people around here are generally happy and more friendly," said Vik.