We the People - Chilkat Valley News

A look at ‘We the People’ - page 6
Lemcke to leave borough job - page 8
Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966
Chilkat Valley News
Volume XLII Number 12
Thursday, March 22, 2012
$1
Officials await
information on
avalanche site
R-E-S-P-E-C-T -- Residents walk down Main Street Friday during the “Choose Respect” march sponsored by the Haines
Domestic Violence Task Force and the State of Alaska. The task force is aiming to raise awareness about domestic violence
and members are lobbying the state to ramp up prosecution in abuse cases. Story, page 3. John S. Hagen photo.
Pool’s salt system eats up stainless tank
By Tom Morphet
The Haines Borough should
reconsider the salt chlorination system
at its swimming pool in the wake of the
failure of a stainless steel tank there that
apparently developed problems within a
year of its installation, facilities director
Brian Lemcke said this week.
“We need to review the salt system
and see if we shouldn’t look at a direct
chlorine way to deal with it,” Lemcke
said in an interview.
Besides replacing the three-year-old
tank, the borough needs a $13,000 part
for its “salt water chlorine generator,”
the device that converts salt into chlorine
through electrolysis.
A manager for the company that
installed a stainless steel tank beneath the
Haines pool in October 2008 this week
said it’s no surprise the vessel didn’t last
three years.
“We told them that running a saline
(chlorination) system would eat up a
lot of things,” said James Gumaelius,
operations manager for Chester Pools in
Albany, Ore. Gumaelius helped install
the tank.
Lemcke said Gumaelius told him this
week the company doesn’t warranty any
equipment involving a saline system.
Replacement of the surge tank and of
a recirculation tank in 2008 cost the
borough $120,000.
Borough paperwork shows there were
concerns with the 500-gallon surge tank
as early as 2009, said Lemcke. In that
year, the borough already was looking
into a fiberglass replacement tank of the
new, aluminum model, he said.
It’s only a question of when the salt
chlorination system will claim the pool’s
aluminum gutter system, company and
school officials said this week.
Chester Pools built the elevated,
aluminum-hulled pool here in the early
1980s. During its 2008 visit, it coated the
aluminum gutter with protective epoxy.
The pool’s interior was coated with vinyl
about a year before.
“It’s going to be hard on it. It’s going to
eat it up eventually,” Gumaelius said of
the saline’s potential effect on the gutter.
To the delight of swimmers who had
complained for years about irritation from
chlorine and chlorine gas, the borough
switched to salt from a conventional
chlorine system in 1997. It’s unclear
whether borough and pool officials at the
time understood that salt systems were
particularly corrosive to metal pools,
pipes and fixtures.
But Lemcke said a review of borough
documents and his discussions with
Chester officials indicate the company
stepped away from warranting work after
the salt system was adopted.
“Somewhere down the line, when
things developed, (Chester) made it clear
they weren’t going to warranty their
work if we went with this (salt) system,”
Lemcke said this week.
Independent Internet sources this
week cited protential corrosion problems
with salt chlorination with metal pools
and fixtures. “What seems to be the
case is that if your pool is made with
materials that already tend to corrode,
salt will make it worse… For owners
of vinyl lined pools with plastic pipes
and plastic pumps, adding salt shouldn’t
be an issue,” writes Ben Powell, an
engineer who maintains the website
“Pool Solutions.”
According to the website Wikipedia,
“pool equipment manufacturers will
not warranty stainless steel products
damaged by saline pools.”
An October 2008 Chilkat Valley News
report on the replacement tank said: “The
warranty on the recent work has yet to
be determined, in part because the pool
uses saline water treatment instead of
chlorine.”
See POOL page 12
By Tom Morphet
One week after an avalanche claimed the lives
of a heli-ski client and guide, key details of the
March 13 accident are missing, including its
precise location.
Alaska State Trooper Josh Bentz said
Wednesday he has asked Alaska Heliskiing four
or five times for the coordinates of the accident,
information he needs to complete his incident
report. The Haines Borough also is seeking the
coordinates.
The company did not return phone or e-mail
messages left by the Chilkat Valley News this
week.
Orion Koleis, business manager for Alaska
Heliskiing, told Bentz last week the accident
occurred on a northeast-facing slope of a peak
on the south end of the Takhin Ridge. About half
the ridge, including its eastern and southernmost
parts, is outside the borough’s heli-ski boundaries.
Dwight Bailey, who was with the group
See AVALANCHE page 6
Report says import
LNG for Yukon mines
By Krista Kielsmeier
The potential for shipping ore from the Yukon
Territory through Haines is slim unless trucks can
back-haul liquid natural gas from here on return
trips to help power mines, according to a recent
Haines Borough report.
Residents Darsie Culbeck and Debra Schnabel
returned from the Mineral Exploration Roundup
in Vancouver with the message that liquid natural
gas might help the borough compete with lower
shipping costs between Whitehorse and Skagway.
“Skagway is very aggressive,” said Culbeck,
a borough consultant. “They’re not going to
leave one inch of space available over there, in
my opinion, and they’re not going to leave some
crumbs for us.”
Culbeck and Schnabel, a Haines Borough
Assembly member who serves on the Haines Port
Development Steering Committee, gave a report
on the January Roundup at a port committee
meeting last month.
“Unless Haines can help supply energy to the
mines, our only hope for shipping ore is when
Skagway runs out of capacity, which may never
happen,” Culbeck and Schnabel said in their
written report.
See PORT page 12
Focus and creativity led designer Nash to dream career
By Rosalie Loewen
It took a couple of casts for
Corrie Nash, the youngest child in
a Haines fishing family, to hook a
career that suited her.
A 2000 graduate of Haines High
School, she started at University
of Alaska Fairbanks, majoring
in accounting and business. She
lost interest and studied massage
in California for a year, then ran
a massage business in tiny Elfin
Cove for a few summers.
“One day, I started thinking
about what I really wanted to do,”
Nash said in a recent interview,
“and I realized that I really was
interested in how spaces affect
us.” Her interest led her to a
program in interior design and
architecture at the Art Institute of
Over the
Mountains
Portland.
She was the only student in her
art school class with a bow target
set up behind her apartment to
practice her aim in advance of
deer-hunting season.
“When (Corrie) focuses on one
thing, she really follows through.
That’s the cool thing about her,”
said brother Aaron Nash. “Most
people see things and wish they
could do it. It just occurs to her
to do it.”
Design put Corrie in touch
with an artistic impulse ingrained
in her upbringing. “You have to
be creative in so many ways in
Alaska to pass time in the winter.
My mom’s a quilter and my dad’s
a fine woodworker on top of
everything else. For me, it was
like, these hobbies are so fun,
and now I can pour this creative
energy into something,” she said.
Nash now works as an
interior designer with Juneaubased Jensen Yorba Lott, one of
Alaska’s oldest architectural and
design firms. She’s one of the
firm’s main interior designers
in a team working on a major
upgrade of Kodiak High School.
Other projects include the Juneau
Airport redesign, the construction
of the Klukwan gymnasium and
work on the Gustavus School.
Nash said she never dreamed
she’d find a place to work so
close to home. As a plus, she gets
time off from her job each year
for hunting and fishing with her
family.
“I feel really lucky and really
blessed. I get to live the life that
I love up here. And I am really
fortunate with the company that
I work with, that they understand
the lifestyle (of Alaskans) and
what the richness of life is about.”
Nash is the youngest of six
children in her family and one of
three adopted from South Korea.
Mom Becky Nash said at age
See NASH page 12 Corrie Nash
Page 2
Letters to the Editor
Horse care case raises many questions
The recent case of animal cruelty is the worst I ever heard. The
saddest thing of all, it was by one of our own police officers, someone
who was hired to uphold the law here in Haines. Are there background
checks to see what kind of people we want to work on our police force?
For months this horse owner neglected to feed or make certain her
animals were in clean, comfortable stalls. By the time the neglect was
made known, the horses were near death! How can even the most
heartless owner treat their animals in this manner?
I suppose the horses listened for the footsteps that meant food or a
kind word that never came. The months went by and after a while they
gave up hope and after that, it probably didn’t even matter anymore.
They probably just hoped they would die and end their suffering.
Finally, help came, I hope not too late to save these starving horses.
The case of animal cruelty is being investigated – what’s to
investigate? The case is quite clear! While being investigated, the horse
owner is being given paid leave!
Dixie Hayes
Account established for skier’s family
Nick Dodov died here recently in an avalanche while fulfilling a
dream of heli-skiing in Alaska (with friends who were hosting him). We
want to thank all local emergency providers for their efforts to revive
him. His organs were donated in Seattle to help others.
Nick’s parents, Alex and Natalia, are old friends of ours who moved
to the mountains in California from Bulgaria when Nick was 12. We
spoke with Alex shortly after Nick’s death. He too is a mountaineer and
they said they were quite aware of the dangers inherent in the sport,
and that there is no one to blame. He said Nick was a happy, positive
person doing what he loved most when his luck ran out. Their only
child is gone.
Nick has been cremated. His parents feel they must take some of
his ashes back to Bulgaria, and bring some here to spread over the
mountains where he perished. They want to see the place Nick spent
his last days.
If you have excess frequent flier miles to donate to help make this
trip possible, call Donna at 766-2707. It is rare enough for them to
make the expensive trip to Bulgaria to see family, so we have seeded
an account at the local bank to help fund a trip to Haines for them. If
sympathetic heli-skiers or locals wish to make a donation, it would be
greatly appreciated. The account: Nick Dodov Memorial. There is a
card to sign if you wish.
Donna Catotti and Rob Goldberg
Officer on paid leave was rewarded
It does not take five months to discover a starving animal walking in
its own feces! What does not make any sense to me is our chief of police
Gary Lowe placed officer Cassandra McEwen on paid administrative
leave (paid vacation) for the crime of animal neglect! Instead of
paying the consequences for her wrongdoing, officer McEwen is being
rewarded. Justice is not being done for these innocent animals that
cannot fend for themselves, especially in winter. For five months these
horses were walking in unclean stalls, with no good food to eat and
no fresh water to drink. The evidence is quite clear!
Lowana Drurey
Editor’s Note: Missed feedings and stall cleanings of horses under
McEwen’s care have been alleged as lasting from mid-November to
mid-January.
Kindnesses do not go unnoticed
I would like to express my gratitude for the many kindnesses shown
by my Hemlock Estates neighbors and friends throughout Haines,
Mosquito Lake and Juneau who lent me a hand many times over as I
struggled through a health crisis this winter. You know who you are,
and I am grateful for all the assistance that you freely gave. Haines
is a great community for being inhabited by people whose generosity
more than matches the stunning scenery.
Merrill Lowden
Garden conference bloomed here
We wish to thank you for the overwhelming support of the garden
conference. With more than 50 people in attendance, including folks
from Juneau, we consider it a complete success. Haines really helped
get the word out with help from the local newspaper, radio, television
scanner, announcements in many meetings and neighbors talking about
it. Our many thanks go to all of the people who attended, supported,
sponsored and helped us put on such a great event. To our hosts: The
Chilkat Center, Sheldon Museum and especially the American Bald
Eagle Foundation, which was able to accommodate us from last
minute conflicts; excellent food including morning snacks by Sarah
Jaymot, lunch from Mountain Market; and our local sponsors: Haines
Home Building Supply, St. James Place, Alaska Guard House Bed
and Breakfast, Miles Furniture, Bigfoot Auto, Canal Marine, Jewell
Gardens, 18 Meadows B&B. Speakers Bob Henderson, Rob Goldberg,
Charlotte Jewell, Darren Snyder and Jeff Smeenk all volunteered their
time to join us, and were very much appreciated.
Thank you for the support from local gardener and mayor Stephanie
Scott for introducing our keynote speakers and helping guide us in our
planning efforts.
Thank you to the Babbling Book for selling tickets. A big thanks
goes to Bill Kurz for videoing Bob Henderson’s talk Friday. Copies
of Mr. Henderson’s talk have been given to the American Bald Eagle
Foundation and Sheldon Museum for future viewing.
Thank you, Haines!
George Campbell for the organizers of the
Haines Garden Conference
See LETTERS page 3
Chilkat Valley News Save the Date
To list an event in Save the Date, phone 766-2688 or
e-mail cvn@chilkatvalleynews.com.
Thursday, March 22
60+? Join us for lunch, Monday through
Thursday, noon at senior center, 766-2383.
Strong Woman Weight Training, noon to 1
p.m. Chilkat Center lobby. Sponsored by Well
& Fit. Class also Tuesdays. Weights provided.
Afterschool Activities at the library:
Science Fun, 3:30 p.m; Homework Help, 4:30
p.m.
Burger Night, 5 p.m. American Legion.
Haines Borough Planning Commission
meeting, rescheduled from March 8. 6:30 p.m.,
assembly chambers.
Gold Medal Basketball on KHNS: Haines
Merchants, 7:30 p.m., Klukwan Masters, 9 p.m.
Friday, March 23
Story Time and Crafts, ages 2 to 5, 11 a.m.
at the library. Afterschool activities at the library: Word
Games, 3:30 p.m.; Homework Help, 4:30
p.m. Burger Feed, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Elks Lodge.
Saturday, March 24
The book group discusses “A Death in the
Family” by James Agee, 2 p.m. at the library. A
limited number of copies of the book are available for check out.
We the People meets, 2 p.m. in the library
conference room. Everyone welcome.
Sunday, March 25
2011 Oscar-nominated Animated Short
Films. 7:30 p.m., Chilkat Center lobby.
Presented by the Haines Arts Council.
Monday, March 26
March 22, 2012
Mother Goose Stories and Songs, newborns
to three years old, 11 a.m. at the library.
Senior exercise classes, 11:15 a.m. at the
senior center. Also on Wednesdays. All seniors
are welcome.
Afterschool activities at the library:
Strategy Games, 3:30 p.m.; Homework Help,
4:30 p.m.
The Haines High Debate Team debates
the resolution: “In the U.S., current income
disparities threaten the American Dream,” 7
p.m., high school open area. Sponsored by We
the People. A community discussion will follow.
Tuesday, March 27
Strong Woman Weight Training,
noon to
1 p.m. Chilkat Center lobby. Sponsored by Well
& Fit. Weights provided.
Afterschool activities at the library: Tlingit
crafts, 3:30 p.m. Birding program, Homework
Help, 4:30 p.m.
Taco Tuesday, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Elks Lodge.
Haines Borough Assembly meets, 6:30 p.m.
assembly chambers.
Wednesday, March 28
Tykes and Trikes, for children 3 and under
supervised by an adult, 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the
elementary gym.
Afterschool Activities at the library: Easter
Decorations, 3:30 p.m.; Homework Help, 4:30
p.m.
Friday, March 30
Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl for Kids’
Sake, 4 to 6 p.m. at the elementary gym.
KHNS Spring Wine Tasting, 7 p.m. at the
Chilkat Center.
Saturday, March 31
First 2012 Flea Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at
the ANB Hall. Contact Georgiana at 766-3903
or 766-2323 for table. Also lunch sale, deer
stew or Sisterhood Stew, 11 a.m.to 2 p.m.
Annual Installation of Elks and Emblem
Club Officers, 2 p.m. at the Elks Lodge.
Potluck dinner to follow.
HARK Annual Meeting, Stir-Fry Dinner
and Dessert Auction, 5:30 p.m. Haines School
cafeteria. Door Prizes. Call HARK ,766-3334,
or Dianne Nelson, 767-5642, for information.
Tuesday, April 3
Thodos Dance Chicago, contemporary
dance, 7 p.m., Chilkat Center. Presented by the
Haines Arts Council.
Saturday, April 7
Chinese Dinner Fundraiser to support the
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial “The Moving
Wall” coming to Haines, 5 to 7 p.m. at the
American Legion.
Friday, April 27
Southeast Alaska State Fair Spring Fling
concert and barbecue, 6 p.m. at Harriett Hall.
Duly Noted
By Sara Callaghan Chapell
Charlie Everett Blood was
born to Matt and Holly Blood on
March 14. He weighed 8 pounds, 4
ounces. Grandmother Barb Blood
had left Fairbanks after a weekend
visit with the family just 12 hours
earlier. Barb attributes the weekearly arrival of Charlie to Holly’s
walking around the Fairbanks Ice
Sculpture Park for an hour the day
before. Charlie has two sisters,
Taylor, 3, and Makenna, 1.
Grandparents Peter and Michele
Wing will travel to Fairbanks later
this month. Charlie will make his
first Haines appearance in May
when the whole family will come
down for aunt Hannah Wing’s
high school graduation.
Haines was the site for
a Wilderness Advanced Life
Support Class (WALS) organized
by Julie Anderson with the
support of the fire department.
One of only a handful of WALS
classes offered around the world
this year, participants traveled
from the Lower 48 and Alaska.
The class is designed for
advanced medical professionals,
teaching them to work in remote
environments. Haines participants
included Linda Keirstead,
Laurie Keffer, Klukwan nurse
practitioner Michele Susie, Julia
Heinz, Dave McCandless, C.J.
Jones, Kevin Forster, Jen and
Clint Talley, Al Badgley and
Jen Walsh. Eliza Lende came up
from Juneau, Jodi Stickler Ivey
traveled from Seattle and Jeff
Bentley, son-in-law of Deb and
Jim Stanford, came up with his
family from Oregon. The training
included afternoon rescue drills
and one night of drills at Battery
Point. During the evening drill,
participants assessed, stabilized
and transported seven volunteer
“victims.”
Alan and Jeannette Heinrich
are home from two months of
family visits. They stayed with
daughter Tara Heinrich and
her family in New Hampshire
and visited Alan and Jeannette’s
families in Connecticut, including
Jeannette’s mother Betty Bacon,
who is almost 104. They also
headed to Texas to see sons
Kurt and Karl Heinrich and
their families. They stayed busy
watching the grandchildren’s
soccer games, track meets,
basketball and volleyball
practices, and also helped with
babysitting along the way. Sonin-law James Sage ensured their
pleasant return to Haines by
plowing and shoveling a path to
their snowy front door.
We n d y M c P h e t r e s w a s
selected to the Handbell
Musicians of America All-Star
Ensemble. The audition process
included live auditions at national
events as well as a video audition.
Wendy will perform with the
group at the 15 th International
Handbell Symposium in
Liverpool, England this summer.
The group of 16 is responsible
for preparing their music prior
to gathering in England for three
days of rehearsals. They will
perform a one-hour concert at
the symposium. Wendy got her
start in handbells at the Haines
Presbyterian Church, when
she was 10 years old, under
director Karen Bertroch. She
picked up handbell performing
again after college and now
plays with Bells of the Sound, a
16-member professional handbell
organization in Seattle. Wendy is
a middle-school choir director
in Bremerton, Wash., where
she teaches vocal choir to 200
students.
Dave and Carol Pahl spent
two months in Australia, where
they rented a camper van and
logged more than 10,500 miles
driving around the country. They
avoided cities and visited many of
the country’s conservation parks,
where they saw kangaroos and
myriad bird species including
flocks of cockatoos and emus.
While she was sitting outside their
camper reading, Carol was startled
by a four-foot-long goanna lizard.
She thinks the massive reptile, as
well as three others nearby, may
have been drawn to the scent of
meat in the camper refrigerator.
A highlight early in their trip was
their visit with the “Southern
Hemisphere hammer man,” Rupe
Wisseman, in Toowoomba,
Southern Queensland. The
86-year-old and the Pahls have
See DULY page 10
Chilkat Valley
News
(ISSN8750-3336)
USPS Publication No. 500290
is published weekly, except the last
week Dec. & 1st week Jan.
Staff: Bonnie Hedrick, Diana Kelm,
Tom Morphet, Leslie Evenden,
Krista Kielsmeier, Margaret Friedenauer
Contributors: Sara Callaghan Chapell,
Heather Lende
Office: Main Street, Haines.
Mailing: Box 630, Haines AK 99827
Tel: (907)766-2688
E-mail: cvn@chilkatvalleynews.com
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Vol. XLII #12
March 22, 2012
March 22, 2012
Chilkat Valley News
Page 3
LETTERS from page 2
Public input efforts appreciated
Recently, Ron Jackson, on behalf of the Haines Borough Parks and
Recreation Advisory Committee, posted planning maps in the Haines
Borough Public Library along with comment sheets for the public to
provide input on proposed trails, parks, green space, public access,
areas proposed for future development of various types, including
utilities, for the upcoming comprehensive plan update process. Jackson
made a concerted effort to encourage all people in Haines to review
these maps and to comment. The public input will be incorporated into
parks and recreation recommendations into the comprehensive plan.
We the People group of Haines wishes to thank Jackson for his effort
as a public official in seeking the input of the people in our community
prior to final decisions and recommendations being made. Having “all
voices being heard” is a significant part of the mission and process of
the Haines We the People group. Jackson demonstrated how public
officials can effectively incorporate such a policy in our community. We
hope other public officials take note and continue this excellent process.
Kathleen Menke for We the People, Haines
‘Choose Respect’ puts
spotlight on abuse issue
By Tom Morphet
Leona Santiago, who grew up
in Front Street’s Raven House,
recounted her experience of abuse
from a partner in Seattle during
last week’s “Choose Respect”
rally in Haines.
“I was a little mouse. I had no
self-esteem. My son was being
abused. I knew I had to get out
of that relationship, but I didn’t
know how,” Santiago told about
30 people gathered at the public
library.
Santiago now serves as rural
outreach coordinator for the
AWARE women’s shelter in
Juneau. Haines residents suffering
abuse can have their way paid to
the Juneau shelter, she said.
Jackie Mazeikas, domestic
violence health educator in
Haines, told the group abuse
comes in many forms, including
bullying and elder abuse.
Domestic assaults were an
“accepted thing in society,” when
Haines Borough Police Chief
Gary Lowe started as an officer 35
years ago, Lowe told the crowd.
“If we got a (domestic abuse)
call, we told them to go to separate
bedrooms and call us in the
morning. Everyone just accepted
that kind of behavior,” Lowe said.
In recent decades, society has
recognized that it’s wrong to
abuse family members. Also,
because family members won’t
speak up for themselves, there are
mandatory arrest laws if police
see signs of abuse, Lowe said.
Police, however, are a small
part of the equation, Lowe said.
“It takes friends and neighbors,
all of us to solve this problem.”
Lowe expressed concern about
prosecution of domestic violence
assaults, saying convictions are
typically on charges reduced from
more serious ones.
Of 17 domestic-violence related
charges brought locally in 2010,
there were only three domesticviolence convictions, Lowe said.
In 2011, 17 domestic-violence
charges resulted in six convictions
on domestic violence charges,
he said.
“The (district attorney) does an
excellent job prosecuting DUIs
and felonies but half of our arrests
in the last two years have been
misdemeanor assaults, and of
those, all but two were dismissed.
That’s what we have to address,”
Lowe said.
Rick Svobodny, deputy attorney
general for the state’s criminal
division, this week expressed
skepticism at Lowe’s complaint.
“When people give numbers, they
have to give facts (involved in the
cases),” Svobodny said.
Svobodny said 95 percent of
cases in Alaska are resolved with
plea agreements but suggested
that’s not unreasonable. “Do
people in Haines want 100 jury
trials a year? I don’t think people
would stand for that.”
Bed & Breakfast - Home & View free!
SCOUTING FOR COOKIES -- Heidi Ritzinger, Sadie Anderson, Alyssa Alcock and Stella Ordonez
try to entice Marlys Johnson to buy some Girl Scout cookies last weekend in downtown Haines. John
S. Hagen photo.
Borough juggles planning tasks
By Krista Kielsmeier
Confused about all the planning
going on at the Haines Borough?
The assembly is working on a
“strategic plan,” a brief, “to-do list”
of upcoming projects for elected
leaders, and a “comprehensive
plan,” a blueprint that addresses
a range of community concerns.
The “comp plan” is intended
to help steer borough decisionmaking for the next five to eight
years.
At its first meeting on the
strategic plan, the assembly
identified eight goals for 2012-13:
1) Holding a committee-of-thewhole meeting to discuss borough
buildings; 2) Identifying essential
pieces of equipment; 3) Making
better informed and more involved
budget decisions; 4) Conducting
a communication meeting this
summer; 5) Refining and using
a project-decision matrix; 6)
Revisiting Alaska Public Offices
Commission requirements on
financial disclosure for elections;
7) Revising appointment
procedures for vacancies; and, 8)
Investigating new approaches for
electing assembly members.
“It’s structured the way it is
because we don’t need a lot of
text telling us why we’re going
to do what we’re going to do,”
said mayor Stephanie Scott. “We
just need to roll up our sleeves
and do it.”
Members recently appropriated
$3,750 for strategic planning,
and consultant Lenise Henderson
Fontenot facilitated the first
strategic planning workshop in
February. “The goal is to be
proactive in leadership, so they
discuss important subjects and
decide on priorities, to-do lists
and action plans,” Henderson
Fontenot said.
She said the building meeting
has been scheduled for Tuesday,
April 17, and she expects to
facilitate at least one additional
meeting as part of the planning
process.
The borough’s comprehensive
plan was last updated in 2004.
“You usually update your
comprehensive plan every five
to eight years, but you’re looking
out 20 years into the future, so
we’re looking at logical, utility
extension areas and things like
that,” said Barbara Sheinberg, a
Juneau consultant coordinating
the project.
The borough website
summarizes the plan as a
“community blueprint” that will
“lay out Haines’ desired future,
goals to achieve this future,
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Annual Installation of
Emblem Club and Elks Officers
Saturday, March 31 2 p.m. at the Elks Lodge
Potluck dinner to follow
Support your Local Elks & Emblem Clubs
They support your community!
dave@hainesrealestate.com
jeanne@hainesrealestate.com
115 SECOND AVE. SOUTH
766-3510
jim@hainesrealestate.com
pam@hainesrealestate.com
WWW.HAINESREALESTATE.COM
e-
Eve
elcom
W
e
n
o
ry
Bring a dish!
and describe specific ways the
community can use and manage
resources, land and investments to
achieve this desired future.”
The yearlong process of
preparing a new plan was expected
to cost around $100,000.
Sheinberg said a draft plan
should be ready for public review
by early next month.
“In April, there’s going to be
one or two town meetings, which
will be additional opportunities
for people to come and hear about
the plan and look at chapters or
draft goals and actions or maps,
and comment on them,” she said.
Planning kicked off last
spring with a scientific survey
of about 200 randomly-selected
households, and Sheinberg
presented the results at a June
town hall meeting. She has since
attended several work sessions
with members of the Haines
Borough Planning Commission,
which will be tasked with adopting
the final version this spring.
The plan’s goals, objectives
and actions cover quality of life;
Haines Borough government;
economic development;
transportation; parks, recreation
and open space; land use and
future growth; utilities; public
safety; and public services.
“ We ’ v e d o n e a 2 0 - y e a r
population and housing projection,
and based on that, said, ‘What
will we need to accommodate
460 more people, 20 years from
now?’” Sheinberg said. “We
know that a number of them will
be older if trends continue, and if
we’re successful in our economic
development strategies, we’ll be
really working hard to attract and
retain young families.”
Kyle’s
Corner
UAA Seawolf
Kyle Fossman
UAA 2011/12 Season (23-7)
Kyle’s season stats
• Started 28/30 games
• Avg 28 minutes per game
• 46% 3 pt shots
• 87% free throws
• 2.7 rebounds per game
• 2.6 assists per game
• 10.5 points per game
• UAA’s 3rd leading scorer
• Academic All-Conference
Congratulations, Kyle,
on a season well done!
Page 4
Chilkat Valley News March 22, 2012
Area fertile in agricultural history, still holds promise
By Tom Morphet
Haines miner Fred Meyer grew
a field full of cabbages where
a gas station stands today on
Second Avenue. At the site of the
Department of Transportation
barn on Main Street, Henry
Vermiere drained five acres of
swampland to raise vegetables
he sold around town, including
celery.
During the Prohibition, drinkers
tapped cider from George De
Blondeau’s apple orchard at 2
Mile, and farmers bought hay
grown at Mud Bay, Glacier Point,
18 Mile and McClellan Flats to
feed their livestock.
With as many as two dozen
farms operating to supply soldiers
garrisoned at Fort Seward,
agriculture was a mainstay of the
local economy until 1940, citizen
historian Bob Henderson told a
crowd of about 50 at the opening
of last weekend’s gardening
conference.
But it was always a tenuous
proposition. The town lacks large
areas of good soil. Stetches of
hot, dry weather are necessary
for bringing hay to market. Of 25
hearty varieties of apples Anway
shipped here for an orchard, only
two varieties survive to this day.
Modern refrigeration and
closure of the fort ended most
commercial farming, but the
Chilkat Valley still produces
vegetables tastier than storebought, like crunchy, sweet
Roots of Anway strawberry may date to 1880s
Bob Henderson
carrots, and residents are
finding success by using new
technologies, Henderson said
Scott Hansen uses electricity
from a home hydro plant to grow
corn ready in July, he noted.
“This might be the kind of thing
we have in the future… We’re
not going to be an agricultural
community, but that doesn’t
mean we can’t grow things,” said
Henderson, 92, who has raised
vegetables including sweet corn
and livestock including goats,
chickens, horses, pigs, and poultry
at a farm he started in 1960.
“As things change, we have to
change our farming methods,”
Henderson said.
Veteran gardener Mardell
Gunn attended the conference for
The famous Anway strawberry apparently goes
back a little further than previously believed.
Farmer and researcher Bob Henderson, who
wrote a book about the fruit that is arguably the
town’s most famous agricultural product, offered
new information at his keynote speech during last
weekend’s garden conference.
Henderson previously described pioneer
horticulturist Charlie Anway as a geneticist who
kept beds of experimental berries he diligently
crossed until creating his prize creation: a
large, juicy berry with a flavor akin to the wild
strawberries that grow in the area.
One of the problems with that theory was that
there was no proof of experimental beds.
In 1993, demolition of an Anway packing shed
unearthed a trove of written materials, including
a letter mailed in 1946 that shed new light on the
fruit’s provenance.
The letter quotes an interview in which
Anway said he received the start for his stock
from legendary trail boss Jack Dalton. The letter
describes a 1903 conversation in which Dalton
told Anway the berry had come from a man named
information on one new method,
using “high tunnels,” a type
of rudimentary greenhouse for
extending the growing season and
raising warm-weather crops like
corn, basil and cucumbers.
“I have one already and I’m
thinking of setting up a big one,
so the pictures were very helpful
to me,” she said. She also learned
Dixon 20 years before. “I started my berries from
seed,” Dalton said.
Henderson said he now believes “Dixon” was
a mispronunciation of “Dickinson,” and refers
to George Dickinson, who started a Northwest
Company Trading Post in Portage Cove in 1878.
Henderson speculates that Dickinson’s wife
Sarah, a Tsimshian Indian from Metlakatla, may
have brought north the berry that provided the
main stock for Anway.
But it wasn’t the same berry because Anway
used the seed, and not Dickenson’s runners, he
said. “The seed has to be cross fertilized and who
knows from what other berry?” Henderson said.
Anway developed a large, juicy berry by
using an elaborate watering system and keeping
multiple beds, each assigned to a different year’s
growth, Henderson said. “The key was getting
water on the berries at the right time. Nobody ever
treated berries like (Anway) treated his.”
Anway’s berry won an agricultural award in
Seattle. The strawberry farm employed up to 20
pickers and packers and its strawberries were
shipped through the region. It operated until 1930.
about raising mushrooms and
why her harvested onions were
sprouting.
“There’s little tidbits you pick
up all the time when you talk to
other gardeners. There’s always
little things you can incorporate
into your garden,” Gunn said.
As a result of the conference,
a seed exchange was planned
Borough may drop disaster title for slump
The Haines Borough has been
asked to rescind a request for
a state emergency declaration
related to sloughing of the Mount
Ripinsky hillside at Lutak Road
in January.
Borough manager Mark Earnest
told the assembly last week that
damage so far hasn’t met the
threshold for a state disaster
declaration. A state declaration
would make the municipality
eligible to receive emergency
mitigation funding.
Disaster funding typically
includes “widespread catastrophic
damage” and an impact to the
community exceeding its ability
to deal with it, said Jeremy Zidek,
public information officer with
the state Division of Emergency
Management.
“There’s been a lot of sloughing
on that slope for a long time… It
appeared a lot of considerations
(for disaster funding) weren’t
being met,” Zidek said.
Earnest told the assembly that
rescinding the request wouldn’t
mean the borough couldn’t
potentially receive disaster
funding, if further damage is
assessed. He characterized the
rescission as a suspension of the
request.
“Suspending stops the clock.
If more damage occurred there, it
can be reactivated,” Earnest said.
The assembly chose to delay
a decision on the matter to its
March 27 meeting. Zidek said the
deadline for borough action on the
matter was in early April.
The borough has spent roughly
$75,000 on the slippage, not
including the cost of fixing
damaged sewer lines.
A geotechnical report on the
issue by PND Engineers of Juneau
was expected late this week. A
report by state engineers also is
pending.
Residents Josh and Victoria
Moore this week remain out of
their home following separation
of the garage from their house
structure as a result of the slough.
They moved out of their Lutak
Road home Jan. 19. The detached
shop owned by the Moores also is
still pivoting, said Victoria Moore.
“They’re both still moving. We
have to wait until spring to assess
damages. Once they fix the road
and the issue we can assess the
damage to our house.”
A borough command center
tracking the slough was shut down
several weeks ago.
Len Feldman, M.D.
Family Doctor
Office Closed
April 11th - 16th
1.5 Mi. Mud Bay Rd. 766-3009
for 7 p.m. Thursday at the public
library. She said she’s hoping
future conferences can address
issues like saving local seeds.
Gunn said she’s encouraged
by the resurgent popularity of
gardening. “Down south, the big
thing now is to grow a garden. It’s
great,” Gunn said.
John’s
Tires
I’m
Back...
Tires
Oil Changes
Aluminum Welding
OPEN
Wednesday
314-0203
We accept VISA and Mastercard
Delivery of Alcohol to Minors
is a Class A Crime
Spring
RE- opening
Expect To Be Arrested.
Get 10% OFF!
Tuesday, April 3
- Free Estimates -
Large Assortment of
bike models in stock at
competitive prices!
Bring your bike in for a
spring tune up with Ryan.
Bikes are our business!
766-2869
SPRING HOURS 10 - 5 TUES - Sat
24 portage st
Closed Sun & MON
Samurai Window Cleaning
314-0904
Saturdays 10 - 2
Sponsored, Haines
766-2595
in part by
Day
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Mon
Date High Low Rain
Snow
March 13 35
20
0
1.4
March 14 34
21
0
Tr
March 15 38
22
0
1.0
March 16 38
26
.01
Tr
March 17 41
26
0
1.5
March 18 40
26
0
Tr
March 19 40
26
0
Tr
Seasonal Snowfall Total 358.4”
Day Date High
Tue March 13 31
Wed March 14 31
Thu March 15 35
Fri March 16 37
Sat March 17 33
Sun March 18 40
Mon March 19 38
Home Center
Low
17
16
16
16
23
21
21
Rain
0
Tr
0
Tr
Tr
0
Tr
Snow
0
Tr
0
2.0
Tr
0
Tr
Delivery of Alcohol To Minors – AS 04.16.051
- Class A misdemeanor up to 364 days
imprisonment and fine up to $10,000
- If it involves a death or serious injury
the charge becomes a Class C felony
with imprisonment up to two years
and a fine up to $50,000
LETTERS DEADLINE: 5 pm Mondays
March 22, 2012
Chilkat Valley News
Local videos will show
on public TV across state
The Chilkat Valley is featured in four short public service
announcements that will appear on public television in Alaska.
“Non-Point Pollution,” “Just Think,” “Marine Debris” and
“The Watershed” are the work of the Takshanuk Watershed
Council, videographers Mario Benassi and Mark McNamara
and several Haines School students, who served as actors and
producers.
Several minutes long, the films will air as “fillers” on
AlaskaOne and UATV. Besides helping promote the council
and providing students with filming experience, the shorts will
help boost the council’s resume.
Council education coordinator Pam Randles said the group
recently was turned down for an EPA videography grant.
“We want to do larger videos but we have to establish a track
record that we know what we’re doing. We have to establish
our credibility as movie producers to get bigger money and get
bigger jobs. So it’s a win-win.”
“Non-point” pollution refers to roadway oils and other toxins
that drift into ditches and drains and ultimately into local streams
and inlets.
“Just Think” is a message about leaving trash on public lands
featuring junior high school students enrolled in the council’s
Chilkat Forest Investigators program and produced by student
director Eli White. It premiered at a recent fund-raiser for the
council’s bird observatory program.
Benassi said there’s no limit on how many times the messages
may air.
He said the council hopes to create a full-length documentary
of the Chilkat Valley in the future.
Mario Benassi Jr. composed music used in the videos.
CIA settles with Carnahan
Former Chilkoot Indian
Association administrator Jim
Carnahan said that he has settled
his lawsuit against the Hainesbased tribe.
Carnahan said his termination
in October 2010 violated his
employment contract, according
to documents filed in December
2010.
The tribe suspended Carnahan
in July 2010. Carnahan alleged
that he received no explanation
for his suspension and that he was
the subject of “an almost continual
campaign of harassment.”
A settlement offer by Carnahan
at the time would pay him
$100,000 in severance, moving
expenses and attorney’s fees.
Carnahan said he is pleased this
has finally come to an end and
said he “had been absolved of all
wrongdoing.”
Tr i b a l p r e s i d e n t H a r r i e t
Brouillette disagreed with that
characterization. She said the
tribe did not absolve him of any
wrongdoing but decided to settle
the case when its attorney’s fees
were on the verge of exceeding
Carnahan’s settlement offer.
“Paying him off was an easier
and less expensive option for us,”
Brouillette said. The amount of
the final settlement is confidential,
Brouillette said.
Does harbormaster need more power?
By Krista Kielsmeier
After considerable discussion,
the Haines Borough Assembly
has dropped the idea of making
its harbormaster a “peace officer.”
That puts the local job on
similar footing with the harbor
chief in Skagway, but with less
authority than the same job in
Juneau.
Skagway harbormaster Matt
O’Boyle said municipal code
does not designate him as a peace
officer, and he does not issue
citations.
“The biggest thing that we’ve
talked about with the ability to
do citations is for parking, and
since we have (police) officers
who are here to do that, we can
just contact them and have them
come down and issue citations
for that,” O’Boyle said. “It’s the
same thing for disturbances and
that kind of thing.”
But O’Boyle said public
officials who lack the peace officer
title still might issue citations. “A
peace officer is just somebody
who has gone through the police
academy and has been sworn in.”
Juneau harbormaster Dwight
Tajon in code has “all of the
powers of a police officer of the
City and Borough,” and said he
can issue citations up to $300.
“As it’s been explained to me
before, we have all the powers
and authority, in our area, as a
police officer, short of arresting
an individual,” Tajon said.
He said examples of violations
are parking in a spot too long,
not paying parking fees, and
allowing dogs to run loose on
floats. Tajon said police often are
involved with enforcement, and
strength in numbers helps limit
DEPARTURES
8:30 am
11:30 am via Skagway
2:30 pm
4:30 pm
Juneau
to Haines
7:30 am
10:30 am
1:30 pm
3:30 pm
402 Main Street in Haines
Gold Medal Basketball
Tournament Special
March 16th - 26th
Call for details
800-354-2479 · 766-3800
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Haines Office at Airport Terminal
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www.IChooseWings.com
confrontations.
“If we have to do a response to
something, we usually go down
in multiples and send as many
of our guys down as we can,”
he said. “When it comes down
to something like that, we’re
mostly just calling the police
department to go down, and we
do the assistance with the police
department.”
Haines police chief Gary Lowe
effectively blocked a request by
local harbormaster Ed Barrett to be
made a “peace officer.” According
to Lowe, a peace officer “is
synonymous with police officer,”
including certification with the
Alaska Police Standards Council.
Harbormaster Barrett, who has
resigned effective April 1, said
borough code empowers him to
write citations, but he has not
issued any here.
Barrett said parking is the
“poster child issue” at the
harbor and that, like O’Boyle
in Skagway, he would turn to
law enforcement for excessive
violations. “We don’t have a
parking problem, but by the same
token, we really should have a
policy and procedure concerning
parking.”
Barrett said the recent peace
officer discussion focused on
protecting public employees,
because there would be harsher
penalties for assault, and “the
parking issue and the peace officer
issue are basically unrelated.”
“One problem that I’ve had
here in this community - and I’m
not sure it’s really a problem - is
that everyone wants the code to
cover every possibility, and that’s
not what codes are supposed to
do,” Barrett said. “What we need
to do is establish policies and
procedures under the code, which
is a living document.”
Borough manager Mark
Earnest last week said he’s had
“preliminary discussion” with
Barrett and chief Lowe about how
to provide more protection for the
harbormaster in an ordinance,
“but we’ve got to get the three
of us together at the same time.”
Norman Hughes, chair of the
boat harbor advisory committee,
said some harbor users have
“blown off” staff when violations
occur.
“The police have been called to
the harbor to assist the harbor staff
in having issues resolved at the
harbor, as in having boats moved
and things like that,” Hughes said.
Barrett said last summer in
Haines, he made no requests of
police to issue parking tickets,
and more consistent parking
enforcement would depend on
better signage.
“You have to have the proper
signage to let the public know
what they can and cannot do,”
he said. “Certainly, the parking
program needs to be improved
here, and if I were remaining here,
that’s something I would choose
to continue with.”
Barrett said most of the
problems are at Letnikof Dock,
with violations in long-term
parking.
“People will go beyond what’s
considered long-term, which is
72 hours,” he said. “They’ll leave
trailers and vehicles and vehicles
connected to trailers, and local
people who use Letnikof Cove
are very sensitive to people who
leave vehicles out there for long
periods of time.”
Borough taking executive assistant applications
Applications for the Haines
Borough’s new permanent, fulltime executive assistant to the
borough manager are due 5 p.m.
Monday, April 9.
The Haines Borough Assembly
last week approved going forward
with the hire, expected to cost an
Top Hat Logging
Haines
to Juneau
Page 5
Log Home Packages
Logging / Land Clearing
Problem Tree Removal
Equipment Hire Loader, Excavator and
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Saw Milling
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Beams and Planed Timbers
314-0049
estimated $81,000 annually as a
permanent position with benefits.
The job, vacant since July,
previously was a non-benefited,
temporary position.
The job description posted this
week at www.hainesborough.
us sets a wage of $25 an hour
and states the selected candidate
will handle grant writing and
administration, project planning
and coordination.
Applicants must have four
years of college-level course work
in business, public administration
or office management-related
studies; or five years of
professional experience in public
or business administration. The
borough also seeks documented
experience with responding
to difficult customer service
interactions and sensitive or
controversial issues.
ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS
BUSHMASTER
Automotive Inc.
Public Health Conference Room
Main Street, Upstairs Gateway Bldg
Phone Mike: 314-0165
766-3217
MON, WED , FRI and SAT
6 - 7 PM
OPEN
Orion Falvey, Jesse McGraw,
Tyler Healy, Tyler Swinton, Ben
Egolf, Michael Ganey, Norman
Zura, James Hart, Harry Rietze,
Easton Hagwood, Ryan Olson,
and Chris Dixon.
Page 6
Chilkat Valley News March 22, 2012
‘We the People’ works to promote ‘bottom-up’ democracy
By Tom Morphet
“We the People,” a local group that
grew out of last fall’s Occupy Wall Street
protests, may soon be advocating for
increased polling by the Haines Borough
and promoting the idea of discounts at local
stores for use of cash instead of credit cards.
The group also will sponsor a student
debate 7 p.m. Monday in the high school
open area on the theme: “Current income
disparities in the United States threaten the
American dream.”
With a stated goal of giving voice to
all citizens and promoting a model of
democracy that’s “bottom-up” instead of
“top-down,” members of the new group
freely admit they’ve bit off a big chunk
of work.
They also acknowledge they’re taking an
unorthodox approach to it. The group has
no elected officers and a different member
chairs each meeting. About half of a recent,
hour-long meeting was spent setting the
agenda and discussing meeting formats.
Longtime resident and activist George
Figdor, who attended Occupy Wall Street
protests last fall, said the group’s focus on
procedure is deliberate.
“Process, in a lot of ways, comes first.
You have to be as democratic as you want
the country to be, and that can be difficult,
because democracy takes time,” Figdor
said. “Our meetings reflect the kind of
democracy we’d like to see. But that’s a
rigorous exercise because we all want to
take charge and we all think we have the
answer.”
The group’s mission statement is: “To
re-establish that a person is a human and
to re-assert the people’s authority over
our community, state, nation and world
by ensuring the voices of all persons are
heard.”
Sixteen residents attended a recent
Saturday meeting, about half of them
veteran activists. Discussion included
outreach, such as inviting members of the
Chamber of Commerce to meetings or
moving presentations around town.
A recent showing of “Inside Job,” a video
documentary on corruption in the finance
industry and the 2008 bank collapse, drew
about 50 residents, but group members
thought they could do better. “It didn’t turn
out a wide segment of the community, and
we need to keep working on that,” said
Figdor.
Nancy Berland, a longtime spokesman
for Lynn Canal Conservation, said at the
recent meeting that transactions in town
paid by credit card often benefit Bank of
America. “Bank of America is one of the
bad guys,” Berland said. “With cash, our
money doesn’t go to Bank of America, but
stays in the community. It would benefit
everyone.”
Members also discussed an Internet
polling system the borough could employ
to gauge public opinion inexpensively.
Such a poll may have been helpful when
the assembly was debating on whether to
demolish the old elementary school, said
Deborah Vogt, a former assembly member.
Dana Hallett, a retired schoolteacher who
moved here in 2009, has been involved with
the group since its inception last fall.
With its concern about the influence of the
wealthy on government decision-making,
We the People has some commonality with
the Tea Party movement, Hallett said in a
recent interview. Hallett said he talks with
conservatives in town about issues, but
has been unsuccessful in recruiting them
to the group.
Next week’s debate is part of the effort
to get a broader segment of the community
involved in a discussion of the group’s
issues. The high school debate team
argued the same proposition about income
disparity during its regular season.
Nineteen-year resident and school board
member Nelle Jurgeleit-Greene said she
was motivated to become involved with the
group by the Wall Street and auto industry
bailouts. “Those entities were at fault, but
no one was held responsible. I think it’s
time for people of this country to know
we’re not happy about that.”
Jurgeleit-Greene sees the group’s message
as not drawn on liberal-conservative lines.
“It’s not right wing or left wing. Everyone’s
affected except for the top 1 percent (of
income earners).”
She said she doesn’t have illusions, but
said she believes small efforts like the
group’s will work their way up to national
level. “It’s a long way coming, it will be
hard and it may never happen.”
Will the new group have staying power?
“We’ll see,” said veteran activist Figdor.
“There’s a lot of people involved and a lot
of places that are hurting economically.
People are losing their jobs and homes
and dropping out of school. Alaska is
doing a little better than those places, but
we still have some of the same issues…
Corporate personhood is in state statute and
in borough code, as well. We have to raise
questions about the difference between
people and corporations.”
AVALANCHE from page 1
caught in the avalanche, identified
the peak to trooper Bentz as
“Swany’s,” an apparent reference
to Dave Swanwick, a former
World Freeskiing Champion
who organized the filming of
“Snowthrill of Alaska” here in
2002.
Mayor Stephanie Scott said
she’d heard rumors immediately
after the accident that the skiers
were outside the borough’s
prescribed boundaries for
commercial heli-skiing. “I thought
it would behoove the borough to
get out in front of that rumor,”
she said.
Scott said she asked borough
manager Mark Earnest to request
the coordinates of the company
on March 14. As of Wednesday
morning, Earnest said he hadn’t
requested the information, as he’d
been out of town since late last
week. “We’re working on that,”
Earnest said.
Erik Stevens, Haines avalanche
forecaster for the Alaska
Avalanche Information Center,
this week said he was awaiting
a report on the accident for
information he’d include in his
forecasts of avalanche danger in
the area.
Reports of fatal avalanches
are posted on the website of the
Colorado Avalanche Information
C e n t e r, a c l e a r i n g h o u s e
for information on accidents
nationwide. But this week, the site
only offered an initial report that
two heli-skiers were buried and
killed on Takhin Ridge.
Blanks in an information form
posted on the site this week
included the type of avalanche,
its trigger, size, sliding surface,
and the aspect, elevation, angle
and characteristics of the slope.
Stevens said information in
the avalanche report – that he
understood was pending – is
important for ensuring the safety
of others in the backcountry. “It’s
not about casting blame. It’s about
finding out what layers failed and
how it was triggered and what
kind of terrain they were on. The
public needs to know what to look
out for.”
Avalanche fatalities involving
commercial tours are rare, Stevens
said. “It’s almost always a private
individual or a group, not a guided
operation.”
K e n t S c h e l e r, w h o h a s
previously guided for Alaska
Heliskiing, has been brought
in to write the detailed report,
Stevens said. That has stirred a
conversation among avalanche
monitors.
“We’re concerned that all the
details won’t make it through
Alaska Heliskiing’s attorneys...
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• Headaches, and more
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In Haines: Call Glenda Gilbert
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Fax (907)789-8460
2103 N. Jordan Ave
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Kent’s as professional as they
come but there are many in
the avalanche community who
think there would be value in an
independent review of events,”
Stevens said.
It was unclear this week what,
if any, safety assessments Alaska
Heliskiing had done on “Swany’s”
before guide Robert Liberman
led five clients to the peak on
the morning of March 13. Client
Bailey said last week he and the
four other clients hadn’t done
any tests and he didn’t remember
Liberman doing any.
Stevens said detailed reports
typically involve interviewing
members of the group caught in
the avalanche, including whether
there were concerns expressed
about slope stability and what
slope assessments were done.
Such a report would include afterthe-fact stability tests to see how
weak were the snow’s weak layers
there and what layers failed.
Stevens said heli-skiers,
including clients, can make
different kinds of tests of snow
stability, including digging snow
pits, using ski poles to probe the
firmness of snow layers below
the surface, and even digging
shallower pits by hand while
resting on peaks.
“No guide will tell you you
can’t dig a snow pit, if a client
is concerned. They just have to
speak up. That can change the
whole dynamic,” Stevens said,
though he added that it may be
intimidating for novice heli-skiers
to raise the questions to a veteran
guide.
“It’s part of a group, decisionmaking process. It’s not just about
following the guide. (That kind
of decision-making) is probably
what the guides are encouraging
anyway,” Stevens said.
Stevens said he would likely
include information from the
detailed report in his own,
supplementary report to emphasize
how local backcountry users can
learn from the accident and how
to modify their backcountry
practices accordingly.
Stevens is a backcountry skier
who holds a Level II certification
from the American Institute
for Avalanche Research and
Education. He has a master’s
degree in Remote Sensing, Earth
and Space Sciences and served
four years as president of the
Backcountry Club at University
of Colorado-Boulder.
He founded the Haines
Avalanche Information Center in
2010 and was made a forecaster by
the Alaska Avalanche Information
Center.
There’s no standard set of
qualifications to be considered an
“avalanche forecaster,” Stevens
said. “I like to think that all guides
are forecasters. You can’t be
taking people into the backcountry
without forecasting skills.”
TA 23-516
Attachment B
NOTICE OF UTILITY TARIFF FILING
AP&T Long Distance, Inc. (APTLD) hereby gives notice that on March 13, 2012 it filed
TA 23-516 with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (the Commission).
In TA 23-516, APTLD reduces intrastate per minute usage charges, removes certain
calling plans and removes prepaid calling card service.
Below is a summary of the proposed changes:
Plan or Service Name
Calling Card Service
Basic Discount Plan
After 5 Plan
Small Business Saving Plan
Internet Bonus Plan
Flat Rate Plan
Small Business Advantage Plan
Old Per Minute Rate
Proposed per
Minute Rate
Other Action
Cancel Service
Cancel Plan
Cancel Plan
Cancel Plan
$ 0.10 $ 0.07
$ 0.15 $ 0.10
$ 0.20 $ 0.12
APTLD submits this tariff filing wh ich will go into effect after a thirty (30) day review
period, or April 12, 2012.
A copy of t his inform ational tariff revisi on can be reviewed at the of fices of APTLD
at 4033 Tongass Ave, Suite 100, Ketchikan Alaska 99901. This filing may also be
inspected at the offices of the Commission at 701 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300,
Anchorage, AK 99501, or online at the Commissions website, www.state.ak.us/rca/ .
The Commission can be reached by telephone at (907) 276-6222.
Any person may file written comments on the tariff revision with the Commission at the
address above or via email to rca_mail@rca.state.ak.us. To assure that the
Commission has sufficient time to consider the comments prior to the revisions taking
effect, it is suggested that your comments be filed no later than March 31, 2012, and
include a statement that you have filed a copy of the comments with APTLD.
Dated this 21st day of March 2012.
March 22, 2012
Chilkat Valley News
Page 7
Digging Out
From Winter
Above, Sabine Olsson, in snowshoes, shovels snow from in front of the kitchen window of her Mud
Bay Road home recently. Left, a sign is bent and partially buried by a high snowbank near Third
Avenue and Main Street. Top left, snow from the roof and the ground meet to nearly block a window
on a Tower Road home. Top right, Joe Parnell shovels snow from the roof of his house near 26 Mile
Haines Highway. Total season snowfall in the townsite through Monday was 358.4 inches. The previous
season record was 309 inches in 2006-7. John S. Hagen, Tom Morphet and Holly Jo Parnell photos.
Voc ed building to get improvements
OPEN
11:30 am- 8 pm Monday - Saturday
closed Sunday
766-2442
Harbor
Bar 766-2444
Open at 2 pm Monday - Saturday
World Tavern Poker - Fri. & Sat. 7 pm
Poker - Mon. & Wed. 7 pm
Karaoke - Thursday 9 pm
FIREWEED RESTAURANT
OPENING for DINNER
Friday, March 30th
April Dinner Hours: 4:30 Ð 9:00 PM Tues. Ð Sat.
766-3838
Alaskan Liquor Store
Check out our In-Store Specials
Chilkat Restaurant
& Bakery
208 Main Street
Open Tuesday
- Saturday
HOURS: 7 - 2
PM
August. The borough received
four bids, with the apparent low
of $77,975 from North Pacific
Erectors of Juneau. The Haines
Borough Assembly has not yet
approved a contract.
Funding is from surplus
Department of Education capital
improvement money that became
available when school projects in
other communities fell through.
Wo o d w o r k i n g , w e l d i n g ,
boat building, auto mechanics,
construction, community
education and other classes are
taught in the building.
Monday - Saturday 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday Noon - 7 pm
Dine In or Take Out
AM
The Haines Borough is planning
improvements to the Haines
School vocational education
building, located at the corner of
Old Haines Highway and Allen
Road.
According to the project
manual, work will include interior
finish, window and Americans
with Disabilities Act upgrades and
installation of some new siding
on the approximately 900-squarefoot structure.
Bids were due Monday, March
12, and the project is scheduled
for completion by the end of
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Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights 4:30 - 8
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766-2320
The project description states
the improvements will address the
facility’s “current inadequacies
of accessibility and thermal
performance.” Twelve windows
and one overhead sectional door
will be replaced to meet federal
Energy Star requirements.
One restroom will be converted
into an accessible, unisex
restroom, and new flooring and
base will be added to the other
restroom.
The selected bidder also will
install a barrier-free drinking
fountain, properly-sized doors and
wall protection in the adjoining
vestibule, a hand-wash sink in the
auto shop, and new commercial
gutters and downspouts.
Pioneer Bar
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Chilkat Valley
News
Page 8
Chilkat Valley News March 22, 2012
Borough facilities chief
Former pastor a ‘kind and gentle’ man
resigns after 8 months
Haines Borough Public
Facilities Director Brian Lemcke
will be leaving the position
effective May 1.
A local bar owner and former
construction contractor, Lemcke,
61, was hired eight months ago
to oversee the municipality’s
physical plant, a job that put him
between the borough manager
and department heads including
the public works director and the
water and sewer manager.
“It’s a good job but it’s not my
life’s work. What I’ve worked at
30 years is running the Fogcutter
Bar. It’s not doing as well as it
should be and I need to give time
to that,” he said.
He was asked whether borough
management factored into his
decision.
“I don’t want to go down
that road. It’s not really that,
and getting into that discussion
wouldn’t be fruitful for anybody.
I’m leaving to take care of my
own business. That’s my story and
I’m sticking to it,” Lemcke said.
Lemcke said pay was not an
issue in his decision. “I’m walking
away from eighty-thousand bucks
and you can take that however you
want to. But it was a good job in
that respect.”
Lemcke served two years as
project manager on the Haines
School reconstruction project,
during which he also troubleshot
facilities issues for the borough.
He also served as interim public
facilities director for two months
before his permanent hire in
September.
Dance troupe to perform
Contemporary dance troupe
Thodos Dance Chicago will
perform 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 3
at the Chilkat Center.
Haines Arts Council President
Tom Heywood said the show is
the first by a dance group here
in about a decade. “They’re one
of the most well-known Chicago
dance groups,” Heywood said.
“It’s contemporary dance. They’re
innovative and very athletic.”
The group’s achievements
include a dance piece entitled,
“The White City: Chicago’s
Columbian Exposition in 1893,”
a choreographed narrative that
parallels Erik Larsen’s bestselling novel, “The Devil in the
White City: Murder, Magic and
Madness at the Fair That Changes
America.”
The group also has performed
“Fosse Trilogy,” a suite of dances
that is a salute to legendary
Chicago choreographer Bob
Fosse’s early work for television
variety shows, including “Cool
Hand Luke,” “Tijuana Shuffle”
and “Mexican Breakfast.”
The company’s artistic director
Melissa Thodos has been described
HFR offers
containers for
event collection
Haines Friends of Recycling
will loan collection containers
for aluminum and plastic bottles
(No. 1 plastic) to organizations
and groups hosting large events.
An organization, individual or
family borrowing the containers
must arrange for pick-up and
return. If a container is damaged
or lost, the borrower is responsible
for replacement.
“There isn’t a charge for use
of the containers; however, we
always appreciate donations
and memberships,” said Melissa
Aronson, Haines Friends of
Recycling chair. “We do require
that you take the aluminum or
plastic No. 1 to the recycling
center at 2.5 Mile Small Tracts
Road.”
Haines Friends of Recycling
also offers compostable flatware,
including forks and spoons, for
re-sale at cost.
“We have plates, napkins, cups
and ‘silverware,’” Aronson said.
“If you purchase compostable
materials from us and/or use all
compostable materials for your
event, we also have available
compost collection centers.”
For more information, contact
Aronson at 766-2185 or call the
recycling center, 766-3000.
by critics as “a choreographer with
a bright and lively imagination.”
Tony-award winning legend Ann
Reinking described Thodos’ work
as “informed by history, based on
personal experience and totally
unique.”
The company has performed in
50 dance venues in 15 states, as
well as in Europe and Asia. Their
works have been performed by the
Joffrey Ballet and Hubbard Street
Dance Chicago.
According to promotional
information, the group’s members
hold bachelors’ and masters’
degrees in dance and teach at
the elementary, high school and
university levels.
The group will perform on a
Chilkat Center stage that was
recently refinished. Heywood said
he was hoping to arrange for a
dance demonstration at the Haines
School as well.
The Haines dance performance
is presented by the local arts
council and sponsored by The
Rasmuson Foundation. For more
information on the group, go to
www.thodosdancechicago.org.
By Tom Morphet
Donald Eldridge Peterson,
former pastor of Port Chilkoot
Bible Church, died March 18 in
Dixon, Ill. He was 95.
Peterson was born September
10, 1916, in Bayfield, Wis.
to the late Frank and Hilma
Peterson. He married Irma
Maxine Graves in 1948.
Peterson served in the U.S.
Army during World War II
as an airplane mechanic in
Morocco, North Africa. After
his return and upon graduation
from Columbia Bible College,
he returned to Morocco as a
missionary to serve with his
wife for 18 years with Gospel
Missionary Union.
When the government ended
missionary work in Morocco in
1969, he was a pastor in Haines
until his retirement in 1981.
During his tenure in Haines,
the church here made the
transition from a mission to a
chartered church, with a formal
membership and authority to
conduct business, said resident
Frankie Perry, a charter member.
“Instead of people from
outside being in control, we
Donald Peterson
had local authority,” Perry said.
Perry said Peterson presided
over an active youth program,
including a vacation Bible school.
“He was a kind and gentle
person. He listened really well.
He really worked hard within the
church family, which caused it to
grow,” she said.
Pauline Helms, whose family’s
name became Helms Loop Road,
sent an e-mail from Texas that not
many days pass when she doesn’t
think of something Peterson
said.
After Haines, Peterson began
a nursing home visitation
ministry in Newark, Ohio and
Bradenton, Fla. He and Irma
stayed in touch with Haines
friends for years.
Peterson is survived by his
wife Irma of 63 years; daughters,
Mary Hilty of Dixon, Martha
Riggs of Zanesville, Ohio, and
Rebecca Perkins of Aledo, Ill.;
and by 11 grandchildren.
In addition to his parents,
he was preceded in death by
his three brothers, Raymond,
Harry, and Alfred Peterson; and
four sisters, Ethel Abel, Elvera
Johnson, Margaret Snyder, and
Dorothy Brewster.
Following a private burial at
Oakwood Cemetery in Dixon, a
memorial service was to be held
March 22 at the Evangelical
Free Church of Mt. Morris, Ill.
In lieu of flowers, donations
may go to Avant Ministries,
10000 N. Oak Trafficway,
Kansas City, Mo. 64155.
Condolences may be sent to
prestonschillingfuneralhome.
com.
Timber sale comments due next week
Comments on a planned timber
sale above 13 Mile Haines
Highway are due March 31.
Approximately 800,000 board
feet will be cut on 40 acres on
a bench at about the 500-foot
elevation, said Haines area
forester Roy Josephson.
The cut, which will be offered
as a series of small sales to
independent operators, won’t be
visible from the highway, he said.
That area of the forest is not
used by goats, which use areas
higher in elevation. A recent study
found only one goat in the area in
the course of a year.
“Goats may cross the unit but
they don’t really hang out there,”
Josephson said.
Construction of a half-mile,
switchback road will be necessary
to reach the timber and a log
landing will be situated between
the road and the mountainside
there.
“(Buyers of small timber sales)
don’t have the ability to build a
lot of road. They can build a little
road so we’ve been logging these
patches of spruce near the road,”
Josephson said. “At some point
our operator is going to have to
build more roads.”
The work won’t infringe on the
site of the historic Gus Klaney
cabin, which is nearby. The new
section of road will intersect a
hiking trail there at two spots, but
foresters will make sure people
can still access the trail, he said.
The road will be put to bed after
logging.
A trespass cabin at 1,500-foot
elevation above the area of the
sale also won’t be affected, he
said.
Timber sales from the site
would likely continue for four
years, and most of the logs will
likely be used as house logs
and sawlogs for local operators,
Josephson said.
Comments may be sent to the
Division of Forestry, P.O. Box
263, Haines, AK 99827.
It’s time to think visitors!
RESERVE YOUR
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in the 39th edition of the
HAINES
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or stop by our office on Main Street
Circulation 35,000
March 22, 2012
Chilkat Valley News
Page 9
Dolphins ready to make
splash in fundraiser
BOOK CRAZE -- Haines School librarian Leigh Horner holds the book “How to Speak Zombie”
at the school library recently. The library was holding a Scholastic Library Book sale as a spring
fundraiser. The books were provided by the book seller, Scholastic Publishing Co. Horner described
the humorous book as one of her favorites at the sale. John S. Hagen photo.
Two local teams in Gold Medal semis
The Haines Merchants and
Klukwan Masters combined for
a 4-0 record at the Gold Medal
Basketball Tournament in Juneau
this week and have advanced to
tonight’s semifinal round.
The Merchants in the “B”
bracket defeated Kake, 74-59,
and Angoon, 83-58. Haines High
School senior Tyler Swinton made
his Gold Medal debut by scoring
21 points in each game. Swinton
recently was named second-team
All-State at the high school level.
Ben Egolf added 18 points
against Kake, and Tyler Healy had
a dozen. Double-figure scorers
in the Angoon contest included
Healy, 19; and Harry Rietze, 10.
The team will face Hydaburg in
the semifinals 7:30 p.m. tonight
(Thursday, March 22) in a game
broadcast live on KHNS.
The Klukwan Masters will
follow with a 9 p.m. semifinal
against Yakutat, also on KHNS.
Klukwan bested Kake, 63-55, on
Monday, sparked by 23 points
from Joe Parnell and 17 from
Rob Larose.
Larose’s 21 points were the
margin in Klukwan’s second
game, as the Masters pounded
defending champion Hoonah, 9473. Jeff Sharnbroich contributed
18 points.
The tournament’s two other
Chilkat Valley teams were
Klukwan ANS in “B” and the
Klukwan Chilkats in “C.”
Both squads played elimination
games Wednesday. Klukwan ANS
lost in overtime to Metlakatla,
73-68. The Klukwan Chilkats
squeaked by Juneau Filcom, 7372. The Chilkats were scheduled
to play another game 2 p.m.
Thursday against Yakutat.
In earlier action, Angoon edged
Klukwan ANS, 69-67, on a lastsecond shot Sunday, despite Jacob
Hotch’s 19 points. Klukwan
rebounded for a 74-68 win over
Kake. Hotch tallied 20 points and
Brett Garvey scored 16.
Andrew Friske’s 35 points
led the Klukwan Chilkats to an
89-80 victory against Hoonah on
Sunday. The Chilkats then fell to
Kake, 74-65, when Friske had 21
points and Jason Shull added 19.
Championship games are set
for Saturday at Juneau-Douglas
High School.
Third Quarter 2011 / 2012
9th Grade
Jennie Humphrey
Lindsey Jobbins
Paige Winge
10th Grade
Serena Badgley
Coral Bauer
Chevy Fowler
John Gross
Libby Jacobson
Justice Jensen
Grace Jones
Jamie Messerschmidt
James Morgan
Isobel Smith
Justin Swinton
Chris Turner
Isaac Wing
11th Grade
Brandon Bachman
Russell Clark
Riley Erekson
Jessica Giddings
Patrick Henderson
Royal Henderson
Tia Heywood
Margarette Jones
Karissa Land
Corey Piper
Josh Thomas
Jimmy Thomsen
Alisha Young
12th Grade
Austin Badger
Emily Bowman
Devin Braaten
Elizabeth Busk-Stevens
Brook Cinocco
Cascade Galasso
Brandon Haxton
Elena Horner
Anna Jacobson
Amey Messerschmidt
Ashley Messerschmidt
Marnie Rasmussen
Parker Schnabel
Jackie St. Clair
Jerry Strong
Tyler Swinton
Hannah Wing
8th Grade
Casey Bradford
Alexandria Chapin
Destinee Cowart
Autumn Gross
Corinna Hill
Jenae Larson
Neil Little
Bailey Stuart
Kayley Swinton
Hannah Thomas
6th Grade
Brittney Bradford
Madison Chapin
Makayla Crager
Marty Fowler
Lydia Haxton
Dalton Klinger
Sarah Long
Cameron Merklin-Bauer
Keegan Palmieri
Will Ripley
Hudson Sage
Dylan Swinton
7th Grade
Madeline Andriesen Seth Waldo
Nicholos Wilde
Gabrielle Galinski
Tulsi Zahnow
Mori Hays
Ketch Jacobson
Mikayla Kauffman
Shaye Otton
Klukwan School
Dylan Palmieri
Danielle Dallmann
Jordan Stigen
Kristopher Hotch
Lyric Wiggins
Kaitlyn Stevens
Olivia Wing
Rodney Williamson
Home School
Jasper Posey
Eli White
Alaska Power & Telephone
Inviting Haines residents to
experience DSL at a whole new level.
4Mb! Call 766-6500.
By Krista Kielsmeier
The Haines Dolphins swim
team’s Swim-a-Thon, the largest
fundraiser of the year, is Saturday,
March 31.
Swimmers collect pledges for
each length of the pool they swim
during a two-hour period. Donors
also can make a flat donation. Last
year, the Dolphins raised about
$20,000, a record-setting haul,
for an average of $462 per child.
The team had a 100 percent
partici pation rate. The 43
swimmers combined to swim
nearly 90 miles, and 13 athletes
completed the full 200 lengths.
About 25 Dolphins are expected
at the Swim-a-Thon this month.
Haines has consistently ranked
among the top 10 USA Swimming
teams in money raised per capita
at the Swim-a-Thon. The money
helps cover equipment, rent,
travel and other expenses and
previously has accounted for a
third of the program’s annual
budget.
Four swimmers topped a $1,000
fundraising total in 2011: Jasper
Posey, $1,682; Skye Posey,
$1,648; Kamakana Kanahele,
$1,400; and Dylan Chapell,
$1,093.
Much of the fundraising goes
through the website www.swima-thon.com, set up by resident
James Alborough.
“Each swimmer has their own
page, and they can go in there and
see who’s donated, and it totals
it up for them and makes it real
easy,” Alborough said. “It even
gives them tips on how to post
their link to Facebook. We’ve
found Facebook is very useful in
getting donations from folks you
may not have thought of, but who
are friends.”
The website includes a listing
of swimmers and their fundraising
goals, along with pictures and
video.
Alborough’s 10-year-old
daughter, Skye Posey, aims to
raise $2,000, which would top
the all-time local mark of $1,765
set by Keegan Sundberg in 2008.
“ I t ’s a r e a l f u n e v e n t , ”
Alborough said. “On the actual
day, you get to swim with all
your team members, and it’s
a challenge and kind of a fun
atmosphere.”
Swimmers also earn prizes
based on their fundraising success.
“There are lots of prizes; I
couldn’t even begin to list them
all,” said coach Tyler Wyatt.
“There are awesome prizes, let’s
put it that way. I wish I was the
one who was swimming.”
The Dolphins plan to wrap up
their season in April, at meets in
Anchorage and Whitehorse, Wyatt
said. Rebekah Green and Haley
Sweet-Cushing have qualified for
the state’s Junior Olympics.
Haines students, team take
region awards and honors
Haines students picked up
several honors at the Region V
high school basketball tournament
in Ketchikan this month.
Seniors Tyler Swinton and
H a n n a h Wi n g e a r n e d a l l conference recognition for
basketball, senior Cassie Galasso
was an all-tournament cheerleader,
and junior Margarette Jones made
the all-tournament dance team.
Swinton has since been named
to the Alaska Association of
Basketball Coaches’ All-State
squad, as a second-team 3A
performer.
All-star pep band members in
Ketchikan included senior Emily
Bowman and junior Brandon
Bachman. “Good sport” awards
went to seniors Devin Braaten
and Brandon Haxton, junior Jess
Giddings, and sophomore Libby
Jacobson.
Receiving all-academic honors
were seniors Bowman, Braaten,
Galasso, Haxton, Swinton,
Wing, Anna Jacobson, Amey and
Ashley Messerschmidt, Marnie
Rasmussen, Parker Schnabel and
Logan Simpson.
Haines also won the
tournament’s sportsmanship
award.
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Page 10
Chilkat Valley News Police Report
Sunday, March 18
Callers repor ted tr ucks
speeding on Fourth Avenue
and Lutak Spur Road. Police told
them to slow down.
A caller reported he had
been harassed and threatened
outside a bar the previous night,
but police could not verify the
claim.
Road crews responded to
rockslides at 15 Mile and 16 Mile
on the Haines Highway.
Saturday, March 17
An officer located a juvenile
who had been repor ted as
missing. The juvenile had stayed
with a friend overnight.
A caller reported the stop sign
at the corner of Main Street and
First Avenue was on the ground.
An officer was unable to
confirm a report of disorderly
conduct and minor consuming at
a Small Tracts Road residence.
Friday, March 16
An officer assisted a motorist
whose vehicle was stuck in snow
on Lutak Road.
HAINES BOROUGH
PUBLIC NOTICE
Haines Borough Assembly
Public works employees
reported two vehicles blocking
snow removal on Beach Road.
A caller reported concern for
a relative who was improperly
mixing alcohol and medication.
The relative was taken to the
Haines clinic and med-evaced
to Juneau.
Thursday, March 15
A caller reported a vehicle
blocking traffic in the Deishu
Drive area.
An officer gave a warning to
a dog owner on Main Street to
keep dogs leashed and under
control.
Wednesday, March 14
An intoxicated person was
reported leaving their residence
on foot without proper clothing.
The person stayed at a friend’s
house for the night.
The Haines clinic advised an
uncooperative and intoxicated
client. An officer responded, and
the person was leaving upon
police arrival.
A welfare check was
requested for an intoxicated
person, who was found to be
fine.
A caller reported a person was
cutting a tree near their property
at 3 Mile Haines Highway and
was concerned the person might
suffer an injury, causing a liability
issue for the caller. An officer did
not locate the tree-cutter.
Tuesday, March 13
A caller complained about
people making a lot of noise at a
downtown residence. An officer
told the tenant to keep noise
down.
An intoxicated person was
reported to be out of control at a
downtown residence. An officer
responded and told the person
to settle down.
There were 17 medical calls
and one call about dogs.
The Haines Borough Police
Department can be reached at
766-2121.
At 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, March
27, in the Assembly Chambers at
the Public Safety Building, 213
Haines Highway, a public hearing
is scheduled for the following:
harvested the wild berries from a
small island off Admiralty Island.
She scored 16.5 of 20 possible
points. Judges wrote the tart jelly’s
flavor was “unusual but good”
and provided tips for improving
consistency. Pascoe, who grew up
in Australia watching her “mum”
make marmalade with kumquats
from the back yard, started
cooking her own marmalade 15
years ago.
Posted 3/19/2012
Julie Cozzi, MMC, Borough
Clerk (12b)
DULY from page 2
exchanged letters for a decade,
since Rupe first read about the
Haines Hammer Museum. They
spent three days with Rupe, who
has collected more than 3,500
hammers. He gifted the Pahls
with a 24-pound sledgehammer
head that was manufactured by his
uncle to drive fenceposts.
Daymond and Renee
Hoffman, and their children
Cora and Wesley, have returned
from two months on the island of
Kauai, Hawaii. They stayed with
Renee’s sister, Jenine Meyers at
her home in Princeville and spent
two weeks with Renee’s parents,
Jim and Candy Hebert. They
saw many Haines friends during
their stay, including Bill Finlay
and Nancy McGrew, Gabe Long
and Krystal Norberg. Sonya
Allen visited with her 3-monthold baby boy Parker West Allen.
They also saw Julie and Noble
Anderson, and Knikki Cinocco,
who was on her way back from
Peru. Renee frequented a circuittraining class led by professional
beach volleyball player Gabrielle
Reece and is making plans to
introduce the workouts to Haines.
Jane Pascoe’s blueberry
marmalade received a bronze
ranking in the international
division at The World’s Original
Marmalade Awards, held annually
in Cumbria, England. Jane
Assembly to
reconsider
harbor regs
The Haines Borough Assembly
in February adopted an ordinance
to clarify governance of borough
port and harbor facilities,
following two years of revisions
by the boat harbor advisory
committee. The ordinance,
though, will be on the agenda
again at next week’s meeting.
“One of my duties is to prepare
documents for codification, and
I was not involved in any of
the drafts of that document, but
in my work to prepare it for
codification, I discovered quite
a few inconsistencies,” said
borough clerk Julie Cozzi.
The assembly last week moved
to reconsider the ordinance, so
a substitute ordinance could be
drafted for adoption at the March
27 meeting.
“The administration, through
the clerk’s office, has very limited
powers, discretion, in making
corrections to an ordinance
that has passed,” said borough
manager Mark Earnest.
March 22, 2012
HAINES BAPTIST
CHURCH
6th & MaiN
Sunday
10:30 am Sun. School & Worship
6:00 pm Worship Service
Wednesday
5:30 pm King’s Club ages 5-12
7:00 pm Prayer & Bible Study
Pastor Royce L. McCoy 314-0387
Ordinance 12-03-283
(First Hearing)
An Ordinance of the Haines
Borough Assembly amending
the Port of Haines Terminal Tariff
No. 3 to simplify calculation
of dockage fees at the Port
Chilkoot Dock.
More information is available at the
Borough Clerk’s Office or on the
website: www.hainesborough.us/
consider.html. Oral comments may
be made at the public hearings or
you can send written comments to
P.O. Box 1209, Haines, AK 99827
or jcozzi@haines.ak.us.
HAINES BOROUGH
INVITATION TO BID
D-1 MATERIAL,
MAINTENANCE
SAND & PIT-RUN MATERIAL
The Haines Borough is soliciting
bids from licensed, insured
suppliers for supply/delivery of
D-1 material, maintenance sand
& pit run material for the period
5/1/12 – 4/30/13. Each material
is to be bid separately on the
required forms. For a bid packet,
contact the Borough Clerk’s Office
or visit the borough website:
www.hainesborough.us. Proposal
deadline: 4 p.m., Tue., April 3,
2012. Proposals must be received
in a sealed envelope clearly
marked “Sealed Bid – 2012-2013
D-1/Sand/Pit Run” Attn: Borough
Clerk by mail: PO Box 1209,
Haines, AK 99827 or handdelivery: 103 Third Ave. S.
Posted: 3/19/12 - Jamie Heinz,
Deputy Clerk (12,13b)
Signing up to speak during a
public hearing is encouraged
but not required. It’s as easy
as contacting the Clerk’s Office
ahead of time to have your name
added to the list or you can sign up
yourself just before the assembly
meeting begins. Again, it’s not
required, but it is encouraged.
Notice of Petition to Change Name
HAINES
Presbyterian
Church
A petition has been filed in the Superior Court (Case #1JU-12-00506CI)
requesting a name change from Heather L Wetherbee to Heather Lynn
Shade. A hearing on this request will be held on April 26, 2012 at
2:15 pm at Courtroom F Juneau Courthouse, 123 4th Street, Juneau.
Therapeutic Massage
& Bodywork
“And do not forget to do good
and to share with others.”
- Hebrews 13: 16a
Mandy Ramsey, CMP
& Thai Massage, Jin Shin,
Healing Touch, & Reiki 766-3697
Come & Worship with us!
Swedish
766-2377 Sundays at 10 am
1st Ave. South, by the Boat Harbor
www.haineschurch.org
Believe on
andand
“...Believe
in the Lord
LordJesus
JesusChrist
Christ,
Acts 16:38
thou shalt
saved...”
thoubeshalt
be saved...”Acts 16:31
From the Baha’i
Scriptures
“Recite ye the
verses of God
every morn and
eventide.”
~Baha’u’llah
Haines Christian Center A/G
Union & Second St.
We Welcome You
Sunday school-----9 am
Sunday Worship---- 10 am
Infinite Life Youth Group
Sunday Evening ----- 7:00 pm
Come and Fellowship with Us
and share the Love of Jesus Christ
FERRY SCHEDULE
For
update info,
call the
Terminal
766-2111
Recording
766-2113
NORTHBOUND
Fri
23
Sun
25
Mon
26
Tue
27
Wed
28
Fri
30
Sun
Apr 1
Mon
2
Tue
3
Wed
4
Fri
6
Arrival
from JNU
11:30 am
11:30 am
10:45 am
11:30 am
11:30 am
11:30 am
11:30 am
12:15 pm
11:30 am
11:30 am
11:30 am
Arrival
Departure
to SKG
12:30 pm
12:30 pm
12:15 pm
No SKG
12:30 pm
12:30 pm
12:30 pm
1:45 pm
No SKG
12:30 pm
12:30 pm
Departure
SOUTHBOUND
from SKG to JNU
Fri
23
3:30 pm
4:30 pm
Sun
25
3:30 pm
4:30 pm
Mon
26
4:45 pm
6:45 pm
Tue
27
No SKG 12:30 pm
Wed
28
3:30 pm
4:30 pm
Fri
30
3:30 pm
4:30 pm
Sun
Apr 1
3:30 pm
4:30 pm
Mon
2
6:15 pm
8:15 pm
Tue
3
No SKG 12:30 pm
Wed
4
3:30 pm
4:30 pm
March 22, 2012
Chilkat Valley News
Un-Classified Ads
Nicely developed lot with 2 units
10th and Broadway, Skagway
Alaska. City assessment
$91,000. Asking a firm $65,000
cash. Call (907)983-3799.(12b)
Spacious Mobile Gourmet
Kitchen and Catering Unit $9,500 (Skagway, AK) PRIME
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY!
Complete with commercial
equipment. Price is firm. Cash
only. Call (907) 983-3799. (12b)
House for sale - 2-bedroom,
1-bathroom, very efficient,
in town on Lynnview Drive,
$178,000. Open House,
3/31/12, 1-4pm, 907244-8448. See more:
www.349lynnviewdrive.weebly.
com. (12,13b)
Bookkeeper/organizer wanted
par t time position. Needs
Quickbooks, federal income tax
knowledge, payroll, computer
experience, etc.. Call Bob at
Bushmaster Pro//Formance
Automotive. Apply within. Need
references & resume. 7663217. (11b)
Nissan Xterra 2008, 4x4 V6,
13,000 miles. $21,900 includes
snow tires on rims. Sarah 3140639. (12f)
Bicycle Tour Guide in Haines - 2012
season. Job requirements can
be found on our website www.
cyclealaska.com or call 7662869 with questions. (11cb)
4-bdrm, 1.5-bath home on 1.5
acres on Small Tracts Rd.
$215,000. Call 766-2218. (10b)
Gather your unwanted goods and
start bagging and boxing now!
The annual gala Hospice of
Haines rummage sale is on
April 21 and 22. (11b)
Positions Available SOON: Line
Cook, Prep Cook, Server,
B a r t e n d e r, M a i n t e n a n c e.
Appy in person at Lighthouse
Restaurant or email informaiton
to theharbor@aptalaska.net. )
DRY CANADIAN LOGS for sale.
Truckload quantities. Call
Dimok Timber, 867-634-2311.
(1cb)
Commercial Space for Lease:
385+ sq/ft Gallery/ Retail space
on Broadway in Skagway
between 5th and 6th, built in
2007. Contact 603-863-2621
Eastern Time Zone. (10b)
1.3 acres Nukdik Point Subdivision
(in townsite), power, telephone,
water, with stunning water view,
terms available, $150,000.
Haines Real Estate 766-3510.
(36cb)
FOR SALE: Chilkat Lake. 4
lots. $65,000, $10,000
downpayment, terms
negotiable with owner. Call
Haines Real Estate 766-3510.
(1cb)
5-bedroom, 2 full bathrooms,
refurbished home - low or
no down payment with HUD
financing (limited amount
available), buyer must qualify
for HUD program sales price,
$113,500. Haines Real Estate,
766-2240. (36cb)
Page 11
Chilkat Valley News classifieds published free on our website!
chilkatvalleynews.com
Clinical Lab Assistant-Intermittent
Haines AK, $15.24/hour+ DOE.
See more information at www.
searhc.org. Apply online or download an application and submit it
to SEARHC Human Resources,
222 Tongass Drive, Sitka, AK
99835. Phone 907-966-8311 Fax
907-966-8404. Preference given
per PL 93-638. Visit us and apply.
POS SPECIALIST Responsibilities
include but not limited to
enter ing and reconciling
invoices in point of sale
software, maintain high level of
pricing integrity and inventory
control. High school diploma
required, college level course
work in accounting, marketing
or business admin preferred.
must have high level of math
and communication skills.
Please call 907-766-2040 ext.
21 for interview.
Dusty Trails
Apartments
270 2nd Ave. South, Haines, AK
Call 907-766-2329
· Rent subsidized by
USDA Rural Development
· Rent Based on Income
for Eligible Households
· 1,2 & 3 bedrooms · Carpet · Storage Area
· Appliances · On-Site Laundry Facility
· Off-Street Parking
Hearing Impaired
1-800-253-4091
HAINES BOROUGH
POSITION VACANCY
EXEC. ASST. TO THE
BOROUGH MANAGER
Hiring a FT, perm. Exec. Asst. to the
Borough Manager. Responsible
for complex tasks including grant
writing and administration as
well as project planning and
coordination. Wage: $25.00/hour
with excellent benefits. Minimum
Requirements: HS Grad. & 5
years professional experience in
public or business administration.
Detailed job desc & req app. form
available from the Clerk’s Office,
766-2231, jcozzi@haines.ak.us,
or visit www.hainesborough.us
Deadline: 5:00pm 4/9/12. EOE
(12,14b)
Chilkoot Indian Association is seeking
low-income Alaska Native or American Indian
applicants who are in need of weatherization
or rehabilitation on their homes.
We have limited funding,
so get your application in as soon as possible.
Applications are available at our office above Howsers.
If you have questions please call 766-2323.
Chilkat Valley News classifieds are published free on our website!
You can submit your ad on www. chilkatvalleynews.com
Page 12
Chilkat Valley News March 22, 2012
PORT from page 1
Culbeck said shipping from
Whitehorse to Haines costs
$20 more per ton than the route
from Whitehorse to Skagway,
equivalent to about $1,000 per
truck, and “that’s why Skagway is
getting all the business right now.”
“I was under the impression
if we build the ore dock, they
will come, and that isn’t the case
right now,” said Chip Lende,
committee chair.
The Roundup primarily drew
representatives from Alaska,
British Columbia and the Yukon,
and the Haines delegation’s aim
was to promote the community
and Lutak Dock as a potential
hub for ore and mining-related
supplies, Schnabel said.
“Everyone knows about
what we’ve got,” Culbeck said.
“They’re happy to hear that we’ve
got a steering committee and
that we’re making some forward
motion and saying we want to
be included at the table, but they
already know our resources.”
He said Yukon mines are
seeking liquid natural gas (LNG)
for their energy needs.
“If LNG is available in Haines,
ore trucks will use our port
because they can leave the mine
with ore, and return with LNG,
provisional on tractor trailers
being interchangeable or modified
for dual applications,” the report
said. “Even prior to any mine
shipping ore, LNG could be
barged up in modified shipping
containers, loaded on trucks and
shipped to the mines to supply
energy needed in development.”
Culbeck and Schnabel noted
borough leaders “do not need to
expand the Lutak Dock to make
this happen on a manageable
scale,” and “once industry is here
and they need more room, we
can make the expansion happen
in a partnership” including the
Alaska Industrial Development
and Export Authority.
According to the report, some
of the benefits of importing
LNG would be creating jobs,
development and additional sales
tax revenue; boosting competition
for service and price that might
lead to lower energy and heating
costs for residents; and potentially
using LNG locally as a fuel or
energy source.
Cons included environmental
risks and possibly spurring
“pressure for more development
than desirable if limits are not set
from the beginning,” Culbeck and
Schnabel wrote.
The report quotes Liz Cornejo
of Constantine Metal Resources
saying that “Haines is the only
negative for the Palmer project.”
Constantine is exploring a
potential mine in the Haines
Borough near 40 Mile.
“When Cornejo reported
(that), she repeated a theme that
seemed to shroud us throughout
the convention. The industry as
a whole was impacted by the
Canadian, the U.S. federal and
the community’s reaction to the
possibility of the Windy Craggy
mine development in the 1980s.
Constantine acknowledges that the
industry had much to learn about
how to work with communities
in mine development and has
adjusted to ‘think local,’” Culbeck
and Schnabel wrote.
Among Haines’ overall
strengths listed in the report
were a moderate highway grade
connecting the Yukon to deepwater access; a year-round road
with a truck route to the port
terminal; a non-congested marine
environment that is segregated
from the cruise industry; upland
area for development; and town
space for housing workers.
“We do think that there are
a lot of things about Skagway
that are disadvantageous that
might come up in the future –
the fact that its port is narrow,
the fact that it doesn’t have a
lot of uplands, and they seem
to be very committed to the
tourism business,” Schnabel said.
“Whether or not that will become
problematic or competitive with
ore is only something that we
could watch for.”
Borough leaders in recent years
have cited the surge in Yukon
mining and shipment through
the Haines port as a potential
economic boon to the community.
POOL from page 1
That the borough went ahead
with the stainless steel tank in
2008 is puzzling, Lemcke said this
week. “Did somebody not tell (the
borough)? Did somebody not ask?
I want to know why they installed
the thing if everybody knew that
it wasn’t going to work,” Lemcke
said.
Brandon Mitchell, a shop
foreman for Chester Pools, was
optimistic three years ago, telling
the Chilkat Valley News that the
reworked gutters should last 15 to
20 years, depending on how well
they’re maintained. Mitchell no
longer works for the company.
Lemcke was more skeptical.
“Just painting (the gutters) with
epoxy, I don’t know… I think
there’s trouble ahead for the
pool.” He said salt chlorination
may reduce the life of the pool
hull and may be the cause of
recent deterioration of the pool
blanket.
Lemcke said corrosion issues
may have been overlooked, or
N
not fully understood, when the
salt system was installed. “People
are in love with the salt system, is
what it boils down to.”
Grant Moore served as pool
manager when the change was
made to salt chlorination. Moore
said corrosion may have been
mentioned as an issue when
the new system was being
considered, but he doesn’t have
a clear memory of it. Moore said
he spoke with managers of pools
who had salt and liked it.
Current pool manager Patricia
Peters said the local pool was one
of the first in Alaska to switch to a
saline chlorination system.
“There was no (discussion of
corrosion). We were the first pool
in the state of Alaska to have this
system. Juneau was second. They
waited to see how our pool was
going to react before they put
theirs in,” Peters said.
Peters said many of the pool’s
metal pipes have been replaced by
plastic ones in recent years.
Haines senior Brandon Haxton signs a letter of intent to play basketball for Rocky Mountain College
last week while surrounded by his Glacier Bear teammates. Krista Kielsmeier photo.
Haxton signs with Montana college
By Krista Kielsmeier
Haines High School senior Brandon Haxton
signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Rocky
Mountain College last week.
“It’s a really big deal,” said Haines coach Steve
Fossman. “It’s basically like a contract of your
commitment with the school and, also, it’s a show
of their commitment to you.”
The 6’6” Haxton will compete at the NAIA,
Division I level for coach Bill Dreikosen at Rocky
Mountain, a private school in Billings, Mont., with
an enrollment of about 1,000 students.
“Brandon gets to wear green again,” Fossman
said. “He’s even going to be a Bear, once again.”
He noted the Rocky Mountain Battlin’ Bears
of the Frontier Conference won the national
championship three years ago.
Haxton moved to Haines from Montana, and
joined the Glacier Bears for his junior and
senior seasons. He credited assistant coach Mark
McNamara, a former NBA player, for helping
develop his post-up game.
“I feel like I’ve gotten like a free $50,000 worth of
coaching out of him, with him being a professional
coach,” Haxton said. “I enjoyed working with all
the guys and the other coaching staff – Steve and
Ann (Fossman) are just awesome people.”
Haxton impressed a Rocky Mountain scout at an
Anchorage tournament in December, when Haines
tallied a 1-2 record against 4A opponents Chugiak,
Eagle River and East Anchorage. Haxton poured in
15 points against East to lead the team.
“I’m just looking forward to being able to play with
a new group of guys, and getting better and bigger,”
Haxton said.
He plans to study mathematics and secondary
education in college.
His parents, Christopher and Ayse Haxton, already
were preparing for a move back to Montana before
the Friday signing ceremony that drew dozens of
guests to the school library. Ayse said she was proud
her son had earned academic scholarship money and
could continue playing basketball.
Christopher opened the event by reading a letter
from high school science teacher Mark Fontenot that
complimented Brandon’s “cheerful” personality and
referred to the hype before the teenager’s debut in
Haines.
“We Glacier Bears liked Brandon before we even
met him,” Fontenot wrote. “I remember the weeks
before he arrived; rumor had gotten around school
that he played basketball and was over two meters
tall.”
NASH from page 1
three, Corrie sat atop the bait
house of the family’s commercial
troll boat, using a clicker to count
fish as they came aboard.
She was known as the hard
worker in the family, who was
“always pushing herself to learn
more, faster than she needed” and
the one who did cartwheels “all the
way to school and back,” Becky
Nash said. “She is determined
when she sets herself a goal.”
Corrie traces some of her
drive to her early experiences.
“Growing up on a boat teaches
you how to work. It’s an honest
way to make a living: as much as
you put into it, you get out of it.”
In her design work, Nash said
she draws inspiration from the
natural world. “I like to pull a
lot from nature. Growing up in
Alaska and on the ocean and in the
more remote parts of Southeast,
there is so much beauty in the
world that surrounds us. I like to
really celebrate the beauty of the
natural materials as they exist in
their own state.”
This translates into a preference
for the use of natural materials,
like stone or wood, rather than a
manufactured finish that mimics
them.
Nash feels equally engaged and
balanced by the technical side of
her work. “It’s essentially this big,
problem-solving equation every
time we go into a project… Then
I get to do the bonus work and
have the fun and get the creative
finishes and colors. I guess it’s the
best of both worlds.”
Reflecting on her upbringing,
Nash said growing up in a
small town provided her with
communication skills that played
an important part of her success.
“In a smaller community, we
are more accountable at a younger
age… (Everyone) knows what
you are doing. This gives you
a step up when you get out into
the real world. As a professional,
and even as a student, the most
important thing is being able to
articulate who you are and what
your goals are. The ability to
communicate is key.”
Nash also recommends that
students chafing at the limits of
a small-town look into exchange
programs. She admits her own
year abroad was a bit of a culture
shock, going from summers in
Elfin Cove, a remote fishing
settlement with no roads or cars
70 miles west of Juneau, to
Melbourne, Australia, population
4 million, at age 16.
“It is an experience that could
shape who you become... Kids that
are ready for a change, (but are)
still in school, instead of getting
discouraged, look into what is
possible. There are programs that
will do everything they can to
allow you to see the world. Take
advantage of all of these people
and programs trying to help you.”
As someone who has been
successful in coming from a
small town and finding her way
to a career and a place that fits
her well, Nash has this advice to
offer to current Haines students:
“Nothing is impossible. There are
opportunities around the corner
that we don’t even know exist.
Find what you like to do and then
find a way to do it. It’s not as hard
as it looks.”
OW is the time to GATHER a team and get your PLEDGES ready for
the
7th Annual
START OR JOIN a team
Call Big Brothers Big Sisters
766-2151
Fund Drive and Bowling Bash
Wii Bowling with CASH PRIZES Sponsored by Parts Place & Silent Auction
Friday, March 30th 4 - 9 pm in the Haines Elementary Gym