TWC plans bird observatory - page 9 - Chilkat Valley News

Bears open regionals with wins 

- page 7 

TWC plans bird observatory - page 9 

Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966 

Chilkat Valley News 

Volume XLII Number 9 Thursday, March 1, 2012 $1 

SEABA’s heliport 

permit appeal nixed 

By Margaret Friedenauer 

The Haines Borough Assembly 

voted 5-1 on Tuesday to uphold 

a planning commission decision 

denying Southeast Alaska 

Backcountry Adventures a permit 

to use its 26 Mile property as a 

heliport. 

In a split 3-3 vote in January, 

the borough planning commission 

rejected a conditional use permit 

for a heliport at .6 Mile Chilkat 

Lake Road. SEABA appealed 

the decision to the assembly in 

February. 

SEABA said it will examine 

more options and after the 

assembly issues its written report 

of the decision at its March 6 

meeting, will decide whether to 

take the issue to court. 

The appeal was the first item 

on the assembly meeting agenda 

and the only major action item 

completed. After its vote at 

about 10:30 p.m., the assembly 

adjourned until Wednesday night. 

In hearing the appeal, Mayor 

Stephanie Scott said the borough 

was acting in a “quasi-judicial” 

capacity. The assembly heard 

testimony from SEABA’s 

attorney, Daniel Bruce, and 

from borough manager Mark 

Earnest on his recommendation 

to not allow the permit. Then the 

assembly heard about an hour and 

half of public comment. 

The debate turned on the eight 

criteria required for issuing a 

conditional use permit. Earnest 

had recommended to the planning 

commission to not approve the 

conditional use permit because 

he said the heliport would cause 

undue noise, be harmful to the 

general health and welfare of 

the community by disturbing the 

peace and quiet of nearby property 

owners and would not align with 

the borough’s comprehensive 

plan. 

But SEABA attorney Bruce 

said he didn’t believe Earnest 

had presented any “findings” 

in his recommendation. On the 

other hand, he said, SEABA had 

presented concrete information on 

decibel levels and comparisons to 

other operations and businesses 

in the 26 Mile area that produces 

noise, including a sawmill, gravel 

extraction and commercial tour 

buses. 

“There was no analysis in the 

manager’s report of sound or 

effects on homes,” Bruce said. 

“I would challenge one to make 

a factual finding that here is a 

significant impact on adjoining 

property owners.” 

He also emphasized that it is 

an area that has not been zoned 

residential but is an area where 

mixed use is encouraged by the 

zoning. 

Public comment spanned the 

gamut of support, or not, for 

the permit. The only seemingly 

consensus during public comment 

was Erica Merklin’s comments 

that the issue has divided the 

neighborhood at Chilkat Lake 

Road. 

“It has become very divisive 

and hostile,” she said. 

Borough attorney Bruce 

Falconer advised the assembly 

that it had the option to deliberate 

i n p r i v a t e . A s s e m b l y m a n 

Norm Smith made the motion 

to deliberate privately and the 

assembly unanimously agreed. 

“There’s emotions involved 

here so it can get rather personal,” 

Smith said Wednesday. “It’s not an 

easy thing.” 

A s s e m b l y w o m a n D e b r a 

Schnabel said she would have 

preferred to deliberate in public, 

but the privacy made it a more 

comfortable discussion. 

After two and half hours of 

deliberations, the assembly 

allowed the dozens of members 

of the public back into assembly 

chambers. Borough clerk Julie 

Cozzi took a role call vote. 

Assemblyman Jerry Lapp 

hesitated before issuing the only 

no vote. He said later he was still 

deciding which way to vote up 

See HELISKI page 12 

AGROUND -- The Traci-C from Sitka sits grounded on sand and 

rocks at the Haines harbor during low tide on Feb. 24. Doug Olerud 

photo. Story, page 3. 

MAD SKILLS -- Marianne Rasmussen drives a loader at Whiterock Nursery while teammate Tiffany 

DeWitt watches during the women’s scavenger hunt and race, a fundraiser for the Venturer Scouts 

on Saturday. See Duly Noted page 6. John S. Hagen photo. 

A rising drumbeat for wild fish 

Gillnetters solicit town support for restoring runs 

By Tom Morphet 

Commercial fishermen are 

hoping to enlist broad community 

support in an effort to reverse a 

perceived decline in the area’s 

wild salmon runs, starting with 

an upcoming meeting with Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game 

officials from Juneau. 

Haines Borough leaders, who 

sought the meeting and have 

designated money for research, 

have joined what area gillnetters 

say will be a sustained effort to 

get attention and manpower on 

improving production at Chilkat 

and Chilkoot lakes, particularly 

of wild sockeye salmon. 

Borough mayor Stephanie Scott 

said she’s encouraged that Fish 

and Game’s upper managers are 

See FISH page 12 

Local GOP to vote on presidential hopefuls 

Republicans in the Chilkat Valley will get to weigh 

in on the GOP presidential nomination process 

during the state party’s Presidential Preference Poll 

on Tuesday, March 6. It will be held 4 to 8 p.m. at 

the Captain’s Choice Motel lounge. 

“It’s not quite a primary, but this is to get our 

opinion out. So it’s included in the (nominating) 

process, we do it this way,” explained Bill Kurz, 

treasurer of the Republican Party at the district level. 

Alaska will divide 24 of its 27 delegates on a 

proportional basis, according to the vote. Three 

delegates come from the ranks of the Republican 

National Committee. 

Kurz said the field is too divided to make any 

predictions about Tuesday’s outcome. “It’s all over 

the board. No one seems to be sure. I see pure 

scattershot at this point,” with votes possibly divided 

equally among ones for Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney 

and Rick Santorum. 

Some pundits say Congressman Ron Paul of 

willing to hear the community 

out. In a recent letter, deputy 

commissioner Dave Bedford 

said the agency’s director of 

commercial fisheries would meet 

local leaders on management 

issues, including sockeye. A date 

is pending. 

“It’s up to us to work with 

gillnetters and learn how to be 

meaningfully involved to protect 

this tremendous asset,” Scott 

said. “The gillnet fishery is worth 

about $10 million a year to this 

community, and it could be worth 

more. That’s nothing to sneeze at.” 

The fleet also is working with 

state Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, 

a lifelong commercial fisherman 

who said last fall he’ll be looking 

to direct funding into research on 

the area’s wild salmon systems. 

Until about 20 years ago, 

sockeye represented most of the 

value in the local drift gillnet 

harvest. Fluctuating returns in the 

late 1980s, however, led fishermen 

to push for acquaculture projects 

in Lynn Canal, including releases 

of hatchery chum salmon intended 

to provide fishing opportunity 

when sockeye numbers sagged. 

Factors including successful 

m a r k e t i n g , n e w p r o d u c t 

development, and problems 

at foreign salmon farms have 

boosted chum prices in recent 

years. Survival of hatchery fish 

also improved, providing the 

fleet with increasing returns. 

Texas could find a surge of support in Alaska, due 

to the state’s independent and Libertarian factions. 

“Paul’s honorable and has good intentions and a lot 

of people like a lot of things he’s saying, but they 

also realize that what’s appealing isn’t necessarily 

practical,” Kurz said. 

He cited as an example Paul’s call for withdrawing 

U.S. troops overseas. “Defending our country takes 

a whole lot more than just standing at the border.” 

The broad field and split decisions so far in the 

primary process aren’t necessarily bad, as they allow 

voters more time learn about candidates, Kurz said. 

About 125 local party members turned out during 

the last poll, ranking Haines among spots in the state 

with the highest per capita participation. To cast a 

vote, one must be registered Republican. Voters 

can register to vote or change their registration at 

the event. 

From 6 to 7 p.m., an election of Republican 

See GOP page 12

Page 2 Chilkat Valley News March 1, 2012 

Letters to the Editor 

Horses doing well, not for adoption 

I would like to address the recent rumors concerning my horses, 

Rappi and Crown, currently stabled at Henderson’s farm. I would like 

for the public to understand that I am still the legal owner of the horses. 

Due to the heavy snows and two loads of bad hay that I received, I 

did have difficulty keeping the horses’ weight stable this winter. I very 

much appreciate Mr. Henderson’s efforts to keep the drive clear enough 

for me to pass and HARK’s assistance with providing the extra feedings 

recommended by the veterinarian over a three-week period. 

Out of concern for the horses’ well-being, Mr. Henderson initiated 

a HARK investigation. I fully cooperated and the outcome was that 

no charges were filed. 

I have been in negotiations with Mr. Henderson to move Rappi and 

Crown to a barn closer to my residence at 26 Mile. (The original terms 

of the sales contract stipulated that the horses would remain stabled 

at Henderson’s farm through April 2013). 

As the legal owner, I would like to make it clear that the bay Quarter 

Horse, Rappi, and the bay Quarab, Crown, are not available for 

adoption. 

Again, thanks to all for their concern and assistance. Haines 

citizens should feel free to contact me directly if they would like more 

information. 

Cassandra McEwen 

LNG better option than hydro power 

As an observer at last week’s Connelly Lake hydro project meeting, 

it quickly became obvious that it’s simply not cost effective to build 

that project. It also became obvious that Schubee Lake would be way 

too expensive. 

A very rough estimate for Connelly Lake is $34 to $40 million. That’s 

for someplace between five and six megawatts of power. Schubee 

Lake, depending on how it’s done, would cost over $44 million. That 

is simply outrageous. At best, these would be eight years before they 

produce electric. 

As I said at the Connelly Lake meeting, I fully support hydro but 

these are too expensive. I have advertisements for liquid natural gas 

(LNG) power plants: New 14.3 megawatts for $5.9 million, used 5.2 

megawatts for $1.5 million. Cost per megawatt is much less and can 

be on line in much less time. 

The Kitimat, B.C. LNG plant is due to be on line by the end of 2014, 

so getting gas will be little over half way to Seattle. Some of that gas 

will come to Haines anyway to supply mines in Yukon. According to 

Fred Grey at the last port development committee meeting, electric 

power from gas costs about 11 cents per kilowatt. 

A power station located at the tank farm property would be close to 

the cable from Skagway, close to the cables that used to run to Chilkoot 

Lumber’s power house. Also close to Lutak dock for gas supply. LNG 

is proven, very low-emission, reliable, cost-effective power. 

Bill Kurz 

Kindness helps during difficult time 

We would like to thank Steve Vick and HARK for all the support when 

Sky, our beloved dog, tangled with a moose last weekend. We would 

also like to thank friends Greg Podsiki, Fred Gray, Patrick Shallcross, 

John and Suzanne Newton and my sister, Heather Lende, for helping 

make a difficult time much more bearable. Small acts of kindness and 

concern go such a long way. 

Norm and Suzanne Smith 

Alaskan women rock scavenger event 

Geesh! I advertised,“Wanted: 36 Alaska Women,” and it worked. 

Well, I got 28 anyway. Seven, four-women teams shared a beautiful, 

sunny, winter day with me and many other volunteers Saturday. They 

snowshoed, drove a loader and 32-foot fishing vessels, shot skeet at 

the shooting range, snowmachined, competed in fire-building, firewood 

stacking and two-women saw, solved mathematical equations, searched 

for clues at the library and even walked around a baseball diamond with 

bright red buckets over their heads! What a happy, smiley, fun bunch 

of women who entertained all of us volunteers to the point of tears 

of laughter. Venturer Scouts wants to thank all who helped: Barbara 

Blood, Steve Vick, Charlie DeWitt, Rocky Hickman, J.R. Churchill, 

Gabe Alamillo, Tyrell Horton, Gary Grogan, Roger Schnabel, Jack 

Smith, Bob Piper, Suzanne Vuillet-Smith, and Vince Hansen. A very 

special thanks to Lisa Flory for making the celebration dinner. It 

was so delicious! Thanks to local businesses who sponsored teams: 

IGA, Fogcutter Bar, First National Bank of Anchorage, Southeast 

Roadbuilders and Alaska Power and Telephone. Eight Venturer Scouts 

helped, along with two scout leaders. Thanks to the Elks Club, Scott 

Rossman and special thanks to Haines Sportsman’s Association for 

sponsoring the event itself. I saw nothing but ear-to-ear grins on sunny 

faces the entire day. Alaska men, get ready. A gentleman’s version of 

this event will occur in late March and I have 28 super women already 

anxiously helping me plan it. 

Greg Podsiki 

LETTERS POLICY 

The Chilkat Valley News welcomes letters to the editor. 

Letters must not exceed 250 words. E-mailed letters should be 

sent as attached Word documents to cvn@chilkatvalleynews. 

com. Letters may be edited for punctuation, length, taste and 

libel.Thank-you letters may name no more than 15 individuals 

and 10 businesses. Deadline for letters is Monday at 5 p.m. 

Save the Date 

Thursday, March 1 

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. 

Academy Award winning film “Inside 

Job,” a look at the financial meltdown and who 

was responsible. 6:30 p.m. at the library. Discussion 

to follow. 

Friday, March 2 

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. 

Peace Corps Anniversary dinner at the 

Chilkat Bakery at 6 p.m. All volunteers invited. 

For more information, call Pam (907) 982-1824, 

Saturday, March 3 

Snowmachine Biathlon Fun Day 11 a.m. 

at the Sportsman’s Range on Mud Bay Road. 

(Long trailers please park at Riley Summit 

Trail.) For more information, call George at 

767-5589 or Shane at 766-3779. 

We the People meets, 2 p.m. in the library 

conference room to discuss and act on issues 

pertinent to the 99 percent. Everyone welcome. 

Chilkat Valley Homeschoolers and people 

interested in homeschooling, meeting at 3 

p.m. in library conference room. 

Sunday, March 4 

CYD Open Gym for children 12 and under, 

10 a.m. to noon. 

Monday, March 5 

Haines School Inservice. 

Mother Goose Stories and Songs, newborns 

to three years old, 11 a.m. at the library. 

Best Beginnings video “Babies on Track” 

premieres 11:30 a.m. at the library. For parents 

with children ages two and under. Free DVD 

and children’s books for attendees. 

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. 

Tuesday, March 6 

Strong Woman Weight Training, noon to 

1 p.m. Chilkat Center lobby. Sponsored by Well 

& Fit. Weights provided. 

Duly Noted 

By Sara Callaghan Chapell 

Dana Noel Murray was born 

Jan. 7 to Cara and Rob Murray 

in Ketchikan. Dana weighed seven 

pounds, 15 ounces and measured 

19 inches. Dana Noel joins big 

brother Taylor and big sister Eva. 

Cara’s mother, Cathy Houlberg, 

took the ferry to Ketchikan and 

arrived just in time for Dana’s 

birth. She was a great help to 

the busy family. Cara’s dad, 

Keith Houlberg, will travel to 

Ketchikan soon to meet his newest 

granddaughter. 

Mason Benjamin Nash was 

born Feb. 14 to Song and Amy 

Nash in Seattle. Mason weighed 

six pounds, seven ounces and 

measured 19 inches. Mason joins 

big brother, Christian, age 2. 

Mason’s first outing was to watch 

Abby Jones play basketball for 

Peninsula Community College. 

The Nashes look forward to 

introducing Mason to their Alaska 

family this summer. 

Tom Morphet and Jane Pascoe 

have returned from three weeks of 

camping, snorkeling and hiking on 

Kauai, Maui and Oahu, Hawaii. 

At Hanalei Bay, Kauai, they 

rendezvoused with Daymond 

and Renee Hoffman, children 

Cora and Wesley, and Gabe 

Long and Krystal Norberg. 

Renee gave Tom a surfing lesson 

that Gabe caught on video. Maui 

highlights included a sunset hike 

To list an event in Save the Date, phone 766-2688 or 

e-mail cvn@chilkatvalleynews.com. 

at Kaleakala crater with Norman 

Hughes and a snorkel boat tour 

with Robyn Barlow and Bryan 

Shaw. Tom and Jane stayed at 

Kailua, on Oahu’s windward side, 

with Tom’s college buddy Steve 

Downes, an editorial writer for the 

Honolulu Star Advertiser. Tom’s 

favorite part was plowing through 

novels. Jane’s were fresh fruit 

salads and swims with sea turtles. 

Joe and Holly Jo Parnell 

are back from a week in Las 

Vegas celebrating Joe’s 50 th 

birthday. “Despite my Methodist 

upbringing, I have a proclivity 

towards a little sin,” Joe explained. 

He said trip highlights included 

French cuisine at the Eiffel Tower 

and seeing the Blue Man Group 

and the “Absynthe” show at 

Caesar’s Palace casino. They 

saw Cirque du Soleil’s “O” at 

the Bellagio, which Holly Jo 

described as “the crème de la 

crème of shows. It’s like watching 

a Salvador Dali painting come 

to life.” They also visited the 

pawn store made famous by the 

History Channel program “Pawn 

Stars.” The place was swamped 

but most of the visitors seemed to 

be buying “Pawn Star” souvenirs, 

rather than hocked silver and gold, 

Joe said. They were joined on 

the trip by Holly’s mom, Beulah 

Martin, and siblings Stacey and 

Randy Martin, all from Queen 

Creek, Ariz., and by Joe’s parents, 

Afterschool activities at the library: Tlingit 

crafts, 3:30 p.m. Birding program, Homework 

Help, 4:30 p.m. 

Republican Presidential Preference Poll, 4 

to 8 p.m. at the Captain’s Choice Motel. Must 

be a Republican voter to participate. 

Haines Borough School Board, meets 7 

p.m. in high school commons. 

Moira Smiley and VOCO, modern folk 

music, 7 p.m. at the Chilkat Center. Presented 

by the Haines Arts Council. 

Wednesday, March 7 

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: St. 

Patrick’s Day Decorations, 3:30 p.m.; Homework 

Help, 4:30 p.m. 

Thursday, March 8 

Permaculture gardening class registration 

deadline. Contact Community Education coordinator 

Nate Benton at natebenton@hbsd.net or 

766-6727 or Melissa Aronson at 766-2185. 

Haines Borough Planning Commission 

meets 6:30 in assembly chambers. 


Lunafest Short Films, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 

Harriett Hall. Dinner, films and silent auction 

presented by Wisewoman and Southeast Alaska 

State Fair. 


Pet Microchip Clinic, 10 a.m. to noon at 

the senior center. For more information, call 

HARK at 766-3334. 

“For the Birds” Mexican Dinner and Auction 

Fundraiser for Ts’ats’ee Bird Observatory. 

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the school cafeteria. For 

more information, call Pam at 766-3542. 


Haines Borough Assembly meets 6:30 in 

assembly chambers. 


Greater Lynn Canal Garden Conference: 

Bob Henderson – History of Chilkat Valley 

Agriculture, 7 p.m. at the Chilkat Center. 



Workshops begin at 9 a.m. at the Haines School. 

Sunday, March 18 


11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the museum. 

Wednesday, March 21 

Living in the Forest presents “Fisheries 

Management: How It Is Done,” with Brian 

Elliott of ADFG, 7 p.m. at the museum. 

Tom and Annette Parnell of 

Cambridge, Ohio. 

Friends Doris Ward and 

Cynthia “CJ” Jones gathered 

at the home of Joan Snyder to 

watch the 84 th Academy Awards 

Sunday. Joan dressed up in her 

“one fancy outfit” and served 

appetizers, pizza and wine while 

they watched the awards, which 

See DULY page 6 

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 

Subscription rates: 

Haines, $42 plus tax; 2 nd Class, 

Periodical postage (Alaska) $48 

Out of state $54 • 1st Class $75 

Periodical postage paid at 

Haines, AK 99827 

POSTMASTER: Send address 

changes to 

Box 630, Haines, AK 99827 

Vol. XLII #9 March 1, 2012

March 1, 2012 Chilkat Valley News Page 3 

Commentary 

Former Alaska state Sen. Jan Faiks once made headlines with a 

remark, concerning a legislative junket to Hawaii, that “Waikiki is 

no picnic.” 

The statement was a spectacular leap from the truth, impressive 

even among politicians, who specialize in such jumps and hold most 

of the distance records. 

After three weeks in Hawaii, it’s hard for me to say just what part 

of Waikiki, or Hawaii for that matter, is not a picnic. The air there is 

warm. The sand is soft. All the elements of a successful picnic – an 

umbrella drink and a dab of sunblock – are close at hand. 

There’s a reason most of the world’s population is located near the 

equator: It’s where we’re from. We’re tropical animals, born without 

fur or layers of blubber to protect us from cold. We like fruit to fall at 

our feet and to take naps in the sunshine. 

Our ancestors did not venture north because they enjoyed skiing. 

They came for resources, which were abundant enough to provide for 

a living. So they learned to sew furs together and to keep a fire burning 

and they “conquered” the North in much the same way that a flea, 

finding a soft spot to nestle, conquers a dog. 

We can survive here, sometimes comfortably. But it’s not Waikiki, 

and it’s no picnic. As for statements by newcomers, environmentalists 

and brochure writers, sometimes so carried away as to call our home 

“paradise,” a thought from a snowbird friend comes to mind: No palm 

tree, no paradise. Aloha. 

-- Tom Morphet 

Hall challenges change 

in garbage contracting 


An attorney for Community 

Waste Solutions this week said that 

state law doesn’t allow the Haines 

Borough to offer an exclusive 

contract for trash collection in the 

townsite to any other company. 

Because the local garbage 

company is the only state-certified 

provider for the townsite, it’s the 

only company that can have an 

exclusive arrangement, attorney 

Paul Jones wrote to the borough 

Monday. 

The opinion comes in the wake 

of a Haines Borough Assembly 

committee recommendation 

for third-party advice toward 

writing a request for proposals for 

collection in the townsite. 

The borough this week received 

an opinion from its lawyer, 

including about its obligation to 

CWS, but is so far keeping that 

information private. 

CWS, formerly named Haines 

Sanitation, held a contract with the 

municipality to collect townsite 

garbage from 2001 to 2011. 

The borough didn’t renew the 

contract when it expired in April 

2011. Its government affairs 

committee said that instead the 

municipality should seek requests 

for proposals. “All options need to 

be on the table to come up with 

what’s best for the community,” 

said committee chair Steve Vick. 

CWS has seen its garbage 

volume and revenues decline 

since self-haul competitor Acme 

Transfer Co. went into the trash 

business in 2002. CWS is seeking 

a new contract with the borough. 

If it can’t get one, the firm says it 

will seek rate regulation through 

the Regulatory Commission of 

Alaska, which oversees utilities. 

Acme owner Paul Nelson has 

asked the borough assembly that 

any RFP for townsite collection 

be offered to his company as well. 

CWS also is seeking land 

from the borough for a buffer 

strip downhill of its FAA Road 

landfill. The state Department 

of Environmental Conservation 

last fall cited several compliance 

SALE PENDING 

issues at the landfill site, including 

the need for a 50-foot setback 

between the property line and 

landfill. 

NEW LISTING 

Like new 2-bedroom, 2-bath home on 1 acre just about 1/2 

mile from downtown. Carport and shop space. $225,000 

one could be Your Next Home! 

NEW LISTING 

Older 2-bdrm 1 3/4-bath home with finished basement, 

double-car garage, fenced yard, sunny location. $168,000 

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jeanne@hainesrealestate.com pam@hainesrealestate.com 

115 SECOND AVE. SOUTH 766-3510 WWW.HAINESREALESTATE.COM 

SNOW CREATIONS -- From 

left, Jennie Humphrey, Chris 

Braggs, Kyle Klinger and Dalton 

Tuohy sculpt a bear near the 

school track. At right, students 

create a field of snowmen nearby. 

Tom Morphet photo. 

Under its operational plan, 

CWS is permitted to landfill 

only composted waste. Since 

discontinuing composting last 

year, the company has stopped 

accepting sludge from the 

borough and is shipping, rather 

than landfilling, waste. 

In his letter to the borough this 

week, CWS attorney Jones also 

cautioned against the borough 

seeking more than one collection 

provider for the townsite. “We 

fail to see how any service 

provider could, in a competitive 

environment, responsibly contract 

to provide any particular level of 

refuse service in the townsite, or 

to do so at set rates.” 

In an interview this week, CWS 

owner Tom Hall said he hoped 

to secure a new contract with 

the borough without having to 

go to court, but in a Feb. 6 letter 

said he would “take whatever 

steps are necessary to protect our 

company’s viability.” 

CWS spokesman Burl Sheldon 

told the assembly Tuesday the 

company hoped for discussions 

with borough leaders soon, “now 

that all the legal issues are on the 

table for all to consider.” 

CWS increased its rates in 

August and January. Previous 

rates had been in place since 2001. 

“The aging process has you fi rmly in its grasp if you never 

get the urge to throw a snowball.” ~ Doug Larson 

Dr. Elizabeth Wolfe, Veterinarian, 

will be seeing pets in Haines 

March 13 - 16 

Shot Clinic Friday March 16 th 

Noon - 1:30 p.m. First come, first served. 

Call Lori, 766-2867 for appointments 

Massage Therapies 

Office across 

from Post Office 

W I S E W O M A N & S O U T H E A S T A L A S K A S TAT E FA I R 

 

Boat beached by tide 

A crab boat was left high and 

dry early Friday morning after 

low tide left the boat beached and 

stuck on the rocks and sand. 

The 68-foot Traci-C of Sitka 

came to the harbor about 3:30 

a.m. Friday morning with its 

catch of crab. Skipper and boat 

owner Bryan Howey said he 

tied up to the end of the fuel 

float, as it was the only place in 

the harbor available at the time. 

He was waiting to offload to a 

tender, which was then receiving 

crabs from another vessel. But the 

receding tide grounded the boat in 

the meantime. 

Howey said he’d been to Haines 

before and was aware of shallow 

depths in that part of the harbor, 

but didn’t realize that a sloping 

sea floor there would cause his 

equipment to provide him an 

incomplete picture. 

“I knew the fuel dock was an 

impossibility, but I didn’t know 

the end of the float was also a 

problem,” he said. 

Howey said he checked his 

depth-finder and tide computer 

before tying up there. 

“I left my bow hanging over the 

end and my computer said it was 

only going to drop another 8.7 

more feet, which would leave me 

1.4 fathoms under the boat. At the 

end of it, I still had 1.6 fathoms 

under the bow but nothing under 

the stern.” 

He said the borough should 

consider posting a sign about the 

sloped bottom that would tip off 

visiting boats. “A sign would be 

extremely helpful.” 

Haines harbormaster Ed Barrett 

said had Howey notified him he 

was coming in, he would have 

found another place for Traci-C 

to dock. Barrett said ultimately, 

it’s up to the skipper to make sure 

the water depth at the float is deep 

enough for his vessel. 

“It’s his responsibility to be 

aware of what the charts say,” 

Barrett said. 

Howey said he did not lose any 

of his catch and was able to pitch 

to the tender at about 10 a.m. after 

the tide rose. 

The Traci-C was not damaged 

because the steel hull rested on a 

sandy spot between large rocks. 

The dock was also not damaged. 

Barrett said he did not cite 

Howey for any violations. “I think 

they’ve had trouble enough,” he 

said. 

Kyle’s 

Corner 

UAA Seawolf 

Kyle Fossman 

vs Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks 

Feb. 23 UAA won, 79 - 74 

Pts: 16 (2-4) three-pointers) 

Asst: 0 Reb: 0 Min: 32 

coming up... 

GNAC Tournament 

Semifinals 

this Fri. & Sat. ~ March 2 & 3 

at Lacey, Washington 

Brought to you by 

Rep. Bill Thomas 

and Staff

Circulation 35,000 


Above, Haines’ Dylan Swinton drives past Juneau Hoop Time 

player Josh Andrews. Below, Swinton and Charlie Bower chase 

down a loose ball during their Triple Threat Tournament game. 

John S. Hagen photos. 

From left, Ralph Swinton, Cameron Merklin-Bauer, Gable Sage, Dawson Evenden and Hudson Sage 

strategize during their Triple Threat Tournament game. John S. Hagen photo. 

Haines posts wins in Triple Threat 

The Triple Threat Tournament 

took over the town last weekend 

with about 160 players taking part 

in 42 games of basketball over 

three days. Juneau and Haines 

teams claimed most wins. 

Girls and boys from fourth 

grade to junior varsity, from 

Haines, Juneau, Skagway and 

Whitehorse, competed in three 

divisions. 

“It was a very good tournament 

and went mostly smooth,” said 

Sarah Swinton. 

She and husband, Ralph 

Swinton, helped organize the 

tournament along with Ashley 

Sage and parents and volunteers 

helping with refereeing and 

scorekeeping. 

Several Haines players made the 

all-tournament teams, including 

Celia Bower and Grace Jones for 

the girls’ “A” division; John Gross 

for boys’ “A” division; Aaron 

Jones for boys’ “B” division; 

Autumn Jones and Destiny Court 

for girls’ “B” division; Madison 

Chapin and Shaye Otton for girls’ 

“C” division and Dylan Swinton 

and Charlie Bower for boys’ “C” 

division. 

Kayley Swinton nabbed the 

most valuable player distinction 

in the girls’ “B” division. 

Haines players will wrap 

up their season at a Juneau 

tournament in March. 

Division results were: Division 

A boys first place - Juneau Hoop 

Time, second place - Juneau 

Hoop Rats; Division A girls first 

place - Juneau Hoop Rats, second 

place - Haines; Division B boys 

first place - Juneau Hoop Time, 

second place - Juneau Hoop 

Time; Divison B girls first place 

- Haines, second place - Juneau 

Hoop Time; Division C boys first 

place - Juneau Hoop Time, second 

place - Haines; Division C girls 

first place - Juneau Hoop Time, 

second place - Haines. 

It’s time to think visitors! 

RESERVE YOUR 

AD SPACE NOW 

in the 39 th edition of the 

New this year, also online ~ 

Free to ALL print advertisers 

HAINES 

VISITOR’S GUIDE 

Contact us for information 

on rates and ad placement. 

We’ll show you how easy it is. 

No Billing Until June 

Ads Deadline March 15 

Phone 766-2688 • Fax 766-2689 

cvn@chilkatvalleynews.com 

or stop by our offi ce on Main Street


Board of fish rejects 

local shellfish closures 


The state Board of Fisheries 

rejected proposals aimed at 

curtailing commercial shellfish 

harvest at subsistence areas near 

Skagway and Excursion Inlet, 

during meetings earlier this year. 

At the request of residents 

there, the Haines Borough made 

proposal #163, which would have 

closed Dungeness crab fishing in 

a near-shore section of Excursion 

Inlet, creating a personal use and 

subsistence zone. 

The proposal was opposed 

by Fish and Game Advisory 

Committees including ones 

r e p r e s e n t i n g H a i n e s a n d 

Skagway, Sitka, Wrangell, 

and Petersburg, and by two 

commercial fishing groups, 

Southeast Alaska Fisherman’s 

Alliance and Petersburg Vessel 

Owner’s Association. 

The Department of Fish 

and Game was neutral on the 

proposal, but said there were no 

conservation concerns on stocks 

there. 

Thirty-six Excursion Inlet 

residents and property owners 

signed a petition seeking the 

closure, saying that they’ve seen 

degraded subsistence and personal 

use harvests there since 2002. 

Residents said commercial boats 

are increasingly dominating the 

fishery, and say crabbers moved 

or emptied their pots and cut buoy 

lines and that enforcement there 

is minimal. 

“This is becoming more 

serious, with confrontations and 

friction,” the borough wrote in 

making the proposal. 

The Upper Lynn Canal Advisory 

Committee, representing Haines 

and Skagway, voted 5-1 to oppose 

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to Juneau to Haines Tournament Special 

7:30 am March 16 th - 26 th 

10:30 am 

2:30 pm Call for details 

402 Main Street in Haines 800-354-2479· 766-3800 

8:30 am 

11:30 am via SGY 

3:30 pm 

Courtesy Van Service To & From Airport· Business Freight Delivery 

Frequent Flyer Program: Save 10 one-way tickets for a FREE one-way ticket! 

Wings is proud to continue offering you 

reliable local service through the year. 

Current Flight Schedule effective thru March 10 

Haines to Juneau Juneau to Haines 

Depart Arrive Days 

8:20 am 8:55 am Mon. - Fri. 

9:20 am 9:55 am Daily 

12:35 pm 1:10 pm Daily 

4:05 pm 4:40 pm Daily 

Haines to Skagway Skagway to Haines 

Depart Arrive Days Depart Arrive Days 

7:30 am 7:45 am Mon. - Fri. 


11:45 am 12:00 pm Daily 


the proposal. “It was felt the 

closure area in Excursion Inlet 

was too small and would lead to 

many similar requests for small 

closures and create a problem,” 

the committee wrote to the fish 

board. 

The board’s vote on the 

proposal was 5-1 to oppose, plus 

one abstention. 

The Skagway proposal would 

have closed Taiya Inlet to 

commercial crabbing north of a 

line from Sturgill’s Landing to 

Burro Creek between Sept. 1 and 

March 1. 

Taiya Inlet Watershed Council 

made the proposal, hoping to 

create a reproductive refuge 

that return stocks to historic 

abundance. The closure would 

produce a better harvest for all 

users, and the closure’s timing 

was based on peak reproductive 

times, the council said. 

Subsistence shrimp harvests 

drop to nearly zero after 

commercial crabbing there, with 

numbers recovering only slowly, 

the group said. 

The Upper Lynn Canal 

Advisory Committee split on the 

issue, with three Haines members 

opposing the proposal and two 

abstaining. Two dissenting board 

members from Skagway said they 

might resubmit the proposal. 

Fish and Game staff was neutral 

on the decision but said there 

were no conservation concerns 

on stocks there. Groups opposed 

to the closure included advisory 

committees from Wrangell and 

Petersburg and commercial fish 

groups PVOA and SEAFA. 

M i n u t e s o f f i s h b o a r d 

deliberation on the proposals were 

not available this week. 

100 gallons of heating oil = 14 million BTUs 

1 cord Spruce/Hemlock = 14 million BTUs 

$250/cord Split & Delivered 766-3321 

$600/5-cord load of logs delivered (green) 

Depart Arrive Days 


11:00 am 11:35 am Daily 



you do 

the math 

7:55 am 8:10 am Mon. - Fri. 


12:10 pm 12:25 pm Daily 


4:25 pm 4:40 pm Mon. - Fri. 

Please check in 30 minutes prior to departure. 

FAA Certified to fly IFR from Haines to Juneau. 

Haines Office at Airport Terminal 

907-766-2030 or 1-800-789-WING (9464) 

www.IChooseWings.com 

U GOT THE LOOK -- Reik Fischer, Jess Giddings, Caullen Taylor, Brook Cinocco take part in 80s 

Day recently at Haines High School. Matt Davis photo. 

‘Picturing Haines’ opens Friday 

Do you have any good, recent 

photos of Haines or Alaska you’d 

like to share with your neighbors? 

The Sheldon Museum this week 

was still accepting entries for 

its “Picturing Haines, Picturing 

Alaska,” exhibit that opens Friday 

and will show through April 14 in 

the Elisabeth Hakkinen gallery. 

The opening runs 5 to 7 p.m. 

Exhibits coordinator Karen 

Meizner said that through 

Monday only 12 photos had 

been submitted. Meizner said 

she’d make room for additional 

submissions, up until and possibly 

after Friday’s exhibit opening. 

“If people like what they see and 

want to add to it, we’ll probably be 

able to make room but everything 

has to be hangable,” she said. 

Meizner said she was also 

FERRY SCHEDULE 

For 

update info, 

call the 

Terminal 

766-2111 

Recording 

766-2113 

hoping to feature digital images to 

be shown on a computer monitor 

at the exhibit. 

Photo subjects may include 

nature, people, landscape, 

buildings, and animals of 

interest, she said. “Any photo 

taken by Chilkat Valley residents, 

preferably in the past year, that 

people would like to share with 

their neighbors are what we’re 

looking for.” 

“The idea is not just for people 

to be able to share their photos but 

also to see amateur photographers’ 

work alongside professionals’ 

work, because they all have 

something to say,” Meizner said. 

Photos may be dropped off at 

the museum between 10 a.m. and 

4 p.m. daily. Each photographer 

may submit up to two photos of 

NORTHBOUND 

Arrival Departure 

from JNU to SKG 

Fri March 2 11:30 am 12:30 pm 

Sun 4 11:30 am 12:30 pm 

Tue 6 4:30 am 6:00 am 

Wed 7 11:30 am 12:30 pm 

Fri 9 11:30 am 12:30 pm 

Sun 11 11:30 am 12:30 pm 

Mon 12 11:30 am 1:00 pm 

Wed 14 11:30 am 12:30 pm 

Fri 16 11:30 am 12:30 pm 

Sun 18 11:30 am 12:30 pm 

Mon 19 12:45 pm 2:15 pm 

SOUTHBOUND 

Arrival 

from SKG 

Departure 

to JNU 

Fri March 2 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 

Sun 4 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 

Tue 6 10:00 am 11:30 am 

Wed 7 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 

Fri 9 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 

Sun 11 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 

Mon 12 5:30 pm 7:30 pm 

Wed 14 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 

Fri 16 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 

Sun 18 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 

LETTERS DEADLINE: 5 pm Mondays 

any size. “We’re trying to make 

this an annual event.” 

In other museum news, the 

Chilkat Valley Historical Society 

is taking a break from its annual 

Brown Bag Lunch lecture 

series. The late-winter, weekly 

luncheons feature speakers from 

the community. 

Museum staff said coordination 

with museum carpet renovation 

complicated the scheduling of the 

program. It will resume next year, 

staffers said. 

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766-2514 

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CVN Unclassifieds 

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chilkatvalleynews.com


Mosquito Lake School may struggle to stay open in fall 


Mosquito Lake School faces the prospect 

of dropping below required enrollment this 

fall, forcing the school to close the doors on 

the students and teachers who rely on their 

close-knit school community. 

Haines Borough School District 

Superintendent Michael Byer held a 

meeting with Mosquito Lake School 

parents on Feb. 16. Discussion included 

whether the school will be able to maintain 

a minimum enrollment of 10 students 

in October, when official school counts 

are conducted. If the school cannot, the 

state will no longer include a factor in 

the funding formula that helps pay for the 

infrastructure of maintaining a separate 

school. According to Byer, closing the 

school would mean a loss of $200,000 in 

state funding for the district. 

Enrollment has been low in recent years, 

worrying the district and parents that it 

may shut, but Byer said the community 

has always rallied to keep it going since it 

began in 1983. 

Kathy Holmes has been Mosquito Lake’s 

teacher for six years. She works with aide 

Margaret McLaughlin to teach grades 

kindergarten through fourth grade this year, 

although she said the school can host up to 

eighth grade. 

Holmes said most of the students live 

on Mosquito Lake Road, but also include 

one student from near the U.S.-Canadian 

border and one from 18 Mile on the Haines 

Highway. 

Holmes said the small number of students 

allows her to spend quality time with each 

one. 

“I try to educate each one at their ability 

level,” she said. “Everyone has their own 

education plan that’s very individualized.” 

The small class size is one reason parents 

like Aimee Jacobson enjoy the school for 

their children. Jacobson has two children 

attending the school this year, a fourth- and 

first-grader. The family decided to send 

their fourth-grader to Haines School next 

year. But they hope Mosquito Lake School 

can remain open for their younger child. 

She said the bus ride to and from town each 

day is too long for younger children and she 

likes the smaller atmosphere of Mosquito 

Lake school for the lower grades also. 

“It’s such a long bus ride into town for 

these little guys,” she said. “There are just 

a lot of reasons to really like this school.” 

Jacobson said if the school closes she 

would consider sending her younger child 

to Klukwan school to keep the commute 

shorter for him and to keep him in a smaller 

school. 

“There’s just so many benefits to a small 

school that people don’t know until they are 

actually part of it,” she said. 

Mosquito Lake School has two large 

classrooms that Holmes can divide using 

moveable walls. There’s also a small 

library, a loft area for indoor play, a multipurpose 

room for physical education and 

activities and an outdoor greenhouse where 

students grow lettuce and flowers in the 

spring. Hot lunch is served every day. 

In recent years, the district has funded 

several upgrades at the school including 

new carpeting, a new boiler, a new septic 

system and new playground equipment. 

But the school hosts more than just 

students. Holmes and Jacobson said the 

building has become a sort of community 

center for the Mosquito Lake community. 

An exercise and knitting group meets there, 

as well as other community groups and 

activities. Organizations use the building, 

like the Klehini Volunteer Fire Department, 

which hosts its annual dinner at the school. 

Jacobson and other parents have for the past 

three years organized a Halloween family 

event at the building. 

Holmes said there is still hope that more 

families will choose to send their children 

to the school before October, or, like in 

other years, more families will move in 

to the valley. Jacobson said she’s seen 

the student count fluctuate every year. 

Personally, she said she wishes the state 

would use an average student count over 

a few years, rather than deciding every 

year whether there are enough students to 

continue the school. 

“It’s really an unfortunate situation 

because I don’t think people realize how 

much of a gem this school is,” she said. 

“It’s truly been a blessing for our family.” 

DULY from page 2 

they agreed was “the most elegant 

show in several years,” according 

to Doris. 

The giant, drifting snowballs 

seen around town Sunday 

night were the product of just 

the right weather conditions, 

according to Geri Swanson, a 

hydrometeorologist technician 

at the National Weather Service 

in Juneau. The wind-driven 

snowballs ranged from softball to 

bowling ball sized and were seen 

downtown, at Fort Seward and 

along Mud Bay Road. According 

to Swanson, the snow must be 

light enough to blow around, but 

have enough water content to 

clump. “It’s an unusual thing, not 

something you see every day,” 

said Swanson, who also noted 

reports from Juneau of similar 

events Sunday. 

The Haines Dolphins Swim 

Team kicked off its annual swima-thon 

fundraiser last Monday. 

Set for March 31, the team hopes 

to raise $15,000. Swimmers will 

gather pledges to swim up to 200 

pool lengths with their teammates. 

Sisters Rebekah and Naomi 

Green each hope to raise $500 

and swim 200 lengths. Rebekah 

ALCOHOLICS 

ANONYMOUS 

MON, WED , FRI and SAT 

6 - 7 PM 

Public Health Conference Room 

Main Street, Upstairs Gateway Bldg 

Phone Mike: 314-0165 

plans to send e-mails and letters 

to friends and family, and hopes 

her mom Shannon will post an 

appeal on her Facebook page. “It’s 

a great fundraiser and it helps out 

the team a lot,” Rebekah said. “It’s 

fun to swim with the whole team.” 

To sponsor a local swimmer, go to 

www.swim-a-thon.com. 

The Haines Borough Public 

Library hosted its first Human 

Library event Saturday. Patrons 

had an opportunity to check out a 

community member as a “living 

book” for a 20-minute interview. 

Interim Education Coordinator 

John Hagen said the books were 

selected for their “compelling 

backgrounds” to “represent a 

diversity of experience.” Patrons 

could read through descriptions 

of the offerings at a checkout 

desk and used that background 

as a jumping off point for 

conversation. Many patrons 

stayed for hours to work through 

as many “books” as possible. 

Debra Schnabel enjoyed gaining 

a deeper understanding of the 

experience of former embedded 

journalist in Iraq, Margaret 

Friedenauer. Debra had spoken 

to Margaret about her work in 

Iraq, but this time gleaned “a 

more personal take. It was more 

than a story. I was able to get my 

book to give me a lot of nuances.” 

She noted that the group around 

her was lively, “everybody was 

talking, hands were waving, it 

seemed like an animated group.” 

Subjects included a Northwest 

coast artist, a retired Air Force 

Colonel and a longtime teacher 

who grew up on a farm. 

Women of all ages gathered 

Saturday to compete in the 

“Things We Do in Alaska” race 

Special afternoon / evening hours 

1:00 – 7: 30 pm 

Monday, March 5 th 

Tuesday, March 20 th 

Monday, March 26 th 

Friday, March 30 th 

Walk-ins welcome, but please call ahead 

to schedule women’s health exams, 

diabetic exams, preventive health exams 

or administrative physical exams. 

767-5699 

and scavenger hunt to benefit 

the Haines Venturer Scouts. 

Organized by Greg Podsiki, 

seven, four-woman teams took 

on snowshoeing, commercial 

fishing, skeet shooting and heavy 

equipment operation. “Everyone 

had a great time. It was ear-to-ear 

smiles,” Greg said. Teams also 

drove snowmachines around the 

golf course to collect balloons, 

built a fire at the fairgrounds to 

burn through a rope suspended 

over the fire, and stacked a 

third of a cord of firewood on a 

pallet without toppling the load. 

Teams paid $200 to compete, 

and many were sponsored by 

local businesses. The Southeast 

Roadbuilders team of Jansy 

Hansen, Patty Brown, Judy 

Ewald and C.J. Jones took first 

place. The day ended at the Elks 

Lodge where teams deciphered 

clues to solve a riddle and enjoyed 

a Mexican dinner prepared by 

Lisa Flory with help from 

Suzanne Vuillet-Smith. Greg 

put in dozens of hours preparing 

for the competition. He said initial 

glitches will be ironed out for 

the next competition Saturday, 

March 31. This time the teams 

will be all-men and Greg is sure 

he’ll have plenty of help from 

the women who competed last 

weekend. “They have lots of ideas 

for the guys. 

Len Feldman, M.D. 

Family Doctor 

Office closed all day Wednesday 

& Friday afternoons. 

1.5 Mi. Mud Bay Rd. 766-3009 

HELICOPTERS 

You may not ride in a helicopter to go hunting. Helicopters 

are not legal for transporting hunters, hunting gear, 

game meat or trophies or any other equipment to or from 

the field. That’s because they can give you an unfair advantage. 

Helicopters may be used to rescue hunters, but 

only in a life-threatening situation. Fishing is another matter. 

Helicopters can legally be used to transport people, 

fishing gear and fish to and from fishing areas. 

Alaska Fish and Wildlife Safeguard is a group of private 

citizens dedicated to protecting our state’s fish and wildlife. 

If you think you have seen a hunting or fishing violation, 

report it. Call 1-800-478-3377. You may be eligible for a 

reward. Help make Alaska a better place. “Know Before 

You Go.” 

Haines 

Sportsman’s 

Association


CLAYMATION -- From left, second-graders Avery Williamson, Amber Nash, Zander Willard, 

Sanona Sundberg and Zane Highland participate in a “human clay” exercise with Shona Strauser of 

Perseverance Theater group. Strauser’s visit to Haines School was funded by an Alaska Association 

of School Boards grant aimed at stimulating social and emotional learning. Tom Morphet photo. 

Glacier Bears start strong at regionals 

Haines High School varsity 

basketball teams breezed through 

first-round games at the Southeast 

regional basketball championship 

Wednesday. 

Early Wednesday morning, 

the Glacier Bear girls handily 

topped Wrangell, 48-32. The 

local girls led the entire game. 

Haines scoring included Amey 

Messershmidt, 12, Hannah Wing, 

8, Marnie Rasmussen, 8, and 

Ashley Messerschmidt, 6. “They 

played strong,” said coach Brian 

Elliott. 

Seeded fourth, the girls 

advanced to a semi-final game 3 

p.m. Thursday against undefeated, 

top-seeded, Sitka. A win would 

send them to the championship 

game at 3 p.m. Friday. “They 

just have to believe they can win. 

That’s the number one thing. They 

just have to believe.” 

The girls have come within five 

points of Sitka during the regular 

season. A loss to Sitka would send 

Haines to the loser’s bracket and 

require them to win three more 

games for a trip to state, starting 

with a game 11:15 a.m. Friday. 

On Wednesday afternoon, 

the second-seeded Haines boys 

swamped Wrangell, 75-50. Senior 

Tyler Swinton led the Bears with 

32 points and younger brother 

Justin Swinton scored 19. 

With a win Thursday against 

Mount Edgecumbe or Petersburg, 

the boys will play in Friday’s 

championship at 4:45 p.m. A loss 

would mean a trip to the loser’s 

bracket, starting with a game 9:45 

a.m. Friday. 

Games are broadcast on KHNS. 

Gardening class registration by March 8 

Gardeners of all abilities 

and experience are encouraged 

to participate in a six-week 

permaculture class this spring, 

o f f e r e d t h r o u g h H a i n e s 

Community Education and 

starting Saturday, March 10. 

The registration deadline is 

March 8 and there’s room for up 

to 25 students. 

Retired biology teacher 

Melissa Aronson, who oversaw a 

permaculture center at California 

State University, will serve as 

instructor. 

Permaculture is an advanced 

form of organic gardening 

that includes composting and 

recognizing and working with 

interrelationships such as weather, 

location and design. For example, 

plants need water, but not too 

much, and use of swales can be 

incorporated to maintain balanced 

watering. 

The class will be held 9 a.m. to 

noon each Saturday in the high 

school science room through 

May 26. 

The class is aimed at learning by 

sharing information and visiting 

different gardens. Aronson is 

hoping to develop a “Haines 

Gardening Guide,” as a result of 

the class. 

Cost of the class is $100, 

which includes a copy of the 

textbook, “Gaia’s Garden.” To 

register, contact Nate Benton at 

Community Education, evenings 

at 766-6727. To learn more about 

the class or get a copy of the 

syllabus, call Aronson at 766- 

2185 or e-mail her at aronson@ 

aptalaska.net. 

"I Spy in Haines" 

Fire department nabs 

solid insurance rating 

Scores help 

keep rates low 

for residents 


The Haines Fire Department 

last month received its Public 

Protection Classification, a rating 

that in two categories remained 

the same or slightly improved 

from the last evaluation, meaning 

homeowners’ fire insurance rates 

should stay about the same or 

slightly decrease over the next 

10 years. 

The designation from Insurance 

Services Office, Inc., is a fire 

department certification for 

insurance ratings. It is the rating 

most insurance companies 

and local governments use to 

determine property tax amounts 

for fire protection. The rating is 

re-evaluated about every 10 years. 

The evaluation looks at two 

categories: properties within 

five miles of a fire station and 

1,000 feet of a fire hydrant, and 

properties within five miles of a 

station but beyond 1,000 feet of 

hydrant. This year, the Haines 

department rating kept its 5 rating 

for the core area of town and 

it dropped from 9 to 8B for 

outlying areas. The lower the 

rating number, the better the rating 

is considered. 

Departments are examined 

in three areas to determine 

ratings. Ten percent of the 

overall grading is based on how 

well a fire department receives 

fire alarms and dispatches its 

resources. Fifty percent of the 

grading is based on the number 

of engine companies, equipment, 

personnel and training. The other 

40 percent of the grading is based 

on whether the community has 

sufficient water supply for fire 

suppression and the distribution 

of fire hydrants in the service area. 

Haines fireman Al Badgley 

said the evaluation took place in 

August when ISO representatives 

came to town for two days. They 

examined records, equipment, 

and inventories and talked with 

dispatchers. They issued their 

report in February. 

Badgley said he was pleased 

with the results. He said for a 

mostly volunteer department, a 

five is a solid rating. For example, 

the department loses points for not 

having a ladder truck division. 

Also, the evaluation considers 

mostly volunteer departments 

inefficient in responding to calls 

because departments cannot 

precisely predict how many 

volunteers will respond to a fire 

at any one time. 

“There’s just certain aspects you 

can’t do very well in because they 

don’t count volunteer departments 

as having very efficient ways of 

responding,” he said. “There are 

certain aspects we have that are 

just challenging for us.” 

However, the report also offered 

ways that the department could 

score better next time. Badgley 

said the evaluators like to see 

departments list two numbers in 

the phone book’s white pages: one 

with the 911 emergency number 

and the other with the department’s 

non-emergency business line. 

Badgley said the Haines phone 

book puts emergency numbers on 

the first page of the phone book, 

but the department doesn’t list 911 

under “Haines Fire Department” 

in the white pages. 

“We just never even thought 

about it,” he said. “I thought most 

people are pretty familiar with the 

procedure that if you have a fire, 

you call 911.” 

But every point counts and 

Badgley said the 50-page report 

from the evaluators will help the 

department make sure they don’t 

compromise its score, even if they 

are not able to get lower than a five 

ranking for the core area. 

As for the ranking for the 

outlying area, Badgley said the 

department was able to improve its 

score by showing good response 

time in those areas, good reserve 

pump capacity and other solid 

criteria. 

The ratings should mean 

that homeowners won’t see an 

increase, or may see a slight 

decrease, in fire insurance. But 

Badgley notes that rates could 

increase for other reasons, like 

increased property values. 

“But the fire department has 

done its part for keeping fire 

insurance rates from going up,” 

he said. 

This month's "I Spy in Haines" 

game is featured in local grocery 

stores. Find the checklist at the store 

and search through the aisles with 

your young child for matching signs 

and pictures. 

Alaska Parent Information & Resource Center says ~ 

Language is more than talking.....it is a tool 

that helps us think and learn. 

Prime Time Learning Project is 

a publicity series made possible 

with generous funding from: 

Clover is a regular I Spy player! 

Klover is a regular I Spy player! 

Haines Borough School District, Haines Women's Club, Friends of the Library, Haines Education Assoc. 

deadline for Letters : 5 pm Mondays


Good Luck at 

Regionals! 

Feb. 29 - March 3 

Haines 

Cheer 

Team 

Front: Brook Cinocco, Margarette Jones, Cassie Galasso and Kristen Gann. 

Back: Megan Tuohy, Serena Badgley, Maggie Daly, Samantha Hoffman and Christine Briggs. 

Haines 

Dance 

Team 

Proudly Supporting the Glacier Bears 

Air Excursions 

Alaska Fjordlines, Inc. 

Alaska Power & Telephone 

American Bald Eagle Foundation 

- Flight for Freedom 

The Babbling Book 

Bamboo Room 

Canal Marine & Crew 

Caroline’s Closet 

Chilkat Valley News 

Chilkat Restaurant & Bakery 

Delta Western 

First National Bank Alaska 

Fort Seward Bed & Breakfast 

From Left: Samantha Lowe, Serena Badgley, Cassie Galasso, Margarette Jones, 

Christine Briggs, Brook Cinocco and Kristen Gann. 

Haines Borough School Board 

Haines Cable TV / Radio Shack 

Haines Home Building Supply 

Haines Propane 

Haines Quick Shop & 

Outfitter Sporting Goods 

Howsers IGA Supermarket 

J&D Mini Storage 

Lighthouse Restaurant & 

Harbor Bar 

Lynn Canal Counseling 

Lutak Lumber & Supply, Inc. 

Miles Furniture Showroom 

Mountain Market Café / 

Ripinsky Roasters 

Olerud’s Market Center 

The Parts Place 

Sockeye Cycle 

Stanford Masonry & 

Carpentry 

Malia Hayward - State 

Farm Insurance 

Stickler Construction 

Company 

Thunderbird Motel 

Turner Construction


Watershed council 

will research birds 


A benefit dinner set for March 

10 will help launch the Ts’ats’ee 

Bird Observatory, an effort of the 

Takshanuk Watershed Council 

aimed at tracking trends in local 

bird populations. 

The Mexican dinner, including 

videos produced by students, a 

live auction and art unveiling, 

will be held 5:30 p.m. Saturday, 

March 10 in the Haines School 

cafeteria. Proceeds will offset the 

$7,000 cost of training residents 

to band birds. 

Pam Randles, education 

director for the council, said the 

new venture is aimed at boosting 

bird science in the valley, now 

mostly limited to the annual 

Audubon Christmas bird count. 

The work will be separate from 

efforts by the American Bald 

Eagle Foundation, and won’t 

duplicate foundation research. 

The Audubon count, held 

in December, doesn’t include 

migratory species, a large and 

dynamic element of the Haines 

bird population, Randles said. 

“We know we have new birds 

showing up here already. We’ll be 

banding song birds and small land 

birds like doves in the spring and 

fall to look for population changes 

and breeding changes. 

“For example, with Eurasian 

collared doves we know they’re 

here. We don’t know they’re 

nesting. The only way is to 

capture a juvenile and look at the 

feathers,” Randles said. 

The work also may help identify 

and quantify numbers of recent 

arrivals, she said, and provide 

information about diseases such 

as avian pox. 

“Anecdotally, we know we’re 

regularly getting mountain 

bluebirds, which used to be rare. 

Their numbers have leaped up, but 

we don’t know how many we’re 

getting.” 

Other birds aren’t always easy to 

identify without close inspection. 

“It’s hard to tell because they’re a 

little, brown job.” 

The Chilkat Valley lies on the 

migration route known as the 

Pacific Flyway, and information 

from Haines would also help 

databanks tracking larger changes 

in bird behavior and habitat, 

Randles said. 

Randles is working to develop 

a team of seven, long-term 

volunteers to affix bands to birds, 

which would be captured in 

nets along local waterways. A 

hitch is that volunteer training is 

expensive, at nearly $1,000 per 

person, with some of the cost 

defrayed by events like the March 

10 dinner. 

Serving as a bander will require 

a serious, years-long commitment, 

she said. For six weeks each 

spring and fall, banders will work 

for six hours starting at sunrise, 

capturing, inspecting and banding 

birds. “I want people who are 

going to be here for years to come. 

It’s a big undertaking but it’s such 

a fun thing to do. You’re up in 

the morning when the wildlife’s 

out.” 

Fund-raising will enable the 

council to offer scholarships 

to banders and also help pay 

for equipment, including poles, 

nets, specialized pliers, and 

kits for responding to birds that 

experience stress. 

Randles said she’s still in 

the process of setting up the 

o b s e r v a t o r y, w h i c h m a y 

eventually expand to ground 

surveys of breeding birds, eagle 

studies or other efforts. “We 

hope to expand and become a 

research center for people.” The 

council will get a “station permit” 

required for such efforts. 

The fund-raising dinner will 

include the premier showing 

of “Chilkat Calendar,” a Tim 

Shields artwork depicting wildlife 

seasons, and videos produced by 

local students that will be aired on 

Alaska public television. 

For information or to donate 

auction items, contact Randles at 

766-3542. 

OPEN 

11:30 am- 8 pm Monday - Saturday 

closed Sunday 766-2442 

Harbor Bar 766-2444 

Open at 11:30 am Monday - Saturday 

World Tavern Poker - Fri. & Sat. 7 pm 

Poker - Mon. & Wed. 7 pm 

Karaoke - Thursday 9 pm 

Take off the winter chill 

’ 

MOSEYS 

CANTINA 

DINNER 5-8:30 

EVERY NIGHT 

EXCEPT TUES 

LUNCH 11:30-2:30 

MON, WED, THUR, FRI 

766-2320 

Invest in yourself & your neighbors 

Shop Locally 

Klover Cinocco plays the “I Spy” game from the Children’s Reading Foundation at a local grocery 

story. Submitted photo. 

New group pushes early literacy skills 

Can you spy the new foundation 

in Haines working to enhance 

early literacy? 

It’s called the The Children’s 

Reading Foundation and it’s 

the only Alaska chapter of the 

international organization. The 

group is behind the recent “I 

Spy” game at local grocery stores 

to encourage family literacy 

activities. It also hosted the free 

book exchange at area holiday 

bazaars. 

The Haines Borough chapter 

formed in November with 10 

board members. Jeanne Kitayama, 

Literacy Coordinator at Haines 

School, acts as executive director. 

The chapter encompasses the 

• Hawaiian 

• Veggie 

• Meat Lovers 

Pizza to Order 

• Chicken Pesto w/ 

Sun Dried Tomatoes 

• 4-Cheese 

(Marinara or Pesto) 

 

 

• Sausage Mushroom w/Black Olives 

★ 24-hours notice required ★ 

Ask for MJ or Deborah 766-3340 

Mountain Market & Cafe 

Chilkat Restaurant 

& Bakery 

Open Tuesday - Saturday 

HOURS: 7AM - 2 PM 

vision of the national foundation: 

“That every child learns to read 

early and well, thereby reaching 

his or her full potential in school 

and life.” 

The group is brainstorming 

more ideas for literacy activities 

where they can engage children 

and parents. They’d like to 

collaborate with organizations 

that will help them reach more 

families and children, like the I 

Spy game. That activity has a list 

of products, like apples or cheese, 

with a picture and children can 

roam the store trying to find the 

objects. 

The activity is meant to help 

young children heighten their 

Closed Sunday and Monday 

Dinner Open 

Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights 4:30 - 8 PM 

Thai food every day! 

766-3653 

Corner of 5th & Dalton behind Miles Furniture 

 

awareness of written words, 

match shapes and letters and 

expand vocabulary. 

Kitayama and board member 

KC O’Connor emphasize that 

the goal isn’t only about reading, 

but early literacy aims to get 

children interested in reading 

and giving them language skills 

before learning to read and write 

in school. 

“It’s about what children know 

before they read and write that 

really lines them up for success,” 

Kitayama said. 

The group has a page on 

Facebook under “Children’s 

Reading Foundation of Haines.” 

Ski track at Klehini in prime condition 

Mosquito Lake Road resident 

Jim Stanford said this week a 

6.5-mile, cross-country ski track 

along the Klehini River should 

be available for the remainder of 

the winter. 

S t a n f o r d w a s r e c e n t l y 

approved as a volunteer by the 

state Division of Parks to operate 

agency track-setting equipment 

on state property there. The local 

parks office last year acquired 

snowmachines and a track-setter 

through a grant. 

“It’s a gorgeous trail right now. 

It’s a comfortable, two-and-ahalf-hour 

ski,” Stanford said. 

Every Friday he sets a double 

track for the weekend, he said. 

Stanford said he’s interested in 

recruiting more and younger parks 

volunteers to help maintain the 

trail. Discussions at identifying 

other locations for setting a 

Nordic track are ongoing, he said. 

With Skagway’s Buckwheat 

Ski Classic coming in less than a 

month, Stanford said he’s hoping 

a ski race or organized outing 

might be held there. “It’s a great, 

little place for a race.” 

As the track follows the 

perimeter of the river flats, 

there’s plenty of room for 

snowmachiners inside the loop, 

he said. 

A recreational dog musher, 

Stanford also uses his own 

snowmachine to maintain a 10- 

mile section of trail along the 

Kelsall Road that he says local 

skiers are free to use. 

Pioneer Bar 

Open Every Night 

at 5 p.m. 

trivia night 

Every Sat. 8-10 pm 

BAMBOO 

ROOM 

Restaurant 

7 am - 2 pm 5 - 8 pm 

Fri • Sat • Sun • Mon 

read


Police Report 

Monday, Feb. 27 

A business owner was 

assisted locating the owner of 

a vehicle parked three days at 

Third Avenue and Old Haines 

Highway. 

A caller requested Dalton 

Street be sanded due to ice. 

A caller requested a family 

member’s doctor call her. The 

message was relayed. 

Sunday, Feb. 26 

A post office patron reported 

an electrical current running 

through a pedestrian ramp there. 

It was determined there was no 

current there. 

A caller reported a broken 

door and possible trespass at a 

Front Street home. 

An officer conducted a traffic 

stop and issued a verbal warning 

for failure to stop at a stop sign. 

Saturday, Feb. 25 

An officer provided a courtesy 

ride to two individuals from a 

local bar and restaurant to their 

motel. 

Responding to a report of 

a person riding on top of a 

van on Front Street, an officer 

conducted a traffic stop and 

issued a citation for reckless 

driving. The person aloft was a 

visitor with a video camera. 

A caller reported a child 

had hit another child. An officer 

determined no crime had 

occurred. 

Friday, Feb. 24 

In two separate incidents, 

children playing with telephones 

dialed 911. 

Two traffic stops resulted in 

citations for expired registration 

and defective headlight and 

warnings for expired license and 

defective headlight. 

Thursday, Feb. 23 

A caller reported a dog 

attempting to break her yard 

fence to make contact with her 

dog. 

Wednesday, Feb. 22 

A driver involved in an 

accident requested information 

on filling out a form. 

A r e s i d e n t r e p o r t e d 

a trespasser on their rental 

property but determined they 

had permission from the renters. 

Tuesday, Feb. 21 

A caller reported receiving a 

fraudulent e-mail stating that a 

relative was stranded in another 

country. 

State road crews reported a 

vehicle at 7 Mile Haines Highway 

needed to be moved. 

Public works was notified 

after a caller reported a street 

light out. 

A caller reported their vehicle 

had been backed into in a 

parking lot near Main Street 

and Sixth Avenue on Feb. 19. 

A traffic stop resulted in a 

verbal warning for failure to use 

a turn signal and expired tags. 

There were 19 medical calls 

and four canine calls. 

The Haines Borough Police 

Department can be reached at 

766-2121. 

Biathlon set for Saturday 

Haines Sportsman’s Association 

will hold a snowmachine biathlon 

starting 11 a.m. Saturday at its 

rifle range on Mud Bay Road at 

Mount Riley. 

Competitors will fire .22-caliber 

rifles after riding a lap on a short, 

winding course. Each race will 

last five laps. Targets will be 

shotgun shells at about 30 feet. 

Co-organizer Shane Horton 

said snowmachines and rifles 

will be available for use at the 

event and that monster machines 

won’t have any advantage on the 

course. Missing the target will 

cost competitors an entry lap. 

For more information, contact 

Horton at 766-3779. 

NOTICE INVITING BIDS 

SEARHC Haines Health Center 

Construction Project 

RECEIPT OF BIDS: Sealed Bids 

will be received at the SEARHC 

Project Management Office, 

SEARHC/Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital 

(MEH), 221 Tongass Drive, Sitka, 

Alaska 99835, until 2:00 p.m. 

March 29, 2012. Opening date and 

time may change to a later date or 

time as the Owner may announce 

by addendum. 

This Project consists primarily 

of a 600 sf addition and 

partial interior renovation of 

the Haines Health Center 

in Haines, Alaska. Contract 

completion time will be 210 

calendar days. 

Bid documents will be available 

on March 1, 2012. Electronic 

copies will be available at no 

charge. Prints require a $100, 

non-refundable fee made payable 

to SEARHC Project Management, 

222 Tongass Drive, Sitka, Alaska 

99835. 

A Pre-bid Conference is scheduled 

for 2:00 p.m. on March 15, 2012 in 

the SEARHC Mt. Edgecumbe 

Hospital Conference Room C, 

222 Tongass Dr., Sitka, Alaska. 

Bids will be opened at 2:00 

p.m. on March 29, 2012 in the 

SEARHC Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital 

Conference Room C, 222 Tongass 

Dr., Sitka, Alaska. To request a 

set of bid documents, or for more 

information, call (907) 966-8855 

or email julie.white@searhc.org. 

This project is subject to the 

SEARHC Indian Preference Policy 

in Contracting. 

Alaska Statewide Land Sale 

The Alaska Mental Health 

Trust Land Office is holding 

a competitive sale of parcels 

throughout Alaska. Lots are 

approximately 0.65 to 9.76 acres 

in size. For further information 

view the Trust Land Office’s 

website at www.mhtrustland.org 

or call (907) 269-8422. 

State of Alaska 

Department of Natural 

Resources 

Division of Forestry 

Northern Southeast Area 

Office 

Notice of Preliminary Decision 

under AS 38.05.035 & AS 

38.05.945 

The Alaska Department of Natural 

Resources, Division of Forestry, 

gives formal notice under AS 

38.05.945 that the Division has 

made a preliminary decision under 

AS 38.05.035(e) regarding the 

sale of the 13 Mile Bench Timber 

Sales, NSE 1475. 

Before this sale may be held, 

the Director of the Division of 

Forestry must make a written final 

decision that the sale best serves 

the interest of the State. This 

decision will set out the facts and 

applicable policies upon which the 

Director bases his determination 

that the proposed timber sales will 

or will not best serve the interest 

of the State. The final decision 

is expected to be available to 

the public on, or after, March 

30, 2012. 

The proposed 13 Mile Bench 

timber sale is located within the 

Haines Borough. The regional 

native corporation is the Sealaska 

Native Corporation. Klukwan is 

the nearest community, and is 

located about 8 miles west of the 

sale. The sale area can be found 

on the United States Geological 

Service 1:63,360 Quadrangle map 

titled Skagway B-2. The proposed 

sale volume and location is as 

follows: 800 MBF, portions of SE 

¼ Section 25, NE ¼ Section 36, 

T29S R57E, CRM. 

The public is invited to comment 

on any aspect of the preliminary 

decision. Comments should be 

mailed to the Division of Forestry, 

PO Box 263, Haines, AK 99827 or 

email to roy.Josephson@alaska. 

gov Comments must be received 

at the Division of Forestry office 

no later than March 30, 2012 

in order to be considered in the 

final decision of whether or not 

this sale will be held in whole or 

in part. To be eligible to appeal 

the final decision a person must 

have provided written comment 

by March 30, 2012. 

HAINES BOROUGH 

NOTICE of EXPIRATION of 

REDEMPTION PERIOD 

FORECLOSED PROPERTY 

DELINQUENT REAL 

PROPERTY TAXES for 

TAX YEARS 2004 to 2007 

Notice is given pursuant to Alaska 

Statute 29.45.440 that certain 

real properties, In the Matter of 

2004 through 2007 Delinquent 

Real Property Taxes Owed to the 

Borough of Haines, Alaska, were 

ordered sold and transferred to 

the Haines Borough on March 

18, 2011, by order of the Superior 

Court for the First Judicial District 

at Juneau, State of Alaska, under 

the Judgment and Decree of 

Foreclosure of Real Property Tax 

Liens, Case No. 1JU-10-889-CI. 

The time for redemption of these 

properties expires on March 

18, 2012. Redemption may 

be exercised, as provided by 

AS 29.45.400, by any person 

having an interest in the property 

by paying the lien amount plus 

penalties, interest and costs to the 

Haines Borough, P.O. Box 1209, 

Haines, AK 99827, located at 

103 Third Ave. S., Haines, Alaska. 

The 2004-2007 Real Foreclosure 

List with the current accrued 

interest and costs is available at 

the Haines Borough office, (907- 

766-2231). 

PAYMENT MUST be PAID by 

CERTIFIED FUNDS, MONEY 

ORDER or CASH, made PAYABLE 

to the HAINES BOROUGH. 

WARNING: Unless redeemed 

prior to close of business on 

MARCH 19, 2012, at 5:00 p.m., 

all properties ordered sold under 

said Judgment and Decree, shall 

be deeded to the Haines Borough 

immediately on expiration of the 

period of redemption, and every 

right or interest of a person in the 

properties will be forfeited forever 

to the Haines Borough, subject 

only to repurchase rights pursuant 

to Alaska Statute 29.45.470. 

Julie Cozzi, Borough Clerk 

Published 

Feb. 23, March 1, 8 & 15, 2012 

HAINES BOROUGH 

(8-11b) 

CALL COLDWELL BANKER 

In Haines: Call Glenda Gilbert 

766-3511 or 321-3512 

Visit our Website at www.racerealty.com 

Making Real Estate Real Easy. 

From the Baha’i 

Scriptures 

“ Humility 

exalteth man to the 

heaven of glory 

and power, whilst 

pride abaseth him 

to the depths of 

wretchedness and 

degradation.” 

~Baha’u’llah 

Call (907)789-0555 

Fax (907)789-8460 

2103 N. Jordan Ave 

Juneau, AK 99801 

HAINES BAPTIST 

CHURCH 

6 th & 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 

“...Believe on in the Lord Jesus Christ, and and 

thou shalt 16:38 

thou be shalt saved...” Acts 16:31 

be saved...” 

HAINES 

Presbyterian 

Church 

“Whoever lives in love lives in 

God, and God in him.” 

- 1 John 4:16 

Come & Worship with us! 

766-2377 Sundays at 10 am 

1st Ave. South, by the Boat Harbor 

www.haineschurch.org 

The preliminary decision may 

be viewed at the: Division of 

Forestry, Gateway Building, 219 

Main Street, Haines, Alaska; 

Haines Public Library; on line at 

http://forestry.alaska.gov/timber/ 

haines.htm or by calling 907-766- 

2120 to request a copy. 

The State of Alaska, Department 

of Natural Resources, Division of 

Forestry, complies with Title II of the 

Americans with Disabilities Act of 

1990. Individuals with disabilities 

who may need auxiliary aids, 

services, or special modifications 

to participate in this review may 

contact the number above. 

SURPLUS EQUIPMENT SALE 

Southeast Alaska Power Agency 

(‘SEAPA’) will accept bids on 

a 1983 955L Track Mounted 

Caterpillar Front End Loader 

until March 21, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. 

AST. The equipment is located at 

the Northland Services (Boyer 

Alaska Barge Lines) Facility, 

3311 Tongass Avenue, Ketchikan, 

Alaska. Persons interested in 

viewing the equipment must sign 

in at the Northland Services 

office and be escorted to the 

site where it is stored. Contact 

Southeast Alaska Power Agency 

at (907) 228-2281 for additional 

information and bid forms. (9b) 

Alaskan Liquor Store 

Monday - Saturday 10 am - 8 pm 

Sunday Noon - 7 pm 

208 Main Street 

Check out our In-Store Specials 

766-3131 

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 

Sponsored, 

in part by 

AP&T 

Long 

distance 

1-888-GO-APTLD 

46-27853 

Day Date High Low Rain Snow Day Date High Low Rain Snow 

Tue 

Wed 

Thu 

Fri 

Sat 

Sun 

Mon 

Feb 21 

Feb 22 

Feb 23 

Feb 24 

Feb 25 

Feb 26 

Feb 27 

36 

34 

35 

33 

27 

32 

33 

30 

27 

25 

24 

18 

9 

11 

.07 

0 

Tr 

Tr 

0 

0 

.24 

0 

Tr 

Tr 

0 

0 

5.5 

.70 

Tue 

Wed 

Thu 

Fri 

Sat 

Sun 

Mon 

Feb 21 

Feb 22 

Feb 23 

Feb 24 

Feb 25 

Feb 26 

Feb 27 

34 

37 

32 

33 

30 

26 

29 

22 

14 

11 

11 

9 

1 

3 

.50 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

.20 

7.0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

4.0 

Soil Temp. 33.3


Chilkat Valley News classifieds published free on our website! 

chilkatvalleynews.com 

Un-Classified Ads 

Are you hairy noon and nighty 

nite nite? Is your hair a fright? 

Italian hair clips are in at 

Buckshot & Bobby Pins! 221 

Main St. (9b) 

Reduced 0.48 acre Highland lot 

$59,000. Pam @ Haines Real 

Estate, 303-7033. (9b) 

Job Opening: Alaska Nature 

Tours is seeking PT Naturalist/ 

Guides. View wildlife and 

share your knowledge and 

e n t h u s i a s m fo r H a i n e s. 

Leadership, articulation skills, 

First Aid/CPR required. CDL 

driver training provided. Call 

Jo Anna at 766-2876 or email 

resume to antops@mac.com. 

(9,10b) 

POSITION VACANCY: The 

Haines Borough School District 

is looking for a Track & Field 

Coach. Contact Ashley at 766- 

6725. Closes March 7th. (8,9b) 

Looking for home in Haines 

with owner financing. Have 

property in Soldotna, Spokane 

or Montana to use as down 

payment. 406-253-2374. (6-9b) 

DRY CANADIAN LOGS for sale. 

Truckload quantities. Call 

Dimok Timber, 867-634-2311. 

(1cb) 

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 

l o t s . $ 6 5 , 0 0 0 , $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 

d o w n p a y m e n t , t e r m s 

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) 

2.8 acres waterfront, close to 

downtown, water, power, 

electric, driveway installed, 

potential terms, $285,000. Call 

Jim, Pam or Jeanne, Haines 

Real Estate 766-3510. (36cb) 

Haines Assisted Living (HAL) 

currently has a vacancy for 

an assisted living resident or 

couple. Private pay or medicaid 

waiver accepted. If interested, 

contact HAL at 766-3616. 

HAL provides equal housing 

opportunity. (7b) 

Are you a mover or a shaker? 

Horny Toad work out pants 

come adjustable for Petite, 

Regular, or Tall. Buckshot & 

Bobby Pins. 766-2450 (9b) 

Historic Building & Business 

Ft. Seward Bed & Breakfast 

Views, private owners quarters, 

ready for the summer season. 

$589,000 Pam @ Haines Real 

Estate 303-7033 (9b) 

Recruitment 

Notice 

Klukwan Clinic 

Lead Patient Access Representative/ 

Alternate Resource Coordinator 

Part time – Benefited $17.46 - $19.58 

Responsible for daily workfl ow of patient access at Klukwan Clinic. 

Schedules and registers patients. Verifi es patient insurance and 

demographic data to insure accurate billing information is maintained. 

Assists patient in applying for alternate resource programs 

and analyzes patient fi nancial information to determine eligibility 

for those programs. Ongoing review of data entry and work lists. 

Batches daily visits. Performs fi ling and maintains orderly medical 

records. 

Qualification Requirements 

• High school diploma or equivalent 

• Three years general offi ce experience in a medical setting, 

one of which must have included primary responsibility for 

patient registration and screening patients for insurance 

and alternate resources. 

Desirable or additional qualifications 

• Working knowledge of patient registration 

• Working knowledge of medical insurance benefi ts, 

Alaska Medicaid and Medicare 

• Accuracy and attention to detail 

• Ability to work independently 

• Knowledge of HIPAA standards 

Preference is given to Alaska Native/American Indian applicants 

who meet minimum requirements according to the provisions of 

Public Law 96-638. 

Submit application to SEARHC Human Resources, 3245 Hospital 

Drive, Juneau, AK 99801 or online at www.searhc.org. 

Eagle Valley Welding 

WELDING & 

REPAIR 

131 4th Ave Haines 723-5572 

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


FISH from page 1 

NORTHERN LIGHT -- Steve Ritzinger, Eric Holle and John Hunt perform at the Northern Light 

Showcase at the Chilkat Center recently. The annual event is hosted by the Haines Arts Council. 

John S. Hagen photo. 

Show set for Tuesday ‘beyond folk’ 

Moira Smiley and VOCO, a 

three-woman, vocal and acoustic 

band named the No. 1 a cappella 

group in the nation in 2007, will 

perform 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 6 

at the Chilkat Center auditorium. 

“They’re really a singing 

group. The instruments provide a 

tasty, subtle background to their 

vocals,” said Haines Arts Council 

president Tom Heywood, who 

caught the show in the Lower 

48. “Their harmonies are really 

sweet.” 

The group also is known for 

physical percussion that goes well 

HELISKI from page 1 

until the last few moments. 

“I just decided I felt like they 

deserve permit based on the 

criteria set forth in the conditional 

use permit,” Lapp said. “Personal 

opinion put aside, because I 

really don’t think a person, out of 

respect, in that much of residential 

area should conduct such an 

operation, but they did, I believe, 

meet all the criteria for that CUP.” 

A s s e m b l y w o m a n D e b r a 

Schnabel said after going into 

private deliberations, she offered 

the idea of a trial period for the 

permit. 

“I thought it was important to 

see if the claims of the neighbors 

were valid,” she said. “The 

people that are opposed to it are 

imagining what it would be like to 

have a heliport there. I would have 

liked to have had the opportunity 

to test the fears of the community 

that this is incompatible land use.” 

Smith said he wasn’t interested 

in Schnabel’s proposal because it 

didn’t offer a firm decision. 

“This was a vote on yeh or 

nay,” he said. “Not yea or but… 

you can’t do that. The thing would 

get thrown out of court. You can’t 

change the condition. You’re 

supposed to be making a decision 

on a condition.” 

Smith supported upholding the 

planning commission decision 

because, he said, operating a 

heliport there would go against 

the borough’s comprehensive 

plan to be too disturbing to local 

residents. 

“ I t h i n k t h e r e w a s a 

preponderance of evidence that 

the neighborhood did not want 

this to happen,” he said. 

Assemblywoman Joanne 

Waterman thought Schnabel’s 

proposal was still a decision on 

the conditional use permit, even 

if just a temporary option. 

“In order to do that, you still 

have to grant a CUP, and to grant 

a CUP they have to meet the 

criteria,” Waterman said. “We 

went through the eight criteria, 

one by one, and they just didn’t 

meet them all.” 

After her proposal for a 

beyond knee slapping. “This is a 

truly phenomenal act, combining 

the energy of urban street singing 

with first-rate musicianship and 

folk roots,” said Folkworks, a 

Los Angeles publication. “Their 

body percussion sets are a sight 

to behold.” 

Cello, banjo and accordion 

give the group a vaudevillian ring 

while bending musical genres to 

create a sound like “ancient folk 

songs blasted to bits by vocal 

lasers,” said the Bend Bulletin. 

The Palo Alto Daily News 

said the group brings “a sense of 

temporary permit didn’t take hold, 

Schnabel said it appeared that the 

assembly was going to be locked 

in a 4-2 vote, with her voting in 

the minority. Due to procedural 

rules, the assembly was required 

to vote on the matter with a “super 

majority,” or at least five of six 

members in accordance. A 4-2 

or 3-3 vote would have meant 

an impasse, and the planning 

commission’s vote would have 

stood. 

But Schnabel said she wanted 

to provide a supermajority vote 

on the issue since the issue will 

likely go to court. 

“I think it’s a terrible place 

to put a judge,” she said. “I had 

to decide, ‘Do I want this to go 

forward to the court where a 

judge can see a yes or no from the 

GOP from page 1 

district leadership will be held. 

The election will be for leadership 

of the party in House District #34, 

Haines’ new state House district, 

which includes Sitka. Votes 

for party leaders will be tallied 

districtwide, via teleconference. 

To participate in the district 

leadership election, party 

members must pay a $20 

convention registration fee. 

Besides Kurz, current district 

Calling 

ALL 

Republicans 

wonder to vocalizing, amazing 

harmonies and rapturous rendering 

of global musical cultures.” 

The group’s own promotional 

information describes their 

music as “new song and warped 

traditionals of Appalachia 

and Eastern Europe.” “It’s an 

interesting genre,” said Heywood. 

“It’s sort of folk music, but beyond 

folk music in a lot of ways.” 

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 

for seniors, and $40 for a family 

and are available at the Babbling 

Book. For information call 766- 

3356. 

assembly, or do we want them to 

make this decision for us?’ I think 

there should be something there 

for the court to adjudicate.” 

Scott Sundberg of SEABA 

issued a statement after the 

meeting. 

“We are very disappointed 

at the decision the assembly 

came too and that the decision 

to not approve the CUP with 

adjusted amendments for 

operations or a willingness for the 

borough to come to the table is a 

disappointment and is unsettling. 

We clearly feel that we have the 

right in the general use zone to use 

our property as allowed under the 

code. The fact they are holding us 

hostage under Title 5 is unfair and 

we feel illegal.” 

leadership includes chair Robert 

Venables of Haines, vice-chair 

Kathy Hosford of Skagway, and 

secretary Janet Kurz of Haines. 

Bill Kurz said it’s important 

to have the party’s district 

leaders from Haines to form a 

leadership team with state House 

Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines. 

For more information, go to 

alaskarepublicans.com. 


at the 

Captain’s Choice Motel 

Republican Presidential 

4 to 8 p.m. Preference Poll 

Come register at the door 

Must be a Republican voter to participate 

Republican District 34 Convention 

6 to 7 p.m. 

You must be a registered Republican voter 

and pay $20 convention registration fee. 

Refreshments Served 

Paid for by Alaska Republican Party District 34 

Box 1363, Haines, AK 99827 

As a result, most of the roughly 

80 boats that make up the local 

fleet now fish mainly on chums, 

although sockeye are worth about 

twice as much per pound. 

The irony, fishing group leaders 

say, is that despite reduced effort 

on sockeye, wild returns of those 

fish to the lakes haven’t rebounded. 

In fact, managers in recent years 

haven’t consistently returned 

to lakes enough fish needed to 

sustain the runs, a number called 

“minimum escapement.” 

There’s something wrong with 

that equation, said J.R. Churchill, 

a veteran fisherman and vicepresident 

of Lynn Canal Gillnet 

Association. 

“Eighty to ninety boats here 

used to fish sockeye and we all 

made a living. Now all but about 

five boats fish on hatchery chum. 

But with us concentrating on 

summer chum, the sockeye runs 

are still anemic,” Churchill said. 

Churchill said he’d like to 

have subsistence and sportfish 

interests and other residents at 

the upcoming meeting with Fish 

and Game brass. “It’s not just 

the upper Lynn Canal gillnetters’ 

fish. It’s subsistence users fish 

and sportfishermen’s fish and 

everybody down the line. We’d 

certainly hope everybody can 

participate in that,” Churchill said. 

At this point, fishermen and 

Fish and Game leaders appear 

to have differing views on the 

severity of the issue. 

In his letter to the borough, 

deputy commissioner Bedford 

said records indicate sockeye 

escapements at Chilkoot and 

Chilkat have fluctuated since 1976 

and that that’s common for wild 

salmon populations. 

A chart included in Bedford’s 

letter, however, shows sockeye 

escapement into Chilkat Lake 

at minimum or below minimum 

escapement in six of the past 

seven years. Chilkoot Lake didn’t 

meet minimum escapement goals 

in 2008 and 2009. Successive 

years of missed escapement goals 

can lead the state to designate 

a fish run a “stock of concern,” 

bringing more protection for fish 

and less fishing opportunity for 

gillnetters. 

With returns “bumping up 

against” stock-of-concern 

thresholds, Churchill said the 

state should be investing more 

energy in understanding local 

sockeye systems. Toward that 

end, gillnetters, with help from 

the borough, expect to soon 

hire a private limnologist, or 

lake scientist, to start looking at 

Chilkoot and Chilkat this spring, 

including reviewing Fish and 

Game data. 

“What Fish and Game does is 

monitor the fisheries,” Churchill 

said. “There’s no group that tries 

to turn around troubled systems 

and lakes, so we decided to do it 

on our own.” 

Among issues to be studied are 

a range of factors that affect lake 

productivity, including siltation 

and populations of zooplankton 

that juvenile fish feed on. “What 

we’re looking for is why our lakes 

aren’t producing at historic levels 

and what it will take to bring them 

back,” Churchill said. 

Fishermen also are challenging 

state management that allowed 

about 180,000 sockeye – including 

at least some bound for Haines 

– to be scooped up by seine 

fishermen targeting pink salmon 

last summer. 

In his letter to the borough, Fish 

and Game’s Bedford suggests 

that providing “an unobstructed 

path” for Lynn Canal salmon in 

Icy Straits would amount to an 

allocation decision, an issue for 

the state Board of Fish, a political 

group, rather than management 

biologists. 

Churchill disagrees with 

Bedford’s characterization of 

the issue. “Our fish are being 

caught between the ocean and 

Lynn Canal and we’re failing to 

make escapement goals. That’s 

a biological issue. We’re on firm 

ground here.” 

Gillnetters are paying to obtain 

e-mails between Fish and Game 

biologists at the time of the seine 

intercept. Churchill said the fleet 

plans to keep pressure on the 

state, so that when situations 

arise similar to seine harvest, the 

agency knows people in Haines 

are watching fish numbers and the 

management. 

Mayor Scott expressed a bigpicture 

view of the importance of 

the effort, noting that attractions 

like the Alaska Chilkat Bald 

Eagle Preserve are dependent 

on healthy salmon runs. “I think 

there’s a renewed sense that 

what’s important here are our fish. 

They’re our lifeblood, so we’re 

going to make sure they’re being 

attended to.” 

Dr. Robyn Barlow 

Naturopathic 

Primary Care 

Physician 

a 

General Family Practice 

Treating the underlying cause of 

disease in all ages 

Please book appointments in advance 

New 

Dates 

530-332-9355 

www.chicond.com 

In Haines April 23 - 26 

moira smiley & VOCO 

Stompin’ gorgeous harmony, cello & banjo 

New song & warped traditionals of 

Appalachia & Eastern Europe 

Tuesday 

March 6 

7 p.m. 

at the 

Chilkat 

Center 

Incredible vocals and tasty accompaniment 

Tickets $15 adult, $12 senior, $5 student, $40 family 

Presented by the Haines Arts Council

TWC plans bird observatory - page 9 - Chilkat Valley News

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