Crowds embrace
Gov. Palin

By Tom Morphet

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin received a hero’s welcome from the local American Legion post and celebrity treatment from Haines students and residents who crowded around her for autographs and handshakes during a two-hour visit April 29.

The governor did not take questions from local reporters, including whether she intended to veto legislative appropriations to the community, as she has done the previous two years.

 The official purpose of Palin’s visit was to sign legislation extending retirement benefits to 26 surviving veterans for their service to the Alaska Territorial Guard. The trip was a follow-up on an invitation to attend the statewide American Legion convention in Haines two weeks ago.

 At Lookout Park, Palin’s own video crew filmed her on a makeshift stage surrounded by veterans, American flags, and red-white-and-blue banners. About 200 residents crowded around the shelter there.

“Welcome to Palin country,” said Gene Strong, who gave Palin a hug to cheers from the crowd. Borough mayor Jan Hill commented that many students whose hands Palin had autographed earlier at the school wouldn’t be taking a bath for a month. “We’re as thrilled as they are to have you here,” Hill said.

Palin recounted the service of territorial guardsmen, 6,389 civilian volunteers who served in the place of Alaska National Guardsmen called overseas during World War II. Territorial guards were not recognized as in active federal service until 2000, and recently their retirement benefits were discontinued.

Palin said honoring the guardsmen “displays the patriotism you all so embrace.”

“To our veterans, to the fine American Legion and leader Jim Moran, I thank you for your service,” she said, adding that the story behind a Humvee dedicated to servicemen killed in Iraq took her breath away.

Retiree Sally Lix had Palin sign her shirt. Lix, who moved here from California, said she was a Palin fan and wasn’t disappointed by seeing the governor in person. “She sounds just like she did on TV.”

Palin motored around town with mayor Hill, driving by Fort Seward and Port Chilkoot Dock. The governor understood the need for a dock upgrade, and literally hit some bumps in the road. “We talked about road improvement dollars and how important they were,” Hill said.

“We didn’t talk about any specifics. It was more that we wanted to show her the community, how we’d used funds from the state and how we’d spend more funds,” Hill said. The mayor said she would at least be sending Palin a letter encouraging her to maintain funding for projects approved by the Alaska Legislature.

Some residents took the opportunity to push political agendas. Fisherman Norm Hughes said he thanked the governor for actions supporting his industry.

Palin toured the Haines School with superintendent Michael Byer, greeting students and teachers. Abby Jones, 16, said she found Palin’s balancing of motherhood and the governorship inspirational. “Even for how brief she was here, it was great that she was able to come.”

 Carol Waldo, in the cafeteria with her grandchildren, didn’t get up from her lunch to see Palin. She said she’s seen all the Alaska governors since Bill Egan and bumped into Gov. Tony Knowles once in a Juneau grocery store. “Seeing the governor is not such a big deal.”

 Former mill owner John Schnabel said he was surprised so many people turned out to see Palin. Schnabel said while the governor has racked up impressive political achievements, she’s been no friend to Southeast Alaska. “I appreciate getting to see people’s reaction to her. It’s obviously celebrity worship.”