Winter games set for Saturday
The Haines Winter “Olympics” is set for Saturday, although the weather will dictate if all the events take place as scheduled.
A chili cook off will at least take place. Contestants can bring a pot of chili in a plug-in crock-pot for judging and to share with attendees. Toppings and serving utensils will be provided. Judging begins at 10:30 a.m. and chili will be served to the public starting at 11 a.m. while it lasts.
Starting at 10 a.m. a community ice skate will begin, open to all ages. If the ice melts, relay races will take place instead. A golf skills tournament and frying pan toss will also start at 10 a.m.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the kids’ events and snow events will take place. If the snow holds, these events will include sledding, kick sledding, snowball relays, skiing, snowshoeing and biathlon.
The snowshoe softball game and hockey game start at 1 p.m.
All events are free. The games are sponsored by the Well and Fit Community Council, the Southeast Alaska State Fair and Community Youth Development.
Library hosts ‘living book’ event
The public library has thousands of items available for check out. But on Feb. 25 library visitors will have the option of checking out a different type of resource material: a person.
Several “living books” will be available from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for 20-minute checkout periods to ask questions about the person’s life and experiences. The library said the “books” available will be selected for thier compelling backgrounds and will represent a diversity of experiences.
“I hope community members will use this opportunity to check out someone they don’t know very well and ask them questions they wouldn’t normally be able to ask,” said program coordinator Janine Allen. “Out ultimate goal is to develop and enrich dialogue.”
The Haines Human Library event is inspired by a movement founded in Denmark as a response to hate crimes. Since 2000, the movement has brought together people of different backgrounds to have “meaningful dialogues, comprehend differences and seek common cause.”
To volunteer as a human book or to suggest resources for the event, contact Janine Allen or John Hagen at 766-2545.
Buckwheat ski race goes online
Registration is underway for the 2012 Buckwheat Ski Classic that takes place March 24 in Skagway. Last year, founder Buckwheat Donahue announced his last year as organizer. The non-profit Log Cabin Ski Society was formed last fall to take over the race.
Participants can choose among a 50K, 25K and 10K classic cross-country ski race. There is also a 5K kids’ race. All races take place at Log Cabin on the South Klondike Highway with pre-and post-race events in Skagway. Volunteers are still needed for race packet prep, dinner serving, race timing, T-shirt sales and aid station prep.
Online race registration is available at http://www.buckwheatskiclassic.com. Print registrations are available at several Skagway businesses and Lutak Lumber in Haines.
Assembly takes up CWS contract
The Haines Borough Assembly on Tuesday went into an executive session to discuss potential legal issues that could arise from taking action on a contract with Community Waste Solutions.
The company requested the assembly consider entering into a new waste management contract, following the April 2011 expiration of a contract for garbage collection and disposal.
After the session, the assembly directed borough manager Mark Earnest “to consult with the borough attorney on legal matters concerning solid waste disposal and collection issues.”
The assembly also moved to schedule a committee-of-the-whole meeting “to discuss the conditions of a short-term contract with Community Waste Solutions to provide security to meet regulatory compliance at the Community Waste Solutions landfill.” That meeting will be set pending feedback from the attorney.