A memorial service for George Hales will be held 2 p.m. Friday at the Presbyterian Church. Hales, 89, died Feb. 15 at the veterans village. A full obituary will be printed in next week’s CVN.
Sunday’s potluck celebration of the life and work of Elizabeth Peratrovich featured speakers Joe Hotch, Georgiana Hotch and keynote speaker Wayne Price. Wayne presented a video featuring the 10-year process of making the North Tide Canoe Kwaan’s dugout canoe, and the canoe’s historic trips to both Juneau and Skagway. The canoe itself made an appearance at the dinner. The evening also honored Robin Benner as a volunteer for both the Alaska Native Sisterhood and the Haines Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Robin and husband Phil Benner are relocating to Florida. The Peratrovich Day celebration was sponsored by the Alaska Native Sisterhood and Alaska Native Brotherhood.
Beth Bolander received an honorable mention for her entry in the Juneau Wearable Arts Juxtaposition Show. Her piece, called Constriction & Flow, was made from bicycle inner tubes from Sockeye Cycle and bike parts from Bigfoot Auto’s junkyard. The punkish ensembles were modeled by husband and wife Rick and Shutney Koehrsen of Juneau. Beth received assistance from Rigel Falvey, Norman Hughes and Miranda Dumont.
Lyle and Lauran Huff visited with Lauran’s mother in Albany, Ore., then ran into Jim and Kathy Warner at the Seattle Amtrak station before traveling to Sun City, Ariz. to visit Ron and Jean Smith. While at the Smiths, they saw Jerry and Sylvia Friske as well as Roger and Fran Tuenge. On their trip home, they visited with son Ryan, his wife Jean Huff and their children, and son Kelly, wife Rene Huff and their children.
Former Haines resident Jeff Alvine was listening to National Public Radio in Illinois when he heard a mention of Haines: a five-minute piece that featured local puppeteers Geppetto’s Junkyard. The video can be found on the PBS News Hour, and includes footage of various theater performances as well as interviews with Debi Knight Kennedy and Merrick Bochart.
Girls on the Run, an after-school program for girls in grades 3-5, has started its season with 13 participants. Girls on Track, for sixth through eighth grade, will start in March. Coaches are Sara Chapell, Genny Rietze, Alisa Beske, and Lindsey Moore. They are planning a 5K Run for May 6, and want to spice it up with costumes, face painting and deejayed music. Call Sara at 314-3074 to volunteer.
Rodney and Rhonda Hinson braved sub-zero temperatures to volunteer at the start of the Yukon Quest, the annual sled dog race between Whitehorse, Y.T. and Fairbanks. Joan Snyder also attended the race opening, and reports that there were 26 teams to start this year. The day after the dogs took off, a group of about 80 people skied and hiked along the starting route in frigid weather.
Spelling bee winner Aurora Alten-Huber is raising funds to travel to the state bee in early March. Donations can be made through her mom, Helen Alten, at the museum, or online at www.indiegogo.com.
Diz Kistler and Mardell Gunn spent about two months in Oregon, with Diz receiving external counter pulsation treatments for his coronary heart disease. They attended a four-day retreat at Breitenbush Hot Springs, where they studied Qigong with a Mongolian healer. Then they packed up Diz’s mother, Pat Kistler, and rode the ferry from Bellingham back to Haines, where Pat is now settling in at Haines Assisted Living. Pat, who has visited Haines three times, is enjoying her new home.
Jim Heaton is one of 10 Alaskan artists chosen to create an ornament for the U.S. Capitol’s 2015 Christmas tree. Jim will finish the ornament by Feb. 21, and the ornament will then be recreated by Alaskan students throughout the state. There will be up to 5,000 ornaments hung throughout the Senate buildings and on the decorated tree. The tree, coming from Alaska this year, will stand in The Mall.
Patty Brown’s fourth-grade students and their parents served at least 85 pancake breakfasts at their Saturday fundraiser, with gluten-free pancakes a popular option. The class is raising money for its May 12-14 “Golden Circle” trip, including excursions to the Skagway Historic District, Carcross Dunes, Whitehorse’s aquatic center and Beringia Museum. This will be Patty’s ninth Golden Circle trip with a fourth-grade class. The adventure focuses on Alaskan history and the sciences of ecosystems and fossils, as well as teaching community-building skills during two campouts.
Austin Welch recently opened The Hideout, a bar-restaurant in Aptos, Calif., reports mom Fuzzy von Stauffenberg. “It’s been very well received. Their first month and a half has gone way beyond expectations.” Austin and wife Rachel have two young sons.
Jesse McGraw, Stuart DeWitt and Michael Ganey traveled to Sitka last month to represent the Haines Merchants in the 8th annual Mount Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Tournament. DeWitt was named Mr. Defense in the open division. McGraw was named to the all-tournament team in the master’s division. Haines High School grads Jeremy Strong, Carl Blackhurst and Andrew Friske also played for Haines.
The Chilkoot Indian Association Tribal Youth Program has hired John Hagen as part-time community health advocate. John will help coordinate and implement cultural activities. Upcoming youth projects will include the Gei Saan dancers teaching in the Haines School, a Northwest Coast formline design class, and carving projects. He can be reached at [email protected].
The American Craft Spirits Association awarded a gold medal to Port Chilkoot Distillery’s “50 Fathoms Gin” last weekend at the annual convention held in Austin, Texas. The spirits judging was open to craft distilleries from all over the country. “We get feedback every day from customers who absolutely love the flavor of our gin. We’re glad to see that professional judges like our gin just as much,” said Heather Shade, co-owner of the Port Chilkoot Distillery.

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