Costumed guests gathered for Annette Smith’s gold rush-themed birthday party Thursday at Ted and Mimi Gregg’s house. The party included an abbreviated Lust for Dust skit, iceworm cocktails, and the shooting off of the Fort Seward cannon. Earlier in the week, Annette received a surprise visit from daughters and former residents Jade Scheele of Austin, Texas, and Christina Baskaya of San Diego. Sister K.A. Swiger of Ketchikan and brother Allan Gregg of Michigan also made surprise visits.
The Haines Presbyterian Church will participate in Friday’s “First Friday” event, said Crystal Badgley. “I thought if there were going to be people out on Main Street and at the museum, why not have the church do something?” The church will be open 5-7 p.m. for prayer or meditation. Evening prayer, including scripture readings and songs, will start at 7:15 p.m. Crystal said she’s also looking into a future presentation of faith-inspired art.
Haines firefighters Jenn Walsh, Carlos Jimenez and Chris Downer recently attended “The Nozzle Forward,” a two-day training session in Fairbanks. The class addresses attacking fires with tons of water and body mechanics for moving hoses that are under pressure.
Kerry and Eileen McIver competed in the First Annual Women’s Summer Solstice Hockey Tournament in Kenai June 19-21. The sisters play hockey for the Healy Coal Queens in the winter. Healy teammates Lori Brewer, Kathy Mattila and Michelle Kovach also played. Jo and Odie Kovach of Healy came along and supported the Healy players.
Local youth group “Youth Alive” is seeking clothing donations. The interdenominational Christian outreach group, led by Albert and Lori Giddings, is scheduled to travel by bus from Haines to Vancouver, B.C. July 10. In Vancouver, the group will distribute donated clothing to those in need and work in homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Drop off your clothing at the Presbyterian Church.
Don’t be surprised if Krista Kielsmeier asks to borrow your phone. On a recent trip to Honduras, Krista’s phone, laptop, credit cards, driver’s license, and car keys were swiped from a locked bus. Krista was in Honduras through a trip with Pure Water for the World, an organization that installs water filters in village homes.
Teams competed in the first annual Adult-Youth Disc Golf Tourney sponsored by Haines Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Southeast Alaska State Fair. In the youngest division, tied for first place were: Team Bohdi Wasche and Scott Sundberg and Team Kayden Guthrie and Tom Heywood. Larry Anderson and Tony Haack placed second. The winning team in the 10 – 12-year-old division was Team Wesley Verhamme and Dennis Durr. Dylan and Rich Chapell placed second. Prizes were donated by Haines Tesoro, Haines Brewing Co. and the Takshanuk Mountain Trail.
Kathy Shapiro of Orange County, Calif., passed through Haines as part of a six-week bike trip throughout Southeast Alaska. In Haines, she visited three museums and toured the Kroschel Wildlife Center. She also visited Chilkoot Lake and prepared her specialized Stumpjumper – her mountain bike, which is set up for touring – for her trip around the Golden Circle.
The Greater Sitka Arts Council sponsored an exhibition of new work by former resident Cara Murray Saturday at the Homeport Eatery in Sitka. The exhibition was called “New Works of Art in Mixed Mediums.” Cara, who lives in Sitka, painted the bear mural at the Main Street entrance of Haines School last summer.
The Southeast Alaska State Fair is seeking volunteers for this year’s fair, July 30-Aug. 2. Work includes staffing gates, hosting entertainers, operating games and rides, organizing contests, tending to barn animals, and judging and managing exhibits. “Without our volunteers, the Southeast Alaska State Fair wouldn’t happen,” said fair executive director Jessica Edwards. Shifts are typically four hours. Volunteers can earn a free day pass to the fair and students can earn community service hours, said volunteer coordinator Becky Hedden. Contact her at 766-2476 or [email protected].
Sally McGuire reports that neighbors throughout Haines are banding together to address the problem of invasive plants, especially orange hawkweed, which is increasing rapidly. Hawkweed, now blooming, has small heads of bright orange flowers, and overruns and smothers other plants. Besides digging them out, hawkweed can be killed using a mixture of vinegar, salt and detergent, or using Roundup weed killer. Other invasive plants to watch for are oxeye daisy, clovers, jewelweed, reed canary grass and Japanese knotweed. For more information, contact the Takshanuk Watershed Council at 766-3542.
Sylvia Jacobson of Ozawkie, Kansas, celebrated her 80th birthday June 22 at Chilkat State Park with her family and other members of the community. Sylvia is Glen Jacobson’s mother. Sylvia is here with daughter-in-law Cathy Jacobson, also of Kansas, for a two-week visit. Party guests feasted on seafood and cheesecake with wild berries, made by Riley Erekson.
Duly Noted
