Nick Oddo and Faith Tuohy were married Friday afternoon at Picture Point. “The skies just opened up. It was amazing,” Faith said. Magistrate John Hutchins officiated. Faith’s son Dalton Tuohy was best man and daughter Megan Tuohy served as maid of honor. Nick’s mom Michelle McMillan came from Portland, Ore. for the ceremony. Other guests included Faith’s mom, Gerry Dearent and Faith’s best friend Alexis Dombrock. Skylar McGuire took photos. The nine-member wedding party enjoyed a sit-down dinner at the Pilot Light, including a chocolate, butter cream and carrot wedding cake made by Cambria Goodwin. Nick and Faith can be reached at P.O. Box 1208, Haines.
Lucinda Boyce and Billy O’Brien were married Saturday in Haines. The couple’s friend, Laura Fuentes of Charleston, S.C., officiated. Lucinda is the daughter of Anne Boyce and stepdaughter of Paul Swift. Billy’s parents are Tammy and Bill O’Brien of Charleston. Lucinda and Billy were married on the 6 Mile Haines Highway property of Lucinda’s late father, Richard Boyce. A reception followed at the Lutak home of family friends Bob and Mary Musseman. “We welcomed family and friends from all corners of the country and were reminded of how much love and joy Haines has to offer,” Lucinda said.
Jenn Walsh, Tracy Wirak, Lylith Grody-Patinkin, and Zephyr Sincerny were sporting tans upon completion of a 70-mile coastal backpacking and packrafting trip earlier this month. Pilot Paul Swanstrom dropped the group off in Dry Bay and picked them up at Glacier Bay’s La Perouse Glacier eight days later. The trek included river crossings and gorgeous weather. “It was sand and sun for days,” Jenn said. “It didn’t even feel like Alaska.” The group hopes to hike from Yakutat to Gustavus in the future.
The Davis family has returned from a trip to the Midwest to visit family. In Lake Geneva, Wis., Matt, Holly, Luke, John, and Meg attended the 50th wedding anniversary party of Matt’s aunt and uncle, Sue and Don York. The family toured Yerkes Observatory, where Don, an astronomer, did his graduate work in the 1970s. The observatory is home to the largest refracting telescope in the world. The Davises also watched 30 Arabian horses perform dance routines at Lake Geneva. Horses danced on two legs, side-stepped, ran in loops, and did twirls, Matt said. In Indiana, the family visited the Davis Family Farm, where Luke planted soybeans.
Savanna Wilson earned her theater degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Savanna, who graduated last month, was involved with many aspects of the school’s productions. She helped build and paint sets, and handled props, costumes, and lighting. She directed, stage managed, and worked as head of wardrobe. She also acted in a performance. Savanna plans on joining the Peace Corps within the next year. Until then, keep her in mind if you need help with a theater production.
The Haines Hot Shots student shooting league competed in the Alaska Scholastic Clay Target Program State Competition last week in Birchwood. The group included Cade Clay, Kadin Doddridge, Nathan Haas, Odin Jacobson, Joseph Rossman, Jackson Long, and Corbin, Caleb, and Dawson Holm. Coaches are Tim Holm, Shane Horton, and Nicole Horton Holm. During the four-day competition, participants shot 100 rounds of trap, skeet, and sporting clay, and 50 rounds of double trap and wobble trap. Cade placed third in the trap triumphant, which combines scores from regular trap, double trap, and wobble trap. Dawson placed third in both regular trap and skeet. The group will start up again for the fall league and welcomes new shooters, Nicole said.
The $1,000 fund used by the Haines Borough Public Library’s Summer Reading Program to help the needy is depleted, just two weeks into the program. After reading five books, student readers have the opportunity to either pick a prize or donate $5 to the needy through the humanitarian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse. There are over 160 children in the reading program. Stop by the library to donate more.
Haines and Klukwan residents participated in Juneau’s Celebration, June 8-11. The event is a gathering of Southeast Alaska Native peoples, celebrating Native traditions and customs. Harriet Brouillette, Pauline and David Phillips, Jesse, James, and Al Morgan, Ted Hart, Adze Hart, Meghan Elliott, James Hart, Jess David, Zack James, and Wayne Price participated. Ted, James, and Zak paddled with Wayne from Hoonah to Juneau in the dugout canoe built two years ago as well as in a newly completed spruce strip canoe they completed in Hoonah with the help of Hoonah military veterans and Joey Jacobson. It was the strip canoe’s maiden voyage. Harriet’s cousin John Campbell of Tulalip, Wash. also participated in Celebration. The group was joined by Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians Jacqueline Johnson Pata of Washington D.C., whose clan family is from Chilkoot. Ella, Mark, and Edgar Nash also joined and danced with the group. In addition to dancing on the beach as the canoes arrived on the first day, the group performed in Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall and Centennial Hall. Harriet said Celebration is empowering. “We’ve gone from nearly losing our cultural identity to celebrating it.”
Former Summer Inn innkeeper Sarah (Kropp) Brown and husband Scott Brown were in town last week. The couple lives in Nashville, Tenn. This was Sarah’s first time back in Haines since running the inn from 2006-2007. They stayed with Ron and Jacque Horn. In addition to stopping by the inn, the couple went kayaking, crabbing, hiking, drove to Million Dollar Falls, went on a flight tour with Paul Swanstrom, and did the Takshanuk Mountain Trail tour, an all-terrain vehicle outing. They also attended a service at Haines Presbyterian Church.
Coast guard member Lewis Beck arrived at the Haines airport Monday with his bird Sweet Pea perched on his finger. The parakeet also feasted on a bowl of seeds following the 30-minute flight. Sweet Pea, named after the Popeye character, is a green-cheeked conure. Lewis, from Juneau, was in town to perform inspections.