Jess Giddings, daughter of Lori and Al Giddings, made the dean’s list at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore. for the fall 2017 semester. Students must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for a spot on the dean’s list. Jess is a senior majoring in international studies and Christian ministries.
During her stay in Chicago, Karen Garcia completed a professional certification class to be a WERQ fitness instructor. WERQ, pronounced “work,” is a dance fitness workout based on pop and hip-hop music. Karen is teaching her first class free of charge Jan. 31 at the ROAM studio on Main Street. All dance and fitness abilities are welcome.
The Haines Women’s Basketball League won the championship game in the 4th Annual Lights Out Yukon Invitational tournament in Whitehorse, YT last weekend. Krista Kielsmeier, Stoli Lynch, Alisha Young, Fran Daly, Alixanne Goodman and Samantha Clay won 53-36 against the Black Mambas of Whitehorse and took home $1,000 Canadian. Fran was named MVP of the tournament. But the team didn’t succeed without a few setbacks. Krista said their teammate Savannah Ames from Skagway suffered a broken nose, a teammate hit a moose on Haines Highway on her way to the tournament, and the group also got a parking ticket and a flat tire in Whitehorse.
Haines and Klukwan men’s basketball players excelled in the Mount Edgecumbe Invitational in Sitka. Michael Ganey, Jesse McGraw, and Daniel and Jeffery Klanott as the Klukwan Chilkat team won second place in the 37-and-over master’s division against a team from Wrangell. Jesse won the All-Tournament award and Michael won Defensive Player of the Tournament in their division. Charlie Spud played with the team Chilkat Thunder that won the championship in the 45-and-older master’s division.
Chloe Goodson spent two weeks in Umatilla, Fla. this month to visit her parents and grandma. She spent time with her dad who recently adopted an 8-month-old Pitbull named June Bug. Chloe helped with chores and odd jobs, enjoyed visiting the Ponce Inlet lighthouse and spent time on the beach. She also met up with former American Bald Eagle Foundation intern Maggie Hughes, who is working as a wildlife hospital intern at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
Darren Pattison, Macky Cassidy, Candace Haagensen and David Hertel celebrated birthdays this week. David visited Haines Brewing Co. in lederhosen for the occasion.
Haines’ St. Michael and All Angels’ Episcopal Church is set to start Sunday school next month. Gina Randles will teach the class, which is accepting children of all ages. Gina said discussion of a youth group is in the works as well. She is looking for a volunteer to help teach the class and participate in “Godsplay” training in Juneau.
Photographer Alex Stock is headed to Adelaide, Australia for the month of February to take headshots for South Australia’s finest young actors and musicians. “My fiancée owns a high-end boutique vocal studio in Adelaide that caters to all the newest and most talented musicians in Australia,” Alex said. “They go on to star in major roles in Australia and here in the U.S., most recently ‘America’s Got Talent.’” Alex said he has been going there since November 2006 after he met his fiancée in Los Angeles.
Joanie Wagner returned from a three-week trip south to visit family this month. She picked up two grandchildren, Scarlette, 11, and Isabelle, 10, in Seattle before traveling to Denver, Colo. The trio spent a week visiting Joanie’s oldest daughter Lelainia Howard, her husband and their three children for Christmas. Joanie said she enjoyed watching her family ice skate, keeping the tradition of eating tamales on Christmas day and seeing the new Star Wars movie in a theater with reclining seats. They went on to Louisville, Kentucky and spent New Year’s Eve with Joanie’s youngest daughter Alexis Alamillo and her family and hiked in Mammoth Cave. After she brought her granddaughters back to Seattle, Joanie visited her daughter Katie Sevigny and her three boys in Anchorage.
Klukwan School is collecting Box Tops for Education to raise money to build a playground. Each box top will earn 10 cents toward the cause. Deadline for collection is Monday, Feb. 26 and can be dropped off at Klukwan School, Chilkat Indian Village office, Klukwan Clinic, Haines Clinic, Klukwan Mercantile and Klukwan Church, or can be mailed to the school.