Ramona and Frank Holmes have returned from their winter residence in Albany, Ore. Former summer resident Lisa Kurian visited with the couple over dinner one night. Lisa lives in Eugene and is a hydrologist with the U.S. Forest Service. She sends her greetings to Haines friends. Frank and Ramona also took time out for sunshine, celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in Orlando, Fla.
Ginger Wierzbanowski, daughter of Irene and Keith Stigen of Haines, has been named vice-president of space, missile defense, advanced technology and ground programs at Northrop Grumman Corporation at Falls Church, Va. Ginger graduated from Craig High School. She is retired from the Air Force and lives in Virginia with husband Scott and children Benjamin and Cali.
Enterprising fundraisers Claire Waldo and Miranda Haddock sorted through their rooms and donated items for a garage sale last Saturday to benefit their fourth grade class Golden Circle camping trip in May. This is an annual adventure for Ms. Patty Brown’s class. They made $81.05 for their class fund. Alyssa Alcock helped with sales.
Jessica Edwards, Sally Andersen and Sara Chapell spent the weekend in the Seattle area where they found time for shopping, good coffee and friends. In Seattle they ran into sisters Lisa Blank and Anna Jurgeleit, who were having breakfast with Anna’s daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a junior majoring in interior design at Washington State University. They also had dinner with former resident Susannah Muench, who lives in Seattle with her husband and two sons. The friends took the ferry to Whidbey Island, where Jessica and Sara completed the Whidbey Island Marathon and Sally completed the half marathon. Former resident Debbie Zmistowski Fisher and friend Shannon Eubank drove from Bellingham with their children Saturday afternoon to take Jessica out to dinner and wish her well before her first marathon. On the way home in the Seattle airport, the friends ran into Karen Meizner and Russ Bowman, who were returning from San Antonio, Texas where they saw daughter Emily Bowman. Emily is a freshman at Trinity College.
Work by Haines photographer John S. Hagen has been accepted to the Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale at the Cherokee Heritage center in Park Hill, Okla. The show is a national exhibition of American Indian and Alaska Native art. Last year’s exhibition included 87 Native American artists from 13 tribal nations, featuring 145 art pieces. This year’s show opens April 20. John has three photos hanging at Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts in Olympia, Wash. His photographs are part of the gallery’s Native American Heritage Art Exhibit. A snow shot Hagen took was included in the “Oh Snap” exhibit of Alaska Native photographers at the Alaska Native Arts Foundation in Anchorage. An exhibit of Hagen’s scenic landscapes is on display at the bank.
The Southeast Alaska State Fair’s annual membership drive is under way. Fair director Ross Silkman said a new “all-access” membership option is seeing a strong response. Members get a four-day fair pass, free entrance to the Spring Fling dinner and concert, and the choice of a free T-shirt or disc-golf disc for $75 per individual or $150 per family. Ross said the fair’s goal is to increase public support while packaging as much as possible into the benefit. He’s hoping to attract more family members. Members who purchase the all-access pass by the fair’s Spring Fling membership party will be entered to win two tickets to this year’s Great Alaskan Craft Beer and Homebrew Festival. Spring Fling is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 26 and will include a barbecue and music from Julia Scott and the Perpetual Beer Run. Tickets for dinner and music are $10 for non-members. Membership information is at http://www.seakfair.org.
Third graders in Kristin White’s class presented their biography project to a gathering at the Sheldon Museum. Students interviewed eight Haines residents. Interviewees Bob Plucker, John Schnabel, Lucy Harrell and Doris Ward attended the presentation. Other biographies were of Heather Lende, Jan Hill, Lee Heinmiller and Steve Fossman. “I was very impressed with the confidence of the children and their interest in learning about these people,” said museum director Jerrie Clarke. “I learned more about everyone.” One student noted that Schnabel has known “so many interesting people” in his lifetime, including Sen. Bob Bartlett, Gov. Frank Murkowski, Gov. William Egan, and John’s own grandson, Parker Schnabel. The biographies will be available in the Discovery corner on the museum’s ground floor. Biographies of historic figures prepared by Mosquito Lake School students will be included.
The Sheldon Museum’s Six-Week Spotlight Series kicks off this Friday with the digital photography of Bill McRoberts. A reception in the Hakkinen Gallery is set for 5-7 p.m. Friday. This season’s artists also include Donna Catotti and Tim Shields.