A baby boy, Wesley Diego Hoffman, was born Tuesday, June 28 to Renee and Daymond Hoffman. Wesley was nine pounds, three ounces and 21.5 inches long. Big sister Cora Tulip Hoffman met her brother soon after his arrival. Daymond’s mom, Deana Stout, traveled from her home in Moab, Utah to be with the family in Juneau and will also spend a few weeks in Haines catching up with friends. Renee’s parents, Jim and Candy Hebert, ferried to Juneau to greet their newest grandchild. The Hoffman family is now happily home in Haines.
Lee (Knight) Edwards, daughter of David and Carol Knight, graduated from the University of Washington School of Dentistry June 4, 2011. David and Carol were in attendance with Lee’s brother Alex and sister-in-law Kendra Knight and their son Evan. Also in attendance were Lee’s husband Ben Edwards, his parents Randy and Anne Edwards and his grandmother Naomi Edwards of Olympia, Wash. At the ceremony, Lee credited her late grandfather, Dr. Jennings Knight, of Florence, MT for the inspiration to pursue dentistry. She is planning to practice in Olympia, Wash.
Members of the Chilkat Valley Community Foundation’s volunteer advisory board, Jeff Bochart, Richard Buck, JoAnn Ross Cunningham, Leslie Evenden, Alexandra Feit, Greg Goodman, Alissa Henry, Karen Meizner, Ann Myren, KC O’Connor, Cecily Stern, and Kimberley Strong, along with committee members Sierra Jimenez, Deborah Marshall and Deb Vogt, hosted a celebration at Chilkat State Park to thank the foundation’s donors for their support during the past three years. Local donations have helped grow the CVCF endowment fund to around $200,000. About 40 donors joined the board and committee member and enjoyed a sunny afternoon of refreshments, visiting and live music played by Tom Heywood, Eric Holle, Scott Pierce, and Heidi Robichaud.
A family reunion in Pennsylvania drew Al, Crystal, Hunter and Serena Badgley to the East Coast for two weeks. They flew south with Crystal’s parents, Monroe and Barbara Hunsberger, who arrived in Haines in time for Hunter’s high school graduation and spent five weeks in Haines. The Hunsberger family reunion is a triennial gathering and this year included 86 family members who gathered for the weekend. During their trip the Badgleys visited Al’s sister Carol Williams and her husband Don in Kennett Square, Penn. and played for a few days along the shore of Wildwood, NJ with Monroe and Barbara. The family also took a day trip to New York City where they dined at Planet Hollywood and took in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.
A celebration was held for the 80th birthday of Bob Lix. Almost 50 local people were there to honor Bob at the party held at the Valley of the Eagles Golf Course. Bob was also honored during services at the Four Square Church. Bob and Sally Lix have entertained Alicia Buelna from Forbestown, Calif. for the last week, taking her to all the high spots in the vicinity. Alicia says that “people were very friendly, and should be proud of the community.” Alicia pitched right in during the Friends of the Library’s annual Fourth of July barbeque, book and bake sale. Yes, she will be back.
A book compiled by Don Poling entitled “Chenega Diaries, Stories and Voices of our Past” is available through the website http://www.chenegadiaries.com. The book includes personal journal entries, pictures and student writing from 1944 to 1948 when Don’s parents, John and Lucy Poling, were teachers in the Prince William Sound village of Chenega. The extensive archives from that time have been preserved by John and his family, and offered to the descendants of the village of Chenega for the purpose of historical and cultural understanding. The village was wiped out in the 1964 tsunami. Part of a cultural preservation project by the Chenega Futures corporation, the project includes the book and companion DVD, and more than 200 photographs from the Polings’ years in Chenega. Don’s parents were teachers who taught in six native villages throughout Alaska.
Rayne Litera spent a month in Europe with her daughter Jessica Willis and Jessica’s husband Rick. Rayne and Jessica began their trip visiting friends in London, Liverpool and Southampton before heading to Italy where they toured Venice, Florence, Rome and Sienna. They returned to Venice to meet Rick and embark on a week-long cruise of the Greek Islands, including Corfu, Santorini, Mikanos and Katakalon. On their trip home they spotted Joan Rivers passing through immigration in Los Angeles.