Felicia Finley gave birth to Alexander James Finley at the Juneau Family Health and Birth Center on Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. He weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces. Alexander’s father, Shawn Finley was also present. Grandmother Valina Hansen said the family is “rejoicing in God’s mercies.”
Hayden Jimenez shot his first mountain goat on the ridge of Mt. Ripinsky last weekend. “Hayden woke up at 3 a.m. with a cup of coffee and was ready to hit the trail,” said his cousin, Liz Segars, who guided him along with friend Jesse McGraw. “Hayden helped gut the goat and skin it, but once the deboning began he wasn’t there, so I looked around and found him lying face down on the hillside, snoring,” Liz said. “He definitely deserved that nap, it had been a long day.” The goat’s horns measured just short of 9 inches and Hayden will tan the hide. His mom Sierra Jimenez, grandmother Susan Tandy, cousin Austin Segars, Liz, Jesse and Hayden spent the weekend processing the meat. Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Carl Koch said that Hayden, 11, is the youngest to shoot a goat in the youth zone and the goat was the oldest male in the zone.
Costanza “Costy” Marabini from Potenza Picena, Italy spent her second summer in Haines with friends Nelle and Larry Jurgeleit. Her mother, Marta Fontanella, traveled with Costy to the United States where they met Nelle in Boston and visited with Nelle’s daughter, Ellis Greene before returning to Haines. Marta was in town for one week and Costy stayed a total of eight weeks. Nelle and Costy will fly to Boston at the end of the month where Costy will fly on her own to Rome. Her parents will meet her there. Costy enjoyed attending 5th grade with teacher Jansy Hansen, swimming with the swim team, and learning to play the flute. She hopes to continue her flute studies in Italy.
Lizi and Tracy Wirak, Liam Cassidy, Jenn Walsh, son Azeo, and Jessica Kayser Forster with her son Rellian went to Carcross last weekend and enjoyed watching the toddlers on their first mountain biking trip. The group camped at Conrad Campground and Tracy, Liam and Lizi mountain biked at Montana Mountain during the day. “We biked up to the snow line on the Mountain Hero Trail and had an awesome descent back down through golden aspen and high bush cranberries. We saw great northern lights too,” Lizi said.
Friends of Brian Elliott ventured to Haines last week. The group moved to Portland, Ore. from the midwest in 1993. After parting ways, they have met periodically for trips together; the last trip they took was to Europe in 2001. Shaun Pandit of Boston, Dave Braun of Milwaukee, Aaron Racicot of Whidbey Island, and Jeff Kennelly, Dan Loch, Tom Peloquin, and Keith Kroger of Portland enjoyed catching up with Brian’s family, playing golf, checking crab pots, and watching the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers compete during Sunday football.
Jess Crowe traveled to France earlier this month with her mother Colleen Helmstetter, sister Sarah Helmstetter, friends Liz Brooks and Kristy Nunes of Portland, Ore. and Laura Prahl of Sweden. The group spent a day in Paris, enjoying the lights of the Eiffel Tower at night. They traveled to Provence staying in a villa built in the early 1500s that was surrounded by grape vineyards and lavender fields. “We explored the Ocher Mines of Roussillon and learned to make our own paints, then headed to the Mediterranean coast and stayed in Cassis where we hiked and swam in beautiful Calanques National Park,” Jess said.
The Haines High School Cross Country team raised over $600 last weekend to help with their travel fund to regionals and state. Cross country runners Carver Culbeck and Kadin Doddridge wore inflatable T-Rex costumes during a community fun run. “The school only pays for the first seven boys and girls to go to regionals and state, and with the money raised we can now bring the rest of the team to participate in the open race,” said head coach Chandler Kemp.
After what he calls his “crushing defeat” by Sara Hannan in the Democratic primary for State House, Tom Morphet made a three-week road trip through Alaska and the Yukon. Stops included Kusawa Lake, Y.T., with Greg and Leigh Horner, to celebrate the couple’s 29th wedding anniversary. They were joined by Tom’s wife Jane Pascoe. He traveled with Eileen McIver to her home in Healy, picking up Eileen’s sister Kerry McIver for a trip to the Alaska State Fair. There, they ran into Sean Bryant, Dante Light and Sam Clay with her daughter McKinley. Tom went on to Anchorage to visit friends Jim and Katie Walker and made a stop in Valdez to see Elena Horner, who works at Alyeska’s pipeline terminal.
Former Haines Superintendent Woody Wilson passed away last Saturday. Cards can be sent to: Peggy Wilson, 22971 Highway AA, Greentop, MO 63546.