Doris Ward is home from a month of travel that included family visiting and old friends. She traveled to Tulsa, Okla. to see sister, Janie Owen, and Janie’s daughter and grandchildren. The fall temperatures were in the 80s, rising one day to 91, and Doris soaked up the sunshine on Janie’s patio. From Tulsa, Doris returned to Seattle for her annual physical and took a weekend trip to see Jan and Steve McPhetres at their winter home in Poulsbo, Wash. The three enjoyed a day-trip to Victoria, B.C. where they visited Butchart Gardens and indulged in an afternoon high tea.
Dr. Russ Bowman has relocated to Sitka where he has taken the position of assistant medical director for community healthcare for SEARHC. He is overseeing the medical programs of the outpatient clinics in smaller Southeast communities including Kake, Hoonah, Angoon, Haines and Klukwan. Russ’ family will remain in Haines until next summer. Wife Karen Meizner will continue to work on the Sheldon Museum’s exhibit upgrades and daughter Emily Bowman is completing her senior year at Haines High School. Dr. Noble Anderson is now acting medical director for the Haines SEARHC clinic. In other SEARHC news, the SEARHC board approved a staff expansion for 2012 at the Klukwan clinic that will include three full-time positions. SEARHC will hire a physician’s assistant or family nurse practitioner, a clinical assistant to provide support, as well as a receptionist. Klukwan currently operates as a health aide clinic with periodic visits from physicians at the Haines clinic.
Susannah Dowds and David Barlog spent a week exploring the theme parks of Orlando, Fla. The highlight of the trip was their day in Universal Studios’ Harry Potter World where the Hogwarts Castle mimicked the set in the movies and the art on the walls moved and talked as if they came to life. So many in the crowd were dressed in Hogwarts robes that they could almost believe wizards and witches surrounded them, Susannah said. They also visited Disney’s Epcot Center during a wine and food festival that included specialties from around the globe. They sampled treats including New Zealand scallops. Susannah is back in Haines and gearing up for this year’s Dolls’ Fair at the Sheldon Museum.
The fourth grade is raising chum salmon in their classroom this year. Local volunteers Mark Battion and Rich Chapell gathered chum eggs and milt from a spawning stream at 25 Mile on Friday, and brought the eggs to the classroom to deposit the fertilized eggs in a prepared aquarium. Second-grade teacher Jeanne Kitayama, whose class successfully raised and released chum fry last spring, acquired the equipment last year with grant money. Fourth-grade teacher Karen Henspeter will integrate the project into math, writing and science projects throughout the year, and is looking forward to bringing community members into the classroom to share their knowledge of salmon. Karen attended an in-service training that included how to use the salmon project as a jumping-off point for learning across the curriculum. She is planning components that utilize graphing, scientific observation and writing in a salmon notebook to engage students to think about how salmon are connected to the local environment. They expect the eggs to hatch after winter vacation.
Tom Morphet and Jane Pascoe traveled to Juneau last week for a visit with former Haines print and radio reporter Steve Williams. Williams was in town during a layover on his job as interviewer for the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The study tracks 10,317 men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957, including former Alaska lieutenant governor Fran Ulmer. Steve, who travels around the country for his job, lives in Viroqua, Wis., with Michelle Drucker and daughters Lucy and Taiga. Michelle works in schools there as a physical therapist.
Haines school counselor Lindsey Moore initiated a new career exploration program for elementary students this week. Part of the “I Know I Can” program in conjunction with the Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education, Lindsey and third grade teacher Christopher Haxton spoke with the third grade about their own career paths and helped students articulate their own career goals. Ideas ranged from dermatologist and falconer to teacher and police officer. Lindsey also traveled to Mosquito Lake school and facilitated presentations from border officer Nate Webb, former park ranger and business operator Edie Granger and photographer and business owner Joe Ordonez. As part of the program, students drew pictures of their career goals on postcards that will be mailed back to them in two years. Lindsey hopes to bring other career speakers into elementary classrooms as part of November’s National Career Development month. Contact Lindsey at 766-6744 if you would like to share career insights with a class.