Duly Noted

Video footage of product development specialist Riley Erekson pouring liquid from a beaker was included in a nationally broadcast story on NBC Nightly News. In a two-minute feature, NBC profiled Riley’s employer, Atomo coffee, the Seattle-based manufacturer of a “molecular” coffee product made without beans. The product – yet to be released – claims sustainability as expansion of coffee plantations denudes rainforests. Mom Judy Erekson said Riley provided the film crew with cups of “Groggy Grizz,” a Mountain Market blend.
Kyle Fossman has been named to the Cannon Network’s 30 Coaches Under 30 to Follow. Fossman, apparent all-time high-scorer for the Haines Glacier Bears, is assistant coach for the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. As a Seawolves player, Fossman scored 1,237 points and holds every Seawolf three-point shooting record. The network is a basketball news website.
All residents and visitors are encouraged to fill out the Chilkoot Indian Association’s transportation safety survey. The brief survey, available at the tribal office on Third Avenue, aims to identify unsafe sections of roads, trails and waterways for consideration in the tribe’s transportation planning efforts. CIA transportation assistant John Wooton says he’s hoping surveys will be returned by mid-March.
A local book club had the rare pleasure of meeting the author of its featured book when Lutak author Tom McGuire showed up for a December meeting of a local club discussion of “The Steller’s Orchid,” his recently published historical novel. Club member Janine Allen said it was fun to discuss the book with the person who wrote it.
Staff at Haines School may soon be swapping pork recipes. Eight staffers came forward to buy sides of organic pork from Alex Van Wyhe, whose father Terry Van Wyhe, raises American Landrace pigs near Kenny Lake. Alex said he was surprised by the demand. School science teacher Mark Fontenot said he’s making hot pork sausage for spaghetti.
The Glacier Bears girls’ basketball team will be selling pizzas for pick-up on Saturday, Feb.1, in advance of the Super Bowl the following day. Get your order in to the school office, 766-6700, by Jan. 28. Gluten-free options are available.
Jim Stanford groomed about three kilometers at 25 Mile for cross-country skiing. The scenic course along the Klehini River is seeing increased use, perhaps due to a new recreation memorial on the site. “It’s the first year where every day we’re seeing groups of skiers and people from out of town,” Stanford said. Phone him at 767-5558 for updates on weather and conditions.
Jesse McGraw and James Hart played in last weekend’s 14th annual Mount Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Tournament. McGraw teamed up with other Haines alumni Andrew Friske and Jeremy Strong. Hart played for Kake. Jeff Sharnbroich’s Fairbanks squad, with some coaching from Terry Friske, won the men’s over-45 division. Liz Segars of Haines played for a Sitka squad. The three-day tournament featured 32 teams across five divisions.
It took him nearly eight decades, but Alan Heinrich finally made it to Europe last fall. He, wife Jeannette, and sisters Suzanne of Mills River, Tenn. and Heather of Bozrah, Conn. and their spouses traced Heinrich family roots to the tiny German village where Alan’s great-grandfather was baptized. Highlights include a Main River cruise and Octoberfest in Munich. Alan went to the beer hall while Jeannette took in a museum. “I’m good for a couple hours, but not that long,” Jeannette said.
The Haines School’s annual Tournament of Readers competition was scheduled to start late this week. The winter reading incentive program features 17 teams of students from grades 2-7 facing off daily at the Haines School library, starting at 12:15 p.m. The tournament continues daily through Feb. 17. Karen Garcia is quiz master. The public is welcome to attend.