Duly Noted

Luke Hedrick has donated $1,000 each to Haines Senior Center, Haines Assisted Living and Hospice of Haines. A Haines High School graduate who works for Google in Manhattan, New York City, Luke said the coronavirus crisis there got him thinking of how he could help here. “Haines is still home, though it’s a long way off. I can’t save New York City but I can do something for my hometown.” Luke said it’s been scary watching the pandemic evolve from a vague, distant threat to a very real crisis there. Luke and wife Samantha Fink Hedrick live in the borough’s Tribeca neighborhood.
Famed “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling apparently visited Haines a few years ago. Her trip became apparent when Sue Ackerman of Juneau spotted Rowling’s tweet about the Hammer Museum, including a photo, and forwarded it to Leigh Horner. “Many, many hammers. The occasional mallet, but mostly hammers,” Rowling wrote, posting photos. Museum founder Dave Pahl said Rowling’s visit was news to him.
Al and Crystal Badgley came out of quarantine Friday, following a trip to Spokane, Wash. to celebrate the birthdays of granddaughter Cedar, 2, and daughter Serena. They stayed with son Hunter and wife Emily. “Al is responding to calls, so everybody can breathe easy again,” Crystal quipped. Al said he is working on making Tyvek isolation gowns for ambulance crew members.
Maddy Witek said isolation is a great time for folks to get working on exhibits and wearable art outfits for the Southeast Alaska State Fair, July 30-Aug. 2. Also, the fair is planning a virtual Spring Fling celebration and other activities online, including a virtual Pie Contest. Check it out at the fair’s Facebook page. This year’s fair theme is “Live Free, Pie Hard.” A decision on the fate of this year’s brewfest is expected at a fair board meeting next week, Maddy said.
Heather Shade reports Port Chilkoot Distillery has provided 800 two-ounce bottles of its hand sanitizer to Haines outlets, and sold additional amounts. About 20 gallons were donated to emergency responders and essential workers in Haines and Southeast. The local distillery has coordinated with Amalga Distillery in Juneau on getting materials. Government regulations prohibit the local company from making its product more gelatinous or scented.
Stuart DeWitt hooked a 17-pound white king salmon March 26, just outside the harbor breakwater in Portage Cove, while fishing aboard his vessel Kealailani. Wife Lexie DeWitt said the catch came just moments after Ole Taug reeled in a king about the same size nearby. “We had king salmon dinners for a couple days. It was great,” Lexie said. Sportfishing for kings in Chilkoot Inlet closed March 31.
The coronavirus crisis will cancel this year’s Easter egg hunt at Letnikof Cove. Harry and Genny Rietze have hosted the beachside hunt the past three years. “Little kids are not able to not touch things and lick things and all of the above. I don’t think it would look good to the public health officials if we had a 50-kid event,” Harry said. He said about 100 children participated last year.
Seamstress and quilter Becky Nash this week stitched 10 red, white, and blue protective face masks for the crew at the Haines post office. Nash said she asked during a visit why clerks weren’t wearing them and heard back that they didn’t have any. “They’re going to be flying the colors,” Becky said this week, finishing up the donation.
Shori Heaton said she’ll be offering catches of sport-caught fish, including Dolly Varden, cutthroat trout and maybe even whitefish to elderly residents and others in the coming weeks. Shori is finishing up a quarantine but said earlier this year she was already catching those species. “I’ve been doing it for years for older people, people who don’t have transportation or can’t fish,” she said. To place an order, phone Shori at 766-2430 or leave a message on her Facebook page.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church deacon Vince Hansen said parishioners will be participating in Easter Sunday mass via the Internet, connecting with services being held in Anchorage and Juneau. A schedule can be found at www.dioceseofjuneau.org. Members are united through the liturgy and Father Perry Kenaston is reaching out via phone calls, Vince said, but other important elements of the faith, including the sacrament of Eucharist, must be canceled for health concerns. “People are still communicating, but it’s not the same… I haven’t had communion in the last month.”
Tresham Gregg said his recent trip to the Lower 48 included contributing to a 40-foot float for an Amazon Uprising protest in downtown Los Angeles. He and Audrey Smith also made their way to a fairy festival in Desert Hot Springs. In Tucson, where Tresham worked on metal sculptures, he and Audrey met up with Fred Shields and Sarahlee Kittons, Sarah Ciaverelli and friends of Roger Gentry.