The 27th Alaska Legislature convened Jan. 18 with a new Haines face on the House floor. Haines High graduate Marley Horner is working as a legislative page this session. State Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Haines) and staffer Jessie Badger helped promote Marley for the job. Pages set up representatives’ desks with paperwork each morning, and attend to the members while the House is in session. Rep. Max Gruenberg (D-Anchorage)gave Marley tickets to Governor Sean Parnell’s inaugural gala in Centennial Hall.
Chandler Kemp spent Christmas in Haines with his family before meeting up with friend Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and flying to Santiago, Chile. Jonathan, a longtime friend of Chandler’s from Sitka and a junior at Yale University, had secured grant funding to measure the exact elevation of Ojos del Salado, located in the Andes mountains on the border of Chile and Argentina. Jonathan’s first effort to perform the measurements last summer was unsuccessful. The pair carried specialized GPS equipment and spent nine days on the mountain, taking time to acclimate to the high elevation. At approximately 22,608 feet, Ojos del Salado is the highest volcano in the world and the second highest mountain in the western hemisphere. The elevation of the mountain is the subject of debate, however. Chandler and Jonathan set up measurement equipment on both of the mountain’s two summits, and are waiting for results from a lab that will interpret the data.
Renee, Daymond and Cora Hoffman spent the holidays with family. Renee and Cora were in Fort Meyers, Fla. over Christmas with Renee’s parents, Jim and Candy Hebert. They spent two weeks in Florida before meeting up with Daymond and flying to Oahu, Hawaii for a week with Daymond’s mom, Deanna Stout, who is living in Moab, Utah and Daymond’s sister, Bengta Hoffman, who lives in Salt Lake City. They stayed in Kailua, the same town as President Barack Obama, who was on a family vacation, and were passed on the highway by the president’s black, armored cars. They also bumped into Holly Irwin, who was celebrating her 50th birthday with her family. Renee, Daymond and Cora spent two weeks on Kauai, where they met up with Jim and Candy and spent time with Greg Schlachter and Marnie Hartman, who were vacationing on the island with their families.
The 2011 AP&T phone book features the photography of Dave Disbrow on its cover. Dave took the shot of Haines from Picture Point in 2006 and crafted a composite using editing software to include a bald eagle soaring toward the camera. AP&T staff in Port Townsend, Wash., saw Dave’s photograph on his website and approached him about using it for the cover. A small picture on the back cover is also Dave’s. Taken from downtown, it features a cruise ship sailing south with the Haines centennial banner in the foreground.
Liana and Jason Shull spent five weeks with their children, Keva and Finley, visiting family in northern Idaho. They stayed with Liana’s sister Nara Woodland in Moscow, and helped organize a surprise 60th birthday party for Liana and Nara’s mom, Melody Eckroth. Liana and Jason returned to their alma mater, Lewis-Clark State College, to watch a basketball game and Jason’s dad, Frank Shull, enjoyed watching Jason and his brother John Shull play basketball together on John’s city league team. They also celebrated the 60th birthday of Jason’s mother, Arla Shull, with a bowling party. Liana and her brother Geo Eckroth revisited the family tradition of teaming up on the tennis court against their dad, Jim Eckroth, who still bested the pair. Liana also enjoyed playing volleyball with her dad in her hometown of St. Mary’s, Idaho.
Sarah Roark met Mike Fick in Hudson, Fla. while he was visiting his family. They took time to explore the Everglades by canoe and on bikes, where they saw many alligators. They were in Key West for New Year’s Eve, where they watched the last sunset of 2010. Sarah especially enjoyed exploring Florida’s historical sites.
Sean, Lisa and Zachary Cone avoided the Christmas travel rush and took 10 days in January to visit family in the Southwest. They spent a week with Lisa’s parents, Les and Louise Berry in Phoenix. Sean and Zachary traveled to Albuquerque to visit Sean’s parents, Art and Kay Cone. Zachary especially enjoyed skiing in Santa Fe with his dad.
KHNS news director Tara Bicknell took a month-long trip in December and January, her first real vacation since she began at the radio station two years ago. She visited parents Trish and Randy Bicknell, twin sister Trisha Bicknell, brother Aaron Bicknell, and baby niece Michaela in Spring, Texas. After the Christmas holiday, Tara and Trisha spent a week in Honduras. They hiked in one the world’s largest rainforests; visited a botanical garden at a former Chiquita Company fruit plantation; ate conchs and helped extinguish a cabin fire on the tiny island of Utila; and visited a Gurafina village, where the locals are descended from shipwrecked African slaves and indigenous Carib peoples. Tara’s fluent Spanish gained them new friends and acquaintances wherever they traveled.
Joe Parnell played on the Yakutat team in the master’s division at the 5th annual Mount Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Team in Sitka last week. His team won two games and lost two, including a close game to eventual winner Klawock. Joe played well enough to make the all-tournament team and said that when he made a basket, the announcer would say, “two points by Governor Parnell.”
Jesse McGraw and Kyle Rush played for the Haines Merchants in the open division, featuring the best players. Kyle played well against excellent competition and also took home all-tournament honors. The Merchants lost in the championship game. Andrew Friske, who grew up in Haines, also played well. Friske was the tournament director and works as a dorm principal at Mount Edgecumbe High School.