Monday, Nov. 2 was an official snow day for the Haines Borough School District. The blizzard kept most at home. Still, many essential and determined employees were able to get to their places of work. Janice Studley at Haines Assisted Living said it took a lot of digging but she got to work. Her husband Jim Studley picked up one employee who was unable to get out of her driveway and safely delivered her to HAL.
Postmaster Gen Bell skied one mile from her remote residence expecting to drive the rest of the way to town once she met Mud Bay Road. The road wasn’t plowed yet and her car was stuck. She continued on skis and several miles later she was picked up by ferry employee Walter Clayton, who was on his way to the ferry terminal. Aimee Jacobson arrived at the post office for work at 10:45 a.m. after leaving her Mosquito Lake home at 7:50 a.m. Normally the trip into town takes her about 45 minutes.
Zach James, the morning radio host at KHNS, somehow rode his bike to the station in the early hours. Another radio employee was able to hike into the station and hold down the fort until general manager Kay Clements got a ride on a snowmachine from her neighbor Stuart DeWitt.
SEARHC dental hygienist Crystal Miller walked to work. This was her first blizzard experience in Haines after moving from California last spring. Dental office coordinator Cristy Meyers said her husband Lance Geise was able to drop her off in his Ford F350 truck.
The SEARHC medical clinic delayed the opening of the clinic until noon, allowing time for employees and patients to arrive safely. On-call SEARHC nurse Keely Baumgartner was called in to work. She tried to drive and got stuck and soon discovered her snowmachine battery was dead. She started walking and was picked up by a member of Haines Volunteer Fire Department EMS team. Police and dispatch employees were able to arrive to work on Monday but it was reported that the overnight time dispatcher was unable to get out of the parking lot once her shift was over. A fire department employee was able to give her a lift home.
Libby Jacobson and partner David Simmons skied to their prospective jobs at the Haines Borough and Haines Economic Development Corporation from their home on Beach Road. David said it was great exercise and that he preferred the adventure to sliding backwards in their uphill driveway into their neighbor’s cars.
Local witches braved stormy weather on Halloween to participate in the inaugural Witches Halloween Day Paddle. The weather conditions prevented the women from paddling outside of the protected boat harbor. Assistant harbormaster Henry Pollan followed the coven around in a boat ready to scoop up a witch. Fortunately no witches fell in, only Jenn Talley’s pup Omar. Drowning an accused witch during the 16th and 17th centuries was commonplace as it was thought that water would reject their body and prevent them from submerging. Gatherings of witches floating on paddle boards can be seen across the United States on Halloween day, a relatively new tradition derived from the folklore that witches float.
Participants included: Melissa Ganey, Sierra Jimenez, Sara Chapell, Knikki Cinocco, Kim Sundberg, Renee Hoffman, Jenn Talley, Amanda Painter, Kaitlyn Tolin and Sarah Elliott.
Lexie DeWitt and daughter Loralai traveled to Richland, Washington to surprise her father Steve Conley for his 70th birthday. Lexie’s brother Kyle Conley with wife Melissa and daughters Kate and Clare traveled from Seattle for the celebration. In Juneau, Lexie and Loralai stayed with former resident Tennie Bentz and her daughters Taiya and Kinley.