KTVA Anchorage Channel 11’s Heather Hintze traveled to Haines last week to interview owners of the Haines Brewing Company and Port Chilkoot Distillery. Hintze spoke with brewery co-owner Paul Wheeler and customers Ed Hays and Darwin Feakes on Friday, before moving on to the distillery, where she interviewed co-owner Heather Shade and employee Macky Cassidy. Both the brewery and distillery are also featured in the October edition of Alaska Beyond magazine in the article “Pioneering Spirits: Alaska Brewers and Distillers Are Crafting Excellence,” by Renee Brincks. A photo accompanying the article shows Melina Shields, Lindsey Moore, Tracy Wirak, Lizi Wirak, Alisa Beske and other Haines residents at the distillery’s Fort Seward site.
A contingent of representatives from three Haines museums traveled to Cordova last week for the Museums Alaska conference, “Joining Forces: Museums, Communities and Collaboration.” Sheldon Museum executive director Helen Alten gave a pre-conference workshop on “Cataloguing from the Door to the Shelf.” Hammer Museum executive director Ashleigh Reed, American Bald Eagle Foundation executive director Cheryl McRoberts and raptor handler Samantha Wilson also attended. Helen brought back several items won during a silent auction, including a “History of Alaska” book containing images of the Haines area from 1909, and old blueprints of cannery machinery. Helen said a highlight of the visit included a pub crawl led by Douglas Vandegraft, author of “A Guide to the Notorious Bars of Alaska.” C.J. Jones missed part of the conference when her ferry from Whittier to Cordova was canceled and her jet from Anchorage was turned around. She eventually made it to the conference.
Deborah Marshall recently met up with Jessie Babette Miller in Reno, Nev., before the two drove to the Burning Man gathering in the Black Rock Desert. Marshall visited with her daughter, Megan Miller, who has worked as communications director for Burning Man for the past three years. The event is described as an experiment in community and art, and stresses “radical self-reliance,” “radical self-expression” and a gifting economy instead of traditional currency. Marshall brought smoked Chilkat sockeye, which she prepared in pasta and salads, to trade. Highlights included the annual burning of the temple and R-Evolution, a sculpture of a 48-foot woman with simulated, realistic breathing.
Resident Macky Cassidy dove off her sofa to avoid injury when a tree came through a front window of her cabin during last week’s rain and wind storm. Cassidy said she was on a sofa in her cabin at 8 Mile Haines Highway around 1 p.m. Sept. 29 when she heard a sound like breaking glass and looked up to see a four-inch maple tree coming at the picture window above her. “It sounded like a freight train,” Cassidy said. Cassidy landed face-down about four feet away from the sofa and was sprayed with glass, but unhurt. She said the maple was pushed over by a larger cottonwood tree that broke apart, snapping a rafter on a woodshed and denting an outhouse roof. Other trees came down at 9 Mile and 7.5 Mile, Cassidy said.
Jane Pascoe returned from Portland, Ore., last week, where she attended Gregory Cazemier and Christopher Mount’s wedding. The celebration consisted of a brunch and after-party at the Aniche Cellars winery. While in Portland, Jane also met up with Mira Ericksen to hike around Mount Hood, and had dinner with Mira, husband Randy Ericksen and daughter Dana Ericksen. The group watched the Sept. 27 “supermoon” lunar eclipse amid clear, starry skies.
Gregg Haisler and wife Ann visited Gregg’s mother Georgia Haisler and brother Jeff Haisler last week. Gregg was checking in on progress at Haisler’s Hardware, which closed at the end of last month. He also ran into Doris Ward, a favorite former teacher from Haines High School. On the way to Haines, Gregg and Ann stopped in Ketchikan to visit their son Paul Haisler. They live in Hamlin, N.Y.
Tim Shields was interviewed by Dan Damon for the BBC World Service’s World Update. Shields talked about the company he founded, Hardshell Labs, and its current project of helping the desert tortoise through the development of “Tortoises for Tomorrow,” an interactive game. The game will allow players to remotely control a “Guardian Angel Rover,” a tiny vehicle equipped with video cameras, to protect tortoises from their predators. The rovers also will be equipped with tools, such as lasers, to repel predators like ravens from attacking juvenile tortoises. To donate to the project’s fundraising campaign, visit http://www.kickstarter.com and search for “Tortoises for Tomorrow.”
Donna Catotti hosted a potluck for Shelagh Sands’ 60th birthday last week. Sands and husband Greg Browning live in Juneau. The couple visited with friends Mark Sogge, Cecily Stern, Chris Kemp, Debra Kemp, Chandler Kemp and Lisa Schwartz at the potluck bonfire party.
Bonnie Hedrick visited her son Luke Hedrick in Manhattan, N.Y., for Luke’s 32nd birthday. Luke and his wife Sam Fink, who work for Google, also hosted Bonnie and Sam’s mother Judy Fink at “Take Your Parent to Work Day.” Bonnie said the day consisted of panel discussions and presentations on how Google makes its money and debunking myths about Google. Bonnie also traveled to New Jersey with Luke and Sam to visit with Sam’s family.
The Uglys of Haines are looking for help with their annual Halloween Haunted House. The group is seeking small electric motors like those from barbecue grill rotisseries and oscillating fans, to be repurposed into spooky additions to the attraction. Because of the transformation, those won’t be able to be returned, said Gary Jacobson. The group is also looking for adult-sized animal costumes, which will be returned. Call Gary at the American Legion at 766-2530.
Betty Ewing-DeWitt recently had a large family gathering with son and daughter-in-law David and Kelly Ewing of Camas Valley, Ore .; Patricia Peters and son Lando of Juneau; daughter Joann Simpson of Juneau; and Joe, Janine and Piper Ludlam. David and Jack Smith went up Flower Mountain on Jack’s four-wheeler. They visited many friends and classmates.