Army Sgt. Kelsey Hannon Brewer used CPR to save a soldier in a parking lot at Fort Riley, Kansas on Aug. 31. A certified nursing assistant, Kelsey jumped in when others were struggling to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on a soldier who lost his pulse during training exercises. Hannon works as a certified nurse assistant in administration at the base and regularly trains in life-saving. As a result of her skill and quick action, she was asked to teach CPR to 50 soldiers in the afflicted soldier’s unit. Kelsey has served in the Army since 2009. She is the daughter of Corey and Lisa Hannon and grew up in Haines, finishing high school in Texas after her family moved. She’s married to Brian Brewer and they have three children, Tyler, Haley and Levi.
Six volunteers from Haines and Juneau pitched in Sept. 18-19 for cleanup work at Eldred Rock lighthouse, following recent asbestos remediation work there. Living quarters are being cleaned first so volunteers can stay inside the structure during future work projects. Volunteers included Sue Waterhouse, Leanne Converse, and Gary Roth of Haines and Oliver Price, John Hollingsworth and Sue York of Juneau. York is executive director of Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association. A long-term goal is acquisition of a landing craft for lighthouse visits to be stationed in Haines, 15 miles away.
The Haines-based Alaska Arts Confluence has donated a bike rack fashioned by Gene Kennedy to the Haines School. The rack, anchored by two bicycles welded to it, is outside the Haines Pool.
Sue Libenson, Sean Bryant, Liam Cassidy, Paul Wheeler, and Jeanne Kitayama of Haines made the trip to Mount Lorne, Y.T. for Sunday’s memorial service for singer and Haines visitor Nicole Edwards. The service reflected Nicole’s broad reach both as artist and community organizer whose efforts supported young people.
Nelle Jurgeleit-Greene visited with former Presbyterian Church pastor Ron Horn and wife Jacque while driving through Wyoming. After a trip through Yellowstone National Park, Nelle got a room in Riverton and discovered via Facebook she was only 30 minutes from the Horns in Lander, Wyo. The trio met up for a hike through The Sinks, a canyon that features an underground river. Nelle is traveling with a four-legged companion, Buster. Nelle will visit brother Bo Proffitt and family in St. Louis before heading to her final destination, St. James City, Fla.
After the Henderson Farm was no longer available, Henry Wong invited a group of friends to plant crops at his property on Chestnut Drive. Gardeners including Sally and Bob Lix, Ruth Ann Thompson and Sue Waterhouse recently harvested their plots there and were grateful for Wong’s generosity.
The Southeast Conference named Haines its Community of the Year for its resilience “coming together in the wake of natural disaster, pandemic disaster, closed borders, food and supply shortages, lack of transportation and economic disaster.” The award comes with a plaque citing “extraordinary strength and resiliency.” The coalition of regional business and government leaders met recently in Haines.
Eli Williamson moved to Jacksonville, Fla. in July. He’s attending University of North Florida and studying history. Mom Kelly Williamson said Eli’s high school graduation present was season tickets to the Jaguars, the town’s NFL team. He took his grandfather John Hamilton to a recent game. Eli also has joined the university drama club. Kelly is working from a home office for Bartlett Hospital Behavioral Health.
Libby Anderson, a retired town planner from Beaufort, S.C. and husband Paul Anderson recently visited Carol Tuynman. Paul’s brother Ken Anderson and wife Nancy of Penney Farm, Fla. accompanied them on the trip. The group enjoyed a professional nature tour of Chilkoot Lake and drinks and tacos at the Haines distillery. They stayed at Chilkat Tower, ironic for Libby who learned before her visit that completion of the inn building was stalled for decades due to a zoning dispute.