Duly Noted

Pam Sloper and the SEARCH Wisewoman program are hosting this year’s Turkey Trot, an opportunity for residents to burn calories and see neighbors before their Thanksgiving Day feasts. It starts at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving at the tribal house in Fort Seward. Participants can run or jog the Small Tracts-Mud Bay loop or walk around Fort Seward Drive. “Just come out and do something,” Pam said. Call 766-6367 if you have questions.
Runners, walkers and anyone else is invited to play in the annual Turkey Bowl, the only organized football game of the year in Haines. The flag football game will start after the Turkey Trot, around 10 a.m. Thanksgiving Day at the Fort Seward parade grounds. Jordan Baumgartner will provide flags and other equipment. The game has been a local tradition for about five years.
Erica Marie Loomis and Paul Daniel Carrington were married Nov. 6 at Chilkat Inlet Retreat. Heath Scott served as officiant. The ceremony included the couple’s children Baylee Pearson of Boise, Idaho, Clayton Pearson and Orion Carrington of Sitka and one-year-old Drew Genevieve Carrington. Erica’s gown was a sale find from Tacoma. Rachel Rowley made the lemon wedding cake, along with a cheeky cake topper and 48 cupcakes of various flavors. The event was planned by Caroline Hankins and included music by Jim Lampkins, dinner by Travis Kukull and photos by Katlyn Jade Photography. Erica’s parents Craig and Sheri Loomis of Haines and Paul’s mom Toni Olsen of Leavenworth, Wash., attended, as did friends from Juneau, Yakutat and Sitka. The newlyweds left for Las Vegas the following day on a honeymoon that included a Raiders football game and visits to Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire State Park. “Drew dropped our rental car keys nine floors down an elevator shaft that resulted in lots of fees, tow truck, Uber rides and memories that will last a lifetime,” Erica said.
“Captain” Kirk Mosley is packing up his dental kit at the SEARHC clinic and heading for Oklahoma. After spending Thanksgiving with his wife Karen in Tucson, he’s bound for Ada, Okla., where he’ll be working with Chickasaw tribal members. Kirk says he’s looking forward to being within driving distance to his six grandchildren in Indianapolis.
Steven Price used the occasion of a medical trip to Sitka to see high school friends there. He went for a hike through the Sitka National Historic Park, found some World War II foxholes, and stopped in to see a traditional dugout canoe Tommy Joseph and Tim Flannery are carving. He also left flowers at the Sitka National Cemetery grave of grandfather Charles Howard Hepler Jr.
Haines author Heather Lende delivered the keynote address to about 200 people at the Association of Alaska School Boards conference at the Anchorage Hilton on Nov. 5. She spoke on “equity,” the theme of the conference, using stories from Haines and her time on the combined assembly/school board. Former Haines resident Lon Garrison, executive director of AASB, introduced Heather’s talk. While in Anchorage, Heather spoke about her book, “Of Bears and Ballots,” at the Writer’s Block bookstore, where attendees included Anchorage assembly member Meg Zaletel and East Anchorage Book Club host Andrew Gray. John Hagen and Margaret Freidenauer also came and John gave Heather a tour of the Anchorage Museum, where he works. On her way home, Heather visited daughters Eliza Dorn and Joanna Hinderberger and their families in Juneau and spoke at a book event at Hearthside Books. She capped the trip by visiting friends Larry and Teresa Hura in Tenakee Springs, where she also saw former Haines residents Kevin and Carlene Allred.
Captain Kevin Woods of the Haines Salvation Army Church is seeking residents to volunteer with bell-ringing at the downtown holiday charity kettle, Nov. 29 to Dec. 24. If you can help out, call him at 766-2470. Kevin also is starting to put together his Thanksgiving food drive. You can donate at a food bin at Howsers or send checks to P.O. Box 550, Haines. Salvation Army’s Christmas Gift Give-Away is signing up families now. Stop by the Union Street church 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays, call 766-2470, or go online to saangeltree.org.
Norman Hughes is back in town after working five weeks in the sea cucumber dive fishery out of Tenakee Springs. His is one of about 15 boats that participate in the fishery along Tenakee Inlet, many of whom are now old friends. Deckhand Wylie Betz joined Norman for the final three weeks of the fishery.
Photographer and guide Matt Shetzer of Carbondale, Colo. was in Haines this week with six clients from Las Vegas, Colorado, Canada, Nebraska and California, taking pictures of bald eagles. With the exception of last year, Shetzer has come here every years since 2009. Author of a book about Alaska eagles, Shetzer also leads photography trips in Lake Clark, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands. Ideal conditions for eagle photography in Haines include fallen snow and diffused sunlight, he said.
A tribute scheduled for this week by the Yukon Territory legislative assembly for musician-educator Nicole Edwards has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. A new date has not yet been set.
Former river guide and Chilkat Valley News reporter Matt Hawthorne reports that his house in Bellingham, Wash. is high and dry following last week’s destructive flooding. Most of the flooding occurred north of town near the Nooksack River, including at the car-sales district. He said the storm reminded him of the 2005 Thanksgiving floods in Haines that destroyed sections of the Haines Highway, Lutak and Mud Bay roads. Matt and wife Emma operate a tutoring business. They have two children, Jonah, 9, and Haven, 7.
Haines seniors are reminded that no lunch will be delivered on Thanksgiving Day. A meal featuring turkey and traditional side dishes will be served by delivery on Wednesday, Nov. 24.