Casey Bradford and Danielle Abe were married on New Year’s Eve at Portage Cove with Casey’s father Scott Bradford presiding as marriage minister. Casey’s mom Candi Bradford, aunt Cristy Myers, uncle Lance Jorgenson-Geise and cousin Kenzy Myers were on hand for the ceremony. The bride and groom wore camo and XtraTuff boots and instead of a cake, enjoyed a wedding waffle on New Year’s Day morning at Port Chilkoot Distillery. The newlyweds are planning a bigger celebration with family and friends in Mexico on their first anniversary. Danielle, an outdoorswoman, EMT and nursing student, said she met Casey after learning he’d been mauled by a bear. “I got excited because I wanted to see his wounds as I enjoy emergency and wound care. I convinced him to show me his wounds, so the relationship began.”
Jeanne Kitayama’s nephew Kurt Kitayama recently finished third in the Professional Golfers’ Association’s 50th Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. His win netted Kurt $552,000. Sepp Straka of Austria won the tournament with a score of 270, 10 below par and one stroke below second-place finisher Shane Lowry. Jeanne said her extended family was following the action closely as Kurt led the tournament in its first round.
Lindsey Hawkins of Austin, Texas spent 10 days in Haines with brother Nathan Mohan and sister-in-law Jan Mohan. She joined Nathan and Jan at the Miles Ski Classic Sunday and also toured the Haines Sheldon Museum and spent time at the public library and brewery. A writer of science curricula, Lindsey was hoping to see the aurora borealis and said she might incorporate information about the Lituya Bay tsunami in her work. She wants to return to Haines with her twin sons.
Former Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill is featured in the “Faces of Mining” series in the Winter 2022 edition of The Alaska Miner, an industry publication. The story headlined “Lifetime of Service” includes biographical information and notes Hill’s service as a past member of the boards of Southeast Conference and current member of the boards of Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and state Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office. Hill also serves on the board of the Haines chapter of the Alaska Miners Association.
On a recent trip to Anchorage, Sue Libenson met with friends and former Haines visitors Diana Rhoades, Marilyn Heiman, Schawna Thoma, and college classmate Nancy Pease, a six-time winner of Seward’s Mount Marathon Race and member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. The group skied nine miles to a Nordic ski chalet north of Talkeetna.
Reading Girls topped Book Nerds for Haines Tournament of the Readers competition at the Haines School Tuesday morning. Teachers, adults and high school veterans of the competition packed the elementary gym for the tie-breaker round between the two fifth-grade teams. The Reading Girls are Patience Nelson, Chloe Lloyd, Emma Blilie and Mackenna Dryden. Book Nerds are Spencer Baumgartner, Finn McMahan, Sophia Hedden and Chisel Triezenberg. Taking third place were the Sharp Readers, a third-grade team comprised of Mila Thomas, Kayci Ferrin, Evan White and Yarona Bochart-Jacobson. Fifty-three students on 13 teams competed in the reading comprehension tournament this year. Prizes included bookstore gift certificates and cash awards by ProHNS. School librarian Leigh Horner organized the tournament. Karen Garcia served as quiz master.
U.S. Air Force Academy cadet Haley Boron recently performed in two New Orleans parades in conjunction with the Mardi Gras celebration. Haley is a trumpeter in the academy’s Drum and Bugle Corps. She designed a trading patch for the group with the motto, “Sacrifice Tone for Sound.”
Rebecca Kameika displayed her cakes, macrons, tarts and cookies for a photo shoot and “Sips and Slices” event at the brewery on Feb. 12.
Roles for a young man and a young woman are still open for Lynn Canal Community Players’ production of Agatha Christie’s “A Murder Is Announced.” Phone 766-2708 to join the show.
The husband-wife duo of Liam and Tracy Wirak-Cassidy won first overall in Saturday’s fifth Kat to Koot Alpine Adventure race in a time of 2:27. They wore running shoes and snowshoes on the course that climbs up, over and down Mount Ripinsky’s south flank. Ray Reeves and Graham Kraft placed second overall and first among men’s teams and in the ski/snowboard category (2:38). Jordan Baumgartner and Adam McMahon were third overall and second in the snowshoe category (3:13). Fourth overall were youth team champions Leo Wald, 15, and Dalton Henry, 14, who were third among snowshoe teams (3:24). Women’s division champions Gen Bell and daughter Camelia Bell, 14, also placed first in ski teams and fifth overall (3:32). Master’s champions Darsie Culbeck and Matt Whitman placed sixth overall and second in the ski category (3:38). The race drew 25 competitors, including ones from Canada, Juneau and Switzerland.
The 35th Buckwheat Ski Classic is set for March 12 at Log Cabin, B.C. The fee for the Nordic race is $25 and registration deadline is 9 p.m. on March 10. For additional details and registration, go to www.buckwheatskiclassic.com.

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