The Youths from Port Chilkoot Bible Church, Pastor Matt Jones, and a few other members of his congregation provided a big service by helping to move all of Doris Peck’s household items to Haines Assisted Living. Doris celebrated her 93rd birthday on Wednesday.
Friends were recently saddened by the death of Thomas Andrew “Tommie” Willis, age 31. Tommie was the son of former KHNS manager Tom Willis and spent summers in Haines as a child. He worked as a commercial fisherman and programmer at KBJZ in Juneau. He also holds a record at the Viking Swim Club in Petersburg. Contributions in Tommie’s name can be made to the Juneau Alliance for Mental Health, Inc. (JAMHI) in Juneau or to the Petersburg Public Library.
The Yukon Legislative Assembly formally honored singer-songwriter Nicole Edwards on Monday. John Striker, who represents Mount Lorne, delivered a tribute in memory of Nicole, a frequent Haines visitor, and performer. Edwards, who died Sept. 18, was married to former Haines resident Lee Close. A memorial concert for Nicole will be held on June 18 at Mount Lorne Community Center. Email [email protected] to join a list of performers.
The Haines Corps of the Salvation Army is raising money to attend the Salvation Army Congress in Anchorage in June. To help them attend, donate goods to Talia’s Treasures on the account of Georgiana Hotch. For more information, phone Georgiana at 314-0925.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has prompted a change in policy at the American Bald Eagle Foundation, which has discontinued admitting injured birds, the foundation’s animal curator Sidney Campbell said this week. Instead, residents discovering injured birds are asked to phone the foundation and wait for foundation personnel to arrive or take action. About 20 birds are brought into the center each year. HPAI can be transmitted on clothing or shoes.
Sara Chapell visited with Joe Ordonez and Edie Granger and daughters Stella and Saphire in Mount Vernon, Wash., during a spring break trip to the Pacific Northwest. In Portland, she caught up with former resident Mira Ericksen, who lives in nearby Corbett , Ore.
Nine boys and girls from Haines School’s fifth grade played five games and placed second in Juneau’s Hooptime Basketball Tournament. The 24-hour tourney included six teams from Sitka, Juneau, and Hoonah. Spencer Baumgartner, Kaeden Ganey, and Brylea Swaner were named to the all-tournament team. Other players included Sophia Hedden, Patience Nelson, Makayla Henry, Wesley Hoffman, Ryker Eggleston, and Parker Baumgartner. Jordan and Keely Baumgartner coached. All Haines players scored.
Josie Nelson and Jason Eason took the spring break road least traveled, heading north to the Anchorage area on a skiing road trip. Jason said they enjoyed “great snow” backcountry skiing on slopes around Tok and on groomed slopes at Alyeska and Arctic Valley resorts. Josie enjoyed checking out the baked goods at Fire Island bakeries. Meals included one at the Rustic Goat. It was Josie’s first trip to the Interior.
Friends Sarah Roark and Jess Crowe independently booked separate winter trips to Panama, a coincidence that made for a great vacation, Roark said. Sarah made a three-week Spanish language trip across the country while Crowe took a three-week yoga instructor class. Together they took a four-day sailboat trip in the San Blas Islands, an area of 300 tiny, tropical islands where they celebrated Jess’s birthday with a dinner of fresh fish. Sarah’s six weeks of travels included Boquete, a mountainous, inland region of waterfalls and coffee plantations, and Boca Brava, where she enjoyed fishing on the nation’s Pacific Ocean side. She enjoyed paddleboarding, snorkeling, salsa dancing, and cooking lessons as well as swimming at night in bioluminescent waters.
Haines High School classmates Riley Erekson and Chris Olsen bumped into each other near Seattle’s Pike Street Market last week. Erekson, who works downtown, was getting something from her car when she heard someone call out “Riles.” She turned and saw Olsen, who was on his way back to Alaska. He took a break after crab fishing to make a trip to California to spend time with Keanu Lynch.
Cole Graham recently made a six-day trip to Haines to visit brother Max Graham and ski local slopes. Their outings included the Mount Ripinsky shoulder and Nadahini Mountain in Canada. Cole is a third-year medical student at Tufts University in Boston. They teamed up with ski buddies Nathan and Jan Mohan.