Suzie Scollon was in town for a week to spread husband Ron’s ashes. She and Kathleen Menke chose a spot overlooking the Klehini River near a blueberry patch on Sunshine Mountain. Suzie gave the rest of the ashes to Adrian Nash to take to Jones Gap. The families used to hike together, and Suzie remembers Ron carrying little Adrian on his shoulders. The Scollons operated the Gutenberg Dump bookstore from the historic Odell-Tagg House on Second Avenue. Suzie is moving to Bangkok to work as a visiting professor of English linguistics.
Sue Waterhouse threw a blackjack party Saturday at her bed and breakfast, the Cliffhanger. About 30 people attended. Dealers were Dave Wattenberg of Las Vegas and Neil Einsbruch. Dave was in town visiting Neil, who performed magic at the party. The friends were both casino dealers in Atlantic City in the 1980s. Dave now is a manager at Bellagio in Las Vegas. Fred Shields, Greg Horner and Michael Smith played music. Sue threw the party to welcome a pair of newcomers to town she met earlier in the week.
About 12 people spent Saturday on the Valley of the Eagles Golf Links as part of a 40th birthday celebration for Dana Hanselman of Juneau. The weekend golf trip included friends from Juneau and the Lower 48. Eric Morrison of Juneau was the only member of the group who didn’t sleep outside in the rain at Portage Cove. He stayed at friend Jesse McGraw’s house. Morrison also visited Brian Elliott and family and Joe Parnell.
Bingo players wished Dakota Strong a happy 19th birthday between games July 17 at the ANB Hall. After singing “Happy Birthday,” players helped themselves to birthday cake.
Filmmaker Ingrid Stobbe of Boston gave Eileen McIver a three-week crash course in film. Eileen is creating a local mockumentary. The visit was also a surprise for sister Kerry McIver, Ingrid’s former college roommate. Ingrid and Kerry rode bikes, hiked, kayaked, and saw bears and bald eagles. Stobbe’s highlights included visiting local artists to spotlight on her art and design blog, including John Svenson, Lee Heinmiller, Greg Horner, Donna Catotti, and Rob Goldberg. She particularly enjoyed talking with Carol Tuynman, and was impressed by her “Art on Main Street” project. See Ingrid’s art and design blog at designspaces.net.
The “I love salmon because…” blackboard has moved from Second and Main. It’s now in front of Dejon Delights, where it can attract the cruise ship crowd. The interactive board was created by Lynn Canal Conservation and the Alaska Arts Confluence.
The Mackowiak family returned from a trip to Europe. Michael, Martha, and children Sasha and Nik spent a day in Paris, two weeks in Switzerland, and a few days in Iceland. The trip was a high school graduation present for Sasha. Michael’s mother was Swiss. In Switzerland, the family met cousins for the first time. Sasha is scheduled to attend New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho this fall.
Former resident Micah True was in town for a weeklong visit, catching up with old friends. He returned to Edmonton, Alberta, where he works as a college professor.
It was a rougher move than expected, but Steve Vick has arrived in Fairbanks, where he’s starting up his nonprofit Noble Paws. He’ll be working with sled dogs and people with disabilities. He and dogs Lupe, Dozer and Sonic were stranded in the Yukon after his Ford F-250 Diesel suffered a blown head gasket. They stayed with Michelle Oakley of Haines Junction while the truck was repaired in Whitehorse. Steve lived in Haines nearly 10 years. He was a Haines Dolphins swim coach and served on the Haines Borough Assembly and as the executive director of the Haines Animal Rescue Kennel.