Alekka and Michael Fullerton traveled to Stevenson, Washington, for the wedding of sons Graham Fullerton and Clare Dawson. The couple married at the Skamania Lodge on the Columbia River Gorge on July 9. Alekka and Michael’s daughters Annelise Fullerton and Elsie Piper also attended the wedding, along with Annelise’s fiancé Sean Silk, an EMT/firefighter in Haines, Elsie’s husband Nathan Piper, and the couple’s newborn son, Nolan Piper. After the wedding, Alekka and Michael went to California to visit their parents. Graham and Clare plan to honeymoon in Belize.
Rahsaan and Kiara Gregg moved to Haines from Vancouver, Washington, in June. Rahsaan was born and raised in Haines but moved to Portland, Oregon, to attend high school there. He then moved to Vancouver, where he met Kiara. The couple has two boys, Damef, 5, and Talon, 2. After being away from Haines for 25 years, Rahsaan and his family made the decision last year to move back. He said the main reason for returning is so Damef can attend kindergarten in Haines. The family will live with Rahsaan’s father, Tresham Gregg, at Fort Seward. Rahsaan plans to work at the distillery. Kiara owns a business for online advertisement management. “We’re super excited to be back in Haines, and we’re happy to be a part of the community,” Rahsaan said.
Rich Brand moved to Haines in May from Denver. “I rode my motorcycle up here, and now it’s home,” he said. Brand is guiding for SEAK Expeditions, face painting at community events, and shooting photography for his company Captured Heartbeats. Brand lived in Colorado for 20 years as a professional adventurer, photographer, and motivational speaker. He kayaked the entire Mississippi River in 2014. He also kayaked from Seattle to San Diego in 2015 and the “Great Loop” in 2016 through 2019. That route starts in New Orleans, heads east to the Florida Keys, north to Nova Scotia, up the St. Lawrence River, through the Great Lakes, and down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.
Luke Davis, a Haines High School senior, attended Lynn Canal Adventures, an annual running camp in Juneau from July 4-10. Luke said the most memorable runs were up Mount Juneau, a 7-mile trail with an elevation gain of 3,576 feet, and through Eaglecrest Ski Area. “It was a blast,” Davis said. “I ended up winning a hat and being one of two Campers of the Week.”
Michael Marks, a former resident of Santa Clarita Valley, California, who now works at the Haines Borough tourism department, was pleasantly surprised on July 7 when he spotted a friend from Santa Clarita disembarking a Princess Cruises ship. The two snapped a quick photo and caught up. Marks and his wife Lorrie Dudzik moved to Haines in 2008 for their retirement.
Alaska State Writer Laureate Heather Lende and The Bookstore owner Amy Kane met with the company “A Mighty Blaze” via videoconference on July 6 to discuss Lende’s most popular books. “A Mighty Blaze” was founded in 2020 to recognize independent authors and bookstores and to support independent bookselling. Lende discussed the ongoing relevance of her book, “Of Bears and Ballots,” published in the summer of 2020. To watch the video call, search “A Mighty Blaze” on YouTube.
Haines School superintendent Roy Getchell was the state’s only attendee at the 2022 Legislative Advocacy Conference in Washington D.C. July 12-14. Over three days, superintendents from across the country discussed school funding and policies. The conference was an opportunity for superintendents to voice their concerns and learn about how federal policy will impact their districts.