Former residents Elsa Sebastian and Colin Arisman were in town last week. They drove here from Seattle and were on their way back to Prince of Wales Island, where Elsa grew up at Point Baker. She’s been driving boats for a BBC reality show set in nearby Port Protection. Her coworkers driving boats include Sean Cornish, Eric Forster, and Ben Houdek. Elsa said she and Colin are looking to get a home in Haines.
Iris Curley and their daughter Lily, 2, were in Haines for 10 days to visit Iris’s parents Chris and Deb Kemp. Highlights for Lily included story hour with Holly Davis at the library, sledding at Paradise Cove, learning to ride a tricycle at Bikes and Trikes, and walking the entire way across Mud Bay. The pair also enjoyed visiting Iris’s aunt Karen Bryant, second cousins Joe and Sean Bryant, and Larysa Murray. Joe has been working in Antarctica and will return there in August. Iris and Lily live with their dad Doug Curley in Calgary, Alberta, where Iris teaches special needs preschoolers.
LifeMed Alaska recently featured Matt Blood in its employee spotlight. The son of Barb and Jerry Blood of Haines, Matt works as a flight nurse for the air ambulance company. His 14 years of work make him the company’s senior employee there. He has cared for more than 1,700 patients. Matt recently completed his fifth Susitna 100, traveling 100 miles by foot in 38 hours. A 2003 Haines High grad, Matt is married to Haines classmate Holly Wing. They have three children, Taylor, MaKenna, and Charlie.
Mary Price, 92, a longtime resident and nurse at the Haines clinic, lives at a care center in Anchorage but loves getting cards and letters from friends in Haines. Write her at Mary Price, Prestige Care and Rehabilitation Center, 9100 Centennial Circle, Anchorage, AK 99504. Mary’s next birthday is July 29.
Singer-songwriter John Minoia of Haines recently released his first album, “The Big Room.” Produced by Tyson Alston of New York, the album is available on all distribution platforms. John has performed locally at the Southeast Alaska State Fair, Northern Lights Showcase, and KHNS.
Mira Ericksen was back in town this week, catching up with friends and working on her house here. Highlights of her visit included hiking to Moose Meadows in the sunshine and visiting with Jeanne Kitayama and Sandy Barclay. Husband Randy Ericksen works as a fisheries consultant in the Portland, Ore. area and has been enjoying skiing this winter at Mount Hood.
Helen Alten this week was tracking the planned online auction of a smaller Chilkat blanket woven by Jenny Tlunaut of Klukwan in the 1930s and scheduled for Sunday, April 23. A celebrated master weaver who died in 1986, Thlunaut is credited with helping keep Chilkat weaving alive through the 20th century. A dozen or more Northwest Coast artworks are up for auction at crnauctions.com, including a bentwood box, horn ladle, Raven rattle, and a large Chilkat blanket depicting a diving whale. Alten was hoping to attract a local bidder. “If we could get somebody to get it for the town, that would be wonderful,” Alten said. The Thlunaut blanket is valued at $5,000; the larger robe at $25,000.
Ann Myren and Tim McDonough recently returned from an Australian vacation that included time in the states of Tasmania and South Australia. Ann said highlights included hearing the hair-raising screech of a Tasmanian devil, seeing a bare-faced wombat and taking in miles of white sand beaches. The trip included visiting wineries and national parks. Ann said she saw more sheep on the trip than she’d seen in her entire life.
Three seats are open on the Chilkoot Indian Association tribal council. Declarations of candidacy are due by Friday, April. 14. A nominations meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The election will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 15 at the CIA office on Third Avenue.
Clothing maker Julia Billings of Haines will have a showing of her spring line of creations on Thursday, April 20 at Willow & Luna on Seward Street in Juneau. From there, she’ll take her work to the Maker’s Market at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage on April 22. Julie operates the Wildhaven Wools store on Main Street.