By Tom Morphet Don and Diane Lippincott of North Haven, Conn. docked their 40-foot pilothouse trawler Zucchini in Haines July 7 to visit Jane Pascoe. Before COVID-19, Don and Diane made annual boat trips up the Inside Passage and to Pack Creek Brown Bear Observatory, where Jane works as a wildlife ranger. They also planned stops at Elfin Cove and Glacier Bay. Their voyage started on Whidbey Island, Wash.
Co-authors Russ Lyman, Joe Ordonez and Mike Speaks celebrated the fourth reprinting of their book, “The Complete Guide to the Tatshenshini River” at a party in Haines Sunday. Now entering its third decade, the book is a must-read for float trips, including along the upper Alsek River. The changing of river landscapes – due to glacial melt and other climate factors – requires new printings. About 50 friends and family members turned out for the weekend celebration, which included a book-signing.
Dave Walker and Sandy Sheridan spent about 10 days in Haines, catching up with Mud Bay friends and spending time at Dave’s waterfront cabin. Dave’s children. Dawson and Eliza, work as school teachers in the Portland, Ore. area.
Edie, Stella and Sapphire Ordonez are in town from Mount Vernon, Wash., helping dad Joe with the family tour business. Sapphire finished fifth grade and Stella is entering her sophomore year at Skagit Valley College, majoring in education. She’s here with friend John Ramos. Edie says she enjoys her fig and apples trees and being close to family. Her family is in Olympia and Joe’s two sisters and 96-year-old mom are in Mount Vernon.
Blythe Carter donated the snapdragons, coleus and geraniums that brighten up Main Street’s George Mark Park. Jean Smith has tended to the postage-stamp-sized park for about a decade and made daily watering trips during the week of sunshine that followed Independence Day. George Mark was a community volunteer whose work included an annual observance for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
If you made a new craft, took a fantastic photo or grew an impressive vegetable in the past year, don’t dally. The deadline for non-perishable exhibits entries to the Southeast Alaska State Fair is only about a week away, at 5 p.m. July 22 at the fair office. Exhibits will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 21-22. Perishable exhibit entries will be accepted, also from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on July 25-26.
Aaron Davidman reports that five California disc golfers came to town for their biannual Spruce Tip Invite disc golf tournament. Play included rounds at Raven’s Bowl disc course at the fairgrounds, John Brainard’s course, Seven Pastures in Skagway and Juneau’s Aant’liyeik Park. Eli Newbrun-Mintz was overall winner. Trip highlights included climbing to elevation 3,920 on Takshanuk Ridge with help from guide Sarah Bishop and singing karaoke at the Pioneer. Visitors included Royce Friedmann, Milo Simpson, Loukas Stelyn and Zach Shamroukh. They stayed with Syd Mintz.
Katlyn Jade Hickman is missing her small, black cat Runa in the Small Tracts Road area between town and the HARK kennel. Runa has white stockings, a white moustache and chest, and a short tail. She’s shy and may be hiding in a shed. Call 907-766-2081.
The recent arrival of the Polynesian vessel Hokulea in Angoon was greeted by a Tlingit canoe carved last year by Wayne Price of Haines. Wayne teaches Northwest Coast Native Art, carving and Formline design at University of Alaska-Southeast. He accompanied two of his canoes, the “Haines Fleet,” down Main Street in Haines on July 4.
A private memorial service for Morris “Morrie” Ward is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15 at the American Legion Hall. Ward, a Navy veteran and merchant mariner, died April 25 in Lake Charles, La. He was 95. He made many recent trips to Haines. Surviving siblings include Judy Weir of Haines and Jeannie Sturrock of Sitka. A full obituary is pending.