Former Haines public health nurse Vera Smith turned 100 on Nov. 24. She received cards from the White House and from former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell, said resident Joan Snyder, who visited Vera a few days before her centennial birthday and said she wouldn’t be surprised if Smith makes it to 105. Joan said Vera would appreciate hearing from friends in Haines. Vera’s address is: 751 Hillsdale Drive, Apt. 15; Charlottesville, VA 22901-3301. Vera worked here in the 1960s, Snyder said. Snyder’s trip to the Lower 48 included train travel from Seattle to Sacramento and east to Philadelphia. She reported the train afforded great views of the western states. Joan said she visited family members in the Philadelphia area and a former nursing classmate in Fort Myers, Fla.
Former Chilkat Valley News writer Eileen McIver said she saw eagles, buffalo, ptarmigan, mountain goats, wild horses, caribou and moose on her drive north to Healy Nov. 22-23. McIver will be spending the winter with sister Kerry McIver, who teaches at the Healy school. Eileen is already playing on a hockey team there. She plans to work on personal and professional projects through the winter months.
Lyndsey Sloper and Mike Caposey are new parents of daughter Piper Michelle Caposey, born 9:44 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Juneau’s Bartlett Regional Hospital. Piper weighed 8 pounds and measured 22 inches. Piper is the couple’s first child and the first grandchild of Randal and Pam Sloper of Haines.
Dick and Carol Flegel will travel to San Francisco while Dick recovers from heart surgery. They will stay with their son Michael Flegel, daughter-in-law Lauren Wang and grandson Ryan Flegel. Words of encouragement can be sent to [email protected].
The new eagle at the American Bald Eagle Foundation has been named Vega. Foundation executive director Cheryl McRoberts said the name suggested by eagle researcher Rachel Wheat is appropriate because Vega is the foundation’s fifth eagle and the name of the fifth brightest star in the sky. The star sits in the Lyra constellation, often represented as an eagle. About 25 people nominated names for the eagle, and a popular one was “Freedom,” McRoberts said. Vega is a large female with damaged wing tips that was hit by a truck in Ketchikan.
Zakery Little gave out and prescribed about 900 pairs of glasses working in optometry aboard the Pacific Link, a Youth With A Mission medical ship serving Papua New Guinea. Little said his crew served thousands of people in hundreds of villages in a few weeks and that he had an amazing time. Little is now working on a farm outside Toronto, saving money and collecting contributions for another YWAM mission aboard a new ship that will sail in April. Checks in his name can be mailed to P.O. Box 1083, Haines, AK 99827.
Stuart, Lexie and son Charlie Dewitt spent three weeks visiting family and friends and attending industry shows in Washington state. Stuart hunted birds with Lexie’s dad, Steve Conley, and fished with former Haines resident Jason Shull. Stuart and Lexie attended The Pacific Marine Fish Expo in Seattle and Ocean Beauty’s fleet party. That party, held at Seattle’s Safeco baseball field, was also attended by Haines fishermen Norm Hughes, Cynde Adams and Gary Graham.
Joe and Edie Ordonez hosted eight visiting photographers for Thanksgiving dinner at their Mosquito Lake home. The photo group, led by international photo-tour guide Oliver Klink of Los Gatos, Calif., captured photos of eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, sunrises at Mud Bay and various animals at Steve Kroschel’s Wildlife Park. This is Klink’s seventh professional visit to the Chilkat Valley.
Haines High junior Jenae Larson donated 10 inches of hair to Locks of Love, to be used for wigs for people with cancer. Larson’s maternal grandmother, Anita Hansen, died of cancer about two years ago, and favored wigs toward the end of her life.
Joan Cushing, a Washington, D.C., composer and playwright, visited Haines while on break from the Juneau Junior Theater’s production of “A Christmas Doll,” adapted by Cushing from a children’s book. Cushing and her son, Ben Cushing, a New Orleans jazz pianist, stayed with Annette and Sam Smith and enjoyed eagle viewing and other sightseeing. Joan, who moonlights as a bartender, was impressed by the Port Chilkoot Distillery.
The Haines Library’s annual Lighting of the Library was attended by about 250 people. The ceiling-high centerpiece spruce tree was donated by Hugh Rietze from his Letnikof Cove cannery property. Children’s librarian Holly Davis entertained with songs and crafts in the children’s room, Mark Carroll and his band played holiday songs, and the Haines High School Man Choir presented a selection of their musical talent.
The Haines Sportsman’s Association annual Thanksgiving “turkey shoot” drew 20 participants competing in 13 events. Shotguns were available for loan to new participants during the first hour. The next shoot will be around Christmas.
Paul Wheeler and Jeannie Kitayama of Haines Brewing Company made a recent tour of other small Alaskan breweries. They visited Kodiak Brewery, Midnight Sun and King Street Breweries in Anchorage, and Baranof Brewing Company in Sitka. All share similarities in how they market their beers. While in Sitka, they stayed with former Haines residents Lon and Litia Garrison. Lon is aquaculture director for the Sitka Sound Science Center. Litia is women’s health program manager at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium.
The Haines High School journalism class has launched a student newspaper, “Bearing the News.” Each week or so, students in the class are assigned articles following a class discussion of what’s going on around town, said junior Jenae Larson, a student in the class. Typically, the class prints about 15 copies and leaves them throughout the school for others to pick up and read, she said. The class, taught by Ryan Harms, has produced five issues.
The Haines Tourism Department and the Alaska Tourism Industry Association are co-sponsors of a Winter Window Contest that started Oct. 15 and ends at the Haines Visitor Center open house Dec. 13. The grand prize is $500. Cast your vote at the visitor center.
Hannah Blilie and Tom Katzeek are back from an impromptu Hawaiian holiday. While on the summit of Mount Ripinsky, Hannah got a call from her mom with news of two, about-to-expire Alaska Airlines tickets available free from a relative. The couple left immediately. It was the first trip to Hawaii for both.