Nine-year-old Asher Jimenez was walking home at 10 a.m. on Sunday when he cut through the school playground and encountered a bear running at him. Gable Sage and Sadie Anderson had been watching the bear walk along the road in between Radio Shack and the state Department of Transportation shop when the bear appeared to get spooked by a vehicle. The bear ran toward the school playground and the couple soon spotted Asher. They immediately drove over to the parking lot behind the school basketball courts where Asher had run from the bear. They picked him up from his hiding spot behind a white trailer. “The bear was scared and Asher was scared. It wasn’t a good situation,” Anderson said. The bear took shelter in the woods across Haines Highway. Of the incident, Asher said, “It was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. I know I’m not supposed to run from bears, but when it was running towards me, I just ran as fast as I could. I lost my shoes. I was really happy to see Gable and Sadie because the bear was really close.” Asher’s mother Sierra Jimenez was thankful that Gable and Sadie were in the right place at the right time and delivered him home safely.
On April 19, a photograph of commercial fisherman Luck Dunbar on his boat the F/V Blueboy was featured in a New York Times article entitled: “On the Water in Alaska, Where Salmon Fishing Dreams Live On. Each summer, salmon begin their journey back to the rivers where they were spawned. Alaskan fishermen, along with whales, eagles and bears, share in the abundance.” An aerial photo of the Chilkat River was also included in the article by Colin Arisman, a nonfiction filmmaker, photographer and writer. Luck reported, “I have no idea who took that photograph or when, crazy to see it in the New York Times. It had to have been circa 2017.”
Lizi Wirak was in Haines for a visit with her sister Tracy Wirak-Cassidy and brother-in-law Liam Cassidy. She enjoyed spring skiing and catching up with friends on trail runs and at beach bonfires. Wirak recently completed her first year of a two-year program at Montana State University in Bozeman for a master’s in sustainable food systems.
Sen Dan Sullivan was in Haines earlier this month to meet with Beach Road residents and public officials. In addition to listening to the concerns of residents impacted by the Beach Road slide, he met with library director Carolyn Goolsby. Carolyn said, “I was thrilled to have him here to visit our library as he and Rep Don Young submitted letters of recommendation to our application for the National Medal for Museum and Library services.” Sen Lisa Murkowski nominated the Haines Borough Public Library for the nation’s highest honor, which is given to museums and libraries that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities.
Sullivan also met with Haines High School senior Haley Boron during his Haines visit. He congratulated her on her acceptance to United States Air Force Academy and said he would be following her progress over the next four years. Haley is set to report to basic training on June 24.
Former resident Mike Rostron has published his third book in three years, “The Roving Fitzgeralds: The Memoirs Of Roy Madison Fitzgerald.” Roy was a stagecoach driver in Yellowstone Park, and his family were early Montana pioneers. He was Rostron’s great grandfather. Rostron’s first book, “Cape Decision,” was published in 2019, and his second, “The Kabul Conscript” in 2020. More information can be found at mikerostron.com.
Mike continues to play music with his daughter Lesley Rostron. Many will remember their Haines band “The Truffles.” “After years of Lesley and I each doing our own thing, her playing mostly solo acoustic gigs, and me writing and recording songs with my band “Salvadore Dali Llama,” we formed the band “Lemon Creek” in 2018,” Mike said. Up until COVID-19 shut everything down the Bellingham-based band was busy playing at casinos, special events, fairs, and parties. Mike added, “The band is a tribute to women of rock and pop from the 80s to now.” Mike’s books can be purchased at The Bookstore.
Haines High School students celebrated Senior Ditch Day on May 10. The senior class departed the school at 9 a.m. for a trip down the Chilkat River with Haines Rafting Company. The seniors started at 21 Mile and ended at 14 Mile. They went to the 33 Mile Roadhouse afterward to enjoy a meal together. Carson Crager, Jayden Hotch, Mark Davis, Hannah Boron, Haley Boron, and Lydia Andriesen all attended track practice directly after the meal. “I’m glad I didn’t order pie, too,” said Crager after the workout.