Jess Giddings married Austin Strutz on July 18 in Harrisburg, Oregon. The bride’s father, Al Giddings, officiated the ceremony. A total of 40 people attended, including friends, mentors, the bride’s mother Lori Giddings, the groom’s parents Bob and Pam Strutz, and the groom’s two brothers and their families. The wedding was a hybrid Japanese and Western wedding, combing the couple’s two traditions. The bride incorporated traditions including folding 1,000 paper cranes, and she wore Japanese heirlooms passed down from her family. The couple met in China, where they live and work in the non-profit sector.
Sally and Bob Lix celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary with Mexican take-out and a glass of wine. “We finished up 66 years,” Bob Lix said. “Care for each other. God will smooth your road as soon as you learn it is not ‘she’ or ‘me’. It’s ‘we.’”
The first annual I Love Lucy Day! was held Saturday, Aug. 1. The event, which coincided with the late Lucy Harrell’s birthday, was held to honor Harrell and her generosity to Haines. About 35 people attended the live event at the Chilkat Center, said event organizer Sue Waterhouse, and many more were able to attend the virtual event through the Haines Sheldon Museum’s Facebook page. “I felt motivated to do this because she has touched all of our lives,” said Waterhouse. “When I drive around town, everything she has done really improves our quality of life. I don’t think there will be another Lucy Harrell.” A video tribute, titled Our Tribute to Lucy Harrell, honors Harrell’s life and generosity to the community of Haines. The video can be viewed online at youtube.com.
Nearly $2,000 was raised at the Uglies Cancer Golf Tournament, co-hosted by the SEARHC Wisewoman program and the Valley of the Eagles golf course. “People believe in the cause and stopped by and gave what they could,” said Kathy Pardee-Jones. “They just put it in the glass jar.” A total of nine golf teams participated in the tournament, which was won by Tom Heywood and John Norton. The Haines Community Cancer Fund, also known as Chopper Chuck’s Cancer Connection, gives $1,000 to any individual in the community to be used for travel to and from treatments, said Chuck Mittman. The fund has helped 27 people in the last four years, and $4,000 has been spent this year to help Haines residents. “We weren’t able to have a fundraiser this year,” Mittman said. “It helps.”
Julia White of Sun City, Arizona is in town visiting Tom Spencer. Spencer picked up White in Juneau on the Silver Bow, a 30-foot Sundowner previously owned by Lin and Mary Asper. While in Haines, Spencer has been entertaining White with time on the water including crabbing in Taiyasanka Harbor and shrimping in Lutak Inlet. “I absolutely love it here,” White said of Haines. “I’m a small-town girl. I feel right at home.”
Former Haines residents Leslie and Johnny Bomber, who now live in Haines Junction, Canada, recently paddled the Upper Tatshenshini with a group of friends. The weather was rainy and the river was splashy. “It was a wet but fun day all around,” said friend Ryan Drummond. Leslie Bomber described river conditions as “on point.” The water level never spiked in June due to a deep snowpack combined with a cool, wet summer. This combination resulted in consistent, medium-high water for most of the summer, said Leslie Bomber.
A lemonade stand at the Black Bear Trailer Court raised $90 dollars, which was donated to the SEARHC clinic. Friends Lillee Grant, Natalee Grant, Sterling Tipikin, Brooklyn Dewitt and Emma Lapeyri decided to donate the money to SEARHC to help those in need, said Maggie Rae Martin, who made the lemonade and cookies.