Erika Merklin donated sunflower starts to Haines School teachers and staff to celebrate Teacher’s Appreciation Week. Merklin and children Cameron Bauer and Chisel Triezenberg planted 500 sunflowers at the new Mosquito Lake Community Center greenhouse from seeds Merklin had saved from her garden last year. She is also giving sunflowers to kids when they pick up their lunches from the school, and sunflowers and plants for purchase are available at the Mosquito Lake Community Center. To join efforts for the community garden at Mosquito Lake Community Center, you can contact Merklin at 767-5586 or join the facebook page Friends of Mosquito Lake Community Center.
Stoli Lynch graduated with honors from University of Alaska Anchorage this week with a degree in Cultural Responsive Teaching. Lynch was on track to graduate in early childhood education, but when UAA lost its accreditation she had to change course during her last semester. She chose to switch to Cultural Responsive Teaching because she felt it was something that could benefit the Haines community. “Culture is a big thing in our community,” Lynch said. “Haines does a pretty good job of implementing cultural responsibility.”
John and Sharon Svenson finished a second mural to be installed at the Iditarod Elementary School in Wasilla, Alaska. Although complete, installation is delayed until June due to coronavirus travel challenges. “We’re getting ready for a dead summer,” John Svenson said. “We’re working on art for the post-apocalyptic time. We are doing a lot of gardening.” The Svensons did not hold their annual May Day Grand Opening for their art gallery this year but will still be selling art upon request.
Heather Lende was published in The New York Times this week with her opinion piece “In My Small Town in Alaska, I Miss Small-Town Life.” She worked with the editor of the Op Ed Page, James Ryerson, who happens to live near where Lende grew up. “It was a great experience,” Lende said. “The rest of the world is interested in how we live and how we navigate these times.” She has a new book coming out in June, titled Of Bears and Ballots, An Alaskan Adventure In Small-Town Politics.
Karen Garcia has been leading virtual WERQ dance classes through a Facebook Live feed. WERQ is cardio dance fitness workout choreographed to hip hop and pop music. To set up for the virtual classes, Garcia blacks out her apartment windows and sets up studio lights to help viewers see her clearly. “Our dog, Sugar, will enter the frame around 6 p.m. and ask for her dinner biscuits,” Garcia said. “I have to shoo her off mid move.” To join the free classes, participants can friend Garcia on Facebook and tune in Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.
Lindsey Edgar, cocktail connoisseur from the Port Chilkoot Distillery, is making the most of her unemployment status. She has been working on converting her garage into an extra rentable living space. In addition, she built her first set of sawhorses, which conveniently becomes an evening yard bar so she can continue serving specialty cocktails to her roommates. Between projects and dog walks, she is settling in to her new normal, although she looks forward to serving the Haines community again from the new, expanded distillery tasting room.
Retired electrician Marvin Leak died suddenly at his Covenant Life Center home on April 27 of apparent heart failure, his wife Beverley said. He was 85 years old. A full obituary of the longtime upper valley resident will be published next week.