Katelyn Nicole Grant was born at 8:46 p.m. on Dec. 7 in Juneau to Alexis Trout and Cory Grant. Katelyn weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 19.75 inches long. “I am recovering well, Katelyn is healthy and strong and big sister Tia is thrilled that Katelyn is finally here,” said Trout. The couple are in Juneau for another week while Alexis recovers from surgery. They hope to be back before Christmas to celebrate with friends and family.
Gable Sage and his dad James with help from boatbuilder and mechanic Charlie DeWitt, are welding a 17-foot aluminum river boat. Gable plans to use the boat in the Chilkat River for hunting trips. The project included welding, grinding and cutting aluminum. The design was from one that Charlie had previously. The trio is enjoying time in the shop getting the project finished.
Jess and Brent Crowe along with their children Finn and Violet and former residents Brad and Jola Ryan and their two boys, Atlin and Elias, have returned from a week-long hunting trip in Tenakee. The families harvested nine deer. Finn’s buck was the largest in the group. “We had a great Thanksgiving dinner on our boat, the Pavlov, and we got a bunch of shrimp and went to the Tenakee hot springs. Brent also built a little fish tote hot tub on the boat which was fun for the kids to play in while it was snowing,” said Jess Crowe. Jola and Jess also enjoyed paddle boarding from their boat to the hot springs where they saw phosphorescence in the ocean. “It was really beautiful,” Crowe added.
Skagway had its annual Santa train ride and Stuart and Lexie DeWitt, along with their children Charlie, Loralai, and Lucas and Charlie’s friend Asher Jimenez, made the trek over on their boat the F/V Kealailani to enjoy the festivities. Other families also came along including Heath Scott and his wife Candice and children Bear and Ella, and Gabe Thomas and Tracey Harmon and their children Mila and Silas. The families enjoyed visiting with Santa and even the dads of the bunch got a picture with Old Saint Nick, as they were all dressed in camouflage. The families enjoyed walking around the town after the train ride and also had fun at their local park with a snowball fight before heading back to Haines.
Karissa Land has recently graduated from Marine Mechanics Institute in Orlando, Florida. She is working at a local coffee shop now but plans on helping out the fishing fleet this summer with her new skills.
Longtime resident Rosalie Loewen recently graduated with a master’s degree in economics from the University of British Columbia. The former resident and her husband, Reuben, and daughters, Marina, Lydia and Sylvia moved to Vancouver where she could finish her studies.
Former resident Suzanne Newton has received her title of Tennessee Extension Master Gardener through the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee. “My biggest influencers were Helen Turner and Leslee Downer, I learned so much from them over my 11 years in Alaska. I wanted to learn more about my new home state and this gave me the opportunity,” said Newton.