Haines locals participated in the 2019 Duff’s Marathon and Half Marathon in Skagway last weekend. Sarah Elliott took the top female time of 3:57.28 and Alissa Henry took third with a time of 4:03.45. Andrew Del Prete ran the half marathon, along with Sierra Jimenez. Donna Lambert did the walking half marathon as well. The marathon is credited as one of the toughest marathons in Alaska because of numerous long hills but breathtaking views of glaciers and the fjord.
In May, Christy Fowler and her son, Marty, were treated to a 10-day Hawaiian vacation by their friend, Meredith Tall, from Seattle. They stayed with her family at a rented house near the beach on the sunny side of the Big Island, where they did paddleboard yoga every morning in a beautiful lagoon. Christy put her face in the water for the first time and fell in love with snorkeling. Marty, and Meredeth’s son, Ramsey, enjoyed golf and surf lessons from world-class instructors. Meredeth surprised them with a helicopter ride along the waterfalls of the Kona Coast and a horseback ride through cattle country. Back at work this week, Christy says she is thankful for this dream vacation which has inspired her to keep “a little bit of aloha” in her day.
Brenda Josephson and Zeke Frank spend two weeks in French Polynesia on the National Geographic boat, Orion. They started their journey in Tahiti and traveled around the Society Islands. “We took hikes in the morning and snorkeling or paddling in the afternoon and I would say the highlight of the trip was snorkeling in at Makatea. It was a pretty grueling hike to get to the caves, but we snorkeled in the caves and they put these underwater flashlights around so you could see. It was amazing,” said Brenda. Zeke also got certified to scuba dive on the last day took a four-wheeler trip into Mount Orohena crater.
Haines High School class of 1976 graduates Bruce and Donna Anderson came to town to visit old freinds this week from Wasilla and Washington respectively. They visited Mary Manuell, Nikki Hopper, and Randa Szymanzski.”I had to come to visit my mountains,” Donna said.
Tiffany DeWitt and her daughter Brooklyn are home after two weeks in Seattle to visit friends Andrew Wood and Larissa Koenig and their two children Jace and Destiny Wood. They went to a Carrie Underwood concert at the Tacoma Dome and watched Jace and Destiny’s spring recital. They also spent three days visiting with Becky and Gary Keonig and their grandson Aiden, Ian Koenig’s son. Tiffany also solo ventured to Las Vegas for a rejuvenating few days to herself. She saw Christina Aguilera and Carrot Top and spend most of the day in the lazy river at the MGM.
Kit Brown was sworn in as a soldier of the Salvation Army church last weekend. “Becoming a soldier is becoming a member of the church and that I believe and support their doctrine and to live my life according to the bible and its teachings,” said Kit. She has to complete many soldier classes inorder to make the commitment. Also, Kevin and Serina Woods were both promoted to captain and were recognized in the same ceremony.
David Simmons’ famous Lederhosen were taken in the Alpenglow bathroom during beer fest weekend. “The patron left behind his original shorts in which his beer fest ticket was in and I was able to track down the name of that person, which happened to be his brother, but was able to swap them out in the Yukon,” said David. Lederhosen are a short knee-length leather garment that are traditionally worn in German speaking countries. David lived in Germany for many years before moving to Haines and sports his lederhosen often.
Long-time resident Trudy Herbert passed away in Mesa, Arizona. Trudy and her late husband Hans helped rebuild the Presbyterian church after it burned and devoted their live to missionary work.
After three and a half years without a pastor, Port Chilkoot Bible Church hired Matt Jones, a retired Coast Guard officer.
Jones caravanned to Haines from Kansas in April with his wife Nancy, four of their six children and three pets in tow.
The move was a homecoming to the state the family lived in from 1999 to 2014, from Kodiak to Valdez to Juneau, while Jones served in the Coast Guard.
In the years without a resident pastor, the Port Chilkoot Bible Church attendance dwindled to fewer than 25 regular worshipers, 29-year member Barb Blood said. Regaining a minister meant rebuilding membership. Now, Jones said that attendance fluctuates from 35 to 50 people on a given Sunday.