Haines High grad Kirby Faverty, 19, has won the Mark Robb Award at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo. The award recognizes a student athlete who “consistently contributes to the team’s success and leads through example by commitment, dedication and teamwork.” A shooting guard, Kirby was named spring MVP on the school’s hoops squad last year. He’ll be playing varsity this year. Kirby worked the past summer as an Alaska Conservation Corps worker for the state Division of Parks.
Mandy Ramsey recently completed a 300-hour program as an Ayurveda yoga specialist. Ayurveda addresses a person’s physical and mental wellbeing through diet and lifestyle changes.
Since the pandemic began, Mandy also completed the 500-hour mark in Shiva Rae yoga. Mandy is a yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and is working toward a master’s degree in yoga studies and mindfulness from Prescott College. A local yoga instructor since 2000, she’s offering a free class online on Sept. 19.
Tribal workers in Klukwan had off Sept. 1 in honor of Martha Willard Day. The annual observance commemorates the late elder’s actions to preserve the village’s cultural heritage. Festivities were canceled due to COVID-19.
Becky Palmer and daughter Emily Palmer Smith leave Sept. 10 after a 15-day visit with Emily’s dad Rick Burroughs. Becky, a former Haines Borough clerk, is a librarian in the genealogy department at Shreve Memorial Library. Emily is an artist. Her husband Todd Smith is a veterinarian. They live in Shreveport, La.
John Svenson reports that two nationally known glass blowers visited Haines last week, giving residents a chance to try the craft. Bill Chetney invited Ed Schmidt, a Pilchuck Glass School instructor from Washington to help organize and blow glass at his developing “hot shop” and studio at Viking Cove. Natassja Ralph, a glass-blowing instructor from Washington, made a surprise visit. Together, the pair helped dozens of residents learn the basics of manipulating molten glass during weekend sessions.
Longtime friend Marilyn Heiman visited Sue Libenson Tuesday, arriving on the ferry Kennecott, one leg of a return to Anchorage after 20 years in Seattle. Heiman’s day included running along the Chilkat Inlet beach, sipping cocktails at the distillery and spotting 11 bears along the Chilkoot River choked with pink salmon. A consultant, Heiman served as an aide to former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles and to former U.S. Interior Department Secretary Bruce Babbitt.
Tracy Wirak-Cassidy, Emily McMahan, Yolanta Ryan, and Chris Hill, along with writer Alli Harvey of Palmer, teamed up for a seven days of hiking and pack-rafting on the Ivishak River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge early last month. Starting with a flight out of Coldfoot, they rafted north to an intersection with the North Slope haul road. Highlights included seeing caribou, learning to patch holes in their rafts and experiencing a brown bear dashing through their camp. Harvey’s account of the trip, which also served as Hill’s bachelorette party, was published recently in the Anchorage Daily News.
Mideast war Army veterans Brandon Wilks and Kyle Clayton gave perspectives on the war in Afghanistan during presentations at the public library Sunday. About 25 residents attended. Wilks, a medic assistant during his 2010 deployment, spoke of lackluster effort by the Afghan national army and his fear for Afghanis left behind who aided the U.S. effort. Clayton served as an Army medic in Iraq in 2003. He was critical of U.S. media reporting in Afghanistan, particularly superficial coverage by cable networks, noting that many of the war’s supporters had unreported ties to defense contractors who profited from the conflict. Wilks, who works as the library’s education coordinator, says he hopes to continue such presentations as a “veterans’ voices” series.
His energy and health recovered, Dan Henry returned to teaching at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore. this month. Dan was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in October 2020. He received chemotherapy, followed by a bone marrow transplant in March. Dan’s brother Ken donated stem cells that were a “perfect match.” Dan and wife Robin lived in Portland until July. Dan says he’s grateful to all of the support of the loving friends from Haines and to Robin, his “amazing, main-squeeze, ultra caregiver.” Son Charlie Henry teaches fifth-graders in Ashland, Ore. Reach Dan through his website, danielhenryalaska.com.
The Haines congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses is set to establish a permanent place of worship. Following a three-year search, the group recently bought a one-acre property and home on Small Tracts Road originally built by Alvaro Narino Sr. A renovation is planned using local suppliers whenever possible, said Dan Passalacqua, an elder in the Haines congregation.