Members of Haines Student Council traveled to Healy last weekend to attend the Alaska Association of Student Government conference. Student council advisor Alex Van Wyhe and chaperone Rachelle Galinski escorted seven representatives from Haines High including Seth Waldo, Keegan Palmieri, Marirose Evenden, Lydia Andriesen, Hannah and Haley Boron, and Wesley Verhamme. During the conference, Keegan was awarded “Delegate for Region V” and student body president Seth was awarded “Resolution of the Conference.” Seth’s resolution stated that all Alaska students need to be certified in CPR before graduation, and now it’s being sent to the legislature for action. Marirose ran for AASG vice-president. Despite not coming home with a win, the students and teachers were proud of her for giving a speech in front of almost 400 students and teachers from across the state. On the way home, they stopped at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and enjoyed a two-hour tour with former Haines graduates Dylan Palmieri and Madeline Andriesen.

Dave McCandless received a special recognition for his mentorship of the EMT community in Southeast at last weekend’s regional emergency provider clinic in Haines. He served as a doctor and SEARHC administrator in Haines for six years and now lives and works in Kona, Hawaii. Valery McCandless is a former administrator for the Haines Senior Village. The couple were in Haines over the weekend for the conference and visited many friends in Haines.

The Haines Dolphins swim team sent four swimmers to Junior Olympics in Anchorage along with their coach Jackie St. Clair. Swimmers Lucia Chapell, Pacific Ricke, Rio Ross-Hirsh and Emma Dohrn all swam in two relays, ranking fifth. Pacific, Rio and Emma all finaled in multiple individual events. Twenty-eight teams and 280 swimmers attended.

Haines High student, Yzella Miramontes, recently took third place in the statewide ASAA All-State Art Competition in the print-making category for her piece titled “Little Perfections.”

Brenda Josephson recently returned from a bucket-list trip with her son Zeke Frank. The two started in Miami, where they visited Brenda’s sister Melanie Jarvi. From there they went to Guayaquil, Ecuador and then on to the Galapagos Islands. They traveled on the National Geographic Explorer Endeavor 2 ship that took them around the island. Zeke works on the sister ship, the National Geographic Explorer Quest, as an assistant engineer. While on the island, they hiked and snorkeled every day with Galapagos naturalists who explained the islands’ rarities. Blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, penguins and sea lions were some of the most memorable creatures, Brenda said. “The sea lions were so tame, they actually swam with us,” Brenda said. “This was a fulfillment of a lifetime, I’ve always had a desire to go there and I was happy to go with my son.”

Many attended the Sip & Paint class at the Senior Center last weekend. Artist Merrick Bochart, with the help of Melina Shields, taught attendees to recreate her original painting of a raven. The proceeds from the class will go to the Chilkat Valley Preschool scholarship fund for the next school year. The original artwork by Merrick will be auctioned off on the preschool’s Facebook page. The bidding will end at midnight on May 8. That’s also the date of the preschool’s open house for new students from 5 to 6 p.m. Community members are encouraged to come and view the “Giving Tree” that was created by artist Kerry Cohen with Mud Bay clay.

Haines music teacher Jennifer Johnson and pianist Rebekah Leah McCoy entertained families that gathered with heartfelt joy while little ones sang their hearts out at the kindergarten through fourth grade Spring Concert at the Chilkat Center last week.

Jane Pascoe has recently returned from a two-and-a-half week vacation in her home country of Australia. She visited with her 92-year-old mother, Patricia Pascoe, her sister Nuala Williams and brother David Pascoe, along with her nieces and nephews. She also attended a mini high school reunion and caught up with many friends. She also enjoyed her birthday there and spent time at the beach swimming in the unusually warm autumn.

Jessie Morgan says she and her siblings are grateful for the condolences they have received since their father, Albert Morgan, 76, passed away unexpectedly of complications from the flu at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage on April 24. “We miss him greatly,” she said. Services are still pending, and there will be a full obituary in the CVN next week.

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