Friends of Mike and Elaine Crawshay were saddened to hear of the fire that destroyed Kluane Machine, their auto repair shop of 30 years in Haines Junction, Y.T. The fire was reported early on Thursday, March 2. It destroyed two vehicles, two motorcycles and all of Mike’s tools. According to CBC News, the business was the village’s only mechanic and welding shop. A former Mayor of the village, Mike is a frequent Haines visitor and was instrumental in the donation of an Olympia ice conditioner for the Haines Amateur Hockey Association.
Public library staffers Erik Stevens and Zephyr Sincerny teamed up to bring history to life with a game they invented: Ski-the-Past. Lee Heinmiller and Tim Ackerman brought historical expertise with artifacts, pictures, and oral history about the historic trade route between the Tlingit and Interior Natives. Following the talk, Jim Foster, Maude Dinan, Sarah Rourke, Romolo Aquistapace, and Abbey Collins headed to 25 Mile and re-created the route while playing their trading game. Caribou fur and meat from the Interior were represented by gummy bears. Mini-Snickers in gold packages were hooligan and salmon were represented by Swedish fish. Participants traded goods they earned along the trail for answering trivia questions correctly. Al Giddings helped with equipment. Video footage from the program will be added to the storyboard as part of the Ikaduwakaa project: “Doorways to the Past, Gateway to the Future.”
If you need some ideas or help marketing your small business, Aasman Brand Communication from Whitehorse, Y.T. will be here March 31 and April 1. They will be here to work with businesses through the Chamber of Commerce. Call Debra Schnabel at 766-2202 for more information and to register.
Reindeer helped deliver the Chilkat Valley News last week and it wasn’t even Christmas. CVN staffers were expecting a long wait for the paper, due to a backlog of flights from Juneau. But there was room aboard a plane chartered by Steve Kroschel, who was bringing two new reindeer for his wildlife center. Your newspaper, which is printed in Petersburg each week, tagged along.
The Alaska Health Fair is looking for volunteers. Medical and non-medical health support is needed to run a successful health fair that provides low-cost wellness screening for men and women. The health fair is scheduled for May 6 at the Haines School. You can contact 907-278-0234 or http://alaskahealthfair.org/ for more information.
Linn and Mary Asper and grandson Alex Fields are back from the wedding of their niece Brenna Asper-Smith to Keith Reeder of Sitka. Brenna, daughter of Linn’s brother Jim Asper and Bridget Smith, is from Juneau. Jim and Bridget’s daughter Sarah Asper-Smith and her husband Mitch Watley Linn were on hand, along with Leif Asper of Castro Valley, Calif., and Gabe Asper and son Ace from Ketchikan. The big Alaskan wedding was held at the Tlingit clan house Sheet ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi in Sitka. The day started with a fresh dusting of snow and ended with brilliant sunshine.
Raptor curator Leia Minch has returned from The International Association of Avian Trainers (IAATE) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Leia presented, “Shifting Paradigms: How to Begin Establishing Choice for Avian Ambassadors.” The association represents individuals active in avian training and education. The American Bald Eagle Foundation has been working to develop its enrichment programs, and the IAATE awarded the foundation its “Enrichment of the Year” award for 2017.