Deputy Borough Clerk Kiersten Long got married to Jaden Rowley in Tacoma last week. Long said she and family from both sides enjoyed a casual ceremony in Tacoma, WA. That includes her parents, Dayton and Tina Long, sisters Sophia Long, Izabella Long, and brother Isaiah Long. Kiersten Long said the day was perfect. A family of ducks and ducklings crossed nearby while they were saying their vows.
She wore a white dress with pockets for carrying things and a slit in the skirt allowing for more freedom of movement.
“I had my phone in my pocket because my vows were on my phone,” she said. “So I just kind of whipped my phone out, it was super handy.
The couple has no honeymoon planned, but Long said they are planning a local reception here on Haines August 17.
Former Haines resident David Lohr has died, according to his wife Jennifer Andrews. A full obituary will be published shortly.
Former Haines resident Maribeth Walter died on May 17. Walter and husband Tim Walter lived in Haines and ran a business for many years before retiring and relaxing into RV life in the lower 48. According to an obituary from Maribeth Walter’s sister Karen Kaminsky, the two eventually settled in central Tennessee.
Elsa Sebastian and Colin Arisman were married in a small ceremony on May 31. Colin’s family, Susan Abbott and James Arisman, traveled from Plainfield, Vermont while Elsa’s parents, Joe and Joan Sebastian, traveled from Petersburg, Alaska along with her brother Forest Sebastian. Her 90-year-old grandmother Peg Sebastian traveled from Ohio. Elsa said the couple’s dear friend Marissa Wisniewski traveled from Homer with a truckload full of carrot cake and also officiated the ceremony. She said they celebrated with friends at the Letnikof Pavilion and are thankful for those who came out despite the rain. She also thanks Laurie Mastrella for the floral arrangements and Mike Carroll for playing music.
There’s a new bookseller in town at The Bookstore. Em Kostanyan, who is Armenian from Oakland, California, had the summer free and wanted to do some traveling. So friend Lucy Nieboer got her a job and now she’s here until August. Kostanyan said she loves working at the bookstore and it has been great to meet local authors of the books she’s selling, like Heather Lende and Daniel Lee Henry. So far, she’s enjoying how quiet Haines is when compared to Oakland but said “a movie theater would be sick.” She has been biking a lot, probably more in the last three weeks than she has in her entire 29 years of life. She’s staying with Leslie Evenden and Matt Whitman on Moose Lane. “It’s a nice little 20 minute bike ride into town,” she said. On her Haines bucket list for the summer is to see a bear;she’s only seen scat so far. And, she’d like to raft down the Chilkat River.