The Chilkat Valley Food Hub recently won a $17,000 grant, which Erika Merklin said will go toward refrigerators, freezers and monthly preservation workshops. 

It’s the 50th anniversary of the Southeast Alaska Honor Music Festival and five Haines students will be part of the festivities in Petersburg. Maddox Rogers is first chair tuba and Willa Stuart is first chair trombone in the 54-member band. JC Davis, Sydney Salmon and Wade Lloyd are joining the 42-member choir. The honor music festival is designed to bring musicians from all over Southeast Alaska together and give students from smaller schools the opportunity to perform with a larger band or choir. Since 2003, Craig, Haines, Petersburg, Wrangell and Thunder Mountain have shared hosting duties for the honor festival. Teacher Matt Davis said the last time Haines hosted was in 2022.  

Earlier this month, Haines High School students processed some 320 pounds of ground moose burger and 80 pounds of stew meat from a donated moose that was illegally taken by a hunter. 

Haines High School principal Lilly Boron has been tapped as the new Alaska coordinator for the National Association of Secondary School Principals. 

A memorial for Mike “Santa Mike” Howard will be held at the Jones Point Cemetery at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 4. A full obituary will be published in a future edition. 

One of several downtown properties that went up for sale in 2023. An annual survey of business owners in Southeast found that many in Haines are among the more pessimistic about the future in Southeast. (File/Chilkat Valley News)

Joanne Beckwith died on Sept. 22 at Deer Lodge Hospital in Montana. Beckwith and her family moved to Haines in 1974 and she stayed in Alaska for 32 years before she moved back to Deer Lodge to take care of her mother. A fill obituary will be published in the next edition of the Chilkat Valley News. 

Haines landlord Chris Thorgesen has removed or is in the process of moving the “For Sale By Owner” signs on millions of dollars in real estate he owns, primarily in downtown. When asked what his reasons were, Thorgesen said Wednesday that the “business climate has improved.” 

The Norwegian Sun docked in Haines on October 1. It is the last scheduled cruise ship of the season and brought more than 2,000 guests. The Haines Chamber of Commerce held a 50/50 raffle to celebrate and Ken Gross won. 

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