10 years ago: Borough inks deal with mine firm
The Haines Borough Assembly took a step toward establishing Haines as a potential transshipment port for minerals when it voted during its Dec. 11 meeting to authorize entrance into an agreement between the borough and a Wellgreen mine developer.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the borough and Prophecy Platinum Corp. allows the two parties to exchange information regarding the potential development of a nickel, gold and platinum deposit near Burwash Landing, Y.T.
The Haines Port Development Steering Committee reviewed a redraft of the MOU on Nov. 5. The redraft struck a confidentiality clause from the original document. Binding provisions were also removed.
Assembly member Norm Smith initially expressed skepticism of the document.
“I really question why this is necessary. Secondly, I’m wondering why these people aren’t here talking to us. And if there are no secret negotiations, then all the more they should be here talking to us. I feel really awkward here authorizing this memorandum of understanding – whatever that means – and not having them here saying what they plan to do,” Smith said.
Manager Mark Earnest said Prophecy Platinum did travel to Haines in September to attend a summit organized by the private Haines Port Development Council.
“They have been here and they have expressed a commitment to come back to Haines and make presentations. This is part of that process to establish a working relationship so that they have a reason to travel to Haines to make those presentations,” Earnest said.
Assembly member Dave Berry said MOUs are standard operating procedure, and assembly member Steve Vick agreed he saw nothing wrong with entering into the MOU because of the non-binding provisions.
The resolution passed unanimously.
15 years ago
The Chilkoot Indian Association will staff a “mobility manager” to identify and meet public transportation needs in the Chilkat Valley.
The $25,800 grant is from the state Department of Transportation funded with federal money and will be used by the tribe to gather data on existing ride programs and unmet demand, said Scott Hansen of the CIA.
The grant money will allow the CIA to crunch ridership numbers and offer recommendations for development of public transportation in the area. “It’s hard to make policy recommendations if you don’t have good data,” Hansen said.
The tribal government has taken on the position after the Haines borough Assembly refused to this fall.
20 years ago
Haines Borough tourism director Michelle Glass has resigned to take a job in Kenai.
Glass, 38, will become executive director of the Kenai Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, a job that includes marketing in the town of 7,000 and managing the city’s museum and cultural center.
She said she was attracted to the job because Kenai emphasizes cultural tourism, encompassing history as well as the Native and arts communities.
Glass said she was approached about the job earlier this year but decided only to accept it after visitor center co-worker and friend Lisa Herzinger left town and the borough administration reversed her firing of longtime visitor center aide Christa Clayton. She said the controversy made it easier to accept a job elsewhere. “The last couple months have been difficult. If I felt I’d been supported by the borough manager and the assembly, this would have been a harder decision. It would be untrue to say that the last couple months didn’t color my decision.”
30 years ago
State abandons plan for herbicide brush control
The Alaska Department of Transportation has scuttled its controversial plan to use herbicides for bush control along state roads in Haines and other Southeast communities.
Instead the state will contract for mechanical brush control along 90 miles of guardrails in the region, said DOT regional director Jon Scribner.
The move was applauded this week by local government leaders and Haines residents. The Haines Borough Assembly had protested the state’s decision to apply herbicides along the Haines Highway, Mud Bay and Lutak roads, as had numerous citizens. Opponents worried that herbicide use could jeopardize drinking water, fisheries and subsistence uses.
The shift was announced last week after a Ketchikan resident offered to manually clear brush for a price competitive with the department’s herbicide budget.
45 years ago
It has been some time since any editorial has appeared in this paper, mainly because the space was better used for other people’s views, for news articles, or for the ads that seem to keep coming and which fill up our space. Besides, it has been our policy not to have editorials when the editor hasn’t much to say.
This time, we have several things on our mind – and a certain amount of space that can probably be filled with “in-house” views.
For instance, it is a real pleasure to suggest that you note the dateline of this issue: Thursday. We haven’t come out near a Thursday for so long that most people have probably forgotten that the idea is to come out regularly each Thursday. We’re trying hard to get back onto schedule, and we’ve just about made it. How long we can keep it this way remains to be seen. – Ray Menaker