10 years ago
Police schedule draws questions
Concerned with the recent spate of break-ins and thefts around town, residents are wondering: Where are the police?
Haines Borough Manager David Sosa said several citizens have asked whether the police department provides 24-hour coverage by on-duty officers. It doesn’t, he said. High employee turnover paired with out-of-town training spreads the force thin, Sosa said.
Police chief Bill Musser said the department provided 24-hour coverage until former chief Gary Lowe resigned in 2013. “Staffing was part of the issue at that time, as the chief was gone and so was one officer. That left a staff of three to cover the townsite.”
Officers are still scheduled on standby, meaning that they are expected to be available and able to respond when called out by dispatchers. Musser said the department had 62 callouts from standby in 2014, or an average of 1.2 calls per week.
The department also provides “flexible shift coverage” into the hours after 2 a.m., “depending on scheduled events and the types of calls we are seeing,” Musser said.
Musser said coverage last spring and summer usually ran through 4 a.m., with officers on standby from 4 to 8 a.m. In October, Musser said standby coverage started after midnight for most weekdays and after 2 a.m. on Fridays and the weekend.
Former police chief Greg Goodman, who served 17 years on the force and 10 as chief, said he always supported and maintained 24-hour coverage. “I was always for it. When we had five full-time officers, we could cover 24/7 the majority of the time,” Goodman said.
Sick leave, vacation time and turnover would occasionally require standby time, he said.
Full-time coverage is essentially a money and morale issue, Goodman said. Working in law enforcement for 30 years, Goodman said he saw lots of officer burnout and strain from working extended shifts.
“They actually need six people down there to take a little of the stress off the officers that are there,” Goodman said.
15 years ago
Klukwan facility almost complete
Contractors are set to complete the Jilkaat Kwan Cultural Heritage Center’s hospitality house in Klukwan this month.
“It is pretty. We’re all proud of it,” said center project director Kim Strong.
Dawson Construction will install flooring and appliances this week, Strong said. Plumbing, electrical and lighting, and siding is mostly complete.
Strong said she expected work remaining at month’s end would include exterior paint and a few other punch-list items.
The $2 million structure includes dining space for 40 people, men’s and women’s restrooms and showers, a commercial kitchen and gift shop.
The facility will be used by the community, by tourists, and by people participating in programs at the center’s traditional knowledge camp.
Camp buildings, including a smokehouse and longhouse, an adzing shed and a shed for fish drying, were the Jilkaat Kwaan center’s first phase, substantially completed in 2007.
Strong said the community worked with architects on the hospitality house’s design, which matches the long house at the knowledge camp. Its interior features rich, wooden paneling.
The village will host an opening event for the new facility in late April, said village administrator John Brower.
Funding for the building came from a $1.8 million federal Economic Development Administration grant, an appropriation from the Alaska Legislature, and additional funds raised by the village.
Planning and fundraising continue for the Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center’s third and final phase, a $6 million museum and bald eagle observatory. Brower said the center’s nonprofit was seeking state, federal and grant funding, and hoped to complete the museum by 2012.
20 years ago
History Channel gives money to restore totem
With some help from Haines and Klukwan students, the Friendship Pole at Haines Elementary School will get a facelift this spring.
The Sheldon Museum is heading up the conservation effort, armed with a $9,655 grant from The History Channel.
The television network’s philanthropic arm chose the local project as one of the 29 nationwide to receive funding through its new “Save Our History” grant program.
The program targets innovative educational efforts that involve children in the preservation of local history.
Haines’ application ranked in the top 10 among nearly 700 reviewed, said judge Libby O’Connell. “It was an easy decision for us…. This was one of my favorite projects.”
“The grants not only enable communities to maintain the fabric of their local history, but the collaboration between the schools and historic organizations bring communities together,” said Dan Davids, company president. “The interaction between generations will hopefully inspire young people to continue their historic preservation efforts.
The school’s 40-foot yellow cedar Friendship Pole was erected 28 years ago and is dedicated to the children of the Chilkat Valley.
It was created for the Indian Education program by a team that included Ed Kasko, Clifford Thomas, John Hagen, Wayne Price, Greg Horner and Dave Svenson. Funding came from grants and donations.
Local carver and museum board president Jim Heaton will head up the town work. He said Haines and Klukwan students will be involved from start to finish, from researching the cultural celebration that traditionally accompanies removal of a pole, to stripping off old paint, applying a new finish and erecting the pole again. The work will likely begin in March and take place on school grounds, he said. Heatson said the pole is in good shape and could see a life of 150 years if cared for properly.
30 years ago
Proposed border fee rankles residents
A Clinton administration proposal to charge a fee for entry through U.S. borders struck a sour note in Haines this week.
The proposed $3 charge per vehicle and $1.50 for pedestrians is part of a $1 billion increase in funding for immigration services in the draft federal budget unveiled Monday.
The fee, part of an effort to crack down on illegal immigrants, is expected to raise up to $100 million annually. The money would be used to pay for the additional immigration inspectors and construct improvements at border entry points if the proposal is approved by Congress.
But in Haines and across the border in Canada, the proposal is finding little support.
“I double it’s going to prevent anybody from coming down. But it will leave a bad taste in their mouth, said Marilyn Huitger, administrative staffer for the Haines Chamber of Commerce. “I think it sends the wrong message.”
The new fees have also raised the hackles of Canadian officials.
“A fee on both Canadian and U.S. passengers entering from Canada by land will run directly counter to recent efforts by both countries, including our Free Trade Agreements, to facilitate the smooth movement of people and merchandise,” said acting Canadian Consul General Robert McNab, claiming collection of the new fee would unnecessarily disrupt traffic.
50ish years ago
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