10 Years Ago
Freeride ski tour to return for 2 years
All signs indicate the Freeride World Tour will be returning to Haines for at least the next two seasons to hold its competition.
Haines Borough Tourism Director Leslie Ross said she spoke with the international ski and snowboard competition’s organizer, Nicolas Hale-Woods, on Tuesday morning.
“The plan is definitely them coming back,” Ross said. “Right now the direction is for the next two years.”
The only hitch is the tour’s recent loss of one of its major sponsors, The North Face. Ross said she has agreed to help the tour find other sponsors to make its stop in Haines feasible.
“They are looking at their own big sponsorships. I am just helping to make some contacts for regional and statewide sponsors,” Ross said.
Ross said she will also be contacting local sponsors. The tour has various sponsorship packages detailing what exposure a business or organization gets for what amount of money, from logos on banners to logos on helicopters.
The event is typically held at large resorts, which sponsor the event, she said.
As far as the borough contribution goes, it won’t be putting in at the sponsorship level, Ross said. This year, the borough sponsored the awards banquet with the Haines Chamber of Commerce and made in-kind donations as far as time and event space, and Ross said she doesn’t see spending more than that on the tour’s future events.
Ross estimated that she has set aside about $2,000 in next year’s tourism department budget for the event.
It’s unclear whether the tour would pull out of Haines if organizers failed to secure enough sponsorships, Ross said.
Ross said she has briefly spoken with the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau about partnering with it to take the event to a statewide level. The rough plan would mean event competitors would fly into Juneau, spend a day skiing at Eaglecrest Ski Area, and then continue to Haines.
The idea cropped up from the one frustration expressed by athletes who came for the tour this year: if they couldn’t afford to go heli-skiing on off-days and didn’t want to slog up a mountain, there was nowhere to ski here. Eaglecrest’s chairlifts would give the competitors more and varied skiing opportunities, Ross said.
This year’s event, held March 23 after multiple weather delays, drew positive reviews from local business owners due to the extra traffic and sales.
“As far as townspeople go, I don’t think I heard one negative thing about (the Freeride World Tour) being here. People were happy to have their restaurants full,” Ross said.
Bar and restaurant owner Christy Tengs Fowler said she was “thrilled” to hear the tour is returning to Haines.
“That’s fantastic,” she said. “I just love those guys. They were really great customers and great people.”
Tengs Fowler said she experienced a “huge boom” in business because of the tour’s presence in town. “We were able to be open every day because of them,” she said.
25 Years Ago
City rejects Mud Bay fire request
The Haines City Council on Wednesday turned down a request for discounted fire service at Mud Bay, passed the first public hearing of a code revision that would allow plant sales on FAA Road and reviewed an as-built survey of Highlands Estates subdivision.
The council voted 6-0 to reject a resolution for providing fire service to Mud Bay one year for $10,000, following the lead of the city’s fire department.
Firemen opposed the contract because it would be based on a 1-mill assessment for fire service, compared to 1.7 mills that city residents and other fire service area residents would pay under the city’s formula.
Although firemen raised other concerns, the department would have endorsed the contract if the rates were equal, said fire chief Scott Bradford. Councilors also said they heard strong opposition from constituents.
Because the millage rate is based on sharing overall costs, offering the contract would have lowered assessment for others receiving city fire service from about 1.9 mills to 1.7 mills.
Mud Bay fire service area board chair Gene Kennedy said the district will now concentrate on building a firehall. “We’ve got the piece of property going. Now we’ve got $10,000 to spend to improve the lot and look at buildings.”
Testimony went both ways on a code change that adds retail plant sales to an allowance for crop production in residential areas.
FAA Road resident Phyllis Ogar characterized the change as “spot zoning” that would erode the integrity of residential neighborhoods. Constance Griffith pointed out that the new allowance put no restrictions on noise or hours of business.
But longtime FAA resident Mirinda Stuart said other home-based businesses operate along the road. “I think if we live on that road, we’re going to have to get used to that traffic.” Bradford and Ashley Sage also spoke in favor of the change.
In unanimously moving the matter to a final public hearing May 24, councilors made no comment.
The as-built survey of Highlands Estates by Donald Mullikin confirms what city officials have known for years: that roads in the hillside subdivision infringe on lots at several locations, including two lots on Young Road, and one each on Highland Avenue and Oslund Drive.
City administrator Vince Hansen characterized as “refreshing” that apparently no structures have been built on city right-of-way. More detailed survey work and negotiations with residents will be needed to resolve problems there, he said.
The council also heard from city auditors that the municipality must detail its $18.4 million in general fixed assets by 2004, when new auditing rules go into place. Without documentation, city finances won’t get an auditor’s stamp of approval, councilors were told.
City treasurer Mike Ricker said a new, half-time position would have to be added for one year to complete the job that will include a new inventory and records checks.
The council is scheduled to travel to Skagway Saturday for a noon meeting with city officials there to discuss common concerns. The full council next meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24.
50 Years Ago
New subsistence fishing rules outlined
Ted Ruddell, Alaska Department of Public Safety fish and game protection agent, reports the following guidelines for Haines area subsistence fishing permits:
Set gill nets will not be allowed in Southeast Alaska south of Cape Fairweather except in that portion of the Chilkat River north of Zimovia Point. Above Zimovia Point, the net length is not critical –10 fathoms is usually sufficient. The permit will be issued for one month at a time. Each person is limited to 25 fish, with a total fish limit of 75.
The general intent of the set net restriction passed by the Alaska Board of Fish and Game was to eliminate wastage problems created by abandoned or poorly attended nets, not to restrict the opportunity for an individual to take subsistence fish, Ruddell said.
For subsistence fishing in saltwater with drift gill nets, the following provisions apply:
Nets will be limited in length to 50 fathoms; fishing permitted only during open commercial periods; commercial closed waters must be observed; permit time period is two weeks; each person limited to 25 fish with total fish limit of 50.
Permits will not be issued after Aug. 15, 1975 as the result of coho prohibition.
Subsistence fishermen must not take king or coho salmon. Heads of fish must be removed immediately in the area where the fish are taken.
Fish may not be bartered or sold.
A subsistence permittee must personally operate and closely attend the specified gear while fishing.
Only certified bona fide residents of Alaska may get a subsistence permit.
PINK GEAR RESTRICTION
The Fish and Wildlife Protection Division of the Department of Public Safety wishes to advise gill net fishermen intending to fish Southeastern Alaska this season that it is possible that a minimum mesh size restriction will be placed on gear to allow for escapement of pink salmon during a period of the season. It is tentatively planned to place a minimum mesh size of five and one-half inches on gill nets fishing in Districts 1, 6 and 8 and a minimum mesh size of five and three-eighths inches in District 11. Should these restrictions be placed upon gear, they will be strictly enforced. A gear measurement program established last year will be continued in Southeast this year.
NO SNAGGING IN FRESH WATER
All sport fishermen are reminded of the new statewide regulation banning the snagging of fish.
The regulation reads: “In fresh water, it is prohibited to intentionally snag, or attempt to snag, any fish. Fish unintentionally hooked elsewhere than in the mouth must be released immediately. Snagging is hooking a fish elsewhere than in the mouth.”
The regulation applies statewide and will be strictly enforced both by uniformed and undercover Fish and Wildlife officers