First Friday in Haines was a busy one, with plenty of new faces in town. The Bookstore celebrated its change of ownership with balloons and huge pieces of chocolate cake for everyone to enjoy. Former owner Amy Kane handed over the bookstore to the new owners,  Beau Bradley and Zane Bradley, with plenty of congratulations and warm wishes for the future. 

The summer kick-off BBQ at Oceanside RV park clubhouse was also a busy spot during First Friday. Haines Huts celebrated the completion of the Tukga Hut and served more than 150 burgers and dogs, according to Eben  Sargent. Community members had the opportunity to contribute trail ideas on a giant map and discuss ideas for access improvements and concerns about impacts to avoid. Sargent encourages others to email haineshuts.org if they would like to get involved. 

The very next day a merry band of these volunteers took to the Ripinsky trail near Skyline Drive and did drainage work and brush cutting in the rain. The group was made up of Dennis Geasan, Matt Jillson, Richard Chappell, Anissa Berry, Drew Elegante, Bramm Scholz, Daniel Rondeau, Gretchen Roffler and Nate Arrants. 

The Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival is a pretty enticing event, enticing enough to get Mardell Gunn to bike from Dalton Cache (the U.S. Border) to Million Dollar Falls on the first day and complete her ride into Haines Junction the next day to attend. Gunn says that a tailwind helped push her the remaining 55 miles on day two. Besides the fortunate wind direction, Mardell also credits her support vehicle, driven by “Diz” Kistler and her biking companion on day one, Brynn Murphy, for making the ride so enjoyable. 

The 2025 Kluane Bluegrass Festival featured nine artists and included The Tone Rangers, Spinney Brothers,  and Sweet Sally as some of the headlines. Local bluegrass enthusiasts Jim and Anna Jurgeleit, Greg Podsiki, Alison Adams, Judy and Terry Jacobson, Nene Wolfe, Nancy McGrew, Leslie Evenden, Matt Whitman, Tom and Patricia Faverty, and Marian and John Carlson were on hand to enjoy the festival in Haines Junction, Yukon. None of them rode their bike there, but maybe next year. 

Frank and Jill Evans might have a unique goat on their hands. Rabab is a registered milking goat from a litter of five. She does seem to be infertile, and reportedly exhibits male-like behavior and her genitalia suggests that she is not like the others at the goat farm. Also, it’s worth noting that this goat has a stunning beard that would leave the members of ZZ Top in awe. All of these issues have led to the conclusion that Rabab is an intersex goat. Jill reports that they will try breeding one more time, but it’s likely Rabab will end up in the freezer. 

Former longtime Chilkat Valley resident Walter Glenn Weedman died May 31 in Bellingham, Washington after a short battle with lung cancer. Weedman was raised in Haines, left for a time while in the Army and South Korea, then came back and worked as a logger, then a carpenter and tradesman before moving his family to Juneau for several years and finally Bellingham for the last two decades. 

Five speakers addressed local issues at Friday’s “You Have the Floor” public soapbox event at Alpenglow Pizza. Joe Parnell discussed the importance of punctuality, or at least sending notice if you’ll be late. Carol Tuynman emphasized the importance of community planning and said the long-planned waterfront trail could still be completed for less than $1 million. Tresham Gregg asked about plans for addressing community emergencies, particularly if programs like food assistance and Medicaid are eliminated. Mike Denker suggested “You Have the Floor” discuss a different chapter of the borough’s Comprehensive Plan each week. Tom Morphet talked about a growing gap between younger and older residents over issues such as housing and child care.  Morphet wants people to know that “You Have The Floor” is open to all residents and speakers may address any topic. It is held on First Friday. 

Haines artist Andrea Nelson had the opening reception of her new show at the Alaska Robotics Gallery in downtown Juneau. The show, “On the Backs of Small Animals,” features furbearer animal forms, clothed in found fabrics, objects and fur. Together, the “textile taxidermy” as she calls it, tells the historical narrative about the fur trade in Southeast Alaska and Yukon. It’s up for the month.

Correction: The name of Frank and Jill Evans’ goat was misspelled in the headline, it is Rabab.