The Upper Lynn Canal Local Foods Challenge is celebrating a third year, and includes Skagway this year. The community potluck in Haines and Skagway was held Sunday at the Klondike in the fairgrounds. Some of the culinary highlights were a tromboncino squash with homegrown herbs, a salmon lasagna, smoked coho salmon dip and a brown sage butter that was labeled, “Makes everything good,” and it really did. Takshanuk Watershed Council education coordinator Tracy Wirak-Cassidy says that the Foods Challenge is a two-week event hosted by the Watershed Council with help from SEARHC, Chilkat Forever and Chilkoot Indian Association. The event encourages the community to eat locally sourced foods, and had 41 participants this year. 

The Southeast Alaska State Fair poster that has been on display on Fair Drive is missing. The 2025 poster was designed by local art teacher Lindsey Finnan. She says that she is sad to hear that the poster has been taken and hopes for a safe return. The poster was intended to become part of the collection of fair posters on display in Harriett Hall. Finnan says that she was thankful for the opportunity to create the poster. Her stained glass design reflects the lively spirit of Haines’ sun-filled summers and a slogan, “a good thing growing,” with an image of her garden’s harvest. 

Fair staff said that the roadside poster was the only large one printed and was displayed in a manner that made it difficult to take. It went missing Monday after 9 p.m.. They will happily accept the poster back at Harriett Hall. There would be no questions asked. They also say that the current caretaker could also put it right back where it came from on Fair Drive, and that would also be a nice solution. 

More than 200 people headed to the Chilkat Center on Sunday for homegrown soprano Madeline Andriesen’s Notes of Gratitude concert, accompanied by pianists Nancy Nash and Lucinda Boyce. The program included classics like Giacomo Puccini’s “O mio babbino caro” and W.A. Mozar’s “Porgi, amor” from “The Marriage of Figaro,” alongside musical theater standards like Frederick Loewe’s “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” from “My Fair Lady.” For an encore, Andriesen led the audience in a rendition of “I Could Have Danced All Night” from the same musical. The recital was a fundraiser for the Foundation for the Chilkat Center. Annette Smith said it raised about $2,800. 

A Census bureau field representative was in Haines  July 20-28 conducting surveys of residents for a dataset separate from the decennial headcount of population and housing that helps the U.S. Census Bureau figure out how many people live in the U.S. Wendy Isbell, who is based in Anchorage, said this is the third time she has been in Haines in two years and she’s tracking down people to fill out a form that will help bring federal funding to the area. Isbell, who travels all over the state, said this was her first time coming to Haines during the summer, and she enjoyed the beautiful weather. She also plugged open positions at the Census Bureau, saying it’s decent pay and she gets to travel to places she would never have been able to visit otherwise, including the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, rural Southeast Alaska, Dutch Harbor, and all over the Lake and Peninsula District. 

Haines Glacier Bear alumnus Keegan Palmieri competed in the Strongman Showdown 2025 in Anchorage. Palmieri came in third in the novice group, in his first competition ever. He was fastest in hand-over-hand sled pull and claimed the title of farthest carry in Conan’s Wheel. The competition is known for its farmers carry, deadlift, sandbag carry and other feats of strength. Palmieri graduated from Haines High School in 2018. He has been training for the Strongman Showdown since January and says he had no expectations going into the competition and was genuinely surprised to get as far as he did.