Silent auctions were all the rage last weekend. The UGLYS’ Cancer Fund and the HARK Spay-ghetti fundraiser were both well attended.
The Haines branch of Tongass Federal Credit Union partnered with the UGLYS of Haines Cancer Fund for a silent auction, raising $8,205. Tongass FCU hosted the event and agreed to match $4,000, but when all was said and done Tongass spokesman Tammy Jobbins says that they donated $5,000. Some of the auction items included a hand-made ukulele from Terry Jacobson, a 32” TV from Miles Furniture and a Grandma Pete’s cheesecake. A lucky gardener walked away with a 14” hanging basket of annuals from Gomi’s Garden that they can look forward to in the spring. Kisa Bergstrand at Moose Horn Antiques will be doing caricatures of the winner of her gift basket that included personalized drawings with the treasures from the store. Tina Larson’s cupcakes were very popular, in vanilla, chocolate and the real show-stopper, lemon. UGLYS member Chuck Mitman says that since the cancer fund was started in 2016 it has helped 61 residents.
The HARK spay-ghetti (and no-balls) fundraiser at the high school benefitted the spay and neuter program and also had an impressive array of items up for bid. Pet-sitting services, 907 Clothing Company hoodies and a Qiviut (muskox fur) neck ring scarf were up for grabs, and a popular item at both silent auctions was the $500 worth of D1 from Southeast Roadbuilders.
The school was hosting a high school volleyball tournament in the gym and the smell of garlic bread might have brought in a few extra spaghetti eaters. Haines Animal Rescue Kennel Executive Director Teri Bastable-Podsiki said the group served up 25 pounds of noodles, 14 loaves of garlic bread, and about 17 pounds of ground beef. She used the Podsiki family’s meat- sauce recipe. It did not disappoint. For vegetarian HARK supporters, Shannon McPhetres made a hearty meatless spaghetti sauce.. As of press time, Podsiki says the fundraiser brought in about $8,000.
Haines High School students attended the 2025 Alaska Association of Student Government (AASG)conference in Anchorage. The gathering provides leadership training, communication skills and a student voice on issues at the local, state and nationals levels, including about 150 member high schools across Alaska. AASG holds two statewide conferences each year. Spring and fall, hosted by member schools. Haines sent five kids this year. Isabelle Alamillo, Maddox Rogers, MJ Hotch, Sidney Salmon and Chisel Triezenberg. Elizabeth Gifford was the advisor for the local delegation.
The three-day conference involved general business meetings and student leadership workshops. Alaska Pacific University provided rooms and meals for the students. Triezenberg says he enjoyed meeting students that were passionate about student government. Triezenberg is looking forward to attending again next year and was enthusiastic about the opportunity to engage in thoughtful resolutions and discussions.
The Alaska Seaplanes terminal has a magic eight ball resting on their counter top. The future predicting tool has been labeled “bad weather flight predictor.” This is the newest tool at the disposal of the crew to assist travelers. But, it has perhaps been rigged because it only said “outlook not so good,” when this author shook it.
The Four Winds Resource Center held its annual volunteer appreciation dinner at the Mosquito Lake School on Sunday evening. The Victory Garden produced 150 pounds of onions this season and a healthy serving of them were in the French onion soup with shredded gruyere cheese and crispy croutons. Julie Korsmeyer made the main course of coconut chili-crisp halibut with roasted beets. Korsmeyer gave credit to Amy Kane for the recipe. Roasted brussel sprouts, carrots and sourdough bread completed the meal. The dinner is a celebration for all of the volunteers that contribute to the garden. They raised a glass to celebrate Sarah Ammons’ first year as Garden Coordinator and raised a few more glasses to Mardell Gunn and Mark (Diz) Kistler. These two were absent from the volunteer appreciation dinner due to circumstances beyond their control, but their good work was noted and appreciated by the gardeners.
Kisa Bergstrand has been whipping up caricatures that have a little touch of fortune telling involved. She has been setting up her easel and after asking a few detailed questions, Bergstrand will create a caricature of your inner monster. Bergstrand has been drawing since she was a kid and said that local artist Carol Clifton and school art teacher Linus Danner took the time to teach her the secrets of art. Making art is Bergstrand’s jam.
The western Siberian eagle owl formerly known as Ahsoka will now be referred to as Tundra by staff at the American Bald Eagle Foundation. Tundra/Ahsoka arrived at the foundation in 2024 as a shy, 10-week old addition to the center’s educational program. She was first named Ahsoka by a former staff member due to her interest in Star Wars movies. For the uninitiated, Ahsoka was a former Jedi Knight who served as a Padawan learner to the Jedi Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Avian curator Kathy Benner said if people are wondering why they changed the name, it’s because she got tired of explaining all of that cinematic lineage to tourists when they came in to meet the goldish, white and black bird. “I’m taking this opportunity to not have to talk about Star Wars every time I want to educate about this bird,” Benner said.
Cody Smith and Aaron Peters spent the day working on the roof of covered stairs leading to the rear entrance of Howsers IGA. The two tore shingles off of the roof and, despite rising winds Tuesday afternoon, planned to cover the area with tarpaper to help combat a leak in the structure. Looking up at the steep, sloping roof, Peters recalled a time in 2001 when someone had plowed the parking lot and piled a mound of snow at the base of it making it impossible for his teenaged brain, and its immature prefrontal cortex, to resist tossing his snowboard up on it to try a jump. He insists that he landed it.