Chris Hill has been fly fishing in Alaska for about 15 years and chasing salmon around Haines for about a decade. This year she won the Haines Silver Salmon Derby with a 12.85-pound Chris Hill has been fly fishing in Alaska for about 15 years and chasing salmon around Haines for about a decade. This year she won the Haines Silver Salmon Derby with a 12.85 pound coho. She is the first to win with a fly rod in both the rod-and-reel and fly-fishing category. Historically, the biggest fish in the derby are caught with rod and reel. Hill said that when she first started fishing, she learned with a fly and admitted she has no clue about spin casting. After landing one big coho after another, there is probably no reason to waste time doing that! Hill said this is her favorite time of year in Haines. Stunning fall colors, cool temps, big coho and colorful Dolly Varden are all factors, but spending time in nature with her husband (and notable fisherman, as well) Greg Schlachter and their dog Sammy is the real draw for her. She said that nature keeps them mentally and physically fit. Looking for her secret to winning big in the Silver Salmon Derby? She said there is no secret, just a lot of time on the rivers searching for the best water. Doug Olerud at the Alaska Sport Shop said that this is the first female winner in the history of the derby. She walks away with $1,000, a custom embroidered hat from Radio Shack and a new fly rod. Hill says that she intends to give the fly rod to a kid and share the joy of fly fishing. Second place went to Alexander Griffen and third place went to 17-year-old Sam Watson.
Chilkat Valley Preschool (CVP) supporters whipped up some delightful soups for their fundraiser, Spoonfuls of Support. New board president Dacotah Russell, other board members and staff at CVP, and a helpful parent all worked together to offer pazole, beef barley, potato bacon soup, meatball soup, chicken with wild rice, a white bean and ham, a chili and curried lentil soup to go. They offered sourdough bread with some help from Nolan Woodard of Alpenglow Pizza. The soupextravaganza was $25 for a quart of homemade soup and bread. Tammy Lund says that the soup makers started with 45 jars of soup and 39 loaves of bread. When all was said and done and the sourdough crumbs settled, only six jars of soup remained and all the bread sold out.
George Figdor met up in Juneau with his son Robin Figdor, who lives in Anchorage, for a bit of family bonding. His son lives in Anchorage full-time. They went to the Pioneer Home to visit Dick and Julie Folta. Figdor had not seen the couple in about a year and said they spent hours talking about the Haines happenings and catching up. Dick Folta turned 90 years old this year and, as an avid reader, said he has a stack of books that should keep him busy right up to his 100th birthday. Figdor says that Julie Folta has been taking advantage of the art projects that are available as well as doing some cooking, which is what she really enjoys. The Foltas’ children are still enjoying the family home in Haines.
Halloween in Haines was busy. Despite the rain and cold, trick or treaters flocked to Lutak Lumber’s haunted house for a break from the weather. They were welcomed by Jim Lampkins dressed as a very convincing Jason Voorhees, and staff doling out 80 full-size candy bars, several five gallon buckets of candy and multiple red buckets of the good stuff. Staffer Tim Maust enjoyed the haunted house so much, he found time to complete it three times, according to co-worker Jeanine Rumfelt. Casandra Nash and Rumfelt won the costume contest as characters Mugatu and Katinka from Zoolander. Nash’s dog Duncan was a key part of really bringing the costume together. As kids exited the haunted house, staff handed out treasure maps supplied by the Haines Chamber of Commerce and the kids hit the streets for more sweet treats.
The Bookstore volunteered their space as a collection point for the HainesAKtive food drive organized with the help of Aly Zeiger. The food drive was in response to SNAP benefits that are not being distributed. Zane Bradley says that within 36 hours of posting, the food drive collected a truckload of food and toiletries. By Saturday they did the first delivery to the Salvation Army and have been accumulating more since. Meanwhile, out at the Four Winds Resource Center, Stacie Powlison was making individual bags of food to distribute to Klukwan School. Peanut butter and jelly, mac and cheese, tuna fish, ground chicken, bags of fresh garlic and onions from the Victory Garden were all distributed. Powlison said volunteer help is appreciated, with more opportunities to happen soon.
The Witches’ Paddleboard meet-up changes every year. The weather is unpredictable and witch hats are notoriously unstable in Southeast Alaska wind. This year about a dozen witches met at the Small Boat Harbor dock to take on the weather. New paddlers joined with the experienced witches and hit the water wearing tutus, pointy hats, sturdy scarves, and capes. The witches completed several loops around the harbor, howling and cackling under a rainbow that made an appearance at just the right time. Amanda Painter supplied the music, throwing caution to the wind by carrying a speaker and phone on her paddleboard. First-timer Rashah McChesney hauled a cumbersome camera on the paddle, also without incident. No witches took a dip in the ocean this year. Three witches hats did hit the water, but all were retrieved. Familiar paddler Knikki Cinocco was absent from the local witches paddle. She attended the one on the Deschutes River in Oregon with over 200 witches!