The 11th annual Aaron Nash Memorial Eight-ball Tournament was held at the Fogcutter Bar on St. Patrick’s Day along with the Chamber of Commerce Pot o’ Gold 50/50 raffle. There was corned beef and cabbage and plenty of winning. Amanda Brandon at the Chamber of Commerce announced the big winner of the raffle was Stuart DeWitt. The winning ticket was drawn by Bob Musseman III. Dewitt walked away with $900. The ticket drawn immediately after the winning ticket was Jim Lampkins, who walked away winning absolutely nothing at all. The eight-ball tournament had 26 competitors. Kelly Jessup won, followed by second-place Dave Tinnes, third place Anthony Swaner,  fourth place Don Nash, and fifth place Neil Einsbruch.

The Victory Garden is at it again. Despite the snow that continues to pile up in the 8,000-square-foot garden, gardeners have been gathering. Sarah Ammons said the first two Sunday work parties have yielded 994 flower and herb plantings. Each week is a new opportunity for wanna-be gardeners and experienced planters to try their hand at making soil blocks, prepping soil and all things gardening, while they wait for the snow to melt. Snacks have been brought by volunteers testing out recipes for upcoming workshops. The seeds planted so far will be going into the garden and also to the garden’s annual plant sale. 

The Lutak Lumber office has been redone. Cassandra Nash and Kaitlin Combs were largely responsible for the new flooring and walls.  In addition to a new coffee pot, new owner Jim Lampkins made the bold choice of moving his desk so that he can look out of the window at the ocean. Former owner Chip Lende’s desk had been facing the wall. 

Matt Jillson is back to work at the library following 10 weeks of paternity leave with his daughter Flora Lani Jillson. He said the best part of his leave was enjoying her perfect smile every day, but the lack of sleep was a bit shocking.  The family is planning a trip to Vermont with their newest edition, where she will meet her two uncles and grandma and grandpa. 

Amanda Brandon’s niece, Sierra Brown, was in town. She’s a high school senior from Kent, Washington. Brown enjoyed a number of Freeride World Tour events but unfortunately missed the Harbor Bar’s local watch party, as she was not old enough to attend. She also enjoyed her first Alaska Seaplanes ride, but unfortunately had to sleep in the Juneau airport on her way home due to the weather. 

The Haines Visitor Information Center had more than 40 volunteers sign up to assist with the Freeride competition.  Alaska Seaplanes donated a round-trip ticket to Juneau for a drawing. Yours truly picked the winning ticket for the drawing, which went to Stacey Prior. 

Sarah Bishop put together a very popular pop-up at the Haines Brewing Company on Monday evening. Thai noodle salad grab-and-goes were a hit, and so were her distinctive handmade cups, which feature different sizes and shapes of breasts. She is the featured artist at the brewery this month.

Leslie Evenden, Nene Wolfe, and Sara and Richard Chapell took a trip to Baja, Mexico together recently. Wolfe contends that it was not a vacation, rather an “educational trip,” to see the cave paintings made by the Indigenous Cochimí who inhabited the region, and to learn more about ranchero life. Wolfe described the trip, and the men who accompanied the group to corral the donkeys they rode and make food as “rugged.” The group slept under the stars, traversed dusty canyons, and Wolfe came back with a phone full of pictures of the ancient art. Wolfe, who is something of an archeology fiend, said she has known the woman who guided the trip, Trudi Angell, since 1980. Trudi Angell’s daughter Olivia Angell – who was also on the trip – is studying to be a veterinarian, which resonates with Wolfe who was Haines’ veterinarian for years. 

Editor’s note: This story edited to correct the spelling of Nene Wolfe‘s last name.