Samantha (Sami) Mallon married Martin Duncan in Shelton, Washington on April 20 with close family and friends in attendance, including Mallon’s mother Martina Larsen. Their officiant was Lex Schillinger. Dakotah Kindle and former Haines resident Austin Woodard were groomsmen. The bridesmaids were Lisa Hosley and Makayla Jessie. The newlyweds will be enjoying their honeymoon on the beaches of Oregon before returning to Haines in early May, by way of a legendary road trip on the Alcan with their dog Diesel. 

Warren G. Price walked into the forest 22 years ago but left instructions for his children about what to do on his 100th birthday on April 17, 2026. They were to travel to the Price property where his bench is located, smoke cigarettes, have a shot of whiskey and talk about memories of Dad. All eight of his remaining children did just that. Nadine Price said some may have used candy cigarettes and mocktails but a good time was had by all. 

Robin Beaudry’s  2001 Subaru went silent as she drove toward town and through the construction zone on Friday, right before the car burst into flames. Moments earlier Beaudry was waved through the traffic by flagger Helena Muench. Muench was just ending her flagging shift and ended up driving a fire truck that responded to the incident, according to Beaudry. The fire was unfortunately not in cellphone range, making a call to the fire department a bit more challenging. In the end,  the car-b-que was extinguished by the water truck working the construction zone. 

The Haines Chamber of Commerce Community Clean-up collected a heap of trash. Executive director Amanda Brandon made a scavenger hunt for trash collectors, adding a little bit of a thrill.  A vape pen and a shoe were the only items not found on the scavenger hunt. The biggest, most awkward item dropped off was a canoe. Tessa Tersteeg and Rhylen Tersteeg picked up trash for their second year in a row. This year they chose Lutak Road.  They collected two full bags and some larger items that could not fit in the banana-yellow bag. Sophia Armstrong and husband Reilly Kosinski were crowned 2026 queen and king of trash. The past two years Joan and Pete Degen walked away as the winners. While she was collecting trash, Armstrong found an Elks coin from 1998 that entitles her to a free drink. The next time she is in Skagway, she says she will try to claim that drink. The Armstrong family brought in multiple car-loads of trash. Their enthusiasm and dedication to community clean-up is appreciated.   

The American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) held their annual bridge tournament in Haines last weekend. Thirty-three participants from Juneau, Whitehorse, Anchorage and Haines participated in the event held at the ANB/ ANS Hall.  Local participants included Dr. Stan Jones, Frank Holmes, Ann Quinlan, Joseph Orlando, Gregg Bigsby, Fred Shields, Debra Schnabel and Jim Wilson. Nearly all placed among the top three scorers in each event. The Saturday evening feast was king salmon, provided by Don Nash, and barbecue ribs prepared by Gordy and Julie Olson. The bridge tournament started with one casual warm-up and was followed by five competitive games during the weekend. Following the games, individual results were tabulated for each player. The high scorers were ranked. Canadians Jourdain Patchett and Chris Bookless tied for first. Local Jim Wilson came in second. Mark Davey from Whitehorse came in third with the Fred Shields and Roger Schnabel team tied for fourth place.