This bench was placed in front of the Haines Borough administration building last week, and has since drawn the curiosity of many tourists and locals, borough staff says. The two-seater spruce burl bench, crafted locally by Patrick Philpott, was commissioned by Debra Schnabel at the request of her uncle, Ed DiRe, as a memorial to Haines pioneers John and Erma Schnabel, and Mary and Allie Cordes. DiRe said he intends to gift the bench to the Haines community; Schnabel will advance that to the assembly for acceptance.