Here's a look at what's coming up this week in and around the Chilkat Valley.
Have a meeting, public comment period or something else you think Chilkat Valley residents should know about? Submit it here. We'll publish details of events that are open to all free of charge. If you'd like to see your paid event on this calendar, send a note to [email protected]. |
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Duly Noted: Volleyball, a bike safari, and blooming flowers |
| (Charlene Jones/Chilkat Valley News) Peter Kohlstedt peforms a deep bike limbo on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, during a bike safari event for Labor Day in Haines, Alaska. |
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Willy Tuttle could reasonably be called the founder of the Haines Labor Day Bike Safari. The inaugural event this week promised mayhem, prizes and tomfoolery, and it did not disappoint. Teams met up at the Small Boat Harbor pavilion and were given matching Bike Safari tee shirts and a bingo card with obscure tasks to complete around town, and all the way to the border. Marirose Evenden, Koa Doddridge and Lizzy Hahn checked “bike to Canada” off the list. This same team found Scott Rossman and gave him pickled onions. Rossman seemed happy with the onions, according to the team. There was bike jousting, tree climbing, and the search for a very elusive chicken. The participants met up in the afternoon for a bike limbo competition. Bicycle limbo superstars were Peter Kohlstedt, Katherine “One Pedal” Perry and Sam Johnson.
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Read all about the competition, and prizes, in this week’s Duly Noted
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Tuesday
6:30 p.m. Candidate forum hosted by the Chilkat Valley News and KHNS at the Mosquito Lake School. Due to bandwidth issues, the forum will not be aired live but will rebroadcast on KHNS at a later date.
Silver Salmon Derby join the Haines Sportsman’s Association & Alaska Sport Shop in this competition which offers cash and prizes for anglers of all ages. Runs through Oct. 24.
Thursday
6:30 p.m. Planning commission regular meeting. They’ll be discussing the potential of selling borough land on Jones Point Road, Carrs Cove, and 34 Mile of the Haines Highway. Under unfinished business, the planning commission has to decide what it’s going to do next in the conversation around potential rezoning parts of the valley currently zoned as “General Use.” They’ll also be considering streamlining the conditional use permit review process, and will hear updates on the Hilltop subdivision and various permit and enforcement issues from the borough planner.
Saturday
4:30 p.m. Taste of Tradition Community Gathering at Taste of Deishú, 142 Beach Road. Feel free to bring a dish to share. Any questions chagwood-nsn.gov. Or 907-229-2772.
Monday
9 a.m. Early voting in the borough election starts in the borough admin building. Additionally, Tlingit & Haida’s virtual executive council meeting begins. All tribal citizens are encouraged to attend the meeting in person in Juneau or virtually. Testimony is welcome.
11:30 a.m. Virtual open house on the Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan. The state's department of transportation and public facilities is hosting public open houses in September and October to share its draft transportation plan. That plan sets the goals that guide investment priorities, identifies key transportation needs for Southeast Alaska communities, and recommends projects that are regionally significant.
1:30 p.m. Lingít language listening hour open to all skill levels and ages. Listen to an hour of recordings of fluent first language speakers in conversation and sharing stories. Tune in for as many sessions as you’d like. Sessions are all conducted over Zoom. Check the Klukwan Library Group Facebook page for more.
5 p.m. A Simple Meal, shared food and community connection at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 3rd Ave & Dalton Street. If you’d like to volunteer, sign up here.
6:30 p.m. Candidate forum hosted by the KHNS in Skagway, broadcast live on KHNS.
Tuesday
Borough assembly meeting, 6:30 p.m. on Zoom or in the assembly chambers. |
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11:30 a.m. Virtual open house hosted by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities share the draft of its Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan and gather public feedback. The plan can be found here which is also where public comments can be submitted.
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Deadline to comment on the U.S. Forest Service’s proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule, including in about 9.3 million acres of the Tongass National Forest. That rule broadly prohibits rad construction, reconstruction or timber harvesting in most areas. Public comments can be made here, so far more than 74,300 comments have been submitted. They’ll also hold a series of meetings to find out how rescinding the rule could affect subsistence uses in Alaska’s national forests.
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11 a.m. Virtual subsistence hearing on how rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule could impact subsistence uses in Alaska’s national forests. Written comments will not be taken during these meetings. Join via Teams or Call-in number: 202-650-0123, Passcode: 844934670#
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5p.m. Virtual subsistence hearing on how rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule could impact subsistence uses in Alaska’s national forests. Written comments will not be taken during these meetings. Join via Teams or Call-in number: 202-650-0123, Passcode: 844934670#
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The state’s Department of Health is planning to update its Medicaid eligibility requirements to limit access for non-U.S. citizens, people who are lawful permanent residents, Cuban or Haitian immigrants and others who no longer qualify for federal Medicaid coverage. Because the Medicaid is funded by states and the federal government, the state can’t change its eligibility rules without official approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services. Comments on this change are being taken until 5 p.m. on Oct. 1 and can be sent to [email protected], with the phrase Non-Citizen SPA Public Comment. Submissions must include the sender’s full name and email address. If you can’t send comments via email, send them to DOH Commissioner’s Office ℅ Christal Hays at 3601 C Street, Suite 902, Anchorage, Alaska, 99503.
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The state is seeking comments on its plan to extend its airport lease with Delta Western for another five years. The annual rent is $3,420 with other associated per-gallon fuel sale fees. Written comments are due by 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 10. Send them to Sharyn Augustine, Statewide Aviation Leasing, P.O. Box 112505, Juneau, AK, 99811-2505. Email [email protected].
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Deadline to submit comments on the state’s proposal to relinquish its selection of about 320 acres of land along the Chilkoot River so that it will be available for people who applied for title to it as Alaska Native Vietnam veterans. Comments can be made either by email or by postal mail. Contact Aleria Knudson at [email protected] or 907.334.2683.
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Deadline to nominate someone to HUD’s tribal intergovernmental advisory committee. Members serve 2-year terms and consult with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
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The U.S. The Bureau of Land Management is proposing a new rule that would exempt oil projects in the federal land on the west side of the North Slope from certain environmental reviews. Projects in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, or NPR-A, would be covered by a single environmental study and the agency would be required to issue permits within 60 days of receiving an application under the proposed new rule. The proposal came in response to a petition from the Alaska Oil and Gas Association. The proposed rule was published in the federal register on Tuesday, and comments will be taken through Nov. 9.
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Have a meeting, public comment period or something else you think Chilkat Valley residents should know about? Submit it here.
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