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It’s me, Chisel Triezenberg. I’ve been doing some digging, metaphorical digging that is, into deep, poorly charted archives.
This week (many years ago) we learn about a program to help kids get involved in museums. On a serious note, 25 years ago something terrible happened. It would do all of us well to remember the mistakes of the past so we do not make them again in the future.
On an unserious note, remember when we had taxis in town? I don’t. Forty years ago something so boring happened that it may have wrapped back around to being interesting. If you didn’t already guess, it is borough related.
The United States and Canada collaborate to build something; beautiful, isn’t it? Finally, discover an alternate universe where Haines’ economy was built around an oil refinery. Chilling.
The Chilkat Valley News began publishing in 1966, so we feature stories from the small portion of this valley's history that we have documented in the archives. If you have something you'd like to see featured, let us know.
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10 Years Ago (Sept. 29, 2016)
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Teenagers can learn the ins and outs of working at a museum as part of the Sheldon Museum’s second annual Junior Curator Program.
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Museum director Helen Alten said the program gives students a chance to gain valuable job skills. Because there are four museums in the valley - the Sheldon Museum, the Hammer Museum, the American Bald Eagle Foundation and the Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center - Alten said learning about the museums may give local kids the opportunity to live and work in Haines after they finish school.
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Students ages 12 to 18 can work at the Sheldon Museum for two hours each Saturday starting Oct. 1 through Dec. 17.
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The junior curators will learn what museums are and how they operate on a daily basis. They will experience work in public relations, design and collections and study the basics of museum databases and cataloging. They will tour the other museums in town, meet with staff and learn how museums are categorized and what makes each one unique.
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This year, the junior curators will also help build exhibits in the new children’s room set to open early October, Alten said. They will also help set up the Rasmuson Show and a future White Fang exhibit to commemorate the 1991 Disney movie filmed in Haines, she said.
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| Two large Cs draw in readers’ attention before telling them about the Chilkat Chef competition in this advertisement which ran in Sept. 29, 2016, edition of the Chilkat Valley News. |
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14 Years Ago (Sept. 6, 2012)
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In their first combined effort, the American Legion, Emblem Club and American Legion Auxiliary are sponsoring a community potluck dinner in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
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Set for 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, at the American Legion hall, the evening will include local speakers and an opportunity for individuals to gather.
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State Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, has been invited to speak at the event. Legion Chaplain Ben Fairall will provide an opening prayer.
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Legion Commander Bill McRoberts likens the attacks to the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor. “Pearl Harbor hit our military, this one struck our community as a whole. It’s a big impact on our country and I don’t think it should be forgotten.”
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McRoberts has invited the fire department to toll its fire bell to mark the 11th anniversary of the attacks. McRoberts emphasized the evening is free and open to the public. “There’s no money involved, just bring a dish.”
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| A costume shop’s grand opening advertises that it has “great new stuff” in this advertisement from the Sept. 28, 2006, edition of the Chilkat Valley News. |
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30 Years Ago (Sept. 26, 1996)
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Local taxi companies might be overcharging customers, city councilor Dave Berry said last week. But the company owners deny it.
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Berry said there are no rates posted in cabs, and many local people believe they are being charged different rates at different times.
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The city sent a letter to Haines Taxi & Tours and The New Other Guys Taxi, asking for the posting of rates. If that doesn’t happen, the council might have to consider an ordinance regulating taxis, Berry said.
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“Your voluntary cooperation in this matter will minimize complaints and help us avoid that eventuality,” mayor Greg Combs wrote in his letter to the companies.
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Larry Schmidt, owner of The New Other Guys Taxi, and Carl Dixon, owner of Haines Taxi, both denied any wrongdoing.
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Schmidt said he would “absolutely not” post his rates because they’ve been stable since he started business four years ago, and many people know what they are, anyway.
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Schmidt said he charges $5 for any trip in city limits, regardless of the number of passengers, except that seniors get a $1 discount. He said he charges $6 to get to the airport or ferry terminal, but discounts that to $4 if there is more than one passenger. The rate to Letnikof Cove is $9, and there is a staggered schedule going up Haines Highway, he said.
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None of the rates change due to time of day, he said.
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“At $5 a trip in town, I’m losing money,” he said. “The only way I’ll ever make money off the cab company is if I sell it.”
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| To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what this is even advertising. What service is being provided here in this advertisement in the Oct. 3, 1996, edition. |
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40 Years Ago (Sept. 18, 1986)
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This week’s borough assembly meeting will be one for the record books. There was no mayor. There was no deputy mayor. And it took less than an hour to conduct the meeting.
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Three public hearings went without comment from the three persons in the audience.
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Assemblyman Frank Haas, who conducted the meeting, was the only one to object to portions of a proposed new sales tax code, which is also being considered by the city council.
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One of the provisions calls for taxing water and sewer services.
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“If you’re going to have a civilized lifestyle, you’ve got to have it (water and sewer services),” Haas said, stating that he objects to those basic needs being taxed.
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Assemblyman Tom Clay said he would like to see the borough’s ordinance read the same as the city’s and suggested the borough recommend that city council remove the taxation of water and sewer services. The motion passed.
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50 Years Ago (Sept. 18, 1986)
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Governor William A. Eagan has announced the award of a $10.9 million contract for construction of the Skagway-Carcross highway.
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The project will extend an existing road from Mile 4.4 northwest of Skagway to the Canadian border. It is in conjunction with a Canadian project, currently in design stage, which will extend on to the Alaska Highway and provide a link between Skagway and Alaska’s interior highway system by way of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
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The Alaska segment of the work, awarded to Central Construction Co., Seattle, is expected to take about three years for completion, Egan said.
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The Alaskan portion of the road follows the west side of the Skagway River valley northeast from the end to the present roadway to about Mile 9, where the main valley turns sharply to the east. At this point the route continues in a northeasterly direction up a tributary valley and into West White Pass.
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The road will be gravel surfaced initially with a 24-foot driving width. Shoulder width will be held to a minimum in order to reduce the amount of cut and fill required. At several points along the route turnouts will be constructed to provide motorists the opportunity to pull off the roadway.
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The National Park Service has stated that with the formation of the proposed Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park the new highway is essential to provide reasonably adequate access to the proposed park.
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60 Years Ago (Sept. 22, 1969)
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Reports of a small oil refinery at Port Chilkoot are once again in the news.
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According to informed sources, representatives of Southwestern Petroleum, a Los Angeles based firm, will meet this week with Frank Murkowski, state commissioner of commerce, to arrange for an 8,000 barrel per day allotment of oil from the state.
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Should the allotment be granted, the company would then build a 10,000 barrel per day refinery on the 50-acre tract now owned by Alaska-Yukon Refineries at Port Chilkoot.
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The company owns a refinery at Haines Junction which has operated in the past to separate heavy crude oil and lighter stove oil; the products were used in the Yukon for fuel and asphalt for paving.
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Presumably, fuel oil would be manufactured at Port Chilkoot from crude oil.
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