The Haines Borough Assembly on Dec. 28 approved an ordinance that creates a waiting period for tour applicants with dodgy histories and rejected a tax- exempt request for a piece of land near Chilkoot Lake held by the American Bald Eagle Foundation. Mayor Jan Hill cast the tie-breaking vote to reject the exemption request, joining assembly members Greg Goodman, Steve Vick and Daymond Hoffman. […]
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Woman’s Club event aims at new recruits
If you’re a woman with an idea for a community improvement or are just interested in a way to lend a hand, the Haines Woman’s Club is looking for you. The service club, a part of Haines for 81 years, is looking for new members so it can expand its offerings and possibly take on […]
Posted inNews, Mining
Coeur to pay $170K fine for Kensington pollution
By Jonathan Grass Juneau Empire Coeur Alaska will pay a $170,000 penalty to the Environmental Protection Agency to resolve Clean Water Act violations over unpermitted discharges at the Kensington Mine. EPA spokesman Mark MacIntyre said the settlement was finalized Wednesday after long-standing negotiations. The consent agreement and final order alleges there was unpermitted acid rock […]
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Permit delays safe school path
Plans for a safer route to school this winter were blocked in part by difficulty securing a state driveway permit to place a culvert in the right-of-way of Old Haines Highway. Haines Borough projects chief Brad Maynard said the borough planned to build a path off the highway, adjacent to the high school track so students […]
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Dennis husband and wife to lead ANB,ANS
The Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood installed their new officers last month at the ANB/ANS Hall. Husband and wife team Raymond Dennis Jr. and Leslie Dennis will lead the two organizations that have donated to scholarships and school programs and participated in community events and fundraisers. “This is something very new for me,” […]
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Thomas: Projects money may drop; Slimmer governorbs budget, cruise tax cuts the cause
Loss of cruise ship head tax revenues and a leaner proposed spending plan by Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell will likely equate to a drop in state spending on local projects. “It’s early yet, but the concern is we’ve done well in Haines the last six years. We’ve been averaging $10 million to $13 million. It’ll […]
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Chilkoot corridor work postponed
A planned meeting to discuss designating a portion of the Chilkoot Lake watershed a state recreation site or state recreation area has been postponed until further notice. State Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, said this week that the replacement of state parks director James King will delay consideration of the idea. “(Parks officials) thought it best that we just […]
Posted inNews, Elections
Hess to seek administrative appeal
Karen Hess will pursue her appeal of last fall’s municipal election as an administrative appeal instead of a civil suit. “We filed an administrative appeal and my understanding is that the borough has a certain amount of time, or their attorney does, to respond to that brief, and my attorney told me it could go […]
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West side residents seek better water, rates
Former customers of Crystal Cathedrals Water and Sewer System say they want their old water source back and are skeptical of a new Haines Borough pricing regime that makes them the only metered residential water customers in the borough. About two dozen west-side residents turned out at a Dec. 28 borough committee meeting to voice concerns. The […]
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Skaters survive fall through ice
Tim McDonough said he and wife Ann Myren will be wearing new Canadian-made ice spikes on future skating outings following their fall through the ice at Chilkoot Lake on Dec. 16. McDonough, 56, and Myren, 55, were skating in the moonlight around 9 p.m. when the ice gave way under them. They were 40 yards offshore, near […]