On a recent Sunday, about a dozen parishioners sit on wooden pews at the Klukwan church listening to a sermon. With a grand piano accompanying them, they sing along to “Count your blessings” and “These are the days of Elijah.” And, as they listen, a few parishioners sew animal hide. On the surface, little has changed about […]
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Planning commission briefs
Brown, Poinsette elected chair, vice chair The newly elected members of the Haines planning commission made their debut Thursday night at the committee’s first regular meeting to elect a chair and vice chair. The seven members were elected by residents during the recent October local election — a first for the borough. Previous commissioners were […]
PlanCo decision to rehear CUP is needed
On Tuesday night, the Borough Assembly voted to rehear the former Planning Commission’s decision to issue a Conditional Use Permit to Southeast Road Builders for resource extraction at their site near the ferry terminal and for many good reasons. The implications of this CUP are broad. This CUP paves the way for a major resource […]
Coho derby ends with big fish, fewer anglers
The Haines Sportsman’s Association’s annual coho derby wrapped up at the end of the last month with some monster silvers, but fewer participants than last year. Still, the group managed to raise about $2,500 worth of ticket sales to donate to a youth scholarship for post-secondary students, and gave out more than $7,000 worth of […]
Bald eagle count shows population rebound continues
Under steady wind, light rain and near-freezing temperatures on a recent weekday, biologist Stacie Evans stared through a spotting scope at a pullout on the banks of the Chilkat River. Silently, she counts the number of bald eagles as she carefully turned the scope. 244…245…246: That’s her final count of adult birds at the Council Grounds […]
Alaska Bald Eagle Festival reorients with community focus
The annual Haines Bald Eagle Festival is returning to Haines Nov. 10-12 with a revamped focus on community involvement, despite a late organizational change that put the entire festival at risk. “It’s definitely a regrowth year. We’re definitely bringing it back to its roots,” said Rebecca Hylton, Haines’ tourism director. The visitor’s center stepped in […]
Photographer Mark Bouldoukian
Haines tourism director Rebecca Hylton said she first discovered this year’s guest photographer Mark Bouldoukian on Instagram and was awed. “His work is absolutely amazing,” said Hylton. The California-based photographer’s wildlife photos are often intimate face shots that capture moody expressions of eagles, bears and other animals from his travels on the West Coast of […]
Outgoing planning commission grants permit for controversial Lutak Rd. gravel project
Despite pushback from people who called the project a risk to public safety, members of Haines’ outgoing planning commission granted a permit for a company to blast into a hillside along Lutak Road to extract hard rock and other material. During the planning commission meeting on Monday (Oct. 23), members heard pushback from a handful of people […]
Outgoing planning commission grants permit for controversial Lutak Rd. gravel project
Despite pushback from people who called the project a risk to public safety, members of Haines’ outgoing planning commission granted a permit for a company to blast into a hillside along Lutak Road to extract hard rock and other material. During the planning commission meeting on Monday (Oct. 23), members heard pushback from a handful of people […]
Dismal prices, strong runs: Gillnet season closes
Commercial salmon gillnetters in the Upper Lynn Canal had a pretty unanimous assessment of the 2023 season: encouraging fish runs, but dismal prices. “It’s still worth it, but it’s a struggle,” said Gregg Bigsby, a 50-year veteran of the fishery. “Everybody’s got a job this winter.” Low prices – about half of what they were last year […]