The effects of the Haines Borough Volunteer Fire Department’s annual Fire Prevention Week paid off last Thursday afternoon when Haines Middle School teacher Jordan Baumgartner put out a vehicle fire. “It was the first time I ever used a fire extinguisher besides when we do it at the fire department,” Baumgartner said. “Everything I did was what […]
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Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Borough approves task force to address bears
A new ad hoc committee Haines Borough manager Debra Schnabel created has one goal in mind: to reduce bear and human interactions. Last week, the Haines Borough Assembly approved the Bear Task Force. The group’s stated objective is to “reduce Haines Police and State Trooper time dealing with bear issues by reducing bear-garbage encounters,” by March 31. Based on the group’s recommendations, Schnabel […]
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Museum up for grant improving handicapped access
The Haines Sheldon Museum is in the running for a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant that, if awarded, will improve accessibility to the building for people with disabilities. Upgrades would include installing an elevator, handicapped bathrooms and rebuilding the rotted wooden ramp that leads to the second level from the street. Last […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Borough joins remote sales tax commission
The Haines Borough Assembly voted unanimously last week to join the Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission—a state board established to implement the statewide administration of remote sales tax collection and remittance. The move comes nearly a year after Amazon announced last January that it would begin collecting and remitting sales tax to Alaska communities, including the […]
Posted inThis Week in History
This Week in History
January 27, 1969 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE… in the street… under the street… but not in the pipes, so City of Haines maintenance men spent their Saturday locating a water main break under the new blacktop of Second Avenue. By the time they had located it and patched it, the city was out of water. To […]
Posted inNews
Pool opening dependent on contractor sign off
The Haines Borough Assembly voted Tuesday to prioritize getting swimmers into the pool—so long as the contractor on the job accepts a change order to fix the torn liner. The swimming pool has been under construction since May, when Indiana-based contractor RenoSys began work. The scope of work included renovating the drainage system, installing new floors and […]
Posted inNews
Scott, Maidy push to fund safe home
Last month, the Haines Borough Assembly unanimously voted to grant Becky’s Place—a local safe house for victims of abuse—$8,000 for rent. Becky’s Place serves about 35 victims a year with piecemeal funding from a combination of an annual fundraiser, private donations, Chilkat Valley Community Foundation grants, and now borough funding. “I can confidently say that our doors […]
Posted inNews
Severe winds cause seven power outages
Strong winds from Friday night through early Sunday morning, with gusts recorded up to 66 miles per hour, grounded planes, knocked trees down and caused at least seven intermittent power outages throughout the weekend and Tuesday. The weekend’s winds uprooted trees that eventually fell and caused additional outages throughout the day Tuesday. As of Wednesday […]
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Policing issue heads GAS committee
Despite its new three-members, the Haines Borough Assembly is no closer to a solution on areawide policing. On Tuesday, the same resolution that failed two months ago was brought up again, this time by assembly member Brenda Josephson. According to borough charter, the borough may provide “emergency dispatch” on an areawide basis. However, police service is limited […]
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Borough contractor impasse stalls swimming pool opening
The opening of the swimming pool is stalled indefinitely because the Haines Borough and the Indiana contractor working on the renovation project are at odds over the project’s completion. The borough began issuing penalties to the contractor, RenoSys, of $1,500 per day since Oct. 25, the contracted completion day. As it stands, those fines amounted to $16,500 […]