Five assembly candidates twice responded to questions on their ideas of the Haines Borough’s most pressing problems, ways to generate revenue, thoughts on resource extraction and policing, and how they would maintain balance if elected to the Haines Borough Assembly. On Sept. 11, 25 people gathered at the first candidate forum hosted at the Mosquito Lake […]
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Posted inLocal News, Elections
Meet the borough assembly candidates
Six candidates are vying for two seats on the Haines Borough Assembly in the Oct. 1 municipal election. The third highest vote getter will be appointed to a third vacancy, created by the resignation of assembly member Will Prisciandaro last month. Residents may only vote for two assembly candidates on the ballot. Voting for a third will […]
Posted inNews
State test results show strides in English, math targeted for improvement
Results from 2019 Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools statewide exams show Haines students have achieved significant growth in language arts, and scored mostly proficient and below in mathematics. More than three-quarters of third graders showed a lack of proficiency in math. PEAKS exams test third through ninth graders on English and math capabilities. Students in […]
Posted inLocal News, Haines Borough
Borough briefs
By Jenna Kunze FY20 Budget Amendments On Tuesday, the Haines Borough Assembly unanimously voted to amend its 2020 operating budget reflective of finalized state funding, dipping into its reserve fund by $289,163. When the Haines Borough operating budget was adopted in June, state funding to the borough was unknown. Major line items in flux for the borough were the school bond […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Cellular interference affects public safety
The Chilkat Valley News quotes Fire Department Chief Al Giddings saying that there has been an annual increase of 7 to 9 percent in emergency calls since 2015. And in a recent letter to the CVN, Rob Miller alludes to the interference to cell phone coverage caused by cruise ships. Our own experience is that […]
Posted inLocal News, Haines Borough
Borough Briefs
Borough to hire new clerk The Haines Borough Assembly unanimously directed borough manager Debra Schnabel to negotiate a contract with deputy clerk Alekka Fullerton for the position of Haines Borough Clerk. Borough Clerk Julie Cozzi announced her retirement this year and will retire at the end of March. Fullerton was hired as deputy clerk Sept. 26, 2016. Fullerton will start in […]
Posted inNews
Portage Cove Trail concept presented to residents
More than 90 people gathered in the Chilkat Center Friday to listen to New York-based architects present their plan for the Portage Cove waterfront trail. They intend to build on an existing trail design in a multi-stakeholder partnership headed by the Haines Borough. In December, the borough assembly contracted Juneau-based engineering firm proHNS to design a […]
Posted inNews
Assembly postpones facilities director hire, mayor silences Morphet
The Haines Borough Assembly on Tuesday unanimously delayed approving new public facilities director, Ed Coffland, until December 10 when a new assembly is seated. He will continue to work unconfirmed until that time. Borough manager Debra Schnabel hired Coffland last week to replace former public facilities director Brad Ryan, who accepted a borough manager position in Skagway. Coffland is […]
Posted inNews
Area wide policing dies at assembly
The institution of areawide policing hangs in limbo once again after the assembly Tuesday declined to draft an ordinance that would have interpreted charter to allow police to respond to emergency calls. At the August 20 assembly meeting, the assembly scheduled a third public hearing for the ballot initiative that would have asked voters whether […]
Posted inNews
School enrollment increases by 29
Enrollment in the Haines Borough School District is at a five-year high, with 29 more students attending class than was budgeted for in the spring. The school receives per-student funding, known as base student allocation, every year based on enrollment. If the enrollment numbers hold through the end of October when the final count takes place, the […]