Last in a series of articles examining erosion of the downtown core. Previous stories examined the role of government in revitalization, renewal strategies that worked in other communities, and reasons businesses are choosing to invest away from downtown. The impending development of the 50-room Aspen Hotel, construction on the mixed-use Veterans Village and an increase […]
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Assembly endorses new office in trailer
The Haines Borough is looking to buy a 450-square-foot trailer to use as extra office space despite having an empty desk at the administration building and empty offices in the public safety building. The $12,500 “mobile office” would be located behind the administration building on Third Avenue. Manager David Sosa said the trailer would be used as […]
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Kreiss-Tomkins calls rookie term ‘gratifying’
With only a few months remaining in his first term, rookie House Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka, said he has no intentions of stopping. During a Monday interview, Kreiss-Tomkins said he will be running again this October, but he will no longer represent Haines due to redistricting. “It’s a way to try to help make Alaska […]
Posted inNews, Education
Techie living abroad is board’s choice for superintendent
The Haines Borough school board last week voted to offer its superintendent position to Virginia “Ginger” Jewell, a Georgia-based technology specialist who spent the past six years building schools in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The board voted early this week to offer Jewell a $103,000 contract for three years. school board president Anne Marie Palmieri said Jewell’s vision and experience […]
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Preschool target site shifts to church
The Chilkat Valley Preschool is planning to site its new building on Presbyterian Church property on First Avenue instead of at the Haines School, following an offer by the church. “We’ve decided to go that route rather than (site it) at the school. From the get-go they were generous and easy to work with. It […]
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Assembly gives $8K for sled hill
With the future of a favorite winter recreation site in jeopardy, the Haines Borough Assembly stepped in Tuesday to ensure the sledding hill on Mount Riley Road remains open for those looking to play on a snowy day. The assembly voted unanimously to devote up to $8,000 toward the creation of a sledding hill running parallel to […]
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Blaze in roof vexes firefighters; origin undetermined
The origin of a fire in the roof of an Oslund Drive house that caused $75,000 or more in damage May 8 is still under investigation, Haines Borough fireman Al Badgley said this week. Firefighters dumped about 10,000 gallons of water on the blaze that burned between the building’s upstairs ceiling and roof, making it difficult to […]
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‘Check out’ a person
Meet the people you think you know at the Haines Borough Public Library’s third annual Human Library event from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Instead of books, participants can “check out” people and learn more about their Haines neighbors, said education and cultural coordinator Jessie Morgan. Six “books” will be available, though Morgan didn’t reveal names in […]
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Planners want consideration
Several members of the Haines Borough Planning Commission asked for more support from the assembly during a joint meeting of the two bodies last week, citing overturned decisions and unheeded recommendations that caused discontent. Commission chair Rob Goldberg said he would like the assembly to “take the planning commission seriously,” and give the group’s decisions “the weight […]
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Spring exposes big gouges in 9-month-old curbs
State transportation officials say there’s no way to prevent continued gouging of curbs as seen downtown last year, and more recently near the waterfront. Spring’s thaw revealed that snow-moving equipment chewed chunks out of $3.9 million in road improvements in sections of Front Street, Beach Road and Old Haines Highway, including curbs less than one […]