Despite ongoing right-of-way disputes and pandemic concerns, summer work on the Haines Highway construction project is still scheduled to take place, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation. The goal of the project is to widen and straighten the Haines Highway between milepost 3.9 and 25 to allow for a 55-mph speed limit. Construction began […]
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Posted inNews
New budget draft cuts Mosquito Lake Community Center
Haines Borough manager Debra Schnabel has submitted a new draft of the budget for the assembly’s consideration that removes funding for the Mosquito Lake Community Center. After Schnabel released her first draft on April 1, several assembly members said they were concerned that the budget did not cut enough to accommodate the economic realities of COVID-19. “We […]
Posted inNews
Haines forms food security task force
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the uncomfortable reality that most food in Haines comes from faraway places. Although the supply chain is working for now and is showing no signs of breaking down anytime soon, in recent weeks, both residents and members of the Haines Emergency Operations Center have begun thinking about food security, how […]
Posted inNews
Property owners receive two-week extension for filing appeals
The deadline for landowners to appeal the assessed value of their property has been extended to April 30. The original deadline had been this past Tuesday. Assembly member Brenda Josephson, who introduced the measure at Tuesday’s assembly meeting, said she felt an extension was necessary given the unprecedented nature of social-distancing measures. She said she […]
Posted inNews
Growing more food locally
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates how something as secure as earning a paycheck can go awry and directly impact our sense of security. As long as the parts of our complex food network keep working—growers, pickers, packagers, fuel refineries and chemical giants, long-haul truckers, brokers, bankers, and barge operators—supper keeps appearing in grocery stores. During this […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Assembly rejects ordinance for quarantine enforcement
On Tuesday, the Haines Borough Assembly rejected an ordinance that would have given the borough the ability to enforce its recommended 14-day quarantine requirement. At a meeting on March 24, the assembly passed a resolution requiring people entering the borough to quarantine for 14 days with exemptions for workers traveling to support critical infrastructure. To have their […]
Posted inNews
2020 property assessments incur the wrath of residents
This year’s property tax assessments have generated more ire than usual among Haines residents. Many have complained about a spike in assessed property value as the world braces for an economic downturn. Resident Christopher Thorgesen, who owns a number of properties throughout Haines, said he received a stack of property assessment notifications on March 30, […]
Posted inNews
Haines asks state for autonomy in COVID-19 response
Haines Borough has asked the governor’s administration for a waiver allowing the community to set more restrictive social-distancing measures to promote community safety. At a town hall meeting Tuesday, borough manager and Emergency Operations Center incident commander Debra Schnabel said the borough has taken this step in response to concerns raised by community members about workers from […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Are our protective measures enough?
Unfortunately, as the days of summer draw nearer, the number of citizens in Alaska who are infected with the virus grows. Three weeks ago, the number of folks infected was in the single digits. As of April 5, we are up to 191 people infected in the state. The increasing numbers of infections only increase […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Outside workers need to quarantine
I’m concerned that allowing transients to come and go may introduce the COVID-19 virus to our community. Several groups have asked for special treatment. I recently communicated with a medical doctor whose question was: “Do I understand that the borough will allow transient mine workers, road workers, and workers on the fishing ramp into town […]