After only six months on the job, Manager Bill Seward was terminated Wednesday night by the borough assembly following an emotionally-wracked evening in which a tearful Mayor Jan Hill accused the panel of being “axe hurlers.” The abrupt dismissal came after complaints that Seward suffered ongoing personnel issues with his borough staff and initiated numerous actions without assembly […]
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Trooper director: Haines post next in line to be cut
Alaska Department of Public Safety Col. James Cockrell warned last week that if his agency suffered continued budget cuts, Haines will be the next rural community in the state to lose its state trooper. “If we get any more cuts in our resources, Haines will be the first post we close,” he said. Haines Borough last […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Assembly delays action on heliski map expansion
In the face of two appeals citing conflicts of interest, the Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday voted unanimously to delay the controversial process of redrawing recreational helicopter flight and landing paths until next summer. A newly-formed advisory panel will have more data on the plan’s effects on mountain goats and denning grizzly bears and have time to review […]
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Becky’s Place: Nonprofit offers shelter to abused
Jackie Mazeikas remembers walking around Haines, questioning people about something nobody here wanted to talk about. Women were being assaulted and sexually abused by husbands, boyfriends and fathers who lived and worked and shopped here, who walked around smiling and laughing; their friends and neighbors unaware of what went on at home. The town, she […]
Posted inNews
Weather closes borough offices
Slushy roads and driving rain Tuesday caused Haines to do something rare: roll up the slippery sidewalks, close borough offices, cancel all meetings and send everybody home. Borough manager Bill Seward sent an email to borough staff announcing that the borough offices would close at 1:30 p.m. “I ask all non-essential personnel to avoid traveling […]
Posted inHaines Borough, News
Assembly approves first harbor contract
A slightly trimmed Portage Cove Harbor Expansion now enters its first phase. “I believe this is one of the biggest and best projects we’re going to see,” said Mayor Jan Hill. The Haines Borough Assembly approved 5-1 Tuesday a contract with Pacific Pile & Marine to install a steel breakwater barrier and fill up the harbor’s uplands area with […]
Posted inHaines Borough, News
Assembly rejects letter on future of trooper job
The Haines Borough Assembly decided not to send a preemptive letter to the state government in response to a rumor that the borough might lose one of its two state troopers. The assembly voted 4-2 Tuesday against a proposal by assembly member Tom Morphet that a letter should be sent to the Alaska State Troopers to request […]
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Harbor project moves forward
The Haines Borough appears ready to greenlight a Portage Cove expansion contract next Tuesday to Pacific Pile & Marine for $13.2 million. Last Tuesday, the borough assembly voted 4-3 against holding a proposed public referendum on the scope of the expansion project. That removed the last opportunity to rethink the broad strokes of the project’s first phase. […]
Posted inCorrections
Dept. of Corrections shares ideas
State Corrections Commissioner Dean Williams was not the bearer of bad news in a meeting with the Haines Borough Tuesday, despite negative expectations. “It was not the meeting that we had thought it was going to be,” Police Chief Heath Scott said. Although he expected to hear of more budget cuts, Scott said Williams didn’t talk much […]
Posted inNews
Public ballot sought for harbor project
The clock is ticking on expanding the Portage Cove harbor. Actually, two clocks. Clock No. 1: The Haines Borough opened six bids Tuesday, starting a 60-day countdown to award a contract on the expansion’s first phase to one of the six firms. Those 60 days end Dec. 24. The apparent lowest bid came from Pacific Pile & […]