An upswing in sales tax from tourism and construction helped offset a dip in retail sales, boosting Haines Borough sales tax income 2 percent in 2014. Taxable sales last year reached $52.4 million. The increase seems to defy previously held speculation that sales tax income was largely decided by the price of fuel: When the price of […]
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Tank farm contractor lays out cleanup work
Since cleanup began in the early 1990s, about 630 holes have been drilled at the former U.S. Army tank farm property at Lutak Road, tracking contaminated soil and water. Beginning in June, an Anchorage contractor will drill another 1,000 holes, focusing on untested areas and ones suspected of contaminants. The stepped-up drill program is made possible by […]
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Town ‘Clean Sweep’ hits streets on Monday
“Operation: Clean Sweep,” the town’s annual roadside cleanup effort, starts Monday and runs through May 9, with targeted cleanup efforts May 1-2. An organized town cleanup is a spring tradition that dates back 100 years in Haines, and Chamber of Commerce executive director Debra Schnabel said she’s hoping citizens will pitch in again this year. Besides prizes […]
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UV rays to track contaminants
Busy field season planned at tank farm A site-wide search for contaminants using ultraviolet screening technology should make for one of the largest, single field seasons of cleanup work this coming summer at the former U.S. Army tank farm on Lutak Road. “We’re going back to recharacterize the site as a whole and pick up little pieces […]
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State to begin work on ferry dock rebuild
The state last week began work on the new $15 million ferry dock, a project that will make the facility look like its Auke Bay counterpart in Juneau. The project will remove the ferry dock’s sheet pile bulkhead and replace it with a boulder riprap slope, catwalk and steel pilings. “It’s an aging facility and […]
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Sosa’s budget: Cut HARK, leave 1 police job unfilled
Haines Borough Manager David Sosa released his draft $12 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year Wednesday. It includes a mill rate increase, leaving a police officer position unfilled and transferring the job of catching loose dogs from the Haines Animal Rescue Kennel to the police department. Sosa’s budget also proposes to close the pool […]
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Three workshops, 2 hearings on budget
The Haines Borough Assembly’s month-long saga of budget meetings begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday with an overview of the document and discussion of the areawide general fund. Manager David Sosa released his draft budget for fiscal year 2016 on April 1. The assembly will discuss the townsite service area fund, Small Boat Harbor, Lutak Dock and Port Chilkoot Dock […]
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Freeride at last: Skies open for skiers
A 10-day wait for clear skies paid off for organizers of the Freeride World Tour, who held their international, big-mountain skiing and snowboard competition on a peak near the Canada border Monday. Tom Winter, the event’s North American manager, on Monday night expressed optimism about the event’s return despite three weather delays that forced a […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Harbor job won’t include slips
I wonder if people realize that there will be no new slips or floats in the coming harbor expansion? We didn’t have enough money for those. We had $19 million. Three million dollars went to studies and engineering plans, the rest is for dredging, parking lot expansion and a gigantic steel wall for a breakwater […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Bowl for Kids’ Sake netted $11,000
Haines Big Brothers Big Sisters raised over $11,000 during our 2015 Bowl for Kids’ Sake fund drive. We received several hundred individual gifts and pledges during the campaign. Our sincere thanks go out to many. Local event sponsors, contributing funds or in-kind gifts included: Lane sponsors: Alaska Power & Telephone, First National Bank Alaska, Howsers IGA […]