Why are we allowing clearcutting of our watershed and views along the Chilkat Range? The impending Baby Brown timber harvest essentially destroys a big draw of our one thriving industry – visitors. And, it potentially threatens our forever industry – fishing. Do we really think that visitors paying good money would want to look at […]
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Posted inLocal News
Manager to propose cell-tower permitting change
A controversial proposal for a downtown 5G tower has prompted pushback, and now, a potential change to borough code. The 115-foot cell tower would be built by AT&T, on their existing property next to the Haines School. That’s part of the problem, as some residents who believe 5G waves can potentially cause cancer say the […]
Posted inLocal News
Haines man finds long lost father in Scotland
Stephen Winn died on Monday in Nairn, a small beach town in Scotland. From Nairn, a social worker placed a call to another small, rainy town, half a world away, to notify Winn’s son, Mike Thompson, of Haines. Thompson said he was glad to hear that his father passed peacefully and without pain; Winn had […]
Posted inBlotter
Police Blotter: April 21-26
Monday, April 21 A caller reported a carbon monoxide alarm on Deishu Drive. The fire department responded and found a faulty water heater. A caller on Main Street reported hearing noises from the neighbors. An officer was advised. The same caller later reported continued noise. An officer responded. Tuesday, April 22 A caller on Haines […]
Posted inThis Week in History
This week in history: Ferry LeConte helps to rescue two in near-tragic canoeing mishap
April, 1975 Tragedy was averted late Saturday evening when the occupants of a capsized canoe were towed to shore in Lutak Inlet opposite the ferry terminal and then brought safely back by the ferry LeConte. Russ Needham and Terry Wheelock of Haines spent about a half hour in the frigid water after their canoe swamped. […]
Posted inLocal News, Housing
Assembly and planning commission consider allowing ‘granny flats’ to address housing shortage
Faced with a housing shortage, the borough assembly and planning commission will consider whether to allow adding small apartments, sometimes called “granny flats,” to single-family-zoned lots. The secondary units are often called accessory dwelling units or ADUs. The housing shortage is an issue that has been under discussion at the borough level for several years. […]
Posted inCommentary
What We Know: Federal funding uncertainty hits home in our communities
Introducing: What We Know. This new recurring column features Southeast Alaskans with direct experience in the systems that shape our lives – from government and science to education and infrastructure. We’re inviting people who know how things work (and sometimes don’t) to help shed light on the things that impact everyday life in the Chilkat […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Extraction permit must go through an open, transparent public process
Southeast Road Builders (SERB) requires a proper Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for their Lutak resource extraction operations. SERB was denied that permit by the Planning Commission for the site it is currently operating on because its plans did not meet the criteria for a CUP laid out in borough code. On SERB’s appeal to the […]
Posted inLocal News, Wildlife, Environment, Gatherer's Notebook
Gatherer’s Notebook: With spring hooligan run imminent, locals lay out the components of a successful harvest
Tim Ackerman says it’ll be a high tide, sometime in the next few weeks; first the gulls and sea lions will gather at the mouths of the Chilkat and Chilkoot, then the water will take on an unusual look in the light – calm spots, Ackerman says, and then oil slicks on the surface. On […]
Posted inLocal News
Borough settles with SERB, but some question the process
A settlement between Southeast Roadbuilders (SERB) and the borough last week granted a conditional use permit for gravel extraction on Lutak Road, ending a long-running string of appeals that moved between the planning commission, borough assembly, and State Superior Court. But now, the process for the final resolution, conducted in settlement negotiations and executive sessions, […]