A committee of the Haines Borough Assembly took a baby step toward funding a Chilkat Center roof repair at a Dec. 27 workshop. The borough recently received a $650,000 estimate to rebuild the center’s roof, including structural work and replacement of cedar shakes with metal roofing. Adding insulation is expected to stem a problem that starts when […]

Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures is going ahead with plans to use a 26 Mile Haines Highway site as a heliport, relying on a section of Haines Borough code the company says exempts it from acquiring a conditional use permit to stage heli-skiing tours from the site, according to Mayor Stephanie Scott. Scott said SEABA co-owner Scott Sundberg told her Tuesday that SEABA notified borough […]

Haines Borough officials this week said there’s time to develop disposal alternatives in the wake of Community Waste Solution’s decision last week to no longer accept municipal sludge at its FAA Road landfill. In a limited statement this week, company president Tom Hall said he would like to accept sludge again at some later date. “My […]

Haines Borough Assembly members discussed hiring a consultant and appointing a task force Tuesday after two local trash companies and the president of the Haines Chamber of Commerce pleaded for increased borough participation in solid waste management. No action was taken during the committee-of-the-whole meeting, but the assembly is expected to revisit the topic at its […]

The Haines Borough Assembly will hold a special meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday to formulate comment on a preliminary permit sought by Alaska Power & Telephone. It would give the utility exclusive rights to develop a hydroelectric power plant and rock-fill dam about four miles upstream of Chilkoot Lake. The privately-owned utility that provides phone and electric service […]

Mayor Stephanie Scott has appointed Danny Gonce to the Haines Borough Planning Commission seat previously filled by Pete Lapham. The seat was vacant since Lapham’s death last summer. The Haines Borough Assembly approved Gonce’s appointment Tuesday, and re-appointed Andy Hedden and Donnie Turner to the commission, all to three-year terms. Other planning commissioners include Rob Goldberg, Lee Heinmiller, Roger Maynard and […]

“Gold Rush” the reality mining show set in the Chilkat Valley’s Porcupine mining district, won high ratings in its debut season on Discovery Channel last year, but has its success translated to a boost in the number of visitors here? During its first season filming in 2010, Mayor Jan Hill and others expressed hope that the show would […]