A boundary conflict between neighbors on Sawmill Road exploded into the open last week, threatening the future of a community composting facility, and, some say, the future of the borough-owned Jones Point Cemetery. The composting facility, built by local non-profit Takshanuk Watershed Council (Takshanuk), sits on land diagonally across Sawmill Road from the nearest headstones […]
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Posted inLocal News
Resident targeted by scam email imitating Haines borough staff
An scam email made to appear as part of the borough permitting process targeted at least one Haines resident this week. Haines resident Jacqueline Funkhouser received an email Monday morning that purported to be from the borough planning commission and signed by acting lands director Donna Lambert. The message asked Funkhouser to wire the borough […]
Posted inLocal News
Assembly Briefs: A Lutak Dock redesign and elected official removal
Lutak Dock redesign The borough has turned over a new page in the Lutak Dock saga, with litigation officially off the table for now, and a new design proposal back on it. Earlier this spring, the borough was set to begin mediation with dock contractor Turnagain Marine. But in May, borough officials announced they had […]
Posted inSports, Local News
Relay win a contest between cycling coach and his athletes
A cycling coach was edged out of a Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay win by two of his athletes during last Saturday’s race. The three joined just under 1,000 cyclists who rode all or segments of the annual 150-mile relay from Haines Junction to Haines. Hudson Lucier completed the race solo with a final time […]
Posted inLocal News
The Bottom Line: Tacos, Portage Cove, and a long-awaited break
Julian’s Todos Tacos Mario and Natalie Benassi are back in Haines after a winter in Colorado and they’ve reopened their taco stand on Main Street. Julian’s Todos Tacos closed last year after Natalie Benassi had a stroke in the fall; the couple spent months in Anchorage, then headed to an intensive speech therapy program in […]
Posted inLocal News
Haines neighbors show up on opposite sides of demonstration lines
Saturday afternoon hit many of the notes of a holiday celebration: crowds filling spaces downtown blooming with early summer wildflowers, live music, flags, and spectators cheering a parade down Main Street. Mayor Tom Morphet even had his trumpet out. Passers-by wouldn’t have been remiss to think they had wandered into last month’s graduation celebration. Only […]
Posted inLocal News
Haines gears up for bike relay
The annual Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay, a 148.4-mile race between Haines Junction and Haines, arrives in town Saturday afternoon. The event draws racers from as far away as Fairbanks and Seattle and allows riders to compete solo or in relay teams of up to eight riders. After an early morning start in Haines Junction, […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Bear-resistant trash can distribution a success
Our campaign to get bear-resistant trash cans into the community has been a resounding success. A team of volunteers last week distributed 139 cans to residents looking to keep bears out of their refuse. A mighty thanks to Defenders of Wildlife for providing the cans and shipment to Seattle, a $53,000 value, at zero cost […]
Posted inThis Week in History
This Week in History: A lobbying trip, heli-tours, Haines’ sewage lagoon
15 years ago: Borough officials lobby in D.C. The Haines Borough recently spent $7,500 sending three leaders on a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. The money was well spent, according to assemblyman Jerry Lapp and facilities manager Brad Maynard, who made the four-day trip. The group met with U.S. senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich […]
Posted inLocal News, Haines Borough
Budget Nuggets: Assembly approves final budget
The assembly approved a budget on Tuesday that had been mostly balanced before unexpected losses of outside funding opened a significant deficit. Assembly members attempted to close the gap, but in the end only passed one cost-cutting amendment. Since last year’s budgeting, the borough has lost significant outside funding, first with the planned expiration of […]