Now it’s your turn. Haines voters will cast their ballots Tuesday for two highly contested seats on the Haines Borough Assembly and two non-contested candidacies for the school board. Incumbent school board members Sarah Swinton and Lisa Schwartz face no challengers. Meanwhile, the assembly terms of Diana Lapham and George Campbell are up. Lapham is running for re-election. Campbell is […]
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Posted inHaines Borough, News
Vote on tourism tax advances
After more than an hour of testimony from residents, the Haines Borough Finance Committee last week recommended to let voters in the fall municipal election decide the fate of the 1 percent tax for tourism and economic development. Committee members Ron Jackson and Diana Lapham supported the recommendation; Tresham Gregg was opposed. The assembly will take up […]
Posted inNews
Heliport OK’d for year-round use
The Haines Borough Planning Commission last week approved unlimited, year-round use of a 35 Mile Haines Highway heliport, though the owners will not be allowed to use the site for commercial tours outside of the heli-skiing season without an additional permit. The commission voted 6-1 to approve the three-year conditional use permit submitted by Mike Wilson, manager of […]
Posted inNews
Freerider’s death, accident spotlight safety issue
Tuesday’s death of a Freeride World Tour champion in Switzerland returned a spotlight to the safety of extreme skiing, coming less than a week after a Utah man snowboarding with a Haines heli-ski outfit was caught in an avalanche on the Takhin Massif. Estelle Balet, a 21-year-old Swiss snowboarder who won the women’s snowboarding Freeride […]
Posted inNews
Planners OK heliport at 35 mile
The Haines Borough Planning Commission last week approved a heliport near 35 Mile Old Haines Highway to be used for winter heli-skiing, but the applicant is pushing for unlimited, year-round use. Mike Wilson, general manager of Coastal Helicopters, co-owns the 35 Mile property with Alaska Heliskiing owner Sean Brownell. The two have been pursuing the conditional use permit since […]
Posted inNews
Heliport issue delayed 4 times
Since appearing on the Haines Borough Planning Commission’s agenda in October, the issue of siting a heliport at 35 Mile Old Haines Highway has been postponed four times. Complicating the question is the change in tactics from Mike Wilson, who originally applied for the conditional use permit in October. Wilson, who manages Coastal Helicopters, owns the property with Alaska […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Decision erodes support for Freeride
Over the objections of Chilkat Indian Village, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, professional hunting guides, Chilkoot Bear Foundation, Lynn Canal Conservation, and numerous individuals, the Haines Borough Assembly is allowing the Freeride World Tour to operate their helicopters in two areas not on the approved heliski map. By so doing, they have taken an event that would have been supported, […]
Posted inNews
Company sues borough over heliport denial
A local company denied a conditional use permit to operate a heliport near 26 Mile is appealing the decision in state Superior Court. In a notice of appeal filed Dec. 29, attorneys for Big Salmon Ventures said the Haines Borough’s decision on the matter was “based on prejudice, arbitrary and capricious decision-making” and “on improper motives.” Big […]
Posted inNews
Applicant claims right to heliport
A property owner at 35 Mile Old Haines Highway says he doesn’t need a permit to site a heliport there because the property has been used to land helicopters since 2008 and should be grandfathered in. Michael Wilson, general manager of Coastal Helicopters, submitted a conditional use permit application for a heliport in September. Wilson and Alaska Heliskiing co-owner […]
Posted inNews
Heli-ski firms reject shared heliport idea
Haines Borough Planning Commission chair Rob Goldberg said he is dropping efforts to create a public heliport out Chilkat Lake Road because two out of three operators said they wouldn’t use the facility. At its Nov. 12 meeting, the commission unanimously passed a motion to have borough staff look into acquiring property for a public heliport between 25 Mile […]