I am proud of our community and inspired by the amazing staging of “Oklahoma!” by Hainesites of all ages at the Chilkat Center for the Arts. Our youth are equally inspiring for their positive voice in government by working on political campaigns and by organizing a debate at the school for state legislative candidates. I am baffled […]
Search results
Posted inNews
Legislative candidates talk education
Democratic challenger Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins assailed state Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, and Republican funding of education at a debate Monday in Haines. State Sen. Albert Kookesh, D-Angoon, also spoke at the debate. Kookesh’s Republican opponent, Bert Stedman of Sitka, did not participate. Schools aren’t staying even with inflation, but they could for about $40 million more in […]
Posted inNews
Voters: Waterman, Berry, change in disclosure
Incumbent assembly member Joanne Waterman cruised by challenger Jim Studley and former City of Haines Mayor Dave Berry topped Jono Greene for an open seat in Tuesday’s Haines Borough election. Voters also exempted local political candidates from State of Alaska financial disclosure requirements. The vote tally was 457-362, or 56 percent approval. The vote was the third ballot measure on disclosure […]
Posted inNews
District finds photographer ‘controversial’
The Haines Borough School District steered a presentation by nature photographer Amy Gulick to two classrooms instead of a school-wide assembly after school board president Carol Kelly determined Gulick’s talk should fall under a “controversial issues” policy. Resident Carol Tuynman this week asked for reconsideration of that decision and board member Anne Marie Palmieri also raised questions about it. […]
Posted inNews
Legislative candidates to debate
Candidates for Haines’ seat in the state House of Representatives and at least one candidate for state Senate have said they’ll attend a debate 7 p.m. Monday at the Haines School, organizer Royal Henderson said this week. State Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, challenger Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins of Sitka and state Sen. Albert Kookesh, D-Angoon, have confirmed they’ll […]
Posted inNews
School was overbilled $225K for electric
Alaska Power and Telephone has overbilled the Haines Borough School District $225,057 for electricity. The error that caused the overbilling dates to the opening of the renovated Haines School in 2007. AP&T discovered the error during one of its periodic audits in July, said Danny Gonce, manager of the utility’s local power operations. Because the school district […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Unethical to spend taxes to sway vote
Although the Haines Borough Assembly, school board and planning commission have every right to voice their opinion on the upcoming Proposition 1 vote, I find it inappropriate and unethical to use taxpayer money to do so. The blue flyer that was placed in our post office boxes states, “Paid for by the Haines Borough Assembly.” If those in public service wish to […]
Posted inNews
Financial disclosure, 7 candidates on ballot
Haines Borough voters on Tuesday will fill two seats on the assembly and three seats on the school board, and revisit a question about exempting local candidates from the state’s financial disclosure laws. Polls at the American Bald Eagle Foundation and Klehini Valley Firehall are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Candidate views and election-related stories can be […]
Posted inNews, School Board
Three candidates vie for 4 seats on school board
Three candidates are running unopposed for the Haines Borough school board. A fourth seat open on the board that has attracted no candidates will be filled by board appointment after Tuesday’s election. Brenda Jones, 47, is a financial controller. She said her top priorities include continued development of career and technical curriculum. “Seventy percent of jobs in […]
Posted inNews
Candidate shortage not uncommon in Southeast
Some Haines school board members have pointed to the state’s financial disclosure requirements as reasons for apparent low interest in recent school board elections. There hasn’t been competition for candidates seeking seats on the board since 2010, and for the second year in a row, the board will have to appoint a member because one open seat hasn’t attracted […]