The candidate filing period for the Haines Borough’s October municipal election closes Friday. As of Wednesday morning, July 20, four candidates had been certified to run for office: John Brower, Stephanie Scott and incumbent Mayor Jan Hill in the mayoral race and incumbent Jerry Lapp for the Haines Borough Assembly. The filing period opened July 11. Information on additional filers was unavailable this […]
Search results
Posted inNews, School Board
School board hears local hiring concerns
A few members of the community on Tuesday night asked the Haines school board to consider adopting a local hiring preference for teachers. The board heard public comment regarding the recent hiring of new teachers. A local candidate who was hired on a one-year contract to teach fourth-grade was passed over for the permanent fourth-grade teaching position. […]
Posted inNews, Obituaries
Norman Blank led the ‘quintessential’ Haines life
Longtime resident Norman Blank died Sunday, June 12, at home from complications of pulmonary fibrosis. He was 80 and had been active up until the hereditary illness progressed last fall. “He was just a great guy, honest, nice, capable, pretty clean living, fun to be around,” moose hunting partner Norm Hughes said. “We all should […]
Posted inNews
Petition seeks local teacher’s hire
A resident whose family member was passed over for a teaching position at Haines School has collected 150 signatures on a local-hire petition. The petition is being circulated by Charlie DeWitt, a former borough assemblyman and former high school shop teacher. The petition states support for local hire and for the hiring of daughter-in-law Lexie […]
Posted inNews, School Board
School board reviews draft budget
School superintendent Michael Byer offered his first draft budget to the Haines Borough School District Tuesday. The $5.6 million spending plan Byer called “a first blush” and “moving target” includes a 3 percent increase in the borough’s contribution to the school general fund and an overall increase in spending of $230,000. It does not include […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Tax, reserves slated to balance budget; Earnest presents spending plan
Haines Borough Assembly members got their first look at manager Mark Earnest’s budget for the coming year Tuesday. The $13.9 million borough spending plan is balanced by using $288,000 in reserves and by raising property taxes slightly. Its total includes spending $2.9 million in state grants for pending improvements to the Port Chilkoot Dock and trestle. […]
Posted inNews
Push on to resume driving class
Should the Haines School revive driver’s education class as an elective? The idea – supported by several staffers, students, and school board members – has been discussed for years and may be gaining momentum. The program was offered in the local school into the 1980s, but was dropped later, possibly due to the retirement of instructor Roger […]
Posted inNews
Thomas, Kookesh undecided on tax break for oil industry
Haines’ two state legislators staked out opposite views on a proposed school funding bill, but each said they were undecided on a proposal by Gov. Sean Parnell to reduce taxes on oil companies by $2 billion per year. Parnell’s proposed reduction of oil industry taxes has overshadowed most other issues since the session began in […]
Posted inNews, School Board
Sunday open gym: $3K per year; School board OKs job to increase early reading skills
Opening the Karl Ward Gym each Sunday for two hours would cost the Haines Borough School District $105 per session, or about $3,000 per winter season, superintendent Michael Byer told the school board last week. The school board discussed the Sunday open gym request, approved hire of a half-time reading teacher and dropped a requirement for a performance bond for the […]
Posted inNews
District seeks citizens’ push for education funding bill
School district officials are hoping residents will support a three-year school funding bill recently introduced in the Alaska Legislature. A teleconference on the bill will be held 8 to 10 a.m. Monday. To participate, phone toll-free, 855-463-5009. Superintendent Michael Byer said Senate bill 84 would incrementally increase the base student allocation from $5,680 to $6,025, […]