As it has been for years, the recent negotiation of a union contract with Haines Borough employees was a secretive, then rushed affair that did not serve the interests of the borough, its elected leaders, union workers, or the general public. About 15 years ago, the union and borough leaders agreed that all negotiation issues – such as what workers…
The Haines Borough may soon be asking you for more tax support to keep it afloat. That’s understandable. Our government leaders in Alaska and Washington, D.C. at one time believed that they owed support to places like Haines, and we received it. That was about 30 years ago, before our national ethos shifted from “women and children first” to “every…
Three years ago last March, a living-room-sized boulder rolled off a mountainside and into the ferry terminal parking lot. The boulder wasn’t just big, it was preposterously big. At the sight of it, people either laughed or swore. Smooth and rounded at its edges like a giant beach pebble, it resembled something drawn by an animator of the old Flintstones…
Let’s get some things straight about the “aqueous storage” ordinance before the Haines Borough Assembly. The ordinance is all about Constantine Minerals Resources’ development of a mine near 40 Mile. That was its origin and its motivation, and that’s perfectly okay. It’s unclear that the State of Alaska can adequately protect the Klehini River from mine pollution, as the state…
Cutting through downtown on a summer evening walk a few years ago, I heard giggling from above. Looking up, I spied what appeared to be two teenagers perched in a makeshift treehouse about 15 feet up a big spruce tree between the Senior Village and the health clinic along First Avenue. The couple had built or discovered a nest of…
Resident and arts advocate Carol Tuynman has been talking up James Corner Field Operations’ credentials for months, telling us that the company would have a vision for our waterfront that would inspire us. The landscape design company’s presentation in Haines Wednesday night did not disappoint. Presenter Tatiana Choulika did not come with pictures or drawings of a renovated Portage Cove.…
There’s good news for organizers of fun runs and other recreation events held along state highways. The Haines Borough has agreed to serve as a sponsor of events, in order to fulfill an insurance requirement that has diminished the number of athletic events in town. This new policy promises to encourage more recreational activities here. For years, fun runs were…
To change the course of events, you have to organize and raise a little hell. They don’t teach that in high school civics class, but they should. History’s great men – Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi – were not beloved in their lifetimes. They were pot-stirrers maligned by authorities and resented by the masses for agitating and challenging…
What are our rarest and most valuable resources? Majestic mountain vistas can be found all over the western United States. So can dramatic coastlines. If you know where to look, the world is still teeming with wildlife. Away from big cities, there are tiny towns and corners every bit as tranquil as this place. So what does Haines have that’s…
What makes Haines special? Majestic mountain vistas can be found all over the western United States. So can dramatic coastlines. If you know where to look, the world is still teeming with wildlife. Away from big cities, there are tiny towns and corners every bit as tranquil as this place. So what does Haines have that’s just not…