A Local News 2018 Year in Review

At the end of the year KHNS looks back on the stand-out stories of 2018.

It was a year of change for the Upper Lynn Canal’s tourist industry.  Over the summer, the Carnival Corporation purchased the White Pass and Yukon Railroad Route from Canadian Company TWC Enterprises for $290 million. White Pass has controlled much of Skagway’s port since the 1960s.

The railroad’s new president Bob Berto spoke with the Skagway assembly following the sale in August.

“Working together is going to help us find the path to where we need to be,” he said. “We may not agree on everything, but I have a pretty good feeling that we pretty well share the same concerns.”

This year Skagway saw a record number of visitors over the summer, and those numbers are only expected to increase as the city hosts larger cruise ships in the future. The municipality and White Pass spent much of the last year negotiating how to make improvements to accommodate more passengers

Skagway’s beer industry saw remarkable growth in 2018. Klondike brewing company opened on May 1. Owner Joe Probst says he came to Skagway specifically to brew beer. Meanwhile, Skagway Brewing Company will reopen its flagship brewery in a new location and  owner Mike Healy will open two new restaurants next year.

Haines has seen a number of resource extraction projects move forward in 2018. In March, the University of Alaska announced it had entered into negotiations on a 13,500 acre timber sale on land it owns in the Chilkat Valley.

The project has been met with enthusiasm from some residents who are excited about the possibility of growing the local timber industry. Others have raised concerns about boom and bust cycles in the Haines economy as well as the impact that the project could have on salmon habitat and scenic viewsheds.

Canadian Mineral Exploration company Constantine Metal Resources expanded exploration efforts at the Palmer Project, a mining site located Northwest of Haines. The company also began preparing an assessment of the project’s economic potential. Meanwhile the Bureau of Land Management faces a lawsuit from several conservation groups and the Chilkat Indian Village of Klukwan for approving the company’s exploration plans.

Haines’ first recreational marijuana dispensary, Winter Greens, opened in July. Jason and Shawna Adams started the business with Jason’s father Brad Adams. Marijuana cultivation in the Haines Borough started to develop this year as well. Erika Merklin’s grow operation Resurrected Dreams has begun harvesting, and the Waldo family has been working on a cultivation facility for their business Glacier Bay Farms.

In February, the Chilkoot Indian Association purchased the Portage Cove Dock from Klukwan Inc. The tribe plans to offer mooring for yachts and small cruise ships this summer.

2018 was an election year. Voters in the Upper Lynn Canal made decisions on a number of ballot measures affecting the state and local municipalities.

Haines residents voted on a ballot measure to provide on-call police service to residents living outside the townsite by increasing their property taxes. The borough drafted the proposal in response to state budget cuts that eliminated an Alaska State Trooper post that used to patrol areas outside of town. Ultimately the borough’s proposal was rejected.

In an advisory vote, Skagway residents indicated that they did not support funding a recreation center expansion, an aquatics center or a 1 percent sales tax to finance such projects.

Haines residents Tom Morphet and James Hart ran unsuccessfully in the primary to represent the Upper Lynn Canal in the state house of representatives.

Rufus the dog campaigned for a seat on the Skagway Borough Assembly. Rufus’ campaign manager Andrew Cremata described the dog’s platform to KHNS in October: “His platform is simple. He wants treats. He wants to stick his head out the window. He wants to go for walks. He wants a viable and comprehensive plan for our waterfront.”

Due to a technicality involving the eligibility of canine candidates for office, votes for Rufus were not counted.

Will Prisciandaro and Sean Maidy were elected in a hotly contested race for Haines Borough Assembly. Candidate Paul Rogers was only two votes shy of winning a seat.

Residents of the Upper Lynn Canal confronted a number of tragic moments and hard truths over the course of the year. In March, Haines resident Rick Martin committed suicide. Rick grew up in Haines and graduated from high school in 1975.

In a video he left for his family, he claimed former school superintendent Karl Ward raped him. Rick’s wife, Renee Martin, is principal of the Haines School. She brought her husband’s revelations to light: “I love my town. I love the people who live here. We will not keep secrets. We will not live in the dark.”

In the wake of Rick Martin’s death, several Haines residents came forward with their own allegations of sexual abuse by Ward.

In July, Steven Todd Willis of Nevada drowned when a canoe carrying 11 people capsized on the Davidson Glacier River near Haines. The canoe trip was part of a guided tour operated by the Skagway company Alaska Excursions. A few months before the incident, several former employees complained about inadequate training, lack of safety protocols and understaffing.

Skagway lost Mayor Monica Carlson in December. She and her mother were struck and killed by a bus while on a holiday vacation in Washington DC. She is remembered by family, friends and community. Her brother in law Steve Hites reflects on her life: “I can’t imagine someone who cared more about her friends, her neighbors, and her colleagues. And she was humble about it. She was caring. And she was totally honest. ”

Valentino Burrattin of Klukwan was lost for three days while berry picking in the Upper Chilkat Valley. An extensive search was organized out of the Haines Borough. Burratin was in the process of creating a sign for help on Walker Lake when a Coast Guard helicopter spotted him. Burrattin didn’t panic: “I had peace of mind throughout the whole thing.  I knew that I was lost, but I would be found.”

The Hammer Museum acquired 1,600 new tools this year when Arizona hammer collector Jim Mau died. His wife donated the collection to the museum. Museum founder Dave Pahl and his wife travelled to Arizona to pack and ship the hammers north to Haines. What does 1,600 hammers look like? “It’s a lot,” Paul laughed. “If it was firewood, there’d be at least half a cord there. So we’re busy!”

The Klukwan Community Library began the Our Village, Our Lives storytelling project this year to preserve local history. Jamie Katzeek is interviewing tribe members and recording them recount their memories so the wisdom and knowledge is available to younger generations.  “Every story matters,” says Katzeek. “You know, maybe it’s something that they would like their great-grandchildren to know about… Traditionally Tlingit knowledge was passed down orally, so we’re just helping that.”

Here at KHNS we’re passing your stories down orally all year long. Thanks for listening.

To cure any lingering 2018 nostalgia, download the year’s stories on Stitcher or NPR one.