Category: Alaska News

10 years ago – April 7, 2016

Kluane bike relay registration fills up in 8 days

The window for team sign-ups for the Kluane-Chilkat bike race is now a matter of days.

Race coordinator Mike Kramer said the June 18 relay race between Haines Junction, Yukon, Haines reached its cap of 1,200 team riders within eight days of opening March 15, with some teams signing up before 5 a.m.

“It’s great that the event has become so popular, but it’s heartbreaking to get an email from somebody who’s done the race for years and find they missed the deadline,” Kramer said.

In previous years, registration filled up in three weeks.

Kramer attributed the accelerated registration to the number of riders in previous years who missed the deadline. “This year, they had their alarms and phones set.”

Solo riders can continue to register until May 13. “In theory, there are as many solos as people want to ride,” Kramer said.

24 years ago – April 11, 2002

Local effort to reprint classic text pays off

Citing a Haines woman’s efforts to encourage interest in Tlingit culture, the University of Washington Press will reprint its popular 1991 reference book, “The Tlingit Indians.”

The book, by historians George Thornton Emmons and Frederica deLaguna, is widely considered the definitive history of traditional Tlingit culture at its peak in the late 19th century.

The first edition of 5,000 sold out shortly after its release and remained highly sought after, bringing as much as $200 through online booksellers.

The book’s scarcity prompted local resident Susan Brouillette to mount a telephone and letter-writing campaign among Alaska Northwest retailers, museums, and individuals to persuade the publishers to reprint the book.

It didn’t take long to prove that a market exists for a second printing, she said. “Most of the people I talked to knew that there weren’t any more out there. I wanted to show the press that they could sell 400 or 500. After word got out about what I was doing, I had people coming up to me on the street saying ‘Include me, I’ll buy four copies,’… stuff like that.”

Bookstores provided most of the numbers needed, Brouillette said

Sitka’s Old Harbor Books owner Don Muller said the classic reference would sell at least 100 copies a year at his store. “It’s not a best seller, but as long as there are Tlingit Indians or interest in Tlingits, it’ll sell. At least here.”

Muller said the book is too good to keep out of circulation. “It’s an amazing book and it’s amazing that they let it go out of print. If we had to buy 100 to get it reprinted, we’d do it.”

The Sheldon Museum bookstore will order 20 to 30, curator Cindy Jones said.

University of Washington Press assistant marketing director Mary Anderson said high costs and perceived low demand for the 500-page book, which retails for $75, made the press reluctant to launch a second edition.

But Anderson said Brouillette convinced the company to move. “We learned that there’s a greater demand than we thought at first. I commend her. It was a wonderful effort. Sometimes publishers are like that. They need the feedback.”

Anderson said the second edition, like the first, will be printed in hardcover instead of less expensive, glossy paperback, reflecting the book’s high value.

“We will be reprinting in hardcover, mainly because the people who buy this book want to buy it forever. It’s the kind of book that’s handed down. It’s not like a paperback that’s thumbed-through and read. It’ll be passed down through generations,” Anderson said.

Anderson wouldn’t say how large the press run will be. “It’s fetching a high price. I’m hoping we can produce sufficient numbers to meet the demand.”

She said the edition is on schedule for production this summer, with release set for this fall. It will be featured in the University Press’ fall catalog, and be featured at the upcoming National Book Exposition in New York City.

Brouillette said she’s telling everyone who’s interested to buy a copy of the book at the local museum this winter. “I am so elated. I’m thrilled as can be. Now I see how you can make things happen if you want to. That’s pretty cool.”

50 years ago – April 3, 1975

Drama festivals will take place next week

From Kodiak and Fairbanks, Petersburg and Skagway, Juneau and Sitka – even from Portland and Seattle – actors will gather next week at the Chilkat Center for the Arts for the biennial Alaska State and Northwest Regional Community Theatre Festivals.

The participants will each present a maximum of 60 minutes of drama, and will be judged by an outstanding group of theatre arts leaders, chosen specially for the Alaskan and regional festivals.

The Alaska State Festival will have one matinee (Thursday), and three evening performances of two plays each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Saturday, Oregon will perform in the afternoon, and Washington and the Alaskan winner will appear in the evening.

Tickets are available for individual performances, for the whole state festival, and for the regional one, too.

This will be the second state festival held in Haines, which has been named the permanent festival city. It will be the first time that the Northwest Regional Festival will have been held in Alaska.

The post This Week in History: Bikes, books, biennial theater festival appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.

Sunday, March 29
A caller in the 2000 block of Lutak Road requested a citizen assist. An officer provided an escort into town.
A caller at 100 Main Street reported a burglary alarm going off. An officer responded.

Monday, March 30
A caller reported an incident of stalking behavior. An officer responded.

A caller in Haines reported receiving a call from someone claiming there was a warrant out for his arrest. The caller was advised this was a scam phone call.

Tuesday, March 31
Officers assisted a citizen on the 200 block of Main Street.
An officer assisted another agency at Kelsall Road.
A caller reported they were testing fire alarms on the 50 block of Haines Highway.
A caller reported a driver speeding and recklessly driving on the Haines Highway. An officer was advised.

Wednesday, April 1
A caller in Haines reported a protective order violation. An officer responded.
A service call was performed in the 800 block of Oslund Drive.
A caller on Main Street reported stolen property from their vehicle. An officer was advised.
Multiple callers reported receiving a text message stating they had an unpaid traffic ticket and needed to pay immediately. Callers were advised this was a scam and a nixle alert was sent out.
A caller in the 100 block of Chestnut Drive reported a damaged stop sign and a vehicle impeding traffic. An officer and public works were advised.
An officer conducted a vehicle stop at 2 Mile Mud Bay Road and issued a verbal warning for trailer-light requirements.

Thursday, April 2
A caller on Lutak Road reported multiple vehicles speeding throughout the day. An officer was advised.
An officer conducted a vehicle stop and issued a verbal warning for tail-light requirements.
An officer conducted a vehicle stop on Allen Road and issued a verbal warning for taillight requirements and a citation for no proof of insurance.
Officers observed an unlocked business after hours on Main Street. The business owner was contacted.

Friday, April 3

A caller on Mud Bay road reported a person who came into their apartment without permission. Officers responded.

A caller reported a fire on the 100 block pf Second Avenue. Officers and the fire department responded.

A driver received a verbal warning for trailer-light requirements at 3 Mile the Haines Highway.

A driver received a verbal warning for failure to stop at a stop sign and speeding on Young Road.

Saturday, April 4

A caller reported finding a bag of medication on the 1000 block of Small Tracts Road. An officer responded.

A driver received a verbal warning for turn-signal requirements on Union Street.

A driver received a verbal warning for headlight requirements on the 300 block of Haines Highway.

There were two 911 hang-up calls, four EMS calls and eight burn permits issued.

The post Police Blotter: March 29 – April 4 appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.

As the Trump administration moves to rescind regulations on so-called forever chemicals, Alaska lawmakers hope to create a separate, stricter set of state standards.

PFAS chemicals are durable, water-soluble compounds that have long been used in both consumer and industrial products for their non-stick and water-resistant properties.

Usage in firefighting foams in particular has led to widespread soil contamination around the state, including at Haines’ Tanani Point Tank Farm and fuel terminal, formerly the southern end of the Haines-Fairbanks Pipeline. Research in recent decades has linked PFAS exposure to cancer and a range of chronic illnesses. 

Bills in each chamber of the state Legislature, HB 235 and SB 219, would mandate state testing of all public water systems and require those systems to show near-zero concentrations of PFAS. Those concentration limits would replicate the Biden-era federal limits that the Trump administration has since moved to rescind.

The legislative effort is a new regulatory tack, following years of fluctuating guidance from executive-branch agencies at the state and federal level. If the state-specific standards are put into place, it would force a change to current Dunleavy administration policy of fixing PFAS policy to federal guidelines. 

The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), through spokesperson Sam Dapcevich, said last week it does not take official positions on pending legislation. 

But in recent years, Dunleavy’s administration has been accused by some of resisting a shift to safer standards. 

In testimony on the bill last month, Alaska Community Action on Toxics director Pamela Miller referred to a “failure to act” by the state regarding PFAS drinking-water regulation. 

“It’s just not acceptable to allow for these delays, because people are continuing to be exposed to dangerous levels,” Miller said in an interview last week. 

State PFAS regulations were set to tighten in 2018 under Dunleavy’s predecessor, Gov. Bill Walker. Walker’s policy proposed setting a limit for the total concentrations of five different PFAS compounds in public drinking water. 

The following year, when Dunleavy came into office, DEC cut the policy down to only consider total concentrations of two of those compounds toward the limit. One DEC contaminated sites program manager wrote at the time that the change went “against our responsibility as environmental and health professionals to ensure the drinking water of Alaskans is safe,” according to an internal memo. 

That policy stood through 2023, when then-DEC commissioner Jason Brune pledged to implement new, stronger state standards, indicating the change would happen that year. 

But new standards never came, and DEC staff now says their official policy is to follow the limits set by the federal government. 

There’s disagreement on what that means. 

Previous federal guidelines set a limit of 70 parts per trillion for the sum of two compounds. Two years ago, the Biden administration dropped allowable concentrations for a wider range of PFAS compounds to levels near zero. 

Sen. Jesse Kiehl, who represents Haines, is a cosponsor of the Senate’s version of the PFAS bill. He said this week he believes the state is currently regulating at the looser, 70 parts per trillion level. Multiple people testifying during committee discussion on the bill reiterated that idea, that the state is currently using the looser regulations.

But in an email this week, Dapcevich said DEC is following the stricter, Biden-era standards. Those standards are also listed on DEC’s website.

The near-zero Biden-era levels are aligned with what scientists and advocates have told legislators in recent months, citing research showing no safe level of PFAS exposure. Even trace amounts, they say, can have major health consequences. 

If the state continues to stick with federal guidelines, however, the stricter regulatory regime will be short-lived. Last year, the Trump administration announced an intent to rescind federal limits on four of six major PFAS compounds. It also announced an intent to extend the compliance deadline for limits on the two remaining compounds from 2029 to 2031. 

Last year, it said those changes would be finalized this spring. 

DEC staff have been reticent to speak about PFAS regulation. Dapcevich said last week the department would not make any staff available for interviews on the topic of PFAS and said it would only provide written answers to written questions. The head of the department’s drinking water program, Cindy Christian, did not respond to multiple messages requesting information about testing in Haines. 

The agency, along with the Department of Transportation, has answered questions from legislators on the senate version of the bill, including providing cost estimates. According to those estimates, the bill would add $19 million to the state budget for next year, and around $10.5 million long term. 

Some of those costs would come from increased testing. There are also provisions in the bill that would make the state liable for contamination from public facilities. That would require the state to provide clean drinking water and testing to individuals affected by state contamination, even if they had private wells. 

“When you know it’s toxic and you know it’s in Alaska’s water, it’s irresponsible not to do something about it,” Kiehl said in an interview this week. 

Even so, for Haines, it doesn’t appear the bill would have much of an immediate local impact.

According to state testing in 2024 of the Lilly Lake and Piedad water treatment plants, the borough’s public water system is currently clear of PFAS. The testing included all six compounds covered under the strictest version of the federal standards, borough records show. Borough water and sewer director Dennis Durr said last week that the borough’s water system is set to undergo another round of voluntary state PFAS testing this month. 

The public water main, however, only stretches out Lutak Road as far as the Haven Court neighborhood. At least some lots in the area next to the tank farm draw from groundwater. In at least one location outside the tank farm fence — the public beach below the site — testing has found groundwater runoff to have PFAS levels above the allowed drinking water limits. 

The state, however, is not planning to test private wells in the area regardless of whether either of the bills pass. 

For one, the site cleanup project is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army and has not included testing toward homes south of the property, said Greg Rutkowski, of Brice Engineering, the federal contractor testing the site. 

Dapcevich said the state “may become involved” with testing private wells if they’re believed to be exposed to contamination. However, “based on current data,” he wrote in an email, the state does not believe the nearby Tanani Point homes are at risk. 

Miller said last week Alaska Community Action on Toxics  would provide free testing kits to interested residents. 

Eliminating the source of the contamination at Tanani Point also looks to be far off.  Brice Engineering is currently mapping PFAS levels around the site, and Rutkowski said last week the mapping is expected to be finished and made public in July. 

Once that evaluation is complete, Brice would have to conduct yet another study, this time on the viability of different cleanup methods, before actually conducting any soil remediation. Both that study and the cleanup itself remain unfunded. 

The property has been slated by the Department of Defense to be transferred to the Chilkoot Indian Association, but only once cleanup is fully complete. In 2010, the Department of Defense estimated cleanup would be complete and the land would be transferred by 2013. Currently, there is no estimated date for full cleanup. The state legislative bills also face uncertain prospects. Both have only been heard by one committee, and even if passed would still have to make it across the Governor’s desk. Dunleavy in 2023 vetoed a bill to ban the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams. The following year, Dunleavy allowed an altered version to pass his desk into law without a veto, but also without his signature.

The post Legislators hope to mandate tighter PFAS regulations appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.

It’s the time of year to think about growing food. You can get a lot of food out of a small amount of space once you get the hang of it. But this is a learned skill. The worse our economy gets, the more you are going to wish you knew how to grow your own, and the best way to find out how is to get started now if you haven’t already.

Those with no backyard to dig up have options. Haines community garden has plots, or go help at Mosquito Lake, which is bigger and is communal, so you aren’t trying to do it all yourself. You’ll learn a lot and have fun. Both have a playground for children.

Another option is container growing. Old 5-gallon buckets are ideal, but almost anything will do, including cardboard boxes lined with plastic — just make sure your container has holes in the bottom for drainage.  

Fill your container with a mixture of whatever you can find: rotted wood from dead trees, maybe some soil mix from the hardware store, seaweed, rotted sawdust, compost. You can use dirt as part of the mix, but not all; by itself in a container, it will pack down hard.  

Add a couple handfuls of lime or ashes and maybe some dry fertilizer. I fill the bottoms of mine with composted chicken manure.

One of the most reliable crops is potatoes. Get seed potatoes (the hardware store should have them) rather than those from the grocery store, which are often treated with chemicals to prevent sprouting. Set them out for several days or weeks until they begin sprouting, and then set them in their buckets. Be gentle and don’t break off the sprouts. Cover with a couple inches of the dirt mixture, water them and keep them in a reasonably warm place until you see leaves. Then set them out in the sun, keep watering, and add more soil mix as the summer progresses. The bucket should be pretty well filled by the end.

To harvest, dump the bucket into a wheelbarrow. Save the dirt, you’ll want it next year.

Green beans and carrots also grow very well in containers. 

Carrots need to be thinned carefully. They simply won’t grow if overcrowded.  Many other crops do beautifully in containers too. For instance, lettuce and other salad greens and herbs can be particularly successful in pots. And it’s very nice to have them handy.  Locally grown tomatoes are hard to find; you just about have to grow your own.  

Personally, I seem to have lost my green thumb with tomatoes, but that shouldn’t stop you. Cherry tomatoes seem to be the most reliable.  

I always add seeds for nasturtiums, sweet peas or other flowers. You can eat nasturtiums (not sweet peas), but I mostly grow them because I like them.

I’ve never grown zucchinis or other summer squash in containers. They’re quite rampageous, but they do very well in the ground. A summer without them would be sad, even unthinkable.  

My favorites are the beautiful little yellow crooknecks with green ends, but they’re all delicious.  Go with vegetable infanticide here, 6 or 8 inches long or even smaller.  

Like potatoes, you can make a full meal with just zucchinis, a bit of tomato and some cheese, maybe an egg. Unless you are a teenager, in which case it would be just an appetizer before the hamburger and whatnot.

Plant sales should be coming up, which are always worth going to.  You can save yourself a lot of time and trouble buying things like tomato seedlings, and the sales are a lot of fun. 

A great place to buy flower seedlings too, and what’s summer without lots of pansies?

Sally McGuire is a 40-year resident of the Chilkat Valley who raised four healthy children in Fairbanks and Haines on a budget, but always with an eye to real food and producing as much as possible of what the family ate. The column Eating Well in the Chilkat Valley is focused on making affordable meals with what’s local, seasonal and available at the grocery store. 

The post It’s a great time to consider growing your own vegetables appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff tagged 13 moose in the Chilkat Valley last week.
But those tags are different from the ones they’ve been putting on moose for the last seven years.

During a meeting at the Haines library, area management biologist Hannah Manninen said Fish and Game staff are making the switch from VHF to GPS collars.

This isn’t the first year that staff have used GPS collars, but Manninen said this year has been the “biggest push” to get the collars deployed.

VHF, or very high frequency, collars give off limited data. Generally, researchers on the ground or in the air get a series of “pings” from a transmitter attached to a moose that changes in tone depending on how close the animal is and the direction the signal is coming from.

GPS, a more recent technology, uses satellites to provide positioning and can allow almost real-time tracking.

Manninen said that means they can also track mortality much faster and – if they can get to the site fast enough – determine how a moose died.

The state has surveyed moose in the Chilkat Valley for more than 60 years, but didn’t start collaring moose to help with population estimates until 2019.

Manninen said next week, weather permitting, they’ll fly a few flights to try to get more data on calf survival, and estimate how many yearlings made it through the winter.

One reason for the switch, Manninen said, is to gather more concrete data about local moose.

Manninen said Fish and Game staff will not share real time movement data and location specific information for the moose.

But, she said her office will use the data to help establish the animals’ home ranges and “figure out where they spend their time.”

That, in turn, could inform future land-use decisions in the Chilkat Valley.

The post Upper Lynn Canal collared moose get a tech upgrade appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.

The House State Affairs committee advanced a governor’s appointee for a public seat on the Alaska Police Standards Council with some skepticism on Tuesday.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed Veronica Lambertsen to serve in one of four public seats on the 13-member Alaska Police Standards Council, which oversees law enforcement standards across the state. 

The council is charged with setting and enforcing standards for law enforcement certification, as well as training and retention for all police, probation, parole and correctional officers. Members are also tasked with adopting state regulations and investigating police misconduct, like officer discipline and use-of-force. 

Lambertsen is a small business owner, and since 2001 has operated the Bird Creek Motel in Bird Creek, a small unincorporated area south of Anchorage, according to her resume. She has volunteered on the Turnagain Arm Community Council since 2023, which serves the communities of Bird Creek, Indian and Rainbow. 

Lambertsen’s resume lists no formal educational or professional training experience, and describes her education as “homeschooled.”

Lawmakers seemed skeptical of her qualifications, and asked Lambertsen about her connection with law enforcement or public safety issues at a confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

Rep. Steve St. Clair, R-Wasilla asked if she had law enforcement experience. 

“Not active duty or anything,” said Lambertsen by phone. “But being a small business owner, and in reflection of owning a cafe and a motel, I’ve had a lot of experience with law enforcement, and yes, there’s a lot of incidents that have happened regularly, and there’s been a relationship.”

The council has 11 seats reserved for members in leadership positions with law enforcement or corrections, and four seats for members of the public, including two from communities of 2,500 population or less. 

Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka asked Lambertson what perspective she would bring to the statewide council. “How will you help make this a better council?” she asked.

Lambertsen told lawmakers she would bring a “public perspective” and said she’s interested in working on standards for training. 

Committee members were unsure on Tuesday if police training is required for appointees to the Council. Lambert said it was not, but added that members have the opportunity to take police standards classes.

Officials with the Alaska Department of Public Safety confirmed Wednesday public members of the council do not need to have any law enforcement connection.

Lambertsen serves as the volunteer secretary for the Anchorage chapter of Moms for Liberty, according to her resume, a far-right national group that advocates for parental rights, and is known for its advocacy against school curricula that includes LGBTQ rights. Some chapters advocate for book bans. 

The group has been deemed an “antigovernment” group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization, and has known ties to other extremist or hate groups. 

Lawmakers did not ask about Lambertsen’s affiliation with the group, or how it would affect her role on the Alaska Police Standards Council. 

Lambertsen responded to questions about her affiliation with the group by email on Wednesday, saying that her position with Moms for Liberty “had nothing to do with anti-student inclusion.” 

“My understanding of Moms for Liberty was asking for curriculum being provided by teachers to educate children to be age appropriate, especially for Early Childhood Learning to 6th Grade Learning, for parents to ask questions about curriculum of the School Districts and not allow “soft porn books” in schools and libraries for children of all ages to have access to,” she said. “Certain books should be available in older age sections with accessibility to that age group.”

Lambertsen did not respond to questions about how her political views would influence her role on the council. 

In an interview Wednesday, Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks, chair of the House State Affairs Committee, said the committee’s review process is “like a job interview” and a procedural step before a full vote before a joint session of the Legislature. But she said she has concerns about partisan conservative nominees appointed by Dunleavy, including Lambertsen, across state boards. 

“It really leads to a lean of our state boards and commissions and those decision making services towards potentially a partisan flavor,” she said. “And I think after eight years of this administration, we are seeing some of the impacts of that.”

Carrick said each lawmaker does their own research on nominees for a final vote in a joint session of the Legislature. She said she prefers to contact nominees privately with concerns, rather in the committee process, and also relies on public input. 

“I think at this point I would really need to hear from folks around the state if they’re also concerned,” she said. “And hopefully the hearing just brought just a little bit of attention to this appointee and what she’s being appointed for.”

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A petition to pause the 2026 seasonal sales tax increase gathered hundreds of signatures over the week that it was out at five local stores.  

Organizer Barb Nettleton delivered the petition, which has more than 500 signatures, to the borough clerk on April 6. The language on the petition asks for a “temporary pause of the seasonal sales tax for the 2026 summer season.” It goes on to detail increasing economic pressure from sharp increases in the cost of fuel, shipping and transportation. “A one-season pause will prevent additional financial strain during a period of unusually high costs, while honoring the intent of the voters,” according to the language. 

Haines’ seasonal sales tax is in its first year of implementation after voters approved it. It took what was a flat 5.5% tax rate in town and shifted it beginning January 1. The in-town sales tax rate dropped to 4.5 percent. Then on April 1 it jumped to 7% where it will remain through September 30. 

Nettleton said her intention was that the sales tax rate would be kept at the lower 4.5%. She said it’s her first time organizing a petition and she got the idea after she shared a social media post from Alaska Marine Lines announcing that it was increasing its fuel surcharge due to increasing fuel costs. 

She said she wanted the assembly to hear what people in the Chilkat Valley have been talking about so they “hear from more than just the handful of voices who are always commenting, always paying attention. Most people are busy with their lives, raising their children, running their businesses and they don’t have time to sit through hours worth of meetings.” 

Nettelton put signature sheets out for a petition for a week at the Alaskan Liquor Store, IGA, Olerud’s, Haines Home Building, and Dandelion. 

Some who signed it, like Taylor Ashton, originally supported the seasonal sales tax proposal but has since changed her mind. 

Ashton, who owns Moose Horn Laundry, moved to the Chilkat Valley from Skagway where she managed the Glacial Coffeehouse. Skagway has had a seasonal sales tax for years.  During an October 2025 interview, Ashton said residents there had adjusted well to the shifting tax burden which sees a 5% summer sales tax drop to 3% or lower in the winter. 

Ultimately, Ashton said she did not vote in favor of Haines’ seasonal sales tax rate, in part because it didn’t seem like it gave residents enough of a break in the winter to make up for the cost of a higher sales tax rate in the summer. 

And, she said, she is frustrated with how the Haines borough is seeking new revenue and specifically pointed to a potential $9 million grant for Letnikof Dock work that the borough missed a deadline to apply for.  

“[Staff] need to prioritize their time and really reach for grants and funding from outside of the community,” she said. “I would be more willing to pay more taxes, bigger taxes, if the borough was more proactive in bringing other streams of income into town as well.” 

Beau and Zane Bradley also signed Nettleton’s petition. 

Zane Bradley said they voted in favor of the seasonal sales tax increase last year because they supported the idea of shifting more of the year’s taxing onto non-locals. But after seeing the new tax law unfold, they said it seemed like residents do not get a significant enough break. 

And, “It’s a big burden on local business owners,” they said. 

That’s a sentiment Beau Bradley agreed with. The Bradleys bought The Bookstore last year and said their margins are slim, so adjustments can come at a big cost, particularly when people buy fewer things in order to save money. 

“We implemented a used book section to help make books more accessible to a wider group of people in town,” he said. “This [seasonal tax] is directly contradicting that.” 

Ashton, the Bradleys and Nettleton all said they were not sure if it was legal or part of an established process for the assembly to do what the petition asks, to pause implementation of something voters approved at the ballot box. 

Borough clerk Mike Denker said he has not researched the issue too heavily yet, but pointed to a section of borough charter which states that “the assembly may not repeal or substantially alter an ordinance enacted by initiative within two years after certification of the election at which the initiative was approved.” 

One question that raises, Denker said, is weighing whether the language in Nettleton’s petition asking for a “pause” counts as “substantially altering” the seasonal sales tax ordinance. 

“The assembly should seek legal guidance on that question,” he said. 

But as the assembly mulls over the petition, Denker said there are alternatives local citizens can pursue that could result in changes to the seasonal sales tax. Right now, his office is working on a guide for a citizen petition, essentially a step-by-step process for getting something onto the ballot either during a special election or the general election. 

Once a petition application is certified with the borough, organizers have 90 days to collect enough signatures to get it onto a ballot and they must collect at least 25% of the number of people who voted in the last election. Right now, he said, that number is 279 people. 

Once 279 signatures are gathered, then the borough has to hold an election between 45 and 75 days later, though there are some overlapping deadlines for special elections he’s trying to get clarity on, in part because of Nettleton’s petition. It’s something that could help answer the question of just how quickly voters could get changes to the seasonal sales tax law on a ballot if they wanted to, and legally could.  

But even though Nettleton’s petition is informal, Denker said he believes it’s important and means something both to the people who signed it and to elected officials. 

“I think it matters and it’s what decision-makers would look at,” he said.

The post Hundreds seek temporary relief from Haines’ summer sales tax appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.

Police patrolman Max Marty joined the Haines police department in September 2025. Both he and police chief Jimmy Yoakum spent 17 weeks attending the state police academy in Fairbanks. The duo completed their training Feb. 1 and have been in Haines since.
Marty sat down with Chilkat Valley News reporter Lizzy Hahn on April 2 to talk about his new role.

Editor’s note: This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Lizzy Hahn: Where are you from and how long have you been in Haines?

Max Marty: I was born in Montana. I’ve been in Haines for about four years with my wife and two kids, soon to be three kids. I’ve been on with the department since last September.

We saw that you were a harbormaster here.

I was the assistant harbormaster for about two years, and then I was the interim harbormaster when Sean Bell, at the time, went to go have his kid in Juneau. So I was taking over for him for about a month, I believe. That’s where most people know me from, is the harbor.

What made you decide to leave the harbor job and become a police officer?

It’s better paying and it’s one of the jobs that I still am able to spend a lot of time with my kids. I’m working four 10s so I’ll get three days off during the work week with my family and that’s important to me. I like to stay in this town. I want to stay in this town, and this is a good, honorable position to do that.

Is policing what you expected it to be like? Have you done anything like this before?

I have no law enforcement background.

How did you choose to take a position here in Haines? What drew you to Alaska from out of state?

This is one of the jobs that will keep me in Haines. I really like this town, and this is a good job that will be full-time year-round, and I get to work with people that I like: Travis [Russell], my FTO, excellent co-worker, Sergeant [Max] Jusi, excellent co-worker, and the new chief. I spent a little over four months with him [Jimmy Yoakum], rooming together in the University of Fairbanks for the academy. So I got to spend a lot of time with him, and he’s a great guy. I like everybody that I work with a lot and that makes life easy.

How has your experience been thus far in the department? Have there been any highlights that you really enjoyed?

Things that I could talk about. I’ve had a few cases so far, some theft cases but as far as day-to-day action, it’s been fairly busy and I like it. I get to be outside and I get to make contacts with people that I’ve known prior in Haines, so I like it.

Have there been any big challenges since working in Haines, either in this position or just in general, in the past four years?

Honestly, no. No, I think if you just have the right mindset, you can make it work. We spent a little time, I have family, and I spent a little time down in Montana with family recently, and that was good to spend some time with them and get a refresh, and then come back here and stay long term.

Do you have a long-term plan of either moving or staying here? Do you know where you want to be in the future?

I just want to be in Alaska in the future, but as far as my long-term plan, I’m not, will not talk about that.

Going into the summer, as more people come into town, are you going to keep your eye out for anything in particular. Just keep doing general routines?

Exactly, yeah, I’m a patrolman with officer Russell, and that’s pretty much just what we do, is trying to keep everybody safe, keep everybody in line that needs to be in line. When you have a lot of new people coming into town, keeping drunk drivers off the street, keep people from doing things they shouldn’t be doing.

That’s actually very timely, because Brewfest is coming up.

It is coming up, that will be a big day, so I’ll be on patrol for that. I don’t remember the DUI count that they had last year. I think it was roughly four DUIs that they had for Brewfest. I’m sure we’ll be busy.

Is four a high number?

For a day, I would say yes, absolutely yeah for a Brewfest.

We’ve also recently noticed an uptick in traffic stops. What is it like bringing traffic enforcement back to the town that hasn’t had it in a while. The department has grown a lot from the two officers last year. What’s it like having an uptick in enforcement?

I can’t speak to that because I wasn’t the cop last year, but as far as making traffic stops, there’s probably an uptick because we have just more enforcement now, so now we’re just going to be, there’s more eyes on the street.

What’s it like being a public figure now that you have stepped into this role? Have you changed how you go around town or deal with the new title?

No, honestly, not that I thought about it. It is an honorable position, I don’t think I change my ways, as far as off duty, if that’s what you’re referring to.

And no one’s like, stopped you or anything?

Oh, that’s definitely happened a lot of times, you know. But as far as my day-to-day life, no, it’s just a different job that I get to give back to the community a little bit more, but I don’t change how I live my life outside of work.

What do you want people to know about you?

Honestly, as little as possible. I’ve made a lot of friends in this town, and I’ll continue to make new contacts with people that I meet, either on traffic stops or just on the street through the busy summer, and they can get to learn me then as I meet them face to face. I like this town. I’m a family guy, and I like who I work with. That’s about it.

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