Alaska Fish Factor
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Chilkoot project delayed - page 5 Borough borrows for sewer project - page 6 Named Alaska’s Best Weekly Newspaper, 2013 and 2014 Chilkat Valley News Volume XLV Number 23 Thursday, June 11, 2015 $1 No room Pair convicted at the inn in car break-ins By Karen Garcia The state has secured two convictions in connection at border with the ransacking of 30 cars downtown two years ago, but some victims this week said that’s not justice By Tom Morphet enough. Motorists stranded in Canada Blake Ward and Austin Hotch each recently pleaded after the nighttime closure of guilty to theft charges. Ward, 21, pleaded guilty to third- Canada Customs should contact degree theft for possessing a GoPro stolen during the the RCMP in Haines Junction, Y.T. June 2013 spree. Hotch, 20, pleaded guilty to fourth- if they need help, a spokesperson degree theft for possessing a stolen camera. for the Canada Border Service Other items taken from unlocked cars included cash, Agency said this week. credit cards, prescription medication, tools, binoculars, The question arose when Haines stereo equipment, electronics, cameras, ammunition summer resident Kerry McIver, and driver’s licenses. a 29-year-old school teacher, Each man received 30 days in jail and was ordered became stranded at the Canada to pay restitution. Customs station and was left Although Ward and Hotch were found guilty only taking shelter for the night in a of theft charges relating to two cameras, the 30-day jail parked trucker’s cab early June 4. sentence reflected acknowledgement of a much larger, McIver said that due to a wide-ranging crime, said district attorney Amy Paige. malfunctioning accelerator, her “I am not blind to the concerns of the community and car ran out of gas in Canada about I take them very seriously, so I did try as best as I could midway between Haines Junction to reflect those concerns on a bigger level than just these and the U.S. border. Traveling two individual items,” Paige said. “We considered this alone, she hitched a ride with a to be a larger course of conduct.” truck driver and arrived at the Paige said she knows not everyone will be satisfied Canada border station at 11:02 by the convictions. p.m., two minutes after Canada “It’s not going to be adequate justice for some and U.S. customs stations close. people, but it is some justice. It’s some kind of McIver said she saw a light on accountability,” she said. “Frankly, I was pleased to and knocked on a door at Canada see accountability at any level, even if it is less than Customs housing adjacent to the people might have otherwise wanted.” customs building. A border guard Hopes of securing more or stronger charges residing there allowed her to use basically fell away after items sent to the state crime his phone to call friends in Haines. lab for fingerprint analysis failed to yield any forensic McIver phoned to try to arrange evidence. a ride from a Haines friend, but “If it had, you’d see a very different case,” Paige said. the friend was unwilling to pass TRAINING FOR SOLO RIDE -- Jim O’Neil, 66, of Box Elder, S.D., pedals along Shori Heaton, who had a couple of CDs and an iPod a lowered gate across the road at Union Street with wife Sue Norwood Wednesday. O’Neil, a distance mountain dock stolen from her car while it was parked outside the nearby U.S. Customs station. bike rider, will be competing solo in the 23rd Kluane-Chilkat International Bike her home near the top of Young Road, called the case’s The guard – who McIver said Relay on June 20. O’Neil said they came to town just for the event. There are 326 seemed “mean” – also told McIver teams registered for the relay, including 13 from Haines. Tom Morphet photo. See CONVICT page 10 she “could go to jail” for crossing the border into the United States after hours, she said. Minor offense ticket holiday coming to an end She said she then tried sleeping outside the customs station but By Karen Garcia fine schedule with precise amounts for The issue of being unable to write tickets for became cold. Fines for minor offenses are on their way violations. minor offenses came to the public’s attention On foot with a light rain falling back. The ordinance contains a list of violations in July 2014 when 11 people were caught on a and “not wanting to go to jail,” The Haines Borough Assembly recently with accompanying fine amounts, including surveillance camera dumping household trash McIver walked back along the introduced an ordinance that will empower failure to clean up after an animal ($50), in dumpsters at the Small Boat Harbor. highway to find the trucker and police and some borough employees to write use of a motorized vehicle in the Chilkat In explaining why police weren’t ticketing ask to spend the night in the cab tickets for offenses ranging from illegal River beaches recreational zone ($100), dumpers caught on camera, former police chief of his truck. The border guard dumping to letting your dog run at large. consumption of alcoholic beverages in public Bill Musser referenced problems in code that who allowed her to use his phone Due to an April 2013 change in the court ($100) and use of fireworks in the townsite made enforcement difficult. checked on McIver at the truck system, police and other borough employees ($100). The issue also came up at a May Port once during the night, at the urging like the harbormaster were unable to write The 35-page ordinance contains about 250 and Harbor Advisory Committee meeting, tickets for many minor offenses. The change minor offenses and accompanying fines. See BORDER page 12 required municipalities to create an official The ordinance has been a long time coming. See FINES page 4 Live portrait painting at museum Eagle tangles with truck By Karen Garcia are progressing” in Italian – was work she has done with the Jilkaat If you aren’t signed up for the founded in 2002 by artist Nelson Kwaan Heritage Center and other By Eileen McIver Studio Incamminati workshop Shanks, a famous painter whose cultural projects. “She’s done a lot A Haines man was rattled last week when a mature bald eagle next week, you can still get a commissioned works include for her community,” Catotti said. “It flew head-on into his pickup truck and became entangled in its taste of what students will be portraits of Bill Clinton, Ronald seemed like she was an ideal person lumber rack. learning by attending artist Lea Reagan, Pope John Paul II and to be remembered that way.” Dave Nussbaumer had left his Letnikof Estates house and Colie Wight’s portrait-painting Princess Diana. Wight is also teaching a five- was driving toward town on Mud Bay Road Friday when the demonstrations from 6 to 9 p.m. Wight, who trained under day workshop from June 15-19. bird smashed into his 1998 Ford Ranger. Tuesday and Wednesday at the Shanks, will paint Hotch over the The demonstrations and “(The eagle) came, I think, out of a tree. He was diving right Sheldon Museum. course of two days. Wight will workshop will culminate Friday, down. Within just a split second I saw him, heading right toward Klukwan resident Lani Hotch also offer commentary during the June 19, with the opening reception the truck. He just slammed into the truck,” Nussbaumer said. “It will pose in full regalia for the demonstrations, said artist and for the museum’s new exhibit, just happened so suddenly. I didn’t even have time to brake. I demonstrations. Wight’s local host Donna Catotti. “Portraits – People in Paint.” The couldn’t believe it.” Wight is a teacher at the Members of the public are reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. Nussbaumer said there was a “big bang” and some loose Philadelphia-based Studio welcome to attend the entire Wight’s portrait of Hotch will feathers. A wing was hanging over the driver’s side door, so he Incamminati, a nonprofit art demonstration or come and go as be displayed in the exhibit, as will exited the vehicle’s passenger side and phoned for help. school focusing on contemporary they please, Catotti said. portraits submitted by local artists realism. Studio Incamminati – Catotti said she asked Hotch to and members of the Alaska chapter See EAGLE page 7 which translates to “those who pose for the painting because of the of the Portrait Society of America. Page 2 Chilkat Valley News June 11, 2015 To list an event in Save the Date, phone 766- Editorial Save the Date 2688 or email [email protected]. Citizens have raised legitimate questions about how matters sent to the Haines Borough Assembly sometimes don’t get placed on meeting Thursday, June 11 Wednesday, June 17 agendas. Energy Efficiency Workshop,9 to 10:30 a.m. Summer Reading Program activities at the Borough officials say requests are kept off the agendas when they at the library. Free. Sponsored by the Sustainable library. Detective Time, 2 p.m.; Nature Walkers, require more research, or they’re just informative, or they can be Southeast Partnership. 3 p.m.; and Ukulele Jam, 4 p.m. Same times every resolved by staff. Those are good reasons a matter may not warrant Native Youth Olympic Games, 3 p.m. at the week. assembly discussion, but not a defensible argument for keeping library.