Neighbors briefs

Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center shifts to winter hours

The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center (MGVC) transitioned to winter hours Oct. 1, with exceptions on days when scheduled cruise ships are in port.

Winter hours for the MGVC are Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. These hours apply through December 2024. For the days in October with ships in port the center will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Beginning Jan. 1 through Feb. 8, the MGVC will be open on Fridays from noon to 8 p.m. to accomodate the Fireside Series. February-April hours will be announced in January.

Outdoor areas and trails around the MGVC are open 6 a.m. to midnight, year-round. Restrooms will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The MGVC is closed on federal holidays during the winter season.

To stay up to date on winter trail conditions, the status of our winter Fireside Chat Series and more follow the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Facebook page (@MendenhallGlacierVC) or call the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center at (907) 789-0097.

New accessible walkway debuts at Jensen-Olson Arboretum

Jensen-Olson Arboretum hosted a ribbon-cutting on Sept. 28 for a new pathway that will allow visitors with mobility challenges to move more freely through the garden.

The event hosted by the nonprofit Friends of Jensen-Olson Arboretum was one of the last opportunities of the 2024 season to visit the arboretum before it closes for maintenance until January. The project was also made possible with support from the AARP’s Community Challenge Grant Program, the family of Cheryl Fluck, Juneau-Gastineau Rotary, Juneau Community Foundation.

Visitation to the arboretum is available by appointment until Oct. 5. The arboretum will reopen on Jan. 3.

During the closure, access to the parking lot along Glacier Highway and Point Caroline Trail will remain open. The arboretum is also available for wedding rentals and educational opportunities by contacting the arboretum manager or CBJ Parks and Recreation for more information.

The arboretum will reopen in January for winter hours Fridays through Sundays from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Winter hours continue through March.

The arboretum was established 17 years ago when Carolyn Jensen, the last heir to the homestead property, worked with Southeast Alaska Land Trust to create a conservation easement. The City and Borough of Juneau and SealTrust co-manage the property.

The arboretum, which states it has more varieties primroses — favored by Jensen — than anywhere else on the West Coast, has a National Accreditation due to the collection.

The location has also been used Theater Alaska for theatrical performances, other artistic events and educational programs. The new walkway was proposed after residents of the Pioneers Home were invited for a visit last year and officials realized the challenges of navigating the uneven ground of the arboretum, according to Friends of Jensen-Olson Arboretum.

Community support solicited as CBJ applies for HUD PRO housing grant

The City and Borough of Juneau is applying for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) grant, a program that provides funding support for communities that are actively taking steps to remove barriers to affordable housing. CBJ welcomes public comment and letters of support to include in the application.

The City and Borough of Juneau is requesting $3 million from the HUD PRO Housing program to develop a subprogram in future rounds of the Juneau Affordable Housing Fund designed to provide gap financing for nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, and regional housing authorities that create affordable housing. (0% to 80% area median income (AMI) housing). Full plan details and the grant timeline can be found on the Community Development Department website.

“As the CBJ continues to focus on housing challenges, this program presents an opportunity to get funding out quickly to partners working on affordable housing projects that meet the community’s most pressing needs,” said Katie Koester, CBJ City Manager.

Since the adoption of the Housing Action Plan, the City and Borough of Juneau has been addressing its significant and long-standing housing challenges. Other efforts currently underway include Comprehensive Plan and area plan updates, a Land Use Code Update (Title 49), Community Development Department permitting software conversion, CBJ land re-zone initiatives and disposals, and a Round Four review of Juneau Affordable Housing Fund applications. Full details can be found on the CDD Housing Programs and Resources page.

Comments and letters of support are due by Oct. 12, 2024, and can be sent to Joseph Meyers, Senior Planner at Joseph.Meyers@juneau.gov.

7000 Languages and Sealaska Heritage Institute release online Tlingit language course

Sealaska Heritage Institute and 7000 Languages and have released a Tlingit Language Asynchronous Course on 7000.com. This innovative online course, designed specifically for families and staff of the TCLL program within the Juneau School District, is now available for a broader audience eager to engage in Tlingit language learning.

The course offers learners a flexible, self-paced experience, allowing them to fit language learning into their daily routines. Consisting of three units, each with nine lessons, the course provides a total of 27 lessons that guide learners through essential Tlingit phrases. The course was designed by Neelaatughaa (Anna Clock -Koyukon, Eyak). She emphasizes a highly focused, phrase-based approach to learning. Each lesson introduces a single phrase and reinforces it through reading, listening, repetition, and pronunciation exercises.

“This online language course bridges the distance for Alaska Natives living in remote villages and nationwide providing access to linguistic reclamation efforts,” said said Kam’aRaq (Jamie Shanley), Assistant Education Director, Sealaska Heritage Institute. “The self-paced platform for learning Tlingit is another language learning avenue providing the opportunity to empower individuals to reconnect with their culture and language, all from the comfort of their home or on the go with mobile capabilities. Parents and families with busy lifestyles have a flexible way to integrate new skills into their schedules.”

The lessons progress naturally, helping learners introduce themselves, ask about someone else’s background, and engage in basic conversations about meals.

Neelaatughaa developed the course under the guidance of her Elder mentor, Shaaxʼsáani Kéekʼ (Shirley Kendall), with additional input from X̱ʼunei (Lance Twitchell) and the TCLL language teaching team. Before releasing the course to a wider audience, Neelaatughaa is consulting with additional Tlingit language teachers and leaders to ensure that the course aligns with diverse perspectives on spelling, grammar, and pedagogy.

The Tlingit language is primarily spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska, or Tlingit Aaní. With the support of Sealaska Heritage Institute, the Tlingit Culture, Language, and Literacy program provides place-based, culture-centered learning for kindergarten through eighth-grade students.

Mudrooms Season 13 Begin Oct. 8

Mudrooms returns Tuesday, Oct. 8, for Season 13. Juneau Ghost Light Theater will be featured for the first two storytelling events of the season at Kunéix Hídi Northern Light United Church.

The theme for the evening is “Bones,” which can include stories of stumbling upon dead things, foundations, deep dark secrets, firmly held beliefs and more. Six storytellers have signed up, with one slot still available. Proceeds from the $7 cash admission go to JGLT.

Other events scheduled are:

• Dec. 10: Braver Than You Think (stronger than you know).

• Feb. 11: For the Love Of…

• March 11: – First Time For Everything.

Storytellers are welcome to interpret the themes as broadly as possible.

Mudrooms is also hosting storytelling workshops at 5 p.m. Nov. 3 and Jan. 12.

More information at available at mudrooms.org.

Dzantik’i Heeni Playground community kickoff Oct. 8

A community kickoff for the new Dzantik’i Heeni School playground, scheduled to break ground next year, is scheduled from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday at the campus commons.

At this community meeting, people will have the opportunity to learn about the project, ask questions, and provide feedback.

The new playground is intended to serve both Dzantik’i Heeni families and the greater Lemon Creek community.

JAMHI selects Will Jemison as CEO

JAMHI Health and Wellness Inc (JAMHI) has selected Will Jemison as its new chief executive officer. Jemison was chosen from an extensive field of candidates in a nationwide search to join JAMHI in its mission of “helping people live their own best lives.”

Jemison joins JAMHI from the new Alice Walton School of Medicine, where he served as chief of staff to the CEO during the school’s development, in preparation for its recent opening in September. In this role, Jemison drove efficiency in operations, structure, and change management strategy through an academic medicine and population health lens. Will Jemison previously served as chief administrative officer for Resurrection Health and Missions in Montgomery, Alabama. In that role, Jemison led organizational enhancements to better engage and serve a population with similar health outcomes and demographics as those of Southeast Alaska.

“We are so excited to welcome Will this week as we look forward to sharing with all of Juneau his warmth, vision, and genuine passion for public health,” JAMHI Board Chair Joan Cahill said. “Our board of directors has been exemplary in rising to the task of finding the finest possible leader for our amazing and dedicated staff; a leader to best serve our deserving current and future clients, and the community at large”