More than 100 vintage cookie jars on sale during Oct. 26 benefit for church
More than 100 vintage ceramic cookie jars are being sold as a benefit for Holy Trinity Episcopal Church from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the corner of Fourth and Gold Streets downtown.
The jars are part of a larger collection that used to be on display at Juneau’s Arctic Carpet store.
“These whimsical creations remind us of the days when every kitchen or pantry had one or two of these jars. They reflected the owner’s personality,” said volunteer Betsy Longenbaugh. “They’d be filled with homemade cookies and other treats.”
Some of the jars on sale are shaped like animals, such as cats, bears, sheep and squirrels. A lot are modeled on buildings, including Victorian houses and log cabins. Still others look like tea pots, wood-burning stoves or vases. They can be viewed at trinityjuneau.org/jars.
The cookie jars were donated to Holy Trinity Church for its Mustard Seed Second-Hand shop, which is staffed by volunteers. Jar sales will benefit the church and its outreach programs.
The sale includes homemade cookies and dog treats to fill the containers.
This type of container became popular during the Great Depression, said Courtney Cowan of the company Milk Jars Cookies.
“American housewives began baking more cookies at home, rather than buying them at the bakery because it was much cheaper. And, if they did buy them, it was cheaper to buy them in bulk, so households would have a bunch of cookies but no place to store them,” she said.
The cookie jar sale will be on the main floor of the church. Parking will be available nearby.
Juneau Public Health Center to hold influenza vaccine clinic on Oct. 26
The Juneau Public Health Center will sponsor an influenza vaccine clinic on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Thunder Mountain Middle School, 3101 Diamond Park Loop.
The public event will offer influenza vaccine for anyone age 6 months and up, free of charge. No other vaccines (including high-dose flu) will be available at this event.
Register for an appointment at https://myhealth.alaska.gov/appointment/en/client/registration?clinic_id=9510. Those who need assistance registering can call the Juneau Public Health Center at (907)465-3353.
The recommended COVID-19 and RSV vaccines are offered by local pharmacies and most local healthcare providers including the Public Health Center. To receive either of these vaccines, please reach out to your pharmacy or healthcare provider for availability information.
For more information, contact the Juneau Public Health Center at (907) 465-3353.
Sullivan introduces bill to allow Indigenous artists to use bird feathers, parts
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has introduced an amendment to the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) to preserve and expand the rights of Native artists to use feathers and other bird materials in their artistic practices.
Sullivan, who filed the bill last month, named the legislation after the late award-winning Tlingit artist Archie Cavanaugh, who suffered a legal ordeal after he tried to sell pieces adorned with flicker and raven feathers in 2012.
An Alaska Native headdress without feathers. (Sealaska Heritage Institute photo)
Sealaska Heritage Institute President Rosita Worl welcomed the bill, saying federal law must recognize and allow for the use of bird parts by Indigenous artists, who are practicing customs long held by their ancestors.
“So many of our people use these materials and they’re not aware that selling them is prohibited. The use of flicker feathers is an ancient practice, and Archie used feathers that came from birds that are not endangered,” Worl said.
Sen. Sullivan called Cavanaugh’s ordeal completely unacceptable.
“Not only do we need to cut through the confusion and affirm the legal rights of Alaska Native people to use these materials, we need justice for those who have been unfairly targeted for taking part in centuries-old, sustainable cultural practices,” Sullivan said.
SHI has worked with the state’s congressional delegation and the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) to secure revisions to federal law ever since Cavanaugh’s plight 12 years ago.
Sen. Sullivan introduced S.5258 on Sept. 25, 2024. It follows on the heels of past work by Alaska’s congressional delegation to secure protections for Indigenous artists under the MBTA.
CBJ Parks and Rec commercial use open house Oct. 30
CBJ Parks and Recreation, along with Corvus Design, are hosting a public open house from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the Dimond Park Field House to talk about draft updates to the commercial use strategy for CBJ parks and trails.
Following several months of evaluation, including neighborhood meetings and community input, CBJ partner Corvus Design has completed a draft plan that will shortly be available for review and comment.
The open house will allow people to view the document, learn more about neighborhood guidelines and submit comment cards. The open house will include stations for each neighborhood area — Douglas Island, downtown and Thane, Twin Lakes and Lemon Creek, Mendenhall Valley and Auke Bay, and out the road.
Comments can also be submitted online from Oct. 23 to Nov. 8.
Current regulations are over 20 years old and do not reflect new CBJ-managed parks and trails and new types of recreation use. The updated plan will evaluate city-managed parklands and trails for commercial use, recommending locations, restrictions, carrying capacities, intensity of use, and adaptive management guidelines, while also serving as a guideline reflective of community input and priorities for commercial recreation.
For more information about the project, visit the Commercial Recreation Use Analysis project page at https://juneau.org/parks-recreation/project-list/entry/105917.
Princess Sophia film preview and discussion at Alaska State Museum
The Alaska State Museum and Standing Tide Productions will host a free afternoon event commemorating the 106th anniversary of the sinking of the Princess Sophia. Homer filmmaker Silas Firth will give a presentation and partial preview of his documentary-in-process about the sinking of the ship.
The presentation will take place on Friday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. in the APK Lecture Hall. Firth will discuss the history of the sinking, its effects on Alaska history, and the development of a documentary that memorializes the event. A 15-minute “sneak-peek” screening of parts of the upcoming film will be shared, along with progress made toward completing it.
The film explores Alaska’s deadliest maritime disaster, which took place in Lynn Canal 30 miles northwest of Juneau in 1918. The Princess Sophia was carrying prospectors and others on one of the last steamship runs of the season out of the Klondike, headed for Vancouver and Victoria. In a blinding snowstorm, the Sophia ran aground on Vanderbilt Reef at 2 a.m., where it remained for over 40 hours, until the hull was torn open and it sank to the sea floor with no survivors.
Earlier in the day, anyone interested in further commemorating this event is welcome to attend a very brief noontime service and reading of names of those passengers buried in Evergreen Cemetery. People are asked to gather at the graves of Walter Harper and his bride Frances Wells. According to local historian Mary Lou Spartz, a group of Juneauites interested in this history has gathered at the cemetery each year to pause and remember the over 350 lives lost.
Earlier this year, a bronze statue of the lone survivor — a dog — was erected along the North Tee Harbor trail in Juneau.
For more information contact the museum at (907) 465-2901.
Bartlett Regional Hospital announces Fireweed Award recipients
Bartlett Regional Hospital (BRH) has announced four Fireweed Award recipients among 42 nominations for the previous quarter of the year.
• David Bassett is an Inventory Clerk who was nominated by a colleague for his hard work and reliability. “It’s always great to see David on the unit – he is such a hard worker. I know that the items that we need to provide patient care in CCU will be stocked.”
• Geneva Holm is an Emergency Department nurse who was nominated by a young patient’s parents for her approachable and calming presence during a distressing visit. “Geneva validated our concerns as parents while providing care in a way that our son felt comfortable. She was able to keep us informed and deliver the care to our son in a loving, compassionate, and professional way. We will always remember having Geneva as a nurse during an overwhelming moment.”
• Kenney Kesterson is a Cook who was nominated by two colleagues for his positivity and kindness. “He finds a way to connect and interact beyond taking your meal order. He serves happiness and joy with every meal! It’s hard not to smile when around him. His vibe is everything!”
• Kassandra Meeks is an Obstetrics nurse who was nominated by a patient for her calming presence and consistent support during delivery. “I greatly appreciated how Kassandra told me to advocate for how I wanted my delivery to go. It was a long process of getting induced and she was very encouraging for what I wanted. She kept me calm despite all the overwhelming feelings I was having.”
A celebration event was held on campus and each recipient received a recognition pin, a gift card courtesy of the BRH Foundation, and a designated parking spot for the quarter.
Nominations for next quarter are currently being accepted. To submit a nomination visit bartletthospital.org/fireweedaward.
Registration for Parent & Tot and Lil’ Swimmers lessons opens Oct. 25
Juneau Pools is offering both Parent & Tot lessons and the Lil’ Swimmers program for preschool beginners at Dimond Park Aquatic Center during the upcoming fall season. Registration opens Friday, October 25 at noon.
Both programs will be offered on Saturdays from Nov. 2 through Dec. 14 (excluding Thanksgiving weekend).
Parent & Tot lessons, open to children ages 6 months to 3 years, will meet in two sessions: 9:15-9:45 a.m. for children 6 to 17 months old and 10-10:30 a.m. for children 18 to 35 months old. Each child must be accompanied in the pool by an adult, and children are required to wear swim diapers during class.
Lil’ Swimmers will meet in two sessions: 10:45–11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-noon. Both sessions are open to children ages 3 to 5 years. Lil’ Swimmers uses a non-traditional format to teach young beginners basic water skills.
Both programs cost $60 plus tax. Learn more about the programs on the Juneau Pools website.
For more information contact Aquatics Programming Coordinator Ellen Johnston at (907) 586-0839 ext. 4148 or ellen.johnston@juneau.gov.
Fall into fun at DPAC’s Floating Pumpkin Patch on Oct. 26
Dimond Park Aquatic Center will transform on Oct. 26 into a floating pumpkin patch. Kids (and their guardians) can swim among the pumpkins, play games, and win prizes, before picking out a favorite pumpkin to decorate in the lobby and take home.
The pumpkin patch will be open for two sessions, from 2:30–4 p.m. and 4–5:30 p.m. The pool will be open for the first hour of each session, with the final 30 minutes dedicated to pumpkin decorating.
This event costs $20 per participant (including free accompanying admission for a parent/guardian). Registration opened online on Monday, Oct. 14 at noon. Each session is open to 50 participants.
Once the pumpkin patch closes for the day, DPAC will show “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on the floating screen at 6:15 p.m.
For questions contact Juneau Pools at (907) 586-0839.
