Columns

(Photo provided by Gina Del Rosario)

Living and Growing: Holy Week

Filipinos are known all over the world for their strong faith in God and for their deep love and reverence for our Holy Mother Mary,… Continue reading

 

A queen bumblebee visits a blueberry flower. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)

On The Trails: Spring flowers and their pollinators

Spring flowers have co-evolved with insect pollinators for a long time. The flowers require pollen delivery to set seed. To entice insects to visit and… Continue reading

 

The downtown Juneau cruise ship dock on a clear March day. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Living and Growing: Seeking joy during times of great uncertainty

“This is the greatest act of power I have come to know: To be an activist of joy; a beacon of grace; a radiance of… Continue reading

 

A male red-winged blackbird shows off his colors in a good display. (Photo by Gina Vose)

On the Trails: Springtime

The last part of March seemed to pass slowly, at least for those of use impatient for spring. Each of us has their own sequence… Continue reading

A male red-winged blackbird shows off his colors in a good display. (Photo by Gina Vose)
Basketball official Fred Angerman Jr speaks in a Region V Tournament pregame captains meeting in 2008. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Pure Sole: Fast Freddy

There are two sounds I can never seem to forget. One is the winter snow shovel scraping along the concrete basketball court I trudged to… Continue reading

Basketball official Fred Angerman Jr speaks in a Region V Tournament pregame captains meeting in 2008. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Sabrina Donnellan and her family attend a community luncheon for federal employees at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Living and Growing: Choose empathy during these difficult times

“It is your concern when your neighbor’s wall is on fire.” — Horace Recently, too many of our neighbors have lost their jobs through no… Continue reading

Sabrina Donnellan and her family attend a community luncheon for federal employees at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Multiple vehicles line up at the entrance of Waste Management’s Capitol Disposal Landfill in Lemon Creek on Jan. 30, 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: CBJ budget challenges mount

Borough budget challenges just got bigger — and messier A recent news story warned residents that Juneau’s landfill will be at capacity in the next… Continue reading

Multiple vehicles line up at the entrance of Waste Management’s Capitol Disposal Landfill in Lemon Creek on Jan. 30, 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
A pseudoscorpion contemplates a red mite for lunch. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)

On The Trails: Pseudoscorpions

Just before the spring equinox, a friend and I went out on the Fish Creek Trail one morning on a low tide. We saw five… Continue reading

A pseudoscorpion contemplates a red mite for lunch. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)
On a nice day it’s always safe to talk about the weather. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)

Gimme A Smile: What to say when you’ve got nothing to say

It could happen, right? Despite your very best efforts, you could find yourself in the baffling predicament of having nothing to say. Maybe you’re facing… Continue reading

On a nice day it’s always safe to talk about the weather. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)
Rick Thoman created this graphic to display the snow drought measured at Anchorage International Airport in the 2024-2025 season thus far. (Graphic by Rick Thoman)

Alaska Science Forum: Snow’s absence and welcome presence

Rick Thoman noted in a recent report that the paucity of 2024-2025 snowfall in Anchorage and other Southcentral Alaska locations may be unprecedented in the… Continue reading

Rick Thoman created this graphic to display the snow drought measured at Anchorage International Airport in the 2024-2025 season thus far. (Graphic by Rick Thoman)
The author prefers gambling on new shrimp sports more than putting money into a casino or betting on sports. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

I Went to the Woods: Money Madness

I doubled our money. Then lost the winnings. Then lost the initial bet. Just like that I turned our $100 into $200 then $0 in… Continue reading

The author prefers gambling on new shrimp sports more than putting money into a casino or betting on sports. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
A black bear sow and her cub walk along the Trail of Time at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Living and Growing: The bear

The folks of Southeast Alaska are fortunate in that we sometimes experience glimpses of bears along the trails and even in our yards. These encounters… Continue reading

A black bear sow and her cub walk along the Trail of Time at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
The U.S. Capitol in December of 2024. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

Opinion: Time to build a majority from anti-Trump minorities

Four years ago when Republicans defended the Senate filibuster, Sen. Dan Sullivan argued it “encourages, if not demands, compromise and bipartisan work both when one’s… Continue reading

The U.S. Capitol in December of 2024. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)
A red-winged blackbird male shows off his colorful “epaulets.” (Photo by Bob Armstrong)

On the Trails: Spring comes slowly

February ground to a halt and March slowly geared up. Days were getting longer, but the tedious pseudo-spring weather prevailed — no longer really winter… Continue reading

A red-winged blackbird male shows off his colorful “epaulets.” (Photo by Bob Armstrong)
Laura Rorem is a member of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (Courtesy photo)

Living and Growing: Practicing true patience

“Have patience, have patience, Don’t be in such a hurry, When you get impatient, you only start to worry, Remember, remember that God is patient,… Continue reading

Laura Rorem is a member of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (Courtesy photo)
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski delivers her annual address to the Alaska Legislature on March 18, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: The silence betraying America

“How we came to a place where we are fighting now with Canada and making nice with Russia is beyond me,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski delivers her annual address to the Alaska Legislature on March 18, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
This rendering depicts Huna Totem Corp.’s proposed new cruise ship dock downtown now being considered by the Juneau Assembly. (City and Borough of Juneau)

Opinion: Approval of new cruise dock moves forward

Aak’w Landing, the long-proposed cruise dock development in downtown Juneau is one step closer to reality. During an Assembly Committee of the Whole meeting on… Continue reading

This rendering depicts Huna Totem Corp.’s proposed new cruise ship dock downtown now being considered by the Juneau Assembly. (City and Borough of Juneau)
Jonathan Swinton, executive director of Gastineau Human Services, presides over a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a remodeled behavioral health clinic at the nonprofit organization’s Lemon Creek campus on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

My Turn: Three affordable housing solutions for Juneau

Homelessness and affordable housing continue to plague far too many in our community. Over the last five years homelessness in Alaska has increased by 10.3%.… Continue reading

Jonathan Swinton, executive director of Gastineau Human Services, presides over a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a remodeled behavioral health clinic at the nonprofit organization’s Lemon Creek campus on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
A male peacock showing off its colors. (Jatin Sindhu / CC BY-SA 4.0)

On the Trails: Three observations to ponder

While we are waiting (?patiently?) for spring to really get rolling, here are a few things to think about. • Sexual dimorphism in bird plumage:… Continue reading

A male peacock showing off its colors. (Jatin Sindhu / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Rev. Tim Harrison is the senior pastor at Chapel by the Lake. (Courtesy photo)

Living and Growing: The numbers tell the story

I love numbers and math. One of my first career aspirations was to be a high school math teacher. Then a disastrous semester with Calculus… Continue reading

The Rev. Tim Harrison is the senior pastor at Chapel by the Lake. (Courtesy photo)