Holidays

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Elderberry carried the Together Tree, bound for the Alaska Governor’s Mansion, up from Wrangell where it was harvested after a brief delay due to some mechanical issues. (USCG photo / Petty Officer 2nd Class Lexie Preston)

A tree-mendous journey: Governor’s mansion tree arrives in Juneau

No weather or floating lines could stay these Coast Guardsmen about their task.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Elderberry carried the Together Tree, bound for the Alaska Governor’s Mansion, up from Wrangell where it was harvested after a brief delay due to some mechanical issues. (USCG photo / Petty Officer 2nd Class Lexie Preston)
Choir group Floyd Dryden Eagles leads a crowd in the singing of Christmas carols at the Douglas Community United Methodist Church on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021, during the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The Juneau 4th of July Parade Committee hosts the tree lighting each year in recognition of the two holidays - Christmas and the 4th of July - miners were given during Juneau's mining days. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Choir group Floyd Dryden Eagles leads a crowd in the singing of Christmas carols at the Douglas Community United Methodist Church on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021, during the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The Juneau 4th of July Parade Committee hosts the tree lighting each year in recognition of the two holidays - Christmas and the 4th of July - miners were given during Juneau's mining days. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Derek St Clair aims at a target during the Juneau Gun Club’s annual Turkey Shoot on Nov. 20, 2021. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Derek St Clair aims at a target during the Juneau Gun Club’s annual Turkey Shoot on Nov. 20, 2021. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire
Volunteers from the Thunder Mountain High School Interact Club prepare Thanksgiving food baskets for the Juneau Society of St. Vincent de Paul on Nov. 18.
Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire
Volunteers from the Thunder Mountain High School Interact Club prepare Thanksgiving food baskets for the Juneau Society of St. Vincent de Paul on Nov. 18.
Members of the Black Awareness Association of Juneau and other volunteers collect donations from Juneau residents from their Martin Luther King Jr. Day donation drive on Jan. 18, 2021. (Courtesy photo / Black Awareness Association of Juneau)

Black Awareness Association honors MLK Day with food drive

Helping one’s neighbors was part of King’s message

Members of the Black Awareness Association of Juneau and other volunteers collect donations from Juneau residents from their Martin Luther King Jr. Day donation drive on Jan. 18, 2021. (Courtesy photo / Black Awareness Association of Juneau)
Sherri McDonald and Reid Tippets dry off after their annual dip in the water at Auke Recreation Picnic Area on New Years Day, Jan. 1, 2021. Tippets said he’d done the dip for 11 years in a row. The Polar Bear Dip, held for 30 years at Auke Rec, was canceled this year over pandemic concerns, but some individual households opted to make the dip with their families, with masks, distancing, and care very much in evidence, while other pods had fires or walked dogs next to the cold ocean. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Sherri McDonald and Reid Tippets dry off after their annual dip in the water at Auke Recreation Picnic Area on New Years Day, Jan. 1, 2021. Tippets said he’d done the dip for 11 years in a row. The Polar Bear Dip, held for 30 years at Auke Rec, was canceled this year over pandemic concerns, but some individual households opted to make the dip with their families, with masks, distancing, and care very much in evidence, while other pods had fires or walked dogs next to the cold ocean. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Fireworks light up the sky above the Mendenhall Valley the evening of Dec. 31, 2020. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Fireworks light up the sky above the Mendenhall Valley the evening of Dec. 31, 2020. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Santa Claus waves to Juneau residents who gathered—at a distance—to watch a holiday parade on Dec. 19. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Santa Claus waves to Juneau residents who gathered—at a distance—to watch a holiday parade on Dec. 19. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
The house crowned The Best of Juneau in the Elks Lodge's Lights Up Juneau 2020 contest was awarded cash and prizes, including a premium tram pass for the upcoming season. The house is located at 937 W. 11th St., near the Northern Light United Church downtown. (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire)

Lights Up Juneau 2020 delivers holiday cheer

Elks look to the past to end 2020 on a brighter note.

The house crowned The Best of Juneau in the Elks Lodge's Lights Up Juneau 2020 contest was awarded cash and prizes, including a premium tram pass for the upcoming season. The house is located at 937 W. 11th St., near the Northern Light United Church downtown. (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire)
Bill Conrow, Juneau resident and long-time, free-lance stage director and light designer stands in front of a holiday light display near Juneau-Douglas City Museum. (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire)

Holiday lights bring cheer to winter solstice and city museum

By Dana Zigmund Juneau Empire Juneau residents gathered in front of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum to enjoy holiday lights and mark the winter solstice Monday… Continue reading

Bill Conrow, Juneau resident and long-time, free-lance stage director and light designer stands in front of a holiday light display near Juneau-Douglas City Museum. (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire)
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Capital City Fire/Rescue will be escorting their Clauses around Juneau this year, with some slight modifications to the annual tradition. (Courtesy photo / City and Borough of Juneau)

Santa Claus is coming to town

Capital City Fire/Rescue, Mr. and Mrs. Claus ready for parade

Capital City Fire/Rescue will be escorting their Clauses around Juneau this year, with some slight modifications to the annual tradition. (Courtesy photo / City and Borough of Juneau)
With Mt. Baker in the background, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB-10) transits Puget Sound north of Seattle on Dec. 4, 2020. The Alaska Navy League is holding a drive for the servicemembers aboard as they’re deployed during the winter holidays. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Steve Strohmaier / U.S. Coast Guard)

Not home for the holidays: Navy League holds drive for deployed icebreaker

The icebreaker was retasked north to support the national security and science mission there.

With Mt. Baker in the background, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB-10) transits Puget Sound north of Seattle on Dec. 4, 2020. The Alaska Navy League is holding a drive for the servicemembers aboard as they’re deployed during the winter holidays. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Steve Strohmaier / U.S. Coast Guard)
This photo from August shows Kaya, who was among the dogs who participated in Capital Kennel Club of Juneau’s Obedience Trials. Not every dog in Juneau is well-fed. That is something the Grateful Dogs of Juneau organization aims to remedy as it holds a food drive for cats and dogs living in food-insecure homes for the holidays, with drop-off locations at Petco and the Southeast Alaska Animal Medical Center. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
This photo from August shows Kaya, who was among the dogs who participated in Capital Kennel Club of Juneau’s Obedience Trials. Not every dog in Juneau is well-fed. That is something the Grateful Dogs of Juneau organization aims to remedy as it holds a food drive for cats and dogs living in food-insecure homes for the holidays, with drop-off locations at Petco and the Southeast Alaska Animal Medical Center. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
Peter Segall / Juneau Empire 
Students from the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé honor society are holding a clothing drive for patrons of the Glory Hall from the high school every Wednesday.
Peter Segall / Juneau Empire 
Students from the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé honor society are holding a clothing drive for patrons of the Glory Hall from the high school every Wednesday.
The Salvation Army, supported by the United Way of Southeast Alaska and local restaurants, will be providing Thanksgiving dinner to anyone who needs one from their food truck on Nov. 26, 2020. (Courtesy Photo / Salvation Army)
The Salvation Army, supported by the United Way of Southeast Alaska and local restaurants, will be providing Thanksgiving dinner to anyone who needs one from their food truck on Nov. 26, 2020. (Courtesy Photo / Salvation Army)
The Angoon Community Association is holding a turkey drive for the community of Angoon on Monday and Tuesday November 23-24. The ACA aims to get enough turkeys for every household in the town of about 500, which they will transport in recently acquired refrigerated trucks, shown above. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Angoon organizaton holds holiday turkey drive in Juneau

They hope to get a turkey for each household in the hard-hit town.

The Angoon Community Association is holding a turkey drive for the community of Angoon on Monday and Tuesday November 23-24. The ACA aims to get enough turkeys for every household in the town of about 500, which they will transport in recently acquired refrigerated trucks, shown above. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Foodstuffs sit on tables at St. Vincent de Paul on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2019, to be bagged to feed up to 200 families for Thanksgiving. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Charities prepare for a pandemic-conscious Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving meal will go on, albeit in very modified form.

Foodstuffs sit on tables at St. Vincent de Paul on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2019, to be bagged to feed up to 200 families for Thanksgiving. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Michael S. Lockett | Juneau Empire                                 Henry Williams runs from Douglas to the Mendenhall Valley on Memorial Day to honor dead service members, including his relative, Air Force Tech Sgt. Leslie Dominic Williams, who died in Afghanistan in 2011.
Michael S. Lockett | Juneau Empire                                 Henry Williams runs from Douglas to the Mendenhall Valley on Memorial Day to honor dead service members, including his relative, Air Force Tech Sgt. Leslie Dominic Williams, who died in Afghanistan in 2011.
Marcella Poloa poses with her newborn daughter, Ronarielle Poloa-Maae, the first baby born in Juneau in 2020 on Jan. 1, 2020.                                Courtesy Photo | <strong>Bartlett Regional Hospital</strong>

Juneau welcomes its first baby of the decade

It’s certainly one way to ring in a new year.

Marcella Poloa poses with her newborn daughter, Ronarielle Poloa-Maae, the first baby born in Juneau in 2020 on Jan. 1, 2020.                                Courtesy Photo | <strong>Bartlett Regional Hospital</strong>