Rhonda McBride

For more than twenty years Kiala Wesley was one of the few professionals in the Black hair industry in Alaska. She not only ran a salon in Anchorage that catered to Blacks, but also manufactured wigs and installed them. It wasn’t easy to retire. In a state with a small Black population, Wesley’s skills were…

We teach our children about the importance of wearing seatbelts, fire prevention and traffic safety, but do we always talk with them about how to speak up when an adult touches them in ways that makes them feel uncomfortable? On Wednesday’s Juneau Afternoon, Lt. Jeremy Weske and  Detective Kathy Underwood, who investigates child sexual assault…

Part 1: Juneau Police: Parents key to child sexual abuse prevention.

Guests: Lt. Jeremy Weske and Det. Kathy Underwood.
Juneau Police say we need to talk openly and often with our children about child sexual abuse — that conversations need to begin at an early age, so they learn the rules for personal safety and feel comfortable speaking out if they are victimized.

Part 2: Juneau Community Charter School promotes partnerships with family, students and staff.

Guests: Adrianna Northcutt, principal. Steven Morely, middle school science teacher.
Some of the hallmarks of the Juneau Community Charter School: Lessons in small groups. Multi-grade classes. Lots of school projects. Parents who want more involvement in their child’s education.

Part 3: Montessori Borealis School offers individualized education.

Guests: Kristin Garot, principal. Lupita Alvarez, pre-school and kindergarten teacher.
The Montessori Borealis School follows the teachings of its founder, Maria Montessori, who believed that children should be empowered to direct their own learning.

Part 4: Juneau Audubon Society April lecture: Noatak River canoe trip.

Guests: Juneau Audubon Society members — Brenda Wright, Doug Woodby and Jeff Sauer.
A group from the Juneau Audubon Society share photos and memories from a canoe trip on the Noatak River,  a remote area teaming with birds and wildlife.

  The handmade empty bowls are a thing of beauty, full of potential but also a reminder that important needs go unmet. Glory Hall is once again selling tickets for its biggest fundraiser of the year, where a ticket will get you a bowl created by a local artist, as well as soup and bread.…

Part 1: Glory Hall Empty Bowls benefit returns with a few changes.

Guests: Mariya Lovishchuk, Executive Director, Glory Hall.
Supporters of the Glory Hall’s annual Empty Bowls benefit should expect a few changes, which include a move from Centennial Hall to the shelter’s new campus in the Mendenhall Valley at 8701 Teal Street. To buy a ticket, go to: https://www.feedjuneau.org/.

Part 2: Juneau Arts and Humanity Council scholarships and grants applications due Friday, April 15th.

Guests: Nancy DeCherney, Executive Director, Juneau Arts and Humanities Council.
Spring is a busy time for the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, with grant and scholarship applications due on April 15th. Many of these programs are funded by the JAHC’s Wearable Art extravaganza. If you’re interested, you can apply online. Nancy DeCherney also discusses her retirement next month.    

Part 3: Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy program: A school within a school at Harborview Elementary

Guests: Kelley Harvey, Principal. Katie Pitman, Special Education Teacher. Cora Bontrager, 4th & 5th Grade Tlingit language teacher and alumni. Raven, student representative.
Culture is the compass for children at Harborview’s Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy program, where language and culture are a part of every day learning.  

At the Juneau Airport, you can tell the Alaska Folk Festival is back, with musicians milling around, carrying guitars, mandolins and violins – and occasionally someone hefting a big stand-up bass. On Friday’s show, Juneau Afternoon continues its week-long celebration of the festival with live studio performances from Robin Hopper, a singer-songwriter from Chugiak, known…

Part 1: Alaska Folk Festival features original music from Alaskan artists.

Guests: Robin Hopper, Chugiak. Mike and Matt Faubion, Anchorage.
The paths to writing music are as varied as the artist. Robin Hopper, a Chugiak singer-songwriter, says many of her songs are inspired by real-life Alaskan stories, with her love of people woven into the lyrics. Mike and Matt Faubion, a father son duo, say that their songs often start with a melody, and the…

Part 2: Linda Buckley’s books help children explore the interconnectedness of life.

Guests: Linda Buckley, Juneau writer.
In 2019,  when Linda Buckley wrote her first children’s book,  A Bear in the Blueberry, her son, Jim, began pushing her to write a sequel. He even suggested the title, The Humpback in the Herring. Both books have science woven into the stories. Like the first book about bears, which was loaded with lots of information about them,…

Centennial Hall is once again alive with the sounds of fiddles and banjos — not just on the main stage, but in the entryways and hallways, where musicians pull up folding chairs for impromptu jam sessions.

Jake Blount  doesn’t just sing and play songs. Chances are he knows their roots in Black and Indigenous history. Critics have acclaimed his performances as an “awe-inspiring musical experience,”  which audiences at this week’s Alaska Folk Festival will get a chance to immerse themselves in, through Blount’s concerts and workshops. On this Thursday’s Juneau Afternoon,…

Fiddles, banjos and the high energy music of Jake Blount.

Guests: Jake Blount and his band, headliners at the 2022 Alaska Folk Festival.
When Jake Blount fired up his banjo and his bluegrass band went along for the ride, KTOO’s Studio 2K was buzzing with energy. Blount says his music draws its power from its mix of blues, bluegrass and spirituals.

After all these years, the Alaska Folk Festival is still part of Caitlin Warbelow’s musical journey.

Guests: Caitlin Warbelow, Violinist and Fiddler. Owner of Tunes Supply.
When Caitlin Warbelow was a teen, she would fly in from Fairbanks to perform at the Alaska Folk Festival. She says this experience set the stage for a career in music that has taken her all the way to New York City. where she performed in the Broadway hit, Come From Away.