"Through my reporting and series Tongass Voices and Lingít Word of the Week, I tell stories about people who have shaped -- and continue to shape -- the landscape of this place we live."
Water over roadway sign on Glacier Highway on August 13, 2021 in Juneau Alaska. (Photo by Lyndsey Brollini/KTOO)
The National Weather Service in Juneau says its flood watch for Juneau, Skagway and Sitka remains in effect through Tuesday afternoon.
That’s when most of the rain will be over, said Nicole Ferrin, a meteorologist in Juneau.
“We are getting some good rainfall rates today, but expect them to increase even more late Monday night, into early Tuesday morning,” she said.
In the meantime, there are risks of water on the roads and in more flood-prone areas of town, like Montana Creek Road.
As far as landslides, Ferrin said Haines has seen already some minor ones in notorious slide areas during this storm.
“In the Juneau area, you know, we’ve got some places that could be at risk of very isolated minor things, and so people should be aware of that possibility,” she said.
No slides have been reported Juneau.
Ferrin said Juneau residents should clear their storm drains and be cautious when recreating around Mendenhall Lake and River, as those are likely to keep rising even after the major rains have passed.
This year is still on track to be Juneau’s wettest on record.
A properly secured dumpster. (Photo courtesy of ADF&G)
A bear near the airport keeps flipping dumpsters to get trash.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Abby McAllister says she’s not sure how the bear does it.
“Not just opening up the lid, but actually tipping over the entire thing,” she said. “They just keep doing it.”
McAllister says people need to secure their dumpsters. It’s the time of year when bears enter a state of hyperphagia.
That means they’re really hungry. More dumpster-diving — or in this case tipping — is common in the fall, when bears are looking to fatten up before winter.
“Even our leftover pizza or yogurt containers are going to have higher caloric value than berries and even fat salmon, if they can find them this year,” she said.
If waste is secured and unavailable to bears, they’ll go back to looking for natural food sources.
McAllister says bears tend to start hibernating in November, and as late as December. Until then, people in Juneau should be vigilant about securing their trash. If bears continue to find a lot of food that way, they might not go into hibernation on time.
Residents can ask Fish and Game for help with securing their dumpsters by calling 907-465-4265.
Candidates for Alaska’s US Senate race took part in a question and answer session at Southeast Conference,
Alaska Public Media’s Kavitha George explains the privacy clause of the Alaska Constitution, and what could happen to abortion rights if a Constitutional Convention takes place,
A significant fall storm approaches Western Alaska tonight
Joanne Hansen surprised with hug by neighbor Dominick Thane Boerem. (Photo courtesy of Roxanne Thomas)
For nearly twenty years, Joanne Hansen served the Juneau community at AWARE, Juneau’s domestic violence support organization, where she worked as a women’s advocate and a shelter manager.
She died earlier this month at the age of 76.
Her daughter, Roxanne Thomas, talks about who her mom was and the impact she had on the community.
Listen:
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Roxanne Thomas: At one time, there were three generations of us working at AWARE, which is really a testament to her, that her granddaughter was up for the summer and wanted to volunteer there. But AWARE was really her life. I mean, she was so dedicated.
We were headed to the store one Thanksgiving for a forgotten ingredient, and there was a hitchhiker. And she pulled over to kidnap them and insisted that they come for Thanksgiving and they became a lifelong friend.
Yvonne Krumrey: Did she grow up in Juneau?
Roxanne Thomas: She grew up in the Midwest, but I always say that her life began in Juneau. She came to Juneau a shy, quiet woman with really no confidence… She must have been right around 30.
And she came into her own and found her voice at AWARE. And I think by being a fierce defender of women, you know, she first started speaking up and finding her voice, but then she found it for herself. And honestly, my dad even had to change because as she grew stronger and wanted her rights, you know. He just went along and changed from kind of a chauvinist… And he just changed right along with her. But, so yes, she grew up there, but really, she bloomed in Juneau.
Yvonne Krumrey: How did she find AWARE when she got here?
Roxanne Thomas: I’m glad you asked that! I had worked at AWARE… And when I moved for college, and I got married, I suggested her to go work there. And she thought I was making fun of her… she didn’t think I was serious, because she didn’t think she was good enough. And she didn’t think she had anything to offer. She only made it through the seventh grade.
But she braved her fears and went to work and bloomed. In fact, she worked there way longer than me.
Yvonne Krumrey: Can you tell me a bit more about the celebration of life you’ve planned?
My brother died taking care of her. And so we had a service for him out at Skaters Cabin because that’s what he would have wanted. But she loved it. It was so comforting to her out there on the water and so peaceful. So we selected that, more than the traditional church funeral we had for my dad.
We anticipate people not having rides, so I’m going to make sure that we have rides for anybody who doesn’t have rides. And in fact, someone said, you know, probably people will come that didn’t even know her because there’s free food and rides. And they said it kind of in a bad way. And I said, you know, if people need a meal and want to come, my mom would be happy with that.
Your Memories
Joanne was a classmate back in Butte, ND. She had some disabilities back then and was not treated well by a few students at our school. I was her friend until my family moved to California when I was 16-years-old. We reconnected a few years ago and I was happy to hear from her and how her adult life turned out. It was FANTASTIC! Also, I became friends with her daughter, Roxanne, and her son, Edward. It was great to hear stories and see pictures about Joanne from Roxanne. I wish I had known her more during her adult years – what a lovely lady she turned out to be! — Claudia Antonov-Anderson
She was a lifelong friend of my family and she was such an inspiration to my mom, who was also an advocate at AWARE. I even took the training 18 years ago. She is an amazing person. She (is) gone but never forgotten. — Michelle Boerem
I worked with Joanne at AWARE for about two years when I first moved to Juneau. I remember her being friendly, gregarious and a fierce advocate of the women who came to the shelter seeking assistance. I remember, too, making her a celebration cake when she got her GED. She always reminded me of my grandmother. — Amy Newman
