4 Special Coverage

The Juneau Assembly is sending voters two capital project funding packages at the October 2nd municipal election.

Assembly members last night (Monday) approved the measures without making any changes.

The first is a five year extension of the city’s temporary 1-percent sales tax — known as the project tax — which Juneau voters have approved for nearly 30 years. The second is a $25 million bond proposition to pay for additional projects beyond what would be covered by sales tax alone.

Though they’ll appear on the ballot as separate propositions, the measures are designed to be considered as one. That’s because $10 million from the sales tax extension would be used to pay down debt on the bonds, avoiding the need to raise property taxes.

Public comment was decidedly in favor of the ballot measures. North Douglas resident SueAnn Randall highlighted her support for the Juneau Arts and Culture Center, which would get about a million dollars from the sales tax extension for planning and design of a new performing arts space.

“The JACC expansion proposal offers an incredible opportunity for providing the Capital City of Alaska with a performing arts venue worthy of the talent that comes to our town, as well as supporting the infrastructure of the local and creative economy,” Randall said.

Fritz Cove resident Tom Williams was the only person to speak against either measure. He blasted the bond proposition, saying the Assembly was not living within the city’s means. But he had a more measured response to the sales tax proposal, objecting only to the inclusion of money for the Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Walter Soboleff Center.

“The project may be a great project, but for the city to designate the sales tax, public money, towards a private entity, I think is not a good way to go,” Williams said.

He pointed to a recent survey of about a third of Juneau Chamber of Commerce members, where 54 percent of those who answered thought there hadn’t been enough public input.

In his public testimony, Sealaska Heritage Chief of Operations Lee Kadinger talked about the benefits of the project, including preservation of local Native culture and about 30 permanent jobs. Kadinger also dismissed the chamber survey.

“We believe it does not represent the majority view of its membership as indicated by its own report,” Kadinger said. “We would encourage the Assembly to continue its deliberative process to bring the tax initiative to a vote before Juneau residents in October.”

And that’s exactly what happened. Assemblyman Randy Wanamaker was the only member to vote against sending the measures to voters. He also made a failed bid to send the funding packages back to the Finance Committee for further review.

The slate of candidates for Juneau’s municipal election is now set.

On Monday — the last day for candidates to file for office — Cheryl Jebe joined the race for mayor, ensuring voters will have a choice on October 2nd.

Jebe will face former Deputy Mayor Merrill Sanford, who previously was the only candidate in the race.

A Juneau resident since 1975, Jebe says she wants to see continued economic growth in the Capital City, and ensure local government provides important services such as public safety and education.

While this is her first run for elected office, Jebe served on the city’s Docks and Harbors Board for six years, from 2005 through 2011. She also was a member of the Juneau Alcoholism Board, which established the Rainforest Recovery Center. And she’s been active in both the local and statewide League of Women Voters.

“I have the skills and abilities to serve as mayor. I have an extreme interest and energy and time to work for Juneau’s continued success,” she says.

Jebe also says she’s looking forward to debating issues with Sanford, who up until a year ago was serving three consecutive terms on the assembly for a total of nine years in office.

“One of my questions will be, ‘Has the past ten years met your expectations, and would a fresh set of eyes add clarity and improvement?'”

Jebe is a retired state employee, and also worked for the Alaska Public Employees Association. She’s also volunteered for numerous local nonprofits, including the Red Cross, the Glory Hole, AWARE, and the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

School Board

Joining Jebe in declaring for office on the final day of the filing period were school board candidates Phyllis Carlson and Will Muldoon.

Carlson is a three-term incumbent, who has served nine years on the board. She currently works for the state Department of Education as coordinator for the Parents as Teachers program. She previously was the department’s Rural Education director, and also worked for the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

Muldoon is a contractor, working on information technology and website projects. He graduated from Juneau Douglas High School in 2003, and ran for school board as an 18-year-old. Now 28, he says he’s ready to try again. In the interest of full disclosure, Muldoon is a member of KTOO’s board of directors.

Carlson and Muldoon join incumbent Andi Story, former school board member Destiny Sargeant, and first-time candidate Michelle Johnston in a five way race for three open seats on the board.

Juneau Assembly

Two candidates — Loren Jones and Paul Nowlin — will square off for the Assembly District 1 seat currently held by Deputy Mayor David Stone, who can’t run again due to term limits.

The only candidate without a challenger on this year’s municipal election ballot will be Jerry Nankervis. The retired Juneau Police Captain is seeking the Assembly District 2 seat currently held by Ruth Danner, who is stepping down after one term.

The municipal election is October 2nd.

Opponents of measure 2 on this month’s Alaska primary ballot are using their sizable financial advantage to flood the airwaves.

Thanks largely to donations from resource development groups and companies, the “Vote No on 2” campaign is running TV and radio commercials in addition to print advertising, encouraging voters to say no to the measure restoring Alaska’s Coastal Management Program.

Backers of the citizen’s initiative say they’re not trying to compete with the full on media blitz, but believe their support in coastal communities will help them prevail.

KTOO’s Casey Kelly has more.

If you’re watching the Olympics on TV this week, chances are you’ve seen the ads urging you to vote no on Ballot Measure 2.

The “Vote No on 2” campaign paid for the TV spots with some of the nearly $719,000 in cash it raised since forming just two months ago.

Mike Satre is executive director of the Council of Alaska Producers — a trade group representing large-scale mines and mining projects in the state. It was one of the first groups to give money to “No on 2,” cutting a $25,000 check in June. Satre says the council’s membership supported the state’s previous coastal management program, but is concerned about the version outlined in Measure 2.

“We had some long conversations about where we sat on this program and ultimately decided that because of the uncertainty that this initiative would bring out, the new bureaucracy it would bring about that we simply couldn’t support this initiative,” Satre says.

Other resource development companies and organizations have followed suit. That includes a $150,000 donation from Shell Oil; $120,000 from the Alaska Miners Association; and $75,000 dollars from Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company — Juneau’s largest private employer.

Satre, who’s also donated more than $5,000 of his own staff time as an in-kind contribution, says obviously the money will help to get the message out on multiple platforms between now and Election Day on August 28th.

“We find that most people around the state don’t know what this initiative is, and so it’s very, very important that we spend our time and money on educating voters,” he says.

In contrast to the anti-Measure 2 group, initiative sponsors the Alaska Sea Party raised just under $64,000 during the last reporting period. Juneau Mayor and Sea Party Chairman Bruce Botelho says the group will not be airing TV ads during the Olympics, or at all for that matter.

“Obviously it’s a concern, because we will not be able to match the message that people will be exposed to, perhaps saturated with,” Botelho says.

He says the Sea Party plans to respond with a “grassroots” campaign, including door-to-door canvassing, phone calls, and speeches to civic groups.

In response to industry claims that Measure 2 is too complex and would add another layer of bureaucracy, he says the initiative is really just a framework to set up a coastal management program like the one the state had for more than 30 years.

Botelho says that includes the fundamental feature of coastal management — one-stop permit review for coastal projects by a single state agency. He argues that’s pro-development, especially when the builder is a small company or an individual.

“That person or company has an opportunity to have all the regulatory agencies at the table at the same time, walking through issues that may arise,” he says. “And to make sure that we don’t get in the cycle that is actually starting to occur now, which is if the permit has to be modified with one agency, you basically have to run the gauntlet yet again.”

In addition, coastal management traditionally gives local communities a greater voice in development decisions happening in their backyards. For that reason, Botelho thinks the Sea Party will have an advantage when it comes to support in coastal areas.

“In the rural, coastal communities, there has been a very strong statement of support for coastal management and for the initiative,” he says. “They see the importance of having a viable coastal management program and having a community voice.”

Indeed, the Sea Party’s largest contributor is the North Slope Borough, which has given more than $40,000 since late last year. Other top donors include the Bristol Bay Borough, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and Anchorage businessman Bob Gillam — a major opponent of the proposed Pebble Mine.

Satre says “Vote No on 2” supporters are not opposed to local input when it comes to development.

“I can see why coastal communities want to get a program back on the table,” he says.

But he still thinks the measure goes too far.

The Alaska Coastal Management Program shut down in 2011 after the multiple failed attempts by the legislature to reauthorize it.

If voters okay the initiative, it would likely take about two years to get federal approval for a new program. Currently, Alaska is the only coastal state without an authorized coastal management program.

This is the closing weekend of the juried art show from Celebration 2012. Thirty-two pieces from twenty-one artists include the high-water mark of craftsmanship in Northwest Coast art. There are also pieces that go outside the boundaries of what is considered traditional art with new forms or techniques.

The art competition was held in conjunction with Celebration, the biennial Native dance event and the largest Native culture gathering in Southeast Alaska. It was held in Juneau in early June. The art show, organized and sponsored by the Sealaska Heritage Institute, is intended to encourage art creation and development.

In previous years, submissions were divided into two categories, traditional and contemporary. Masks and woven baskets would fit into the former category, while glass work would be in the latter, for example. But what is new or contemporary, or non-traditional art, may itself become traditional as more artists pick up on a change in medium, form, or a new technique.

This year, judges for the competition were told to dispense with the old categories. Instead, artwork was judged in the areas of customary or customary-inspired Northwest Coast art.

Renowned Ketchikan carver Nathan Jackson judged the customary category. He says he looks for a well-thought out concept or idea, and complete symmetry. He also looks for paint application, clean cuts, and type of wood selected.

Peter Corey, Northwest art scholar and a former curator at Sheldon Jackson museum, judged customary-inspired art. He describes Northwest Coast art as strong with the formline design that appears to be pushing its bounds, the predominate and contrasting red and black, and blue and green in recessed areas. But that’s changed a little recently.

In the Customary category, Archie Cavanaugh won first place with his Eagle Man Mask, Sonya Koenig-Johnson’s Spruce Root Hat came in second, and third place went to Ruby Hughes for her vest titled Woodworm Woman.

Sealaska Heritage officials say Koenig-Johnson only took up weaving during an instructional program in Hoonah six years ago.

Cavanaugh called his winning mask meant to symbolize a transformation from eagle to man a hard and complicated project. He started by visualizing the project, and making sure the form lines and symmetry are just right.

In the Customary-Inspired Art category, Harmony Hoss won first place for her Beaver Purse, Clarissa Rizal was second for her Argillite Totem, and Shgen DooTan George took third with her Woven Octopus Bag.

Rizal says her art was inspired by a dream. She used charcoal on canvas that is then wrapped around a custom built totem. The light spaces simulate the reflected light shining off argillite and the dark charcoal the carved areas.

George entered a Chilkat apron with cedar bark backing and button blanket that drew on traditions from the indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaido. But it was her experiment of woven Raven’s tail and cut out copper pieces for the octopus bag that caught the judges eye.

Cash prizes of a $1,000, $750, and $500 were awarded to the top three in each category.

Best of show award of $1,500 went to Arthur Nelson for his Raven Bowl.

All of the artwork selected for the Celebration 2012 juried art show are on display at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center through June.

The U.S. Justice Department has given its approval to Alaska’s new redistricting plan.

The approval – known as “preclearance” under the Voting Rights Act – comes in the midst of a federal lawsuit, filed by Alaska Native groups to keep the state from implementing the plan until the Justice Department weighs in.

In a letter to the Alaska Redistricting Board’s attorney today (Wednesday), U.S. Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez says the decision does not bar subsequent litigation to bar enforcement of redistricting changes.

Celebration 2012 ended Saturday night with the Grand Exit, where more than 5o groups from Anchorage to Southeast to the Pacific Northwest made their final procession.

Xudzidaa Kwáan Dancers were at the lead. The Angoon group was also chosen to head up the Southeast Alaska Native cultural festival’s Grand Entrance, at the start of the three-day event.

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If you were there, you would have seen dance leaders Gilbert Fred and his brother-in-law Alan Zuboff move back and forth across the stage, directing traffic as they sang and danced. From time to time, one would move toward the hall entrance, urging an arriving group to sync drumbeats with those on stage.

Fred says it was a great honor.

“It was arduous and tiresome and it tested our fortitude and it was better than aerobics. But I think it was indeed a labor of love for our culture and for the fact that we had so many different nations coming together here and converging on Juneau to share our culture with one another,” Fred says.

The grand entrance continued for more than two hours, until everyone was in the hall.

Zuboff says the group’s strength comes from its experience, dating back generations.

“When it first began, it was just an elders’ group. But as time went on, the elders realized the young ones weren’t learning. So they did something that they had never done, and allowed (in) generations. They decided that the young ones, including the babies, should start dancing in order for them to learn,” he says.

Today’s group continues sharing those traditions. Members work with the Xootsnoowú Dachaxanx’i Yán dancers, formed through the Angoon school’s Indian Education Program.

Fred says the students are eager to learn, but have to get past their electronic distractions.

“One of the requirements in class, when they come to class, is to please turn their cell phones on silent and put them into your bag. We don’t want them dancing and then getting a ringtone and answering their phone while we’re supposed to be in character,” Fred says.

How does he keep them focused?

“We let them know that these songs and dances … carry a history connected with the people with the different clans. And it’s a part of who they are, and they have to know who they are and they will better succeed in life and they’ll better deal with peer pressure. It’s their culture that connects them to the community, to their parents and to their elders, and to one another.”

Like many traditional adult groups, the Xudzidaa Kwáan Dancers wear expertly-crafted regalia, adorned with images of their history and culture.

Zuboff wears a clan hat more than 300 years old. And he’s worn blankets handed down over three or four generations.

“It’s not just a common piece of thread or a piece of wood. It’s a bit of all the spirits of the older generation that made this and danced in them,” Zuboff says. “And sometimes you can maybe feel their energy in the dance group. Or sometimes you can hear them singing, to hear them saying, ‘Do this.’ ”

Every Celebration has a different lead dance group, chosen by a committee of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, which organizes the events.

Institute President Rosita Worl says members picked Xudzidaa Kwáan because of its strength, and its traditions.

Leaders Zuboff and Fred are thankful for the recognition. But they’re also glad they don’t have to direct such a massive group of dancers for a while.

“It’s almost like you feel your canoe get sucked into a tidal current, ” Fred says, getting a nod of agreement from Zuboff. “And we’re able to restabilize and readjust.”