Community

State wildlife officials are warning people not to stop and watch bears along the roadside.

A black bear family in the Auke Bay bypass area is beginning to draw a crowd.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist Ryan Scott says a sow and three cubs have been seen near the driveway to Aant’ iyeik Park, and traffic is creating problems for the bears as well as people.

“Lots of vehicles going by, pulling to the side of the road, parking near the road and people getting out of their vehicles and approaching these bears very closely,” he says.

I want to encourage people not to stop.”

Another bear family was seen in the same area last spring, which Scott says created similar traffic problems. He says some of those who stopped got out of their vehicles and approached the bears.

Later in the summer, the bear family moved away from the roadside and into neighborhoods.

“They were a challenge for us as well as the people living in those areas,” he says. “It’s quite possible they were very comfortable around people after having all these visitations and spending time with people on the side of the road.”

He says the bears are drawn by the early mature spring vegetation in the area.

Scott says it’s never a good idea to approach bears, no matter how cute the cubs may be.

A record number of University of Alaska Southeast graduates were honored this weekend during commencement ceremonies in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka. Six hundred and eighty-five students received awards including bachelor’s and graduate degrees, occupational endorsements, and certificates.

The Juneau campus held its 43rd annual commencement ceremony Sunday at the UAS Rec Center.

Emily Rose King gave the student commencement speech to a packed audience. She spoke about not being afraid to fail.

“A college degree doesn’t ensure success. But I’m pretty sure that it means you know how to fail. It means that when presented with difficult readings, math problems, lovers, crazy people, you can figure out how to proceed. After we take off these really, really interesting hats, we’re going to have every opportunity to potentially succeed and fail and we should probably take them,” King said.

Juneau playwright and screenwriter Dave Hunsaker received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for his contribution to literary and dramatic arts in Alaska.

He’s known for the play “Yup’ik Antigone” which toured in Alaska, New York, France and Greece. Hunsaker was adopted by Tlingit elder Austin Hammond, Sr., of Haines into the Luxaax.ádi Clan.

As the commencement speaker, Hunsaker described his connection to the Native community which began as a school music teacher in Tyonek, an Athabascan community on Cook Inlet.

“Since that beginning it has been my extraordinary privilege to be associated in my work and life with the Native people of Alaska and their ancient cultures that are so inextricably tied to this land,” Hunsaker said.

Hunsaker gave this advice to the graduating class of 2014:

“Keep and cherish your identity as an Alaskan always, however you define it, however it has shaped you. It is a proud legacy that we all share. Let it give you stature in the wide world and pride. Congratulations everyone and good luck. Gunalchéesh. Thank you.”

About 90 percent of UAS graduates are from Alaska. Nearly 12 percent are Alaska Native or American Indian. This is first time UAS has had graduates with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Alaska Native Languages and Studies.

More than a hundred people attended Saturday’s Blessing of the Fleet in Juneau to honor those who work in Alaska’s commercial fishing industry.
Six names were added to the Alaska Commercial Fishermen’s Memorial wall, and eight boats received blessings performed by the Rev. Gordon Blue of the Church of the Holy Trinity. The Alaska Youth Choir and the City of Juneau Pipe Band performed. Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell was the keynote speaker.

The names added to the fishermen’s memorial wall this year were Daniel Glass, Jim McCormick, James Jensen, Peter Wright, and John and Elizabeth Clauson.

This was the 23rd annual Juneau Blessing of the Fleet. According to a fact sheet handed out with this year’s program, fishermen landed about $23 million worth of seafood in the capital city in 2012. Between fishing boats and processors, the local fishing industry employs more than 1,000 people.

For the first time in years, the carnival is back in Juneau. It’s located outside the Nugget Mall and starts Thursday at 2 p.m.

Golden Wheel Amusements out of Chugiak begins its summer season early by bringing the carnival to Southeast Alaska.

Golden Wheel Amusements owner Jacqueline Leavitt expects long lines at the Zipper.

“It is definitely one of the teen favorites. It spins them around and if you’re not kind of used to that, it could get you sick,” Leavitt says laughing.

The Zipper gives a rider three ways to flip over.

“I love that the office is right next to it because people scream on that ride so hard and that is just music to my ears. I love listening to them just scream and scream,” Leavitt says.

The fair offers rides for big and small kids, games and food.

“Footlong corn dogs and funnel cake and cotton candy and candy and caramel apples,” Leavitt says.

Leavitt has been in the carnival business for most of her life. Her mother Claire Morton started Golden Wheel Amusements in 1967. The company’s first event was at Fur Rendezvous, Anchorage’s winter festival, which is still an annual gig for Golden Wheel. Leavitt and her husband started buying the company in 2000.

She says running a traveling carnival is a family affair that includes their three children.

“It’s kind of like ranching and farming. It’s great. You just come to work with your family and I think it’s a very good way to live,” Leavitt says.

It’s been 30 years since Golden Wheel Amusements brought a carnival to Juneau. Leavitt says it’s difficult to plan carnival dates around a ferry schedule. Plus it’s expensive to transport rides, equipment and 50 workers. She says traveling to Southeast by ferry with stops in Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan costs about $120,000.

“But we just felt like it was time to come to Southeast and that it was a good thing and that the public and the kids would just really enjoy it,” Leavitt says.

Leavitt’s son Chase Eckert says it’s a novel experience to be in a location that isn’t used to a carnival.

“We’ve had a constant parade of cars around the lot. Everyone’s stopping, taking pictures. Whole families, like vans full of people, come by and you can just see that they’re so excited. We haven’t been here since 1984 and these people don’t even know what a carnival looks like,” Eckert says.

Juneau gets two weekends to enjoy the carnival before it packs up and leaves on the ferry May 11.

The search for the Juneau School District’s new superintendent has begun. The job opening was posted nationally last week and candidates have until May 21 to apply.

The district contracted Iowa-based search firm Ray and Associates, Inc. for $16,000.

Steve Rasmussen, who’s leading the search, collected input from the community last month and says community members want someone with a collaborative leadership style who puts students first.

“Someone that can built trust in the community. Someone that’s visible. Someone that can work with staff, can work with parents, can be and work with legislators, and work with civic leaders,” Rasmussen says.

Rasmussen expects between 30 and 50 applicants for the job.

The advertised salary is $162,000. The current superintendent’s salary is $155,000 a year. Rasmussen and the school board set the amount after comparing what other superintendents make in Alaska.

He says that figure is negotiable.

“It’s the amount that will attract people to take a look at it. We want quality applicants and it’s also compared with those of the lower 48 states, Rasmussen says.

Ray and Associates will present up to 12 candidates to the school board June 2. The board will pick semi-finalists and conduct in-person interviews June 7. Rasmussen anticipates a community meet and greet with the superintendent finalists June 8.

The cost of bringing candidates to Juneau for interviews is outside the search contract.

Superintendent Glenn Gelbrich is leaving the district at the end of June. He cited personal and private reasons when announcing his resignation in March. Gelbrich joined the Juneau school district in 2009.