Rhonda McBride

Where have all the tree swallows gone? In North America, their population is about half of what it was twenty years ago. On this Friday’s Juneau Afternoon, we’ll get an update on the Juneau Audubon Society’s research into saving tree swallows, as well as a plan to repopulate areas that have seen the most drastic…

Part 1: Juneau Audubon Society gives tree swallows a helping hand with their nesting.

Guests: Brenda Wright, programs manager, Juneau Audubon Society.
  The Juneau Audubon Society’s tree swallow project provides tiny houses for tree swallows to nest in, which helps to improve the fledgling survival rate. Volunteers also gather information about the birds, which have disappeared dramatically from areas east of the Mississippi.

Part 2: Theater Alaska brings outdoor magic to Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream

Guests: Cast members from Theater Alaska’s Midsummer Night’s Dream: Flordelino Langundino, Cate Ross, Joshua Midget and Adara Allen.
    Theater Alaska is stretching its creativity this year by performing Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream outdoors. Added in the mix: dancers from Juneau Dance Theatre, who play the role of fairies, flittering in and out of the woods. The audience is asked to bring their own chairs and move to different locations to watch…

Part 3: Juneau Pride Month: Putting on the Glitz.

Guests: Abi Spofford, SEAGLA. Gigi Monroe, Juneau Drag Queen.
  Gigi Monroe, one of Juneau’s most beloved drag queens, hosts Glitz, the biggest drag show of the year. Glitz is also a fundraiser for the Southeast Alaska LGBTQ+ Alliance, also known as SEAGLA.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 that Texas slaves finally learned they were free, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Black soul food and barbecue. Live music. Prayers and speeches. These are some of the common threads in Juneteenth celebrations across the country, to be held this year on Sunday, June 19. The federal holiday is on Monday. In this week’s Culture Rich Conversations, Kelli and Sherry Patterson explore the history of Juneteenth, originally a…

Stories that were shocking in their day, now long faded from Juneau memory – stories that Betsy Longenbaugh unearths is her new book, “Forgotten Murders from the Capital.” On this Wednesday’s Juneau Afternoon, Longenbaugh and her husband, Ed Schoenfeld, talk about the book and some of their research into local murders of yesteryear. Also in…

Part 1: How murders from Juneau’s past reveal a lot of community history.

Guests: Betsy Longenbaugh and Ed Schoenfeld, historic crime researchers.
  Betsy Longenbaugh’s new book, Forgotten Murders from Alaska’s Capital, has ten chapters. Each one tells the story of a different murder, all of them before statehood. Longenbaugh and her husband, Ed Schoenfeld delved into old newspaper archives and court records to bring these stories to life.

Part 2: Juneau Police Department recognition for officers and community members.

Guests: Lt. Krag Campbell, Juneau Police Department.
Once a year, the Juneau Police Department recognizes officers, as well as members of the community, who go above and beyond in serving the public.

Part 3: Playground dedicated to Dr. George Brown on Saturday.

Guests: Benjamin Brown, Dr. George Brown’s son. Dr. Amy Dressel, practiced medicine with Dr. Brown.
  Project Playground, at the Twin Lakes Park, will be dedicated this Saturday, June 18 at 1:00 p.m. in honor of the late Dr. George Brown, a Juneau pediatrician who known as a champion of children and their health. Project Playground replaces one that was burned down during a fire that was intentionally set. Brown…

  As we look towards Father’s Day this Sunday, time out on Juneau Afternoon this Tuesday for a conversation about fatherhood and Alaska Native culture. Lyle and Kolene James share their favorite memories about their fathers and Lingít traditions aimed at bringing out the father in all men. They also talk about how other family…

Part 1: In Southeast Alaska Native cultures, fatherhood is a team effort.

Guests: Lyle and Kolene James, parents and culture bearers.
    As leaders of the Woosh.ji.een Dance Group and their work with Southeast Alaska Native youth,  Lyle and Kolene James have long been recognized for their efforts in using culture to heal. In this conversation, they talk about the traditional role of the fatherhood, and how it was shared amongst men in an extended…

Part 2: The season of the Midnight Sun: Celebrating solstice in Juneau

Guests: Shayla Copas, Jeremy Bauer and Jason Clifton.
  The summer solstice, which occurs on June 21st, marks the longest day of the year. Across the state, there are parties and picnics on the beach, even marathons to celebrate solstice. Juneau will be the backdrop for a solstice celebration in an upcoming book, “Four Seasons of Celebration,” written by Shayla Copas, a luxury…

A documentary premieres this Saturday, that looks back on 40 years of Celebration – and how this biennial gathering of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples helped to launch a cultural renaissance in Southeast Alaska. On Friday’s Juneau Afternoon, Sarah Betcher talks about the making of this documentary, a collaboration between Sealaska Heritage Institute and Farthest…

Part 1: Sealaska Heritage Institute and Farthest Films North documentary: A Celebration time capsule.

Guests: Sarah Betcher, Producer, Farthest North Films
  Sealaska Heritage Institute and Farthest North Films began work on the documentary, 4o Years of  Celebration in 2018, to show how this biennial gathering of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples evolved into a cultural mecca. It incorporates footage from past Celebrations, including the very first in 1982, as well as new interviews gathered four…

Part 2: SEAGLA’s Pride Month logo: Inspired by Southeast Alaska’s Indigenous cultures.

Guests: Abi Spofford and Chloey Cavanaugh, SEAGLA
  Chloey Cavanaugh, an indigenous artist from Southeast Alaska, created this year’s Pride Month logo for SEAGLA. Within it, there’s a hand with an eye, which Cavanaugh says represents “our community seeing each other.”    

Part 3: Juneau Public Library: Read Beyond the Beaten Path

Guests: Margaret Luedke, Juneau Public Library Programs and Marketing Coordinator
The Juneau Public Library is offering many incentives this summer to keep kids reading and to prevent what teachers call “summer slide.” Margaret Luedke, the Juneau Public Library’s programs and marketing coordinator, says there will be reading games as well as prizes for kids to enjoy, as well as crafts and additional story time for…