B Programs

  Tuesday wasn’t just election day in Alaska, but the first in the state’s history to use a new way of casting ballots called ranked choice voting. On Juneau Afternoon, the head of Alaska’s “Get Out the Native Vote” campaign will talk about efforts to educate Alaska Native and American Indian voters about the change…

Part 1: Alaska Native voters adapt to ranked choice system.

Guests: Michelle “Macuar” Sparck, Director of Strategic Initiatives, CITC: Get Out the Native Vote
Due geographic isolation or language barriers, it’s always a challenge to get out the Native vote in rural Alaska. Michelle Sparck talks about the problems in the June 11th Special Primary Election, the first step in the process to elect a candidate to finish out the remainder of the late Congressman Don Young’s term. Sparck…

Part 2: After a decade in business, Pat Race and Alaska Robotics still making people smile.

Guests: Pat Race, Owner of Alaska Robotics.
  Alaska Robotics celebrated its tenth anniversary this summer. From COVID to Sealaska Heritage Institute’s growing footprint, the downtown cartoon shop has seen a lot of change during that time. But then and now, Alaska Robotic’s owner, Pat Race, continues to put the fun factor in Alaska politics.  

Part 3: Family Promise of Juneau works to end child homelessness.

Guests: Katherine Carlson, LMSW Executive Director Family Promise of Juneau.
It’s no accident that Kathleen Carlson, also known as Katti, is in the business of fighting homelessness. As a child, there were times when her family didn’t have a place to call home. Carlson brings her firsthand knowledge of the childhood trauma this causes to her work at Family Promise of Juneau. When the group…

Chickweed has a mild taste and is nutritious when eaten fresh.

  For years, Juneau’s Njuzu Marimba band has promised that their music will put a smile on your face – and they always deliver. On Juneau Afternoon this Friday, two band members brought some of their joyful harmonies to the studio, to preview their concert at the Sealaska Heritage Institute plaza. The concert is a…

Part 1: Njuzu Marimba Group send off for longtime member, Em Eason.

Guests: Em Eason, Njuzu Marimba Group. Jesse Larson, Marimba teacher.
The Njuzu Marimba band has brought traditional and modern Zimbabwean music to Juneau for many years. Em Eason, who has been performing with the group since elementary school, talks about how she came of age playing marimbas, embraced by a community of musicians. She says she will seek out that experience when she goes to…

Part 2: Girls on the Run looking for a few good coaches.

Guests: Natalie Watson, Girls on the Run Manager. Maya Breedlove, Girls on the Run member.
Girls on the Run is about more than getting physical exercise. It’s also an opportunity for girls to build important relationships with each other and their mentors. Girls on the Run is recruiting coaches for its upcoming season, with training offered this fall. Natalie Watson and her daughter, Maya Breedlove, talk about how the coaches,…

Part 3: August, a month of fun and games at the Juneau Public Library.

Guests: Margaret Luedke, Juneau Public Library Programs and Marketing Coordinator.
August, which is traditionally a rainy month, is a great time to plan an adventure at the Juneau Public Library. Margaret Luedke tells you how.  

Part 4: You may hear the Barred Owl in Juneau before you see it.

Guests: Brenda Wright, Juneau Audubon Society programs manager.
  The Barred Owl is known for its mating ritual duets, which over the years have been heard more frequently in Juneau. Brenda Wright explains how the owl has steadily expanded its range across the North American continent, and in the last 40 years, made its way  into Juneau. She says if you listen closely,…

At a broadband summit in Anchorage this week, a new federal infrastructure bill was touted as a “once in a generation” opportunity. Initially it will bring  an additional 100 million dollars to Alaska to expand internet access, and tribal governments will get a slice of the pie. The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian…

Part 1: Federal “Internet for All” campaign makes tribal networks possible.

Guests: Chris Cropley, Tlingit and Haida network architect.
  Chris Cropley is a Tlingit and Haida tribal member, who grew up in Sitka. As the tribal council’s network architect, he’s working toward the day when the tribe can bring “middle mile” service to twenty communities in Southeast Alaska. Cropley was invited to speak at the broadband summit in Anchorage this week — and…

Part 2: NWF gathering observations on SE Alaska climate change.

Guests: Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation.
As the National Wildlife Federation’s director of sporting advocacy, Aaron Kindle has been traveling the country talking with hunters and fishers, to get their observations about the impacts of climate change. Kindle visited Sitka and Juneau this week. He says there are some common themes in many of these first hand accounts, including the realization…

Part 3: Juneau National Weather Service team leader bids farewell.

Guests: Wes Adkins, Juneau National Weather Service meteorologist.
  This is Wes Adkin’s last interview on KTOO’s Juneau Afternoon, where he has also been a longtime radio volunteer. Wes currently oversees the Juneau National Weather Service forecast team and is headed to Virginia to work for the World of Aviation weather support.

Team Rubicon started out with only eight volunteers. Today, they are all over the world providing disaster relief, including here in Southeast Alaska. On this Wednesday’s Juneau Afternoon, members of this organization will talk about how volunteers are helping Haines recover from 2020’s devastating landslide. Also, on this program: How a Gwich’in artist incorporates moose…

Part 1: Haines landslide recovery is an ongoing marathon, requiring strength and resilience.

Guests: Brandon Callahan Manager of Rebuild Operations, Team Rubicon. Larysa MurrayOperations Manager, West Branch of Team Rubicon in Haines. Sylvia Heinz, Coordinator, Haines Long Term Recovery Group.
Ten inches of rain in 48 hours, on top of ten feet of snow, was only the beginning of a long and difficult journey for the community of Haines. In December 2020, 144 households saw heavy damage from the landslides the rain unleashed. Some lost everything. The community’s capacity to respond was overwhelmed. One of…

Part 2: Colleen Firman Thomas’ exhibit, More than Survival, bridges two worlds.

Guests: Colleen Firmin Thomas, Gwich’in artist.
Growing up in Fort Yukon, a village in the heart of Interior Alaska, Colleen Firman Thomas didn’t have access to art supplies. But she didn’t let that limit her creativity. She went on to incorporate materials collected in the wild into her landscapes and textile pieces, now on exhibit at the Juneau Arts and Culture…

Part 3: Golden North Salmon Derby: Fishing, fun and fortune.

Guests: Ryan Beason, Territorial Sportsmen president. Shawn Hooton, Territorial Sportsmen vice president.
  The Golden North Salmon Derby is one of the longest running events in Juneau history and one of the Territorial Sportsmen’s main fundraisers. After 76 years, it continues to offer big prizes and big scholarships. Since the scholarship program began in 1953, the Territorial Sportsmen has awarded nearly $2 million to students to help…

First things first. The band, Eddie from Ohio is not from Ohio, but from Virginia.  And yes, there’s an Eddie in the band, but he’s not from Ohio. But that hasn’t stopped the four members of the band from playing together since 1991. The connections between this group go back to their college and high…

Part 1: Eddie from Ohio’s eclectic sound and style.

Guests: Robbie Schaefer, vocalist and lead guitarist.
Eddie from Ohio will perform a concert in Juneau on Thursday, August 11th at 4:00 p.m. at Tracy’s Crab Shack #2, next to the Coast Guard. The band is on what they’ve billed as a farewell tour. After more than 30 years of  working as a full time, touring group, the band has decided it’s…

Part 2: Friday, August 12th: SAIL whale watching cruise.

Guests: Daniel Parks, Southeast Alaska Independent Living, ORCA Juneau Team Leader.
Southeast Alaska Independent Living, or SAIL, provides a variety of services to help seniors and others overcome challenges from physical disabilities. Its ORCA program, an acronym for Outdoor Recreation and Community Access, provides adaptive equipment and training, so those in wheelchairs or coping with other disabilities can experience the joys of downhill skiing and other…