Capital Chat

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) is asking Juneau residents to share what city services they value most by taking the CBJ Community Compass Survey before mid-February. Community feedback collected through this survey will help inform the CBJ assembly’s budgeting process this spring. 

Following the passage of Proposition 2 (sales tax exemptions) in the October 7, 2025 Regular Municipal Election, significant reductions in sales tax revenue are expected to necessitate service-level cuts to the city’s annual budget. With the Fiscal Year 2027 budget process gearing up, CBJ seeks to understand community funding priorities and values to inform decision-making both this year, and into the future, through the CBJ Community Compass survey and outreach initiative.  

This effort will include an online survey, in-person workshops, and Assembly listening sessions exploring what CBJ services are most important to the community. The survey and workshops ask residents where they are willing to make tradeoffs and what is critical to their quality of life in Juneau. 

Juneau residents who complete the survey will have a chance to choose from a suite of CBJ passes and prizes. Only one survey response per person is permitted. The survey is administered by Rain Coast Data. All responses will remain confidential and reported to CBJ in summary form. 

Learn more about how to join a workshop and provide your input in the upcoming CBJ budgeting process by visiting juneau.org/community-compass.  

Joe Sehert joins Capital Chat to discuss the Shrine of St. Therese Annual Fundraiser and Auction happening on January 31st. The fundraiser is an essential part of the Shrine’s budget. It helps maintain 14,000 sq. ft. of gardens, 46 acres, 10 buildings, over 1 mile of trails, 2 miles of roads and parking lots. The Shrine is self-sustaining and receives no supplemental financial support.

Charlotte Truitt and Conductor Brad Hogarth join Capital Chat to talk about the first concert of the 2026 season, Resurgence & Rediscovery.

Brahms Symphony No. 1

Juneau-Douglas High School Auditorium
1639 Glacier Ave, Juneau, 99801

Program:

• Farrenc – Overture No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 24​​​​
• Grieg – Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
  • Soloist: Alexander Tutunov

—Intermission—

• Brahms – Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68This program shines a light on Romantic voices both familiar and rediscovered. Farrenc's spirited

 Overture No. 2 reclaims its rightful place in the repertoire, while Juneau's beloved visiting pianist, Alexander Tutunov, brings brilliance to Grieg's iconic concerts. Brahms' First Symphony crowns the evening with intensity, dignity, and perseverance.

Kenny Gross joins Capital Chat to discuss retirement and the sale of the family owned, Glacier Cinemas.

HISTORY:
In 1897, Russian-born William David Gross traveled North from Seattle to Alaska among a sea of dreamers who hoped to find their fortune during the Klondike Gold Rush. A businessman raised in a family of tailors, David followed his business acumen through the many opportunities that presented themselves. Working as a clerk became selling his own groceries and supplies, which in turn transitioned to owning a clothing and tailor shop. David followed where demand allowed him to continue his business ventures; as he ran clothing store after clothing store, he fostered an interest in the newfound technology of moving pictures.

In the early 1900s, David invested in saloons and later opened his first theatre with a loan from a dancer, Hansine Campen, the woman he would later marry. While it was not smooth sailing, David and Hansine traveled around Alaska, showcasing moving pictures as they went, including travels through Southeast Alaska, leading to the establishment of Gross Alaska Inc.’s current theatres in Juneau and Ketchikan.

We are proud to still be a part of these communities for over 125 years! The theatres are currently owned and operated by the 4th generation and we are happy to continue the family legacy by providing family entertainment to Southeast Alaska!

Bruce Abel and Matthew Bell from Access Alaska Coalition join Cap Chat to discuss the proposed Cascade Point Ferry Terminal. 

The deadline for public feedback on the first phase of the proposed Cascade Point Ferry Terminal near Juneau is Jan. 9.Under the state’s plan, the new ferry terminal would be built roughly 30 miles north of the existing Auke Bay terminal, on property owned by Goldbelt Incorporated, an Alaska Native Corporation. Overall costs for the project are expected to reach into the tens of millions of dollars.

The initial phase focuses on preparing the site for construction. The Alaska Department of Transportation has already authorized a $28.5 million contract to carry out phase one work starting this summer. Additionally, in December, the state finalized a $1.3 million agreement with Juneau Hydropower to supply equipment needed to electrify the planned dock.

True Crime Author Betsy Longenbaugh, and her husband Ed Schoenfeld present Death on the Ranch, the first of 3 Death, with Dessert programs exploring Juneau True Crime Stories. Tickets available for this Saturday, January 10th at Holy Trinity Church.

Aaron Surma,  Executive Director of NAMI joins Capital Chat to discuss resources available to our community.

Aaron has received mental health services for over twenty years.  During this time, he has experienced first-hand the power of peer support.  In particular, the role of peer support in helping people find their voice as it relates to their own recovery.  His goal is for people in Juneau to feel the confidence to make decisions about their mental health care while making sure the proper resources are available to them. Before joining NAMI Juneau in 2020, Aaron worked for the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition and a variety of community mental health providers.  He also has a degree in social work.

About  NAMI:
In 2008, after several student suicide death Juneau School District Psychologist Brendan Kiernan, applied for a grant from the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Behavioral Health to fund implementation of a suicide prevention curriculum known as “Signs of Suicide” or SOS at all district high schools.

Recognizing the importance of community-wide communication to address the problem of suicide in a comprehensive way, Brendan also formed a community-level advisory group consisting of representatives from local agencies and concerned Juneau residents. This group became known as The Juneau Community Suicide Prevention Task Force.

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Over the next three years, the Task Force successfully:

• Implemented the SOS curriculum in all Juneau high schools
• Began presenting a version of the curriculum to middle school students
• Developed suicide prevention brochures targeting specific at-risk groups
• Organized suicide prevention trainings for agency support staff
• Developed www.juneausuicideprevention.org 
• Created www.juneaumentalhealth.org 
• Developed a community-base suicide intervention curriculum known as Understanding Suicide: Building Intervention Skills.

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In the Summer of 2011, Juneau Youth Services assumed responsibility for managing the state grant. The Task Force was able to add two behavioral health specialists to work within the middle schools and high schools. They worked to identify and assist high-risk students and to provide training to school personnel. The Task Force also expanded their efforts to address “postvention” - by supporting families and community members  impacted by a suicide death and helping to mitigate the risk of further suicides. In addition, a community-based services coordinator was hired to coordinate community public awareness, training and postvention activities.

In March of 2012, the Juneau Community Suicide Prevention Task Force voted to change its name to the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition in order to reflect the group’s broad-based and ongoing mission.

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In 2015, the coalition completed a community needs assessment revealing that trauma, specifically Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs,) contribute to the majority of suicides.  The coalition then helped to form Raising Our Children With Kindness (ROCK Juneau), a cross sector collaborative aiming to reduce ACEs and increase equity for all kids.

In 2020, the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition became a program of NAMI Juneau. Since 2020, JSPC has increased work in means reduction, started a mental health storytelling project, engaged in anti-racism work, and hosted a variety of outreach events with community partners throughout Southeast Alaska. 

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Since our merger, NAMI Juneau and JSPC staff and leadership underwent the heartfelt process of defining equity, accessible programming, inclusion of lived experience, and the creation of our Land Acknowledgement, which serves as a guiding document with our Vision and Mission Statements. This process and these principles continue to serve us in the examination (and re-examination) of how we serve our communities and each other. Our partnerships have grown and reflect the communities we are able to provide meaningful services to. ​

Together We Are Strong!

CBJ Visitor Industry Director Alexandra Pierce and Engagement Specialist for City of Juneau, Phil Huebschen join Capital Chat to discuss this year's tourist season. Use of passenger fees and the upcoming Visitor Industry Task Force.

Explore the story of 49 Writers, a grassroots literary community born in 2009 when authors Deb Vanasse and Andromeda Romano-Lax merged their blogs to support Alaska’s writers. What began as shared posts soon grew into workshops, a nonprofit writing center in Anchorage, statewide classes, and the beloved Tutka Bay Writers Retreat. Through venue changes, expanding programs, and even a shift to all-volunteer, virtual operations in 2020, 49 Writers has remained dedicated to fostering creativity across Alaska. Join us as we trace the organization’s journey and celebrate the vibrant voices it continues to inspire. 

Some time just before Christmas, you'll find Lion members and volunteers huddling around outside in the cold winter weather, trying to keep warm.  It doesn't matter if the temps are in the low teens and the Taku Winds are blowing sideways, this annual fundraiser always brings a smile to the participants.  With the cooperation of Coastal Helicopters who donate their time, copters, and fuel, we take passengers on a helicopter ride over the Mendenhall Valley to view Christmas lights.  Buy your tickets here. They average about 300 passengers a year, during a four-hour period.  The proceeds from this event are shared with Coastal Helicopters whose chosen charity is the Children's Tumor Foundation and our share of the proceeds goes into other sight projects. For more information on exact date and time, contact the club at [email protected].  They typically start the rides around 4:00/4:30 but this night's event is always contingent upon Juneau weather.  You can find us at the Juneau Airport, near the small plane counters downstairs.