Capital Chat

𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘂 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿: Welcome, all, to our Juneau Job Fair this month!

WHEN: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, March 27, 2026

WHERE: Nugget Mall, 8745 Glacier Highway

For more information about this community event, job fair preparation or other Juneau Job Center services, call (907) 465-4562.

For this and other job opportunities, visit https://jobs.alaska.gov/jobfairs/index.html

The national Roadless Rule was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 2001 and was met with overwhelming public support.  It granted protections from development for over 50 million acres of roadless areas across the country, including 9.3 million acres of the Tongass. 

Alaska’s out-of-touch elected leadership, however, have opposed it from the start. Most recently, when President Donald Trump was elected, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy met with him privately on Air Force One in 2019 to talk about exempting Alaska from the Roadless Rule, according to The Washington Post. A few months later, the Trump administration’s U.S. Forest Service announced it was considering fully removing Roadless Rule protections from the Tongass.

Southeast Alaskans immediately sprang into action to protest this drastic change, which would make it easier to clearcut vast swaths of old-growth trees and build new logging roads, thus threatening essential salmon and wildlife habitat and Southeast’s fishing and tourism economy.

Southeast Alaskans made their wishes known loud, clear and en masse in public meetings, forums and comments: The Tongass needs Roadless Rule protections.

Writer and Director of the film American Solitaire, Aaron Davidman, joins Capital Chat to discuss the debut showing at Goldtown Theater.

American Solitaire Southeast Alaska Pre-Release Film Tour, Highlighting Veterans’ Stories and Gun Violence Prevention, directed by Aaron Davidman; starring Joshua Close; Executive Producers David Oyelowo and Lisa Bruce.

March 23rd, 2026, at 6:30 pm, Goldtown Theater - American Solitaire, is a gripping new narrative film exploring the United States’ complex relationship with guns. Written and directed by Aaron Davidman in his cinematic directorial debut following acclaimed theatrical work (Wrestling Jerusalem), the film offers a deeply personal exploration of trauma, masculinity, and resilience through the story of a wounded veteran navigating reintegration and fatherhood in a country where firearms are deeply ingrained.

The events will include a post-screening conversation with director Aaron Davidman. The limited events in Alaska will be followed by an official theatrical release and Impact Campaign in partnership with Picture Motion. A leading social impact agency that uses film and storytelling to spark cultural dialogue. “American Solitaire came from a place of heartbreak and hope,” said Aaron Davidman. “It’s a story about a veteran, but it’s also about all of us. It explores how we heal, how we carry trauma, and how we try to make sense of a country defined by both violence and resilience. I wrote the screenplay in Haines, where I live in the summer. Bringing the film to Southeast is important to me.”

The film is produced with the support of acclaimed actor and producer David Oyelowo (Selma, Lawmen: Bass Reeves), his company Yoruba Saxon, and producer Lisa Bruce (The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour). Their collaboration amplifies the film’s cultural resonance and positions it as a vital conversation starter on one of America’s most pressing issues. Davidman workshopped an early draft of the project in a stage-play format (then titled Ghost Town Bardo) at the Chilkat Center for the Arts in Haines as a public reading in the summer of 2021. It was followed by a community conversation with then AK Writer Laureate Heather Lende.

This stage play was the seed for the screenplay that became American Solitaire. Juneau audiences have some familiarity with Davidman’s work. He directed Marcus Gardley’s epic The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry, at Perseverance Theater in 2013. His play, Wrestling Jerusalem, was presented at the JACC by Perseverance Theater in 2016. The film version of Wrestling Jerusalem screened at the Juneau Jewish Film Festival in 2019.

Presented by Goldtown Theater in partnership with other community organizations. For more information about the film, please visit americasolitairefilm.com. 

Cade was diagnosed with hereditary spastic paraplegia. Cade's mom, Emma joins Capital Chat to share the news that Cade was selected for the clinical trial of gene therapy for SPG50. The family will be in Texas for the next 2 to 3 months.

Cade Jobsis, a young boy from Juneau, Alaska, is receiving a, groundbreaking gene therapy for his rare genetic condition, AP4 Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (SPG50). Following massive local support and over $1 million raised toward the funding of the clinical trial.

SPG50 is an ultra-rare, degenerative, neurodegenerative disease that leads to the loss of motor and cognitive function. A specially developed, single-injection gene therapy is used to target and correct the genetic mutation. The Juneau community and donors contributed over $1 million in 2025 to fund the clinical trial, with significant fundraising efforts from his family,

Women of Distinction Gala & Silent Auction

Celebrate women of distinction in our community;

Recognize women whose work (paid and/or volunteer) has benefited the lives of women and children in Juneau; Honor unsung SHEroes of the community, as well as those with publicly recognized achievements; Support and encourage community members and groups to recognize women of distinction within their organizations; and raise funds to support AWARE’s work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

For additional information regarding Women of Distinction, contact Mandi Canady by email at [email protected] or by phone call at 907-586-6623, ext. 227. 

 Representatives from the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and Southeast Alaska Land Trust joined the program to voice opposition to the proposed Cascade Point development. They expressed concern that $28.5 million has been committed before key environmental reviews, tribal consultation, and permitting processes are complete. The groups outlined ecological, cultural, and ferry system funding impacts tied to the project and promoted a public forum at the JACC aimed at informing the community and gathering broader input. 

The Juneau Douglas Ice Association (JDIA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an affiliate in good standing with USA Hockey and the Alaska State Hockey Association (ASHA). JDIA is dedicated to providing a developmental and recreational youth hockey program.

JDIA holds its practices, instructional sessions, scrimmages, and games at Treadwell Ice Arena. Use of this facility is based on rental agreements, and scheduling is subject to change at the discretion of the Rink Manager, CBJ-Parks and Recreation Department.

JDIA offers a safe and fun hockey program for youth ages 4–18. We promote fair ice time for all players during JDIA games. Coaches are encouraged to make every effort to distribute ice time equitably among team members. This policy generally applies to goalies as well, though coaches have discretion in rotating goalies on teams with more than one. Travel team coaches are granted greater flexibility in managing player ice time.

JDIA follows the American Development Model (ADM), a nationwide framework developed by USA Hockey to help young athletes reach their full potential. The ADM ensures equal opportunities for all players to succeed by encouraging athletes of all skill levels to play together. This inclusive approach allows players to learn from one another and benefit from high-quality coaching.

In alignment with ASHA, JDIA has adopted the ADM across all age groups. A key component of the ADM is promoting balance. Research shows that top-performing hockey players often participate in a variety of sports and activities—not just hockey. For this reason, we encourage year-round athletic participation in multiple disciplines.

The ADM also emphasizes individual skill development. JDIA practices focus on helping each player reach their full potential while maintaining a fun and engaging environment. Practices often include small-area drills and games, which improve puck handling and skating skills. Since hockey games are typically won through small battles in corners and in front of the net—not just breakaways—this approach better prepares players for real-game scenarios.

JDIA remains committed to incorporating ADM principles into its hockey program to support the development of well-rounded, skilled, and confident players.

 This program is partially funded by the citizens of the City & Borough of Juneau through sales tax revenue.

The planned rebuild of Marine Park will begin on Monday, March 2. Construction is expected to last through 2026 with estimated completion in April 2027. During this time, pedestrians will need to follow signs around the construction site. A map of pedestrian routes, along with information about the project, can be found at bit.ly/MarineParkProject.  

Reconstruction of Marine Park is funded entirely by Marine Passenger Fees, which are fees and taxes the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) collects from the cruise ship industry. The funds are restricted by the U.S. Constitution to projects benefitting cruise ships and their passengers.  

Planning for the Marine Park rebuild began in 2023, when CBJ received over 1000 public survey responses and input from multiple public meetings. Based on the public input received, the final park was designed to provide a central gathering place for use in all seasons and by all ages, with the flexibility for a variety of community events and activities. The park will include an open plaza area with Northwest Coast formline inlay, a covered performance stage, ADA accessible picnic tables, seating overlooking the Juneau Seawalk, two vendor kiosks and a small play area.  

CBJ is working to relocate regular vendors to new areas during the construction. Construction is being completed by Dawson Construction LLC.  

For more information about Marine Park and the Marine Park Master Plan, contact CBJ Parks & Recreation at [email protected] or 907-586-5226.