All Together Now

October 2, 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Our state elections aren't as nasty as the national race seems to be. And our municipal and school board races generally do an even better job of keeping to the issues There's a lot at stake, so contention is natural. Keeping it to issues and actions helps keep us away from personality fights.

The Time is Tuesday

And with that, a quick reminder Tuesday is local election day! Make sure to vote – whether you go in person or use a by-mail ballot. Here’s more info on the Juneau, Haines, Skagway, Gustavus, and Klukwan elections. Your local government and school board make big decisions about our communities and our schools. Don’t miss the vote!

I dropped my city election ballot in the mail last week!

Census Shenanigans

I know I promised in my last newsletter that it would be my final reminder to fill out the census – but there are new developments! See, the census deadline has been something of a moving target. First set to wrap at the end of July, the date was pushed to October 31 so census workers could make up time lost to COVID.

Then with little notice, the federal government tried to end the census at the end of September instead. A court issued an injunction saying they couldn’t do that.

Apparently, the census bureau got miffed, and decided to stop the counting a mere five days later, on Monday. To the surprise of approximately no people, the court issued another injunction. Now they’re back to October 31. The first injunction was appealed and the government lost, so now they’re appealing the second injunction. Confused yet? Me too.

The U.S. Constitution requires the census. We use it to determine representation and federal funding for a decade. This chaos isn’t a good approach to getting a good count. So while there may be more changes to the end date, the best response is to fill out your census now!

Let’s Get Together

I listened in on an Alaska health policy conference on Wednesday. Mostly, the speakers said health care is expensive and complicated. But one thing stood out – they talked repeatedly about the need to cooperate more: among providers; among systems (tribal, private, and government;) and for everyone to share and use more and better information.

The lack of connections and information sharing statewide was a stark contrast to some other projects I dug into this week. The Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center is example #1. ACRC brings together scientists from UAS, NOAA, the US Forest Service, UAF, and more to take a comprehensive approach to coastal science. They look at climate change, marine biology, forestry, glaciers, water, and many other interconnected aspects of coastal ecology. Plus, check out this new video on Suicide Basin! (By the way, do you know where that name came from? It's awful. Email me if you have insights?)

Example #2 is the latest developments toward a new, expanded Sitka hospital, where SEARHC and Sitka Community Hospital merged a few years ago. The move seems to have worked. They're almost ready to launch a $300 million project improving and expanding care for the community.

Connections and cooperation in our region are working. It's yet another way Southeast Alaska is setting examples for the rest of the state to follow.

All my best,

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Events & More Around District Q

Juneau Perseverance Theatre’s Black Alaskan Art Matters:

Meet the Artists Part 1

Let’s listen, learn, and lift up Black Alaskan Art through this virtual exhibit on Oct. 5.

Juneau Egan/Yandukin Intersection Improvements Project

What’s going at the Egan/Yandukin intersection – come find

out on Oct. 14! Tell DOT they should connect Old Glacier Highway to the McNugget Intersection! (Not that I have an opinion...)

Juneau Parks & Rec

Crack the Code

Get your detective hat on. It’s time to crack the code!

Check it out Oct. 24 – you can choose easy mode or expert!

Hospice of Haines Virtual Pie Booth!

We missed some sweets at the fair, but they’re coming to you virtually to support a great cause! Bidding is open until Oct. 15.

Skagway Public Library Book Sale!

Getting ready for winter is easy when you have a good book to read! Check them out Oct. 3!

Skagway Robotics – The Prickles: Ice Cream Fundraiser!

Support some remarkable teens on the last day for scoops and shakes in Skagway this year! The robotics team gets the benefit from your sweet tooth on Oct. 3!

Skagway’s Fall Festival

It’s a beautiful day (weekend) in the neighborhood for the Annual Fall Festival from Oct. 16-18!

Gustavus H.I.T Program

Hunter Education

It's not too late to H.I.T the mark and get your hunter ed card, Gustavans (don’t forget to finish the online portion first!)

The in-person field day is Oct. 16.