Department – Page 9 – City and Borough of Juneau

Totem pole conservation project to begin July 23rd at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum

Harnessing of the Atom Kootéeyaa (totem pole), located at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, will receive conservation care beginning July 23, at the City Museum. This project is supported by Juneau Rotary, the Friends of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, and individual donors.

On Wednesday, July 23^rd between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Harnessing of the Atom Kootéeyaa will be taken down and moved to the front lawn of the City Museum. During that time, there will be no parking in front of the museum nor on the Calhoun Ave. side of the building. Sidewalks around the museum will be closed and traffic will be reduced to one lane.

Harnessing of the Atom Kootéeyaa was carved by renowned Lingít carver and artist, Jeet Yaaw Dustaa Amos Wallace of the T’akdeintaan Clan of the X’aakw Hit (Freshwater marked Coho House) in 1967. In 1976, it was installed outside the Juneau Memorial Library which is now the Juneau-Douglas City Museum. When the pole was installed in 1976 a traditional method of mounting a totem was used. This involved digging a hole for the lower end of the post to rest in. Rocks lined the hole to provide drainage and stability. By 2003 the pole had developed a distinct lean and was in danger of severe damage. It was removed from its original, traditional mount. A new aluminum support post was mounted in a concrete base to provide better stability and prevent further damage.

It has been 22 years since Harnessing of the Atom Kootéeyaa was remounted and stabilized in 2003, and once again the pole needs conservation and care. This kind of care will require taking the pole down, replacing the base, stabilizing any worsening open splits, and cleaning and applying fungicide.

The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is located at 4th & Main St. Summer Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm and Saturday-Sunday 10am – 4:30pm. General admission is $7.00, admission for seniors (65 and older) is $6.00, and children under 13 are free when accompanied by an adult. As a Blue Star Museum, the City Museum offers free admission to active-duty military personnel including the National Guard and Reserves and their families.

July 22nd, 2025|

USACE, CBJ to host public information session about Mendenhall Valley technical study and path toward long-term solution

Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Alaska District and the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) will be available for a public information sharing session about the Mendenhall Valley glacial outburst technical study and how it supports a long-term mitigation solution. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time in Juneau at Thunder Mountain Middle School for anyone interested in learning about this effort.

The purpose of this event is to provide a general project status update on the ongoing work related to the technical study and the path forward. USACE will provide a brief presentation on the technical study followed by a question-and-answer session. USACE representatives will be from its Civil Works Branch focused on the long-term solution to mitigate the flood risk in the Mendenhall Valley. The USACE Emergency Management Program team will not be present, however, representatives from CBJ, Tlingit & Haida, the National Weather Service, the American Red Cross and the University of Alaska, Southeast will also be available with technical information and flood preparedness resources following the USACE presentation.

USACE is conducting a technical study for flood risk management of the Mendenhall Valley in Juneau under Section 8315 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. The cost of the study is about $4.75 million and fully funded by the federal government. The primary goal of the technical effort is to establish the existing conditions within the study area so the USACE team can assess the viability of potential long-term solutions. Elements that will be included in the final report are evaluations of hydrology and hydraulics as well as geomatic, geotechnical and economic conditions within the study area. A high-level environmental assessment will be performed as well.

The Mendenhall Valley is a densely populated residential area within the CBJ and located about 11 miles north of the Capitol Building in downtown Juneau. Currently, the area is at a significant and ongoing risk of flooding due to glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) events from the Mendenhall Glacier. These GLOF events occur when a glacial dammed lake drains rapidly, releasing a surge of water downstream. These outburst floods pose a major threat to people and infrastructure in the region.

###For questions related to the status of the Mendenhall Valley Technical Study project, please contact [email protected].

July 22nd, 2025|

Men’s and Women’s Volleyball registration opens July 28

Registration for Parks & Recreation Men’s and Women’s Volleyball opens Monday, July 28. Register online (bit.ly/registerCBJparks) until August 7 at 11:59 p.m. The player fee is $50 per person. Team fees are $300 for Division 1 & 2 and $400 for all other divisions. Late registration will be available on August 8 until 4:30 p.m. with a $50 late fee.

League play begins September 2. The season will be 10-weeks long and includes 18 regular season matches and a post-season tournament. Find more details on the Men’s and Women’s Volleyball webpage (bit.ly/MWvball).

Three key steps to remember when registering:

Players register individually
Team manager registers the team
Team manager submits Roster/Classification Sheet

Those interested in playing but don’t have a team, can add their name to the pick-up list by completing this quick form (bit.ly/mwv-pickup).

The program needs volleyball officials. If interested, contact the Parks & Recreation office at 586-5226 or [email protected].

July 21st, 2025|

Hank Harmon Public Range Reopening July 19

City and Borough of Juneau Parks & Recreation Department is pleased to announce the reopening of the Hank Harmon Public Range on Saturday, July 19. The range will resume normal operating hours from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.

Please note that short-term temporary closures may occur in August to allow for the completion of additional project work.

The Hank Harmon Public Range (HHPR) is a free community facility owned by CBJ Parks & Recreation and managed by the volunteer-led HHPR Board. The facility includes two public shooting ranges: a 100-yard short range and a 440-yard long range.

In 2022, CBJ partnered with proHNS to complete preliminary design work, cost estimating, and an application for an ADF&G Pittman-Robertson Hunter Access Grant. The project was awarded nearly $1 million in funding for facility improvements.

Originally constructed in the early 1960s, the HHPR has undergone a comprehensive upgrade to improve safety, accessibility, and overall user experience. Key improvements include:

Replacement of deteriorating wooden barrier walls with a new earth berm between the two ranges
New custom concrete shooting stations
Upgraded shooting shelters with new roofing and gutter systems
Expanded and improved parking area with curbs, gutters, drainage infrastructure, and new asphalt paving
New signage and range boundary delineation to increase safety for adjacent recreation areas
Realignment of target berms for clear lines of sight
Regrading of range surfaces for better drainage
Improvements to the downrange access road
Installation of new safety signage throughout the facility
Designated ADA-accessible parking and access features

All improvements have been designed and constructed in accordance with National Rifle Association safety standards, ensuring Juneau-area hunters, recreational shooters, and outdoor enthusiasts have safe, year-round access to the facility.

The City and Borough of Juneau thanks its project partners for their contributions and support: the Hank Harmon Public Range Board, proHNS LLC, North 57 Land Surveying, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

For additional information about the facility or upcoming work, please contact CBJ Parks & Recreation at (907) 586-5226 or visit juneauparks.org. To reach the Hank Harmon Public Range Board directly, visit hhprjuneau.org.

July 19th, 2025|

Special Airport Board Meeting scheduled for July 21

A Special Airport Board Meeting has been scheduled for Monday, July 21, 2025 at noon at the Juneau International Airport Alaska Room. This meeting will be in-person only. The board will start in open season and move into executive session to interview a candidate for the Airport Manager Position.

The full agenda is available here: https://juneauak.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4579/files/agenda/10859

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For more information, please contact Shannon VanValin at 586-0962 or [email protected]

July 19th, 2025|