Mark Sabbatini

Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File
Kyle Farley-Robinson, left, Jon Hays, center, and Dr. Alexander Tutunov play “Romance And Waltz For Six Hands Piano” by Sergei Rachmaninoff during the Juneau Piano Series featuring Dr. Tutunov at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019.

Making a Liszt, playing it twice as opener for JAHC piano concert series

Works by Hungarian composer featured in solo performance by series’ artistic director.

Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File
Kyle Farley-Robinson, left, Jon Hays, center, and Dr. Alexander Tutunov play “Romance And Waltz For Six Hands Piano” by Sergei Rachmaninoff during the Juneau Piano Series featuring Dr. Tutunov at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019.
A blueprint shows the planned second phase of a commercial and resident development project in downtown Juneau, which is currently used by seasonal food trucks and where the historic Elks Lodge was located. (Illustration by Northwind Architects submitted to the City and Borough of Juneau)

What’s next for old Elks Lodge site? Owner proposes ‘South Franklin Food Court and Housing’

Indoor/outdoor pavilion, food trucks, restaurant and up to 100 housing units in plan.

A blueprint shows the planned second phase of a commercial and resident development project in downtown Juneau, which is currently used by seasonal food trucks and where the historic Elks Lodge was located. (Illustration by Northwind Architects submitted to the City and Borough of Juneau)
Riley Woodford performs during the Gold Street Music Concert Series in 2020. He will return to perform solo and emcee the first show of this year’s series at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Church of the Holy Trinity. (Photo courtesy of Gold Street Music)

Variety of musicians look to shine at Gold Street Music Concert Series

Five sets by local performers young and old scheduled for first show Saturday.

Riley Woodford performs during the Gold Street Music Concert Series in 2020. He will return to perform solo and emcee the first show of this year’s series at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Church of the Holy Trinity. (Photo courtesy of Gold Street Music)
Only a portion of the first floor of the historic Elks Lodge at 109 S. Franklin St. remains standing amidst debris and heavy equipment on Thursday afternoon due to ongoing demolition work this week. The building’s owner has told city officials he hopes to build housing at the site, which is adjacent to where he runs a food stall business. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Historic Elks Lodge torn down, contrary to owner’s claim action was likely months away

Most of 1908 building demolished as of Thursday; owner tells city he wants to build housing.

Only a portion of the first floor of the historic Elks Lodge at 109 S. Franklin St. remains standing amidst debris and heavy equipment on Thursday afternoon due to ongoing demolition work this week. The building’s owner has told city officials he hopes to build housing at the site, which is adjacent to where he runs a food stall business. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Nov. 1, 2005. (Photo by Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Nov. 1, 2005. (Photo by Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Randal Jim (center) and Joey Ludlam replace a “Seward St.” with a “Heritage Way” sign at midday Wednesday, the day the new name became official for a two-block portion of the downtown street. About 50 local tribal leaders, city officials and others attended a ceremony at Sealaska Plaza marking the name change effort that originated in April. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Two blocks of what used to be Seward Street are now officially Heritage Way

Tribal and city leaders celebrate renaming as part of “reclaiming” area’s Alaska Native heritage.

Randal Jim (center) and Joey Ludlam replace a “Seward St.” with a “Heritage Way” sign at midday Wednesday, the day the new name became official for a two-block portion of the downtown street. About 50 local tribal leaders, city officials and others attended a ceremony at Sealaska Plaza marking the name change effort that originated in April. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé varsity volleyball team celebrates a comeback five-set win against Ketchikan High School on Saturday night at JDHS. Ketchikan won the first two sets before JDHS won the next three, all by close back-and-forth scores until the fifth set which the Crimson Bears won decisively. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

JDHS, TMHS volleyball teams celebrate Senior Nights with wins over Ketchikan

Crimson Bears win five-set comeback thriller; Falcons continue strong season with straight-sets win.

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé varsity volleyball team celebrates a comeback five-set win against Ketchikan High School on Saturday night at JDHS. Ketchikan won the first two sets before JDHS won the next three, all by close back-and-forth scores until the fifth set which the Crimson Bears won decisively. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board members, staff and advisors meet Monday at the corporation’s headquarters in Juneau to discuss a proposal to raise the fund’s rate of return by making riskier investments. The idea stalled when advisors suggested the strategy and timing are ill-advised. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire).

Permanent Fund board rebuffs higher-risk investment strategy

Advocates hoped to speed up fund reaching $100B, but advisors call timing and strategy unwise.

Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board members, staff and advisors meet Monday at the corporation’s headquarters in Juneau to discuss a proposal to raise the fund’s rate of return by making riskier investments. The idea stalled when advisors suggested the strategy and timing are ill-advised. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire).
A map by the U.S. Geological Survey shows where a magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred near Juneau at 7:44 p.m. Friday. (U.S. Geological Survey)

At least two earthquakes near Glacier Bay felt Friday night in Juneau

Magnitude 5.1 quake at 7:01 p.m. followed by magnitude 5.3 quake 89 miles northwest of town.

A map by the U.S. Geological Survey shows where a magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred near Juneau at 7:44 p.m. Friday. (U.S. Geological Survey)
Workers remove awning from the old Elks Lodge building at 109 S. Franklin St. at midday Monday. While heavy construction equipment is parked next to the structure, the owner says no decision about the fate of the building has been made yet. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

A bit of the historic former Elks Lodge downtown is coming down, but the building isn’t for now

Fate of building that was home to first territorial Legislature still being determined, owner says.

Workers remove awning from the old Elks Lodge building at 109 S. Franklin St. at midday Monday. While heavy construction equipment is parked next to the structure, the owner says no decision about the fate of the building has been made yet. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Felicia Price, an employee of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, hands a copy of the Lingít-language book “Kuhaantí” to her son, Brayden, 8, while staffing the distribution table for the book with co-worker Genevieve McFadden during its release party Friday night at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Landmark Lingít-language children’s book is an ‘orphan’ with a very large family

“Kuhaantí,” first release of its kind in decades, part of nine-story collaborative tribal project.

Felicia Price, an employee of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, hands a copy of the Lingít-language book “Kuhaantí” to her son, Brayden, 8, while staffing the distribution table for the book with co-worker Genevieve McFadden during its release party Friday night at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
University of Alaska environmental science professor Eran Hood (foreground right) and National Weather Service Juneau hydrologist Aaron Jacobs discuss their hope of renaming Suicide Basin to Kʼóox Ḵaadí Basin, a Tlingit name referring to a small weasel-like mammal in the area — during a presentation Friday at the University of Alaska Southeast. They also discussed the basin’s history, a record flood from it that occurred this summer and the possibility of future such floods. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
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Experts seek to rename Suicide Basin to Kʼóox Ḵaadí Basin; warn its deadly flood threat rising

History, future and monitoring of ice dam that caused record flooding this year focus of UAS event.

University of Alaska environmental science professor Eran Hood (foreground right) and National Weather Service Juneau hydrologist Aaron Jacobs discuss their hope of renaming Suicide Basin to Kʼóox Ḵaadí Basin, a Tlingit name referring to a small weasel-like mammal in the area — during a presentation Friday at the University of Alaska Southeast. They also discussed the basin’s history, a record flood from it that occurred this summer and the possibility of future such floods. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
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Alaska Electric Light and Power Co.’s Lemon Creek operations center in Juneau. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

AEL&P rates change — up for most customers, down for small commercial users

New rates part of two-step process that included 4.5% increase for all users last year.

Alaska Electric Light and Power Co.’s Lemon Creek operations center in Juneau. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Marta Lastufka (left) plays the lead role of Nora while Becky Orford plays Anne Marie in a rehearsal of “A Doll’s House, Part 2” at the Filipino Community Hall on Thursday. The play is scheduled to debut at the hall at 7 p.m. next Wednesday, with 12 more performances at venues around Juneau through Nov. 19. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

A notorious woman’s challenging return home — on stage and in real life

Longtime actor Marta Lastufka returns after many years in Theater Alaska’s “In A Doll’s House, Part 2”

Marta Lastufka (left) plays the lead role of Nora while Becky Orford plays Anne Marie in a rehearsal of “A Doll’s House, Part 2” at the Filipino Community Hall on Thursday. The play is scheduled to debut at the hall at 7 p.m. next Wednesday, with 12 more performances at venues around Juneau through Nov. 19. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Newly-sworn Juneau Board of Education members Britteny Cioni-Haywood and David Noon (left) prepare to take their seats as outgoing members Brian Holst and Martin Stepetin Sr. (right) depart during the board’s meeting Tuesday night at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. At center, Jessica Richmond, administrative assistant to the Juneau School District superintendent, replaces the name signs of the board members at the two seats. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

School district gets $2.8M of bad news due to low enrollment and audit, but also $2.3M of good news

Preliminary audit shows faulty practices; meanwhile, state backs off fight on “over-the-cap” funds.

Newly-sworn Juneau Board of Education members Britteny Cioni-Haywood and David Noon (left) prepare to take their seats as outgoing members Brian Holst and Martin Stepetin Sr. (right) depart during the board’s meeting Tuesday night at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. At center, Jessica Richmond, administrative assistant to the Juneau School District superintendent, replaces the name signs of the board members at the two seats. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
This is a photo of the front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 23, 2005. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
This is a photo of the front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 23, 2005. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Runners and walkers of all ages cross the finish line of the second annual Real Talk Walk/Run on Saturday at the Airport Dike Trail. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Run/walk sets a pace for parenthood along the challenging course of life

“Mamas just get stronger and stronger. We have no choice.”

Runners and walkers of all ages cross the finish line of the second annual Real Talk Walk/Run on Saturday at the Airport Dike Trail. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Passengers return to the Norwegian Sun cruise ship early Wednesday evening, the final ship to visit Juneau this year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sun sets on record cruise ship season

1.65 million passengers representing 101% of ship capacity visited Juneau, preliminary figures show.

Passengers return to the Norwegian Sun cruise ship early Wednesday evening, the final ship to visit Juneau this year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Emily Wright, an assistant attorney for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains legal ramifications of the state’s new ban on transgender girls participating in girls high school sports to the Juneau Board of Education on Tuesday night at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Legal, moral concerns raised by local school and city officials about state’s transgender sports ban

School board seeks more input after hearing ban violates city bylaws and maybe state’s Constitution.

Emily Wright, an assistant attorney for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains legal ramifications of the state’s new ban on transgender girls participating in girls high school sports to the Juneau Board of Education on Tuesday night at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau City and Borough Attorney Robert Palmer, left, swears in Assembly members Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, Ella Adkison and Paul Kelly on Monday night in the Assembly chambers. Adkison and Kelly are new members of the Assembly after winning open seats in the Oct. 3 municipal election, while incumbents Hughes-Skandijs and Christine Woll — who was sworn in remotely via Zoom at the same time — were reelected to their seats. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

New Assembly members make immediate impact on controversial issues at first meeting

Decisive votes on hotel bed tax and Huna Totem dock project among full slate of hot topics.

Juneau City and Borough Attorney Robert Palmer, left, swears in Assembly members Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, Ella Adkison and Paul Kelly on Monday night in the Assembly chambers. Adkison and Kelly are new members of the Assembly after winning open seats in the Oct. 3 municipal election, while incumbents Hughes-Skandijs and Christine Woll — who was sworn in remotely via Zoom at the same time — were reelected to their seats. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)