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Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom addresses the crowd during an inaugural celebration for her and Gov. Mike Dunleavy at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Jan. 20, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: The many truths Dahlstrom will deny

“Now more than ever, we need real conservative leadership in Washington to right the ship,” Lt. Gov. Nancy…

A person departs Bartlett Regional Hospital on July 26, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: The importance of a strong, independent community hospital

Juneau’s city-owned Bartlett Regional Hospital (BRH) is in the news, presenting our community with yet another challenging situation.

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Disappointed by JAHC director’s opposition to Ship-Free Saturdays

As a member of the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, I was confused by Executive Director Phil Huebschen’s…

Juneau residents pack a room at the downtown public library for a June 6 meeting of Eaglecrest Ski Area’s board of directors. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Eaglecrest unplugged

Serving on a board or commission is hard work and that service is typically appreciated, but when your…

Downtown Juneau in late October of 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: Mitigating the loss of tax revenue from cruise ship free Saturdays

The cruise ship free Saturday initiative presents us with a modified lesson in Newton’s law of motion. Every…

Leaders at Bartlett Regional Hospital listen to comments from residents during a forum Monday about proposed cuts to some services. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

My Turn: Bartlett board faces challenges

Once upon a time, Alaska’s capital had a well-run municipal hospital, but times change. In the complex world…

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: SEARHC’s goals seem likely to limit, rather than expand, health options in Juneau

Max Mertz’s comments at the Bartlett Regional Hospital public forum about SEARHC’s competitive, non-collaborative approach to health care…

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Allow locals to have their town back once a week during the summer

Perhaps Nate Vallier shrugs when he sees eagles and bears (My Turn, May 29), floating icebergs at the…

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower after he was found guilty of all counts in his criminal trial in New York on May 30. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times)

Opinion

Opinion: Trump’s new fixers

“Alaska Republicans back Trump after historic conviction in hush money case,” the Anchorage Daily News headline read as…

A Carnival cruise ship is berthed Juneau’s cruise ship docks during the summer of 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: Ignoring the consequences of ship-free Saturdays?

Backers of a cruise initiative to block large cruise ships from docking in Juneau on Saturdays and the…

Two skiers settle into a lift chair as they pass trees with fresh snow at Eaglecrest Ski Area on Dec. 20, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Eaglecrest Ski Area attempting to do too much without sensible leadership

Ever wonder what the 50-year-old clearcut above the beginner slopes at Eaglecrest is about? Dubbed “Mund’s Folly” by…

Juneau School District administrators and board members listen to a presentation about the district’s multi-million deficit during a Jan. 9 meeting. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: School board recall not a cure for ‘failure to thrive’

Decline happens over time. Kinda like the way we gain weight and let our credit cards get out…

(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Don’t believe doom-and-gloom predictions for ship-free Saturdays

As a 54-year resident of Juneau I have seen the summer cruise industry grow from a single weekly…

The 1,094-foot-long Norwegian Bliss docks in Juneau on April 9 to begin this year’s cruise ship season. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Consider the far-reaching and harmful consequences of Saturday cruise ship ban

The Juneau Arts and Humanities Council expresses our strong support for Protect Juneau’s Future, and to urge Juneau’s…

Juneau School District administrators and board members review the updated budget for the current fiscal year during a Board of Education meeting April 16 at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: School board recall is about more than ‘angry moms set on being vengeful’

It’s time to set the record straight about the school board recall. Many community members object to the…

Former Juneau Mayor Ken Koelsch in 2018. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Close, but no cigar on meaningful mill rate reduction by Juneau Assembly members

Before beginning my teaching career in Juneau in 1968, one of my favorite summer jobs was supervising the…

About 20 people gather in Marine Park at midday April 9 for a rally calling for a ban on large cruise ships on Saturdays in Juneau. Some of the participants are members of a committee planning to gather signatures for a petition to put the question on the ballot for local voters. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: Cruise ship free Saturdays seems like a reasonable compromise

Three years ago, I opposed the local initiatives to limit cruise ship traffic. On Sunday, I signed the…

Tourists walk the piers downtown on July 14, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Let’s get moderate heads together for a solution on cruise ship tourism

Come on Juneau, we’ve got to do better.

Passengers of the Norwegian Bliss look out across downtown Juneau as they wait to disembark on April 17, 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

My Turn: Juneau’s economy is not on the line — Ship-Free Saturdays is about better balance

Judging by the “Save Juneau” posters one would think that Juneau’s economic well-being is at stake with the…

The Alaska Marine Highway System ferry Columbia is seen in drydock on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022 in Ketchikan. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Opinion

Opinion: Overhauling the federal Jones Act would benefit Alaska, including the Marine Highway System

Antiquated or obsolete laws can be amusing; I recently learned that an obscure medieval law provides the right…