On March 13, 1987, Juneau Girls Scouts celebrated the 75th anniversary since the national program’s founding. The celebration included balloons, singing, a birthday cake and Girl Scout cookies. There were about 550 Girl Scouts in Juneau and most of attended the celebration.
The University of Alaska-Juneau dean, William Demmert, was chosen as the top pick for the Alaska Board of Education’s new education commissioner. If Gov. Steve Cowper agrees with the choice made after the board’s vote via secret ballot held at noon, Demmert will have been the first Native education commissioner in Alaska.
The City and Borough of Juneau found that the amount of sales tax owed increased 145 percent from the previous year after reviewing an audit of fiscal year 1986. There was a total of more than $800,000 in sales tax owed to the municipality.
Gold was found by city-borough worker Grant Ritter while inspecting an old mining tunnel that was converted into a water reservoir. After seeing small gold flecks in the mud, Ritter hauled a bucketful to show to his supervisor. The mud was sent to a testing lab down in California, where the gold would be tested in addition to the standardized tests water reservoirs must be put under.
Due to a smaller budget, the Bartlett Memorial Hospital permanently released seven of its employees and temporarily released another 26 of them. Each employee were on a thirty-days notice.
“This Day in Juneau History” is compiled by Empire freelancer Tasha Elizarde, who sums up the day’s events — 30 years ago — by perusing Empire archives.
