Empire Archives is a series printed every Saturday featuring a short compilation of headline stories in the Juneau Empire from archived editions in 1984, 1994 and 2004.
This week in 1984, a schoolwide attendance policy, a half-hour lunch period and a longer school day are some of the proposed policies that the new principal of Juneau-Douglas High School will bring before the Juneau Board of Education tonight. The 7 p.m. special meeting at Harborview Elementary School will be the first unveiling of the new high school plan before the school board. Principal Chris Bogden said he will be seeking board endorsement of the plan and the procedure to reach the plan. Bogden will be in charge of an estimated 1,200 to 1,400 students, as some 460 ninth-grade students move into the high school under the new middle school program. In addition to more students, there has also been a 40% increase in staff and a vice-principal position added.
Today Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé has more than 1,100 students attending as the school year starts, following a consolidation that put all students in grades 9-12 back into a single high school.
Original Story: “High school policy faces board,” by Betsy Longenbaugh. 8/15/1984.
This week in 1994, voters will be asked in October to increase the city’s 4% sales tax to five cents on the dollar. But whether the hike is offset by exempting food and other essentials such as heating fuel and electricity from sales tax remains undecided. The city-borough assembly narrowly approved the sales tax ballot measure Monday, upping the amount from the original proposal of 4.75% to a 5% tax — but deferred action on a companion ordinance granting the new exemptions. Members said they chose an even 5% tax because they believe it will be easier for merchants and consumers. The tax increase would go toward municipal operating expenses, capital projects and the city savings account.
Today the city’s sales tax remains 5% as voters have opted every five years to renew a temporary 1% sales tax, most recently in 2023 to keep it in effect until 2028. The assembly has in recent years discussed sales tax exemptions on some foods, and other proposals such as a seasonal sales tax, but not adopted them as ordinances or placed the questions on the ballot.
Original Story: “Proposed sales tax hike headed to October ballot,” by Tim Huber. 8/16/1994.
This week in 2004, Juneau began Monday to clean up the mess after fire consumed one of the city’s oldest buildings. The building that housed the Subway sandwich shop, Dragon Inn restaurant and other businesses had stood at Front and Seward streets since 1896. City officials couldn’t say immediately how many businesses had space in the building or how many workers there lost jobs. Martin Beckner, Capital City Fire and Rescue operations division chief, said Monday he was still trying to figure out how many millions of dollars in damage the fire did. The department reported Sunday that the fire call came in at 2:50 p.m., about 15 minutes after it apparently began when workers were pouring hot tar on the roof above the Dragon Inn restaurant. Beckner said Monday he had no further information on the fire’s cause. Debbie Purves, from the city Community Development Department, visited the site Monday and said she didn’t see any obvious evidence of building code violations. City Manager Rod Swope said demolition of the burned-out remains was planned to begin today, and he expected it would take two or three days to clear the site.
Today the site has been resurrected as Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Walter Soboleff Building.
Original Story: “Cleanup begins after devastating fire,” by Tony Carroll and I-Chun Che. 8/17/2004.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
