In time, Juneau residents will learn how Mayor Stephen “Greg” Fisk died.
We will never learn what his tenure as mayor might have meant to Alaska’s capital city.
Fisk was brimming with big ideas, from his plan for a downtown circulator to ease parking congestion to persuading the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to relocate jobs to Juneau.
It was his vision and optimism for our city’s future that galvanized voters during October’s municipal election. We at the Empire, like you, are left pondering not only how and why he died, but also what could have been had Fisk been able to fulfill his term.
More than 66 percent of voters saw Juneau as Fisk did. He had not only big ideas but a knack for communicating them. Fisk earned this newspaper’s endorsement because we bought into his vision as well; a vision where Juneau was more than a hub for government and tourism jobs; a vision where our city controlled its destiny rather than letting it be controlled by the market price of oil.
Thinking about what he might have done is only half the story. We’ll also miss Fisk for all the things he did.
Fisk was the first person to come forward with a solution a few years ago when it looked as though downtown’s only grocery store would be closing. He committed his energy toward providing resources for Alaska fishermen, forming a business plan for OceansAlaska to open the state’s first commercial shellfish hatchery. Others came to know him as a member of the Juneau Economic Development Council board.
It was easy to forget that Fisk was 70 years old; his energy and enthusiasm masked the number of birthdays he had celebrated. But when talking to Fisk, whether about city codes or local history, the wisdom behind his years was apparent.
Much is still unknown about the circumstances of Fisk’s death, and it’s easy to fall into the rumor mill. The Juneau Police Department is investigating his death, just as it does all those who die alone, and it’s too soon to begin speculating about the cause until an autopsy is conducted. If you think you know something useful, call JPD. If what you know is merely hearsay, keep it to yourself.
National media parachuted into Juneau on Monday, with every major news station and several nationally syndicated programs taking interest in Fisk’s death. The rumor mill is partially to blame for this, with some speculation teetering between reckless and slanderous. That’s not what this situation calls for, and it is not the best way to respect someone who committed himself to our city for the last 40 years.
In an interview with Fisk one month ago, Empire reporter Sam DeGrave asked him what he wanted his legacy to be. Fisk replied that it was too early to talk legacy, and his biggest hope was to bring people together to make Juneau a better place to live, work and play.
We should honor Fisk by committing ourselves to that goal.
As Fisk said Oct. 6, the night he won the election: “Sometimes we need to get our eyes off the sidewalk and look up to see where we’re going.”
Juneau has lost its leader, and so we must all take his place. We must become leaders. We must keep our heads up, eyes forward and minds toward the future.
It’s what Fisk would have wanted for us all.
