The Council asked each of the candidates for Assembly and School Board for their thoughts on issues relating to the arts and arts education, so that we can be informed voters on Oct. 3.
Loretto Jones sent her comments:
Questions for the 2017 October Municipal Election Assembly Candidates
- Describe your involvement/participation in the arts and cultural activities in
Juneau.
- How many times per year do you attend an arts and cultural event?
- What types of events do you attend?
- Are you a current member of any Juneau arts organizations? Which one(s)?
I enjoy live theatre and have attended many plays at Perseverance Theatre in Douglas. I am not a member.
- The Council recently adopted a resolution on diversity, equity, and inclusion, as did the Assembly. How can the arts and culture sector help address social issues to help make Juneau a healthy and vibrant community?
I think diversity, equity, and inclusion are paramount to a community as diverse as Juneau. Our homeless and substance abuse is a growing concern in Juneau.
As a community we must work together to address social issues.
Perhaps a fundraiser for the Glory Hole or the new housing project.
- The Council is embarked on building a facility dedicated to the arts and culture to replace the existing JACC: The New JACC. How familiar are you with this project? What role does the Assembly have in this effort?
Alaska is struggling toward a sustainable, long term budget plan. We have been dependent on federal grants and an oil-based economy. If elected, my two priorities is public safety and fiscal accountability. Differences among citizens and business with competing interests, and doing so as more and more services have been taken on by Juneau’s local government, we have largely lost sight of providing safety & security of our citizenry, mediating within our fiscal means.
- Juneau was recently named one of the top 10 Culturally Vibrant small towns in the United States by the Southern Methodist University National Center for Arts Research. How can this be leveraged to advantage for our community? What can the Assembly do to support the continued growth of the arts industry here?
By promoting the Arts, we promote the rich culture of the Tlingit and Haida as well as the Filipino population. We are diverse and have some very talented local artists. As I listen to residents’ concerns, I hear we need criminal justice reform, tax reform, and how we need to build a sustainable economy to help reverse the current job loss, protect our fish, wildlife, and watersheds and deepening recession. While I support the Arts and enjoy quality art and jazz, my priority will be solutions for the opioid/heroin, crystal meth epidemic and crime prevention. Heroin needles litter the alleys and bathrooms of city facilities. Vandalism, harassment, and domestic violence fills AWARE. The Glory Hole is at capacity.
- Other thoughts or comments?
I want to see downtown a safe place again.