I wonder sometimes if am I unique in my expectations that when dinner is on the table, my family will be ready to dine. I don’t think so, yet I can’t help but wonder.

ANGOON

Between 60 and 70 percent of Alaska's seafood is exported to customers around the globe, and the strength of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar plays a big role in annual sales. Tracking by the Juneau-based McDowell Group for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute shows mid-year ups and downs for Alaska's biggest seafood buyers.

Zach Gordon Youth Center will offer four, free spoken word workshops over the next two weeks for youth ages 9-21. The workshops, taught by local artist Christy NaMee Eriksen, will focus on creative writing, performance, and diversity. Spoken word is one component of a series of art classes made possible by a Catalyst Grant from the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council. Workshops are from 5-6pm on May 13, May 16, May 17, and May 21st.

Join the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station as it formally dedicates its new laboratory in Juneau. The celebration begins with an open house and tours from noon-3 p.m., and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony and program from 3-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 in Auke Bay (11175 Auke Lake Way). The 11,000-square-foot laboratory, heated with ground-source geothermal energy and outfitted with other energy-efficient features, will serve as a hub of collaborative Forest Service research in southeast Alaska. The ceremony will culminate with the unveiling and raising of two house posts, carved by Tlingit master carver Wayne Price of Haines. Honored guests will include Tlingit elders who have partnered with the lab on the design of the house posts and other activities. Guided tours of the building will be available.

ACOA/CODA Meeting, Wed. and Fri., Noon-1 p.m., Northern Light United Church, 400 11th St; Sun. 11 a.m.-Noon, CBJ Assembly Chambers.

The Juneau community is invited to attend a Statter Harbor Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at noon on May 15. This event will commemorate the successful completion of Phase I of the Statter Harbor master plan. The Mayor and Juneau legislative delegation will be on hand to appropriately celebrate this $8.5 million project which replaces Dehart's Marina and provides needed repairs to the existing floats. This will also coincide with the annual Docks & Harbors Customer Appreciation Day - which will provide hot dogs and drinks to our harbor patrons. All are welcome to the event which is funded with volunteer donations. It is anticipated that the reserved moorage slips will be available after 4:30 p.m. on May 15.

I've recently acquired nicknames such as "Tortuga" (Spanish for tortoise) and "Abuelo" (Spanish for grandfather). My younger cycling companions have given me these names, either because of my patient and careful demeanor, or due to my whacked-out perception of time and duration. I generally prefer the former.

SITKA - The University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus honored the Class of 2013 during its commencement ceremony on May 3, at the UAS Sitka Campus.

Planting seeds is both practical and satisfying but the real fun comes from trying something new. The staggering selection of seed varieties available today can be overwhelming as we peruse the gardening catalogs but at least a wide range of interesting choices are available. Most of my gardening space is taken up with favorite vegetables, herbs, and the usual marigolds, nasturtiums and zinnias I like to scatter throughout but there are always a few new items I haven't tried before.

Navy Seaman Apprentice Amanda D. Johnson, a 2010 graduate of Ketchikan High School, Ketchikan, Alaska, was recently promoted to her current rank upon graduation from recruit training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

Japanese bombs fell on the Aleutian Islands during World War II, a historical fact most people know. One of the little known events was the balloon bomb attacks on other parts of Alaska and the Pacific Coast.

Wednesday, May 15

Dear Rex,

KETCHIKAN - In an effort to further enhance patient safety, Ketchikan Medical Center (KMC) will become the first hospital in the PeaceHealth system and the fourth facility in Alaska to implement the SurgiCount Safety-Sponge in its Operating and Delivery Rooms. The SurgiCount system provides a proven solution to prevent one of the most common surgical errors, retained medical devices. Without the system, sponges get left inside one patient in every 6,000 surgeries in the U.S.

"One individual Lego."

The Juneau-Douglas High School Interact Club would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone in the community who participated in this year's sock drive for orphan souls. Over the month of March we obtained 839 pairs of socks, half of which will be distributed within the United States while the other half will be sent out internationally to children in other parts of the world. We appreciate everyone's help, especially our sponsors, Nugget Alaska Outfitters, Foggy Mountain shop, Taku 105, Juneau Empire, Capital City Weekly, World Wide Movers, Walmart, and Gastineau Rotary Club, for making the drive possible.

Getting around in Juneau can be difficult enough with standing water, snow berms, and bears to contend with. Barriers to access such as curbs, stairs, and narrow or obstructed paths all make walking, not to mention using a wheelchair, much more difficult but can be remedied once they are identified, unlike horizontal rain.

Wednesday, May 8

It might still feel like winter but Alaska's 2013 salmon season will officially get underway on May 16, when the first runs of reds and kings are scheduled to arrive at Copper River.