Museum Cuts and a Totem’s New Home | Anchorage News

The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is reeling from deep budget cuts that forced the ousting of its beloved director, Beth Weigel, after eight years on the job. With funding slashed by $261,000, the museum laid off its last full-time staff member and slashed hours to Wednesday through Saturday. Weigel’s final act: spearheading the preservation of the historic “Harnessing of the Atom” totem pole, carved by Amos Wallace, now safely housed in the Mendenhall Valley Public Library. She warned that cutting community-focused programs hurts both culture and revenue, while uncertainty and instability are driving remaining staff away. Weigel’s next chapter? Managing historical records at Alaska Electric Light & Power — where she’ll keep connecting people to the past. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/174282a305beb6dc