Scrambling for workers, some Alaska employers are building their own housing

Off-the-beaten-path Sitka reckons with a cruise ship boom Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Northrim Bank]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Monday, June 20. In today's newsletter: - Employers in Alaska hope that building new housing will help find and retain workers while they combat a severe labor shortage paired with a housing crunch. - An abrupt increase in the volume of cruise ship passengers arriving in Sitka is testing not only its tourism infrastructure, but the community’s vision of itself. - Anchorage's Miss Juneteenth Pageant — part of a weekend of celebrations for the federal holiday — emphasized individuality and empowerment for young Black girls. From a fire break and airstrip to former gravel pits, dump sites and the location of a beleaguered apartment complex, Anchorage's parks have varied and sometimes surprising origins. Historian David Reamer [digs into how]( some of Anchorage's public green spaces came to be, and how they got their names. 🌤️ Anchorage weather It's mostly sunny today with a high of 68 degrees. We can expect mostly sunny skies to last through Friday, though there's a chance of isolated showers later Tuesday. The temperature is forecast to climb up into the 80s later in the week. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Some Alaska workers are facing a crisis in housing. Employers hope that if they build it, employees will come.]( [Some Alaska workers are facing a crisis in housing. Employers hope that if they build it, employees will come.]( Some employers in Alaska are building housing for workers, aiming to combat a severe labor shortage. That includes Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, which is building a $6.6 million facility designed for employees in middle management, who are increasingly struggling to find affordable housing there. [Read More]( [Off-the-beaten-path Sitka reckons with a cruise ship boom]( [Off-the-beaten-path Sitka reckons with a cruise ship boom]( Thanks to a new privately owned cruise ship dock and terminal, Sitka is hurtling toward becoming a mainline destination on Southeast Alaska’s lucrative cruise route, joining established ports that have grappled with how to balance the economic engine of tourism with quality of life for local residents. [Read More]( [Miss Juneteenth Pageant empowers Anchorage’s young Black girls as they compete for chance at national crown]( [Miss Juneteenth Pageant empowers Anchorage’s young Black girls as they compete for chance at national crown]( The Miss Juneteenth Pageant came with the usual trappings of sashes and crowns, bouquets, and evening gown and talent competitions — but it emphasized individuality and empowerment for young Black girls. [Read More]( [Proposal seeks to cut Ketchikan library funds over storytime event hosted by drag queen]( [Proposal seeks to cut Ketchikan library funds over storytime event hosted by drag queen]( The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly plans to hear a proposal that would cut library funding over a storytime event hosted by a drag queen. The proposal seeks to end a contract with the city of Ketchikan that funds about 38% of the library’s operating budget through a property tax. [Read More]( [Each summer, tourists have pressing questions about Alaska. Here are some answers.]( [Each summer, tourists have pressing questions about Alaska. Here are some answers.]( Tourists appear to be back in Alaska in full force this summer, full of curiosity and questions about our state. As residents, we are sometimes asked questions that are a little tough to answer. Outdoors columnist John Schandelmeier provides a rundown on bears, fishing, mountains, mosquitoes and more. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Trump campaign documents give inside look at fake-elector plan]( [Trump campaign documents give inside look at fake-elector plan]( [Read More]( [Thousands of U.S. House ballots have been rejected by Alaska elections officials]( [Thousands of U.S. House ballots have been rejected by Alaska elections officials]( [Read More]( [A rugged trip for scientists on the coast of Southeast Alaska]( [A rugged trip for scientists on the coast of Southeast Alaska]( [Read More]( [In ‘Travel North Black Girl,’ a story of challenge and liberation]( [In ‘Travel North Black Girl,’ a story of challenge and liberation]( [Read More]( [Globetrotting New York runner with Ecuadorian roots takes Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon]( [Globetrotting New York runner with Ecuadorian roots takes Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon]( [Read More]( [Native American tribes will co-manage a national monument for the first time]( [Native American tribes will co-manage a national monument for the first time]( [Read More]( [Get digital access to the ADN for as low as $1.99 for the first month]( and help us cover the news that matters most here in Alaska. 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