Juneau’s Fourth of July Committee has named KTOO’s Jeff Brown as one of two Grand Marshals for the 2013 parade. Jerry Harmon, of Kensington Gold Mine, is also a Grand Marshal.
The theme for next year’s parade is “Music and Mining Memories.”
Jeff Brown
As KTOO/KRNN Program Director, Brown has been much more than music programmer, especially now that Juneau public broadcasting has three radio stations. Brown has been the host of KTOO’s annual parade coverage, the syndicated “We Like Kids”, and most recently “Juneau Afternoon.” He organizes and trains radio station volunteers and has too many other jobs to list. He’s often been called KTOO’s “glue.”
Here are some excerpts from the Committee’s biography of Brown, written by Paul Wescott:
“Master of Cheerful Smiles,” “Humorist Laureate” and “Master of Merriment” are but a few of the titles bestowed on self-described funaholic Jeff Brown, our 2013 4th of July Parade Grand Marshal.
Anyone who has crossed paths with Jeff, either in person or over the air, has come away with a laugh or a smile and a lilt in the step. Jeff has been working that magic on us for more than 37 years, ever since he first arrived in Juneau as a medic with the Coast Guard. In short order, he hooked up with KTOO and launched into his multi-media, multi-talented mission to inform us, inspire us, brighten our rainy days and especially exercise our funny bones. He is a radio and TV talent, musician, organizer, artist, writer, friend, sage, magician and former gorilla.
Real Alaskan Magazine is one of his more widely-known creative endeavors… Curiously, you may come away knowing more in-depth about Alaska than you would with more serious works…
If you see someone walking around in a ridiculous balloon hat, that may be evidence that Jeff Brown is in the vicinity. Laughing.
Jerry Harmon
As the other Grand Marshal for the 2013 parade, Jerry Harmon is the master of mining memories. For 18 years he was chairman of the Juneau Gold Rush Committee. He’s helped restore many mining artifacts on display throughout Juneau, and participates every year in the design and building of July 4th parade floats for Kensington and Greens Creek mines. He and his wife Beverly opened the AJ Mine/Gastineau Mill tour in 2000.
Harmon came to Juneau in 1985 when Echo Bay was considering reopening the AJ Mine. He currently works for Coeur Alaska at the Kensington Gold Mine.
The Juneau Chamber of Commerce named him Citizen of the Year in 2000 for his many contributions to the community.
