Questions Remain After Girdwood Residents Grapple With ‘Holtan Hills’ Development Team
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
During a two-and-a-half hour long meeting Tuesday night, Girdwoodians pressed a developer on her vision for a so-called "Holtan Hills" subdivision, a sixty-plus acre housing tract planned to be carved from old-growth rainforest behind the community's school.
The meeting, which followed another a month ago, left the community with little doubt that the vision for the forested hills behind the school rests with Anchorage developer Connie Yoshimura.
And, yet, with a current land plan, or "pro forma", still undisclosed, many questions remain.
Still unsettled, for example, is how people who would live in the subdivision would get out should the main entrance, off Hightower Road, be blocked.
Yoshimura said she has $125,000 to pay for an "internal" exit onto Crow Creek Road, but she bears no cost beyond her development.
Crow Creek Road is unmaintained, suffers drainage problems, and has an eroding road bed. Planners estimated it would cost $6 million to upgrade the lower portion of Crow Creek Road to municipal standards.
Read the entire story at the link below:
South Anchorage wins State championship
By Jon Scudder
TNews Publisher
South Anchorage won the 2025 Alaska Division I state football championship, defeating Bartlett High School with a final score of 37-3on Friday, Oct. 24.
Girdwood Wolverines players above, are Kyler Porter, 22; ; Henry Lantz, 6; Arne Nedwick, 13; and Carson Hawes, 18.
This was the first state title for the South Wolverines since 2019. Anchorage pulled away in the second half after a close first half, securing a dominant victory over Bartlett.
This win marks a return to the top for the South Wolverines, who claimed their first state title in six years.
‘Holtan Hills’ Developer Returns to Girdwood for Joint GBOS/LUC Meeting
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
An official hearing on "Holtan Hills", schedule for Tuesday night at 7 p.m., will again pit developer Connie Yoshimura against residents, who lately, in comments on social media, say they are frustrated and angry by an enormous city-financed access road that is a month delayed and that now faces uncertain cost overruns.
The wide, paved road is clearly out-of-character with the mountain community. With three stop signs, a paved bike path, boxes for street lights and a flashy green "Holtan Hills Dr." street sign, the road design is more Anchorage suburb than Girdwood.
"NOW would be a good time to roll out the traffic plan for future use of that paved road," wrote Linda Bennett on Girdwood's Facebook page.
The second meeting, to be held during a special meeting of local governance, comes after an earlier meeting was called into questions for failing to meet public process code requirements.
"This whole thing is so broken," said Mike Edgington, co-chair of the Girdwood Board of Supervisors.
Edgington said he suspects the private-public project will come at a loss to municipal taxpayers and Girdwood's hyper-inflated housing market will mean any homes built in the area will most likely be expensive and unoccupied by year-round residents.
"There's no other community in this city in a similar situation," he said.
Read the entire story at the link below:
‘No Kings’ Day Saturday in Girdwood
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
About 70 locals showed up for Girdwood's "No Kings" Saturday to demonstrate against the policies of the current administration.
Girdwoodians, peaceably assembled on the corner of Hightower and Alyeska, raised posters, peace signs and fists joining in demonstrations held across the planet to protest authoritatian rule.
See pictures from the event at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/no-kings-day-saturday-in-girdwood
Committee Agrees to Plat Land in Lower Girdwood Considered for Housing Development
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
An Anchorage land bank has set its sights on more forested wetlands for subdivision development in Girdwood, this time along a bluff it calls "Orca Mountain View".
The city's Heritage Land Bank, which owns most of the valley's undeveloped land, wants to plat three tracts totalling nearly 70 acres along Alyeska Highway north of Ruane Road. The majority of that land, between Alyeska Highway and Glacier Creek, would be set aside as open space leaving 13.5 acres "suitable for residential development", according to HLB.
Local officials, meanwhile, hope they can work in a "public/nonprofit partnership" with HLB to build affordable housing on the nearly half-mile long strip of forest.
A proposal to approve HLB's platting of the area passed a sparsely-attended Land Use Committee Monday night in a 7-5 vote.
That land "could house many, many folks there", said Ryan Yelle, of HLB. He added, however, "in terms of exactly who's going to be developing it, under what terms, those decisions are far from it, this is going to be a multi-year process to develop this tract. I'm hesitant to speculate on specifics about it because we just don't know at this point."
Critics of HLB's platting proposal said development of the forest would mean more drainage into a flood-prone watershed below. A pond and California Creek drain through plastic culverts below Ruane Road.
The floodplain can be temperamental. Four years ago, storm water overwhelmed the culverts causing Ruane Road to collapse and stranding water utility operators. Kyle Kelly, Girdwood's service manager, said the culverts will likely be replaced in 2027.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Seniors and teens becoming more important in Alaska’s workforce, statistics show
By Yereth Rosen
As Alaska’s population of working-age adults shrinks, according to economists, other demographic groups have become bigger segments of the labor force: seniors and teenagers.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Girdwood Grizzlies Boys Basketball Finish Undefeated Season
By Coach Kyle Kelley
Girdwood Grizzlies Boys Basketball Team
The Girdwood Middle School boys basketball team capped off an incredible season with a perfect 6-0 record, marking an unforgettable year for the Grizzlies. The team’s success came from a combination of determination, teamwork, and resilience — from a nail-biting overtime win to strong defensive performances that defined their undefeated run.
This season was significant as it marked the final year for four outstanding 8th graders: Julien Stiassny, Waylon Straley, Ezra Ranke, and Finn Pelkola. Each player made a lasting impact on the program and helped lead their team to perfection.
· Julien Stiassny (Point Guard/Forward) brought energy, hustle, and reliable scoring that kept the Grizzlies competitive in every game.
· Waylon Straley (Post Player) anchored the paint with strong defense and rebounding, giving the team a formidable inside presence.
· Ezra Ranke (Power Forward/Post) provided strength, grit, and leadership, often stepping up in key moments to swing the momentum.
· Finn Pelkola (Point Guard/Forward) led the team with poise and vision, running the offense and setting the pace for the Grizzlies’ success.
Together, this group of 8th graders, along with their 6th- and 7th-grade teammates, showed what it means to be a Grizzly — playing with heart, teamwork, and pride while setting an example for the younger players who will carry the program forward.
Coaches and parents praised the players’ dedication, noting that the team’s chemistry, defensive effort, and never-give-up attitude were what made this season truly special. Whether battling through overtime thrillers or closing out tough opponents with solid defense, every Grizzly contributed to the undefeated run.
Congratulations to the Girdwood Middle School boys basketball team on a perfect 6-0 season — a true testament to teamwork, perseverance, and Grizzly pride!
Girdwood Mushroom Expert Co-Authors Alaska Guide Book
‘Mushrooms of Alaska’ To Be Published This Month
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
The humble mushroom crouches on a tuft of neon green lichen, its purple cap resplendent in a shard of light cutting through the forest.
Along comes a stampede of teenagers, rushing, pushing and jostling. Then, one sees it.
"Look!" says a girl with a top hat over black bangs. She squats to meet the humble mushroom eye level.
"Don't touch it," her friend warns. "It might be poisonous."
A quick text and photo to an amateur mycologist reveals its title: Russula emitica, "The Sickener". And another fact: "No mushrooms are poisonous to the touch."
The girl opens a journal to sketch the Russula.
"Is it edible?" a friend asks.
"Well. It is called 'The Sickener'."
A few days later, she's on the trail with a mushroom book.
The young naturalist's fascination reflects what conservationist Rachel Carson wrote 70 years ago—a "sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years."
When a sense of wonder took hold of local fungi expert and author Kate Mohatt 30 years ago, as she collected mushrooms near her home in rural Wyoming, it didn't let up.
Mohatt began collecting mushrooms when she was 15. She didn't care to eat them. In fact, she thought they tasted "disgusting".
Mushrooms were mysterious because she couldn't identify them. Then again, she would soon learn no one else could identify them. Her field guide didn't cover her Wyoming countryside. A sense of wonder was activated.
"It was just, what are all these things and why doesn't anybody know anything about them? I just kind of got obsessed," Mohatt said. "I think that's a common story. I mean, when mushrooms are fruiting, when you see a bunch of them out, it's really eye-catching and you want to know what the hell they are."
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-mushroom-expert-co-authors-alaska-guide-book
‘Rain, Wind, Cold Hands, and Blue Lips’
Seven Locals Finish 10th Girdwood Marathon
By Brian Pautzke
TNews Contributor
Cheers to the “Magnificent Seven” on the 10-year anniversary of the Girdwood Trail Marathon.
Hip, hip… hooray! Hip, hip… hooray!
Hip, hip, ah, mine are too sore to cheer.
Congratulations to the seven Girdwoodian distance runners holding court on our own backyard race. While we have a couple of special distance runners that didn’t run, the seven who did represented the town well. All Girdwood runners finished under 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/rain-wind-cold-hands-and-blue-lips
Girdwood Trails Marathon Continues to Grow
By Deb Essex
Girdwood Trails Marathon Race Director
The Girdwood Nordic Ski Club held the 10th annual Girdwood Trails Marathon on Sat, Oct. 4, from the Alyeska Resort Daylodge. This event has grown considerably as we added Half Marathon and 5K Race options for participants. The sold out event showcased the varied trails throughout the Girdwood Valley including the popular Winner Creek and Iditarod Trails. This year, 331 runners from all around Alaska, seven U.S. states, and Canada, braved the 39 degree temps and rain to run the connected trails in Girdwood. This event was created by Girdwood trail enthusiast, Brian Burnett, who is constantly cruising along trails for a fun day outside and who currently serves as the Chief of Stoke for all things trail related in Girdwood.
The marathon and half marathon race switch direction every year, and this year ran in a counter-clockwise loop. The participants start at the Alyeska Resort Daylodge and follow pink flags along the trail route set by one the 60 volunteers of this event. The trails were in excellent condition, and Glacier Creek had a low flowrate so the marathon runners could cross without incident. This trail race would simply not be possible without the funding dedication of the Anchorage Parks and Recreation - Girdwood Staff, Kyle Kelley and Margaret Tyler, who annually apply for grant funding and hire trail crews to repair and maintain the valley’s trails. They also coordinate with the Friends of Girdwood Trails to host trail work parties for smaller maintenance tasks. Moreover, the USFS perennially sends a crew up Winner Creek Trail with the enormous task of hardening the trail surface. The combination of these trail maintenance efforts mean that Girdwood trails can handle year-round visitors and participants of this race.
Read the story, pictures and results at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-trails-marathon-continues-to-grow
Mass resignations at two Alaska newspapers after out-of-state owners bow to political pressure
By James Brooks
Reporters and editors at the Homer News and Peninsula Clarion announced their resignations on Monday, citing a decision by the papers’ corporate owners to bow to political pressure to amend an article about a vigil for the slain far-right activist Charlie Kirk.
The resignations, which include two editors and two reporters based in Homer and Kenai, were scheduled to take effect in two weeks, but managers at Carpenter Media Group fired all four immediately.
Carpenter Media Group, an international chain, owns the News, Clarion and the Juneau Empire, as well as the Yukon News and hundreds of other newspapers in the Lower 48 and Canada.
The resignations follow a similar mass resignation at the Juneau Empire earlier this summer.
When combined, both actions leave Carpenter Media Group with a single in-state Alaska reporter among its three newspapers.
Mary Kemmis, senior vice president of Carpenter’s publications in Alaska and Canada, did not return phone calls seeking comment on Tuesday, nor did Chloe Pleznac, the reporter who authored the original article.
Jake Dye, a former reporter for the Peninsula Clarion and one of the people who resigned this week, said by phone that Carpenter’s handling of the story was “problematic in a lot of ways.”
Read the entire story at the link below:
‘Holtan Hills’ Developer Gets an Earful During Required Public Meeting
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Girdwood residents had a flurry of questions—and remarks—for the developers of the planned "Holtan Hills" subdivision during an emotionally-charged public meeting Tuesday night.
Some questions weren't answered, some received the promise of a later reply, and some questions were fielded by a team that wants to develop the old-growth forest behind Girdwood's school into a 66-acre subdivision for luxury and single-family homes.
Instead, it was mostly Girdwood locals who had information for the group, none of whom live in the community and who appeared to be ignorant of concerns raised about a $2.5 million paved road and sewer line project underway.
Developers said they hadn't been aware of a dump in the vicinity, that construction has split two connecting trails and that traffic safety has been compromised during development of an access road.
Remarks to a panel that included property developer Connie Yoshimura of CY Investments, were particularly poignant when it came to the safety of children crossing a slippery, hazardous and sometimes obstructed pathway to school.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Alaskans face massive health insurance cost increases unless Congress acts before year end
By James Brooks
More than 25,000 Alaskans who buy health insurance through the federal marketplace will face massive and possibly unaffordable cost increases if federal subsidies expire at the end of the year.
“I do think it’s important to recognize that we should be seeing thousands of people likely lose coverage from this,” said Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association.
In a panel discussion last month, local experts in Juneau laid out the stark reality for Alaska, which has the highest health care costs in the nation.
Speaking to a room at Juneau’s convention center, they said if federal subsidies end, the cost of health insurance would rise so much that many Alaskans will go uninsured, discouraging them from getting checkups that could prevent serious illnesses. Hospitals would see a larger number of emergencies from uninsured people, straining them. It might even lead to an exodus from the state, as people seek alternative options and cheaper places to live.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Tuesday "Holtan Hills" Meeting Comes on Heels of Construction Complications
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
When city planners and the developer of a contentious "Holtan Hills" subdivision come to town Tuesday they will likely face questions on a construction project plagued with mishaps.
From the beginning, construction of an access road off Hightower and near the school saw issues. A worker on site said a water main, installed decades ago, was not identified. Then, the construction company, GMC, ran into refuse from a forgotten dump.
The finding, testing and disposal of decades-old garbage set the project behind by at least a week.
And, recently, local police have been called to monitor the road after close calls and fears of pedestrian accidents by construction vehicles.
Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston wrote on Facebook that she raised concerns at a Girdwood Board of Supervisors meeting about "commercial vehicles traveling down the center line and swinging into opposing lanes of traffic." She and others said they personally witnessed dangerous situations near the school involving children and construction vehicles.
There have been no flaggers and few safety precautions sought by municipal officials, nor GMC despite calls by local officials.
A spokesperson for the Municipality said in late July a traffic study was determined by the planning department to be unnecessary and that a traffic control plan would be "submitted and available for public review prior to disturbance and reconstruction of (affected) portions of Hightower Rd." So far, no such plan has emerged.
And even though contractors have worked extensively near the road and bike path to patch in gas, sewer and electric utilities, the municipality has not followed through on its commitment for safety measures on the bike path, a section of which was partially torn up and diverted.
"A traffic control plan will be further developed once the construction schedule gets closer to (the) bike path and road demolition so utilities may be connected to mains along Hightower Rd. Temporary chain-link fencing is currently onsite to delineate the active construction zone," the Muni's spokesperson wrote in July.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Public Participates in Parks Planning Process
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
Girdwood Parks and Recreation hosted the first public workshop for the Girdwood Parks Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 16th. The Girdwood Parks Plan project is a year-long project to generate a Parks Master Plan that can provide guidance on improvements to Girdwood’s existing park spaces and the potential creation of new parks in the future. The project is spearheaded by Kyle Kelly, Girdwood Service Area Manager, and Bri Keifer, landscape architect with Huddle AK, a consulting firm brought on to help the project.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/public-participates-in-parks-planning-process
"Holtan Hills" Developer to Face Community in Sept. 23 Meeting
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
A quietly advertised community meeting on plans to convert a mile long strip of old growth rainforest into a 60 acre subdivision will be held at the Meadow Community Center at Our Lady of the Snows on Sept. 23.
The meeting announcement, sent only to certain homeowners, is sparse on details but describes "phase one" development as consisting of 50 lots and three tracts: "a large wetland tract along Glacier Creek," an "access tract for larger lots", and another tract that "will be subdivided at a later date".
It includes a map showing a rough, station-wagon-shaped patch illustrating the proposed development along with a plume of "offsite improvements".
In a letter to Anchorage's planning department, Mike Edgington, co-chair of the Girdwood Board of Supervisors, called the notice "a surprise".
“The community meeting scheduled by the petitioner requires in-person attendance only and clashes with both a pre-noticed GBOS work session and with the September 23 Anchorage Assembly meeting," Edgington wrote.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/holtan-hills-developer-to-face-community-in-sept-23-meeting
Alyeska Climbathon Rises to the Top
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
Once each summer for the last 18 years the North Face Trail up Mount Alyeska has converted from a peaceful but strenuous hiking trail to a scene of athletic endurance for Alyeska Climbathon, which took place on Saturday, September 6th. The premise of Climbathon is simple: from 9AM-7PM, competitors have ten hours to complete as many laps as possible hiking up the North Face and taking the Alyeska Tram back down to the base of the mountain. Of course, this isn’t just an easy hike; the 2.2-mile hike includes over 2,000 feet of elevation!
More important than just being a long, fun day on the mountain, Climbathon is a fundraiser for the Girdwood Health Clinic (in the process of rebranding to Turnagain Community Health) and Let Every Woman Know, an Alaskan non-profit organization that is dedicated preventing, facing, and ending gynecological cancers.
337 racers of all different skill levels and abilities joined together to race up Mount Alyeska. The group included some of Alaska’s most elite mountain runners as well as cancer survivors and supporters of cancer survivors for whom this was the first time they had completed this type of hike. According to Tessa Ely, the Executive Director of Let Every Woman Know, her favorite thing about the day was, “The range of people on the mountain all sharing the trail.” She continued, “Climbathon is an event that really brings people together.”
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/alyeska-climbathon-rises-to-the-top
South Anchorage Wolverines top Lathrop Malemutes August 30
By Mandy Hawes
TNews Contributor
South Anchorage Wolverines players above, left to right, are Kyler Porter, 22; Arne Nedwick, 13; Henry Lantz, 6; and Carson Hawes, 18. The Wolverines topped the Lathrop Malemutes in a home game by a score of 31-7 on Aug. 30. For the Wolverines, the group of the above Girdwood Seniors put up some great stats with incredible clutch plays, For example, Hawes had two interceptions and a recovery. The Wolverines are now 2-1 overall. Come out and cheer your Girdwood gridiron players throughout the season!
Local Ski Patroller Finds Fear, Loathing, and Adventure in War Zones
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Local ski patroller Kyle Beckler rides shotgun in a van as it rattles along a dusty strip near the Ukrainian frontline in its war against Russia.
A bridge comes into view, pieces missing, one span tilted into a river.
The white van, a rented jalopy with a window missing from a shrapnel blast, carries cans of meat and packages. Its glove compartment is duct-taped shut.
The van passes buildings with skeletal roofs and crumbled walls. It passes a rusted, wheel-less transport truck slumped on the side of a road with a door hanging open.
What looks like a school has blackened, pocketed walls and its windows are punched out.
Read the entire story at the below link:
Dump Found Shows Little Trace of Oil
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
A dump uncovered during construction of a road to "Holtan Hills" was determined to have a low amount of toxic pollutants, according to an official with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Six soil samples taken from material dumped decades ago near Girdwood's school revealed petroleum and other chemicals well below a threshold mandating an extensive clean up, said Jade Gamble, who works in the DEC's "Rapid Response" division.
DEC received a report August 6 and the agency closed the case six days later after testing samples from the site.
A consultant screening for "volatile organic compounds" found that "nothing was deemed a threat to groundwater or surface water or to the general public," Gamble said. "And now they're just running into garbage." She said that "several hundred cubic yards" of trash-strewn dirt have been removed.
In early August workers excavating an access road and sewer line for the controversial "Holtan Hills" project turned up refuse—from oil drums to trash-filled plastic bags to car axles—of a dump closed in 1979. A portion of the garbage was removed in 2002 after children at the school complained of bad smells and orange sludge coming from the playground. The remediated playground area was unlisted as a contaminated site, according to the DEC.
But while garbage uncovered this month is part of the same dump and also had an odor, soil samples from recent excavations had "diesel-range organics" in the 30s parts-per-million and the threshold triggering more stringent regulations is 230 ppm, Gamble said. Tests for heavier oils, like engine oils, showed no amounts of the hazardous waste, she said.
Read the entire story st the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/dump-found-shows-little-trace-of-oil