By Chase Berenson

TNews Staffwriter

The Alaska Railroad is currently receiving bids for work to perform repairs on the timber trestle at the Whittier Barge Slip berthing area.  This work is part of the Railroad’s Whittier Terminal Master Plan, which the Railroad said is designed, “[t]o renew the Whittier Terminal as an efficient, resilient, and balanced facility that safety meets customer needs and empowers economic growth for the State of Alaska.”

Whittier is a unique city, in that most of the city’s land is owned by the Alaska Railroad, which is a corporation owned by the State of Alaska.  In Whittier, the Railroad owns 291 acres, including a barge slip, uplands container handling/storage area, rail yard, and support facilities.  This terminal was designed and built by the military during World War II and then acquired by the Railroad in 1960 when the military withdrew from Whittier.

The railroad says that the “barge area [is] showing [its] age” and is an example of “aging waterfront infrastructure,” leading to these repairs.  The Railroad is looking to hire a contractor to perform all phases of the repair work, which includes mobilization/demobilization; installation of new timber diagonal and horizontal cross bracing; installation of pile straps and pile – cap strap connections; and site clean-up.  The contractor will be providing all their own equipment and facilities, which the Railroad will not provide utilities, marine access equipment, or support facilities.

The Alaska Railroad barge facility in Whittier is Alaska’s only rail connection to the freight rail systems of the Lower 48 and Canada, so it’s important that the barge facility continues to operate during construction.  The contractor who wins this bill will need to coordinate with the Railroad and Alaska Marine Line to ensure that the work still allows for vessel operations.  It is likely that construction work and vessel operations will occur concurrently, and the Railroad has security restrictions in place to ensure this happens smoothly.  However, the contractor should time construction for being between barge calls as much as possible.

Read the entire story and more photos at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/akrr-receiving-bids-for-timber-trestle-repairs-in-whittier

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

At the edge of Alyeska Highway Saturday afternoon a man inside a truck jutted his head from the window and yelled, "F***k immigrants" at a group of a dozen protesters. 

One of a long line of vehicles heading toward the Alyeska mountain Saturday, the man's invective was not lost on demonstrator Indavady Sopraseuth, who wore a thin, lace white headscarf above a fleece jacket.

"I'm a direct product of U.S. imperialism," Sopraseuth said as cars passed, many honking support. She said her parents are refugees from Laos who fled to the United States to escape nearly continual bombing during the Vietnam War.

"Before the conflict started, the US was bombing every day, 24-seven," said Sopraseuth who moved recently to Girdwood from Utah. "Two million tons of ordinance was dropped on Laos before and after the war. Thirty percent of unexploded ordinance is still in the ground."

Her father left his country for Thailand before immigrating to the United States. Her mother was born in a refugee camp.

Saturday's rally was organized by Emma Kramer, who said she was in Zoom meetings with nationwide organizers "pacing my cabin, wondering what to do."

"I was going to quit when others said they were going," Kramer said. With winds whipping fresh slush over ice, Kramer drove the unmaintained, perilous Crow Creek Road to hold a sign, "Defund ICE".

Read the entire story and more pictures at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/protestors-brave-cold-and-slush-in-saturday-demonstration

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Waking up in a small, remote Nicaraguan village, Miriam Herz found a distressing message on her phone.

Otis was missing.

A friend told her Otis, a year-and-a-half old Bernese Mountain Dog, had escaped during his hand off to a friend's house in Girdwood. 

To make matters worse, Herz had no cell phone service. "I was at the whims of wi-fi," she said. 

"I saw he ran off. and they were going to give me an update and I never got one," she said during a phone interview. 

Little did she know, the 3 a.m. text (Alaska time) would start a 12-day mission to locate Otis and end with his rescue from a ravine beneath Chair 4 at Alyeska Resort. 

Meanwhile, her friend, Elle, awake at 3:30 a.m., frantically searched the community for the missing dog to no avail. They reported she and others would resume the search at 7 a.m. the next day.

"He didn't make it inside before he bolted," Herz, 27, said. "He doesn't do great with change and this is the longest I've been away from him."

Otis has never liked men, she said. "Our theory is that Elle's partner scared him."

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/a-new-years-tale-with-a-tail-wagging-ending

By Allison Sayer

TNews Staffwriter

 Longtime Girdwood resident Jackie Collins, former resident Mereidi Liebner, and I, a Girdwood moonlighter, met up at the Wyndham Garden Anchorage Airport Hotel on November 18 to help serve meals to people who were forced to evacuate their homes in Western Alaska.

 The Wyndham Hotel is one of the hotels across the city housing people whose homes were destroyed by Ex-Typhoon Halong. Bean’s Cafe, already tirelessly serving Anchorage’s homeless population, has answered the call to provide hot meals for hundreds of people living in hotel rooms.

 Volunteering was extremely easy, and I’m including some tips in this article in case others would like to volunteer in the future.

 We signed up to volunteer using the portal on the Bean’s Cafe website: https://beanscafe.org/volunteer/. Bean’s Cafe discourages people from “just showing up,” so registering is the way to go. They accept volunteers 16 and older, but 16 and 17-year-olds need an adult supervisor. There are many locations and time slots throughout the city, so it’s important to communicate clearly with people you’re hoping to volunteer with about where and when you want to go.

 We washed our hands, donned plastic aprons, gloves, and head coverings, and got to know our supervisor. Hot tip: You can escape a hairnet if you pull up your hair and wear a beanie. Unless you have a long beard.

 The serving trays were already set up when we arrived, with a large warmer holding back ups. Our job was to make plates or to-go boxes and to help people bag up snacks. In addition to hot meals, guests were encouraged to take back snacks including crackers and fruit. The fresh fruit was definitely a hit.

 We’ve all had the experience of showing up to volunteer somewhere, only to find ourselves hunting down some tool for half our shift.

This was absolutely not the case here. Serving utensils, back up fuel for the chafing dishes, bags, boxes, etc. were all available and easy to find.

 Things were fairly slow. Sometimes twenty minutes would go by without a customer. Then one or two people would come in, each requesting a number of meals for their families.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-ladies-help-serve-storm-evacuees-and-you-can-too

By Brooks Chandler,

TNews Board of Directors

Clark Griswold himself would have smiled as the Girdwood/Turnagain Arm Lions Club flipped the switch at 6 p.m. Friday signaling the advent of the 2025 holiday season.    

Lights artfully arrayed amongst the branches of a stately spruce gleamed through a light fog in downtown Girdwood.   

The lighting ceremony followed a robust round of Christmas carols accompanied by pounds of cookies and hot chocolate.  The sugar consumption season has also begun!

Lions Club president Heather Durtschi said the tree lighting was coordinated by a club committee including, Seth and Wendy Beaubien, Heather. Durtschi and Kathy Trautner. 

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/yes-girdwood-there-is-a-christmas-tree

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

The Flexible Flyer, a retro runner-sled and called the "Chevy" of steerable runners, has a sticker for $30. Tempting. 

Then there is the blue foam roller near the register. Taken. 

The light-blue Norwegian Lobben boots? A tad too tight. 

Saturday's Ski and Sport Swap had much more than skis (though there were plenty). Patrons roamed through rows of outdoor clothing, tried on boots, and picked through hats at the annual local exchange, a fundraiser for Four Valleys Community Schools.

There was a flashy rainbow-dayglow vest, kids bikes with training wheels, headlamps, Thermarests and neon pink pants. 

"Someone was selling mini Power Wheels," said Four Valleys Director Julie Johnson, referring to packages of Matchbox. "That (name) might be from the 80s but that's what I call them."

Johnson said a new digital system of registration and payment eased the process of selling and buying gear.

Johnson said all the hallmarks were in place for a successful event. "There were lots of people, lots of stuff and all the technology worked," she said.

As she roamed the Daylodge in an orange volunteer vest, Johnson said she noticed how some items, like children nordic ski boots, were essentially passing from family to family in the fashion of a true community exchange. 

She said people sell things on Facebook, but "it's fun when it goes through the swap because Community Schools benefits." Proceeds, including those from vendors such as the local Powder Hound Ski Shop, help the organization "hit our mission of serving the community," Johnson said.

Read the entire story and more photos at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/more-than-just-skis-swap-brings-the-community-out

‘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

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

By James Brooks

Alaska Beacon

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:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/mass-resignations-at-two-alaska-newspapers-after-out-of-state-owners-bow-to-political-pressure

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:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/tuesday-holtan-hills-meeting-comes-on-heels-of-construction-complications

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: 

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/local-ski-patroller-finds-fear-loathing-and-adventure-in-war-zones

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

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Workers constructing a municipal access road for a planned subdivision encountered tons of garbage from a landfill that was only partially excavated decades ago. 

Crews piled old car parts, crushed propane tanks and other debris into a 20-foot high mound and covered it with a white tarp. The clean up has caused construction delays for road and sewer line access for the 60-acre "Holtan Hills" development, according to a municipal official.

Refuse was uncovered at least two weeks ago. Questions sent to a municipal point-person were answered in a brief response Friday that verified the finding.

"Material needed to be excavated, sorted and tested prior to disposal which has caused a short delay in construction," wrote public involvement coordinator Kenny Friendly. "However, the project is still scheduled to be completed by September 30."

As of Saturday, the material remained on site. Calls and emails sent to a state agency that oversees contaminated sites did not respond to questions as of Friday, so whether the rubbish containes dangerous and toxic contaminates is still unknown.

Though Friendly's email suggested landfill material has been excavated, he wrote in another part of the message that "additional garbage/debris needs to be removed" before paving a road and bike path. 

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/holtan-hills-construction-unearths-decades-old-landfill

By Yereth Rosen

Alaska Beacon

The secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, visiting Alaska this week, said he hopes to learn about challenges facing both the state’s urban centers and remote rural communities.

“I came here to be a great listener, to understand the needs of the people of Alaska, to understand the challenges of the people of Alaska and particularly when it comes to homelessness and affordable housing,” Scott Turner, the Trump administration’s HUD secretary, said at a news conference Tuesday in Anchorage.

Turner is among several Trump administration cabinet members touring Alaska this summer.

He spent part of Tuesday meeting with Anchorage municipal officials who discussed the challenges of homelessness in the state’s largest city.

It is a national issue, Turner said.

That 770,000 people identified as homeless in the nation “is unacceptable to me, it’s unacceptable to my colleagues and I know it’s unacceptable to you,” he said.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/us-housing-secretary-visits-alaska-to-gather-insights-into-urban-and-rural-challenges

By Brooks Chandler

​TNews Board of Directors

 Girdwood’s Land Use Committee and Housing and Economic Committee have approved asking the Heritage Land Bank to survey and subdivide HLB property at the intersection of Ruane and Alyeska Highway.  Subdivision would be an initial step in potential development of  half of the property for work force housing.  

The concept originated with the Girdwood Community Land Trust.  A public-private partnership for development between HLB and a Girdwood non-profit (not necessarily GCLT) is envisioned.  

The concept presented to the LUC and GHEC identifies an initial phase consisting of 28-32 apartments, 10 townhouses and 16 “tiny” (750 sq. ft) bungalows.  Half of these units would be developed as “market rate” housing by a private developer.  

Half of the units would be managed by the Girdwood non-profit for workforce housing.  Profits from selling market rate units would be shared equally between the Girdwood non-profit, the Girdwood Valley Service Area, the Anchorage General Fund and HLB.

According to GCLT Board member Krystal Hoke, GCLT sought LUC and GHEC approval as a show of community support for the concept.   The Land Use Committee approved recommending the Girdwood Board of Supervisors ask HLB to subdivide the parcel by a vote of 8-0 with 4 abstentions on July 14.  GHEC also unanimously approved the concept at its Aug. 4 meeting.

A draft resolution of support will be considered bythe Girdwood Board of Supervisors at its Aug. 18 meeting.

Read the entire at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/land-use-committee-and-housing-committee-recommend-seeking-ruane-alyeska-highway-land-for-housing-project

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Enabled by a young, sturdy trail crew, local volunteers and a $110,000 grant Girdwood's network of trails became more deliberate this summer—with particular focus on a trail that crosses through an impending subdivision development.

Three new bridges, gravel, brushing and drainage have altered slightly the character of local trails, especially the middle portion of the Iditarod Trail from Girdwood School to the out-of-service hand tram.

"Trails play an important aspect in community. They should be available and, historically, they've been there," said Kyle Kelly, Girdwood's service area manager. 

Facing continual pressure from development of local lands, Girdwood's trails committee worked to get a trails plan adopted by the Anchorage Assembly in March. 

"It was a tough process, but we got through it and now we can refer to it all the time," Kelly said. 

The addition of a bridge and gravel to a 2-mile section of the Middle Iditarod Trail, between the school and Crow Creek Rd., adds permanence to a path whose fate has been called to question due to a competing plan for a "Holtan Hills" subdivision. 

With looming development, trail crews have put a "focus" on the trail, which runs along a bluff overlooking Glacier Creek, Kelly said. 

"Nobody has officially told me it's going to change, so I'm going to keep working on it and making it better. What I'm trying to show also is that the community is investing in this and they have been for a long time. If it's a broken down trail that doesn't look very useable, then it's like, 'you guys don't really care about this trail'. But we're showing that we care. Showing that investment puts us in a stronger position," he said.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/summer-trail-maintenance-includes-path-through-contested-holtan-hills-development

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

The Municipality of Anchorage responded late Friday to a slew of questions by Turnagain News regarding the so-called "Holtan Hills" subdivision development currently underway off Hightower Rd. near the school.

The project is a joint effort by Anchorage developer Connie Yoshimura and the city's Heritage Land Bank, which manages most of the land in Girdwood's valley. "Holtan Hills", so named by a small group acting without community consent, has little local support. It was nevertheless approved by the Anchorage Assembly in January, 2024.

The HLB recently signed an agreement for $2 million with Anchorage-based GMC Contracting for "off-site" development of a road and sewer connection, impacting approximately 2.5 acres, according to the city and Yoshimura. The project is expected to last into August when children return to school.

GMC began tearing a swath to the toe of the 60-plus acre housing development on July 7.

Responses, provided through an email from the muni's public affairs office, are in italics.

Has a traffic study been conducted to determine existing traffic patterns, densities, and vehicle traffic amount on Hightower Road?

During the early planning stages of this project, both the [Municipality of Anchorage] Planning Department and Traffic Engineering Department reviewed the potential density within the development and concurred that the road improvements would be built to local residential street standards which would not require a (traffic study) traffic impact analysis prior to construction.

Where can we view the traffic plan?

See previous response regarding the traffic study.  A traffic control plan will be submitted and available for public review prior to disturbance and reconstruction of affectioned portions of Hightower Rd.

Read the entire response from the Municipality of Anchorage at the link:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/moa-responds-to-tnews-inquiry-on-current-holtan-hills-construction

By Jennifer Shutt

Alaska Beacon, States Newsroom

WASHINGTON — Congress has just one week left to approve the Trump administration’s request to cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved funding for public media and foreign aid, setting up yet another tight deadline for lawmakers. 

The Senate must pass the bill before July 18, otherwise the White House budget office will be required to spend the funding and be barred from sending up the same proposal again for what are called rescissions.

But objections from several GOP senators could stop the legislation in its tracks, or change it substantially, requiring another House vote in a very short time frame. Rejecting the plan would represent a loss for the Trump administration after passage of the “big, beautiful” tax and spending cut law earlier this month.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., appears optimistic he can secure the votes needed to begin debate, though he hasn’t said publicly if he thinks the bill can actually pass. 

“We’ll have it up on the floor next week. Hopefully, we get on it and then we’ll have an amendment process,” Thune said during a Wednesday press conference. “And kind of like a budget reconciliation bill, it’s an open amendment process, a vote-a-rama type process, which I’m sure you’re very excited about.”

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/us-senate-gop-under-pressure-on-trump-demand-to-defund-npr-pbs-foreign-aid

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

In a slight drizzle of rain Monday morning a group of concerned citizens stood outside a gate to the contentious "Holtan Hills" development. 

Then trucks began to roll in, first white trucks with men who jumped into "Hydro-Ax" mulchers. After a couple hours, the protesters left.

Then a gym-length tractor hauling an enormous excavator arrived. Later more machines rumbled through town down Hightower Rd. 

The first day of the city's 75-day contract with a major construction company—GMC Contracting—to drive a road, sewer, gas and electric into the forested hills behind Girdwood's school began with the staging of heavy equipment. 

Construction delays on the Seward Highway slowed traffic on the opening day foray.

Meanwhile, responses from municipal public officials to questions emailed last week regarding the project have not been answered as of late afternoon.

"Thank you for reaching out. We haven’t forgotten about you," wrote Kenny Friendly, a public involvement coordinator for the Municipality, said in an email Monday.

"We are currently fielding all public inquiries surrounding the project including yours. When we have the answers, we’ll get back to you as soon as possible," he wrote.

This is a developing story. Check back with TNews for updates.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/update-holtan-hills-road-construction-begins

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Dozens of colorful, quicky and instructive signs that line Alyeska highway every Forest Fair weekend were suddenly removed yesterday by transportation officials.

But, following a slew of angry comments and negotiations with DOT officials, the signs were back up Friday.

The signs have been a hallmark prelude for the summer festival, in its 50th year, and their disappearance caught many by surprise.

Longtime local resident Drew Motsinger, who retired from DOT, wrote on Girdwood's Facebook page that the state transportation department personnel removed the signs over right-of-way concerns, though DOT officials could not be reached during the holiday.

DOT took the signs down "due to the pedestrian crossing being painted by someone other than DOT", according to Motsinger, who later said he still keeps in touch with friends from the department.

Pedestrian lines at the intersection of Hightower and Alyeska Highway were painted in different colors this year and that triggered an inspection which led to the removal of nearby signs.

Motsinger said in his post the DOT is trying to be proactive, but he also understood the complaints of Forest Fair volunteers about the abrupt, unannounced removal of the signs.

"There's so much jay walking in town. That's obviously a problem and then there are so many people on their phones not paying attention and driving," he said Friday.

In the past few years, the number of accidents involving pedestrians in Southcentral Alaska has grown significantly. 

As a DOT employee, Motsinger was asked to take down crosses along the highway (he refused). "My motto was, 'You got friends and family on the road, you do the best you can," said Motsinger of his work to keep highways safe.

He decried the speed of traffic through Girdwood. 

Read the entire story and more pictures at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/forest-fair-signs-down-up-again