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!
Assembly Member Zac Johnson addresses Holtan Hills, Girdwood and future
"I never liked this deal and I don't think I ever will."
—Assembly member Zac Johnson
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
This is an interview Turnagain News had with Municipality of Anchorage Assembly Member Zac Johnson. Four days after he challenged his colleagues in the Anchorage Assembly on the merits of a controversial housing development in Girdwood. Turnagain News interviewed Zac Johnson, who represents the community and South Anchorage. The article contains excerpts from our August 16 interview with Johnson.
TNews: Do you have a hard time getting information about the project as an assembly person?
Zac Johnson: No, I'll say the administration and the folks at (the Heritage Land Bank) have been more than willing to sit down and talk through my questions with me. I think that's an advantage of the position I'm in.
Leading up to action last Tuesday, I had several sit downs with HLB and the administration, raising my questions. And for the most part, getting answers to them. So I don't think there's any effort to stonewall there.
I think HLB and the administration are kind of the same. This is the hand they were dealt, right? So it's their job to implement the development agreement and the ordinance that was provided by the assembly. That's just them doing their jobs, essentially.
I guess I would just say in their defense that, one, HLB is a very small department... There's really just three of them there doing all that work.
Read the entire interview at the link below:
Pickleball tournament is a smash hit!
By Chase Berenson
TNews Contributor
For five hours on Sat, Aug. 16, Girdwood’s pickleball courts were a competitive site as they hosted the Girdwood Pickleball Club Summer Tournament. The Girdwood Pickleball Club is typically a casual group of players with a primary focus of fun, but the tournament gave everyone an opportunity to put their pickleball skills to the test.
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the US, and is booming here in Girdwood. It is a fast-paced paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, played on a court smaller than tennis with a net that’s lower than tennis. Players use solid paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball, aiming to score points by making it difficult for opponents to return the shot.
Fourteen players were in for the tournament, making seven teams of two players each. The day was divided into three segments: warm-up play, followed by seeding play, followed by the ranked tournament. The warm-up period had classic fun games.
The seeding play consisted of four ten-minute games with different teams and players in each one, where players were ranked on their win/loss ratio as well as the ratio of points earned to points lost to the opponent; this allowed every player to be ranked individually.
Once this was completed the player rankings were announced, and teams were decided for the tournament based on rankings. Then the serious fun started! The seven teams played a double-elimination tournament
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/pickleball-tournament-is-a-smash-hit
Corporation for Public Broadcasting to close its doors after loss of funding
By Shauneen Miranda
WASHINGTON — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it will be shutting down.
The announcement came just one day after a major Senate appropriations bill omitted funding for the nonprofit that funds public media and a week after President Donald Trump signed a bill into law that yanked $1.1 billion in previously approved spending for CPB.
CPB, which Congress authorized in 1967, provides funds for National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting Service and hundreds of local stations across the United States. President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans have criticized NPR and PBS of left-leaning bias, an accusation the public media organizations have rejected.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of CPB, said in a statement Friday.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Girdwood Artists create Stained Glass Mosaic
Girdwood’s latest stained glass mosaic has just been completed.
Named “the Cozmic Culvert” and done in the style of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night, the mosaic depicts the night sky in Girdwood. The new mosaic was designed by Thalia Wilkinson and Tommy O’Malley and was installed by volunteers.
Local astronomer John Gallup sited the design so that the stars of the Big Dipper will align with the North Star up in the night sky at winter solstice.
The new mosaic is on Timberline Drive near Gstaad street.
See more pictures of the mosaic at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-artists-create-stained-glass-mosaic
History of Girdwood’s Past: Alyeska Hotel and Community —working together
By Larry Daniels
TNews Contributor
Thought from the past…
When the hotel was in the permit phase, it became obvious that wetlands would be impacted and the project would need a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit. Both the Arlberg crossing of the moose meadows and the parking lot across from the hotel would require filling a wetland permit. Corp regs require replacing habitat or preservation of other habitat.
Early in concept development, a pond was depicted in front and it appeared to be an enhancement to the site. We decided to propose the development of the pond as an offset for impact to other habitat.
There was also a small stream adjacent to the building. So, the pond had a source of water and a connection to a stream that had a small, silver salmon run. The pond was designed as an over-winter shelter for young salmon fry.
30 years later, did the pond perform as designed? Little fish jumping after insects and a small flock of geese with little goslings, occasional moose visits are evidence that it has performed as intended.
Baby Goats? No Kidding! Girdwood's Library Hosts Goat Fest
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
The most popular Gerrish Library event possibly ever?
Baby goats, of course.
Eleven baby goats, 1-month to 3-months-old, cuddled, butted heads, and trotted in a knee-high fenced enclosure outside the library Wednesday while scores of two-legged kids petted, chased or separated—as in the case of the head-buttters—the four-legged kids.
Cries of "can we bring him home?" were met with only a frown by a mom. Only one Girdwoodian bought a kid and quickly named it, "Fireweed."
Chugiak-based The Tiny Homestead brought the goats as part of Anchorage Public Library's Summer Discovery series. Besides "meet and greets" with goats, The Tiny Homestead sells goats and raw milk from an Eagle River farm managing 50 goats—milkers, bucks and babies.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/baby-goats-no-kidding-girdwoods-library-hosts-goat-fest
Girdwood Giants Advance to Championship with thrilling 1-0 victory over Angels in Semifinals
By Kyle Kelley
Girdwood Giants Head Coach
In an exhilarating semifinal showdown at the City Wide Tournament, the Girdwood Giants Little League Baseball Team clinched a nail-biting 1-0 victory against the Angelson Monday night. The Giants’ success was fueled by outstanding pitching and stellar field defense, showcasing their determination and teamwork as they edge closer to claiming the championship title.
The game, held at the Anchorage Abbott O’Rabbit Fields, was a true testament to the talent and hard work of the young athletes. The Giants' pitcher delivered an impressive performance, striking out fourteen batters, allowing only four walks, and keeping the Angels to zero runs. Meanwhile, the team’s defense was impenetrable, turning potential threats into easy outs and ensuring the scoreboard remained untouched by their opponents.
Read the entire story at the link below:
GAO report says Alaska pipeline regulation office should revitalize, update operations
By Yereth Rosen
The multiagency group that coordinates oversight of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System needs an update to better operate in changing conditions, said a federal report released on Thursday.
The Joint Pipeline Office, a consortium of federal and state agencies with various regulatory duties, has scaled back its operations over the past several years, leading to possible gaps in oversight of the system that has delivered North Slope crude oil since 1977, said the report, issued by the Government Accountability Office, an independent nonpartisan agency that conducts audits and investigations for Congress.
To meet current conditions, the joint office should clarify its desired outcomes and resume what was once communication with the public about regulation, enforcement and other issues, the GAO report said.
“Redefining and documenting the intended outcomes of JPO’s oversight activities, including those aiming to inform the public of its oversight efforts, would enable JPO agencies to work toward shared goals and ensure accountability,” the report said. It is important to document the expectations, the report said. “Clarifying roles and responsibilities would enhance coordination among JPO agencies and help JPO identify any potential gaps in oversight.”
Read the entire story at the link below:
Commentary: Windows are the No. 1 human threat to birds – an ecologist shares simple steps to reduce collisions
By Jason Hoeksema
Professor, University of Mississippi
When wood thrushes arrive in northern Mississippi on their spring migration and begin to serenade my neighborhood with their ethereal, harmonized song, it’s one of the great joys of the season. It’s also a minor miracle. These small creatures have just flown more than 1,850 miles (3,000 kilometers), all the way from Central America.
Other birds undertake even longer journeys — the Swainson’s thrush, for example, nests as far north as the boreal forests of Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in northern South America, traveling up to 5,600 miles (9,000 kilometers) each way.
These stunning feats of travel are awe-inspiring, making it that much more tragic when they are cut short by a deadly collision with a glass window.
This happens with alarming regularity. Two recent scientific studies estimate that more than 1 billion birds – and as many as 5.19 billion – die from collisions with sheet glass each year in the United States alone, sometimes immediately but often from their injuries.
In fact, window collisions are now considered the top human cause of bird deaths. Due to window collisions and other causes, bird populations across North America have declined more than 29% from their 1970 levels, likely with major consequences for the world’s ecosystems.
These collisions occur on every type of building, from homes to skyscrapers. At the University of Mississippi campus, where I teach and conduct research as an ecologist, my colleagues and I have been testing some creative solutions.
Read the entire Commentary below:
Commentary: The Alaskans who keep our national parks running are needed
By Fran Ulmer
Like many other Alaskans, I love our national parks. Their beauty, wildlife and opportunities for adventures are a great gift to current and future Alaskans, as well as our many visitors. From Denali to Katmai to Glacier Bay, these special places help drive a thriving tourism economy and support reliable, made-in-Alaska jobs. Unfortunately, Alaska’s national parks and the economic benefits they bring are threatened by drastic staffing and budget cuts to the National Park Service. It was recently reported that the National Park Service Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage has lost an estimated one-third of its staff — more than 60 knowledgeable Alaskans — a result of downsizing the Department of Interior through pressured buyout tactics. And the federal administration has threatened additional cuts through mass firings.
Roughly 2 million people visited Alaska national parks in 2023, and more are expected this year. They spent $1.5 billion dollars and supported 23,000 jobs, according to the National Park Service. In Anchorage alone, 1 in 9 jobs is in tourism, Visit Anchorage has found. Across the country, one tax dollar invested in the Park Service returns $10 to the economy.
But national parks don’t run themselves. People are needed to keep parks running, from park rangers to contracting experts, from educators who design the visitor center exhibits to biologists who make sure that park wildlife survive and thrive.
The Alaska Regional Office provides oversight and expertise to 24 national park sites across Alaska, covering more than 50 million acres of federal land. The scale and landscape of Alaska makes the Alaska Regional Office essential. Most Alaska national park sites only have one or two resource staff and limited capacity. It doesn’t make financial sense for every park to have its own pilot and plane, geologist, or subsistence expert. The Regional Office provides support and expertise that serve all our parks.
At the Alaska Regional Office, cuts and consolidation programs have eliminated crucial positions, including the regional chief ranger overseeing law enforcement. Now there is only one staff member leading archaeology and cultural resource protection for all of Alaska’s national park sites, and just a handful of staff remain to work with Alaska Native tribes, whose culture, food security, and traditional ways of life should be respected by those parks.
Read the entire Commentary here:
Alaska senators vote to end daylight saving time in America’s farthest-north state
By James Brooks
Alaska would be on the same time zone as Seattle for four months of the year, if a bill passed Monday by the Alaska Senate becomes law.
The Senate voted 18-2 to pass Senate Bill 26, which would eliminate daylight saving time in Alaska and ask the federal government to put Alaska on Pacific Standard Time.
(Photo by James Brooks, Alaska Beacon. Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River, speaks in favor of a bill that would eliminate daylight saving time, on Monday, May 12, 2025, in Juneau. Story reprinted courtesy Alaska Beacon under Creative Commons)
Read the entire story at the link below:
Federal employment and budget turmoil affects monitoring of Alaska’s Barry Arm landslide
By Yereth Rosen
The Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers and funding restrictions has affected the monitoring of a landslide-prone slope that could create a dangerous tsunami in Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
The Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, in a recent update, alerted the public about the problems affecting the multiagency team monitoring Barry Arm. The site is a fjord where an unstable rocky slope could collapse into the water, potentially creating a tsunami affecting the community of Whittier and a variety of Prince William Sound mariners and visitors.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Girdwood Food Pantry delivers in Uncertain Times
By Allison Sayer
TNews Staffwriter
The Girdwood Food Pantry’s volunteers provide meals for area residents facing food insecurity, working to find every corner where someone might be doing without. Food distribution days occur three days per month: the first Sunday and second and fourth Wednesday.
Read the entire store at the below link:
ttps://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-food-pantry-delivers-in-uncertain-times
Ski to Sea: Mountain Magic in Clay
By Allison Sayer
TNews Staffwriter
The Girdwood Center for Visual Arts (GCVA) is currently featuring “Ski to Sea,” an installation by ceramic artist and Girdwood local Barbara Lydon.
Large ceramic serving platters decorated with ocean and mountain scenes are interspersed with freeform sea stars and other animals. Lydon explained it was her intention to have the repeated shapes and symmetry of the platters bring “cohesiveness” to the viewer, but also have the creatures bring an element of “chaos.”
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/ski-to-sea-montain-magic-in-clay
Timberline Road and Drainage Improvement, Bond Proposition on Ballot
Commentary from Girdwood Board of Supervisors Briana Sullivan and Mike Edgington
Voters in Girdwood and across Anchorage will be receiving a Municipal ballot in the mail this week. This is an opportunity to elect members to the Assembly, School Board and Girdwood Board of Supervisors, but it also contains several propositions including approval to issue bonds for capital projects. One of these, Proposition 8, is for a bond to fund safety improvements to Timberline Road here in Girdwood.
What exactly is the Timberline Road Safety Project?
The Timberline Road project aims to enhance both the safety and accessibility for all road users in Girdwood, including pedestrians and cyclists. The initial section of Timberline Road to the junction with Vail Drive is one of the busiest sections of gravel road in South Central Alaska, and has to be frequently maintained due to traffic volume and road conditions.
The project will narrow and mark the vehicle lanes and broaden the shoulders, better accommodating pedestrians, cyclists, and other users, while still providing critical space for snow storage. Wider shoulders and clearer separation from vehicles will encourage alternative transportation and help promote a healthier community. Paving the vehicle lanes will control water runoff, improve drainage, and decrease potholes. This will reduce maintenance costs in the future by providing a stable foundation, making the road more durable.
The speed limit of 20mph will remain, but the project will examine enhancements to keep vehicles to safe speeds through this residential area such as additional signage, speed bumps, or other traffic calming measures.
Read the entire commentary at the link below:
(Girdwood Town Manager for the Municipality of Anchorage Kyle Kelley contributed information for this commentary)
Assembly again punts decision on Comp Plan
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Following nearly two hours of testimony Tuesday night, the Anchorage Assembly chose to once again postpone a decision on adopting Girdwood's comprehensive plan.
Some members said they didn't know enough about changes Anchorage's planning department wants to make on the plan.
"The information is just too much to consume tonight," Assembly Chair Chris Constant said.
Twenty or so people spoke against changes recommended by the planning department, particularly its desire to include housing designations in areas set aside as "open space" in the plan.
The two biggest points of contention are amendments for a strip of housing near Virgin Creek and a change of public land north of the airport from open space to "mixed use" housing that would allow Alyeska Resort owner Pomeroy to build 365 housing units.
Many said that area, called "the mitten" by planners, is essential to the recreational character of the community. The area is home to undisturbed wetlands, primitive and groomed trails, and a stand of ancient trees known as the Enchanted Forest.
"Developing that fragile ecosystem is something you can't reverse over time," said Liam Coyle, who lives in a tiny home in Girdwood.
The planning department sent a memo to Imagine!Girdwood, a local group overseeing the update of the 30-year-old plan, recommending five changes. Two—housing along Virgin Creek and developing the mitten—were unequivocally dismissed by the group.
The department's idea for a 500-foot strip along Virgin Creek, which Imagine!Girdwood chair Mike Edgington said would result in up to 30 single-family homes—drew resounding opposition.
The area contains among the largest old-growth trees in Girdwood, said Brenden Raymond-Yakoubian. Developing housing along a corridor, he said, would "cut down the bulk of the forest."
Read the entire story at the link below:https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/assembly-again-punts-decision-on-comp-plan
Former Resort Owner gives $1 Million to Childcare Center
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
In an emotional speech during a fundraising gala Friday night, former Alyeska Resort owner John Byrne III announced he is donating $1 million to the Girdwood Workforce Childcare Project for the new childcare center building for Little Bears Playhouse.
In the tearful address, Byrne suggested the new child care center—to be built on Alyeska-owned land near its hotel—be named after legendary volunteer and Girdwood, Inc. founder Diana Stone Livingston who sat before him in the hushed crowd.
The Little Bears Playhouse daycare center is currently housed in a six-decade-old building near the fire station and has capacity for 27 children.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/former-resort-owner-gives-1-million-to-childcare-center
Federal firings hit U.S. Forest Service in Alaska, with at least 30 jobs cut on Thursday
By Corinne Smith
At least 30 federal workers with the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska have been terminated immediately, as of Thursday, according to the National Federation of Federal Employees union.
“We got word yesterday that there were going to be 3,400 terminations of probationary employees within the U.S. Forest Service nationwide, and those terminations started at midnight,” said Matt Brossard, a national business representative with NFFE, speaking Friday at 10 a.m.
Read the entire story at the below link: