Draft plans for Girdwood’s parks displayed at Parks Plan Workshop
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
On Tuesday, December 16th, Girdwood Parks and Recreation hosted the second Girdwood Parks Plan workshop. 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.
The project began with a park user survey in the fall, followed by a workshop in September which presented the results of the survey and collected Girdwood residents’ thoughts and opinions on existing park locations and infrastructure. Huddle AK worked with Parks and Rec to interpret the survey results and feedback, and the second workshop allowed them to present their draft plans for Girdwood Park, Lions Club Park, Town Square Park, Moose Meadows, and the new concept Glacier Creek Park. Huddle AK used this workshop as an opportunity to collect feedback about the draft plans presented. The workshop was open-house style, with various exhibits set up around the Community Room that focused on each of the different parks.
Girdwood Park would see some improvements but would likely not look dramatically different than it does today. There were several comments about the inadequacy of the playground, so there are plans or new play equipment for 2-5 year-olds and 5-12 year-olds. Additionally, there are plans for an elevated plaza with amphitheater-style seating that is facing the playground and skate park; the plaza idea was spurred by comments from parents that it can be difficult to keep an eye on children playing, especially if there are multiple children using different areas of the park.
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Girdwood celebrates Solstice on the ski trails
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
Despite temperatures below 0oF, the 2025 Solstice Ski organized by the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club brought a large crowd of Girdwood residents out to the trail kiosk on the 5K trail loop. This annual celebration of the winter and of the return to the sun brings Girdwood residents out into the night to celebrate together.
To help battle the darkness of winter’s longest night, the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club installed over 2,500 lights along the 2K trail and the trail kiosk, which is the home of the party for the evening. At the epicenter of the Solstice gathering at the kiosk, participants found the bonfire plus hot chocolate and soup donated by The Bake Shop to keep everyone warm inside and out. This was also where the music was playing, and most participants were gathered to talk and spend time together commemorating the 5K trail network and celebrating the return of the sunlight that comes after Winter Solstice.
It wouldn’t be a Nordic Ski Club event without Nordic skiing, and most participants took some time to ski at least one lap of the lit trails. Prior to the event, twenty GSNC volunteers spent approximately a week getting the lights ready and positioned on the course. The hard work paid off, as the colorful and flashing lights augmented the experience. Some of the lights moved constantly around the top of the trees, illuminating the foliage and creating tricks of the eye with the stars of the clear night. Meanwhile other lights danced across the trail’s surface itself. Girdwood resident and event participant Amanda Tuttle described the last segment of trail as like, “skiing on Rainbow Road from Mario Kart” while passing through the multicolor, flashing lights.
Deb Essex, the President of the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club, said that the Solstice Ski, “is definitely our biggest event” and is something they always look forward to. The event is free for participants, but even without a financial draw Essex says, “it is a benefit to the Club by celebrating where we live andcelebrating the only uplands winter trail loop in Glacier Valley.”
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-celebrates-solstice-on-the-ski-trails
The “Cozmic Culvert” lights up the darkest time of year
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
As people drive or walk Timberline Drive, they may notice the Cozmic Culver, a new artistic and scientific installation in front of Riley Bennett and Max Vockner’s home at 540 Timberline. The section of 9-foot culvert installed by the roadside with a hanging bench inside is much more than just a spot for weary walkers making their way up the road. Once someone sits inside the culvert and sees the mural curving around two-thirds of the inner wall, then the true art and soul of the piece becomesvisible.
Vockner, a concrete worker, salvaged the section of culvert and brought it home years ago to start this piece. The piece was a team effort of many Girdwood locals working together, and it serves as a memorial to Michael Bennett, Riley Bennett’s father, who passed away around Winter Solstice in 2023.
The mural shows a stylized version of the night sky over Girdwood, with some specific scientific details to reference the Winter Solstice. While sitting on the bench, the “sky” directly overhead is a fantasy version of a night sky. Tommy O’Malley, one of the artists on the project and perhaps better known in Girdwood as Tommy Salami, said that there are not many constellations overhead in the northern skies, which left them “free to have some fun” with that part of the sky. The swirling artistic vision of the stars was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night, as well as the misty night sky that O’Malley witnessed on a trip to the Pyrenees in France.
Read the entire story and more pictures at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/the-cozmic-culvert-lights-up-the-darkest-time-of-year
David Attenborough’s ‘Ocean’ comes to the shore of Turnagain Arm
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
On Tuesday, December 16th, Alpenglow Coffeehouse hosted a showing of the movie “Ocean with David Attenborough” for a full house of Girdwood residents. The film is a documentary that showcases the importance of the world’s oceans and documents some of the environmental threats they face in today’s world. The movie showing was in collaboration with the organizations SalmonState and Oceana, who have hosted several showings and presentations in the past few weeks around Alaska.
Due to the size constraints of Alpenglow’s main room, the showing was limited to 30 people who signed up for free tickets in advance. The movie was preceded by a brief introduction by Ryan Astalos of SalmonSate, Lauren Hynes of Oceana, and Justin Shoffner of Alpenglow, and then the movie showing began.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/david-attenboroughs-ocean-comes-to-the-shore-of-turnagain-arm
Local Nordic Racer Adds Cross-Country Skiing to Girdwood Sports Fame
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
In a small town with rainy winters, with only five kilometers of groomed trail and with few, if any, local races, how unlikely is it that Girdwood is home to a rising national Nordic skiing talent?
Despite the odds, Mia Stiassny, 17, is crushing the field in cross-country skiing—in Anchorage, in Alaska, in the United States, and, recently, even in Europe.
And that her success began in Girdwood—with Mt. Alyeska looming above and the town's share of medal-winning skiers and snowboarders—is merely a situational happenstance, says Stiassny, who wore a black puffy plastered with sponsors during an interview at a local coffee house.
Making her achievements even more notable is that Stiassny has had to do so much of her training—whether hurtling around the 5K loop, bagging local mountains or clocking miles on "roller skis"—alone.
"There are only like eight other girls in my class all through [school], so, in a way [we're] all really close, but if you want to do something different, like Nordic ski, you're the only one," she says.
To reach her goals, she's had to make the long commute to Anchorage, endure an unrelenting 13-hour school-sports schedule, and learn technique through practice.
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GBOS Co-Chair Attacked for His Position as Head of Anchorage Council
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
A co-chair of Girdwood's Board of Supervisors has come under fire in social media posts and in local meetings for a position he accepted as chair of Anchorage's Federation of Community Council.
Mike Edgington, who was elected as chair of the FCC a year ago, was not chosen by Girdwood residents to lead the group on the community's behalf, critics charge. Others are critical of bylaw changes the council is seeking under Edgington's helm.
The FCC is a non-profit that administers Anchorage's 37 community councils, including GBOS. A temporary officer was elected to run a Board of Delegates special meeting Wednesday night.
In an interview last week, Mike Edgington denied accusations against him as baseless, saying his position as chair of the FCC is to help manage the nonprofit and that the board doesn't make policy decisions.
"I think some of it is originally a misunderstanding, but it's been explained to these people and they don't care. They're going with conspiracy theories and lies," Edgington said. "And you know, with most things, what you do is, first of all, you try and attack the people, then you attack the process, then you actually look at the substance."
Edgington said he fell into the position of treasurer for the nonprofit as he had experience with organizing spreadsheets, and, when the position of chair opened after a resignation, he "was asked to do it" when no one else volunteered.
He called the position a "time sink" which hasn't benefited him personally.
Complaints about Edgington's position at a Land Use meeting led the committee to vote for Brice Wilbanks, vice-chair of the Land Use Committee, to serve as Girdwood's delegate to the FCC.
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‘The Girdwood Health Clinic Saved My Life’
By Brooks Chandler
TNews Board of Directors
This patient testimonial was read by Community Health Worker Linda Mankoff just outside the clinic entrance on August 7. Similar sentiments were expressed by patient and current clinic board member Jeff D’Agostino. He recounted how Ms. Mankoff helped him obtain health insurance. Insurance that was needed when he came to the clinic with a life-threatening condition three years ago. “Every day I wake up I am still glad I’m here” Mr. D’Agostino said.
The occasion for these expressions of gratitude was a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the opening of the non-profit Girdwood Health Clinic. Clinic Executive Director Deb Erickson said at the birthday party they exemplified “why we do what we do”.
The anniversary was attended by upwards of 100 people and included in person congratulations from United States Senator Dan Sullivan. Sen. Sullivan professed the ”deepest respect for medical professionals” and said he was a “huge fan” of Federally Qualified Health Clinics.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/the-girdwood-health-clinic-saved-my-life
Trump wants Congress to slash $9.4B in spending now, defund NPR and PBS
By Jennifer Shutt
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration sent its first spending cuts request to Congress on Tuesday, asking lawmakers to swiftly eliminate $9.4 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and various foreign aid programs.
The request for what are called rescissions allows the White House budget office to legally freeze spending on those accounts for 45 days while the Republican-controlled Congress debates whether to approve the recommendation in full or in part, or to ignore it.
The proposal calls on lawmakers to eliminate $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. That means NPR and PBS would lose their already approved federal allocations, if the request is approved by Congress.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in May seeking to block the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from providing funding for NPR and PBS, leading to twoseparate lawsuits citing First Amendment concerns.
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Mount Spurr: Preparation Can Ease the Pain
By Allison Sayer
TNews Staffwriter
On March 12, The Alaska Volcano Observatory announced “an eruption [of Mount Spurr] is likely, but not certain, to occur within the next few weeks or months. The most likely outcome of the current unrest is an explosive eruption (or eruptions) like those that occurred in 1953 and 1992. Those eruptions each lasted a few hours and produced ash clouds that were carried downwind for hundreds of miles and minor ashfall (up to about ¼ inch) on southcentral Alaska communities.”
Many simple, low cost preparedness tips are available from the Municipality of Anchorage Emergency Operations Center and ready.alaska.gov. The common advice from these and other sources is to have a mask handy, stock up on relevant air filters, and put some forethought into what would happen if you must shelter in place somewhere.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/mount-spurr-preparation-can-ease-the-pain
Cross Country: Native Alaskan Ava Earl stars as squad climbs to new heights
By Henry Frieman, Sports Editor
The Daily Northwestern
Girdwood, Alaska, population estimated at 2,500, sits in a valley at the base of Mount Alyeska, a ski resort in the winter and a hiking destination in the summer. The mountain town has one main road, a two-lane highway surrounded by hemlock and conifer.
There is one elementary school, but the nearest high school is 30 miles away in Anchorage. There is a fire department, but no police station. Further away from the resort, the paved roads turn to gravel.
It was on the gravel paths and dirt trails of the Alaskan woodlands where Northwestern cross country runner Ava Earl, now a senior, fell in love with running.
Read the entire story here:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/ava-earl-carries-alaskan-roots-to-nu-cross-country-stardom
Raw Market: ‘Together, We Thrive’
By Hannah Dillon
Assistant Editor
A red ribbon hung on the entrance to the Raw Market—just off Holmgren Ave. next to The Laundromall—as community members gathered around the store at 5 p.m. July 2. When the ribbon was cut, a new local market officially opened in Girdwood.
People quickly entered the intimately-sized store once the doors were open. Aesthetic lighting and plants hovered overhead as customers sorted through bell peppers, chocolate milk glasses, candles, locally made pottery, dried herbs, cherries and aloe vera plants.
Behind the register, employees created delicious acai bowls and smoothies for everyone in need of a cool treat on a warm sunny day.
Michelle Young, who, along with her husband James Glover, owns the Raw Market sat down with Turnagain News to discuss opening day and a little history of the store.
Young said the inspiration to establish a store like Raw Market stems from a visit to Maui, where nearly every small town had a juice bar that sold acai bowls, smoothies and juice. “We really loved the abundance of fresh food,” said Young.
Young’s experience with the fresh food available on the streets of Maui inspired Young and Glover to bring that experience to Girdwood.
Read the entire story here:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/raw-market-together-we-thrive
Girdwood Board reverses community decision on Alyeska Development
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
The Girdwood Board of Supervisors, in a 3-2 decision Monday, rescinded an earlier community vote that rejected a subdivision proposed in a popular recreational area.
The board's move tells municipal planners it has no objection to plans by Alyeska Resort to build an assortment of housing, roads, parking lots, a tram and in the Glacier Creek watershed north of the town's airport.
The GBOS has since voted to reconsider its Monday vote and will discuss the reconsideration at a meeting Thursday at 1 p.m.
"I suspect [the vote] will be changed," said Supervisor Mike Edgington on Wednesday. "We're basically going back for a re-do."
He said he feels Pomeroy's goals for development are sound, but the location the company has chosen for development isn't.
In both meetings, community members expressed criticism, skepticism and dismay about Pomeroy Lodging's plan to acquire nearly 100 acres of municipal land in the upper valley for housing.
Read the entire story at:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-board-reverses-community-decision-on-alyeska-development
Alaska newspaper publishers worry about bill ending some public notice requirements
By James Brooks
The Alaska Senate voted without dissent Monday to allow the Department of Natural Resources to stop publishing some public notices in local newspapers.
Senators approved Senate Bill 68 by a 17-0 vote. It now advances to the House for consideration. Sens. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel; Bert Stedman, R-Sitka; and Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, were excused absent.
Before the final vote, newspaper publishers unsuccessfully asked legislators to reconsider their plans. Allowing the state to control its public notice process poses transparency risks, they testified, and it likely will harm papers’ finances, potentially reducing the amount of independent reporting available in Alaska.
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Potter Marsh Watershed Park is on the Horizon
Great Land Trust has been working with Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) Heritage land Bank and GCI to conserve 300 acres of important hillside watershed features that are critical to sustaining the vibrant habitat of the Potter’s Marsh, located between Golden View Drive to the east and Old Seward Highway.
“We are thrilled how this project is proceeding and it is nice to be doing a project in Anchorage at this scale as these opportunities are few and far between,'“ said Dave Mitchell, Conservation Director with Great Land Trust.
“We select our projects based on prioritizations that look at wetlands and anadromous streams and adjacency to protected areas and we try to collect all the data we can and rank and put it into GIS and rank land based on conservation value,” he added. “This property actually ranked number one.”
Set between the old and new Seward highways, Potter Marsh is a portion of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge is Anchorage’s gateway to Turnagain Arm. The new Potter Marsh Watershed Park will be owned, operated and maintained by the MOA Parks and Recreation Department.
El Nino May Not Be Behind November Snowfall, Experts Say
An unprecedented storm that hurled over three feet snow across Turnagain Arm this past week occurred during an El Nino year, but it is unlikely a natural cycle of warming ocean water is responsible for that event, said Alaska Climate Specialist Rick Thoman.
Nevertheless, El Nino and global warming are having and will have impacts on our winters, scientists say.
"I've had a lot of questions in the last couple weeks, [such as] is this south central snow, the warmth and lack of sea ice in parts of western Alaska, is this tied to El Nino'. Thoman said in videotaped briefing Friday.
[But} where these storms are the first half of November give me confidence to say--and I don't often get to say this--we think pretty darn confidently that our unusual weather is not directly linked to El Nino," he said.
Yet, while there were other influences causing the storms, El Nino will likely create a warmer winter and spring in Alaska and "win out in the end" as a leading factor in weather systems, he said.
Heavy, wet snow that fell last week cut off power across Girdwood and parts of Anchorage, clogged local roadways, and even restricted, in some cases, cell service. On the Richardson Highway, around Mile 46, 72 inches of snow fell in a 20 hour period.
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Alyeska Unveils Expansion Plans at Town Hall
Alyeska Resort's owners laid out a sweeping vision for Girdwood's upper valley Thursday night, one of a "village", parking lots, recreational facilities, a conference center, a daycare center and other amenities.
About 150 people attended the meeting which was billed as a "town hall" meeting held amid platefuls of cookies and snacks in the weathered Sitzmark Bar, with its indigo paisley stained glass ceiling and worn, burnished booths.