
‘Brushing’ Gets Underway at ‘Holtan Hills’ Site
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
As she has for nearly 30 years, Jody Carlsen set out for a walk along a favorite trail Wednesday.
It was a warm sunny afternoon, and she was joined by her friend, Loey Stayden, and two energetic dogs, Paco and Ebi.
The outing would be abruptly upset.
Three white pickup trucks, lights flashing, were parked at the trailhead, one bearing the license plate "AXXXX". A cacaphone of clanging metal and crunching trees erupted from a utility path.
The group skirted construction on Girdwood School's trail system then stopped on the Middle Iditarod Trail where a red excavator clawed at tree roots.
"I thought they were going to start Monday," Carlsen said.
Two Hydro-ax mulchers, the excavator, and a worker with a chainsaw, Caden Bevegni, had cleared a wide swath of vegetation and ancient hemlock trees past the trailhead. The Iditarod Trail's informational post stood naked amid a field of wood chips.
"It hurts my heart," Carlsen said. "It feels like this (project) was punched down our throats."
Read the entire story ad more pictures at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/brushing-gets-underway-at-holtan-hills-site

Girdwood Giants Cap Off Historic Season as Citywide Tournament Runner-Up
By Kyle Kelley
Girdwood Giants Head Coach
The Girdwood Giants Majors Little League baseball team wrapped up an unforgettable 2025 season with a thrilling run to the City Wide Championship game, ultimately finishing as runner-up after a hard-fought 4–2 loss to the Dodgers. With an overall record of 12–4, the Giants secured second place in the league and recorded one of the most successful seasons in Girdwood baseball history.
Throughout the season, the Giants showed exceptional growth, teamwork and resilience. From opening day to the championship game, the team steadily improved in every aspect of the game—developing sharper defense, smarter base running and confident bats. Their progress was evident with each game and culminated in a memorable postseason performance that energized the entire Girdwood community.
With a strong group of eight to 11-year-olds returning next season, the Giants’ future looks promising. They’ll be joined by a talented wave of players moving up from the Minors, setting the stage for another exciting year of baseball and team growth.
As the Giants celebrate their achievements, the team also honors four outstanding players who are aging out of the league and closing the chapter on their Little League careers: Carver Sieling, Skogen Swygman, Lane Stinson, and Wes Kelley. These players have been pillars of the team, showing leadership, dedication and heart on and off the field. Their contributions to Girdwood baseball will be remembered for years to come.
The success of the Giants wouldn’t be possible without the support of dedicated volunteers. Head Coach Chris Stinson, who has led the team for many years, deserves special recognition for his unwavering commitment to Girdwood baseball. As a volunteer coach, Chris has made a lasting positive impact on his players and the entire community—teaching not just the fundamentals of the game, but the values of sportsmanship, perseverance and teamwork.
Read the entire story and more pictures 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

Confusion and Few Answers Mark July 7 ‘Holtan Hills’ Construction
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
With development of a controversial "Holtan Hills" subdivision project less than a week away, government agencies have so far given few answers on environmental, traffic, safety and other questions.
The Municipality of Anchorage has failed to assign a liaison for the project. No one responded to its first bid for the position and a subsequent bid had only one prospect, who was denied the job.
Since then, the city's Heritage Land Bank, the municipality's partner in the sprawling 60-acre venture, has directed questions to developer CY Investments and the company's website.
The site's contact email, however, led to a broken link.
In an email last week, company owner Connie Yoshimura directed questions to George Passantino, but provided no contact or other information.
Passantino works as a consultant for a national lobbying and media relations firm and has represented such companies as Walmart, Lowes, and GE Energy on development projects.
For its part, the Anchorage School District, which owns land adjacent to the development, has been unable "to connect with" people managing the project and the District is closed this week, according to M.J. Thim, ASD's public relations officer.j
“We haven’t been able to get answers," Thim wrote in an email.
Read the entire story at the link below:

Editorial: ‘Action’ is the Antidote to Despair
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
On July 7, SHOW UP
A fundamental purpose of a free press is to serve as a watchdog on power. It's right there in the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law ... prohibiting ... the freedom ... of the press..."
Even our nation's founders knew they—and their projects—needed to be watched.
"Bearing witness" is also a form of nonviolent resistance. It often takes courage to not look away from injustice.
Witness is one of the quietest, yet most powerful forms of nonviolent resistance. To witness is to stand present—to injustice, to suffering, to oppression—and refuse to look away. It is an act of moral courage that declares: “I see, I will not be silent, and I will not allow harm to happen unnoticed.” In a world where denial and distraction often shield systems of power from accountability, the simple act of being present becomes radical, writes Kate Laverty of a Belfast, Ireland intercommunity fellowship.
On Monday, July 7, clearcutting, digging and filling of a beloved Girdwood rainforest will commence.
Monday brings development of a subdivision no one in town went on record to support.
Everyone locally, that is to say, dislikes "Holtan HIlls".
What is insidious about the "Holtan Hills" affair is the way it was approved: Anchorage Assembly members slipped it through on a winter day after first postponing it indefinitely and after ignoring countless community comments, testimony, letters, local votes and even resolutions from sympathetic councils in town
Read the entire editorial at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/editorial-action-is-the-antidote-to-despair
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:

New Outdoor Concert Series Brings Out Girdwood's Finest
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
For many years, between the late 90s and early aughts, a music scene percolated alongside Holmgren Place in downtown Girdwood.
In a slumping one-room cabin called Studio B, the legendary Photon Band(later just "Photonz") rehearsed original jams, bluegrass staples and, occasionally, funky disco hits.
As the space fell into disrepair and the Photonz drifted into different orbits, the crumpled shed and adjacent yard became an itinerant open mic—sans mic, que fire—for guitar pickers, jam sessions and sing-alongs.
A winter evening might bear a footpath leading to stumps and rickety lawn chairs with dark, hunched figures and Old Crow Medicine Show renditions in gravelly voices.
Bordering the smoke-drifted yard stood a ramshackle second-hand store, "Thriftwood", and farther in back the building housed the offices of building contractor Ralph Brodin.
Some of those musical magicians have passed onto the cosmos like sparks from their fires: Sean, Jonas, Dusty, Dion, Dennis and Vesna. Everyone local heard them, were helped by them.
In the past few years, 148 Holmgren has experienced a revival mostly under the drive of longtime dancer, drummer and builder James Glover, 49, who worked with Brodin as a sub contractor and would go on to lease and eventually own two lots next to the Girdwood Laundramall.
When Thriftwood closed during COVID Glover went to work revitalizing the building, ripping out drywall from the ceiling, painting the walls black and replacing a deck with a paved path.
Last year, Glover opened the Raw Market, an upscale organic grocery store to "create a space for mindful living" where, says its brochure, "everything we do is guided by intention and a deep love for this place we call home."
The market carries bulk ingredients, sells produce and fruit, juices and smoothies and now offers a kitchen menu.
"We're trying our best to have naturally-sourced food with the fewest ingredients possible," Glover said. "Everything in here you can be certain is as good as possible for your body, or as good as we can do on the planet right now."
Read the entire story and more pictures at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/new-outdoor-concert-series-brings-out-girdwoods-finestnbsp