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Alyeska Climbathon Rises to the Top

Top male finished Ben Marvin crosses the finish line after completing 13 laps of the Alyeska North Face trail. Read the story below. (Photo by Chase Berenson)

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"Holtan Hills" Developer to Face Community in Sept. 23 Meeting
"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

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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: 

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/assembly-member-zac-johnson-addresses-holtan-hills-girdwood-and-future

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Local Ski Patroller Finds Fear, Loathing, and Adventure in War Zones
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: 

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

Dump Found Shows Little Trace of Oil
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

Holtan Hills Could be a Money Loser for Muni, Assembly Member Warns
Holtan Hills Could be a Money Loser for Muni, Assembly Member Warns

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Given the structure of a deal between a developer and the Municipality of Anchorage on a planned subdivision called "Holtan Hills", the city will likely gain little, break even, or it will stand to lose money, an Assembly member said last week.

The city stands to gain about $1.5 million from the first phase of the project before subtracting expenses, according to data provided publicly for the first time. While the municipality splits proceeds from lot sales, it must subtract costs. For developer Connie Yoshimura revenue from selling lots is profit. 

"I don't think this is the way we should be playing with public money because that's what we're doing here," Zac Johnson, who represents Girdwood and South Anchorage said during the meeting. "The risks are real. The costs are real. And, the upside—the benefits—is entirely hypothetical at this point."

Yoshimura, Assembly members and a city spokesperson fired back at Johnson, saying the deal brings new homes, roads and an upgraded sewer system to a valley desperate for housing and infrastructure.

"I am well aware that what Girdwood needs is homes for teachers, for engineers. The calls I get for Girdwood lots... are from people who want to live in Girdwood. They have children that are in the ski program that this project is named after, 'Holtan Hills', Howard Holtan," Yoshimura told the assembly.

In the past four years, 80 percent of the new housing units sold in Girdwood have become unoccupied year round, or "dark homes", and of 25 new condos only one is occupied, Mike Edgington, chair of Girdwood's Board of Supervisors, said in public testimony.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/holtan-hills-could-be-a-money-loser-for-muni-assembly-member-warns

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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‘The Girdwood Health Clinic Saved My Life’
‘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

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Trump wants Congress to slash $9.4B in spending now, defund NPR and PBS
Trump wants Congress to slash $9.4B in spending now, defund NPR and PBS

By Jennifer Shutt

States Newsroom

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.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/trump-wants-congress-to-slash-94b-in-spending-now-defund-npr-and-pbs

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Mount Spurr: Preparation Can Ease the Pain
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

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Cross Country: Native Alaskan Ava Earl stars as squad climbs to new heights
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

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Raw Market: ‘Together, We Thrive’
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

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