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TURNAGAIN NEWS

Fall Season brings nature’s colors

Alaska’s fall colors paint the wilderness in fiery hues. Aspen, birch, and cottonwood trees glow golden yellow, contrasting deep green spruce. Tundra landscapes blaze with red, orange, and rust. The crisp air enhances the vivid palette, making valleys and mountainsides shimmer with seasonal beauty beneath early snow-dusted peaks and soft light. (Courtesy Photo)


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Seniors and teens becoming more important in Alaska’s workforce, statistics show
Seniors and teens becoming more important in Alaska’s workforce, statistics show

Residents 65 and older and kids 14 to 17 account for bigger percentages of the state’s working population

By Yereth Rosen

Alaska Beacon

As Alaska’s population of working-age adults shrinks, according to economists, other demographic groups have become bigger segments of the labor force: seniors and teenagers.

Residents who are 65 and older made up 6.2% of the Alaska worker population in 2023 after steadily increasing over two decades, according to an analysis by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. In 2003, that age group made up just 1.8% of all working Alaskans, according to the data.

For teenagers, the two-decade trend has been different. In 2003, teenagers 14 to 17 years old made up 4.4% of Alaska’s resident workers, but that percentage dropped in subsequent years – reflecting national trends — until it bottomed out at 2.7% during the COVID-19 pandemic year of 2020. Since then, the percentage of teens in Alaska’s workforce rebounded, and it hit 3.7% in 2023.

The information is detailed in a pair of articles in the current issue of Alaska Economic Trends, the department’s monthly magazine published by the department’s research section. 

The analysis of  senior workers was written by state labor economist Karinne Wiebold; labor economist Rob Kreiger reported on the labor trends among  teenagers.

A big difference between older and younger workers is the degree of the male-female pay gap, Wiebold’s analysis showed.

For workers 65 and older, the gap is wide. Men in that age group had average annual earnings of $54,835, compared to average earnings of$38,797 for women 65 and older. 

In dollar terms, older women in Alaska earned 71 cents for every $1 earned by men 65 and older. 

The gap widens with age, the analysis found. The gap existed even in the highest-paid job category, the analysis found. Top male executives who were at least 65 years old earned $112,799 a year on average in 2024, while top female executives in the same age group earned an average of $87,514.

Statewide, across all age groups, women earn 73 cents for every $1 earned by men, her article said.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/seniors-and-teens-becoming-more-important-in-alaskas-workforce-statistics-show

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ARTICLES
Girdwood Grizzlies Boys Basketball Finish Undefeated Season

By Coach Kyle Kelley

Girdwood Grizzlies Boys Basketball Team

The Girdwood Middle School boys basketball team capped off an incredible season with a perfect 6-0 record, marking an unforgettable year for the Grizzlies. The team’s success came from a combination of determination, teamwork, and resilience — from a nail-biting overtime win to strong defensive performances that defined their undefeated run.

This season was significant as it marked the final year for four outstanding 8th graders: Julien Stiassny, Waylon Straley, Ezra Ranke, and Finn Pelkola. Each player made a lasting impact on the program and helped lead their team to perfection.

·       Julien Stiassny (Point Guard/Forward) brought energy, hustle, and reliable scoring that kept the Grizzlies competitive in every game.

·       Waylon Straley (Post Player) anchored the paint with strong defense and rebounding, giving the team a formidable inside presence.

·       Ezra Ranke (Power Forward/Post) provided strength, grit, and leadership, often stepping up in key moments to swing the momentum.

·       Finn Pelkola (Point Guard/Forward) led the team with poise and vision, running the offense and setting the pace for the Grizzlies’ success.

Together, this group of 8th graders, along with their 6th- and 7th-grade teammates, showed what it means to be a Grizzly — playing with heart, teamwork, and pride while setting an example for the younger players who will carry the program forward.

Coaches and parents praised the players’ dedication, noting that the team’s chemistry, defensive effort, and never-give-up attitude were what made this season truly special. Whether battling through overtime thrillers or closing out tough opponents with solid defense, every Grizzly contributed to the undefeated run.

Congratulations to the Girdwood Middle School boys basketball team on a perfect 6-0 season — a true testament to teamwork, perseverance, and Grizzly pride!

‘Rain, Wind, Cold Hands, and Blue Lips’

Seven Locals Finish 10th Girdwood Marathon

By Brian Pautzke

TNews Contributor

Cheers to the “Magnificent Seven” on the 10-year anniversary of the Girdwood Trail Marathon.  

Hip, hip… hooray!  Hip, hip… hooray!  

Hip, hip, ah, mine are too sore to cheer.  

Congratulations to the seven Girdwoodian distance runners holding court on our own backyard race. While we have a couple of special distance runners that didn’t run, the seven who did represented the town well. All Girdwood runners finished under 4 hours and 45 minutes.  

Led by the Girdwood Grizzlies middle school teachers Lauren Fritz (2nd place among women, 9th overall) and Soren Wuerth (12th overall), and, eventually, myself (19th overall), the K-8 school has a heck of a distance track record.  

Between Wuerth and myself was the bodacious Bailey Matthys and epic Emily Pearson (14th, and 15th overall respectively). Following closely behind myself was John Hellen (21st) and Rachel Peterson (24th). Out of the 63 finishers, the seven Girdwood runners fell within the top 24. That demands a toast (shout-out Girdwood Brewing Co. for donations made to the trail race).

In “out of towner” news, two fellas were “running” what seemed to us a different sport all-together. Lars Arneson and Scott Paterson both ran sub-three-hour races to secure 1st and 2nd place. Shauna Severson from Eagle River earned top spot for the women’s division. Great job!

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/rain-wind-cold-hands-and-blue-lips

‘Holtan Hills’ Developer Gets an Earful During Required Public Meeting

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Girdwood residents had a flurry of questions—and remarks—for the developers of the planned "Holtan Hills" subdivision during an emotionally-charged public meeting Tuesday night.

Some questions weren't answered, some received the promise of a later reply, and some questions were fielded by a team that wants to develop the old-growth forest behind Girdwood's school into a 66-acre subdivision for luxury and single-family homes. 

Instead, it was mostly Girdwood locals who had information for the group, none of whom live in the community and who appeared to be ignorant of concerns raised about a $2.5 million paved road and sewer line project underway.

Developers said they hadn't been aware of a dump in the vicinity, that construction has split two connecting trails and that traffic safety has been compromised during development of an access road.

Remarks to a panel that included property developer Connie Yoshimura of CY Investments, were particularly poignant when it came to the safety of children crossing a slippery, hazardous and sometimes obstructed pathway to school.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/holtan-hills-developer-gets-an-earful-during-required-public-meeting

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ARTICLES
Girdwood Mushroom Expert Co-Authors Alaska Guide Book
Girdwood Mushroom Expert Co-Authors Alaska Guide Book

‘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

Girdwood Trails Marathon Continues to Grow
Girdwood Trails Marathon Continues to Grow

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

Mass resignations at two Alaska newspapers after out-of-state owners bow to political pressure
Mass resignations at two Alaska newspapers after out-of-state owners bow to political pressure

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

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UPCOMING EVENTS

STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

ARTICLES
‘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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