Girdwood school in now open

Students will be commuting back and firth in mornings and afternoons. Please keep an eye out for them while driving around town. (Photo by Chase Berenson)

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LATEST ARTICLES

ARTICLES
Local Firefighters Recognized for Trainings and Service
Local Firefighters Recognized for Trainings and Service

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor 

A sunlit ceremony held Saturday for Girdwood firefighters began with an almost unwavering rendition of Star Spangled Banner by 10-year-old Madison Woods, a fifth-grader at the local school.

Firefighters in sharp, pleated outfits, some donning white dress caps, waited through commendations to receive badges recognizing milestones in their training. 

"You gave up your own time and energy to invest in yourselves and to help your community," Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said to firefighters and their families in Alyeska Hotel's Kalhitna Ballroom.

LaFrance noted that the 41-member force in Girdwood face particularly challenging terrain and a wintertime flood of people. Their coverage extends all along the Seward Highway and the department "protects a billion-dollars of critical infrastructure," she said.

The ceremony marked the completion of anywhere from 160-180 training hours for various certificates depending on requirements ranging from EMT to paramedic to engineer. 

Firefighter rankings are signified by pins, from tools to bugles. As you climb ranks, the bugles go from silver to gold and become crossed and multiplied. A fire chief has five crossed gold bugles.

At Saturday's ceremony, four trainees earned their Firefighter One certificates, a commitment that involved strenuous exercises. 

"They spend their days sweating in firefighting gear and coming home still sore," said Capt.  Anna Ferntheil, a 12-year veteran in Girdwood's station, who trained the class.

Of this class, Ferntheil noted its sense of togetherness. She remembered a day of training after she had had an "awful" week. 

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/local-firefighters-recognized-for-trainings-and-service

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ARTICLES
Tiny Green Bugs Hop Into Town
Tiny Green Bugs Hop Into Town

Leafhoppers Suddenly Everywhere

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

They flecked car windshields, flitted clumsily into doorways, flung themselves into hair and sucking sap from anything from willow to cottonwood.

Leafhoppers descended into Girdwood valley like a green snowfall during the past week. There were especially numerous in the Crow Creek's upper valley, a "plague" not seen in years, or ever. 

Their larvae coated roads like grains spread by sand trucks. The little creatures speckled windows and screens. They were everywhere all at once.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/tiny-green-bugs-hop-into-town

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FVCS led the state with Alaska’s first and only snow classic
FVCS led the state with Alaska’s first and only snow classic

By Chase Berenson

TNews Staffwriter

One of Girdwood’s beloved winter traditions is the Mount Alyeska Snow Classic, hosted by Four Valleys Community School (FVCS).  Almost everyone in Girdwood knows that the premise of a snow classic is to purchase a ticket, guess how much snow will have fallen by a certain date, and then win half the pot of money if the guess is right.  But outside of Girdwood, snow classics are unknown to many Alaskans.  When Alaska legalized snow classic betting in 2012, they only legalized one snow classic in the entire state.  Alaska Statute (AS) 05.15.690(47) reads: “‘snow classic’ means a game of chance in which a prize of money is awarded to the closest guess of the total snow accumulation on the ground at a specific location on Mount Alyeska on a specific date and time and is limited to the Alyeska Snow Classic operated and administered by Four Valleys Community School, Inc.”

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/fvcs-led-the-state-with-alaskas-first-and-only-snow-classic

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Walk and Talk Series Ends with Lichens
Walk and Talk Series Ends with Lichens

By Andrew Gates

TNews Contributor

In late July, Four Valleys’ “Walk and Talk” series held its final session—a lichen nature walk, headed by Howard Earl. It started at the Winner Creek Trailhead at Alyeska around eight, and there were around 20 people there. 

You could immediately tell Howard was incredibly passionate about the topic, at the very start explaining how lichens were a hybrid of fungi and algae growing in a symbiotic relationship. People started walking, but a few minutes in, he stopped the group to give a lecture on the different types of lichen, giving “Fairy Barf” as an example of crustose lichen, a variety found growing on rocks, flush to the surface. 

The group then stopped on a boardwalk where he took time to explain lichen age. 

“There are lichens that are 50, even 100 years old,” he said, before pointing out a rock with a lichen that had been there since the 1970s, to nearly everyone’s fascination. 

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/walk-and-talk-series-ends-with-lichens

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New Childcare Center Opens Doors to Community
New Childcare Center Opens Doors to Community

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

The crowd that formed to toast, with cups of sparkling cider, Saturday's grand opening of Girdwood’s new early learning center had something more in common than many likely knew. 

"If you've gone to Little Bears [Playhouse], have a child who's gone or have a grandchild who's gone please raise your hand," the center's director asked the crowd. 

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/new-childcare-center-opens-doors-to-community

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ARTICLES
Two ‘Leggeds’ Not Only Customers Addicted to Girdwood's Sunday Market
Two ‘Leggeds’ Not Only Customers Addicted to Girdwood's Sunday Market

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Once you hear the flavors of cookies arranged neatly on three trays, you're tempted to pluck a free sample.

"Rolled Oats Pumpkin Tahini", "Wild Blueberry", and "Savory Sesame with Seaweed."

Ah. But wait.

These are treats for the four-legged grazers at Girdwood's Sunday Market. And though the snacks sound delicious, Mountain Mutts owner Gus Brewer has local dogs in mind.

"Dogs are addicted to my ingredients," says Brewer, who started making his dog treats four years ago and is a regular vendor at the market.

The lucky guinea pigs for Brewer's recipes are Betty and Marley, his boxers. 

"They are addicted to the treats," he says. 

A booth or two down, a poodle sniffs at a table, a two-legged leashed to her. 

Before the eager future Mountain Mutt junkie approaches, Brewer is saying that though the business takes up much of his time, it's a side hustle. He has a winter gig at the Resort. ("I learned I'm a natural teacher," he says.)

"Mountain Mutts is more than a dog business," Brewer says, lifting a brochure. Proceeds help the Food Pantry and Friends of Pets.

"We like giving back to the community," he says.

Along comes the poodle. Look out! One Mountain Mutt treat disappears. She's addicted.

Mountain Mitt treats can be found locally at The Grind, Alyeska Resort and Mother Hubbard's. 

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Whittier Weighs Future of Waterfront Leases Amid Growth  
Whittier Weighs Future of Waterfront Leases Amid Growth  

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Kelly Bender sat on a table outside her cafe, the Frisky Mermaid, on an overcast day last month and worried about the future of her business. 

Finley, her German shepherd, chased a ball on the deck while patrons ducked inside the narrow shop for coffee, pastries or the cafe's signature homemade fudge. A few travelers nestled in chairs at the back of the shop gazing out at Whittier's boat harbor below. 

A fixture on the community's oceanfront, the coffeehouse is in danger of losing a coveted city lease during a moment when the tiny coastal town is undergoing profound change.

A new port that opened last year at the head of Passage Canal has more than doubled the number of cruise ships and Whittier's harbor has seen a 50 percent increase in boats moored temporarily at its docks.

In March, when Bender sought to expand her business to include an Avis car rental, she learned her lease was expiring. Phillips Alaska Cruises, which leases the adjacent lot, also held an expiring lease, she said.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/whittier-weighs-future-of-waterfront-leases-amid-growthnbspnbsp

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AWWU updates Girdwood infrastructure under residents’ feet and roads
AWWU updates Girdwood infrastructure under residents’ feet and roads

By Chase Berenson

TNews Staffwriter

One of the most important elements of water utility infrastructure is what removes the wastewater from our homes after we have used the water in our kitchen sinks, showers, and other plumbing fixtures.  Wastewater infrastructure isn’t generally thought about too much, but Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) is investing in improvements in Girdwood’s wastewater system.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/awwu-updates-girdwood-infrastructure-under-residents-feet-and-roads

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STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

ARTICLES
Girdwood Sees Record Turnout for Local Anti-Trump "No Kings" Demonstration
Girdwood Sees Record Turnout for Local Anti-Trump "No Kings" Demonstration

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Organizers estimate eight million people hit the streets in yesterday's "No Kings" demonstrations across the country.

If Girdwood is any indication, it was the largest day of protest yet seen since Donald Trump took office a little over a year ago.

All four corners of Alyeska Hwy. and Hightower Rd. were packed with locals holding signs and banners. Organizer Emma Kramer counted 110 at one point, the highest seen locally in the 10 held since the start of Trump's election.

"There was one in the summer where we had numbers close to this, but I think we exceeded it by 20 or 25 people," Kramer said. 

A variety of signs fluttered in the crowd, highlighted by morning sunshine rounding Max's Mtn. 

"I think the message here was 'bring a friend' because chances are you and your friend will both find reasons for things you wish were different, things you want to change, things you can't stand by and watch happening," Kramer said.

Read the entire story at the link below:

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100 Percent Dump Increase Beleaguers Local Residents 
100 Percent Dump Increase Beleaguers Local Residents 

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

A new rate increase that doubles the cost of trash disposal at municipal transfer facilities has some local residents storing their garbage and others laying a course to fight the fee.

Paying $10 to throw out a single bag of garbage is a high cost for a single person living paycheck to paycheck, said a municipal employee who declined to be identified. 

"There are elderly people stockpiling stinky trash in their house because they don't have a shed," the source said. 

The price to throw out one-to-four bags shot up from $5 to $10, a 100% increase. A load of a cubic yard or less went from $10 to $15 and a truck load climbed from $20 to $27.

Only a small part of the increase, 5 percent, pays for "rising operating costs" of Solid Waste Service, according to a flyer from the self-funded utility.

The bulk of the extra cost is a $4 surcharge to fund a "Healthy Spaces" crew of workers tasked with cleaning parks and other public spaces in the municipality. 

The measure, championed by Anchorage Assembly Member Chris Constant, passed the Assembly in September and took effect in January. At a press conference two weeks ago Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said the Healthy Spaces program added 10 year-round positions.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/100-percent-dump-increase-beleaguers-local-residentsnbsp

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Noncommercial Shrimp Season Reduced, Commercial Season Closed for 2026
Noncommercial Shrimp Season Reduced, Commercial Season Closed for 2026

By Allison Sayer

TNews Staffwriter

 On February 26, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced the noncommercial (sport + subsistence)spot shrimp fishery would be open from May 1 through June 8, and fishers would be limited to two pots. This is over six weeks less than last year, and almost four months shorter than the 2024 season.

 The guideline harvest limit (GHL) in the 2026 noncommercial fishery is 29,782 pounds. Managers determine the GHL as a proportion of the estimated population, which has declined each year since 2021. Pot and season limits are then implemented based on the limit.

 The 2025 GHL was 54,311 pounds of shrimp, and the season was open May 1 though July 31 with two pots. During 2025, fishers exceeded the GHL, catching 60,234 pounds. The noncommercial fishery catch has exceeded the GHL for seven of the past seventeen seasons, despite managers implementing pot and season limits.

 ADF&G commercial and sport fishery staff hosted an online meeting February 12 to discuss shrimp research and take public questions and comments. According to Area Management Biologist Brittany Blain-Roth, about 130 people tuned into the meeting. 

 One bright spot presented by Fisheries Biologist Alissa Cole was the 2025 shift in commercial and noncommercial season opening days from April 15 to May 1 reduced the percentage of egg-bearing females taken in the harvest- from 36% of the fishery to just 5%. Presumably, the later date gave most females time to release their eggs before being harvested. 

 Cole shared population estimates come from an annual survey that has been performed in October throughout Prince William Sound since 1992.

Read the entire story at the link below

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/noncommercial-shrimp-season-reduced-commercial-season-closed-for-2026

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Seward Highway project meeting held in Girdwood
Seward Highway project meeting held in Girdwood

By Chase Berenson

TNews Staffwriter

On Tuesday, January 13th, Girdwood residents met with representatives of the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) and their consultants HDR and Michael Baker International to discuss the Safer Seward Highway project.  This is a massive infrastructure project that would dramatically reimagine the Seward Highway between mileposts 98.5 and 118, or approximately from Bird Flats in the south to Rabbit Creek in the north.  In December 2025 the DOT published the draft Environmental Assessment (EA), and this meeting allowed the public to comment on the assessment.

The Safer Seward Highway project is a construction project that is predicted to cost $1.4 billion and to take 15-20 years of work.  This project will convert the road into a four-lane divided highway, like the Glenn Highway between Anchorage and Wasilla.  This project will straighten out the curves of the highway by blasting rock walls and cliffs, will destroy over 300 acres of wildlife habitat, and will fill in 101 acres of mudflats to provide space to expand the Alaska Railroad tracks and the Seward Highway itself.  The Environmental Assessment states that the project may entail highway closures for construction for some period of the day that may take place daily over the 15-20 years of construction.

The DOT’s goals with the project are threefold: reduce crashes, increase mobility/reliability, and accommodate mixed-use in the highway right-of-way.  It approaches these goals by expanding the highway to be safer, which the DOT claims should reduce accident-related closures and make the highway more reliable.  The project also includes a multi-use pathway from the northern end of the Bird-to-Gird all the way to Anchorage, accommodating pedestrians and bicyclists who want to connect Anchorage and Girdwood without using the highway.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/seward-highway-project-meeting-held-in-girdwood

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Turnagain Community Health: Don’t Give Up On Accessing Health Care
Turnagain Community Health: Don’t Give Up On Accessing Health Care

By Allison Sayer

TNews Staffwriter

 The deadline to enroll in Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance (also widely called “Obamacare”) is just days away- Thursday, January 15. I spoke to Turnagain Community Health Patient Assistance Program Coordinator Linda Mankoff on January 9 to learn more about options for health insurance in 2026.

 Free appointments for help understanding your options are available at Turnagain Community Health. Call 783-1355, choose option 1, and ask to be scheduled with a Community Health Worker.   The best times to call are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You do not have to be a patient to receive help.

 Congressional wrangling over extending pandemic-era insurance subsidies has been all over national news. Mankoff feels there has been confusion about what Congress is actually fighting about. In 2021, extra subsidies were added to the already existing ACA program. In particular, substantial subsidies were extended to people making over $75,000 per year. Those extra subsidies expired December 31. Extending them was what Congress is fighting about.

 “We could not get people in here on the first of November [when the enrollment period started]. The way it came out in the media, it sounded like Obamacare was gone.” She felt people who were making $30,000 or $40,000 per year didn’t understand they could still be eligible for premium tax credits and lower premiums.  

 What if you earn more than $75,000? Mankoff said she has worked with Girdwood small business owners who initially thought, “I’m never going to be able to afford the marketplace.” However, she continued, “The Marketplace counts net profits for small business owners.” “I tell owners, if you made a big profit, but then you reinvested in the business, what did you actually see at the end of the day? You could be eligible.”

 There are people who will see a huge jump in premiums if the extra subsidies end. “If you are in a certain category, you may have paid $400 last year for insurance but it could be as much as $1500-1800 per month this year,” said Mankoff.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/turnagain-community-health-dont-give-up-on-accessing-health-care

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