Seniors and teens becoming more important in Alaska’s workforce, statistics show
By Yereth Rosen
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.
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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.
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.
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Alaskans face massive health insurance cost increases unless Congress acts before year end
By James Brooks
More than 25,000 Alaskans who buy health insurance through the federal marketplace will face massive and possibly unaffordable cost increases if federal subsidies expire at the end of the year.
“I do think it’s important to recognize that we should be seeing thousands of people likely lose coverage from this,” said Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association.
In a panel discussion last month, local experts in Juneau laid out the stark reality for Alaska, which has the highest health care costs in the nation.
Speaking to a room at Juneau’s convention center, they said if federal subsidies end, the cost of health insurance would rise so much that many Alaskans will go uninsured, discouraging them from getting checkups that could prevent serious illnesses. Hospitals would see a larger number of emergencies from uninsured people, straining them. It might even lead to an exodus from the state, as people seek alternative options and cheaper places to live.
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Public Participates in Parks Planning Process
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
Girdwood Parks and Recreation hosted the first public workshop for the Girdwood Parks Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 16th. 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.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/public-participates-in-parks-planning-process
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:
Pickleball tournament is a smash hit!
By Chase Berenson
TNews Contributor
For five hours on Sat, Aug. 16, Girdwood’s pickleball courts were a competitive site as they hosted the Girdwood Pickleball Club Summer Tournament. The Girdwood Pickleball Club is typically a casual group of players with a primary focus of fun, but the tournament gave everyone an opportunity to put their pickleball skills to the test.
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the US, and is booming here in Girdwood. It is a fast-paced paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, played on a court smaller than tennis with a net that’s lower than tennis. Players use solid paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball, aiming to score points by making it difficult for opponents to return the shot.
Fourteen players were in for the tournament, making seven teams of two players each. The day was divided into three segments: warm-up play, followed by seeding play, followed by the ranked tournament. The warm-up period had classic fun games.
The seeding play consisted of four ten-minute games with different teams and players in each one, where players were ranked on their win/loss ratio as well as the ratio of points earned to points lost to the opponent; this allowed every player to be ranked individually.
Once this was completed the player rankings were announced, and teams were decided for the tournament based on rankings. Then the serious fun started! The seven teams played a double-elimination tournament
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/pickleball-tournament-is-a-smash-hit
Corporation for Public Broadcasting to close its doors after loss of funding
By Shauneen Miranda
WASHINGTON — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it will be shutting down.
The announcement came just one day after a major Senate appropriations bill omitted funding for the nonprofit that funds public media and a week after President Donald Trump signed a bill into law that yanked $1.1 billion in previously approved spending for CPB.
CPB, which Congress authorized in 1967, provides funds for National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting Service and hundreds of local stations across the United States. President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans have criticized NPR and PBS of left-leaning bias, an accusation the public media organizations have rejected.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of CPB, said in a statement Friday.
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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
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.
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GAO report says Alaska pipeline regulation office should revitalize, update operations
By Yereth Rosen
The multiagency group that coordinates oversight of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System needs an update to better operate in changing conditions, said a federal report released on Thursday.
The Joint Pipeline Office, a consortium of federal and state agencies with various regulatory duties, has scaled back its operations over the past several years, leading to possible gaps in oversight of the system that has delivered North Slope crude oil since 1977, said the report, issued by the Government Accountability Office, an independent nonpartisan agency that conducts audits and investigations for Congress.
To meet current conditions, the joint office should clarify its desired outcomes and resume what was once communication with the public about regulation, enforcement and other issues, the GAO report said.
“Redefining and documenting the intended outcomes of JPO’s oversight activities, including those aiming to inform the public of its oversight efforts, would enable JPO agencies to work toward shared goals and ensure accountability,” the report said. It is important to document the expectations, the report said. “Clarifying roles and responsibilities would enhance coordination among JPO agencies and help JPO identify any potential gaps in oversight.”
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Commentary: Windows are the No. 1 human threat to birds – an ecologist shares simple steps to reduce collisions
By Jason Hoeksema
Professor, University of Mississippi
When wood thrushes arrive in northern Mississippi on their spring migration and begin to serenade my neighborhood with their ethereal, harmonized song, it’s one of the great joys of the season. It’s also a minor miracle. These small creatures have just flown more than 1,850 miles (3,000 kilometers), all the way from Central America.
Other birds undertake even longer journeys — the Swainson’s thrush, for example, nests as far north as the boreal forests of Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in northern South America, traveling up to 5,600 miles (9,000 kilometers) each way.
These stunning feats of travel are awe-inspiring, making it that much more tragic when they are cut short by a deadly collision with a glass window.
This happens with alarming regularity. Two recent scientific studies estimate that more than 1 billion birds – and as many as 5.19 billion – die from collisions with sheet glass each year in the United States alone, sometimes immediately but often from their injuries.
In fact, window collisions are now considered the top human cause of bird deaths. Due to window collisions and other causes, bird populations across North America have declined more than 29% from their 1970 levels, likely with major consequences for the world’s ecosystems.
These collisions occur on every type of building, from homes to skyscrapers. At the University of Mississippi campus, where I teach and conduct research as an ecologist, my colleagues and I have been testing some creative solutions.
Read the entire Commentary below:
Commentary: The Alaskans who keep our national parks running are needed
By Fran Ulmer
Like many other Alaskans, I love our national parks. Their beauty, wildlife and opportunities for adventures are a great gift to current and future Alaskans, as well as our many visitors. From Denali to Katmai to Glacier Bay, these special places help drive a thriving tourism economy and support reliable, made-in-Alaska jobs. Unfortunately, Alaska’s national parks and the economic benefits they bring are threatened by drastic staffing and budget cuts to the National Park Service. It was recently reported that the National Park Service Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage has lost an estimated one-third of its staff — more than 60 knowledgeable Alaskans — a result of downsizing the Department of Interior through pressured buyout tactics. And the federal administration has threatened additional cuts through mass firings.
Roughly 2 million people visited Alaska national parks in 2023, and more are expected this year. They spent $1.5 billion dollars and supported 23,000 jobs, according to the National Park Service. In Anchorage alone, 1 in 9 jobs is in tourism, Visit Anchorage has found. Across the country, one tax dollar invested in the Park Service returns $10 to the economy.
But national parks don’t run themselves. People are needed to keep parks running, from park rangers to contracting experts, from educators who design the visitor center exhibits to biologists who make sure that park wildlife survive and thrive.
The Alaska Regional Office provides oversight and expertise to 24 national park sites across Alaska, covering more than 50 million acres of federal land. The scale and landscape of Alaska makes the Alaska Regional Office essential. Most Alaska national park sites only have one or two resource staff and limited capacity. It doesn’t make financial sense for every park to have its own pilot and plane, geologist, or subsistence expert. The Regional Office provides support and expertise that serve all our parks.
At the Alaska Regional Office, cuts and consolidation programs have eliminated crucial positions, including the regional chief ranger overseeing law enforcement. Now there is only one staff member leading archaeology and cultural resource protection for all of Alaska’s national park sites, and just a handful of staff remain to work with Alaska Native tribes, whose culture, food security, and traditional ways of life should be respected by those parks.
Read the entire Commentary here:
Alaska senators vote to end daylight saving time in America’s farthest-north state
By James Brooks
Alaska would be on the same time zone as Seattle for four months of the year, if a bill passed Monday by the Alaska Senate becomes law.
The Senate voted 18-2 to pass Senate Bill 26, which would eliminate daylight saving time in Alaska and ask the federal government to put Alaska on Pacific Standard Time.
(Photo by James Brooks, Alaska Beacon. Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River, speaks in favor of a bill that would eliminate daylight saving time, on Monday, May 12, 2025, in Juneau. Story reprinted courtesy Alaska Beacon under Creative Commons)
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Federal employment and budget turmoil affects monitoring of Alaska’s Barry Arm landslide
By Yereth Rosen
The Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers and funding restrictions has affected the monitoring of a landslide-prone slope that could create a dangerous tsunami in Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
The Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, in a recent update, alerted the public about the problems affecting the multiagency team monitoring Barry Arm. The site is a fjord where an unstable rocky slope could collapse into the water, potentially creating a tsunami affecting the community of Whittier and a variety of Prince William Sound mariners and visitors.
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