By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

The Lion's Club celebrated 25 years of annual "rubber ducky" races this Saturday with three races of bobbing, yellow ducks and a split-the-pot trebuchet fish launch. 

It rained, at times heavily, during the duck launch and harvest, but that did not stop yellow-vested Lions from wading into California Creek to net duckies released upstream minutes earlier.

With this year's effort, the Girdwood Turnagain Lions Club surpassed its fundraising goal, said Lions organizer Kathy Trautner.

"There were only about 25 onlookers in the pouring rain," Trautner wrote in a message. "Girdwood Lions plan to add some activities to this fundraiser in the future and we have some new Lions with fun ideas.  

"This is our only annual fundraiser to support our many community projects like food bank, scholarships, an end-of-school BBQ, eyeglasses and exams. We added a quilt raffle this year to raise funds to build the John Trautner picnic pavilion at the Lions park," Trautner said.

Read the entire story and more photos below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/lions-ducky-race

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Sitting outside Girdwood's school with his dog, Jack, Sean Kelliher took measure of what he'd just seen, a swath cut into a forest for a road to a planned subdivision some call "Holtan Hills."

He said Jack picks the route for their walks and this Saturday morning chose the middle Iditarod Trail.

"It took me by surprise," he said. "It's sad to see the nature back there wiped out." said Kelliher, an 11-year local resident. 

He said the fact that unanimous opposition to the project from residents and local government just makes the clearcut swath more distressing

"It seems like a project that the entire community was against and vocalized our collective concern about and yet it's going forth anyway. It's disappointing."

Two Hydro-Ax mulchers and an excavator were unloaded at a gate near Girdwood's school Thursday afternoon. A worker said the equipment would be used to clear a right of way for a municipal water utility and, when asked whether required permits were secured, only said "she'll have it."

It turned out the heavy equipment was actually being staged to plow a new road into the rainforest and a right of way permit issued Thursday, the day before, was posted on the entrance gate Friday. 

Following years of local opposition and vote to postpone by the Anchorage Assembly, the Assembly suddenly reversed and approved the so-called "Holtan Hills" project last winter. Since then, a municipal land manager said she didn't expect development would occur this year.

(Story Photo by Sean Kelliher; Top Photo by Soren Wuerth)

Read the entire story and more pictures below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/machines-tear-path-through-old-growth-forest-in-unannounced-road-into-holtan-hills

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

After managing years of gross wayside toilets, scary pull-outs, dangerous biking shoulders and narrow winter travel in Turnagain Pass, a multi-agency effort is underway to improve safety and access to trailheads leading into the backcountry in the pass.

At a cost of around $65 million, a Seward Highway corridor redo from the end of Turnagain Arm up and over the pass to Canyon Creek would connect current pullouts with a paved pathway, create larger pullouts for backcountry ski and snowmachine destinations and widen the highway for snow removal. 

Planning is underway on the route, from mile 56 to mile 75, and, during a meeting last Tuesday, in Girdwood's community room, the public was invited to check out the vision so far.

An 11-mile pathway and other projects have price tags "a lot of uncertainty baked into those costs", said project manager Cole Grisham. 

But the idea is to connect the campgrounds with a pathway that could align alongside the highway or "meander" through the forest. "The greatest need for the pathway is to connect the [Bertha Creek and Granite] campgrounds," said a representative for Dowl Engineering.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/planning-underway-for-turnagain-pass-upgrades

By Jim Sweeney

TNews Contributor

Kristen Faulkner wasn’t even supposed to be in the Cycling Road Race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She had been slated to compete in the track team pursuit, but when her teammate Taylor Knibb bowed out of the road race, opportunity came knocking and Kristen opened the door and lined up to race with 92 of the world’s greatest female cyclists early Sunday morning.

Her parents, Jon and Sarah of Homer and Girdwood, Alaska waited at the finish line beneath the Eiffel Tower. Kristen had won the US National this year, but her folks could’ve never known what was going to happen Sunday in the City of Love.

Kristen is the granddaughter of Stumpy Faulkner, the longtime Glacier Valley icon. She has skied Alyeska her whole life. Her parents own Stumpy's old home, a short walk from Alyeska’s slopes. Kristen’s always been driven, it’s a Faulkner trait. She rowed on the varsity crew at Harvard and is known as an animal in the gym.

The race starts with attacks just a few miles into the 157.6 kilometer (98 miles) competition and these assaults continue until a strong breakaway is established with two riders from Afghanistan, one from Israel, one from Vietnam and a neutral rider. The group works well together and develop a six minute lead over the peloton.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/opinion-womens-gold-medal-cyclist-has-proud-roots-in-alaska

By Hannah Dillon

TNews Associate Editor

Lewis Leonard is the passionate founder of Girdwood’s community radio station Glacier City Radio, KEUL 88.9. Leonard spoke with Turnagain News to elaborate on how his exciting life led to the creation of Glacier City Radio. 

Leonard was born and raised in Anchorage and grew up in the alleys of 4th Avenue, and, in junior high, developed an interest in audio and electronics.

At Anchorage’s West High, Leonard delved more into radio, theater and photography. One summer out of highschool he was a sports photographer for The Anchorage Times. 

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/glacier-city-radios-lewis-leonard-recounts-years-of-interesting-experiences

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

An Anchorage board erased hundreds of acres preserved as natural space from Girdwood's comprehensive plan Monday, rejecting pleas to consider the community's preference to keep the land from being developed for subdivisions.

Anchorage's Planning and Zoning Commission, in a 5-2 vote, endorsed suggestions from the city's planning department that would dramatically change Girdwood's update of a nearly 30-year-old area plan. 

The commission's decision, which serves as advice for a subsequent Anchorage Assembly determination, allows much of the land designated as "open space", "future parkland", or "vegetative buffers" to be clearcut, filled and developed. 

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/anchorage-board-endorses-sweeping-changes-to-girdwood-comprehensive-plan

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Anchorage's planning department is recommending changes to Girdwood's Comprehensive Plan that vastly conflict with community priorities and, in some cases, favor support for private interests, according to a letter published last week.

Notable among 11 changes proposed by the agency is the designation of land in the upper valley from "open space" to "mixed use", a designation sought by Alyeska Resort which has said it needs the land for its future development plans.

Reaction was swift when a notice was posted Sunday on Girdwood's Facebook page.

"We propose a plan that takes years of work [only] to be completely ignored because Anchorage knows what's better. They tax us, they regulate us, and then [we] have no representation and are ignored," one commenter, "Brice Jon", posted.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/anchorage-planning-office-overrides-community-vision-on-area-plan

By Hannah Dillon

TNews Associate Editor

A rainy Saturday began with a parade of Girdwood community members, some dressed as colorful butterflies and mushrooms, and some with elf ears and cloaks. (All costumes were,  of course, accompanied by Alaska’s signature shoe, the rainboot.)

The 49th annual Forest Fair was held on July 5, 6 and 7. This year’s theme was “bubbles and bugs” which gave the Forest Fair the energy of a fantasy land. 

From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. the Girdwood parade began at the Alyeska Day Lodge and traveled down the Alyeska Highway. Fire trucks, giant dolls, decorated cars and people dressed as bugs – with an abundance of bubble wands – marched their way towards the Forest Fair, tossing candy to eager children.

A “yellow brick road” began just past the bridge over Glacier Creek. Colorful signs painted by community members directed Forest Fair attendees under the bridge and through a foot path marked by rocks painted yellow along the way.

The end of the yellow brick road opened to the sound of music, the smell of food, laughter and rain tapping the top of vendor tents where people could buy and sell unique and handmade wares while eating fresh corn-on-the-cob. 

Walking muddy pathways one wound through a maze of vendors inviting fairgoers into tents to keep dry and purchase unique and intricately made items. 

Some of the eye-catching booths included a henna stand, gem surveying, wand making, mushroom grow kits, face painting, hand-crafted Indigenous bead work and basket weaving.

These vendors were just a few of the over 200 according to Alaska News Source.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/following-a-yellow-brick-road-under-a-bridge-to-the-forest-fair