By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
Looking back on 2007, it was quite a year. Alyeska Resort’s new owner, John Byrne, took over in Dec. 2006, and it was the biggest story entering ’07, and it will continue to lead all stories it seems for sometime to come. But ’07 was also a year when Girdwood was in the national news. The nation looked on and read in shocked disbelief as federal agents raided our own U.S. Sen. and fellow Girdwoodian Ted Stevens looking for evidence to support a corruption investigation into the expansion of his home by alleged contractors being paid by Veco. On a more positive note, the U.S. National Alpine Ski Championships came to town. Yes, it was an exciting time, with surely more to come in ’08. So here are the top stories of 2007.
Local and national media attention focused on a little home with a new addition owned by Sen. Stevens in Girdwood. IRS and FBI agents took down curtains, photographed everything from the gutters and metal roof to the flowers in the backyard. But as of now, no indictments, no incriminating charges filed against Stevens for political favoritism for alleged work on his home paid for by Veco. We shall see or read what materializes next.
Alyeska Resort owner John Byrne unveils his Master Plan in October and then on Dec. 10, it unanimously approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. What’s next? A new Sitzmark, new Daylodge and then it’s on to the major development: Two villages, expanded ski terrain with a tram to the top of the mountain, and on and on it goes. Byrne spent $25 million improving snowmaking in ‘07 and expanded ski and hiking terrain for both winter and summer use. The skies the limit for this Utah real estate mogul. Ten years from now Glacier Valley and Alyeska Resort will look more like a little Vail then a backcountry ski area in Alaska with a nice hotel.
2007 wasn’t a good start for the DOT. In January the maintenance building in Girdwood burned to the ground along with four vehicles full of gas. Plows from Palmer and Chulitna maintenance stations were brought in to fill the void. Nobody was injured, but the damage was done. It took 2,000 gallons of water to put the fuel fed fire out by Girdwood volunteer firefighters. Total cost of loss of building and vehicles: $1 million.
Should Girdwood have a high school? That’s the question that dominated the conversation of residents with children in the current K-8 school. The question also remains whether to build a school that is run by a charter school, like the Chugach School District or go the public school route. Currently 62 high school students commute from Girdwood to Anchorage. Wouldn’t it be nice to only commute five minutes or even walk to high school. But are there enough students to make it viable? 2008 should offer some concrete answers as money from bonds awaits the development and expansion of the K-8 school. But first the community must decide what it wants.
It’s not everyday that you survive an avalanche, and it’s even more unbelievable when it happens right on our resort mountain of Alyeska. But that’s just what happened to experienced ski patroller Byron Hill on Jan. 10. While testing the packed snow on the “Ball and Chain Chute” the unthinkable happened, and a large slab broke away and Hill was in for the ride of his life. As he plummeted down the mountain reaching over 60 mph, the 42-year-old Hill contemplated his short life on this planet as he was tossed 80 feet through the air and traveled over 1,200 feet down the infamous North Face. But in the end, he was still alive, rescued by fellow patrollers who raced to his rescue. Hill is now recovering from extensive surgery on both knees, but he says he will ski and patrol another day.
It doesn’t happen every year that the nation’s top skiers come to Girdwood and Alyeska Resort, but they did in ’07 in the first week of April. The last time they did that was in 2004. Bode Miller, Ted Ligety, and Julia Mancuso were the big names on the slope. But the real champion was the community of Girdwood and Alyeska Resort, which hosted a world class event, shining bright in the national spotlight.
Sometimes a good thing can be too good, and then it’s bad. Such may be the case of the Girdwood Forest Fair held every July. In ’07 more people showed up than ever before—over 9,000. Unfortunately, 2,000 gathered at one campsite along Glacier Creek for the three-day event. It was mass mayhem, and security was a big concern. Drugs and alcohol were prevalent, and underage drinking was a problem. A task force has been formed and measures are being taken to offset security concerns and make the event family friendly again.
Yes, it was a banner year for Girdwood athletes. It’s amazing this little town can produce such a competitive field of athletes competing at the national level in all realms of sports from figure skating, equestrian, snowboarding and downhill. Move over Rosey Fletcher and Tommy Moe, there’s a new batch of high profile athletes on the way.
Keegan Messing, a 15-year-old figure skating phenom had a banner year in ’07 receiving a bronze medal at the State Farm U.S. Championships in Washington, a sixth place finish at Gardena Spring Trophy, and 13th at Junior Grand Prix in Great Britain. He already started ’08 on a championship note with a 2nd Place finish at the Pacific Coast Sectional Junior.
John Love was a skiing mad man in ’07. His year started off at the FIS Speed Series Jan. 22 when he won a silver medal in the downhill. But his moment to really shine came at the U.S. Alpine Championships held at Alyeska Resort in April. Love broke into the top 15 overall in the men’s downhill, placing 13th overall in the U.S. Alpine Championship.
Alicia Hall trains as an equestrian rider in Portage. That’s right Portage. She owns five horses and is making a name for herself nationally. Hall an eighth grader, went to Anchorage for the Zone 12 Annual Horse of the Year awards banquet to receive the championship title for having the most points in the child-adult amateur category. She’s won local and regional competitions in the Pony Hunter and Pony Jumper categories, and just last year she placed in the top ten at the National Pony Finals in Lexington, Kentucky. More accolades are on her way, when awards are presented Jan. 12 at Alyeska for the Alaska State Horseshow.
Callan Chythlook-Sifsof just graduated from high school, but it was no normal year for the 18-year-old Girdwood resident. Chythlook-Sifsof spent most of her time on a plane rather than a bus, traveling the world and competing as a snowboarder for the U.S. National Ski team. And it was quite a successful year at that, filled with top finishes in her specialized category of snowboarding—Bordercross. She took first at the Grand Prix for U.S. women in Tamarak, Idaho, and in her first World Cup in Furano, Japan in February placed third. At the World Cup Finals in Stoneham, Quebec she came in fourth. Chythlook-Sifsof completed her whirlwind season in Badgustein, Austria where she placed eighth overall in the Junior World Championships. In 2008 you can bet Chythlook-Sifsof will continue her winning ways as she pursues her dream of making the U.S. Olympic team.
Girdwood based Kieffer Christianson, a 14-year-old skiing phenom, came of age Sunday, March 4 when he won the gold medal in J3 (ages 13-14) slalom and took a silver medal in the giant slalom at the 46th Annual Trofeo Topolino races in Italy. Not since Tommy Moe has Girdwood had a skier of this caliber and potential. Although he’s still just a kid, the world has taken notice of Kieffer after his dominating performance at the Topolino games where hundreds of skiers from around the world participated. The United States had six representatives at the event—three boys and three girls ages 13-14. The future is bright in ’08 for this up and coming ski racer.
Whittier is usually a quiet little port city on Prince William Sound. But on Sunday, March 18 the quiet was broken by the sound of gun fire at the Whittier Manor Apartment Complex. Moments later William (Wild Bill) Hampton lay dying, shot in the chest with a 12-gauge shotgun. The 189 year-round residents were shocked to find out the man who allegedly shot Hampton was Whittier resident Ray (Chief) Crain. Crain has since left the community, and the investigation was ongoing whether he killed Hampton in self-defense.
Political big wigs from all over showed up for the long-awaited ground breaking of a new Library/Community Center next to the old and cold Glacier City Hall. U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, State Representative Mike Hawker, Mayor Mark Begich, State Senator Con Bunde, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski were all on hand May 29, silver shovels in hand. The new 9,394 square foot building was funded through a federal Denali Commission grant secured by Senator Stevens, state grants supported by Representative Mike Hawker, a special Girdwood property tax levy, and a grant from the Rasmuson Foundation. The Girdwood Community Center and Library Task Force is working to raise additional funds for the project that will be used to furnish the library and enhance the collection. The new addition will provide for a 2,534 square foot community meeting room, a 3,938 square foot public library, and a 396 square foot office space for the Girdwood Board of Supervisors and other community groups. There will also be a large common space area and retrofits to the fire hall.
The Center was supposed to open in February, but it’s been pushed up to April. However, waiting a little longer won’t matter that much, we’ve waited this long, and when it’s completed this building will put Girdwood on the road to becoming a real community with a library and public building to be proud of.
Well, those were some of the top stories of 2007. Looking ahead to 2008, we should see more development issues raised, the development of Glacier Valley by the Resort, and let us not forget that other quiet development downtown—Glacier City Center by doctor turned developer Dr. Jeff Domain, and also the completion of Girdwood Townsquare should occur in the summer. Let us not forget Crow Creek Road, which should finally be paved, and the Crow Creek development by the Heritage Land Bank, which is expected to open up some land to bids in ’08.
In Indian and Bird, the DOT is supposed to start tearing down business signs along the Seward Highway to clear the right of way, who will win that battle? And will there be a frontage road design plan approved between Indian and Bird? In Whittier, the small boat harbor should undergo major renovations. And in Hope they may or may not have a high school due to low enrollment.
Yes, 2008 should be interesting and exciting.