Photos by Young Kim A new mural is up in Spenard, spanning 60 feet across the side of Enlighten Alaska, a cannabis retail store. The painting features silhouettes of life-size creatures including a killer whale, flamingo and elephant, to name a few. The mural is titled, “Life Enlightened.” Taylor Gallegos, a California-based artist, visited Alaska…

Words and photos by Ryan Chernikoff Spenard resident Terry Holtman has been keeping bees for over 20 years. “It’s a hobby of love,” Holtman said from the front porch of his Spenard home, surrounded by stacks of multi-colored wooden boxes containing thousands of European honey bees. Holtman first became interested in beekeeping in Wisconsin before…

Thompson Rhubarb Crisp: 60 years of Spenard Gardening

By Taylor Rose Thompson My grandmother, Patricia Thompson, lived in Spenard all of her adult life. She raised eight wild children in a tiny home on Dahl Lane on one income, a tight budget and a whole lot of gardening. My father remembers it as being out of necessity, but Grandma Pat made her life,…

After a federal seizing, a legal battle, an auction and more, Spenardians have an idea for where they want the Paradise Inn palm tree to rest. The 22-foot-tall broken neon symbol of Spenardian pride will be welcomed with a homecoming parade in the near future. Melissa Rustemov Lohr and Mike Linz both said in…