Mayor Anderson shares the good news

Spectrum, by Hillary and Barbara Leiss

We have so many good people presently working to enhance life in this Mat-Su Borough, and to promote it as the best place to live in the State of Alaska! With the present politically elected officials, we've had the pleasure of being kept informed regularly via e.mail of what is occurring on the local scene. Anyone can obtain the same information by asking to be put on Mayor Tim Anderson's mailing list by writing to him at: themayor@ak.net. Jody Simpson, one of our Assembly members, has also been very efficient in getting information out to those who wish to be informed.

In Mayor Anderson's recent information newsletter, we were brought up to date regarding the development of Hatcher Pass. We wish to express to the mayor that his newsletter was very exciting to read. At last, someone did the job right! It is so good to hear that he's on the right track to getting Hatcher Pass developed into a truly great ski resort that will not only provide jobs for our local people, but it will also draw crowds from the Anchorage area to the Valley which will add to our economy, and at the same time, the resort will give added pleasure to those living in and around the Valley.

For those people who do not ski, it is entertainment just to watch those who do … and having a nice lodge where people can eat, drink, or sit around a glowing fireplace, is the key. We certainly look forward to seeing this all come about. We have forwarded a copy of the mayor's newsletter to some prominent people in the Anchorage Bowl who have been anxious to see this ski resort developed. They would prefer to come here rather than fight the traffic to reach Alyeska. Between our mayor and Borough Manager John Duffy they are taking this borough out of the Dark Ages. Their trips to make personal appeals to those in power in Washington, D. C., will definitely pay off. (No one did that in the past). And it already has been noted that the Anchorage politicians are in envy of our borough officials because they are getting things done at a rapid pace, while Anchorage's elected officials sit and bicker among themselves and simply lack the ability to think long-range.

Assemblywoman Simpson's newsletter comments regarding the Port MacKenzie development were also enlightening, and we wholeheartedly agree with her that obtaining a ferry service for the port is of utmost importance. Call it the Phase I on the project, with a bridge to follow, because it is far easier to get funds for a ferry than it is to get the enormous amount of money for a bridge of that magnitude. With a Ferry, it puts Port MacKenzie "on the map" and recognized as a very important place that deserves more attention and funds.

In order to keep the continuity of these two major projects going "full speed ahead," as well as so many other items on the burner, we hope that the rest of the citizens of this borough realize how vital it is to keep our current mayor in office so that the momentum he has created does not get broken and the fine rapport he enjoys with important contacts does not get lost.

We need him there to get these projects completed. We need good-paying jobs in this borough, and the port's development will eventually lead to this borough having a major airport right next to it. The borough is where all future development is headed -- Anchorage has run out of room! Now is when we need good leaders like Mayor Anderson, John Duffy, and good assembly people like Simpson. We thank them for all the long, hard hours they have devoted to making life better for all of us.

Hilary and Barbara Leiss are Lazy Mountain residents.