Peek at the Past

Here’s what made news in the July 10, 1987, edition of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:

Big Lake to vote on city status

To be or not to be a city? Voters in the borough’s bustling lakeside recreation area will decide whether to incorporate Big Lake as a new city in the fall. The Alaska Local Boundary Commission accepted the recommendation in favor of incorporation prepared by the state’s Community and Regional Affairs department. In accordance with the report, the members of the boundary commission stipulated that voters in Big Lake must approve a 1.5 mill tax levy along with the incorporation question for a new second class city to be established.

Assembly divided on school construction

Caught between a request for more classroom space, a desire to boost local employment and the reality of uncertain trends in the economy and school enrollment, a sharply divided borough assembly has taken a tentative step toward building Knik Elementary School. Seeking to counter signals from the assembly that the district did not have enough students to warrant building the school, board president Max Olson said, “We need Knik Elementary. If we didn’t feel we needed it, we wouldn’t have pursued it with the assembly to this point.” Board member Ken Fallon added, “We see our role as presenting the needs of the kids to you. Our philosophy and intent is to get kids out of portables and into permanent school buildings. A portable isn’t the best educational experience that kids can have.”

Tourism gets boost from private sector

From the back garage of a local gas station to the top of Denali, local businesses have begun working together to harness the Valley’s economy to tourism. Employees at the Wasilla Chevron recently launched their own private economic development project. It started with a huge map illustrating the borough’s attractions and progressed to humorous murals with face holes for tourists to pose behind. Other employees crafted brochure racks, followed by a roof, walls and a hanging garden of flowerpots. Before too long, the station had a tourist center; the community, a new attitude.

It cost what?

According to advertisements, in 1987, you could:

• Take a day-long fishing charter in Homer for $85.

• Enjoy three avocados for $1.

• Rent a new release from Carrs for $2.

• Get an oil change for $19.95.