Peek at the Past

Here's what made the news 49 years ago, from the Jan. 31, 1963, edition of the Frontiersman:

Airmen will maintain, operate facilities

With the Matanuska Valley Airmen agreeing to take over management and maintenance of the Palmer Airport, including cost of operation, and Palmer City Council agreeing to turn over to the airmen a 60 percent refund from the state on fuel tax collections at the airport, the council has approved a resolution to purchase the Palmer Airport from the state. The request from the airmen for the city to take over the airport came as a result of new leasing fees imposed by the state on airport users. The fees, which also apply to space used for commercial purposes adjacent to the airport if the airport is used in connection with the business, were considered by the airmen to be high enough to be detrimental to airport operation, with most tie down users moving their planes to other strips.

Willow Carnival features Alaska sports

Midwinter doldrums will vanish at the annual Willow Winter Carnival at the promise of the sponsoring Willow Civic Group. Ice skating and a skiing competition will get the carnival under way, then events will move inside where visitors can enjoy a film about Alaska and a lively game of bingo. The colorful and typically Alaska sport of mushing will fill the Saturday morning schedule, and logging competitions will be the highlight of the afternoon. The coronation of the carnival queen at the Woodchopper's Ball will be Saturday evening and sports car races on the ice of Willow Lake on Sunday will round off the event. The whole thing sounds like a cure for cabin fever.

Dairymen from Kenai, Fairbanks attend sessions

Numbers of dairymen and other interested persons from Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula, as well as from the Matanuska Valley, attended the Dairy Clinic in Palmer.

The purpose of the clinic is to review dairy inspection requirements and to discuss ideas for worthwhile improvements in the Alaska milk shed. The clinic was sponsored by the vocational agriculture department of the Palmer schools, Matanuska Valley Bank, Alaska Fresh Milk Association, University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service, Matanuska Maid Inc. and Craig Taylor Equipment.

It cost what?

According to advertisements, in 1963 you could:

• Buy Darigold butter for 73 cents a pound.

• Purchase a dozen large eggs for 59 cents.

• Drive a three-year-old Ford F250 for $1,450.