Peek at the Past

Here's what made the news 19 years ago, from the Feb. 5, 1993, edition of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:

Dorothy Jones dies at 63

Dorothy A. Jones, a longtime Alaskan, a "mother" to the Valley and a cornerstone of Mat-Su Borough politics for more than a decade, passed away in her Talkeetna home. Jones, first appointed to the borough assembly in 1979, was serving her third term on the assembly representing rural borough residents. From 1984 to 1991, she served two terms as borough mayor and also sat on many borough boards and commissions. "Dorothy was a leader in every sense of the word," said Gov. Walter Hickel. "She devoted most her life to community service and the state of Alaska will be forever grateful."

School board considers dumping incinerator pact

Members of the Mat-Su Borough are beginning to have second thoughts about using a local incinerator to burn the medical waste from schools. If those members who oppose the use of the Knik incinerator have their way, the school district will see $3,200 go up in smoke in order to pay off the remainder of the contract. School administrators signed a letter of agreement with Safety Waste Systems earlier this year to collect and burn medical waste collected from school nurses for about $3,500. But school board members are feeling public pressure to send a message of concern and support for residents who live near the incinerator.

Borough wants $5,300 back from Houston; council balks

The Mat-Su Borough wants $5,300 back from the city of Houston to design a waste dump site for the Little Susitna River Campground. But Houston City Council members are reluctant to give up the money.

The Department of Environmental Conservation is requiring the borough, which owns the park, to install the dump station because of the large amount of summer tourists who use the campground, equipped with 86 tent and RV spaces.

Under an agreement between the two governments, the borough transferred $15,000 to the city of Houston to operate and maintain the campground with the condition the city could keep all "carry-over money" not used in the campground's operation. The city has spent $9,039 on the park and saved the $5,300.

It cost what?

According to advertisements, in 1993 you could:

• Spend seven nights in Cabo San Lucas with round-trip airfare for $870.

• Buy a three-bedroom, 1.5-bath home near Snowshoe Elementary for $90,000.

• Rent a two-bedroom house in Big Lake for $500.