Peek at the Past: A look back in Mat-Su's history

As it appeared 25 years ago, in the Oct. 14, 1976 edition of the Frontiersman:

Sales, property taxes studied for Wasilla

The city of Wasilla, scratching hard for revenue to meet its share of a proposed multi-million dollar water sewer project, has initiated a search for new tax sources.

The probably means a sales tax -- if voters approve.

It could also mean a tax on city property, over and above that already paid to the Mat-Su Borough. The property tax, if approved, would be paid only by those firms and households within city limits.

At its inaugural meeting Monday, the council approved a motion by newly elected councilman Nick Carney, directing the city clerk to investigate the potential in the sales and/or property taxes. Carney, who was elected in the Oct. 4 election, had been on the job less than an hour when he requested the study. He said he was not necessarily "for" a sales tax, but he was asking for the study "with an eye to introducing such an ordinance."

Planning, zoning needed says new assemblyman

Boroughwide planning and zoning is an issue that must be faced by the Mat-Su Borough Assembly, according to Jim Ekstedt, who was appointed by the Palmer City Council Tuesday evening to represent the city on the assembly.

Ekstedt was chosen unanimously by the council to replace Palmer Mayor Jack Maze on the Assembly.

"I think we need to adjust our outlook from a basically rural area to one of a more suburban nature and to all of the problems of a suburban type of community," Ekstedt said after his appointment. "And that means some type of zoning and planning."

200 huskies will promote Iditarod race

Knik's Tim Redington, already widely known among dog mushing fans, will probably put his name higher up in the record books when he hooks up no fewer than 200 dogs in a musher's salute to Alaska Day and the Bicentennial.

Mushers and supporters will be host to the general public at the Knik Recreation Center, in a fund-raising, two-day affair to raise money for the 1977 Iditarod Trail Race.

If it seems like history repeats itself, that's because it does. As the 1976 headlines indicate, many of the same issues facing the Valley today were facing it 25 years ago.

Another issue was the moving of the capital to the Valley.

Several ads in the paper back then stated "Willow has it all" and "Move it to Willow."

Political bickering aside, 1976 was not as good a time to buy a home as it is today. The interest rate being advertised for a new home loan was 7.5 percent.

In real estate, you could buy 78 acres, located one-eighth of a mile off the Parks Highway and Big Lake Road cutoff, for $144,000. A Wasilla duplex was listed for $115,000.

There were 20 "choice residential lots located one mile from new Wasilla High School" for $10,000 per acre.