Peek at the Past: As it appeared in the March 1, 1984 Frontiersman

Overcrowding woes continue

Although the school board's decision to run two shifts at Wasilla Junior High School may temporarily relieve overcrowding, there is no long-term relief in sight for administrators and teachers confronting record numbers of secondary students.

Faced with an annual 20 percent growth rate in attendance, the Mat-Su Borough School Board voted to double-shift Wasilla Junior High and nearby Iditarod Elementary School next fall. School officials said both schools are over capacity and expect double-digit population growth next year.

$1.4 million for Mat-Su projects being considered

Sen. Jay Kertulla this week said he is requested Mat-Su capital improvements projects totaling $1.4 million in Senate Finance Committee amendments to two House bills.

The Senate budget amendments requested by Kertulla include $350,000 for fire equipment, $100,000 in construction funding for Big Lake Airport, $25,000 for Houston City Hall improvements and nearly $1 million in various road projects.

Twenty years ago, ABC Travel Time published the following airfares -- Washington, D.C., $629; Chicago, $549; London, $629; and Fairbanks, $101.

At D&A Super, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary, there was a special "Buy 2 get 1 Free sale" on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe figures.

At Palmer-Wasilla Video Cache, you could buy a new RCA VCR -- with a "wireless remote" -- for $1,049. Televisions were also astonishingly expensive at the store 20 years ago.

The Meta Rose Square was touting itself as "Wasilla's newest indoor mall with 10 specialty stores." One of those stores was All I Saw Cookware, which is still located in the mall.