PEEK AT THE PAST: Aug. 9, 1985

Here’s what made news in the Mat-Su 25 years ago, from the Aug. 9, 1985, issue of The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:

Landowners protest airfield

A lodge owner planning to build a public airstrip at the mouth of the Deshka River has been stalled by a group of surrounding property owners.

The Deshka River Homeowners Association has obtained a suspension of a permit the lodge owner obtained from the state Department of Natural Resources to construct the strip. In the wake of the suspension, the DNR will host public meetings in Wasilla and Anchorage to hear the objections and decide whether to allow the lodge owner to proceed.

The suspension was granted after property owners living near the proposed strip brought up safety and other concerns that had not been considered in the permitting process.

IBEW strike ends

Matanuska Electric Association linemen, warehouse workers and meter readers are back at work following a six-day strike of the utility.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ratified a contract with MEA, which still has to be approved by the MEA board of directors. The new contract is for three years and is retroactive to Jan. 1, 1985.

Details of the contract were not released, but an MEA spokesman said it includes a salary increase for journeymen linemen, an added half-day holiday, more money for clothing allowances and a grandfather clause for longevity benefits.

Preferred site for airport named

Jacobsen Lake has again been tabbed by the Wasilla Planning Commission as the preferred site for the new city airport.

The lake, which borders the west edge of Wasilla, is the first priority and will be recommended to city council, which will vote on the site selection next week.

Pressure from the state has Wasilla officials pushing to select a site or risk losing $3 million in federal grant funds.

The Jacobsen Lake site was also considered two years prior after an extensive state study of numerous locations in the Valley. Escalating land prices forced the city to drop it from consideration at that time. Since then, the major landowners in the area have come forward with a new proposal. One landowner said he would sell 155 acres for 90 percent of appraised value, or about $8,000 an acre.

It cost what?

According to advertisements, in August 1985 you could:

• Buy assorted plastic kitchenware three for $1.

• Save $100 on a national weight loss system.

• Enjoy a mini pizza and salad bar for $6.95.

• Save 50% on back-to-school clothing.

• Buy a set of queen-sized mattresses for $498.