Peek at the Past: May 15, 1996

Here’s what made the news 16 years ago, from the May 15, 1996, edition of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:

Fires rage on

Several homes and one business were in jeopardy Monday afternoon as a fire came tearing through an area off Schrock Road. While firefighters were mopping up that blaze, a fire erupted Tuesday morning at a residence along Talkeetna Road off Railroad Avenue in Wasilla. The garage and a vehicle inside were fully engulfed. According to several witnesses, the Schrock area fire started because someone was burning trash. Wasilla Auto Salvage nearly lost its entire yard as high winds hindered attempts to put the fire out. It required helicopters dropping water on the main fire and firefighters from Central Mat-Su, Big Lake, Willow and the Butte departments responded to the fire. “It was a great job by everyone to save the structures out there,” said Lynn Wilcock of the state Department of Forestry. “It was a close save.”

Dry season feeds fires

Crisp, dry grass and steady winds are fueling the worst forest fire season in years. Around the Mat-Su Borough, careless burning is putting homes and lives in danger. So far this spring, more than 80 fires have swept through the Mat-Su area. In hopes of keeping up with the flames, dozens of firefighters and smoke jumpers with the Division of Forestry have been stationed at the Palmer Airport and near the experiment farm in the Wasilla area. While dry conditions may be increasing the hazards, firefighters report people have started 90 percent of the fires. Despite burn permit requirements, many residents are taking unnecessary risks while burning brush and grass.

Seniors ask for funding

A relatively small group of Wasilla residents turned out to speak on the city’s 1997 budget. Funding for the Wasilla Senior Center and for future planning efforts were the most popular issues at the public hearing. Mayor John Stein and city council members have been working on the budget since the mayor presented his $6.8 million budget last month. Several residents spoke to the merits of the Wasilla Senior Center, which they said needed the full funding requested. Stein’s plan included spending $10,000 for the program, while the center had asked for more than twice that much.

It cost what?

According to advertisements in 1996 you could:

• Purchase a queen-sized mattress for $189.

• Fly one-way to Seattle for $89.

• Purchase a small house on 10 acres in Sutton for $55,000.