PEEK AT THE PAST: Sept. 9 and 16, 1971

Here’s what made news in the Mat-Su 39 years ago, from the Sept. 9 and 16, 1971, issues of The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:

Fooballers win first

The newly formed Palmer-Wasilla High School football team won its first game ever, beating Anchorage Service-Henshew junior varsity team 18-0.

The local team was led offensively by halfback Mike Barickman, who scored twice — once on a 35-yard reception from quarterback Dave Dodds, and again on a 65-yard run off the left end. The team’s final touchdown was scored by fullback Monte Krus, a 25-yard run off tackle.

Although the team tallied five fumbles in the game, the defense came up big in pulling off the shutout, holding Service to only 18 yards rushing for the game.

State fair draws

a crowd

Final numbers from the Alaska State Fair show that the fair didn’t hit that magic 100,000 attendance number as hoped, but entertained more than 67,000 visitors.

In addition to fairgoers, the event attracted more than 2,200 exhibits, which were enjoyed by the most people — 12,000 — on Sunday. In addition to the animal and agricultural events, the fair also was the starting and finishing point for the Lazy Mountain Marathon, a 15-mile run to the top of the peak and back.

Lawsuit: Stop

that election

A lawsuit has been filed against the Mat-Su Borough asking for an injunction to stop the borough’s Oct. 5 ballot from including a sales tax question and preclude a trio of assembly candidates. A date for a hearing on the lawsuit hasn’t been set and it wasn’t known what, if any, affect it could have on the election.

The sales tax question asks voters to approve a 2 percent sales tax and remove all personal property tax except for property valued at greater than $100,000 or mobile homes used as swellings.

The lawsuit contends that the exemption is unlawful and “no approval by the voters of the sales tax proposition can make and illegal proposition legal.”

It cost what?

According to advertisements, in September 1965 you could:

• Buy seven cans of tomato soup or get four cans of mixed vegetables for $1.

• Purchase regular tread tires from $22.55 to $29.97 each.

• Buy a 1-year-old 14-by-20-foot cabin for $2,000; you have to move it.

• Get a breakfast of hotcakes, sausage, bacon, eggs and hash browns for $1.50 at the Moose Lodge.