Voting moves online for ‘Best of the Valley’

Who makes the best burger in the Valley? What are some of the best places to take a summer visitor? Who’s your favorite elected official?

Readers are invited to share their preferences on these and many other questions in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman’s annual “Best of the Valley” polling. For many years now, the Frontiersman has hosted this popular contest, which showcases the best of all the region has to offer. It’s an opportunity to recognize the cream of the crop in our community.

As the Mat-Su has grown in recent years, so have the number of voting categories. It wasn’t so long ago that Valley residents had to travel to Anchorage for many basic needs.

Now we are self-contained, largely self-supporting, and no longer need the routine trips down the Glenn. This is a testament to our thriving business community and supportive residents who understand the value of shopping, dining, recreating and seeking professional services locally.

Questions in the Best of the Valley polling reflect this growth and the vibrancy of this place we call home. They cover four broad categories: retail/recreation, dining/spirits, people/professionals and services.

New to the contest this year is online voting. After years of using cumbersome hand-completed ballots clipped from the print edition of the Frontiersman, voters now have the convenience of clicking the Best of the Valley link at frontiersman.com and making their preferences known online.

In addition to being more convenient for voters, online balloting adds a layer of integrity to the contest and makes tallying votes easier, too.

So don’t miss this opportunity to recognize a favorite teacher, doctor or place for a romantic dinner. Have you got a favorite area hike or place to go fishing? Here’s your opportunity to give it a public thumbs-up.

Best of the Valley voting opened on Friday and continues through May 6. Winners will be announced in our annual Best of the Valley special section, to be published as part of the May 27 edition.

This community has so much to offer. Now is your chance to identify the best of the best.