50 Years Ago (or thereabout)
From the Polar Star, Apr. 25, 1958
Broadway Hit in Gym Tonight
Stars Alma King, Spence Blake
“Born Yesterday,” the comedy smash hit by Carson Kanin that chalked up a four-year run in New York, will be presented by the University of Alaska Drama Workshop in the gymnasium tonight and tomorrow night at 8:15p.m.
This laugh romp, which deals with the chicanery of a profiteer in post-war Washington and the dumb ex-chorine he has brought along, is under the direction of Prof. Lee Salisbury.
What Brooks Atkinson in the New York Times called the “incandescent hilarity” of the comedy derives from the fact that the roughneck who has come to the capital to put over a big swindle suddenly sees his “doll” in a different light. She has a dubious amount of social graces and needs a little smartening up to be acceptable in the circle of high-fee’d, corrupted lawyers and legislators in which he has introduced her.
Alma King will be seen as the blonde who makes trouble for the tycoon when she starts to think for herself. Spence Blake will portray the junk czar who makes the mistake of putting some important properties in the girl’s name, never dreaming that she might some day walk out on him.
Bill Boucher will portray the correspondent who teaches the ex-chorine a thing or two about public affairs. Walt Williams will play the bribed senator, and Ronald Buzby the junkman’s lawyer. Other roles have been assigned to Jane McAllister, Jude Henzler, John Elliott, Janet Kruse, Arne Sundt and John Balestrere. Elliott also designed the luxurious hotel suite, the play’s background
25 Years Ago
From the Polar Star, Apr. 22, 1983
Proposed bus cuts concern UAF students
By Katie McKee
Fairbanks commuters may be accepting more rides from strangers this summer and fall if the Borough Assembly approves the borough mayor’s proposed cuts on transit hours.
Borough Mayor Bill Allen has proposed cutting the present bus hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. off at 7 p.m. weekdays and eliminating Saturday service on all routes completely, according to Borough Transit Director Ron Moore.
“The budget this year is different than it was previously,” Moore said.
It has to do with fiscal responsibility and getting the most out of the tax dollar, said Administrative Chief Steve Feldman.
In order to meet the needs of the school district budget to begin the construction of three new schools this year, the mayor is raising the mill rate (property tax) from about $12 million to over $16 million, Feldman said.
At the same time, the general budget consisting of Parks and Recreation, Library and Transit is being decreased by $200,000 according to Feldman.