10 YEARS AGO

Feb. 28, 2000 — Norman Vaughan was a 19-year-old Ivy League college student when a group of Alaska dog mushers relayed a life-saving diphtheria serum 800 miles from Nenana to Nome.

On Sunday — 75 years later — Vaughan set out with 24 other fellow adventurers on the same trail to Nome, “to keep the history of the dog mushers who ran in 1925 alive,” he said.

It’s the third time that Iditarod veteran Vaughan, now 94, has traveled the 800-mile serum route at a leisurely pace, typically taking more than two weeks to cover the distance.

Vaughan said he’s driven to make the run again after his experience last year with a native of Nome, an Eskimo named Edythe, who received a life-saving dose of the serum at the tender age of two-and-a-half.

“I took a little vial of the antitoxin to her last year, and she took it in her hands, crying,” Vaughan recalled, cupping his own to illustrate his story. “She told me, ‘This is what saved my people,’ and for me that’s incentive enough to go.”

25 YEARS AGO

Feb. 28, 1985 — The city of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough both claim to own the land the Noel Wien Library sits on, and the outcome might determine whether the borough expands the library or the city uses the site for a new police station.

City Manager Wally Droz and City Attorney Herb Kuss said that a deed signed by both governments in 1974, which restricts how much land the borough can use for the library, has been breached and therefor title to 18 acres known as Weeks Field has automatically reverted back to the city.

But Borough Chief Executive Director Greg Strong said the borough is still reviewing the conditions of the deed and is going ahead with borough library expansion plans.

The city is looking at it as a possible site for a new police station, which could be expanded in the future to house the entire city government.

Droz said the present situation stems from 1974, when city voters approved giving the borough the property for a library and a park. Three conditions of the agreement were that the property only be used by the borough for a library and park, no facilities would be constructed for athletics and the borough would not use more than two acres for the library.

If the conditions are violated, the deed says, title to the property “automatically” reverts back to the city.

50 YEARS AGO

Feb. 28, 1960 — Four polar bear hunters in two planes vanished over the Bering Sea Saturday. At 10 p.m. yesterday, military aircraft reported sighting two of the missing men. They were in “desperate condition.”

When sighted, no trace of their airplane could be seen. The two men were crawling on a cake of rotten sea ice which appeared to be so weak it was in danger of cracking at any minute. There was no solid ice anywhere near the two marooned men.

The searchers dropped food, sleeping bags and life rafts to the men. However, they had great difficulty retrieving the articles dropped because they could not stand up on the rotten ice. It appeared that when they tried to stand up, their feet broke through the ice.

They crawled and retrieved the articles carefully. Immediately after the sleeping bags were dropped, one man climbed in his. This may have meant he was injured or sick. THe other man remained active.

An Air Force helicopter rescued the two marooned hunters shortly after noon today. The men were flown to Kivalina. They were in good condition. The ‘copter dropped down low over the rotten ice and lifted both men to safety. They were identified as Warren Johnson, Spearfish, S.D., and George Eastman of Omak, Wash.

75 YEARS AGO

Feb. 28, 1935 — Most of the business transacted yesterday by territorial lawmakers was done in the Senate. A discussion of appropriations occupied nearly all of the time of the House.

By a vote of 6 to 2, the Senate killed the House memorial asking congress to extend legislative sessions, which now are limited to 60 days, to 90 days, whenever such extensions are deemed necessary by the Governor.

Only 15 days remain in the present session of the Legislature. Under rules adopted by the lawmakers, today is the last day on which bills can be introduced without two-thirds consent.

100 YEARS AGO

Feb. 28, 1910 — J.M. Cascaden, brother of Dave Cascaden and a pioneer of this camp, arrived yesterday from the Outside where he has spent the past three years, and will remain here the remainder of his days.

Mr. Cascaden came to the Tanana in 1901, ahead of Capt. Barnette. Three years ago, the father of the Cascadens began to grow old, and wanted his children near him. They couldn’t all leave, so J.M. went back to the old home in Waterloo, Iowa, and stayed with the old folks until the father died recently. There being nothing to keep him there after the father’s death, he is back with the old camp again, this time to stay.

For more Looking Back, see http://bit.ly/Lookback