10 YEARS AGO

March 2, 2000 — The price of North Slope crude oil on Wednesday topped the $30-per-barrel mark for the first time since late 1990, when the nation was on the verge of going to war in the Persian Gulf.

Alaska oil ended the day at $30.17 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up $1.34 from its previous close. The sustained price rally has the state rethinking its prediction that Slope production would average just over $20 per barrel during the fiscal year that ends June 30.

“We’ve blown by that,” said Chuck Logsdon, the state chief oil economist. “We’re heading toward an average of something like $23 a barrel.”

If that $3-per-barrel upswing comes to pass, the state treasury would collect an additional $200 million or so, according to figures on the Department of Revenue Web site. That would shrink the state’s budget gap for the fiscal year to less than $300 million.

A smaller gap would mean a smaller withdrawal from the Constitutional Budget Reserve and lengthen the life of that savings account beyond the latest projection of January 2004.

“It extends the time we have before we reach the cliff,” said Eldon Mulder, R-Anchorage and co-chairman of the House Finance Committee.

Mulder said most of his legislative collegues are relieved to have more time to come up with a long-range plan, but “we still need to recognize the need for it.”

Rep. John Davies, D-Fairbanks, a finance committee member, called high prices a mixed blessing.

“Certainly for the state of Alaska, in the short term, it’s a great deal,” he said. But the main question for long-term planning should be whether the current price represents a trend or an abberation.

The last time Slope crude settled above $30 was Nov. 29, 1990, about a month before the Persian Gulf War started. The price of $30.49 that day was heading down as fears of war-related oil shortages ebbed. The next day the price tumbled by nearly $4 per barrel, and $30 oil became a memory.

Prices jumped Wednesday after Venezuelan oil minister Ali Rodriguez denied reports that Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Venezuela had agreed to increase output.

25 YEARS AGO

March 2, 1985 — The task facing the Alaska Gold Kings tonight is awesome.

The Gold Kings, just one team of many in the United States, must attempt to beat the national team of an entire country — Austria.

Despite the fact that hockey is still in its teens in that landlocked European country, the Austrians play in the same international group as does the U.S. nationals — the “B” pool.

Tonight’s game, slated for 8 p.m. at the Big Dipper, is a preview of next week’s Alaska Gold Kings International Tournament, which begins Tuesday and includes the national teams from Japan and Holland.

But the Austrians are here early, and the Gold Kings are eager to get at them.

But can the locals, 18-5 on the season, beat the Austrians?

“Yes, we can,” Alaska Head Coach Roger McKinnon said. “We have to play our very best on every line shift. If we do, we have a chance. If not, we don’t.”

Leading scorer Timmy Lee will center the Gold Kings’ No. 1 line that includes wings Ron Muir and D.J. Olund.

John Haddad and Mark Weber will start on defense while Slidin’ Billy Duquette, the “Dancing Bear,” will mind the nets for the hometown good guys.

50 YEARS AGO

March 2, 1960 — Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton will arrive in Fairbanks tomorrow to assist in dedication ceremonies at the new ARR depot here.

He will visit Fairbanks while making a tour of Alaska, conferring with regional land office officials in connection with problems arising from statehood. A great deal of land must be transferred from federal to state ownership, and the Secretary of the Interior is attempting to “smooth out” this transfer.

He will hold a press conference in a railroad car at 8:30, immediately after his arrival here tomorrow. Then, he will begin a round of conferences with Federal land office officials.

He is tentatively scheduled to make a speaking appearance at the University of Alaska. He will also attend a no-host luncheon at the Traveler’s Inn at 1:30.

At 7:30 tomorrow night, Mr. Seaton will dedicate the modernistic new railroad depot here. The Alaska Railroad is operated under the jurisdiction of the Interior Department.

75 YEARS AGO

March 2, 1935 — Members of the Fairbanks Curling Club last night selected three teams to be matched against the curlers who will come from Dawson, Y.T., to Fairbanks next week for the Ice Carnival. Three games will be arranged with the visitors, and one of the three Fairbanks teams will play in each game. Only one game was played last night on the rink of the Fairbanks Curling Club. It was between teams skippered by Springbett and Petersen. Springbett won, 14 to 9.

100 YEARS AGO

March 2, 1910 — It is not a good thing to boast until you are out of the woods, but Fairbanks has been very free from serious fires this winter. The fire fiend here is reduced to about the same menacing proportions as is a spent firecracker.

Aside from the Porter cabin fire last week, when it took five minutes to get the water from the hydrant after the hose was laid, there have been no serious or costly fires during the winter.

At 8 o’clock last night an alarm was turned in from upper First Avenue. “Central” said the fire was at Bentley’s, and people thought that meant the Butte cafe, so there was a rush uptown. It proved to be only a chimney burning out at the Bentley residence and chicken house, where stoves keep 500 or 600 chickens from freezing. It was next door to the Columbia hotel, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction to endanger the hotel.

This morning at 8 o’clock the siren announced the regular quarterly “fire” at Frank Hall’s residence. It was only a chimney fire, and Frank was through with the experience in time to take up his regular grand jury work at the opening hour.

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