10 YEARS AGO

July 30, 2000 — Fairbanks delegates to the Republican National Convention say they’ll be watching out for Alaska’s interests at the once-every-four-years gathering, but are mostly attending to support the party’s ideals and its candidates.

Delegates from Fairbanks include Dave Eichler, Victoria Hill, Nick Stepovich and Fred Brown. They are among the 22 Alaska delegates attending, along with about 15 alternates.

25 YEARS AGO

July 30, 1985 — Downtown business owners say a Fairbanks sales tax will drive shoppers out of town, and the city should cut the city’s budget or raise revenue another way to make up an expected $2 million shortfall.

The businesses are organizing a group called Citizens for A Better Fairbanks to campaign against a 2 percent sales tax proposed this fall in the city.

50 YEARS AGO

July 30, 1960 — An electronic face-to-face duel of wits between the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees was in prospect today.

Plans call for an unprecedented series of televised debates between Vice President Richard M. Nixon, the GOP nominee, and Sen. John F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate.

The rules: No notes, no text of any kind.

Kennedy already has accepted invitations from the three major television networks to appear in a series of TV debates with Nixon during the presidential campaign.

75 YEARS AGO

July 30, 1935 — With Fairbanks as the specific site, Alaska will be chosen for establishment of the first of the six Army Air Corps bases authorized by the Wilcox bill, which was passed yesterday by Congress, according to a report today from a usually trustworthy source in Washington City.

Fairbanks is declared to be favored by high officers of the Army Corps because it offers the natural conditions that are best for cold-weather flying, in which training and experience are desired for military aviators.