20 years ago

Alaskans should expect big changes in the way the state provides services in the new millennium, Rep. Gail Phillips told a gathering of senior citizens. People will pay more for business licenses, see bigger bills for services such as restaurant health inspections, pay more user fees and see programs cut or eliminated. They also might see new sales taxes, and there will be a new income tax, Phillips said. They also should expect to see Permanent Fund dividend checks slashed by several hundred dollars.

— From the issue of July 22, 1999

30 years ago

A group of 35 Icicle Seafood workers picketed the Exxon claims office seeking compensation for lost processing work due to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. They said Exxon had been dragging its feet on processing claims and Icicle hadn’t been aggressive in advocating for workers for fear that the workers would leave town and the processing plant would lose its labor force. Most of the Icicle workers are college students trying to earn money for their continued education.

— From the issue of July 27, 1989

50 years ago

Howard Thornburg announced that he would show video tapes of the July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 moon landing at the Pratt Museum on July 25. Thornburg taped everything about the landing shown on TV for those in Homer who did not go to Soldotna or Anchorage to see the live broadcast that was not available on the lower Kenai Peninsula.

— From the issue of July 24, 1969