By Amy Schenck
Alaska Star

This week a “Volume 1, No.1” copy of the Alaska Star, then called the Chugiak-Eagle River Star, walked into our office. Buck Amadon, an electrician who has lived in Eagle River since 1969, found it in the attic of his grandmother’s house in western Massachusetts. It was in a box that contained newspapers with headlines about Alaska statehood and Kennedy’s assassination - his grandfather collected that type of stuff, Amadon said.

Other news covered in the Star’s first paper included a story about hoisting lights to illuminate intersections on the new Glenn Highway, an article about a movie theater opening in the Chugiak-Eagle River area and a headline about the Chugiak High School Mustangs beating Wasilla twice in basketball.

The paper also included photos of “Lady Snowmobilers” who raced in “the grueling Eagle River to Big Lake and return Women’s State Championship Race.”

As far as emergency service went, the Star reported: “Both community fire departments had relatively light weeks. No fires were reported, but each department had two ambulance runs. In both cases, both calls were on the same day.”

The first Star included several advertisements. One listed a 4-pound bag of apples for 69 cents. Another listed the movies that would be showing in Eagle River’s brand new theater: “Indian Uprising,” “Marco the Magnificent,” and “The Wonderful World of Brothers Grimm.” Chugiak Cab promised “prompt, safe and courteous service.”

Finally, an editorial shared with readers editor and publisher Lee Jordan’s vision for the Star.

“Just as we are proud of the community, we intend to make the Star a facility of which the community can be proud.”

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, June 11, 2009.