Fire Hall Naming Memorializes Art & Boots Sca

MAT-SU— The Point MacKenzie Public Safety Building will now bear the names of Art & Boots Scates, two community leaders who helped establish a rural fire station and gave momentum to a young port. The couple was killed in a traffic accident on Knik-Goose Bay Road on January 5.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly Member Cindy Bettine sponsored the resolution that passed last night, (Aug. 2). “I’m proud to have been able to sponsor this and memorialize Art and Boot Scates for their service to the Point MacKenzie Community Council area as well to the fire service district,” Bettine said.

With all the development in the area, Art and Boots Scates wanted growth at Point MacKenzie done right. For Art, that translated into years of serving on numerous committees. Two, three-year terms were spent on the Port Commission with three as Chair. He also spent five years as the Chair of the Point MacKenzie Community Council and recently served on the Goose Creek Correctional Center Citizens Advisory Committee for a year. He also held a seat on the Point MacKenzie Community Comprehensive Planning Team.  Assembly Member Noel Woods said Art was not alone in his vision for Point MacKenzie. “I can remember Boots attending many of the meetings with Art. They were extremely enthusiastic about all things relating to the Port’s development and beyond.”

Port Director Marc VanDongen was a close friend of the Scates. “Art came to all the Port Commission meetings even after he was no longer a member.” Van Dongen said. “He was a real leader.”

Art served as a member of the board of Supervisors for the Wasilla-Lakes Fire Service Area from February 2000 to November 2007. He wanted to make sure his community was not only growing economically but safe as well. Central—MAT-SU Fire Chief James Steele noted this balance in priorities. “It’s great to honor Art and Boots in this manner of naming the public safety building after them for all the work and effort that they put forward in actually helping to develop that station. They were instrumental in actually getting that station built in a rural area,” Steele said.

For more information call Assembly Member Cindy Bettine at 892-8877 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Port Director Marc VanDongen at 746-7414.

Photo of Art Scates in the Ferry Terminal at Port MacKenzie. Photo of Boots Scates coming.