This week saw yet another gas station causality in Anchorage. This time it was a Muldoon Holiday which left a note on its window, which mentioned the impending closure. Locals will know this as the Muldoon Holiday at the top of the hill, which has stood there for decades. Well, it turns out that this will be its final year.

So, what went wrong? In short, there are two theories. The first is that rival Fred Meyers gas station aggressively stamped out local competition in Alaska – including this particular Muldoon Holiday, who just couldn’t compete with being constantly beaten on prices. Whatever your views on this closure, sometimes business can be brutal.

The second theory was put forward by a local who said, “Some background: Circle K, who owns holiday, is very cheap. That site was in desperate need of upgrades to the system that they didn’t want to pay for.” And, whilst we can’t confirm this, looking at the exterior of the gas station, it does look like it’s in need of some TLC.

Although this was just a gas station, tributes poured in from the local community, with some calling it a “Sad day” and “The end of an era.” With this in mind, it just goes to show that sometimes, things are more than ‘just a gas station’, and they can have a very powerful effect on the local community.