SEWARD’S
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SEAPORT
Is Alaska's
Greatest Asset
Territorial Library
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Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VI, No. 67
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, FEB. 21, 1950
Price 10 Cents
School Board Meets With City
Council To Discuss
Chances For New School
Dr. J. H. Sheldon and Mrs.
Beryl Wagner, members of the
school board, and Mr. Carl
Carlson, superintendent of the
schools, met with the City Coun
cil to discuss the possibility of
a new high school building to
include a full size gymnasium
and swimming pool.
Mr. Carlson maintains that if
the population of the city con
tinues to increase at the same
rate as for the past three years,
a new building will be impera
tive within the next three years.
As it is, the elementary school
is crowded because of the in
clusion of the high school, even
with the five room addition just
completed.
The small children have no
place to play in bad weather,
and only limited use of the
gymnasium. With a new build
ing, the present gym could be
used as a sheltered playground,
and the older grade boys could
receive preliminary training for
high school basketball.
It is understood that the $16,
500 income from the territorial
tobacco tax, and $28,000 made
available under Act 60, can be
applied toward such a building
under the General Services Ad
ministration of the Public
Works, the remainder to . come
from the sales tax.
Councilman Kirkpatrick held
out for an indoor swimming
pool, either in the school or
separate. Henry Thrall, chair
man of the Youth Commission,
agreed to furnish requirements
and estimates of cost for an in
stallation by the next meeting
of the council.
Stinson Fined for
Reckless Driving
Wm. Stinson, charged with
speeding and reckless driving,
was fined $50, suspended on
the last charge, and a 30 day
forfeiture of his driving license
in Commissioner’s Court, Feb.
19.
Stinson turned his car over
in the culvert at the intersec
tion of the highway and the
Airport Road, at 10 p.m. Sat
urday. Photographs showed that
the car skidded on a patch of
ice just past the railroad tracks,
left the road and travelled
through the air for a distance
of 21 feet, knocking down a
light pole in transit, and landed
in the ditch on its left side.
With all its flying trip the
car was only slightly damaged
on one side, the fenders and
the grill work on one side re
ceiving force of the fall. The
car occupants emerged unhurt.
HOMER TO SEND DELEGATE
TO METHODIST BOARD
FOR COLLEGE
The Homer Chamber of Com
merce will send W. R. Benson
as a representative to attend
a meeting of the Methodist
Board of Education in Cincinnati
in April to make a final de
cision on the location of the
Liberal Arts College in Alaska.
The people of Homer feel
that they have Just as much to
offer in the way of a location
as Seward has, which city has
already made a strong bid for
the college. The April meeting
will make the decision.
1Round V 'Bout Town . . .
—The Roving Reporter—
When Ava Jo Doyle arrived
home from school last Friday
afternoon, the 17 th, she was
greatly surprised to learn a
birthday party had been planned
for her. She is now a teen-ager—
13 years old.
Her friends Donna Estes, Dar
lene Sheldon, Janice Edgington,
Murlcne and Carol Trevethan,
Jonna Sweatt, and Hazel Bros
sow were there. One of her
gifts was a new album of square
dance records which the group
had a good time dancing to.
%
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bomar
entertained at a buffet supper
last Monday. Their guests in
cluded Mr. and Mrs. H. E. South
ard, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Rogers,
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Johnson,
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jones, and
Mr. Bill Holbrook. Monday, the
13th, was Mr. Bomar’s birthday
and Thursday, the 24th, is Mrs.
Bomar’s, so the party was made
the occassion to celebrate both
birthdays.
% ■
Mrs. Robert Bern gave a
stork shower honoring Mrs.
Patricia Starr last Thursday.
Mf
Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Aldous
of Anchorage were the guests
of the Robert Stearns last week
end.
%
Word from Bill and Annetta
Novick informs us that they
have purchased a bar and home
in Berwyn, 111., a suburb of Chi
cago, and their address is 6909
W. Roosevelt Road, that city.
Larry Williams says she gets
itchy feet watching others dance
so on Saturday nights after the
Nobby Club closes she and
Glenn invite their friends up
to dance to their records and to
have refreshments.
The King S. Woolsey. of the
Coastwise Line, left Seattle
Wednesday night at 7 p.m. It is
expected to arrive in Seward
the 25th carrying about 2300
tons of freight.
The Coastal Monarch, Alaska
Steamship Company freighter,
i is expected to arrive in Seward
Friday, Feb. 24. It will call at
Valdez and Cordova southbound.
Frances Bennett, BPR em
ployee, arrived back in Seward
last Saturday from a vacation in
Oregon.
£
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Werner
are in Anchorage on a short
business trip.
Leonard Hopkins, a salesman
well known in Seward, is in
town again.
~ss?
Mr. Don Lowell is now broad
casting over KIBH. He is the
new radio engineer who re
placed Carl Van Sittert. Before
his appointment here Mr. Lowell
worked at KlPQ at Wenatchee,
Washington and KXRO in Aber
deen. Mr. Lowell is a veteran of
the Marine Corps. He arrived in
town Feb. 10 and is already say
ing nice things about Seward.
We miss hearing Carl Van Sit
tert’s voice. He was very popu
lar in Seward and his friends
don’t like to think about his
leaving next Friday. Mr. Van
Sittert’s contract ie up and he is
joining his family in California.
&
Mrs. Nell Schnoeker left last
Saturday by train for Anchor
age, from where she will travel
by plane to the States. She ex
pects to be gone about three
months and will visit in Chicago,
! New York, Boston, Norfolk, Va.,
i and several places in Georgia.
40 Pet. Decrease in
Insurance Rates
For City of Seward
Information received last
night was to the effect that since
the enforcement of the fuel oil
ordinance, the burying of oil
tanks in the commercial dis
trict, that new insurance rates
have been issued for that dis
trict in Seward and are up to
40 per cent lower than last year.
The performance test passed
by the Volunteer Fire Depart
ment and the class of fire equip
ment were also a contributing
factor in the decrease of rates,
according to the information
released.
TERRITORY GETS $4,922.10
FROM FOREST SERVICE
The office of B. Frank Heint
zelman, Regional Forester, For
est Service, advises that a war
rant for $4,922.10 is being for
warded to the Treasurer of Alas
ka to cover the amount due the
Territory from National Forest
receipts for the fiscal year end
ing June 30, 1949, under the
provisions of the Act of May 23,
1908 (16 U.S.C. 500). This money,
representing 25 per cent of gross
Federal receipts from the Ton
gass and Chugach National For
ests in Alaska except for tfrnber
sold on the Tongass Forest, is to
be used for roads, trails and
schools by the Territorial gov
ernment in the First and Third
[Judicial Divisions. An addition
al 10 per cent of the National
Forest receipts, amounting to
$1,968.84, is used by the Forest
Service for roads and trails
within the two forests.
Public Law 385, 80th Con
gress, approved August 8, 1947,
authorized the Secretary of Ag
riculture to sell timber from the
Tongass National Forest, and
provided that the receipts be’
held in a special account in the
U. S. Treasury until Indian
rights to the land and timber
are finally determined. The re
ceipts so deposited during the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1949,
amounted to $133,025.41 and
the total from the date of the
Act is S263.619.41.
The amount received by the
Territory since 1908 for its 25
per cent share of Forest Receipts
totals $753,248.34. The amount
spent by the Forest Service on
roads and trails, representing
10 per cent of Forest Receipts
since 1908, totals $293,253.62.
On the train Iasi Saturday
morning there were several Sew
ardites taking a trip to Anchor
age. There were Mr. and Mrs.
Walter Blue, Mr. and Mrs. Baird
French and Mrs. Alice French.
Virginia Blue and Evelyn French
looked so pretty with their hair
freshly curled and their eyes
sparkling with anticipation of a
train ride.
&
Mr. and Mrs. Walt Sipprell
and the Max Hamiltons drove
into Homer Saturday. The Kirk
patricks arrived there Sunday
night but missed the other Sew
ardites.
58
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hatch ar
rived home on Thursday's train
after vacationing in the States.
There will be much excitement
in their household the next sev
eral weeks as their daughter,
Judy, plans on being married
March 17. The groom-to-be is
Bob Keefe.
58
The Sea Hawks plan to go to
Anchorage for the Fur Rendez
vous Basketball Tournament to
morrow.
In 1947 Seward's team received
a trophy for 4th place,
j In 1948 they got one for 3rd.
In 1949 another for 2nd.
In 1950 we hope to see them
come back with the trophy for
first place.
Seward’s Title Challenged By
Western Alaska
Class B High School Teams
Basketball Trip Fund
Nears $250
By Monday evening the fund
subscribed by 70 sports minded
Sewardites to send the local
high school basketball team to
the Fur Rendezvous Tournament
at Anchorage had reached al
most $250—$243 to be exact—
with still another day to go be
fore the fund was to be turned
over to the basketball coach.
The team is to leave for An
chorage by plane Wednesday
morning.
Following is a list of people
who had subscribed to the fund
Monday evening, less those
named in last Friday’s paper:
Seward Steam Laundry, Joe
Doyle, C. E. Cole, Ted Lesko,
Liberty Theater, Stewart and
Muir, Art McKeough, George
Nelson, Red Croxton, Mr. and
' Mrs. Chestnut, John C. Smith.
Kenai Lumber Co., A loser on
Game, R. Van Gilder, Fred Kiel
cheski, Hamilton’s Garage.
A. L. Major, C. L. Weber, Joe
Lanier, M. Kopeka, Hans Hof
meister, Andrew’s Surplus Store,
Ivar Trechrem, Lesko Bros.,
Mr. and Mrs. Senft, Frank Wil
son, Sylvia Sexton, Everett
Skinner, Gene Skinner, James
Construction Co., Dennis K.,
Anonymous, Hank Olson, Dock
Workers, Charles Flynn, G.
Werner, Rob’t. and Blanche
Clark, Brown Bear Liquor
Store, Bob Lewis, C. C. Harron.
Moose Pass News
On Feb. 13 a movie was shown,
by Mr. Hartwell, of the Alaska
Railroad. It was, “How Green
was my Valley,” with Walter
Pidgeon and Roddy McDowell.
Also selected short subjects.
These movies are greately ap
preciated by all of the people
along the railbelt.
On the afternoon of Feb. 13
the weekly knitting meeting
was held at the home of Mrs.
Lyle Saxton.
The annual Valentine's party
was held at the school house
the 14th. Games and a tradi
tional Valentine box preceded
the refreshments.
VA REPORTS INCREASE IN
G.I. INSURANCE ACCOUNTS
The Veterans Administration
reveals that more than 7,149,000
National Service Life Insurance
policies, held by World War II
veterans are now in force—a 28
per cent increase over the
5,595,000 policies that were ac
tive three years ago.
Twenty-four per cent of the
G.I. insurance policies have been
converted to permanent plans
of insurance, according to the
VA. In January, 1947, perma
nent policies amounted to only
12 per cent of the total.
The average NSLI policy to
day is $5,760, as compared with
a $6,096 average in January,
1947.
In the Pacific Northwest area,
active G.I. insurance accounts
held by veterans of World War
II total 175,286, out of a possible
580,000, or more than one-third
of the active and inactive ac
counts administered by the Se
attle VA District Office.
More than 60,000 of these
policies, or 35 per cent of the
active accounts, have been con
verted to permanent policies,
as compared to 18,664, or 10
per cent, three years ago.
Miss Agnes Anderson, former
Seward school teacher, was in
town last week visiting friends.
The Seward Sea Hawks' title
to Western championship is be
ing challenged, by Class B teams
backed by Anchorage and Pal
mer, which teams suddenly feel
that they were left out in the
cold when it came to deciding
Western Alaska title policies.
The winner of the Fur Rendez
vous tournament has been rec
ognized as the Western section
champion for the past two years.
The Class B winner has, how
ever, retained the right to chal
lenge the A winner for the sec
tional title, although the chal
lenge was not made until the
title came to Seward this year.
Coaches of teams playing in
the Rendezvous tournament will
, hold their annual meeting this
week in Anchorage. Fairbanks
and Seward would continue to
recognize the Class A winner of
i the railbelt conference as the
! Western Alaska championship
team. Anchorage and Palmer
maintain this year that the poli
cy is unfair to the Class B teams,
1 and one Class B coach says he
j is ready to recognize only the
Rendezvous games for the West-'
ern Alaska championship. Ac
cording to the Anchorage Times,:
other coaches are expected to
follow suit. Just why all other'
•coaches should concur in the,
opinion of one coach was not •
j stated. Seward sportsmen feel •
I pretty strongly about the con
! troversy being raised this year, .
when for the first time in the
past few years the title was won
i outside of the Anchorage dis
; inci.
I The Sea Hawks are anxious
. for the play off and confident
of their success, wishing to
prove their superiority beyond
all doubts, and the local boys
are to leave Wednesday for An
chorage, to continue the fight
for 1950 basketball supremacy
in the Territory.
The Homer News . . .
The school children and teach
ers of Homer are to be congrat
ulated on their full evening of
entertainment at the Amateur
Hour last Friday night at the
Skyway Theater. The large audi
ence was pleasantly surprised
to find Homer is so abounding
with talent. It was a difficult
task for the judges to select
the winners of the amateur
show. First prize went to Make
McClay who played the guitar
and sang. The Kilchers won
second prize with their variety
of music and comedy and Chris
Christenson walked off with
third prize with his comedy
dialogue.
' The Homer Dramatic Club
held tryouts and selected the
cast for a new play Monday
night at the Skyway Theater.
“The Phantom Bells,” a mys
tery play by Robert St. Clair,
will be presented March 24 and
25 when the Seward Chamber
of Commerce Caravan visits
Homer.
Mrs. Teresa Sands, who went
to Seward last week with Her
man Schultz, was very surprised
to meet her mother on the street
there. She had expected her
mother here in the near future,
but was surprised she was on
the boat which had just arrived
in Seward. They will both re
main there until next week or
so.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Blue
were in Anchorage last week
end on a business and pleasure
trip. They saw “The Warrior’s
Husband,” which is really worth
seeing, according to Mrs. Blue.