Ur. I C A L
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for ihat iiera
have for sale, reni or
lease.
■****« t. i
LIBRARY
JUNEAO
e Frontiersman
VOLUME 10. NUMBER 51
PALMER. ALASKA THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17. 1957
PRICE TEN CENTS
HOSPITAL FINANCES
EXPLAINED AT
CHAMBER MEETING
The financial and operations
. status of the Valley Presbyterian
Hospital was explained to mem
bers of the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce during
thier noontime meeting October
16 by Dr. Allan Mick, hospital as
sociation president.
Using compiled statistics Dr.
Mick pointed out that the hos
pital’s collections show about a
two-to three-month lag, so that
a month where there is consider
able 'business, will not show in
the cash income of the hospital
for several weeks.
“On a year-to-year basis”,
Mick said, “the hospital isn’t do
ing too bad. But the month-to
month basis is another thing.
Collections just don’t match ex
penses. For instance, he pointed
out, at the present time the hos
pital is running near capacity—
it will be perhaps three months
before we realize the cash from
the business and in the meantime
our local merchants have got to
be paid.
He pointed out that a large per
centage of accounts payable re
present expenses accured during
the first year of operation when
the hospital was operated with
out an operating reserve. “We
still have no operating reserve—
instead we operate on credit ex
tended by merchants.” He added
that when income is less than ex
penses it is impossible to meet
the current operation costs.
Mrs. Kay Pippel, Association
treasurer, also in attendance,
pointed out that better contracts
have been negotiated during the
past year with various services
such as Alaska Native Service, De
partment of Welfare and others.
However* she pointed to one ex
panse the hospital carries, and
that is the Department of Health
chest X-rays. She explained that
the sum allowed by the ADH does
not cover the expense of the X
ray and that the hospital must
bear the balance.
Dr. Mick reported that the Al
aska Hospital Association, which
has a 17-hospital membership
comparable to the local institu
tion, reports that only two other
hospitals are in better financial
condition than the valley hospit
al. Of these two one is supported
entirely by city sales tax and
the ot|ier through a similar tax
program.
Stewart Durrant, president of
the local Chamber, pointed out
that the responsibility of the val
ley hospital is not only that of
the board of directors . . . “we
must all recognize our personal
responsibility ... we can’t get
money from only one source . . .
we must all help. He then refer
red to 18 employees of the ■
dreamery who this week have I
personally paid the costs of milk
and ice cream for the hospital.
Speaking for the membership he
stated the Chamber would give
1-00 percent support to make the
hospital a going institution.
Chamber member Don Irwin
suggested consideration be given
to the incorporation of the hos
pital and issuance of stock.
Dr. Mick announced that cred
itors have been invited to attend
the board of directors meeting
which will be held in the hospital
tomorrow night.
NEW WATER WELL
BEING DRILLED
; ’ Drilling work on the city’s ;
; new water well is under way !
; at the reservoir site and it is. ;
; expected that the well will be I;
!; completed by winter. The dril- !;
! ling ds being done by the Cot- ;
|j ten Drilling and Exploration ;
\ Company of Palmer. ;
Creamery Employees
Donate Milk Funds
To Local Hospital
Employees of the Co-Op cream
ery this week stepped in with
contributions which kept fresh
whole milk going to the Valley
Presbyterian Hospital.
Because of the financial dif
ficulties being expetienoed by
the hospital, it has not been pos
sible for them to remain current
in their payment of charges made
at the Co-Op. When the Co-Op
wrote-off about $5,000 in debts
owed to the Association by the
hospital, it was with the stipu
lation that bills be kept current.
However, cash income at the
hospital has not made this pos
sible and the Co-Op was forced
to put the hospital on a day-by
day cash basis. With no cash
available, it appeared as though
patients at the hospital were go
ing to have to forgo the goodness!
of whole milk. Creamery employ
ees pooled funds and came up i
with enough money to pay for
the milk for this week. This is
the first such gesture made vol
untarily by any group of valley
residents to asisst. the commun
ity hospital in their current pro
blem. A number of -gestures have
been made by individuals and by
nearly every business firm in Pal
mer but the present acute situa- i
tion points out the need for the
community to become alert to
their responsibility as a resident
in keeping the hospital in opera
tion.
In the quarterly report put
out by the hospital directors this
month every resident was urged
to avail themselves of some type
of hospitalization insurance,
thereby protecting themselves
against large hospital bills and
more or less guaranteeing the
hospital of payment of the lar
(Continued on page 5)
FIRST TAX SALES
SET FOR NEXT WEEK
The first tax sales to be con
ducted in this area will be held
next Tuesday, October 22, and
Wednesday, October 23, in the
basement of the Palmer City
Hall.
On Tuesday City Clerk L. C.
Stock is scheduled to conduct the
tax sales of properties up for
• sale within the city limits. For
the past five weeks these proper
ties have been advertised in The
Frontiersman, as have proper
ties from the Palmer Indepen
dent School District which will
be offered at a tax sale the fol
lowing day. Auctioneer for the
School District sale on October
23 will be Jack Ward of Anchora
age. Both sales are slated to
start at 10 am.
Interested persons are invited
to attend either or both sales.
FAIR RECEIVES
TERRITORIAL FUNDS
The special funds allocated by
the Territory for the 1957 Ma
tanuska Valley Fair have arriv
ed, it was announced at the Fair
Board meeting October 14. The
Association’s books will be clos
ed and checks mailed to pre
mium winners as soon as pos
sible, it was stated.
I TULIP. CROCUS. HYACINTH
BULBS HAVE ARRIVED.
TIME TO PLANT NOW. !;
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601
FREE FOUR-WEEK
MINING COURSE
OFFERED HERE
The University of Alaska’s
mining extension program will
offer a prospecting course in Pal
mer, sometime this month.
The only catch is. The Fron
tiersman has ben unable to deter
mine the date and time. Conflict
ing and tentative dates have been
suggested; the Anchorage Daily
Hews was given the tentative date
of October 23—Superintendent of
Schools William T. Zahradnicek
received a letter in early Sep
tember stating the course would
start the week of October 20;
The Frontiersman has a news
release dated September 30, stat
ing the course will be held . . .
the Department of Mines buiViin
says the course will be held in
Palmer October 1 51o November
15. The only fact that coincides
in all releases is the fact there
will be a four-week mining
course, and it will be held at the
high school.
The four-week evening course
is tuition free and will include
fundamentals of geology, miner
alogy, and mining. It includes
instruction in gold panning, use
of the geiger counter, and min
eral identification.
Hugh Matheson will instruct
the four-week course and any
: interested person may attend.
Classes will be held for two
hours every week day evening.
NEW M.T.A. MEMBERS
AVERAGE ONE A DAY
Up to the 10th of the month,
new memberships in the Matan
uskg Telephone Association were
averaging one a day, according
to Max Clements, MTA manager.
Additional subscribers have been
recorded since that time but were
not averaged out.
Clements stated that the new
memberships are pretty evenly
divided between the urban and
rural areas.
An all-out membership drive
in the Association is being plan
ned by the Association. Anyone
interested in securing telephone
service or adding another instru
ment in their home or place of
business, is urged to contact the
business office in Palmer for ar
rangements.
Persons not nowr receiving
telephone service may become a
subscriber by paying the mem
bership fee of $10 and equity
costs of $40. If the entire amount
cannot be paid at one time, it
is possible to make arrangements
for payments along with the
monthly telephone charges.
The Association is offering tq
credit one month’s free telephone'
service to a subscriber who tells
a true story of how the local tele
phone service has helped in a
tight situation. If the story is
considered interesting and valu
able enough to be published in
the monthly publication,” Val
ley Cooperator”, the subscriber
will receive one month’s free
telephone service.
Valley residents
OBSERVE SATTELITE
A number of valley residents
have now had a view of the Rus
sian sattelite, Sputnik.
A radio and television news
flash last Sunday night sent a
number of residents to their doors
and windows in time to see the
sattelite on its flight, shortly
before 8 p.m. Scientists this week
are predicting the sphere will re
main aloft only a few more
weeks.
A number of employees at the
Eklutna project have seen the
sattelite, including Dave Draze,
Russ Dow, and Vem Genass.
Doris Simpson and her daughter
Ree were among those who saw
it Sunday night. One local wo
man, in particular,' was disap
pointed to learn that what - she
though was the satelite proved to
be Venus putting on a vibrant
show Sunday night.'
FOOTBALL GAME
AGAIN POSTPONED
Because the flu bug found
the Palmer football squad this
week the re-scheduled foot
ball game to have been play
ed tomorrow has again been
put off. Keith Smith, high
school principal said this week
that the school hopes to play
the game off but that the
health of the team and the
type of weather will be the
determining factors. It will be
the final of a four-game series
played this year between An
chorage’s two football teams
and the Palmer Eagles. Last
week’s game was postponed
because of illness in the An
chorage school.
Adult GAP Program
Explained To
Interested Group
Colonel Harry Stiver, Civil Air
Patrol officer, explained the aims
and purposes of CAP to a group
of interested adults at a meeting
held in Palmer October 10. He
pointed to the CAP main objec
tive of helping youth and the pro
motion of aviation through vari
ous work phases which include
search and rescue work.
Col. Stiver, and Major Petee
Stiver who accompanied him to
Palmer, announced the recent
formation of a CAP cadet squad
ron in Palmer. They stated that
for the best efficiency there
should be a senior CAP group
formed locally . . . they pointed
out the need for the cadets to
receive observers time in ais
craft and this is possible only
where pilots are CAP approved.
With'a senior group the bulk of
cadet work is not left up to one
person who soon becomes loaded
down and has to give up the
work, they said.
Major Stiver pointed out that
with the recent announcement of
the sattelite launching it is dif
ficult to predict what the future
will be like . . . “our teenagers
of today will be our seniors of
tomorrow and everyone of them
will have to know all they can
about our air age.”
Major Stiver announced that
the CAP cadet squadron in Pal
mer has been formed and that
Mrs. Margaret Betts of Wasilla
has been named acting command
er with the rank of second lieu
tenant. Lt. Betts is a former
Palmer school teacher and this
summer attended a CAP Work
shop held in the states. Hgy
course was sponsored by the local
Airmens Association and the Pal
mer Kiwanis Club.
(Continued on Page 8)
Co-Op Opens New
Creamery in Kodiak
A small creamery plant in
Kodiak has been secured by the
Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
operating Association and more
of the Matanuska Maid products
will be sold in that area than
was previously possible. Fred
McIntyre, formerly employed in
the Palmer creamery plant, has
been named manager of the Ko
diak creamery, according to
Stewart Durrani, Co-Op general
manager.
Durrant pointed out that reno
vation in the plant is not yet
complete. Painting and other ren
ovations were necessary includ
ing the re-arrangement of equip
ment and enlargement of floor
space to permit the greatest per
centage of efficiency in the
plant.
The Co-Op hopes to serve the
military market in Kodiak upon
completion of the plant.
At the present time they are
serving the civilian market with
fresh milk, recombined milk,
chocolate drink, cottage cheese
and ice cream.
Plants are now located in Pal
mer .Fairbanks, . Kodiak and a
large distributing plant in An
chorage.
4
P-TA Official
Charges Community
With Conditions
“The education of our youth is 1
as good or as poor as we want it
to be—our family and commun
ity are as good as the environ
ment of the community permits,
and our environment is as good
as our homes permit”, so stated
Mrs. Ellen B. Bieler, field staff
member of the National P-TA
Congress, guest speaker at the
October 15 meeting of the Pal
mer PTA.
Mrs. Bieler added that if there
is not a broad recreation program
for youth of a community; if
there is not an adequate health
program nor an adequate safety
program that it is as the com
munity wants it. In making these
statements Mrs. Bieler pointed
out that she did not know what
programs were practiced in Pal
mer ... “I would rather not
know before I come into a town”,
she pointed out.
The National P-TA officer
pointed out that by 1965, 16 new
teachers for every 10 now em
ployed will be needed. “We will
have to replace and add about
60% more teachers in number
if enough teachers are to be avail
able to teach the youngsters that
will be in school in 1965.
The need for more education:
scholarships was stressed by
Mrs. Bieler. She pointed out that
many P-TA groups spend consid
erable money for tangible items
—which she agreed are good,
such as playground equipment,
street lights and such. However,
she pointed out, we must decide
which is the more important,
good playground equipment or
good teachers.
Mrs. Bieler extended a wel
come to the Palmer P-TA which
is a member of the Alaska State
P-TA and as such a member of
the National. Alaska is the new
est member of the National as
sociation. She pointed out the
many accomplishments during
the past many years that can be
traced directly to P-TA support.
The hot lunch program, now en
joyed in schools throughout the
country, was first started by
mothers who cooked soup at
home and reheated it at school.
This spread throughout the
country and soon grew to the
present-day hot lunch program
as instituted by P-TA members.
She pointed to the early-day
sweat shops where youths of
eight, nine, and ten years of age
worked that many hours a day
under very poor conditions; she
pointed to the juvenile homes
and courts and mar^ other youth
help programs which were orig
inated by P-TA groups.
Prom Palmer Mrs. Bieler and
John Homing, Alaska Congress
president and Mrs. Orr, Alaska
Congress secretary, who accom
panied Mrs. Bieler to Palmer,
, will leave for visits to other P-TA
groups in the Territory. While in
Palmer Mrs. Bieler conducted a
workshop during the day.
SENATOR EGAN
ANTICIPATES
ALASKA STATEHOOD
Senator William Egan, whose
home is in Valdez, was a valley
visitor this past week and stated
he was confident the Statehood
Bill for Alaska will pass this com
ing year. Senator Egan recently
returned tp Alaska from Wash
ington, D. C. and expects to re
main here until November when ,
he returns to the capitol when
Congress opens. During his visit
in Alaska Senator Egan will be
guest speaker at the League of
Alaskan Cities Convention to be
held in Anchorage next month.
If
MANY COMMUNITY
EVENTS ARE
POSTPONED
A! decision to close the Palmer
sChMls? was reached shortly after ,
hoofi today following a discus- .
siOrt of the flu situation in Pal
mer by1 school administrators, the >
Board of Education and local
physicians; it was announced by
K:' A*-Smith, high school princi
pal: Be stated schools will close
this! afternoon and will not re
open until Tuesday, October 22.
hi view of the high incidence
of flu in the valley area Dr. Ar
thur J. Colberg, city health offi
cer, suggested that all public
gatherings be discouraged at this
time. Especially, he added, where
children would be in attendance.
A number of events planned
for this week-end have been can
celled because of the flu situation.
They include the Sophomore class.
Harvest Ball slated for Friday
night; the teen-age dance class
which was to be held in Legion
hall Saturday evening (Betty Lou
Jensen stated she will be in Pal
mer next Saturday for the clas
ses); the dinner planned by the
Experiment Station, Dept, of Ag.,
S.C-S., and Extension Service for
Saturday is postponed; the Boy
Scout Troop 654 meeting tonight
has been cancelled, and in all
probability the harvest dinner
planned by the Butte Fire Asso
ciation will be postponed. Asso
ciation members suggested per
sons planning to attend the din
ner check before making the trip
out to the Butte.
Dr. Colberg recommended that
persons who fell ill go to bed
immediately—and stay there. As
he pointed out last week, many
persons become seriously ill be
cause they neglect to take proper
care of themselves during the on
set of the illness. By following
the instructions of the family
physicians, in most cases, the ill
ness does not become serious. Dr.
Colberg pointed out that those
who are the most seriously ill
are generally those who: have
tried to “fight it off’ for a few
days or those who feel they’ve
“been in bed long enough”.'
Dr. Charles R. Hayman, acting
commissioner of health, last week
listed symptoms of influenza as:
Muscular aches and pains; chills;
fever; a dry, hacking cough; sore
throat; high fever that lasts from
one to five days and often leaves
the patient weak and exhausted.”
He recommended that mild cases
be treated at home, reserving
hospitalization for complicated
and other special cases as deter
mined by the family physician.
Dr. Allan Mick, director of the
Alaska Agriculture Experiment
Station, addressed members of
the Cook Inlet Chapter AAAS at
their first meeting of the season
Wednesday night. His topic was
Agriculture in Alaska.
Masquerade Dance
Safi) Ocii 26
9 P. M- UNTIL ???
At the Moose Hall
Come in Costume or Mask
Games & Box Social
GOOD MUSIC
Mo-ose Members and Guests
ATTENTION!
CERTAIN GARMENTS |
2 for the 4
price of I j!
ON LIKE GARMENTS
Cash and Carry
BROWN’S CLEANERS
s J10^--ius* returned from engagements in Gallup/ New Mexico and other Southwestern states.