Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 46 PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, SEPT. 6, 1956 PRICE TEN CENTS
PALMER SCHOOLS OPEN
SEPTEMBER 4
9:00 A.M.
ORGAN CONCERT
SEPTEMBER 8 — 8:30 P.M.
L.D.S. CHURCH
Special Chamber Meet
Planned for Sept. 10
Alaska Farm Month and Don
L Irwin Day will be jointly ob
served in Palmer next Monday
noon at a luncheon being plan
ned by the local Chamber of
Commerce. Members of the An
chorage Chamber have been ex
tended a special invitation to at
tend and participate in the plan
ned program. Speakers on the
program will include Mr. Irwin,
director of the Alaska Agricul
ture Experiment Station, and
John Crowl, manager of the An
chorage Chamber of Commerce.
Mayor Charles W. Wilson this
week has proclaimed Monday,
September 10, to be DON L. IR
WIN DAY throughout the city of
Palmer and homage will be paid
to the man who has devoted
many years service to his com
munity and to Alaska in general
in promoting and bettering the
agricultural economy of the ter
ritory.
Alaska Farm Month will be ob
served by the local Chamber
with an All-Alaska menu for the
dinner. Matanuska Valley pro
duce and products will be pre
pared by wives of local Cham
ber members. Stewart Durrant,
chairman of the Chamber agri
cultural committee, is general
chairman for the special obser
vance. m
All interested valley residents
are invited to attend. The lunch
eon will be held at Elks hall,
beginning at noon. Those plan
ning to attend are requested to
make reservations by Saturday
with any of the following: Stew'
art Durrant, Lucille Mick, Ed
Smith, Richard Jones, James
Hurley, or Virginia Gallant. An
estimate on the number planning
to attend will be necessary to
determine the amount of food to
be prepared. At least 70 mem
bers of the Anchorage Chamber
are expected to attend.
Palmer School
Enrollment Over 800
Enrollment in the three Pal
mer schools today total 831, ac
cording to William T. Zahrad
mcek, school superintendent.
This figure represents 496 stu
dents at Central School, grades
one through eight; 143 at Swan
son School, grades one through
six; and 192 at the high school.
This is a firm base figure, Zah
radnicek said, and will go up dur
ing the next two weeks as youths
who are now helping in harvest
work report to school.
FRANK BRUCKBAUER
STRICKEN AT WORK
Frank Bruckbauer, 62, long
time valley resident, died sud
denly this morning while at work
in the Co-Op root cellar. He had
been employed by the Co-Op for
a number of years. In apparent
good health, Mr. Bruckbauer was
working when stricken. Mr,
Bruckbauer was born in Phillips,
Wisconsin and came to the Val
ley at the time of the coloniza
tion and up until a few years
ago operated a farm. He is sur
vived by his wife of Palmer and
by children who live in the An
chorage area. He was an active
member of the Matanuska Val
iev American Legion Post. The
Funeral Chapel will be in charg#
of funeral arrangements which
are now pending.
SEE OUR NEW SHIPMENT
OF FULTON GLASS VASES
Telegraph Delivery Service
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601
Delinquent Payments
Must be in by Monday
Delinquent water accounts
and sales tax returns in the
City of Palmer have only un
til Monday, September 10 in
which to get their payments
up to date, it was announced
today. A number of delin
quent accounts have been
brought up to date, but there
still remain a large number
on the list. Those not paid by
the deadline date will be acted
upon immediately by author
ities, it was staged.
EXPECT 1956
FAIR CROWDS
MAY SET RECORD
Although Valley Fair officials
have not yet completed their
records, it appears as though
Sunday at the Fair might break
all previous attendance records.
Throughout trie day, from the
time the gates opened at 11 a.m.,
crowds milled through exhibition
buildings, crowded the midway
and packed the grandstand to
overflowing at each special
event.
Three days of wonderful wea
ther permitted families to spend
a liesure day visiting the fair
grounds. Thousands of pictures
were taken of the exhibits. In
the M. D. SNODGRASS building
crushed flash bulbs littei-ed the
ground from one end of the
building to the other. The Ma
tanuska Valley Farmers Cooper
ating Association display of fresh
farm produce and Matanuska
Maid products attracted thou
sands of photographers, as did
the registered cows and bulls
which were, for the first time, ex
hibited at the Fair. Giant vege
tab'es were also favorite photo
graphic subjects.
Throughout the three-day fair
members of the Palmer Kiwanis
(Continued on page 8)
SPECIAL PROGRAM
NUMBERS FAVORED
BY FAIR CROWDS
Everyone who attended the
Fair this year had favorable
comments to make about the
special entertainment which was'
provided Eddie Peabody and the
Tempy Trio were big hits in
their two shows on Sunday. The
“King of the Banjo” played old
favorites and the Trio presented
several amusing skits.
Earl Norris sent his team of ,
sled dogs through paces that
drew a fine round of applause.
The dog obedience show drew
a big crowd and the Copper
River Indians, even though they j
forgot their drum, made a good j
presentation in their native
dances.
Sunday night fireworks went
off very smoothly, handled by
members of the Palmer Moose
Lodge. In spite of a chill in the
air thousands viewed the lar
gest display of fireworks ever
set off at a Fair.
Food concessions on the fair
grounds reported good business,
especially on Sunday when many
of the booths ran out of supplies
and had to replenish in a hurry
to accommodate the unexpected
record crowd.
BACK TO SCHOOL
HAIR STYLES
at the
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
LAVONNE JOHNSON
Phone 3043
Dance
MOOSE HALL
Saturday Night September 8
Moose Members and Guests
GOOD MUSIC
Queen Sharon Downing
Valley Residents
Win Many Valuable
Prizes at Fair
The climax to the most suc
cessful Matanuska Valley Fair in
the history of the valley came
Monday evening when valuable
merchandise prizes were award
ed. Many of the prizes were do
nated by business firms who had
concession and display space on
the grounds and in the M. D.
Snodgrass building; six prizes1
were awarded by the Fair Asso
ciation to queen supporters.
Awarded by the Minnesota
Woolen Mills was a woolen blan- j
ket which went to Mrs. Loren j
McKechnie. From Wear-Ever,1
Inc. Mrs. Jessie M. Rider was j
awarded a salad maker; Velma
J. Johnson a set of steak knives;
and a Wear-Ever sauce pan was j
given to Queen Sharon Down
ing.
The Winfield China represen
tatives presented a 43-piece set of
china to Mrs. R. Huez of Anch
orage; a five-piece setting to Del
bert Anderson; and one piece
of china to Mrs. Glen Armstrong.
Royal Crown gave six cooler bags
to the following; Mrs. Oscar Cal- !
no, Mary E. Burns, Allen H.
Spector, Richard Woods, Connie
(Continued on page 8)
COAL YARD OPENS
IN PALMER AREA
A new service opens to the j
public this week w'hen Lee Brit- !
ton begins his coal delivery ser-1
vice. The coal bunker is located I
on Bailey Hill and washed coal
will be available, not only for
home or business delivery, but
may be picked up at the bunker
by those who do not require de
livery.
The business will operate un
der the firm name of Lee’s Coal
Yard. Coal will be available in
small or large lots, Britton said
this week. i
BAD-CHECK PASSERS
SIGHTED IN AREA |
Territorial Police in the An
chorage, Palmer, Glenallen, Tok,
and Fairbanks areas were this
morning alerted that two men,
suspected of taking part in the
Morrison-Knutsen check fraud
perpetrated in the Fairbanks,
Anchorage and Palmer areas this
past week-end, were enroute
north along the Glenn highway
from Palmer.
On September 3 a check for
S224.35 was cashed at the West
side Service station which has
since proven to oe one ct the
many fraudulent Morrison-Knut
sen payroll checks cashed in
the Fairbanks and Anchorage
areas this past week-end.
The two men, both Negroes,
were seen on the Glenn highway
this morning riding in a green
Lincoln and were recognized as
those who were involved in pass
ing the check at the Westside
Service Station.
Valley Area Grets
Public Health Nurse
Public Health Nurse Mrytle
Spencer has arrived in Palmer
and is now on duty throughout
the Valley area, with her office
located in the Public Health
rooms at the Valley Presbyteri
an Hospital.
Mrs. Spencer has been in Alas
ka the past year, serving in the
Southeast section of Alaska at,
Kake and Angoon. She arrived
in Anchorage August 29 and
took a few day’s orientation and
is now in Palmer.
The valley has been without a
public health nurse for going on
one year and during that period i
well child conferences and im- i
munization clinics have not been
held. Mrs. Spencer said this week
that both the conferences and .
clinics will be resumed. As soon !
as a schedule of dates is worked |
out she will announce when they
will be held. The immunization
clinics will include polio immuni-1
zation, she said.
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Agriculture is of great economical value to
all Alaska; and
WHEREAS, Don L. Irwin has contirbuted untiringly
of his time and labor to the agriculture and well-being of
Alaska; and
WHEREAS, he has contributed much of his time and
work to the Matanuska Valley in particular; and
WHEREAS, he is now nearing his time of retirement
from active participation in the particular phase of work
done in the past:
NOW, THEREFORE, 1, Charles W. Wilson, Mayor of
the City of Palmer, do hereby proclaim the day of Sep
tember 10, 1956 as—
DON L. IRWIN DAY
and urge that all residents of the valley take cognizance
of his many years of work in and for the valley.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hei > set my u„iid
and caused the seal of the City of Palm.r to be affixed.
Done at Palmer this fifth day of September in the year
of our Lord Nineteen hundred and fifty-six.
/s/CHARLES W. WILSON, Mayor of Palmer
Sharon Downing
Chosen '56 Fair Queen
Blonde Sharon Downing was
crowned Queen of the 1956 Ma
tanuska Valley Fair shortly after
the stroke of midnight Saturday.
The attractive daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Howard Hillstrom of
CANCER FUND
TOTAL NOW $420.80
/ Mrs. Stewart Durrant an
il nounced this week that the lo
ll cal American Cancer Fund
!; campaign now totals $420.50.
> “Very close to our goal of
; $500", she remarked. Collee
I| tion boxes, distributed thr
j; oughout the valley area, have
; not yet been collected but are
I expected to help reach the
II goal. Anyone who has not yet
> made a donation to the cam
;! paign may do so by sending
\ an amount to CANCER, Pal
I mer, Alaska.
DEAN PARKS TOP
PRIZE WINNER
IN HCRSE RACES
Performing before a filled
grandstand and an over flow
that lined the rails, horseback
riders presented a fine program
of races and contests at the
three-day Valley Fair this past
week-end. Dean Parks took top
money of $15 in the boys under
19 years of age; $25 in the jun
ior riders’ division and in the
finals, competing in the open
class took top money of the fair
races, $100 as champion ridgr.
Saturday afternoon races were
for junior riders. In the wo
mens’ division (under 19 years of
age; Sue Ellen Reed took first,
$15; and Sara Mae Moffitt sec
ond, $10. Parks took first in the ;
boys under 19 and Ernest Boi
eourt. second, $10.
Boiccurt earned another $5.00
prize in the exhibition race, as
did Roland Grover, Pat Williams,
f Sara Moffitt, Tommy Williams
and Jimmy Hartner. Parks took
the junior championship title in
the final Saturday afternoon ■
race.
On the following day adult and
open races were held with Mar
cina Hartner taking first prize
of $25 in the womens’ division,
and Mrs. Lee Caudell second,
$15. George Wendell took first
($25) in the mens’ division and
Roland Grover second, $15. ’arks
won the top prize of $100 the
open and George Wende’ sec
ond prize, $50.
BUS LINE ANNOUNCES
SERVICE TO PALMIR
Daily bus service to Palmer
from Anchorage has .been an
nounced by the Matanuska Val- j
ley Bus Lines. The buses will j
leave Anchorage at 8 a m., arriv-j
ing in Palmer at 9:40 and then re
turn to Anchorage 10 a m. with
connections to Seward.
Palmer, was crowned and had
the queen’s robe placed on her
shoulders before a capacity
crowd in attendance at the Cor
onation Ball.
Prior to the coronation the
seven beautiful princesses were
guests at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Alva Saxton4 where three
judges from the Anchorage area
made their selection and where
the contestants named their own
choice for queen. These choices
are never made public. Points
earned by each contestant in the
two judging phases were added
to those earned by each girl
through her gross ticket sales.
Queen Sharon grossed the great
est number of points and reign
ed over what, is believed to be
the most successful Matanuska
Valley Fair ever held.
1 Queen Sharon was sponsored
in the contest by the Frontier
Cafe of Palmer and Alpine Inn
at Sutton. She and her six prin
cesses, all gowned in beautiful
formal attire, were presented to
the public at the ball and subse
quent Fair events.
The seven girls worked especi
ally hard throughout the contest,
in selling not only tickets, but
the Fair itself, throughout the
Valley and Anchorage areas.
They appeared on several radio
and television shows and attend
ed a number of large meetings.
Accompanying the girls on most
of their trips were Mr. and Mrs.
James Wilson, official Fair host
and hostess, Mrs. Rusty Dow.
fair board member and designer
of the queen's robe and crown,
A1 Hagen, fair manager, and Mrs.
C. H. Thomas, who, helped fur
nish transportation.
One of the highlights for the
girls came following a television
program when officials of the
Buick Center loaned them a
beautiful 1956 yellow Buick con
vertible car. From that evening
through the Fair the girls used
this as their royal chariot.
CHITiNA RESIDENT
DIES AT HOSPITAL
John Shtienfield of Chitina. a
patient at the Valley Presby
terian Hospital the past several
weeks, died this morning at
about 11 o’clock. He is survived
by his wife Fanny who lives at
Cllenallen. The Palmer Funeral
Chapel is in charge of funeral
arrangements which are pend
ing^__
WHY PAY RENT?
Have your own home for
LESS than $100 a month. Nice
well-built 3-bdrm. home, close
to Swanson School. Partly
furn., incl. stove and ref.
Laundry room. Complete
basement. Small house suit
able for a rental and garage
on 2 big lots.
ACT NOW and get year’s sup
ply of potatoes FREE. See or
write John Bush, Box 681
C-9-6-4t
THE VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL
FIREMAN - MAINTENANCE MAN
Starting Salary $450 a month plus
two meals
Applications accepted at hospital office
DAILY LIMOUSINE SERVICE
For Palmer, Anchorage and Vicinity
LEAVING MATANUSKA HOTEL — 10:00 A.M.
DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY
LEAVING ANCHORAGE — 3:30 P.M. DAILY
except Sunday
PARCEI PICKUPS AND DELIVERIES f
For information call Palmer 2(^21