I f; i i r 11 /^\a iti r"r^/^s a a a i ;:> trt a frontiersman
I I HE rRONTIERSMAN —r—
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 11 PALMER, ALASKA* THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 1057 PRICE TEN CENTS
IKPROTANT PUNS FOR TOURISTS
OUTUNED RY AVA DIRECTOR WHALEY
.. A very interesting and infor
mative talk on the Alaska Visit
ors Association was presented by
Frank H. Whaley, managing di
rector of AVA, to the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Commerce on
January 2. Whaley illustrated
his talk with enlarged clippings
and pictures that have been and
will be used in promoting Alas
ka to the travel agents and tour
ists throughout the States.
Over 11,000 column inches of
news stories and pictures provid
ed by AVA was published last
year by Stateside magazines and
newspapers. Whaley said that
one of the most important ac
tivities of AVA is the dissemin
ation of publicity materials by
the AVA News Bureau. He said
the bureau was formed early last
year with Kay Kennedy, experi
enced Alaska newspaperwoman, j
as chief and that hundreds of
stories and pictures covering all
of Alaska were prepared and
sent to world-wide magazines,
newspapers, television, and radio
stations. A lafge clip-book which
Whaley showed at the meeting,
illustrated the wide use these
medias made of the material.
Over 50,000 colorful folders
were sent out in answer to world
wide inquiries about Alaska,
Whaley, stated. In addition AVA
is now preparing ,on a coopera
tive basis with Alaska Chambers
of Commerce, brochures in indi
vidualcities in Alaska. The Ma
tanudjSi Valley Chamber plans
to prepare material for such a
brochure for immediate printing.
Visitors to Alaska were given
buttons, on which they could
write the name of their home
state. Also a warm letter of wel
come from Governor B. Frank
Heintzleman and inquiry card
which they were asked to fill out
at the completion of their vaca
tion.
The Association placed big ad
vertisements in leading national
trade publications telling sellers
-of tourist travel of the fabulous
attractions of Alaska. AVA pos
ters were sent last year to 25
foreign countries and every state
in the Union.
“We hope to be able to pro
duce a television movie this
year”, Whaley said. The movie
would be made available to TV
(Continued on page 5)
EXTENSION SERVICE
NOW ACCEPTING
AGP APPLICATIONS
The 1957 Agricultural Conser
vation Program has opened. Ap
plications from this area will be
accepted at the Extension Ser
vice office in Palmer for pay
ments for spring land clearing.
Closing date will be June 30,
1957, it was announced this week
by Lew Hanks, district agricul
tural agent and treasurer of the
ACS committee.
Applications for the first half
of the year will be accepted un
til June 1; clearing must be com
pleted by June 30, 1957. Appli
cations for the last half of the
year will be accepted after June
1, with the work being done be
fore October 1. The closing date
on the second half will be Octo
ber 31.
Farmers are requested not to
apply for a practice unless cer
tain they will complete the prac
tice within the date specified. Ap
plications will be accepted for
grass seeding and improvement
until June 15. This practice must
be completed by August 1.
I CITY COUNCIL {
MEETING TODAY I
Members of the Palmer City j;
Council are scheduled to meet j;
this afternoon at 2 p.m. in j;
City Hall. The meeting was ||
called to take the place of;!
the regular fourth Tuesday in <!
December meeting which fell;!
on Christmas day. The next;!
regular meeting is scheduled ]!
for next Tuesday evening, jl
January 8. j’
Palmer Girl to
Compete in Contest
In Chicago Feb. 21
Leann Hoffman will represent
Alaska in the 25th annual Na
tional cherry pie baking contest
on February 21 at the Sheraton
Hotel in Chicago. Miss Hoffman
was named winner at the Ter
ritorial bake-off which was held
in Anchorage in early December.
She is the first person ever to
represent Alaska in the contest t
which is sponsored by the Nation
al Red Cherry Institute. She is
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Clarence C. Hoffman of Palmer
and has been active in 4-H work,
this year acting as assistant lead
er for the Chiefette 4-H Club.
All 48 states, Canada and Haw
aii will be represented in the con
test with prizes to be awarded
on both the regional and nation
al levels.
As Alaska’s contestant, Miss
Hoffman and her chaperone will
have transportation and all liv
ing expenses in Chicago paid for
by the contest sponsors.
National winner of the contest
will receive a $500 college schol
arship, in home economics, a trip
to Washington D. C. and New
York City and a new General
Electric range. Prizes of $200
scholarships and GE ranges will
go to the four regional winners—
eastern, western, central, and
southern. Alaska will compete in
western division.
In addition runner-ups in each
division will receive regional re
serve prizes of $75 in cash and
each contestant will receive a $10
cash prize.
All contestants are in the 14 to
21-year-old age group and are
not necessarily 4-H members.
Turk Murphy
And Band Playing
Here Next Thursday
Turk Murphy, Dixieland band
leader from San Francisco, will
play in a special session to be
held next Thursday evening,
January 10, it was announced
this week.
Murphy and his band were
brought to Alaska as a special
New Year’s Eve attraction by the
Greater Anchorage, Inc., spon
sors of the Anchorage Fur Ren
dezvous, and were acclaimed by
the many hundred who attended
the dance held in the high school
auditorium.
Murphy will present a continu
ous five-hour program in the
Palmer gym, starting at 8 p.m.
Part of the youngsters (and the
not-so-young) will be invited to
dance, with the balance of the
program geared for entertain
ment for the adults. Proceeds
from his appearance will go to
ward some local campaign.
A full announcement of the
program will appear in next
week’s issue of The Frontiers
man.
ALASKANS ENJOYING
MILD WEATHER
Along with much of Alaska
the valley has been enjoying rath
er balmy weather the past week
or so and the weatherman pre
dicts that it may hold another
couple of days. With the below
zero readings on the east coast
and in the central states, the val
ley’s temperature Which has
gone up to at least 30 degrees
above for several days doesn’t
sound much like the “land of ice
and snow” our stateside cousins
often picture. For those who pre
fer the snow—and blows—just
wait! No doubt they will be along
very soon.
COMPLETE EYE EXAMS
IN PALMER SCHOOLS
Annual eye examinations in
the three Palmer schools have
been completed, according to
Mrs. Helen Maze, school heal
th nurse. Notes have been sent
to parents of all children
whose vision was found to be
impaired. Notes will not be
sent to parents of those whose
vision is perfect but are of
record on the pupil’s perman
ent health cards and available
for parent’s inspection, Mrs.
Maze said.
Would Eliminate Licensed Guides
for Non-Resident Game Hunters
Ihe elimination of requiring li
censed guides for non-resident
hunters was the major recom
mendation made by sportsmen
of the Valley at the annual game
hearing held by the Fish and
Wildlife Service in Palmer last
night. The recommendation by
the sportsmen was spelled out
to mean that non-resident hunt
ers would be required to pur
chase the non-resident hunting
license but would no longer be
required to be accompanied by
a licensed guide. However, the
advocates of the change recom
mended if the present, require
ment is lifted that a clause be
added whereby all non-resident
hunters must be accompanied by
a validly licensed Alaskan who
has at least five years residence
in the territory.
Holgar Larsen, enforcement
agent with FWS, pointed out that
it has been estimated that last
year 20,000 persons traveled in
and out of Alaska. He pointed j
out that by allowing a non-resi
Truck Operators
Reminded of
“Use Tax” Due Date
District Director of Internal
Revenue William E. Frank has
called the attention of truck op
erators to the fact that city
streets, state roads, and all other
public ways are considered to
be public highways for purposes
of the new Federal “use tax”
which went into effect last
July 1. Frank said that this tax
applies to the use on the public
highways in the United States
of highway motor vehicles hav
ing a taxable gross weight of
more than 26,000 pounds. Thus,
he explained, the tax applies in
the case of these vehicles even
if they are operated solely within
a city, town, or other metropoli
tan area.
The first return of this tax is
due by January 31, 1957. The re-1
turn should cover vehicles used
in July, August, September, Oc
tober, or November, 1956. Form
2290 (October 1956) is the return
form to be used. Frank said that
copies of the return form may
be obtained from his office, 905
2nd Avenue Building, Seattle 4,
Washington.
dent to hunt without a licensed
guide more and more hunters
will be in the fields and that
eventually less and less game
will be available. He also point
ed out the fact that licensed
guides are responsible, under
their license, for the actions and
care of game of their hunting
parties. He stated he was offer
ing no opposition to the propos
al, merely pointing out some
well-known facts. He reminded
the sportsmen that the game is
their own.
In the seasons on game ani
mals the sportsmen offered one
recommendation in regard to
changes and went along with a
recommendation of FWS that the
goat limit be set at one through
out the territory and that the
brown and grizzly bear season
be closed in Units 13, 14, and 16
from March 31 to May 6. These
units are the Nelchina-Uppet
Susitna, Lower Susitna, and An
chorage sections as outlined on
the wildlife management bound
aries map.
The sportsmen recommended
that the mountain sheep season
be extended 10 days, with the
season to run from August 20 to
September 20. Larson reported
the FWS is proposing a short
sheep season on the Kenai Pen
insula this year.
Because of a big winter kill of
bison Larson said that FWS does
not forsee a season this year.
Open season on fox in the val
ley was again backed by the lo
cal sportsmen, as was a cow
STEWART DURRANT
NAMED NEW
CHAMBER PRESIDENT
Stewart Durrant, general man
ager of the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Associa
tion, has been named president
of the Matanuska Valley Cham
ber of Commerce for the year
1957. Serving with him in the
coming year will be Eugene
Reed, valley produce farmer, as
vice-president. Mrs. Lucille Mick,
executive secretary of the Lea
gue of Alaska Cities, will con
tinue as Chamber secretary, as
sisted by Mrs. Betty Mears, co
owner of Bettys’. The new offi
cers were named by the Board of
Directors at a meeting held last
week.
OVERALL PLANNING SLATED FOR CITY
Members of the Palmer City
Planning Commission at their
December 20 meeting moved a
little closer to their years-long
goal of developing a comprehen
sive plan for the City of Palmer.
People of Palmer will be given
a chance to hear of the proposed
planning at a public meeting
scheduled for Thursday evening,
January 25 in the high school
cafeteria.
Meeting with the commission
at the invitation of Mayor Char
les Wilson, members of the City
Council and the Planning Com
mission were Elmer Gagnon, di
rector of the Alaska Housing
Authority, and John Kumb, city
planner and AHA technical as
sistant.
They explained the federal pro
gram for city planning under
Section 701 of the Housing Act
of 1954 under which the federal
government pays for half the
cost of developing a comprehen
sive plan for a community, and
the city pays the second half.
Any city-paid help or volunteer
assistance on the part of Plan
ning Commission members util
ized in the development of vari
ous phases of the plan is credit
ed against the city’s one-half
one-third of the total. In other
words, the city may pay for part
of its share in kind.
To help small cities, which
otherwise could not afford the
service of a trained city planner,
the Housing Act provides for the
designation of a state agency
which will handle the planning
function for the ctites. In Alas
ka the Alaska Housing Author
ity is the designated planning
agency. Kumb’s technical assist
ance is made available to several
cities so that the cost to any one
city is not prohibitive.
The cost of the program over
a year’s period was estimated at
about $4,000 and the planning
commission voted to request the
City Council to allow $2,000 in
the 1956-57 budget for the city’s
share. This amount was consid
ered adequate for a full year’s
work, although the program may
not be approved before March.
After hearing of city needs and
resources the planning officials
outlined some of the subplans
which will be included in the
comprehensive plan. First will be
a (present) land use plan which
members of the planning com-j
mission will help prepare. Sec
share of the cost up to a limit of
ond is the development of zoning
districts and adoption of a zon
ing ordinance. Other subplans in
clude a traffic plan and a com
munity facilities plan (recreation
churches, schools).
A capital improvements budget
will be determined by a study of
financial resources and a survey
of present capital improvements
together with estimated need for
improvements over a number of
years. Still another phase of the
overall plan will consider the
housing of the area with the ob
ject of determining whether or
not the city might benefit by an
urban renewal project. Director
Gagnon explained that before a
community may embark on an
urban renewal project it is nec
cessary to have a comprehensive
plan for the city’s development
such as the one proposed for
Palmer. Several Alaskan cities
already have embarked on urban
renewal projects, to attract indus
ty and new developments to their
communities.
Members of the planning com
mission were most enthusiastic
l.about the program. They were
eager to embark upon it without
delay. “First, though,” said Dr.
C. C. Bailey, “we must somehow
let everyone in Palmer know
what this is all about. We want
ev£fyone to be as enthusiastic as
we are. We shall need the help
and backing of everyone in
town.”
“Here’s a good way to get back
some of those income dollars we
send to Washington,” comment
ed Ralph Moore. “We can use
them here to make our town a
place to be proud of.”
It was decided that a public
meeting would be held to ac
quaint Palmer citizens with the
program. Gagnon and Kumb vol
unteered to explain the program
and answer questions. To make
sure that a good cross section of
the city’s population will be in
attendance at the meeting, every
organization will be asked to des
ignate two representatives to at
tend this meeting. Scheduled for
January 24, the time and place of
the public meeting will be an
nounced later.
Planning Commission member
are Dr. C. C. Bailey, Robert Pip
pel, Ralph Moore, Seth Cook,
Lucy Mick, Jack Flint and Stan
ley Lowe.
/
moose season.
Other changes being proposed
by FWS and sanctioned by the
sportsmen is the clarification of
“wanton destruction of wild food
animals’’ (Sec. 39-8-1 ACLA 1949)
and the clarification of the des
cription of Unit 7 (Seward).
Accompanying Larson to the
Palmer meeting were Roger Al
len and Ray Baxter, fish biolo
gists; Ronald Skoog and Bob
Rauch, wildlife biologists; Avrill
Thayer and Rudy Switzer, game
management; and Sgt. Orville
Frazier and Sgt. James Way, mil
itary conservation officers.
The biologists reported on
work and findings of their re
spective departments. Baxter re
ported that rainbow trout appar
ently are standing up well and
no changes are proposed in this
area. Rauch stated there is
somewhat of a shortage of bull
moose in the valley area, with
about 10 bulls to every 100 cows.
However, he said, the calf ratio
is better here than elsewhere. He
said the ratio in the Talkeetna
Wasilla area is from 30-40 bulls
per 100 cows yet the production
rate is lower than in the valley.
He said the Sevice is concerned
with the rate of moose killed by
trains and spoke of a program
being worked on jointly by the
the FWS and the Alaska Railroad
in an attempt to ease the situa
tion.
Skoog reported that the cari
| bou season which opened August
20 was slow in getting under
way, with only 584 caribou taken
in the Nelchina area from open
ing day until September 3. By the
end of September and into Octo
ber the caribou were quite num
erous and 1500 were taken in
(Continued on page 8)
PAVING QUESTIONS
AGAIN ANSWERED
RY MAYOR WILSON
Since the printing of a num
ber of questions and answers in
regards to the proposed bond
election January 22 and the sub
sequent proposed paving pro
gram in the City, Mayor Charles
W. Wilson has received addition
al questions to which he offers
the following answers:
Why not make owners of abut
ting property pay all the cost of
paving?
Paving on the main street of
Palmer will be an asset to all of
Palmer. Everyone will benefit by
it, therfor we should all con
tribute to the cost.
Why sell bonds? Why not pay
or pave as we go?
The only way we can ever avoid
using a bond issue would be by
requiring abutting property own
ers to pay in full in advance,
which could cause a severe hard
ship on some owners. Contrac
tors expect to be paid when the
job is finished. The use of a bond
issue only means we get the use
of paved streets while we pay
for them. The City uses it’s cred
it to pay the contractor and re
tires the bonds as the property
owners pay on the installment
(Continued on page 8)
i: SAT. NIGHT: ENTER- i;
jifAINMENT AS USUAL.;!
/Also, frank, Tom and;!
;! Chuck will play for !
dancing.
jj MOOSE HALL !