SEWARD’S
All-cWeatkec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VII, No. 23
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, SEPT. 19, 1950
Price 10 cents
Enforce Gas, Fire Escape Ord.,
Requests Civil Defense Board
Instructions were given to
police and fire department chiefs
last night by the City Council
to enforce the ordinance for
bidding the storage of gasoline
in tanks above ground and re
quiring metal fire escapes on
every building of two stories
housing more than one family.
This was done at the request
of the Civil Defense Committee
as advised by Col. Alexander,
chief of civil defense for the
Territory.
It is known that a number of
residents have formed the habit
of storing gasoline for private
use in drums of 50 gallons or
more in back yards. This is a
definite fire hazard, either in
peace time or under war condi
tions, and in direct violation of
a city ordinance. The City Coun
cil warns that this practice must
be discontinued immediately
and Police Chief Green was
notified to make an immediate
check.
Melal Escape with Landing
The fire ordinance requires
that a metal fire escape with a
landing platform on every floor
must be installed on every build
ing of more than one story and
housing more than one family.
The ordinance specifically
states a METAL fire escape, and
the landing facilitates access to
it by women and children at
tempting to escape from a burn
ing building.
“We dare not close our eyes
to the danger to occupants of
two story buildings in case of a
bombing or strafing attack,”
stated Col. Alexander.
Although the Colonel met
with the Civil Defense Board a
week ago, the order was not
made public until the city coun
cil could make it official at the
regular meeting last night.
Federal Aid
To Schools
Part of the unfinished busi
ness left when Congress ad
journs or recesses this week
will be the report of a com
mittee named the last week in
August to iron out the differ
ences between Senate and House
versions of legislation designed
I to aid school districts through
out the country, including Alas
ka, in the construction of addi
tional school facilities.
The measure as passed by the
I Senate provided for grants to
I make survey of needs for ele
Imentary and secondary school
[facilities and for planning state
|wide and territorial programs
for school construction, plus
authorization of grants for emer
gency school construction to
school districts overburdened
/ith enrollments resulting from
defense and other federal acti
vities. According to Delegate
Jartlett’s news letter, the House
bestricted the bill to construc
tion of schools in those areas
overburdened with federal ac
tivities.
A companion bill passed by
ae House some weeks ago and
low in Senate committee pro
rides for the operational costs
If schools in areas where there
|as been an impact from fed
ral installations, especially de
?nse installations.
IPISCOPAL GUILD STARTS
OCIAL SEASON SATURDAY
I
The Guild of St. Peter’s Epis
pal Church is starting its so
al season Saturday with a
ncheon, which is to be follow
by cards.
Past Presidents of the Guild
e hostesses for the affair.
35 Guests Entertained
By Natione! Guard
Lt. and Mrs. Owens entertain
ed Sevvardites at a get-acquaint
ed party in the Legion Club
Monday night, with about 35
guests.
Assisted by Sgt. White,. Lt.
Owens showed interesting films
on the Bikini atom bomb tests
and U. S. Army films taken in
Germany. He spoke on the work
of the National Guard and an
swered questions, but no attempt
was made at recruiting, although
a unit is being formed here.
The host provided hot dogs
for everybody and the Legion
Club served hors d’oeuvres and
Soft drinks.
The Seward unit of National
Guard will be under the com
mand of Lt. Jimmy Richardson.
Several men indicated their in
terest last night, and any young i
men from the ages of 17 to 35
wishing to join the home unit
can contact Lt. Richardson at
Standard Oil Company office. I
Only One Week Left
To File for Election
September 25 is the closing
date for filing of candidates
for the municipal offices, to be
elected October 3.
Three councilmen, one mem
ber of the school board and one
new member of the utility board
must be elected this year.
Councilmen whose term of
office ends this year are Russell
Painter, Raymond Seferovich
: and Leland Miller. Mrs. Miriam
Painter completes her term on
the school board in October and i
i Tom Osbo's term on the utility •
| board ends.
To date not one person has I
filed for any of the positions i
open for election.
Alaska Children:
Their Needs and
i How We Meet Them
j This is the second of a series
I of articles dealing with Alaska
j children. Last week you were
introduced to the program under
the auspices of Local Commit
tees on Children and Youth, the
Territorial Commission, and the
White House Conference on
Children and Youth to be held
in Washnigton, D.C., next De
cember. In this article we
will Degm a discussion ol
Health Personality Development
Through Family Life.
The family is the core and
bulwark of our American way
of life. Sometimes the family is
broken up and the next best sub
stitute must be found, but this
will be taken up in a later
article.
Children, as an integral part
of a family, have the opportunity !
of being nurtured as their Cre
ator intended. So that they may:
grow into the types of individu
als that meet the accepted stan-;
dards, many persons must be j
ready, willing and able to serve
them. First of all, their parents.
To supply their children with a
good home the parents must
maintain a relaxed atmosphere
inspired by warmth and affec
tion, in which the adults and the
children take pleasure in one
another’s company. There should
be sufficient order arid regular
ity to give children a sense of se
curity.
Parents should have an aware
ness of what is reasonable to
expect of children at various
(Turn to Page 3)
Army Recreation
Center Closed After
Successful Season
The last group departed today,
September 19, closing the U. S.
Army Recreation Center in Sew
ard for the season.
This first season, opened June
2 under the command of Lt.
John Burke, Comminding Offi
cer of the Port of Seward, has
been a particularly successful
one. An average of 125 guests
each week have enjoyed fishing
on famous K e n a i Peninsula
lakes and streams as well as
deep water fishing on Resurrec
tion Bay. A self propelled barge
and two J-Boats, placed at the
disposal of the Recreation Cen
ter by the Army, and a small
cruiser on Lake Kenai, have
furnished water transportation
to the anglers all summer.
Area Great Pleasure Spot
Officers, enlisted men and
their families have found this
area a pleasure spot and the
fishing good. They have parti
cipated in local activities, join
ing in with Sewardites at the
Armed Forces Day, 4th of July,
and Labor Day celebrations.
Lt. Burke expressed his ap
preciation to the people of Sew
ard for the hearty and hos
pitable treatment, the courtesy
and generosity extended to the
Army personnel and guests by
residents and businessmen. He
also thanked the civic organiza
tions which have helped make
the successful season and the
newspaper and radio station for
the publicity freely given.
The Recreation Center will
be reopened next spring for an
other season of rest and recrea
tion for military personnel.
Sewer Survey Work
To Begin in November
Mr. Felix Toner, Juneau, en
gineer lor the City of Seward
on the north end sewer project,
visited the city last week for
a personal survey of the pro
posed sewer line.
He informed Mayor Eugene
Lanier that the project has re
ceived the go-ahead signal from
General Services Administra
tion office, and that a survey
crew from Territorial Engineer
Victor Livers’ office will arrive
early in November to make the
preliminary survey.
The project has been estimat
ed to cost in the neighborhood
of $200,000, half of which will
be assumed by the city on a
20 year assessment basis.
SURVEYOR FOR AIRPORT
ON THE JOE
Gus Johnson, engineer from
Victor Rivers’ office, arrived in
town Monday to begin the sur
vey for the Seward Airport. He
is hiring a crew to begin work
immediately.
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Williams
are happily installed in their
new home. They bought the Oz
wald Dana house. “Larry” is re
covering from a tonsilectomy.
We hope that the loss of her ton
sils will not affect her singing.
Mrs. Sally Mann said that the
story which ran through town
like wildfire today about Ross
having a crack-up in his plane
was a slight exaggeration. Ross
was at home in bed. Somebody
had a nightmare, but it wasn’t
Ross.
Young Bonnie Bowen of Sel
dovia is a patient at Seward
General Hospital, recuperating
from a broken leg suffered in
an auto accident.
Fairbanks Merchants Offer
Transportation To lew Co-eds
Violinist at First
Concert October 12
Roman Totcnbcrg, acclaimed
by critics as one of the great
violinists, will open the series
sponsored by the Seward Con
cert Association on October 12,
at the Seward Methodist Church.
Totenberg was born in Poland
but is now an American citizen.
He was the protege of Karl
Szymanowski, the famous Polish
composer and a pupil of Georges
Enesco. Arthur Rubenstein in
troduced him to South American
audiences.
He understands the culture of
the countries in which he has
played so instinctively and so
well that after a periormance or
the Suite of Spanish Dances by
Joachim in Montevideo the
papers said, “Why is it that Pol
ish executants like Rubenstein
and Totenberg play Spanish
music better than Spaniards'”
He is at home in any country
| he visits, speaking six languages
fluently.
This is the first of the winter
concert series. A few season
tickets are still available and
can be purchased from Mr. W'alt
Sippreli, Miss Gabriel or Mrs.
j Frank DeLoughery.
Former Sewardife
Dies in Seattle
Mrs. Elizabeth Graff, widow
of the late bam McLean Graff,
founder of Seward Light and
Power Company, died at the
home of her daughter, Mrs.
Elizabeth G. Knight, in Seattle
September 3.
Mrs. Graff was born Feb. 8,
1809. She married Sam Graff
in 1890 and moved to Juneau.
! In 1905 the couple came to Sew
ard where they set up the Sew
! ard Light and Power Company
: with purchased rights of wray
! and water rights granted by
1 Frank L. Ballaine in the original
townsite.
The company was operated by
the Graffs and later by the
daughter, Mrs. Knight, until re
cently when it was purchased
by Alaska Telephone Engineer
I ing Corporation, the present
OWTiers.
j Mr. Graff died in 1936 while
on a visit to Seattle. His widow
made her home there since that
time. Besides her daughter, Mrs.
Graff leaves a son, J. H. Graff,
who also lives in Seattle.
CITY TO LAY 5TH AVENUE
SIDEWALK AND CURB
A. G. McRae was engaged as
foreman to supervise the laying
of the sidewalk and curb on
Fifth Avenue from Adams to
I Washington Streets.
The job will be done by city
employees of the Street Depart
ment under the direction of Mc
Rae, and with city-owned equip
ment. It is expected to be com
pleted before freeze-up.
ALTAR SOCIETY PRESENTS
CARD PARTY SEPT. 21
The public is invited to a
card party to be held in the Sam
Romach restaurant building, bet
ter known as the Old Army Mess!
Hall, just south of Moody’s
Lunch, Thursday evening at
8:00 o’clock.
The party is being given by
ladies of the Catholic Altar So
ciety, and is the first of the I
season.
Would you like to go to col
lege, young lady? To a college
where every gal has four big
handsome young rnen as danc
ing partners and ail that sort of
thing?
You would?
Well, to help make this pos
sible for you, the Fairbanks
Merchants Association has set up
a sizable travel scholarship fund
to pay the transportation of any
new Alaskan Coed from any
spot in the Territory — Ketchi
kan, Anchorage, Attu or Point
Barrow — to the University of
Alaska.
Explained Phil Anderson,
chairman of the Merchants
scholarship committee, “We’d
like to see more girls attend
the University of Alaska. You
know how it is, pretty hair rib
bons, a lovely smile, a trim
ankle, Chanel No. 5—and possi
bly a phosphorescent sweater—
add an awful lot of interest,
zip and pep to life on the camp
us, and to the town.
Boys Interested, Too
“And we’re not the only ones
interested in feminine pulchri
tude,” Anderson stated. “Actual
ly a delegation of young swains
from the University calied on
us ancl asked us to help them
bring more girls to the campus.
These men say it isn't fair to
them to dance only every fourth
dance at campus parties.”
So, if you re a girl of college
age — freshman, sophomore,
j junior or senior—and haven’t
! registered as yet at the Uni
j versity of Alaska, just send a
j wire to Registrar Verne Roberts,
: University of Alaska, College,
: Alaska, and say something like
! this:
I “I read about the Fairbanks
Merchants Association travel
scholarship offer in the news
paper. I am sending you my
credentials by air mail, and
j can be in Fairbanks before Oc+*.
| 1. Please reserve a room for me
in the girls’ dormitory.”
Registrar Verne Roberts of
the University of Alaska will
then arrange your transportation
to the University.
Offer Good Uniil Ocl. 1
“The offer is good until Oc
tober 1,” Anderson said. “Should
! some of the girls need part-time
jobs while attending the Uni
versity, I think we can be help
ful there, also.
“We’d be very happy if 50
girls accepted our offer of free
transportation to the University
of Alaska,” he went on. “We're
very proud of our University at
College, and would like all Al
askans to realize the opportuni
ties it offers.”
' COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST
BUS CO. BY HOMER MAN
Albert Schenk, Homer, Alas
ka, filed a complaint in Commis
sioner’s Court Monday against
: Carol Gage, owner and driver of
! a vehicle operated as Kenai
Scenic Bus Co.
Schenk charged that Gage ob
structed the highway between
Henton’s Lodge and Mile 17 on
the Sterling Highway, not per
mitting him to pass.
Commissioner Bonny Southard
held the case for trial by the
District Court on Oct. 18. Court
will convene in Seward Oct. 17.
Mrs. Nora Lee Erdmann Smith
expected to leave town today for
a trip Stateside. Mrs. Smith will
visit relatives in Ohio and have
some medical attention before
she returns to Seward.