10TH ANNIVERSARY
VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN
1946 • 1956
The Frontiersman
PUBLISH ED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that item
you may have for sale, rent
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PRICE TEN CENTS
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1956
CO - OP TO OBSERVE 20th ANNIVERSARY
PUBLIC INVITED TO
CEREBRAL PALSY
BENEFIT NOVEMBER 3
The Palmer B. P. O. Elks will
sponsor one of their few public
events on Saturday night, No
vember 3, when they hold their
Cebral Palsy dinner-dance at the
lodge. The public is invited to
attend and help the lodge raise
money for this project.
Alaskan Elks have been doing
their part in the National pro
ject and have contributed many
thousands of dollars to the Ceb
ral Palsy funds in Alaska. As
individuals the Elks save coins
throughout the year in purple
piggy banks which are emptied
once a year, with all coins going
into the fund.
Money donated and raised by
the local lodge stays in Alaska,
it was pointed out. Previous con
tributions have made possible the
purchase and operation of mobile
units which are located in An
chorage, Kodiak, Juneau, in the
Interior and in Southeastern
Alaska. Originally the Elks had
hoped to build a hospital but it
has been found through research
that mobile units which go to
the patient are far more practi
cal and all funds are being di
rected to these units, the ther
apy work, the hiring of therap
ists, and the costs of maintain
ing and shipping the units.
David H. Morris, registered
physical therapist, working with
the Elks C. P. program in West
ern Alaska, recently wrote of
his work in the program. Parts of
his letter follows: “Last week a
clinic was held in Fairbanks, and
I was referred four patients for
physical therapy treatment. I
have three patients in Kodiak,
three in Seward, one in Palmer,
one in Gulkana, one in Valdez
and 11 in the Anchorage area,
giving us a total of 23 patients
under our care in Western Al
aska ... I am sure my case load
will increase rapidly in the near
future . . . We are working under
the sanction of the Alaska De
partment of Health, who hold
Cerebral Palsy Clinics, and Or
thopedic Clinics, periodically . . .
Our C. P. program is set up
primarily a home physical ther
apy treatment program ... I
feel that our t’ve of treatment
program fills a definite need
an 1 will benefit many of Alaska’s
crippled children.”
The dinner- dance slated for
next week Saturday will begin at
7.00 p.m. with a dinner choice
of turkey or roast beef. Special
entertainment and dancing will
follow. The cost for the dinner
and dance will be $3.00 per per
son; for the dance only, $2.00 per
couple with all proceeds to go
to the Cerebral Palsy fund. Tick
ets may be obtained from Elks.
FRONTIERSMAN CLASSIFIEDS
ALWAYS BRING RESULTS
:j See our lovely assortment of !
; • CHRISTMAS CORSAGES >
• POTTED PLANTS
: MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP j:
: Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601 ;
I $10,000 HOSPITAL
ACCOUNTS TURNED
OVER TO AGENCY
Approximately $10,000 in ;
old accounts have been turn- I
ed over to the Bonded Bureau !
of Collections by the Valley ;!
Hospital, it was announced;!
this week. The collection firm ;!
has notified the hospital that;!
they have instituted suits;
against two old accounts and ;
that several suits are now be-;
ing prepared. !;
Board Volunteer
Member Sought
For Hospital
There is a vacancy on the
board of directors of the Valley
Hospital Association, it was an
nounced this week by board
president, Al'an Mick. Stewart
Durrant tendered his resigna- j
tion from the board on October !
19, due to pressure of other busi-;
ness.
It was pointed out that there
have been five board appoint-1
meats made since the last an-1
nual meeting. Therefore, five !
new board members will have
to be elected at the annual meet-1
ing in February.
In the meantime, there is a t
vacancy on the board and a vol
unteer member is sought to serve
the remaining three months
prior to the February meeting.
Anyone interested in serving on
the board is asked to contact any
of the present board mem Jars.
The new director will be select
ed at the November 16 meeting. !
The board meets each third Fri
day of the month in the dining
room at the Valley Presbyterian
Hospital.
MOOSE AND LEGION
DONATE TO USO
Donations to the local USO
fund campaign are beginning to
come in, Ed Smith reported this
week. Members of the Loyal Or
der of Moose contributed $251
through memberships in the j
lodge and the American Legion
has contributed $20.
All area organizations were
invited to participate in the cam
paign through a flat contribu
tion from the organization itself
or by individual contributions
from the members. Smith said ;
today that it is hoped all organ- j
izations will respond to the ap
peal by the end of this month
so that the campaign may be,
brought to a close.
FUND DRIVE NETS
HOSPITAL $795.00
The Valley Hospital Fund
Drive committeemen, Neil Wright
and Ed Smith, this week turned
over $795.00 to the hospital gen
eral fund. The money was raised
i during the past summer’s fund
drive and the committee again
thanked A1 Hagen and Whitey
Pullen and the other volunteers
I who staged the excellent variety
i show through which the majority
i of the money was raised.
VVNA^VVVVVVVVVVVS^VVVWVWVN>
THE FRONTIER CAFE
will be closed
From October 27 through November I
for alterations
WATCH FOR GRAND OPENING!
FAIR ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL MEETING
TO BE NOVEMBER 13
Directors of the Matanuska
Valley Fair Association are pre
paring their annual reports to be
presented to the membership at
the Association's annual meet
ing which will be held Tuesday,
November 13.
All members of the association
and other interested persons are
invited to attend the meeting.
Annual reports will include a
progress report and recommen
dations from the president, T. A.
Moyer; treasurer’s report from
Lew Hanks, and others from
board members Rusty Dow, Dr.
Richard Foley, Robert Partridge,
Stewart Durrant, and Robert
Webb.
Members will be asked to
name four directors to fill that
number of vacancies on the board
of directors. Only two members.
President Moyer and Dr. Foley
are hold-over members of the
board. Members will be asked
to confirm the appointment of
Lew Hanks to the position from
which William Adams resigned
earlier this year.
At a meeting of the board
this week it was announced that
the financial report will be made
public prior to meeting to give
association members more time
in which to study the report.
The place of meeting will be
announced prior to November 13.
TON-A-DAY MATANUSKA
MAID SPUDS OFFERED
BY FIRST FEDERAL
The famous Matanuska Maid
is getting publicity this week
through the First Federal Sav
ings and Loan of Anchorage and
the Matanuska Valley Farmers
Cooperating Association who in
a joint effort are boosting Alas
kan products.
A ton of Matanuska Maid U. S.
No. 1 potatoes will be given
away each day this week. Any
person opening an account at
First Federal will receive a bag
of Matannska Maid best potatoes.
“The directors are willing to
peel potatoes for the public if
it will help boost the “Buy Alas
ka, Build Alaska' campaign,”
Ross Kinnamon, president of
First Federal, said this week.
Sportsmens’ Annual
Game Dinner Set
For Saturday Night
Sportsmen and their guests
from throughout the Valley and
Anchorage area will gather Sat
urday evening at the high sp\x>l
cafeteria for their annual wild
1 game dinner. From a list of dish- j
es which will be furnished by the
j sportsmen, the menu will be long
and varied.
Clayton and Sal Ssslinger are
j furnishing a dish foreign to this
| part of Alaska, and one that
j doesn’t appear on too many tab
| les anywhere. It will be shark
; meat that they got on a recent
trip to Seward. Sal said she plans
to bake it and that it is repor
| cd to taste similar to halibut,
j The meat is pink.
Pickled moose nose has appear
: ed on the game dinner menu
| each year and will again this j
year. However, there’s going to |
be lots more of it Saturday night. *
Ted and Laura Mommsen of Was
illa furnish this unusual dish
! and this year sportsmen saved
noses from four moose for them
I Ted worked over three hours
skinning them out and preparing
them for Laura to pickle. They
are ready now and will be one <
of 'he main attractions at the din- >
I1C1 .
Ben Hudgins, general chair- |
man of the dinner has asked j
Sportsmen to please have thejr j
dishes at the cafeteria cooked
or prepared to dish up and serve
by 6 p.m. Meat cutters will car
ve the roasts at the serving tab
le. “If you can’t get your as
signment bring what you can
for a good game dinner” Hudgins
told them.
The club will furnish the rolls,
butter, coffee and dessert.
Tickets may be purchased at
Maud’s Flower Shop. Each mem
ber is entitled to one guest, at
$2.50 per plate. Additional guests |
will cost $5.00 per plate.
Ed Bellringer, entertainment
chairman, has arranged for a lot j
of good talent to appear at the |
dinner. They will be coming from
the military bases in Anchorage
and have appeared at many mil
itary events.
Along with moose, caribou,
bear, goat, sheep, various type
fish, porcupine, elk, and many,
many additional dishes, there
should be plenty for everyone
and the sportsmen are looking
forward to a great evening.
Council Notes
The regular meeting of the
Palmer City Council was not
held October 23 because a quor
um was not present. Those in at
tendance were Mayor Charles
Wilson; Councilmembers Robert
Peterson, A1 V. Hagen, Ray Lan
caster, and City Clerk L. C.
Stock.
Because there was no quor
um business could not be con
ducted however, it was announc
ed that a letter has been receiv
ed from the Matanuska Electric
Association indicating their in
terest in acquiring the city-own
ed land adjacent to their proper
ty in the city. It was announced
that the Alaska Public Works
has requested an estimate in the
way of projects planned by the
city during the next five years.
It was also announced that work
has been started by the street
department for the installation
of several vertical drains thro
ughout the city.
The next regular meeting of
the City Council is slated for
November 13.
LEGION & AUXILIARY
TO CELEBRATE VETERANS
DAY AND BIRTHDAY
The 37th birthday of the Am
erican Legion Auxiliary will be
celebrated by the Matanuska
Valley Unit No. 15 on Novemlaer
10. A planned potluck dinner
will be served at 7 p.m. for
members of the Post and Unit at
Legion Hall.
Following the dinner hour a
dance will be held for Legion
naires, their ladies and invited
guests in celebration of Veter- ;
ans Day. The dance is being spon- j
sored by the Matanuska Valley !
American Legion Post No. 15. i
FOR SALE OR LEASE
j; 3 ROOM MODERN QUONSET jl j
HOME with 5 acres land. 1\
; mile from Palmer on Wasilla
/Highway. Phone Mrs. George /
Lemmon 3841
SOCIAL SECURITY
OFFICIAL HERE MON.
On Monday, October 26 So
cial Security Representative
Cummins of the Anchorage
Social Security office will be
in Palmer. Anyone wishing to
discuss the Social Security
program with him is asked to
call at *the office of U. S.
Commissioner Dorothy Saxton
or the office of Hazel Byham
where he will be during his
stay.
Halloween Parties
Planned for Area
“Ghosts and Goblins”
Youngsters of the valley area
will have several opportunities
for fun on Halloween, October
31, with a number of public par
ties being planned, plus several
neighborhood get-togethers.
The Palmer Girl Scouts are
planning a party to which all
youngsters of all ages are invit
ed. The party will be held at
Carpenters hall. From 7:00 to 7^30
p.m. the girls and their guests
will make as complete a canvass
of the city as possible asking
not for candies, cookies, or other
goodies, but for canned or pack
aged foods which the girls will
use in their holiday boxes for
the needy. Admission to the
party will be a can or package
of some type non-perishable
food. Residents who wish may
contact Mrs. Keith Love joy and
request the youngster?* call at
their homes, or the “treats” may
be left at Piggly-Wiggly store
where a barrel will be placed for
collecting items.
Following their canvass of the
city the youths will return to
the party where games and re
freshments will be available.
Dancing, too, it was announced,
if the youngsters wish.
Uhurcn nans Party
The Highway Church of God
is planning a Halloween party
Tuesday evening, October 30 at
8 p.m. This party will be a cos
tume party with a prize for the
youngster in the most outstand
ing costume. All children of the
church, the neighborhood and the
whole city are invited to attend.
The program has been planned
for a full evening of fun includ
ing a very mysterious Witch’s
Den; games such as apple bob
bing; free treats and a refresh
ment booth where special treats
will be sold at reasonable prices.
Proceeds from the booth sales
will go toward the recreation
room project.
All youngsters of all age
groups are invited to attend.
Moose Plan Treats
All youngsters out on “Trick or
Treat” trips around Palmer Hal
loween night are invited to drop
in at Moose hall where a pro
gram of movies and free treats
is being planned. The movie will
be shown at 7 p.m. so be sure
and be there early.
20 YEARS OF
PROGRESS SEEN IN
LOCAL INDUSTRY
On Sunday afternoon, October
28, all departments and the gen
eral office of the Matanuska Val
ley Farmers Cooperating Associ
ation will hold open house in
observance of their 20th anni
versary. The public is cordially
invited to drop in the office dur
ing the afternoon and have re
freshments of birthday cake and
Matanuska Maid ice cream and
visit the various departments
where personnel will be on hand
1 to act as guides.
Special guests at the open
house will be all early-day
members, especially those who
participated in the formation of
the Co-Op, present day members
and employees.
A recently prepared history
shows that the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association
was born October 28, 1938, when
articles of incorporation were
filed with the Auditor of Alaska.
Conceived by the need of a
sound means of marketing the
colony’s production and a means
of supplying the colonists with
the necessities of life, the cooper
ative method was adopted.
In its infancy, the Co-Op was
faced with innumerable obstacles
to growth. Clearing land for pro
duction, learning to make the
land produce, marketing the pro
duction of eggs, milk, produce,
meat, and learning to cooperate
to attain the answers to problems
which evolved were but a few.
Production was understand
ably small in the early years, but
even though small it was always
a problem to find enough market
for the products.
The creamery first consisted of
a plant to manufacture butter.
Later the production of some
buttermilk and cottage cheese
was started. The creamery also
handled the egg production of
the valley.
The year 1940 was a notable
birthday for the MVFCA. It was
in June of that year that the as
sociation bought the Eastside
Dairy in Anchorage and began
using the fresh milk production
of the valley for bottled milk.
This was, of course, a means of
greatly encouraging the produc
tion of milk because it brought
(Continued on page 5)
WATCH THIS SPOT!!
for Kiddie Corvette
Award November I
at
KIRK’S SALES &
SERVICE
HALLOWEEN PARTY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30
FUN - FEED - FROLIC
Whiley's Western
Swingsfers
Shamrock Lounge
Halloween Dance
FUN FOR ALL
UVE MUSIC
Pet. 27, Creen Hcres