Wed., May 30, 11 ajm.
MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE
PALMER CEMETERY
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may hare lor sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 31
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, MAY 24. 1956
PRICE TEN CENYS
COliQNy Dfly CELEBRATION m SET TO GO
City Compelled to Raise Property Taxes
WATER SYSTEM
AND STREET
PAVING TO BENEFIT
Tax assessment rates on real
and personal property in the
City of Palmer and the Palmer
Independent School District have
been raised for the coming year,
it was announced this week. Tax
assessments in the city will be
at the rate of 16 mills and in the
school district, 11 mills.
The city assessment will pro
vide 11 mills for school purposes,
the balance of five mills will be
collected for city improvements,
limited to the water debt ser
vice and street grading and pav
ing.
The tax rates were set follow
ing the approval of the annual
school budget which was pre
sented at the May 22 meeting
of the City Council. Earlier bud
get figures had indicated that it
would be necessary to go to 12
mills in the school district. How
ever, changes were made in the
assessment roll when several ac
counts were picked up by the as
sessor and the needed mill rate
was dropped to 11.
City council members discuss
ed the budget as thoroughly as
time would permit with Lew
Hanks of the board of education
and Councilman Zahradnicek,
school superintendent. The nec
essity of raising the tax rate this
year has long been evident to
council members. During the
winter over $7,000 was spent on
me city water system in thaw
ing and repair work. To meet an
nual payments for the water
system and maintain it at the
same time it was very evident
that the city would have to go to
the residents for taxes with
which to operate the water sys
tem. The dust problem in the
city has been a subject for dis
cussion since the City of Palmer
was incorporated five years ago.
Various means for combatting
the dust were tried without any
permanent resulting relief. Street
paving seems the only way out
of a condition that grows worse
instead of better.
“As much as we hate to see
the tax rates go up in the city,
we feel that inasmuch as the in
crease will be used to better our
city facilities, mainly our streets,
the average tax payer will go
along with the increase”, said a
council member who is one of
the city’s large property owners.
(Continued on page 12)
Flowers for the
June Bride
• Wedding Books
• Guest Books
• White Bibles,
Tapers
Corsages for all
occasions
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP j;
Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601 !
--—--~
FLOWERS AVAILABLE i
for j;
Memorial Day
Telegraph Delivery
Service
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP ;
I Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601 ;
I TV Programs Now
Listed in Frontiersman ;
Beginning this week a com- j;
plete television log will ap
pear in The Frontiersman as a j:
service to our readers. The
schedule lists programs for the ;
two Anchorage television sta
tions, KTVA (Channel 11) and
KENI (Channel 2), for a com
plete week. Why not cut it !
out and pin it up somewhere
in the house and avoid the
daily shuffle of hunting for a
program?
RITA Seeks Slop of
Military and Other
Telephone Installation
Copies of a Matanuska Tele
phone Association resolution
were last week sent to several
Federal offices, the U. S. Army
of Alaska, Governor Frank Hein
tzleman and others in regards
communication facilities, other
than MTA, being planned, oper
ated, or constructed in the oper
ating area of the Matanuska Tele
phone Association.
The resolution points out that
residents of the Matanuska Val
ley, Wasilla, Matanuska, Knik,
Jonesville, Bodenburg, Parks
ville, Goat Creek, Sutton, Birch
wood, Chugiak, Eagle River and
parts adjacent thereto have band
ed together to construct and op
erate their own telephone and
communication system as the
MTA. It points out that equity
funds have ben raised; an REA
loan secured; the MTA has been
defined and delineated by the
U. S. Government; is presently
operating a telephone system as
a legal recognized entity; that
such expansions and improve
ments as have been approved by
REA will provide telephone and
other communication service to
all of the peoples who have
shown interest and a need for
such services. It further points
out that contracts have been let
and equipment, material and sup
plies are being and have been
purchased to supply such ser
vices.
Attention is drawn to the fact
that the local telephone rate
schedule is based upon the re
quired capital expenditures and
the income to be derived there
from. In the past, the communi
que goes on, all governmental
agencies, both Federal, Territor
(Continued on last page)
Pictured above is Palmer Mayor, Charles W. Wilson, who
purchased the first American Legion Auxiliary Poppy from
Mary Brown, Fly-up and Carol J, Wilson, Scout second
class, members of Troop 71 which is sponsored by the
Auxiliary. Looking on is Mrs. Ella Henry, Poppy chairman.
MEMORIAL DAY
IN FLANDERS FIELD
By Colonel John McCrae
In Flanders’ fields the poppies
blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the
sky
The larks still bravely singing
fly,
Scarce heard amidst the guns
•below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago we lived, felt
dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now
we lie
In Flanders’ fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe,
To you from failing hands we
throw '•{JMI
The Torch—be yours to hold it
high:
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though pop
pies grow
In Flanders’ fields.
TEN STUDENTS ON
SCHOLARSHIP LIST
Ten students were named to
the highest scholarship list dur
ing promotion exercises held for
students of the eighth grade on
May 16. They are: Robert Wim
mer, Barry Dearborn, Steven
Peterson, Robin Nieman, Lavern
Lindsey, Larry eDarborn, Polly
Moffitt, Joan Stuart, LaVern
Moonier, and Jerry Fogg.
Legion to Conduct
Memorial Day Service
Memorial Day services will be
conducted at the Palmer Ceme
tery at 11 a.m. on May 30 by
members of the Matanuska Val
ley American Legion Post No.
15, it was announced this week.
Post Commander Everett Ped
erson and Auxiliary Unit Presi
dent Eva Plumley joined in urg
ing the public to participate in
the annual services honoring the
war dead.
*The service will begin at 11
a.m. with Legion Chaplain
Josiah Winklepleck offering the
prayers. Kenneth Lynn, post ser
geant-at-arms, will direct the
firing squad. Buglers will offer
Taps and the echo.
Prior to the services members
of the Auxiliary Unit will dec
orate the graves of all veterans
with poppy wreaths and Legion
grave markers will be placed on
all veterans graves. The Ameri
can Flag will be flown at the
cemetery at half mast until noon
at which time it will be raised
to full mast.
During the morning service
members of the Matanuska Val
ley Airmens Association will
make an honor flight during
which they will drop memorial
wreaths, one over the cemetery
and one over the river.
Valley residents are reminded
and requested to fly American
Flags on Memorial Day in mem
ory of the nations veterans.
Koslosky's Mark 21st Anniversary
Koslosky’s Department Store
will be observing their 21st an
niversary, right along with the
Colonists, next week. The mod
ern building now located next to
the Matanuska Hotel, is a com
plete contrast to the structure
pictured on this page.
I. Koslosky started his general
store in Palmer in 1935 with his
son Jan, on Valley street in the
spot where the 49 Club is now
located. The store was expanded
as business grew and in the
spring of 1947 the modern de
partment store, with offices and
apartments above, was built.
Jan Koslosky is manager at the
department store and secretary
treasurer of the Corporation
which consists of three stock
holders; Harold, Lena, and Jan
Koslosky. The Corporation also
operates two stores in Anchor
age, the Hub Store, Inc. and
Koslosky’s Mens Wear, Inc.
Celebrating their 21st birth
day, store wide sales will be
held in the Palmer store, during
which many special prizes will
be given away, including kites
and balloons for the children*
Matanuska Maid ice cream and
other Matanuska Maid products
and four major prizes, including
a refrigerator, daveno, diamond
ring set, and a bicycle. Daily
prizes will also be given away
during the special anniversary
sale which runs from Tuesday,
May 29 through Sunday, June 3.
MTA Directors Reject
Construction Bids
Directors of the Matanuska
Telephone Association reject
ed all bids for construction of
the system’s central and sub
stations, following their re
view last Thursday evening.
All bids were considered too
high, according to Robert Par
tridge, MTA manager. Speci
fications will be modified and
a new call for bids will go out
within two or three weeks, he
said.
ANNEXATION VOTE
WILL BE HELD
TUESDAY, MAY 29
Residents are reminded that
on the next Tuesday, May 29,
they will be asked to go to the
polls and vote for or against the
| annexation of 40 acres of land to
the city. The area involved in
cludes the land upon which the
high school is situated. At the
present time city services to the
i high school area may not be
extended because it is located
outside city limits. Any services
given in the past have been on
a courtesy basis.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m.
to 7 p.m. In the City of Palmer
the polling place will be the City
Hall. Judges at the city polls will
be Lucille Mick, Katheryn Wil
son and Clara Buzby. Election
judges in the area proposed for
annexation will be William Zah
radnicek, Guy Johns and Harry
Wimmer. Polls will be located
in the office of the school super
intendent in the new high school
building.
Voters will be invited to vote
upon the proposition by marking
their ballots which shall read:
( ) For annexation to the City
of Palmer
( ) Against the annexation to
the City of Palmer
To vote in the election the city
voter must have the qualifica
tions of an elector in a general
municipal election and must be
a taxpayer whose name is on
the tax rolls of the City. To vote
in the area to be annexed the
voter must be a person 21 years
of age or more and shall have
been a resident of Alaska for not
less than one year and of the
area not less than 30 days prior
to the election, and shall be the
owner of substantial property
interest, etc. in and to be annex
ed. “Substantial property inter
est in land, etc.” is construed to
include, but not limited to own
ership. leaseholds of one year
or more In this particular elec
tion there is but one qualified
elector in the area proposed for
annexation.
SUNDAY PROGRAM
OPENS AT I P.M.
WITH BIG PARADE
Plans for the Matanuska Val
ley Chamber of Commerce Col
ony . Day celebration have been
completed and the 21st anniver
sary iof the colonization of the
Matahuska Valley will be a full
afternoon of fun for every mem
ber of the family.
The celebration will get under
way at 1 p.m. when members
of the Pioneer Band of the Pal
mer High School will lead the
parade of floats and marching
units. Cash prizes of $75, $50 and
$25 will be given by the Cham
ber for the best entries. In ad
dition the Palmer Kiwanis Club
will award $25, $15, and $10 in
prizes for the best 4-H club en
tries.
A number of local organiza
tions are planning to enter the
parade. The first vehicle in the
parade will be the City of Pal
mer’s new police cruiser. Beta
Sigma Phi are planning to enter
the Community Ambulance
which they sponsor, the Arctic
Trails Riding Club plan an en
try, as do the Palmer Kiwanis,
the Chamber of Commerce, 4-H
clubs, the Valley American Le
gion Post, the Jack Henry Legion
Post from Anchorage, and the 40
and 8 organizations all plan to
enter their colors in the parade
and many additional units and
groups are expected to be in the
marching group. t
Activities at the fairgrounds
will begin at 2 p.m. when mem
bers of the Matanuska Valley
Airmens Association will pro
vide thrills for the spectators in
formation flying * id a mock
bombing contest.
Field events are scheduled to
get under way immediately fol
lowing the aerial demonstration
and will include three-legged
races for girls and boys under 12
years of age; relay races for the
youngsters and a pie eating con
test. Small cash prizes will be
awarded to the winning young
sters in all contests.
At j p.m. tne adults will have
an opportunity to test their
strength when a Tug-of-War
will be staged between the farm
ers and the city men.
This event will be followed by
a program to be presented by
(Continued on page 12)
HAVE COLONY DAY
DINNEH WITH US
Open
Week Days 6:45 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sundays 1:00 p.m. - 8 p.m.
CO-OP CAFE
Claudia Wilson. Mgr.
HOW ABOUT AN
EASY-TO CARE-FOR
SHORT HAIR-DO?
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Phone 3043
LAVONNE JOHNSON
ANNOUNCEMENT
Mr. H. Hibbard, JOHN DEERE Factory repre
sentative, will be in the Palmer area for
several days to visit farms and talk with the
people about JOHN DEERE Farm Equipment
adaptable to this area.
Free movies will be shown at the Elks hall
Friday May 25 at 8 p.m. All farmers and
others interested are invited.
NC COMPANY - “CAT” DEPARTMENT
Al Brooks Valley Representative
ELKS SPUING DANCE, SAT, MAY 26
MUSIC BY REGULAR ORCHESTRA ELKS HOME — 9 P.M. GUESTS BY GUEST CARDS IN ADVANCE