VOLUME 11, NUMBER 40
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PALMER, ALASKA THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1958 f
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that item
you may have for sale, rent or
lease.
PRICE 10 CENTS
Kiwanians Offer
$100 Dairy Prizes
The Palmer Kiwanis Club is
offering $100 in special prizes for
dairy cattle exhibitors who ex
hibit the best pair of dairy ani
mals in the 1958 Matanuska Val
ley Fair. Two-thirds of the value
Will be on the animals and one
third on the manner in which
,1.0 animal is fitted and shown.
First prize will be $50, second $30
and. third, $20,
The animals will be entered as
c group and may be shown in
co.or classes. An individual or
g carp may make the entry and
iv;tries shall be open to any or
£ .-.nizations.
The livestock barn at the fair
g ounds is being revamped by the
ir association to better display
the animals.
Persons interested may contact
J on Wilson, Barney Hallemback
e. Vic Falk, Sr.
Governor Proclaims
Alaska Farm Month
Governor Mike Stepovich this
week proclaimed the month of
August 11 to September 12 as AL
ASKA FARM MONTH.
In his proclamation Governor
Stepovich points out that the
present and future prosperity and
welfare of Alaska is dependent
on the development of our great
agriculture potential, that there is
a greater need for recognition of
fine importance of agriculture
both in the present and future.
In issuing the proclamation
Governor Stepovich urges all AI
.. kans to join in promoting the
- :,le of the vegetables, dairy pro
ducts and livestock and grain pro
c need by the hard working, pion
tering farms of Alaska.
FAIR SPACE GOING
FAST; MILITARY
BANDS COMING HERE
Gene Kirsch, fair manager, re
ports that space in the Snod
grass exposition building is fill
ing up very nicely, with two
new advertising companies corn
ing in this past week.
Bands to Appear
Outstanding band music will
iv provided for fair-goers this
year by the U. S. Air Force, U. S.
.Marines, and the U. S. Army.
Kirsch received word this week
That a U. S. Air Force band will
present concerts on Sunday and
Monday, August 30 and Septem
ber- 1. In addition, the Marine
and Navy bands will participate
in some phase of the Fair, ap
pearing for two days, Kirsch said.
STOP AT THE
HYLAND HOTEL
in Palmer
First*CIass Rooms
S45 per month
I AG LOAN . BOARD
MEETING HERE FRIDAY
The Alaska Agriculture
Loan Board will meet in Pal*
mer August 8 for its annual
meeting. Loan activities of the
past year, applications on file
and loan board policies will
be reviewed. Members of the
Board are: Paul Greimann and
Don Creamer of Fairbanks,
Carl Baier of Homer and
Carl Baier of Homer and Rich
ard Jones and Leonard Kyger
of Palmer.
FLOWER SHOW
SET FOR SUNDAY
Attendance and particularly
participation, in the Palmer Gar
den Club flower show to be held
Sunday, August 10 at Elks hall,
is urged by Howard McCallister,
chairman of the annual event.
Entries in the show will be ac
cepted at Elks hall from 9 a.m.
until noon August 10. Entries
made after that time will be
marked “not in competition.” No
entries may be removed until the
close of the show, but must be
removed by (> p.m. that evening.
Only one entry in each lot may
be made by an exhibitor, except
in the novelty class, where there
are no restrictions regarding
number of entries.
Judging, by members of the
Anchorage Garden Club, will be
done from noon until 2 p.m. fol
lowing which the show will be
open to the public until 6 p.m.
Each entry must have a tag, to
be supplied by the Palmer Gar
den Club, and must be entered
according to classification. All
! entries must have been grown by
the exhibitor for at least two
months prior to the show, and
all specimens must have self-fol
iage except gladioli and begonia
classes. Containers for specimens
(Continued from page 1)
Ex-Gov. Gruelling
Here Sunday; Plan
Public Meeting
Former Governor Ernest Gru
ening will be in Palmer Sunday,
August 10 to attend the Palmer
Garden Club flower show, it was
announced today.
During his visit to Palmer the
Matanuska Valley Chamber of
Commerce plans a public get
together at which time the for
mer governor, in a non-partisan
manner, will discuss Alaska state
hood with all interested persons.
Everyone in the valley is ex
tended an invitation to attend
the public meeting which will be
held in the Co-Op Rec Hall at 8
p.m. ‘'Come with any and all
questions that have been bother
ing you—let’s get the questions
answered w'hile we have the op
portunity”, urged Chamber direc
tors.
Queen Contestants
Qualify in Contest
The 1958 Valley Fair queen
| contest is in full swing, with all
contestants having qualified as
candidates for the honor of
reigning over the 1958 Valley j
Fair. Linda Haisley notified the I
Junior Chamber of Commerce, I
| sponsors of the contest, that she
would be unable to participate
in the contest. Qualifying this
I past week were Sondra Driggars,
Donna Prewitt, Darlene Brager,
and Roberta Uzelac. Muriel
Hanks and Erika Kalwies, the
other two candidates, had qual
(Oontinued on Page 8)
CITY TO REDEEM
FIRST TEN
OBLIGATION BONDS
Public notice is being giv
en this week of the first re-*
demption of the City of Pal
mer general obligation street
improvement bonds. Bonds
numbered one through 10, in
the total amount of $10,000
have been called for redemp
tion upon terms of accrued in
terest plus payment of princi
pal, as of September 1.
M. D. SNODGRASS
SEEKS SENATE SEAT
M. D. Snodgrass, Republi
can, long-time Alaskan and a
staunch supporter of State
hood for Alaska, was among
valley residents who filed for
nomination in the coming pri
• mary election August 26. Mr.
Snodgrass filed as a candidate
for State Senate, Southcentral
District. His name was unin
tentionally omitted from the
list published’ last week.
HUNDREDS ENQUIRING
ABOUT THE VALLEY
Interest in the Matanuska Val
ley is keeping personnel busy in
many Palmer business and
agency offices. Inquiries at some
agencies have doubled over the
average in the past few years,
and in some cases have tripled.
The Alaska Department of Ag
riculture seems to be getting the
greatest volume, with 99 inquir
ies received and answered last
week and about 50 new ones
arriving on Monday morning.
The Soil Conservation Service,
Extension Service, and Experi
ment Station all are receiving
daily inquiries. A number of
Stateside residents have subscrib
ed to the local newspaper and
the Alaska Rural Rehabilitation
Corporation, which was accus
tomed to seven or eight inquiries
a week, now finds their volume
more than doubled. The Matan
uska Valley Chamber of Com
merce is receiving more and more
inquiries, averaging about 10 a
day; and the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association
reports a marked increase in the
same type mail.
The majority of the inquiries
are in regards to agriculture,
homesteading, schools, churches,
and employment. Many of the
questions are being answered by
the federal and territorial offices
with bulletins concerning agri
culture in Alaska. The Experi
ment Station has received a num
ber of inquiries from magazines
land journals planning articles on
| Alaska.
HOSPITAL GROUP DEFENDS OPERATIONS OF PAST 3 YEARS
The following information was
presented to The Frontiersman
this week as a version concerning
the resignation of a Valley Pres
byterian Hospital Board member.
A report of the resignation was
printed in last week’s issue of
this newspaper.
According to the information
volunteered, a group of interest
ed Association members, having
heard of the activity of the Per
sonnel Committee regarding the
hiring of new administrative per
sonnel, attended the regular
board meeting June 20. The
group, comprised of former board
members, employees, and the ad
visor to former board members,
had no interest in the personnel
problem, as such, however, were
very interested in any changes
-taking place in the organization
James J. Hurley
DEMOCRAT
FOB REPRESENTATIVE
9TH DISTRICT
Palmer - Wasilla - Talkeetna Pd- Adv
al structure of the hospital. The
group cautioned present Board
members concerning the method
bing used in hiring administra
tive personnel, since it affected
the present organizational struc
ture. The Directors listened to
the group, then adjourned to an
executive session. (A private
meeting). The adjournment
continued throughout the rest of
the meeting. The visitors, some
who waited outside throughout
the meeting, were not informed
of the motions taken regarding
; their questions.
At the next regular meeting,
July 25, the group again appear
ed and asked Board members if
the organizational structure that
has been operating effectively for
the past three and one half years
had been rescinded before chang
es were made., They were also
asked whether a new plan of or
ganization had been formulated
before the present structure was
changed. The Directors answered
no to these questions. The Board
was then asked if new Board
members had been oriented in
the operational plan in use at
the hospital at this time, which
was accepted by a previous board
of directors, and approved by Dr.
Neval, American Hospital Asso
ciation field representative. The
board president stated that the
Inew members’ knowledge of the*
present organizational structure
was sketchy.
It is to be noted, the group
spokesman said, that the present
plan of organization was adopted
in 1955 only after some five
months of study, and was estab
lished with the hope of putting
the hospital on a sound economic
basis. This structure eliminated
superfluous personnel to a de
gree that the Board was able, at
that time, to raise the salaries of
all hospital personnel and still
reflect a sound economic policy
and a higher degree of efficiency.
The interested group feels that
1 during the past three years the
hospital’s financial statements
have reflected this, and also the
efficiency and harmony between
hospital employees, medical staff,
board of directors and patients
has been excellent. The employ
j ees and particularly department
I heads, have worked towards ac
| creditation standards which ob
| viously are designed to insure the
general public of a high standard
of hospital and medical care.
(Continued on Page 8)
BUSINESS
\ IS BLOOMING!!
| Telegraph Delivery Service
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Urge Voters Pass
Ail Propositions
“If Alaskan voters turn down
} any one of the three propositions
! regarding statehood for Alaska in
the August 26 primary election,
all propositions will have failed,”
! stated Ed Davis, Anchorage at
! torney who was guest speaker at
i the August 6 meeting of the Mat
anuska Valley Chamber of Com
merce.
“It is most important that vot
ers vote ‘yes’ on all three pro
positions, if we are to have State
FARM MONTH OPENS
IN ALASKA MONDAY
Alaska’s third annual Farm I
■ Month campaign, opening next)
Monday, has been inaugurated j
with a proclamation by former
Governor Mike Stepovich. A con
centrated effort to promote in
creased sales of Alaska farm pro- ;
ducts will be carried out coopera
; tively by organizations and indi
| viduals throughout Alaska, end
ing on September 12.
During this period, Alaska ,
housewives and consumers will I
be asked to watch for and buy |
Alaska-grown vegetables* and
other farm foods. At the same
time stores, restaurants, markets
and wholesalers will be asked to
make special sales efforts on be
| half of Alaska products of all
kinds.
Alaska farm Month is sponsor
ed by the University of Alaska
Agricultural Extension Service
and the Alaska Department of
Agriculture. H. P. Gazaway, head
of the Extension economics and
marketing division, and James
W. Wilson, commissioner of agri
culture, will direct and coordin
ate the campaign. District agri
cultural and home agents and
experiment station personnel in
l Palmer, and throughout Alaska,
I will also play an active role.
With the Alaska Statehood Ple
biscite coming midway in Alaska
Farm Month (August 26) partici
pants in the promotion campaign
expect to meet with more public
i enthusiasm and interest than
I ever before, in all aspects of Al
^aska development.
One of the basic features of Al
aska Farm Month will be sales
promotion in retail stores through
use of colorful ‘"Nugget Buy”
cards posted alongside vegeta
bles, milk, meat, eggs, fish and
other Alaska foods. The cards
will also be displayed in restaur
| ants, at fairs, on TV and wher
! ever possible to acquaint custom
ers with the idea of watching for
| Alaska-marked products.
In addition, Alaska products
will be exhibited in a series of
; fairs, special displays and events,
in which a wide variety of civic
j organizations have agreed to take
part. Alaska Farm Month and its
significance will also be discussed
in newspaper stories and in radio
and television programs.
nooa in Aiasxa, ne siaiea.
The speaker, a past president of
the Alaska Bar Association, said
the referendum to be presented
to the voters on August 26 is the
most important referendum ever
presented and will be the most
important for some years to
come. “It is our only chance for
self-government . . . never before
have Alaskans in the outlying
areas had a chance for represen
tation in local government. The
Alaska Constitution provides that
every area in Alaska have repre
sentation in the State Legislature
. . . Alaskans will have a voice
and votes in Washington, D.C.
“It is normal and human to
not want changes,” he pointed
out. “However, it boils down
now to the question of being fit
or unfit to govern ourselves. We
will pay taxes—pay what we
want to pay—'no one knows for
certain until the Legislature
meets and sets the taxes. It is.
up to us to elect competent in
dividuals to the Legislature.”
The visitor urged strongly that
everyone do everything possible
to correct unfounded rumors.
“We are hearing many claims—
that the Indians will be put on
reservations . . . how could this
be true when ALL Alaskans have
the same rights . . . one hears
talk that the outlying areas will
be highly taxed . . . this taxing
will be determined by those per
sons themselves . . . stress the
fact that no pre-registration is
necessary to vote . . he urged.
miring a Drier Discussion peri
od which followed it was brought
out that each Legislature for
the past several years has increas
ed taxes—necessary because of
increases in population and the
population’s requirements. It was
pointed out that 50 per cent of
the taxes last year went into the
education programs in Alaska,
and that this was not; enough.
“Statehood will not mean in
creased taxes—the requirements
of the people are what increases
the taxes”, one Chamber member
pointed out.
‘‘We are smart enough to
govern ourselves,” stated Davis.
“We know better what we need
and want than do officials some
4,000 miles away.”
SAVE!
ON YOUR
CLEANING
CERTAIN GARMENTS
2 for the 4
price of ■
Cash and Carry
BROWN’S CLEANERS
WE GIVE GOLD STAMPS
Closed Saturday Afternoons
Pd. Adv.
JAMES FREY
Rural Candidate for Senate at Large
District 7 to 14
O VOTE FOR FARM EXPERIENCE
• VOTE FOR SMALL BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
• VOTE FOR ALASKAN INTERESTS
Support Jim Frey for State Senate
LOS LATINOS w“
TANTALYZING LATIN AND AMERICAN MUSIC ^
9 P.M.
COME ONE,
COME ALL