The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 9. NUMBER 29
PALMER. ALASKA.
THURSDAY. MAY 10. 1950
PRICE TEN CENYS
Area Welcomes
New Airline Service
Four Alaskan communities
joined Palmer on Wednesday of
this week in celebrating the in
auguration of Cordova Airline’s
daily flight service to the valley.
City officials, merchants, and
newspaper, television and radio
personnel from Anchorage, Cor
dova, Valdez, and Seward arriv
ed in Palmer on the special
flights and were met at the Pal
mer Airport by members of the
Maianuska Valley Chamber -of
Commerce and many interested
Valley residents. The Palmer
High School Pioneer Band turn
ed out with their leader Lee
Plumbley to greet the 44 passen
gers who came in on the two
DC-3 flights. Famous Cordova
crab was flown up for the cele
bration and a buffet crab lunch
eon was served by Palmer Elks
at Elks hall to over 100 guests.
Mayor Charles W. Wilson of
Palmer offered the city’s greet
ings and congratulations to Merle
K. Smith, Cordova Airlines presi
dent, and to the visiting dele
gates. Mayor Wilson remarked
'‘We are happy to see Cordova
Airlines coming into Palmer. The
airlines is not new to us, having
come here on charter flights
many times, but now we will
have transportation between Pal
mer and other Alaskan cities.”
Mayor Harold Nordman of
Cordova and former Cordova
Mayor W. Chase told of the im
portance of the Airline’s travel
provisions to their city. Mr. Chase
reminded the audience that the
first airmail out of Cordova hap
pened on June 3, 1929.
Seward Chamber of Commerce
president, the Rev. Charles Malin
invited Palmer and valley resi
dents to use the new air service
to attr tjd the salmon derby and
4 th of July celebration in that
city. Max Wells, president of the
Valdez Chamber of Commerce
exended invitations to the Valdez
Road-E-O being held for the first
time in Valdez this week-end.
Mel Peterson .acting mayor of
Anchorage, offered greetings and
congratulations on tieing Palmer
in with other Alaskan cities
through the new air service.
James Wilson, territorial com
missioner of agriculture and
Stewart Durrant, general man
ager of the Matanuska Valley
(Continued on page 8)
PUBLIC INVITED TQ
ELKS' MOTHERS DAY
PROGRAM SUNDAY
Annual Mother’s Day exercises
will be held by the Palmer Elks
in Elks hall Sunday aJtemoon at
2 p.m. James Hurley will give the
Mother’s Day address and all
members are urged to attend and
take their ladies. The service will
be open to the public and all in
terested persons are cordially in
vited to attend.
Following the service at 5 p.m.
a pot luck lunch will be served
to members and their ladies. All
members are invited to attend
SPAGHETTI DINNER
SATURDAY. MAY 12
5:30 P.M. TO 8 P.M.
WASILLA SCHOOL
CAFETERIA
$1.25 Adults — 75c Students
50c under 12
Loyal Order of Moose
Honoring
All Women of the
Moose
MOTHER’S DAY
LUNCHEON
"Make Dad bring you"
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Sun., May 13
MOOSE HALL
PilS BACCALAUREATE
SERVICES SUNDAY
The Rev. J. Einar Bach of St.
John’s Lutheran Church will of
fer the sermon at Palmer High
School baccalaureate exercises to
be held at the Central School
gymnasium Sunday evening, May
13 at 8 p.m. His topic will be “A
Christian Perspective of Life”.
The exercise will open with a
processional, played by Mrs. C. A.
Brewer. The invocation will be
offered by the Rev. Kenneth R.
Hughes who will also give the
scripture reading and pronounce
the benediction.
The high school chorus will
sing Ivanoff’s “Bless Ye the Lord”
and “Today There is Ringing” by
F. M. Christiansen. Jennetta
Hughes will sing “The Green
Cathedral” and the congregation
will be invited to sing “Come
Thou Almighty King”.
Mrs. Brewer will play Stickles’
“Marche Solonette” for the reces
sional.
The public is invited to attend
the exercises and are requested to
be seated prior to the proces
sional.
CD RADIO SETS
RECEIVED IN PALMER
Seven, complete radio sets are
on hand in the Greater Palmer
Civil Defense area, according to
A1 V. Hagen, Greater Palmer CD
director. The sets will be install
ed in scattered sections of the
Area, wi/th Palmer to be the key
station and Wasilla the secondary
key station. Sets will be installed
at Bald Ridge, Knik, Kings Lake,
Fairview, Experiment Farm, But
te, Lazy Mountain and n the Sut
ton region. In addition six air
craft sets have been assigned to
this area and will be re-assigned
to the local Airmens Association
which was recently designated
for Search and Rescue work in
the local area. At the present
time association members are un
dergoing an intensive training
course in aerial search and rescue
work.
Locally the Palmer Amateur
Radio Club will participate in the
Palmer radio operations, Hagen
said. The use of the stations will
be limited to specific CD work.
Communications will be permit
ted for training purposes, com
munications concerning the safe
ty of life, preservation of proper
ty, maintenance of law and order,
alleviation of human suffering
1 and need, and combating of arm
ed attack or sabotage, and other
regulated uses.
PALMER YOUTH PLACES
FIRST IN CHEMISTRY
EXAM AT UNIVERSITY
Charles Kennedy, 1955 Palmer
High School graduate, yesterday
placed first in the general chemis
try test at the University of Al
aska. Dr. William S. Wilson, head
of the chemistry department, said
that the civil engineering fresh
man) rated 97 (jut of a possible 100
in the nationally standardized ex
amination. Earlier this week Ken
nedy received a $500 Austin E.
Lathrop scholarship for 1956-57.
MTA POSTPONES BID
OPENINGS TO MAY 16
Robert Partridge, MTA man
ager, said this week that bids on
construction, scheduled to be op
ened yesterday, will not be open
ed until Wednesday, May 16. Earl
Sisk, REA field engineer from
Seattle is expected in the Valley
May 14 and will attend the bid
openings. All interested MTA
members are invited to attend the
openings.
FARMING OPERATIONS
PHOTO CONTEST
PUNNED FOR FAIR
A special photography contest
will be added to this year’s many
Valley Fair activities, it was an
nounced today by Association
president, T. A. Moyer.
Members of the Board of Di
rectors will cooperate with the
Matanuska Valley Chamber of
Commerce in promoting a photo
graphy contest featuring farming
operations in the valley. The pic
tures will be exhibited during
the 1956 Valley Fair in Septem
ber.
The Fair president says “Better
get busy, you shutterbugs, and
start taking pictures of farming
operations from the very first
start of the preparation season to
the harvest which comes just be
fore Fair time”.
Visitors at the Board meeting
May 8 included Marylou Rideout
and Lew Hanks of the Extension
Service who attended the meet
ing on behalf of the 4-H partici
pation in the Fair. They were ac
companied by Mrs. Lydia Fohn
Hansen, University of Alaska Ex
tension Service.
LOCAL FIRM LISTED
ON SAFETY ROLL
Among 24 contracting firms
listed on the safety honor roll for
construction in Alaska in 1955
“without a lost time injury”, are
Sandvik and Roark and Bertram
R. Curry of Palmer. A large illus
trated scroll bearing their names
was part of the exhibit at pre
construction season safety con
ferences called by the Alaska
District Corps of Engineers in
Anchorage May 8 and in Fair
banks today. The contractors on
the honor roll were among the
many who handle defense con
struction for the Army and Air
Force under supervision of the
Alaska District Corps of Engin
eers.
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I Palmer Youth to
Enter Annapolis
Word was received this mor- ;
ning that Howard Esslinger,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton
Esslinger of Palmer has sue- ;
cessfully passed his final ex
aminations for entrance to An- ;
napolis Academy. He expects ;
to enter the Academy the lat-!
ter part of June and plans a I
few days visit at home. A gra- I
duate of Palmer High School,
class of 1955, Howard has at- ;
tended the University of Illin
ois the past year. He was ap
pointed to the Naval Academy
by Delegate E. L. Bartlett.
82 Eighth Graders
To Be Promoted in
May 16 Exercise
A record class will be promot
ed from the eighth grade to first
year in high school in exercises
to be held at the Central School
gymnasium on May 16 at 2 p.m.
Over 80 students will be promot
ed at that time, according to Wil
liam T. Zahradnicek, school sup
erintendent. Because of the very
large class, invited attendance at
the exercises will be limited to
students of the seventh grade and
parents and family friends of the
graduates. William Benyish,
junior high school principal will
present diplomas to the 82 stu
dents.
The program, which will be
presented by the graduates, will
include three selections by the
j chorus group and a trumpet quar
tet presentation. Ten eighth grad
ers will be named to the high
scholastic list and Commander
Everett Pederson of the American
Legion Post will present the cit
izenship award to a student yet
to be named. Winners of the Am
erican Legion Auxiliary Ameri
canism essay contest will receive
their awards.
Council Notes
Several lengthy discussions
ran the regular City Council
meeting a bift later than usual on
May 8. The discussions centered
around the tax rate; the fire de
partment; and street pavement.
Fire Chief Joseph Gallant pre
sented a report on the present
condition of City fire fighting
equipment and requested the
Council give serious considera
ion to purchasing a new fire
truck. A plan was discussed by
the Council whereby a new fire
truck could be purchased over
a period of five years on a mon
thly payment basis. The City
Clerk was instructed to contact
the manufacturing company for
complete details on their pay
ment plan of acquiring fire fight
ing equipment. To assist the City
in bringing the fire fighting
equipment up to par. Mayor
Charles Wilson will invite Fire
Chief Bums of Anchorage to
visit the local department and
suggest profitable ways in which
the City will be able to get the
most for their money. Fire Chief
Gallant pointed oult that a hose
dryer is needed.
Members of the budget commit
tee stated that to date $15,883 has
been spent for capital equipment
this year, this includes money
spent on completing the City
Hall building, and the acquisition
of the police car. Council mem
bers expressed favor in acquir
ing a good fire truck. Present
equipment is wearing out, it was
brought out in the discussion.
Reports from the budget and
finance committee, coupled with
reports by the tax assessor,
brought out the need to increase
the tax rate in the City. It was
pointed out that a considerable
amount of money will be needed
for the water system as thawing
alone, this winter, has run over
$7,000 to date. The committee re
ported that to be on the safe side
two mills should be set aside for
the water system maintenance,
repair, and payments. It was
pointed out that at the present
time the amount collected in tax
es is not the amount shown on
tax rolls, because of delinquent
payments. It was proposed that
a certain amo'int be set aside
for city street improvement—
that extra money will be needed
for fire fighting equipment and
that a possible five mill increase
will be necessary to cope with
expenses expected in the coming
year.
One council member suggest
ed that increase not be so high
this year. Other members dis
agreed, pointing out that if it
isn’t put on this year, another in
crease will have to be added next
year. “At the present time we are
going backward,” (financially), a
Council member pointed out. We
have got to have a property tax
in the City of Palmer. Even
though”, he poined out, “it will
be a jolt financially at this time,
it would be a bigger jolt to lose
one’s home because of inadequate
fire fighting equipment—inade
quate water system or lack of
water”. ‘This is going to cost a
lot of us money we can’t afford”,
another stated,” but some day we
will be able to look back and
realize that it was the wisest
thing to do”.
A recess was called during the
meeting at which time the Coun
cil met as a Board of Equaliza
tion and by motion accepted the
tax roll, as amended May 8. A
few tax assessment protests
which were lodged with the City
were adjusted.
Reconvening, the meeting con
tinued as a City Council meeting
(Continued on Page 5)
Colony Day Plans
Being Formulated
SPECIAL MEA MEET
TO BE JUNE 16
The special membership meet
ing of the Matanuska Electric As
sociation was set for Saturday,
June 16 in the Central School
gymnasium at 8 pan. The date
was established at the May 4th
meeting of the MEA Board of Di
rectors and notices which will
be sent to all members are now
being prepared.
Word was received in the office
of The Frontiersman this after
noon that interested members of
MEA are planning to circulate
petitions calling for a special
meeting. A spokesman of the
group said "We have no axe to
grind. We are doing this so that
in the event the special meeting
called by the Directors is declar
ed invalid, our petition will make
the special meeting possible,
without having to go through the
delay of setting up another meet
ing at a later date". They plan
to place the petitions in public
places throughout the valley to
enable members to sign.
The nominating committee
named James Hurley, Harold
Thuma, and C. Ivan Branton dur
ing their meeting on May 3 and
the committee’s report, naming
the above candidates, was accept
ed by the Directors at their meet
ing the following night. Since
that time Mrs. Justine Parks and
R. Bruce Graham were nominat
ed by petitions. These petitions
carried the required number of
signatures and have been filed
with the Board secretary follow
ing a check of the signatures.
James Hurley, named by the
Directors to fill the unexpired
term of Charles W. Wilson, has
tendered his resignation from
that office, effective June 16, the
date of the special membership
meeting.
Members will be asked to vote
to fill the two-year terms and
the one unexpired term which
(Continued on page 8)
AREA RESIDENTS
TO ATTEND
G.O.P. CONVENTION
Republicans of the Third Divi
sion will hold their annual con
vention in Anchorage tomorrow.
Registration will be in the lobby
of the Westward hotel from 7:00
to 9:00 p.m. tonight. Tomorrow
morning registration will be con
ducted at convention headquart
ers at the American Legion Log
Cabin. The first session will con
vene at 10 a.rn. when Heinie Sni
der of Wasilla will deliver the
keynote address.
Eligible from the Valley area
are: Committee members, A1 V.
Hagen, Mrs. Vera Rorrison, Mrs.
Sarah Moffitt, and A1 Brooks.
Delegates, M. D. Snodgress, Rob
ert Pippel, Dr. Lee McKinley,
T. A. Moyer, and Mrs. Moffitt;
Hagen, Mrs Rorrison, James
Frey, Mrs. Nina Stock and Mrs.
Dorothy Sherrod. Also Harold
Dinkel and Esther Hanson, Was
illa committee members; Heinie
Snider, delegate, and Dinkel, al
ternate.
Plans for the May 27th Cham
ber of Commerce sponsored
Colony Day program are pro
gressing, according to Ed Smith,
Chamber president. Entertain
ment is being lined up—response
is coming in in regards ito par
ticipation in the parade and or
ganizations are inquiring about
concession operations on that day.
Members of the local Airmens
Association are working on a plan
for a special formation flight.
The program will get under
way with a parade and all or
ganizations are invited to make
am entry. Cash prizes will be
awarded the winners. Those plan
ning to enter are requested to
contact Smith at Ketchikan
Spruce Mills and indicate the
type of float they plan to enter.
Those wishing information on
concession space are asked to con
tach A1 Hagen. The program com
mittee consists of Jim Hurley,
Richard Jones, and Stewart Dur
rant and general questions should
be directed to one of those men
tioned. Glen Persinger and John
Weisenberger are in charge of
the popular free barbeque.
The popular observance of the
colonization of the Matanuska
Valley will be publicized by the
program committee.
Council Meets
In Special Session
A special meeting of the City
Council was held this morning.
Henry Cates, of Cates Enter
prises of Anchorage was in at
tendance and explained the eli
ments of improvement districts.
The Council is seeking informa
tion as a preliminary to future
street paving.
At the meeting Council mem
bers heard the final reading of
Ordinance 65, authorizing the
City of Palmer to contract with
an individual for the collection
and disposal of garbage in the
City of Palmer. It provides for
the use and care of the City
dump, maximum rates, and speci
fies terms and conditions. The
ordinance was approved and
adopted by Council members.
TAKING APPOINTMENTS ;
FOR BACCALAUREATE
AND COMMENCEMENT
VALLEY 1EAUTY SHOP
Phone 3043
LAVONNE JOHNSON
MOTHER'S DAY
is May 13th
Potted Plants, Corsages
AND
Flower Arrangements
Don't Forget Our
Telegraph Delivery
Service
Remember HER with
Flowers for HER day.
Maud's Flower Shop
Theatre Bldg.
MOTHER-DAUGHTER BAMQUET
SUNDAY, MAY 20 — 5 P.M.
Tickets $1.00
60c for daughters under 12
at Lutheran Church Basement
No Mother or Daughter?
Adopt One
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