The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLET
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may have for tale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 9. NUMBER 21
PALMER. ALASKA THURSDAY. MARCH 15. 1956
PRICE TEN CENTS
Chamber to Sponsor
Constitution Forum
The Matanuska Valley Cham
ber of Commerce is sponsoring
a “Know Your Constitution"
Forum for all interested persons.
James Hurley, local delegate to
the Constitutional Convention,
will be present and other dele
gates from the Anchorage area
have been invited to attend.
The Forum will be held Thurs
day, March 29 in the high school
cafeteria, starting at 8 pm. Re
freshments will be served at the
close of the meeting.
Ed Smith, Chamber president,
in announcing the forum said,
‘“The Chamber feels that every
one should have an opportunity
to become familiar with the Con;
stitution and the Statehood ques
tions in general so that he can
be prepared to vote his convic
tions in the April 24th election,
at which time the Constitution
will be before the people for rati
fication.”
Similar meetings are being held
all over Alaska under the spon
sorship of civic and fraternal or
ganizations. The Alaska State
hood Committee is sponsoring
half hour programs on radio and
television, made up from tape
recordings of the Convention ses
sions. William Egan, president of
the Constitutional Convention, is
expected to make a tour of
Southern Alaska cities under the
sponsorship of the Statehood
Committee.
When questioned about the
forthcoming Chamber forum,
Hurley said, “I know there must
be many peopp of the Valley that
have questions on their mind as
to Statehood in general and the
Constitution in particular. I cer
tainly welcome the opportunity
to discuss these problems with
anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Statehood for Alaska is, in my
opinion, the key that wili unlock
our resources and open them to
development. A heavy vote in
favor of the Constitution will be
a big step toward this goal.”
SCHOOL ROBBERY
NOT YET SOLVED
Territorial Police reported to
day that officials are still work
ing on the break-in at the Pal
mer High School which occurred
last Wednesday night. No defin
ite developments were reported
by the officials. On a final check
it developed that the money tak
en in the break was somewhat
less than first estimated. Offi
cials said this week that a total
of $362.00 was taken. First re
ports estimated the amount be
tween $60Q-i$700.
CORSAGES
for the Ball
Place orders early for Easter ;!
flowers. You may order flow- ;>
ers for Stateside now and save !
cost of wire Service.
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
GUY GRANTS BONUS
WATER USE TO
PREVENT FREEZE-UPS
City officials are making a con
sentrated effort to help residents
prevent water freeze-ups, by
this week permitting 2,000 gal
lons free water allowances, be
ginning March 20, on ithe same
basis as is permitted in the sum
mer months for watering gard
ens.
The allowance is being offered
to encourage residence to leave
water running in their homes to
prevent freezing. Ted Buzby of
the City Water Department said
this week that more and more
sections in the city are suffering
from freeze-ups. The City steam
equipment is working continual
ly, supplimented by rented equip
ment and the Council authorized
an attempt to borrow or rent the
ABC thawing .equipment to meet
the situation.
In making the decision, it was
brought out that it ds not neces
sary to leave all the faucets open,
one open faucet is sufficient to
keep the water from freezing.
The monthly water bills will be
figured on the basis of consump
tion during the months of Decem
ber, January and February, with
the three month’s average to be
charged, and a 2,000 gallon allow
ance to be allowed on total gal
l«ns used over the average.
The frost fyas penetrated below
the water lines in many sections
of the city. Should the main lines
freeze, the danger of no fire pro
tection, .and the inconvenience
and expense of repairs, would
prove to be a major problem in
the city. Mayor Charles Wilson
this week asked the cooperation
of every resident in meeting the
problem during the next few
weeks.
Grange Plans Series
Of Open Heelings to
Discuss Farm Topics
The Northland Pioneer Grange
is planning it’s first of a series
of open meetings for the discus
sion of farm topics. The meetings
will be open to all interested per
sons.
The first meeting will be held
Thursday, March 22, beginning
with a pot-luck supper at 7 p.m.
followed by the regular meeting
at 8 p.m. James Hurley will talk
on the Constitution and State
hood as it effects the farmers.
The Grange officials expect to
have several others participating
to bring out various phases of the
question—'hoping to clarify some
of the questions whioh might be
involved under statehood.
It is hoped also that a repre
sentative from the Airmens As
sociation will make a short talk
on the airport situation in Pal
mer.
The American Legion Auxil
iary will meet on the 29th, in
stead of the 22nd. Nomination of
officers will be held.
SMART HAIR STYLES
For the Ball
.... and every day.
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Phone 3301
LAVONNE JOHNSON
Philo Twins First Ssl Barn In New Hospital
First twins to be born in the
Valley Presbyterian Hospital
were Hayes Llewellyn and Hi
ra n Allen, sons of Mr. and Mrs.
P. David Philo of Palmer. The
identical twins, first children of
the Philos, were born at 12:05
and 12:07 a.m. March 8. Hayes,
the first-born, weighed six
pounds, 13 ounces and Hiram
five pounds, 15 ounces. The
Philos have a 485-acre Matan
uska Valley dairy farm and
Mrs. Philo is a former Wasilla
school teacher.
I BOX CAR OFFER
WITHDRAWN FOR
PRESENT TIME
Word was received this week ;
from Ed Fortier, Civil Defense :
director, that the box cars, of- j:
fered to residents of the valley -
area last week, will not be j
available at this time. No ex-'
planation of why they are not j
available was given. However ;
Fortier stated, it is believed !
that from time to time cars \
will be in surplus and the local !
Soil Conservation Service of- I
fice will be notified of their
availability.
That this news will be a dis
appointment to many valley : j
residents is shown by the num
ber of persons who had appli- >
ed for the surplus cars. The of- ! ;
ficial count was 173 applica
tions since te news item ap- ;
peared in The Frontiersman
last Thursday. Other applica
tions were received after the ;
count was made. :
PUBLIC INVITED TO
NON-PARTISAN MEETING
A public meeting, sponsored by
the Alaskans for Eisenhower
group, will be held Friday even
ing, March 23 in the Matanuska
Electric Association meeting
room at 8 p.m. All interested per
sons are invited to attend the
meeting. Members of the commit
tee pointed out that the group,
patterned after one formed in
Anchorage, is non-partisan.
BOARD ACCEPTS
HIGH SCHOOL DEED
Pictured above are members of
the Palmer Independent School
District board of directors, the
school superintendent and a re
presentative of the Alaska Public
Works. Left to right, they are:
William T. Zahradnicek, school
superintendent; Mrs. Jasper Skok,
George E. Smith and Lew Hanks,
school board members, and John
Madison, APW attorney. They
were photographed at the time
the deed for the new Palmer
High School was turned over to
the District and the first payment
($42,350) was made to APW for
the million dollar school, of which
the District will pay half the
costs, matched by APW funds
for the other half.
The high school is considered
completed. By this is meant, that
with the completion of minor de
tails, for which arrangements
have been made, construction is
now done. A year ago, on Janu
ary 26, the keys to the new sch
ool were turned over to the Dis
trict by AP W and a use permit
was granted. Students were mov
ed into the school and classes
were continued until summer va
cation. Since moving into the
building the hot lunch program,
held up for a time while waiting
for kitchen equipment, has been
put in effect. Modern class rooms,
laboratory, music rooms, cafeteria
multi-purpose room, first aid
room ,and teacher’s lounge are
some of the features of the very
modern structure. Public meet
(Continued on page 8)
ARC to Continue
Road Maintenance
PARENTS URGED
TO SEE FILMS
AT P-TA MEETING
All parents of school children,
and especially those parents of
Junior and Senior High School
students, are urged to attend the
March 20 meeting of the Palmer
Parent-Teacher Association at
which time two or three short
films will be shown and Dr. John
Barnett, city health officer, will
speak. The meeting will be held
in the cafeteria at the new high
school, beginning at 8 p.m.
The films, “Human Growth”
and “Six to Sixteen”, have bene
previewed by teachers in the
junior and senior grades; by the
school superintendent, and by the
city health officer, all of whom
have reported them as being
“very good”. They are being
shown at the P-TA meeting for
a recommendation from the mem
bership that they be shown to
the upper grade students of the
Palmer School system. Dr. Bur
nett and Mrs. Bernice Pettit,
j school nurse, expect to be in at
tendance at the meeting to an
swer questions.
Beauiy Shop Quartet
Featured Act in
’56 Minstrel Show
Have you ever heard a Beauty
Shop Quartet? Ever heard of one?
Well, there’s going to be one in
the 1956 Palmer Kiwanis Min
strel Show, so the director, Dave
Porter says. “The gals are really
| good,” Dave said this week, “and
are going to be one of the show’s
big hits”.
The quartet is but one of sev
eral new acts being prepared for
this year’s Minstrel Show, which
will present a greatly varied com
bination of local and imported
talents.
Jack Flint, Mr. Interlocutor
himself, is turning in some fine
rehearsal performances, accord
ing to the eyes that spy. Clarisse
Isaacson and Wayne Huter have
been working up dance routines
and are now in rehearsal, and
the harmonica, trio are busy
whipping up their section of the
program.
Tickets will go on sale soon,
according to Chuck Logsdon,
show manager. Reserved seats
will be available for the two per
formances, he said.
Valley residents who were di
rectly affected by the Alaska
Road Commission’s proposal to
discontinue maintenance of 13
farm roads in the Matanuska
Valley have received copies of a
letter sent to A. F. Ghiglione,
commissioner of roads for Alas
ka, in which Wesley A. D’Ewart,
assistant Secretary of the Interi
or, has autorized Commissioner
Ghiglione to continue such main
tenance on these roads.
D’Ewait stated in his letter that
following a review of a letter
written by Ghiglione, together
with the transcript of the hear
ing held at Palmer, “it appears
that there is a public need for
these 13 farm roads since the
roads serve not only private in
terests but the public as well.
“Also”, the letter goes on, “we
believe that the roads are of def
inite value in furthering devel
opment of the area. Therefore,
after considering these and the
other factors involved, we con
cur in your recommendation that
there is sufficient evidence to
justify the continuation of main
tenance by the Alaska Road
Commission of the 13 roads in
question. You are hereby author
ized to continue such mainten
ance.”
The ARC had proposed that
maintenance on the roads in
question be discontined on the
grounds that they were private
drive-ways. During a public hear
ing which was held at the request
of valley organizations and indi
viduals, evidence brought out was
recorded and the entire transcrip
tion of the meeting sent .to the
Department of Interior in Wash
ington, D. C. for final decision.
Copies of the Secretary’s letter
to Commissioner Ghiglione were
forwarded to area residents
through the office of Delegate
E. L. Bartlett.
NEW ALASKA FILM
TO BE SHOWN AT
CHAMBER MEETING
“Farming >n Alaska”, a colored
sound movie, will be shown at
the March 21 luncheon meeting
of the Matanuska Valley Cham
ber of Commerce. The film,
which was photographed by Fred
■Machetanz and directed by Dr.
Allan Mick of the Experiment
Station, was previewed at the
Monday meeting of Palmer Ki
wanis Club and drew many fav
orable comments. Thi£ will be
one of the few opportunities for
the public to see the film before
it is shipped out for Stateside
showing.
The Chamber meeting will be
held in the Co-Op club room,
starting at 12:05 p.m.
RESIDENTS OF PALMER SCHOOL DISTRICT
AND CITY OF PALMER
The law slates that each of you owning tangible personal
property must file a tax return. If you own only clothing you
must, and should, file a return for your own protection.
Your right to file, or to amend the assessor's filing, is
legally forfeited after February 1, 1956. However, this year
the assessor will not file an arbitrary return for anyone filing
before March 23, 1956.
The amount filed by the assessor is, under territorial
statute, not subject to appeal or equalization by the school
board or city council, unless they so desire.
If you need help, forms, or information; or if you have a
complaint relative to delinquent taxes, please call at the
assessor's office over the bank. Our goal is to distribute the tax
burden equitably in proportion to properly owned. Buildings
and land will be reviewed later this year.
WM. WAKELAND
Tax Assessor
PALMER B.P.O. ELKS
NO. 1842
ELKS HALL
Annual PurpJe Bubble Ball
Saturday, March 17
10 P.M. - 2 A.M.
Elks & their Ladies oely