Thought of the Week:
We have a strange and sink
ing feeling: this week was
some-kind-of-week but we for
got to observe it.
VOLUME 15 NUMBER 10
30X 20.5 1
_ JUNEAU ALASKA
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PALMER, ALASKA THURSDAY. NOV. 29, 1962 TEN PAGES PRICE 15 CENTS
MAIL CHRISTMAS PARCELS
DECEMBER 3 - 8
MAIL GREETING CARDS
DECEMBER 10 - 15
I Reporters—
Notebook
Russell R. Onkka, 18, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Oliver R. Onkka
of Palmer, was enlisted in the
U. S. Navy at Kodiak, Alaska
on Nov 23. He is a 1962 gradu
ate of Palmer high school.
Onkka will undergo recruit
training at San Diego, Califor
nia, before assignment to one
of the Navy’s occupational-spe
cialty fields.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. Neal Wright
are vacationing in San Francis
co and in Seattle, where they
will visit their daughter Brid
gie.
* * *
Joe Gallant returned to Pal
mer Wednesday from a trip to
Gardner, Mass. Joe visited rela
tives and friends on the east
coast, returning via Chicago.
• * •
Navy Ensign James A. Vick
aryous, son of Mr. and Mrs. To
ny Vickaryous of Star Route,
Palmer, recently landed aboard
an aircraft carrier at sea while
undergoing basic flight training
at the Naval Air Station, Pensa
cola, Florida.
Six landings were made
aboard the carrier, completing
one of the first rigorous phases
of the 18-month flight training
program.
Before making the landings
at sea, students practiced land
ing on an airfield which simu
lates the restricted areas of a
carrier’s flight deck. Upon com
pleting the landings, students
enter advanced training.
The program leads to qualifi
cation as a naval aviation offi
cer.
erne
U. S. army private William
M. Parks is at present under
going basic infantry training at
the Fort Ord, California train
the center on the Monterrey
Peninsula.
The eight-week program con
sists of such military subjects
as rifle marksmanship, infan
try tactics, first aid, military
justice and the conservation
and maximum utilization of
military supplies. Upon com
pletion of his basic training, the
soldier will go on to either ad
vanced infantry training or to
one of the many army special
ist schools.
Parks, 17, is the son of Ina
Mae Parks of Fishhook Road.
* • *
Carol Hartung, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Hartung,
left today for Seattle, where
she has accepted a position as
dental assistant in the dental
clinic at the University of
Washington. She will also en
roll in courses in dental hy
giene at the University. Carol
was formerly employed in the
office of Dr. Keith McCavit in
Palmer. She was salutatorian
of the 1961 graduating class of
Palmer high school, and at
tended the University of Alas
ka last year.
Anchorage, Valley Has Similar
Goals, Joint Meeting Stresses
POST OFFICE ADVISES MAILING OF
CHRISTMAS PACKAGES NEXT WEEK
Parcels going to distant states
should be mailed during the
week of Dec. 3 - 8 to insure de
livery before Christmas, Mrs.
Bea John, Palmer postmistress,
has anounced. Gift packages for
local and nearby delivery
should be mailed not later than
Dec. 12.
Greeting cards for distant
states ought to be posted no
later than Dec, 10, and those
for local delivery by Dec. 15 in
order to insure delivery by
Christmas Day, Mrs. John said.
She added that there will be no
delivery of Christmas cards and
letter mail on Dec. 25.
The postmistress asked that
patrons sort large quantities of
letters for “out of town” and
“local” delivery, banding them
with labels which may be ob
tained at the postoffice. Secur
ing the bundles with rubber;
bands will simplify the sorting
job of the postal clerks in get
ting the letters on their way.
“We urge our patrons to use
four-cent stamps on their out
of-town cards, as this affords
them forwarding privileges not
allowed with a three-cent
stamp,” Mrs. John said. “If a
card is worth buying and mail
ing, it should be worth the ex
tra cent it takes to insure de
livery.”
She'reminded area residents
Elks Ltflgts Man
Memorial Sonrice
Three Elks lodges will par
ticipate in a memorial service
to be held Sunday, Dec. 2 at
3 p.m. in the Palmer Elks
home.
The program will be opened
by Benjamin Cabo, Exalted
Ruler of the Palmer lodge. The
invocation and the benediction
will be given by Raymond Bill
ins. Soloist will be H. L
Plumbley, and the musician is
to be David Martin.
Emil Ganschow, secretary of
the local organization, will give
the memorial roll call, and the
oration will be delivered by
Osky Weeda, president of the
Alaska State Elks Association.
Benjamin Cabo will present the
eleven o’clock toast.
Members of the Palmer or
ganization who have died dur
ing the past year are L. D.
Roach, Waldo Fox and Emil
Warszus.
that parcel post is now receiv
ed daily, and that the post of
fice has very little room to ac
commodate the large number of
packages that will come In dur
ing the Christmas rush. She
urged that parcels be picked up
often to keep them from pil
ing up.
Although the daily closing
hour for out-going mail is 4
p.m., Mrs. John urged patrons
to bring in letters and parcels
early in the day to spread the
work load for the staff during
the busy weeks preceding
Christmas.
Stateside mail comes in be
fore 8 a.m. once daily except
Sunday.
The postmistress said that
many persons are inquiring
about the postal rate raises
passed by the last Congress.
These will not go into effect un
til Jan. 7, 1963.
MARCH OF DIKES
DIRECTOR NAMED
Mrs. Bruce Kendall of An
chorage announced this week
that Charles Wilson, Palmer,
Mrs. Christine Smith, Wasilla,
and Mrs. Minnie Swanda, Tal
keetna, have been named
March of Dimes directors for
their areas. Mrs. Kendall is
campaign chairman for the out
lying areas of the southcentral
chapter of the National Foun
dation, March of Dimes.
On Nov. 16 and 17 directors
attended a pre-campaign meet
ing in Anchorage.
Alaskans should have a spe
cial interest in seeing that this
year’s campaign is a success,
Mrs. Kendall said, since all Al
askan chapters of the national
foundation are helping to fi
nance the new congenital birth
defects clinic at the University
of Washington hospital. Al
ready a number of Alaskan
children have been helped
there, she added.
The two effective polio vac
cines now in use were develop
ed entirely with March of
Dimes money, while at the
same time the National Foun
dation was giving, as it still
is, assistance to those who had
polio, the chairman stated.
Mrs. Kendall said the sights
of the National Foundation are
now aimed at congenital birth
defects and arthritis.
PTA Approves
Four Projects
Four projects for the current
year were approved at the gen
eral meeting of the Palmer
PTA Tuesday evening, follow
ing a highly successful Back
to-School night at Central and
Swanson schools. Three hund
red and fifty parents attended
at Central and 289 at Swan
son.
The projects include a Ca
reer Day program at the high
school, a bicycle safety pro
gram this spring, a used-book
drive for the school libraries,
and sponsorship of a weekly
bus run to the Independence
ski area if $300 can be raised
from other sources to help de
fray the cost of operation of the
bus.
Children using the bus will
pay a nominal fare, and the
operators of the ski area have
agreed to charge bus riders
only half-price for use of the
tow. A committee headed by
Sam Rieger was appointed to
attempt to raise the necessary
money from local organiza
tions with youth service in
terests.
It was announced that the
current PTA membership drive
will end Dec. 3. Prizes will be
awarded to all students in
rooms with a sign-up of more
than 50 per cent of the potent
ial membership. Mr. Burnette’s
room (grade 50 is now lead
ing the drive with 48 per cent,
and Mrs. Moyer's room (grade
1A) is in second place with 45
per cent. Parents are reminded
that a large and active mem
bership is essential for success
ful completion of PTA pro
jects.
4-H'ers Get Awards
On Achievement Day
4-H Achievement Day has
been set for Saturday, Dec. 8,
in the Palmer high school cafe
teria, the Extension Service
office announced this week.
Pins, seals and certificates will
be awarded to leaders and 4-H
members. A program is being
planned and refreshments will
be served.
4-H members who have not
brought their records in m a y
still do so.
PREPAREDNESS
The fellow who waits for
something to turn up will do
well if he starts with his shirt1
sleeves.
Sutton Is Host To
Visiting Officials
Anchorage Chamber of Com
merce, city, port, and Alaska
Railroad officials met with
members of the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Commerce
last Saturday at the Alpine
Civic Club at Sutton, emphas
izing the need for cooperation
to achieve progress for the
area.
About 35 persons attended
the meeting, including Mayor
George Sharrock of Anchorage,
and Claire Banks, manager of
the Anchorage Chamber.
Visitors were taken on a tour
of the Evan Jones mine, includ
ing the actual strip operation as
well as the processing plant,
and were shown the Mrak Coal
Company’s new washing plant,
which is capable of washing
2,000 tons of coal per hour as
compared to the present 80 tons
per hour.
At the luncheon meeting at
the Alpine Civic Club, both
Barney Fish, president of the
Matanuska Valley Chamber of
Commerce, and Mayor Shar
rock emphasized the need for
Anchorage and the valley to
work together to further their
goals, which are similar. The
Anchorage mayor stated that
the city of Anchorage will co
operate with the area coopera
tives in finding solutions to
common power problems,
pointing out that the city has
already met with the MEA
board of directors.
Red Allen, representing the
Alaska Railroad, said that the
railroad has instituted an in
dustrial planning board which
now meets once a month, and
which plans to survey the Rail
belt from Seward to Fairbanks
for possible industrial sites.
The railroad is also planning
a five-year rehabilitation pro
gram, the labor cost of which
will be in excess of $400,000
Allen stated.
Dick Albers, a member of the
economic development commit
tee of the Anchorage chamber,
pointed out that the problems
of Anchoraeg are sifnilar to the
problems of the valley, and
stated that their committee is
at present studying a commun
ity development program. This
is similar to one that has been
tried by about a dozen cities
throughout the country, in
which all problems of the com
munity come before the com
City Manaqer Outlines Survival Plans
The responsibility of the in
dividual in making plans for
survival in case of enemy at
tack was stressed this week by
Winstone Gilchrist, Palmer city
manager and civil defense
chairman for the city.
“We will have to take care of
ourselves,” he stated. “There
are no plans for the state and
federal governments to take
over.”
He emphasized the need to
prepare for the worst, pointing
out what would happen if a 20
megaton ground-burst hit in
the Anchorage area. Source of
supply would be wiped out, and
prevailing winds would carry
an initial 3000 roentgens of
fallout per hour to our area,
(against which chances of sur
vival in a basement would be
one in ten, in a shelter one in
three).
On the other hand, depend
ing on enemy evaluatipn of
military importance of our area,
our bases might be subjected
only to a conventional bomb
ing attack, which would still
cut off our source of supply and
probably our power source.
Thus, he pointed out, emer
gency preparations should ran
ge all the way from those
where chances of survival are
minimum to a plan which
would conserve our available
resources until the emergency
period is concluded.
Each family of the area is
urged to lay in the following
essential items: battery-power
ed radio, flashlight or lantern,
candles and matches, food, fuel,
first aid supplies and other per
sonal material, such as clothing
and bedding. These supplies
should be in sufficient quanti
ties to last for a minimum of
two weeks following an attack.
Each person and family must
practice strict conservation to
insure that these items are
neither wasted nor consumed
too rapidly.
Sufficient food supplies for a
minimum of two weeks should
consist of food not requiring re
frigeration, such as canned,
dried, or dehydrated foods,
packaged to maintain quality
and protection from fallout.
Certain basic ingredients, such
as sugar, flour, yeast and short
ening should be included. The
largest percentage of all food
stored should be edible with
out heating. Drinking water,
sufficient for a minimum of two
weeks, should be stored with
the food. Portions of emergency
supplies should be kept in a
separate container for quick
movement.
Cars should be kept in good
running order and ready for
use if movement is necessary.
Cars may provide very limited
refuge from radioactive fallout
where shelters or other struc
tures are not readily accessible.
One member of each fam
ily group should be trained in
first aid, home nursing, and
medical self-help. Health ser
vices will be disrupted or non
existent, requiring individual,
family and group self-suffici
ency in maintaining health and
in caring for the sick and in
jured.
Shelter areas should have
covered containers for garbage
and human wastes. A supply of
grocery bags and newspapers,
useful for sanitary purposes
should be maintained in a lo
cation free from the hazard.
Individual and family groups
must be self-reliant in the face
of fire, improvising to help
eradicate fire hazards.
Knowledge of the rudiments
of light rescue work is neces
sary so that individuals and
families may help themselves
escape from private structures
and shelters. Basic tools such
as shovel, axe, and crowbar
should be kept in the shelter
area.
By taking steps for their own
survival, individuals and fam
ilies will decrease their need
for welfare services during the
first two weeks following an
attack. They must respect the
law and cooperate with law en
forcement officers.
Each person is responsible
for learning techniques neces
sary to minimize the casualty
producing effect of radiological,
biological, and chemical war
fare.
Survival requirements in
clude being alert, knowing the
warning signals, knowing your
community plan for emergency
action, knowing where to get
assistance, preparing a fallout
shelter or knowing where shel
ter is available, increasing
home food stocks, maintaining
a supply of fuel, clothing, and
bedding for warmth, and keep
ing first aid and medical sup
plies on hand.
mittee, and specialists take the
problems before smaller com
mittees which in turn recom
t mend solutions.
The Anchorage port commit
tee is always willing to work
with the valley in any shipping
problem valley people might j
have. according to Harold j
Strandberg, port committee re
presentative at the meeting, i
The Anchorage port is now i
handling many of the valley |
products, including fertilizer,'
Strandberg went on. He stress
ed that the cost of transporta- i
tion in regard to export is no
longer a problem. The port
committee is always ready to
meet with any group of the,
area he added.
Phil O'Neill, president of the
MEA board of directors, out
lined the comparative costs of1
hydro-electric project and1
mine-mouth powrer, citing the
Parsons Report figures for in-;
itial cost of mine-mouth power j
at $250 per KW as compared to
$1,500 per KW for hydro power.
Cost of power delivered to An
chorage from a mine-mouth
plant would be nine mills per
(Continued on page 10)
Fisheries Meeting
To Bo Topic At
Loagoo Dinner
Dr. Fred McGinnis, presi
dent of Alaska Methodist Uni
versity, will be guest speaker
at a no-host dinner at the Fron
tier Cafe tomorrow, Nov. 30,'
at 7 p.m. Dr. McGinnis will
speak on the North Pacific In
ternational Fisheries Commis
sion meeting held recently in ]
Seattle, and will discuss the I
reason for the controversial
halibut decision.
The dinner, under the spon
sorship of the local unit of the
League of Women voters, is
open to the public. The charge
will be $2.50 per plate, with a
choice of roast beef or fish. ;
Reservations may be made by !
calling Mrs. Noel Woods at!
PI 5-3078 before noon tomor
row (Nov. 30).
Dr. McGinnis has also prom-!
ised to discuss the European
Common Market, and will an-:
swer questions from the floor. 1
Arrangements to bring the uni- ,
versity president here were
made by Mrs. James Hurley.
Cadet Scores
High In Track
Fred Barnes, 1962 Palmer
high school graduate now en
rolled at the United States Mil
itary Academy at West Point,
New York, has recorded the
fourth best time for the three
mile in the Plebes (class of ’66)
cross-country squad for 1962,
according to a news release
from the academy.
Fred’s time for the three-mile
was 16:41, recorded over the
Plebe course at West Point,
which is considered an average
or slightly harder (hills) course.1
He is one of the Plebes who ]
earned numerals, for which he
was required to compete in 60
per cent or more of all schedu
led meets. Also, in 60 percent of
all scheduled meets he must
have finished in the top 12
finishers in dual meets and in
the top 16 finishers in a triang- j
ular meet.
Fred is the son of Mr. and :
Mrs. Glenn Barnes of Palmer. |
Council
OKs New
City Lighls
Installation of 11 additional
street lights in the Palmer sys
tem was approved by the city
council at the Nov. 27 meet
ing, with all members present.
The plan for placement of the
lights provides for one at the
corner of Federal Avenue and
Fairview Avenue, one on
Springer Road between the two
existing lights, one at the Air
port Road and Snodgrass Ave
nue intersection, one at the
Snodgrass Avenue-Metz cor
ner, one each at Parker and
Walker, Sterling and Walker,
Feisler and Pioneer, Matanus
ka and Gulkana, Matanuska
and Moose Creek, Colony and
Severns, and Fourth and Val
ley.
A letter from James Hurley,
Alaska Rural Rehabilitation
Corporation director, which
stated the ARRC would be will
ing to sell its entire sanitary
sewer system for $16,270, was
read. Upon recommendation of
city manager Winston Gilchrist,
no action was taken pending
receipt of the engineers re
port.
A request from Sears, Roe
buck and Co. for extension of
sales tax reporting was granted.
The manager reported a re
quest from Clyde King of the
Matanuska Valley Airmen that
the city handle the funds earn
ed by the airmen at the Nov.
2 hangar party. The council
voted to postpone action on the
request, since Eugene Rogus
zka, director of the Division of
Aviation, plans to visit the
council on Dec. 11 to discuss
future plans for the airport.
Two changes in the engin
eering contract with Jack O'
Malley were approved. The
! changes state that the engineer
will not be required to make
field surveys during or after
construction, and that he will
not be required to make “as
built” surveys and plans.
The fertilizer stored at the
Fairgrounds is being rearrang
ed according to the specifica
tions set up by the state fire
marshall, police chief Louis
Bencardino reported. Since
there is not sufficient space
for inside storage, some of the
fertilizer is being stockpiled
outside and covered with plas
tic which the marshall has in
dicated will suffice as long as
areaways are kept clear to per
mit the passage of fire trucks.
Permits' for games of skill
and chance were granted to the
Palmer Independent School
District and to the Rebekah
Lodge.
A motion to authorize the city
manager to spend up to $100
to make the city hall basement
acceptable as a fallout shelter
was approved with councilmen
Long and Hermann casting
negative votes.
After discussion on specifica
tions for a new police car dur
ing which it was pointed out
that the budgets are set up to
allow replacement every two
years and that a V-8 engine is
necessary in the police cars for
quick starts, council approved
a motion to authorize the man
ager to ask for bids on the new
car with two changes in the
specifications: that the manu
facturer’s make qnd model
(Continued on Page 10)
CHRISTMAS
GOODIES at
Maud’s Flowers
BELLS OF SARNA
RICE BOWLS
CERAMIC
FIGURINES
BIRDS
MANY OTHERS
PI 5-4056
Sunday, Dae. 2-3y.ni.
PALMER ELKS HOME
Conducted by Anchorage,
Sward S Palmer Lodges