ARA Committee Continues On Progress Path
Development Group Moves
Toward Goal Of 1,500 Jobs
By Colin Mick
Prent Gazaway, agricultural economist assigned to Alaska
under the technical assistance.program of the Area Redevelop
ment Administration, will be present tonight when the 19th Elec
tion District Economic Development Committee holds its monthly
membership meeting at 7:30 p.m. in*
the basement of the Chamber of
Commerce Log Cabin.
On the agenda for discussion will
be progress reports on several pro
posals now being considered. The
goal of the committee is 1,500 new
jobs in the Election District within
the next three years.
Committee president Robert Jenks
pointed out that although it may
seem that things are now progress
ing very slowly, a lot of work is
being done. He explained that it
takes a lot of work to develop an
idea to the point that it becomes an
actual plan for a commercial en
terprise.
Jenks also pointed out the great
progress the committee has made
since its preliminary Ecenomic De
velopment Plan was completed and
accepted.
Lumber Mill
The proposal by the Brice Lumber
Company to establish a lumber mil]
in the Fairbanks area is still being
studied by the ARA. The ARA re
cently approved a grant of $1,500 to
Forest Products Laboratory of
Madison, Wisconsin, for a feasibility
study on the proposed mill. Accord
ing to various local EDC board
members, the survey w'as com
pleted some time ago. and was ap
proved retroactively by the ARA.
Final details are still being
ironed out on a proposal by the
Frontier Milling and Concentrating
Company to erect a custom milling
and concentrating plant in the Fair
banks area. The mill would enable
local hard rock’ mine owners to
economically mine and ship their
ores south to the smelters. Under
the terms of the proposal, the con
centrates would be carried south on
back-haul by local trucking con
cerns, thereby giving them full
loads going both ways.
Fairbanks seems to be doing
quite well nationally on the ARA
program.
High On List
Although only about ten proposals
have actually been approved by
the ARA, the Brice Lumber Com
pany proposal is reported to be high
up on the list for approval.
Alaska is one of only 12 or 13
states which has received aid under
the technical assistance program of
the ARA.
Of the thirty some retraining pro
grams now being sponsored by the
ARA throughout the U.S., Alaska
has two; and one of these is in
Fairbanks.
All area residents are urged to
attend and take part in the meeting
tonight.
They should remember that the
Development Committee is trying to
aid the entire 19th Election District
by creating new industry, aiding in
the expansion of existing industry,
and most of all, providing new jobs.
FENDER HIT
On March 20, Wayne Madden,
Dale Road, reported that someone
had struck the right rear fender of
his car at the corner of First and
Cushman.
In 1960, 384,401 persons entered or
left Alaska, an increase of 5.9 per
cent over 1959.
ALASKA NEWS
IN BRIEF
OIL UNION
KENAI — Collective bargaining
rights of Alaska Oil Workers, Kenai,
were assigned to International Union
of Petroleum Workers in a National
Labor Board election held in Swan
son River Oil Field on March 20.
NEW LIQUOR RULES
JUNEAU — The State Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board has filed
new regulations which put added
teeth in controls on the consumption
or possession of liquor by minors.
HOMER VOTES NO
HOMER — Homer voters over
whelmingly turned down, for the
third time, an attempt to incorporate
the lower Kenai Peninsula com
munity as a first class city.
THOMAS JR., BACK
ANCHORAGE — Lowell Thomas
Jr., returned to Anchorage late Fri
day after spending 24 days on the
Arctic Research Laboratory's ice
island in the Arctic Ocean.
MORE OVERTIME
JUNEAU—The House has con
curred in Senate amendments to a
House bill making appropriations
for the overtime legislative session,
upping the possible extra time from
10 days to 20 days.
MRS. WALKER DIES
SEATTLE—Mrs. Norman R. Walk
er, widow of pioneer territorial Sen
ator N. R. Walker, died in Seattle
Thursday night of a heart condition,
from which she suffered for the
past two years.
CRISIS CONTINUES
JUNEAU — Alaska’s highway
crisis continued Monday as yet
another top official submitted his
resignation. Latest to resign was H.
(Continued on Page 101
GOVERNOR’S ClIP — Beatus Moses, 1961 North American Cham
pion Dog Musher and Dr. Roland Lombard, the 1962 Champion, are
shown accepting the Governor's Cup at the Mushers’ banquet last
Sunday night. The trophy will carry the names of each year’s
Champion, and will be displayed in the Chamber of Commerce log
cabin.
FAIRBANK STORE IS LARGE
The new Woolworth’s, a one-story
and partial second floor structure,
containing 17,000 square feet, de
signed for expansion to a full sec
ond and third floor building, is one
of the largest and most modern
general merchandise establishments
in this area. Its location is 3rd and
Cushman.
The first floor is devoted to sales
space and the Luncheonette. The
second floor contains stockrooms,
utility rooms, office and employees
lounge.
The building is fireproof, con
structed of concrete blocks of local
manufacture, concrete and steel.
A loading dock is recessed into
the building at the rear to keep
I trucks off the street.
Windows are the new “see
through” type which afford pass
| ers-by a view of the interior of the
I store.
Customer comfort and conveni
ence have been considered in every
detail of the store’s planning.
New high-level lighting has been j
used and the temperature is kept
comfortable at all times by the use :
of steam heat obtained through the
central heating plant in Fairbanks
distributed through the ventilation ;
system.
Interior walls are painted in
cheerful shades of pale yellow and
PAY NOW-GO LATER!
CHARTERED FLIGHT TO
SEATTLE and PORTLAND
Leave Fairbanks by Wien F-27
Midnight, April 5th stops at...
JUNEAU-SEATTLE & PORTLAND
Return April 10th
ALL FOR . . . $125<»
CALL EDDIE PRINCE at GL 6*4330 or
CALL HERB KITTLER at GR 9-6601 or
CALL HAROLD LEONARD at GL 6-4114 after 6 p.m.
FOR INFORMATION AND RESERVATION
evergreen. Floors are of vinyl as
bestos tile.
Counters and fixtures, the most
up-to-date available, have been de
signed and set up to make it easy
for the customer to find, examine
and select desired merchandise.
Soroptimist Club
To Conduct Talks
On World Affairs
“Propecting the American Image
Abroad," a panel discussion on
world affairs is a program planned
for the public at 8 p.m. March 28 at
Hunter School by the Soroptimist
Club of Fairbanks.
Dr. George Adams, vice-president
of the University of Alaska is panel
moderator, according to the Sorop
timist International Goodwill and
Understanding Committee.
Other panelists include: Dr. Her
man Slotnick. head of the Depart
ment of History and Political Sci
ence, University of Alaska; Dr. Hans
Jensen, Dean, College of Business,
Government and Economics. Uni
versity of Alaska; Col. Elvert M.
Edens. Deputy Post Commander,
Fort Wainwright; John Griffin,
Station Manager, KTVF; Philip
Power. Fairbanks Daily News
Miner staff writer.
Special guests are international
students of the University of Alas
ka. Two of them. Josefina Lachica
and Josephine Abella. will perform
the Bamboo Dance and the Lamp
Dance of the Philippine Islands.
Around Town with First National
Robert Decker
Before Robert Decker became
a member of the staff of Piggiy
Wiggly’s when the store opened
in October 1959, he had a lot of
experience behind him in the
groceries and marketing business,
tie had worked for Mayfair
Markets for about seven years
in California.
Decker, who was born, raised
and educated in Pennsylvania,
has spent a great deal of his life
in military service. After he
completed two years at Pennsj'l
vania State College he joined the
infantry in 1945. Later he was
with the 82nd Airborne Division
and then was transferred over
seas on a tour of duty. At the
end of the war he taught basic
training in the tank corps at Ft.
Knox, Kentucky.
He and his wife, Pearl, whom
he had met and married in his
home state, came to Alaska tor tne nisi ume m jy.>u wmru
he was with the infantry division at Eielson Air Force Base
until June 1952.
Decker took his discharge here and then worked in Fair
banks for a couple of months before medical reasons forced
the family to move to California.
During the seven years the Deckers spent in the sunshine
state they looked forward to coming back to Alaska. At that
time he was employed by Mayfair Markets.
He helped set up the Piggly Wiggly store here after his
family returned in 1959 and has managed it since October of
last year.
Besides hunting and fishing which he thoroughly enjoys.
Decker has five special hobbies. They are (big) Timmy, 18; Jer
ry, 17; Sherry, 12; Robert, 9; and (little) Timmy. 8.
“We’re in Alaska to stay. This country has a lot to offer
people," explains Decker. He is president of the business and
professional mens’ league of Fairlones Bowl.
Open Your Account at First National—Everybody’s Bank!
First National Bank
“First In Strength, Size and Service Since 1905”
Banking Facility, Clear, Alaska
Banking Facility, Ft. Wainwright
Member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
George
Williams
Drugs
1330 Cushman
Dial GL 2-3131
Open 9 A.M.-10 P.M. Daily
Magazines
PRESCRIPTIONS
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Watchword
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