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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 12 - PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1957 ~ PRICE TEN CENYS
—• ■' -■ — -.—-...-■- '. — - --—- — -----—~ — -—. - ■ ■ ■ —
PUBLIC FORUM SET FOR STREET PAVING
EXPERIMENT STATION
RECEIVES FIRST
FROZEN SEMEN
The first shipment of frozen
semen to Alaska is being stored
at -188 deggrees F. in the new
freezer operated by the Alaska
Agricultural Experiment Station.
Shipped by air from the Michi
gan Artificial Breeder’s Cooper
ative on Monday, it arrived at
the Palmer Post Office on Wed
nesday and was rushed to the
Matanuska experimental farm.
Dr. Arthur Bundage of the ani
mal husbandry department found
over four and one half pounds
of dry ice remaining in the car
ton. He predicted the semen was
still in excellent condition on
arrival. A Holstein, Red Dane,
and Brown Swiss bull were re
presented in this historic ship
ment.
Dr. Brundage stated that the
successful arrival of this ship
ment opens up new opportunities
for dairy farmers. In addition to
' the excellent but limited num
ber of sires available at the Ex
periment Station, Alaskan farm
ers may now obtain semen from
nearly any bull in the United
States. He cautioned that alth-.
ough frozen semen is approach
ing a practical reality in the
States it is still definitely in the
experimental stage in the Ter
ritory.
The freezer now available at
the experimental fardi for hold
ing semen at -188 degees F. will
be used in experiments with
frozen semen.
As far back as 1954 Brundage
laid the groundwork at the Uni
versity of Minnesota for a co
operative experiment to study
the shipment and use of frozen
semen in Alaska. It is hoped
that this experiment will now be
set up as quickly as possible.
Through the cooperation of
scientists at the University of
Minnesota three estimates of fer
tility will be made on a single
sample of semen; used fresh and
frozen in Minnesota and shipp
ed and used frozen in Alaska. Re
sults from this study will help
show the loss of viability, if any,
resulting from freezing and ship
ping bull semen over long dis
tances.
ij Basketball League
Games
i; PALMER SCHOOL GYM j;
January 12 — 7 P.M.
MOOSE VS MVFCA jj
: and <!
jj ELMENDORF PEACOCKS \\
I; vs. '!
j; ELKS WOMEN |
I. .!
!
|7rS"RA$PBI^^
\ The Frontiersman is getting j!
;! the well-known “raspberry” j!
;> for a typo made on the Turk ]!
/ Murphy dodgers which were |j
^distributed throughout the ;!
!; valley this week. The date of !»
!; his appeaance was inadver- !;
!; tently listed as December 10, !;
!; 1957. Readers want to know if j|
!; it’s advancer publicity—or if !»
!; they’re too late. We sincerely |>
! | hope that everyone knows that «;
]| the Turk is coming here to
]; night, January 10,1957 and that;!
;! everyone will turn out to '!
;! greet him and his band. Must j[
j! have been too much holiday in ;!
|; the back shop. ;j
Personal Property
Assessment Forms
Mailed Last Week
Personal property self-assess
ment forms, mailed thoughout
the area last week, are due back
in the tax assessor’s office somer
time this month, according to
William Wakeland, - tax asses
sor.
The forms mailed out last week
are a new, revised form, simpli
fied to assist the personal pro
perty owner in filing his own as
sessment. The same form is used
I for urban and rural tax payers,
with each to use the sections
which apply to their type posses
sions.
Tax bills, made up from these
assessment returns, will be mail
ed to the personal property own
ers the first part of June. Pay
ments become delinquent Aug
ust 1.
Assessor Wakeland pointed
out that these are not to be con
fused with the 1956 personal and
real property taxes, of which the
last half is now due. The assess
ment forms mailed out last week
will be used for the 1957 tax
assessments.
CIVIL DEFENSE MEET
SET FOR JANUARY 16
A general meeting for all Civil
Defense personnel in the Great
er Palmer Area will be held next
Wednesday evening, January 16
in the basement of the Valley
Theatre.
The meeting will begin at 8
p.m., according to A1 V. Hagen,
Greater Palmer CD director. The
Greater Palmer CD area includes
the city of Palmer, Sutton, Was
illa, the Butte area, and the Ex
periment Farm area.
All members and those interest
ed in participating in the civil
defense program in this section
of Alaska are urged to attend the
meeting which will be devoted to
the reorganization of the CD
program in this area.
DRIVERS' LICENSES
GOOD UNTIL BIRTHDAY
Territorial Police announced
this week that driver’s licenses,
issued by the Department of Tax
ation that would have expired
as of January 1, will remain
valid until the driver’s 1957 birth
date. It was previously announc
ed that these licenses would have
to be renewed by January 1. Al
though the renewal date has been
extended, Police requested that
drivers renew these Department
of Taxation licenses as soon as
possible. The holders of these
licenses will still get the benefit
of the birth date, even if renewed
at this time.
Palmer Moose
Travel to Fairbanks
For 2-Game Series
Tomorrow morning Coach Chip
Chatterton and the Palmer Moose
will take off for Fairbanks where
a two-game series will be play
ed with the Fairbanks Male
mutes.
Making the trip are players B.
Estelle, L. Trowbridge, F. Loyer,
B. Verrall, M. Leek, N. Heman,
J. McKechnie, J. Pearson, T.
Pearson, D. Boulter, and team
manager, Dean Parks.
The Anchorage Eagles contin
ued their winning streak last
Friday when they took the Pal
mer Moose, 56 to 33 on the Pal
mer court. Those attending the
game—and those who listened to
the broadcast at home attest to
the Moose cagers team spirit and
all agreed tha Palmer outplayed
the visiting team during the sec
ond period. Bert Verrall was high
point man for the local team
with 14 points to his credit. Gene
Janigo led the Eagles with a
total of 18 points.
J-V’s Play Wasilla
While the vars/y squad is in
Fairbanks the junior varsity, un
der Coach Norman Rousey will
meet the Wasilla Wildcats on the
WHS court. Players who will see
action during the game are
B. Compton, R. McKechnie, V.
Bledsoe, R. Felix, R. Freeman, B.
Knutsen, L. Stadem, R. McCar
thy, G. Aklestad, and J. Nelson.
ELECTRIC WIRING
AT CENTRAL SCHOOL
TO BE INSPECTED
At the request of Palmer sch
ool officials this week Fire Chief j
George Burns of Anchorage and
an engineer from the military
base visited the Central School
and inspected the wiring. The re
quest for this inspection was
made as a precautionary measure
following the discovery of loose
connections in one of the fuse
boxes late last week.
The loose connection had caus
ed arcing and smoke was discov
ered by a resident who was at
tending a meeting at the school
one evening.
The Anchorage men reported
that the system appeared to be
be all right. However, to be on
the “extra safe side” school offi
cials have now requested that an
electrical inspector come to Pal
mer and run a load computation.
He is expected sometime next
week.
SOME FAIR PREMIUM
CHECKS RETURNED FOR
LACK OF PROPER ADDRESS
A few of the premium checks
mailed out this year to Matanus
ka Valley Fair winners have been
returned to the office because of
wrong addresses. The majority of
those returned have been from
the Anchorage and Spenard
areas.
1 POLICE CHIEF }
WARNS DRIVERS
OF ICY STREET COND.
A number of accidents have j!
occurred in and about the j!
city this week, with the major- !;
ity of them being caused by !»
icy street conditions. Police !;
Chief Bernard Bouwens today !;
urged all drivers to observe!;
the hazardous conditions and !;
exercise caution while driv-!;
ing. !;
wmmWmmwrw
PALMER SCHOOLS
ARE AFFEGTED
OY RUDGET SLASH
William T. Zahradnicek, sup
erintendent of Palmer schools,
told an audience Tuesday night
that education budget for Alas
ka for the years 1957-58 and 1958
59, as presented by the Commis
sioner of Education, has been re
duced 20 percent by the Bureau
of Budget. The Commissioner’s
budget of $19,612,935 did not in
clude any proposed teacher’s rais
es and covered only the actual
estimated costs for the next two
year of the Alaska schools, both
city and rural, he said. The Bur
eau of Budget reduction amount
ed to $15,071,000.
This will effect the local Pal
mer situation, the superintendent
pointed out. The Palmer school
budget for 1956-57 is $509,162.90.
Out of this total $138,193.47 is
contributed through local taxa
tion. The Territory would contri
bute $360,969.43. By deducting
20 percent (reduced by"the Bur
eau of the Budget) from the Ter
ritoial total a total of some $72,
193 is the additional amount Pal
mer would have to raise by local
taxes to hold the line and do only
what is now being done. This
would not allow for any school
growth, Zahradnicek stated. All ;
rural schools such as Wasilla,
Kenai, Homer and Chugiak will
also lose the 20 percent.
The present local contribution
of $138,193.47, plus the addition
al burden of $72,193 would mean
that $219,387 would have to come
from local taxes if the cut in
the Commissioner’s budget is up
held.
“Palmer cannot assume an ad
ditional burden of $72,193.” Zah
radnicek stated. “The Territory
should not be permitted to shirk
and abandon it’s responsibility.”
‘“Legislators sometimes ignore
(Continued on page 5)
RATE STUDY BEING
MADE FOR M.E.A.
Herbert Westfall, representa
tive of R. W. Beck and Associa
tes, a Seattle engineering firm ]
specializing in rate and organ- j
izational structures of public util
ities, arrived in Palmer this week
and is doing a study for the
Matanuska Electric Association.
The firm was engaged by MEA
to make a study of its rate struc
ture.
Westfall is in Palmer this week
checking records of MEA to de
termine whether a rate reduc
tion would be feasible, if consis
tant with sound business manage
ment, and if so to make recom
mendations to the Board of Di
rectors in what brackets such re
ductions might be made.
This study was requested by
the MEA directors some months
ago but the engineering firm was
unable to send a man to Pal
mer until this time. However, the
firm has been supplied from
time to time with requested in
formation regarding MEA rates
and policies and has prepared a
great amount of background in
formation.
Directors will meet tonight to
discuss recommendations made
to date.
According to reliable sources
preliminary studies have not yet
indicated any substantial reduc
tion.
Among considerations to be
taken under advisement are the
(Continued on page 5)
XmA^CHAN^ I
BILLING PROCEDURE
[• Robert Partridge, manager «;
!»of the Matanuska Telephone <[
!' Association system, announc-«!
!; cd to subscribers this week \
!; that due to changes in billing ;!
!; procedures in preparation for
'; the new'dial procedures, tele-;!
phone bills will not be mailed f
'[out until around the fifth of [j
'[each month. The bills will be- [I
|[ come delinquent after the [I
;tl5th of each month, he added, [;
j! under this new billing system. [;
Ed Smith Named
Chairman 1957
March of Dimes
Ed Smith, manager of the
Ketchikan Spruce Mills yard in
Palmer, has again this year been
named chairman of the annual
March of Dimes campaign in the
valley.
The first work done on this
year’s campaign was the placing,
in several public places through
out the valley, of the March of
Dimes collection bottles. Con
tributions may be made by drop
ping them in these recepticals
or by mailing the donation to
Smith, care of March of Dimes,
Palmer.
Organizations planning to spon
sor public events for fund raising
activities are asked to contact
Smith as soon as possible so that
ample publicity may be given to
event.
Smith reminded valley resi
dents that “Let’s finish the job!”
is the theme for the 1957 cam-,
paign. He pointed out that the
job is two-fold: Raising funds for
repair to the damage that polio
has done to thousands of Ameri
cans, and to prevent the disease
from crippling more thousands in
the future. The second objective
is to promote the greatest pos
sible use of the Salk vaccine
which was developed under the
March of Dimes sponsorship.
Money raised this year will go
for patient care for the new vic
tims of polio and for tens of thou
sands who still need care. Out of
each dollar 63.5% was used from
1938 through 1955 for patient
care. Money will go toward pro
fessional education. March of
Dimes fellowships and scholar
ships helping to train hands and
minds. An acute shortage of pro
fessionals is one of the most
serious polio problems. Other
money will go toward research to
perfect the vaccine and to probe
other means of protection.
BOND ISSUE, STREET
IMPROVEMENT
TO BE DISCUSSED
Thursday evening, January 17,
has been selected as the night
for a public forum in Palmer, ac
cording to an announcement by
Stewart Durrant, president of
the Matanuska Valley Chamber
of Commerce. The Chamber is
sponsoring the forum for open
discussions of the proposed pav
ing in the City of l£jmer.
City officials, members of the
City Planning Commission, re
presentation from all organiza
tions in the area, and all other
interested persons are invited to
attend the meeting and partici
pate in the discussions. A mem
ber of the Chamber will act as
moderator, Durrant said.
The forum will be held in the
high school cafeteria, starting at
8 p.m.
“The Chamber is sponsoring
this forum to assist the general
public in obtaining as much in
formation as possible about the
paving pro/am prior to the spe
cial bond election to be held by
the City on January 22,” Durrant
said. Pros and cons of the pro
posal will be discussed and all
persons with any questions are
most urgently invited to attend
the meeting and express their
opinions in the open meeting.
During the past few weeks the
Mayor and other city officials
have given considerable public
ity to the paving proposal and
what it will mean to the residents
throughout the city. Some of this
publicity included answers to
questions most frequently asked
of city officials. If there are ad
ditional questions, or further
answers sought, residents are
urged to take their questions to
the meeting.
LOCAL CLUB TO HOST
SPORTSMENS’ COUNCIL DEL.
Members of the Matanuska
Valley Sportsmen are planning
to host delegates to the Alaska
Sportsmen Council meeting be
ing held in Anchorage this week
end. They will take the delegates
on a tour of the valley on Sunday
afternoon and offer refreshments
in the organization’s meeting
room.
See our new shipment of \\
;i Wedding Books, Guest Books, ;!
;! and Thank You Cards j|
!; Telegraph Delivery Service
MAUD S FLOWER SHOP ij
I Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601
DANCING
at the
T & I Sourdough Bar
SATURDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 12
Music by
GENE COONRADrS SLUE NUTES
EVERYSDDY WELCDME
f
All Day, Samrday, Ian. 12 - - - at Koslosky's
... V- - : t