The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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■VOLUME 11, NUMBER 6
PALMER, ALASKA THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1957
PRICE TEN CENTS
URGES COMMUNITY
BACKING FOR
FIRE DEPARTMENT
George Burns, Anchorage city
lire chief, spoke to members of
the Matanuska Valley Chamber
©f Commerce, on the need for
Palmer to improve and maintain
the improvements, of the volun
teer fire department.
“Previous fire chiefs here have
tried hard . . . but because of an
apparent lack of interest from
the citizens of the community,
they have not been successful.
Chief Bouwens is enthusiastic in
this reorganizing program and
needs the complete support of the
community”, Bums pointed out.
“^Palmer is liable to have to pay
higher fire insurance rates if rec
ommendations of the National
Board of Fire Underwriters are
not carried out ... no one wants
to pay higher rates ... no one
wants a fire . . . residents of this
area better think of getting a new
lire truck—the Board asks that
Palmer have a 1000-gallon truck
—possibly they would accept a
750-gallon size . . . it’s big money
when you have to buy a truck
but there are times when with
out, the right equipment you can’t
light a fire.
‘Tire prevention work must be
started here . . . inspections of
all buildings must be made and
Hhe cooperation of owners must
be 100 percent to make it suc
cessful.
incic aic man jr pxiaoco vi act
building the fire department that
will not cost money. Training
classes during which the men
will learn their equipment and
how to use it. . . education of the
public ... the Anchorage depart
ment will be happy to furnish
personnel for the training meet
ings, as will representatives from
the Fort Richardson and Elmen
dorf fire departments and the
Fire Marshal’s office . . . but,
people must help themselves . . .
they are your buildings, your
life, your children ... it is the(
adult’s responsibility to protect
the children, whether they are at
home, in a theatre, grocery store,
school, or elsewhere.”
Bums cited the extensive fire
prevention program being carried
(Continued on page B)
STATEHOOD INSERTS
AVAILABLE HERE
Christmas card inserts, being
distributed by the Statehood
Committee, are available in Pal
mer from Betty Mears. All per
sons interested in obtaining in
serts to include in their Christ
mas cards which are going to the
States are welcome to stop at
Bettys’ and pick up as many as
needed (as long as the supply
lasts).
Operation Statehood is asking
that Alaskans inclose these in
serts in their Christmas cards
which urge Stateside residents to
support Statehood for Alaska and
to write their Congressmen en
listing their support.
: Order your Christmas ;
: plants now so we may ;
have a better choice. :
: Air mail flower orders :
home early.
Come by and see our
new shipment of
Christmas decorations ;
Telegraph Delivery Service ;
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601 ;
Help Fight TB
44*6
cv/7
Boy Christmas Seals
WISCONSIN MAN
NAMED COOP
GENERAL MANAGER
E. H. Schomburg of Durand,
Wisconsin has been retained as
general manager of the Matanus
ka Valley Farmers Cooperating
Association, it was announced to
day by Don Parks, president of
the association’s board of direc
tors. Schomburg will assume his
duties January 1, 1958, replacing
Stewart Durrant who resigned as
general manager of the associa
tion effective December 15.
Mr. Schomburg has a 30-year
background in cooperative work,
having served with a number of
large cooperatives in both Wis
consin and Minnesota. Today he
is in Fairbanks, getting acquaint
ed with the M.V.F.C.A. establish
ment in that city and tomorrow
plans a visit at the Anchorage
plant, following which he will
leave for the States. He is mar
ried and his children are now at
tending college. Mrs. Schomburg
plans to return to Palmer with
her husband January 1.
Women Voters
To Organize At
December 7 Meeting
The Palmer League of Women
Voters will be organized at a
meeting to be held at 1 p.m. in
the Matanuska Electric Associa
tion meeting room Saturday, De
cember 7.
Mrs. Bertren Curxy of Palmer,
serving as temporary chairman,
has extended a cordial invitation
to all interested women of vot
ing age to attend the meeting.
The Palmer League is being
sponsored by the Anchorage
League of Women Voters and of
ficers of that League will con
duct the organization meeting
Saturday. In addition to present
ing the purposes of the League
the women will show film strips
to further illustrate activities of
leagues throughout the States.
Following a registration of
members, a discussion and adop
tion of by-laws will be held.
Members of a pre-organizing
committee consisting of Mrs.
Ragnar Haaland, V. Louise Kel
logg, and Mrs. Sam Boyd, have
prepared the by-laws which will
be presented.
mncers tor tne new organiza
tion will be named at the Decem
ber 7 meeting. A nominating
committee will present a slate
and nominations may be made
from the floor providing the per
son being nominated has been
approached and has agreed to ac
cept an office if elected. Serving
on the nominating committee
have been Mrs. Lee McKinley,
Mrs. Don Irwin, and Mrs. Clar
ence Krause.
These special committees, as
well as the membership and pub- ••
licity committee, were named to
serve only until after the organ
izing meeting.
Mrs. Curry points out that the
League of Women Voters is
strictly non-partisan and it is the
hope of the Anchorage League
that Palmer will have a good re-»
presentation of interests, regard
less of party affiliation or non
affiliation.
Refreshments will be served
during the meeting.
SAVE!
ON YOUR
HOLIDAY GLEANING
LIKE GARMENTS
2 for the 4
price of I
Cash and Carry
BROWN’S CLEANERS
* IIliW ----"—■■• ■•' ■■— -
Pictured above is LeRoi Heaven (left) named this week
as winner of a $400 scholarship award for his outstanding
4-H club work in gardening. Looking at some of LeRoi's
produce is Lew Hanks. Extension Service district agent.
VALLEY YOUTH GETS NATIONAL 4-H HONOR
National honors have come to
one of Alaska’s 4-H members. Le
Rei Heaven, 17, Star Route, Pal
mer, was awarded a $400 scholar
ship in the National 4-H garden
contest. LeRoi is the first 4-H
member from Alaska ever to re
ceive national recognition for his
4-H club work. He is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Foster C. Heaven.
Eight college scholarships of
$400 each were presented to a
blue award group selected from
the State trip winners, consisting
of one from each of the four Ex
tension sections and four at large"
LeRoi is one of three 4-H club
members who attended the 36th
Natioilfcl 4-H Club Congress in
Chicago, December 1-5. They
were accompanied by Marian
Larson, territorial 4-H club lead
er. Other winners who attend
Club Congress are Betty Jo Wil
son, Palmer, winner of the bread
demonstration contest and Kath
erine Kyle, Ketchikan, winner in
the 4-H clothing contest.
In his garden work, LeRoi has
continued to increase tne size oi
his project and during the past
year raised one and one half acres
of garden vegetables, plus one
and one half acres of potatoes.
During the six years he has been
in the garden project, he has fur
nished the family with vegetables
and has accumulated a profit of
approximately $2,500. He is a
member of the Rock and Roll 4-H
Club of Wasilla (Rock is for the
farmers and Roll for the bakers
in the club). Mrs. Harold Dinkle
is the club’s leader. She recent
ly received a leader’s diamond
pin for 25 years service as a 4-H
club leader.
LeRoi is also a member and
junior leader of Barnyard Incor
porated, a 4-H calf club for which
Gene Kirsch of Palmer serves as
leader.
The national 4-H winner’s trip
to Chicago was made possible
through the interests and support
of the Allis- Chalmers Manufact
uring Company. This was the first
time the youth had been to the
States since he was two years old.
AREA REPUBLICANS
ATTENDING TERR.
CONVENTION
Five valley residents will be at
tending the Republican Territori
al Convention in Fairbanks this
week-end. Flying on the charter
flight with the Anchorage dele
gates will be Mrs. Lee McKinley
and Ralph Farnsworth. Making
the trip by* Alaska Railroad will
be M. D. Snodgrass and Mr. and
Mrs. James Frey.
The convention will be held in
the Traveler’s Inn in Fairbanks
and I. Lee Potter of the National
Committee, Washington, D. C.,
will be the speaker.
During the convention dele
gates from Womens Republic
Clubs will meet to consider or
ganizing as a State Federation.
On Friday evening delegates
representing Womens Republican
Clubs throughout Alaska will
meet to consider organizing as a
State Federation.
PALMER MOOSE LODGE
FISH FRY
DANCE & FLOOR SHOW
MOOSE HALL
Saturday, Dec. 7
Serving from
9 p.m. "til?
$1.50 per plate
Moose Members & Guests
PALMER NOW WORTH
OVER $1 MILLION
According to the recently com
pleted annual audit report, the
City of Palmer has total assets
af $1,084,724.59. Of this total'
5112,951.92 is in general fixed as
sets; $200,008.33 is in the bond
fund; $105,821-41 in the general
fund; $664,942.93 in the water
utility fund; and $1,000 in the
general bonded debt.
An expected major expendi
ture was in salaries: Police, $16,
463.96; streets, $12,244.74; water,
$8,806.98; clerk, $7,560.00; attor
ney, $3,600.00; secretary, $3,046.
60 fire, $1,111.25; and health of
ficer, $550.00. Total: $53,383.53.
The city sales tax revenue
reached a total of $72,526.01, over
$9,000 more than estimated. The
auditing firm reported better en
forcement of sales tax ordinance
than in prior periods. Last year’s
collections were $62,973.75.
Other income items included:
Territorial license refunds, $13,
053.10; local business licenses,
$1,897.00; real and personal pro
perty taxes $17,578.26 and magis
trate fines, $1,584.50. Other rev
enue items were in smaller
amounts.
The water department showed
a total operating revenue of $33,
829.99 with a net income of $8,
718.97.
COMFORTABLE
Steam Heated Rooms
$40 Month
Hyland Hotel
2 blocks from Post Office
[ANCHORAGE COMMUNITY CHORUS, WORKSHOP
TO PRESENT CHRISTMAS PROGRAM HERE
Valley residents will be afford
ed a Christmas treat on Friday,
December 13, when over 100
members of the Anchorage Com
munity Chorus and Anchorage
, Community College Workshop
present “The Tales of Christmas
in the Central school gymnasium
at 8:30 p.m.
This outstanding Christmas
program is being brought to Pal
mer under the sponsorship of
many local groups including the
Back to School
Program Makes
Hit With Parents
Back-to-school for high school
parents proved to be a very big
success and was enjoyed by the
124 parents Who participated in
the P-TA sponsored program this
past Tuesday night.
The program was opened by
Mrs. Lee McKinley, P-TA presi
dent, who introduced Keith
Smith, high school principal.
Smith welcomed the group and
pointed out school officials are
seeking a means to get the par
ents back to school ... in closer
k contact with the teaching staff,
school officials and the students.
Briefly, prior to the parents at
tendance to study classes attend
ed by their children, Smith spoke
on an article which appeared in
a recent issue of Cosmopolitan,
“Are You Afraid of Your Teen
ager? . . . citing cases by questions
of how some parents allow their
children to “run” the family.
“These young people not only
need, but want, a good code to
live by”, he pointed out.
Ten minutes were spent by the
visiting parents in each of their
children’s five periods that make
up a school day. During the ten
minutes the teacher of the re
spective classes outlined briefly
the courses being taught—and
why.
The program was planned to
give parents an opportunity to
sit in the class room, get acquain
ted with the teacher, and become
better acquainted with what is
actually going on in his and her
son’s or daughter’s school pro
gram. For many parents it had
been 20 years more or less since
they last sat at a desk in a high
school class. Changes in these past
years were in evidence, not only
in the physical structure of the
school building and class rooms
but in the modern approaches
being used to teach the various
subjects.
_ Parents learned for instance
that during the past few weeks
students in first year English
have been memorizing poems.
Lee Piumbley, instructor, pointed
out the importance of building
the background for the student’s
culture. “Some are finding it fun
—many finding it not as difficult
(Continued on page 8)
Paltrier‘iP-TA, Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce, Koslos
ky’S Department Store, Bettys*,
Paliher Library Association, Beta
Sigma Phi, and the Matanuska
Valley Farmers Cooperating As
sociation:
i The program will illustrate the
meaning of Christmas as told by
drahia, Story and song.
Th'e program will open with a
Thornton Wilder play, “The
Long Christmas Dinner" which
will be directed by Frank Brink.
Brink; director of the workshop,
will be seen on Channel 2, De
cember 10 on the “This Is Your
Life” program in which he ap
pears during a program on the
life of Boris Karloff.
The second presentation will
be a platform reading, “A Child
is Bom”, written by Stephen
Vincent Benet. The traditional
.story of the Nativity will be di
rected by Don Gretzer and will
be supported by a chorus back
ground under the direction of
Mary Hale.
The third part of the program
will be a Christmas concert with
traditional carols and anthems
and five choruses from “Messiah”
presented by the chorus with
Mary Hale as director.
The group, which will include
95 members of the Community
Chorus and 18 Theatre Workshop
members, hope to charter a train
for their trip to and from Pal
mer and will be served a dinner
at the high school cafeteria before
the presentations at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets are now on sale and
may be obtained from various
members of the sponsoring groups
at $1.00 for adults and 50 cents
for children. Proceeds will go to
ward the costs of the dinner,
tickets, and other incidental ex
penses. The group is coming to
Palmer at their own expense and
will make no charge for their
presentations.
BOWLING CENTER
FUNDS REACH
HALF-WAY MARK
Representatives of the Palmer
Bowling Center have announced
that John Polis of Wasilla is ac
cepting subscriptions for the
Bowling Center in the Wasilla
area.
Norm Hartung, one of the re
presentatives, said this week that
the group has to date raised a
little over one half the amount
of money needed to purchase the
bowling alley equipment. “About
30 more shares should do it”, he
added. As soon as the required
amount of money is realized, an
order will be placed for the mod
ern bowling alley equipment De
livery and installation of the ..
equipment has been speculated
to require about three months.
“The sooner we get the order in—
the sooner we’ll all be bowling”,
Hartung said.
YOUR IHVESTMENT IS
NEEDED NOW!!
SUPPORT YOUR OWN RECREATION
A Valley Enterprise
Palmer Bowling
Stock offered only to bonafide resident
of Alaska
FOR DETAILED INFORMATION SEE
E. O. DUGAS
| ROBERT JOHNS
J!M HURLEY
NORM HARTUNG
DR. FOSTER SIMS
ED SMITH
John Poiis, WasiHa, is accepting subscriptions
from interested persons in the Wasilla area.
Live Music "S.'SEsr Palmer Bar Sat., Dec. 7
——in-—.ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY! FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1957