Notebook
Phyllis Eckman, hospital aid
at the valley hospital, has re
turned to her duties following a
trip to the States which started
in April,
Vacationing from her duties in
the office at the valley hospital is
Mrs. Ruth Everett. Mrs. Betty
Mdntire is filling in for her.
Three Beta Sigma Phi mem
bers Monday night received Ex
emplar degrees in a ceremony
held in the Matanuska Hotel. Re
ceiving the degrees were Lor
raine Johnson of Chugiak, Hazel
Harris of Sutton and Eloise Smith
•f I^ilmer. A buffet supper was
served following the ceremony.
Ted and Katheryne White, for
mer valley farmers, are writing
friends from different spots
along their motor trip to the
States. On May 4 they were in
Chillawock, B. C., reporting the
lilacs and magnolias in bloom.
Jasper Skok, a patient at the
valley hospital since the latter
part of January, is now recuper
ating at home. His release from
the hospital coincided with his
and Mrs. Skok’s fifth wedding
anniversary and is considered by
the couple to be the best anniver
sary present thinkable.
(Max Clements, MTA manager,
leaves Friday via airliner, for
Monticello, Indiana, where his
wife, two sons and one daughter
will join him for a return trip
over the Alaska highway. The
Clements expect to arrive in Pal
mer about mid-June.
Communicable diseases report
ed in the Palmer area for the
week ending May 17 indicate that
chickenpox, which has been pre
valent around Anchorage, is
showing up in Palmer. There
were 12 cases reported to the Al
aska Department of Health from
the Palmer area as well as one
case each of conjuctivitis, pneu
monia, and Vincent’s disease.
Louise Winegarner, former
Palmer resident, writes friends
she is located in Hays, Kansas
were she is going into home dem
onstration work. This past year
she has been teaching at Hering
ton, Kansas. Her son Bob will at
tend school at Hays and Ray is
attending Kansas State College
at Manhattan. Louise wrote she
had visited with the Harry Wim
mer family, also former Palmer
ites, and found them all welL
Margaret Cope of Palmer is a
candidate for the bachelor of arts
degree at Willamette University.
Commencement ceremonies will
be held June 2. Miss Cope was
editor this past year of the Uni
versity student newspaper which
was given a first class rating
among College newspapers enter
ed in the 56th All-American Criti
fal Service of the Associated
Collegiate Press.
Ray Lancaster city building of
ficer reminded residents this
week that any building construc
tion or remodeling planned with
in the city requires a permit from
the city. This applies as well to
the moving of buildings he point
ed out.
Mafanuska Rivsr
Rising; About
Ozie Month Early
Cy Brewer, MEA manager, said
today that waters of the Matan
uska River appear, to be rising
fast. He reported the transmis
sion line poles (Bureau of Recla
mation) are holding and that
work on the new MEA transmis
sion line is being rushed as fast
as possible. High waters in the
Matanuska at this time of the
year are unusual.
According to Marvin Slaughter
of the U. S. Geological Survey
office high waters are about one
month ahead of the usual time.
On May 21 6400 cubic feet per
second were recorded by USGS
personnel at their gauge located
near the Matanuska Bridge. On
June 1, 1956 the flow was record
ed as 2600 cubic feet. The water
highth on Tuesday of this week
was 7.65 feet; during the highest
flows 11 to 12 feet are recorded.
Slaughter said the early run
off from the Matanuska Glacier
has been caused by the many
hours of sunshine experienced
this year. He said an interesting
aspect of the river flow is in the
fluctuations noted immediately
after the sun has been shining,
when the waters rise and follow
ing the night hours when the
water level drops.
mm
Only four years after the Matanuska Valley was settled by
colonists from Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, much of
the rich agricultural lands were under cultivation as seen in the
above aerial view taken in that year.
MATANUSKA VALLEY PIONELR
Vol. I
Palmer, Alaska
August 22, 1935
No. 1
Note: On August 22, 1935 Pal
mer's first newspaper was pub
lished by the ARRC with Jack
Allman as editor. His business
office was located in a tent, as
were so many of the establish
ments and homes on that date.
The following exerpts from this
copy of Volume I, No. 1 issue
give some insight to what was
going on in the Palmer area some
22 years ago___
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
OF VALLEY NOW IN FULL
SWING: Early settlers who have
crops to harvest are naw busily
engaged in putting them away.
E. W. Watson, who has farmed in
the valley for 10 years, has an
excellent mixed stand of Victory
oats and Canadian field peas. It
would command the respect of
any farmer in the States.
OTHER CROPS GOOD: There
are also some good stands of
Swedish Select oats and Siberian
wheat. Mr. Don L. Irwin, head
of the ARRC Farming Division,
says that a mill will be erected
here as soon as the acreage war
rants it.
CROP OF ROOT VEGE
TABLES GOOD THROUGHOUT
VALLEY: Ross Sheely, Director
of Agriculture Extension of the
University of Alaska, reports a
very satisfactory crop of potatoes
and other root vegetables.
HOMES BY FALL: Lieut. Col.
L. P. Hunt’s report Saturday said
that 23 houses were enclosed,
that is, completed except for in
side finishing. Sixty-nine others
were under construction. Hunt
said Wednesday that six more
houses were started this week,
leaving only 61 homes on which
no work has yet been done. Most
of the homes still to be started
are in the Butte district. A camp
of 150 men now is securely estab
lished there and George Moland
directly in charge of that area,
believes that his men and the
colonists can get the work done
despite difficulties in getting ma
terials there over an inadequate
road.
HUGE QUANTITIES FREIGHT
ARRIVE WEEKLY AT PAL
MIER : Freight has been rolling
into Palmer in an unprecendent
ed volume for several weeks. The
most notable shipment comprised
1,250,000 feet of lumber for homes
and the Community Center. In
additiop farm machinery has ar
rived from time to time and sev
eral trains have brought in trucks
for the colony's transportation
fleet.
The Co-Op Trading Post -was one of the earliest establishments
during the colonization of the Matanuska Valley. Pictured above
is the "crew-in-charge" among which familiar faces may be
found by those who lived in the valley 22 years ago.
In the early days of the Maianuska Valley Colony horses were
as valuable a mode of transportation as their component, the
motored vehicle. Deep muddy ruts resulted after each rain and
in the spring, at which time old Dobbin was well worth his oats.
MEA DISTRIBUTING NEW RATE BOOKS
New rate books for Matanuska j
Electric Association power users
have been printed and will be
mailed to all users throughout
the system, with the exception
of those residing in the Chugia.z
area where meter reading service
has been instituted. Any user,
living in other sections of the
system, who do not receive a
book through the mail, may pick
up one at the business office in
Palmer.
M.E.A. patrons will note the
penalty for late payments has
been eliminated and a farmer col
lection policy established. All
electric users are asked to note
that meters are to be read on the j
first of the month and payment
g»iade by the 10th. Accounts not
paid at that time become delin
quent and the cut-off date has
been set for the 15th of the
month.
Cy Brewer, MEA manager,
said this week that no re-con
nections will be made except
during work hours, on work days
(Monday through Friday). Out of
the 1550 subscribers, less than
10 percent fall in the “slow pay”
bracket, he said. However, these
late-paying accounts do cause in
creased expenses for M.E.A. be
cause of increased bookkeeping
and work. All members of M.E.A.
are urged to make payments on
time. . [
IN AND OUT AT THE
VALLEY
PRESBYTERIAN* HOSPITAL
KWVWVa
Hospitalized at Valley Presby
terian Hospital this week are the
following: Theodore Knutsen,
Mrs. Rolland Grover and infant
daughter, Donald Swanson, 6,
Chugiak, Mrs. Charles Clamp,
Sutton, Oscar Sylvester, Mile 170,
Mrs. Matt Onkka, Mrs. John De
Vries, Mrs. Etta Wilmoth of Was
illa, Ole Johnson, Jasper Skok,
Clay Prewitt, and Mrs. Ralph
Bradley.
Patients discharged during
the past week include: Mrs.
Vernon Haik of Star Route, Beth
Dodds, 5, Nancy Woods, 10, Dale
Sandvik, Kathy Frost, 3, Jose
phine Peterson, Mrs. Herlee
Stineberg, Roe Huling, of Chug
iak, Mrs. Esther Brauckbauer,
Fred Everett of Goat Creek, Mrs.
Robert Lucas and infant son of
Wasilla, Diana Crites, 11, Mrs.
Jerrold Harrison and infant dau
ghter and Mrs: Richard Jones.
Improvements Noted
During Clean-Up Week
With little or no fanfare Clean
Up Week in Palmer has been in
operation this past week. No con
certed campaign has been carried
out but individuals and groups
have gone about the task of clean
ing up, painting up, and fixing
up, to the best of their ability.
» Homeowners are reminded that
the clean-up campaign ends this
Saturday, and are urged to make
every effort possible to have
their property, and adjoining
empty lots, as clean and as at
tractive as possible for Colony
Day which falls on May 26.
One group of youngsters have
contributed to the campaign by
an all-out clean-up on two val
ley roads.
The Baeters 4-H Club conduct
ed a clean-up campaign hlong the
Fishhook and Farmer’s Loop
roads yesterday from 10 a.m. un
til noon. Mrs. George Brewster
and Mrs. Dick Tunnicliff were in
charge of the clean-up detail
comprised of 20 4-H members.
Also aiding were members of the
Riverbend Homemakers Club
who drove the three trucks which
were used.
Approximately six miles of
garbage-littered roadway were
covered by the operation, and
three truckloads of litter, mainly
empty beer cans, were picked up
from the area covered. Following
the clean-up, the squad gathered
at the home of Mrs. Brewster for
a picnic lunch at noon.
Improvements in the city may
be noted in very nearly every
section. Homeowners have been
spending considerable time in
building up lawns that were
frozen out last Winter, planting
shrubs and flowers about their
grounds and a great number of
fresh paint jobs are in evidence
throughout the city, and most
particularly in the Co-Op busi
ness and housing areas where
pastel colors have greatly enhanc
ed the appearance of that section
of town e tea hhteiii.dnlTerbue
of town. The theatre building is
in the process of being painted
Back in 1935 wash day in
the Malanuska Valley didn't
mean running a load of
soiled dloihes through the
automatic washer and dryer.
It meant scrubbing and
wringing by hand and hang
ing where they would dry
away from the dust and dirsi
of .the town being formed.
[ mm
Even in ihe early days of
the colonization of the Mat
anuska Valley, law and order
was in force as evidenced
by the above photo.
YOUTH PLACED UNDER
JUVENILE CODE
The 16-year-old Palmer youth,
taken into custody by police last
week after having broken into
Koslosky’s Department Store, has
been placed under the juvenile
code and his custody removed
from his parents. Rehabilitation !
of the youth is pending, upder
the jurisdiction of the Depart
ment of Welfare. In addition to
having entered Koslosky’s the
youth admitted having entered
three other establishments in Pal
mer and having taken merchan
dise from all.
HAINES CUT-OFF OPENS
The Haines Cut-off was sched
uled to open today but auto ferry
service to Juneau won’t start un
til June, Frank Metcalf, highway
commissioner announced.
and a work crew has been remov
ing the barrels of asphalt that
were scattered hit-or-miss on the
city lot near the fairgrounds. One
neatly piled group of barrels will
not be moved at this time for
city officials feel they may have
a use for the asphalt this summer.
NEW BABIES
Grover
Mr. and Mrs. Rolland R. Grov
er of Palmer are parents of their
sixth child and daughter. Their
new little girl was bom at Val
ley Presbyterian Hospital May 211
and weighed eight pounds, six:
ounces at birth. Her parents have
chosen Galene as her name. The
Grovers own and operate one off
the valley’s dairy farms.
Over 200 Vehicles—
(Continued from page 1)
are interested in driving a safe
car. Their cooperation in this Ki~
wanis sponsored program is ap
preciated, as is the work the
program involved for the spon
soring club.”
Kiwanians assisting in the pro
gram included Marvin Slaughter,
Charles Marsh, Roscoe Taylor,
Charles Logsdon, Cliff Marcus,
Robert Pippel, William Zahrad*
nicek, Dr. C. C. Bailey, Walt Gut
man and Dr. A. H. Mick, H.., P
Gazaway, Herbert Lang, and Jim?.
Wilson.
Also assisting were John Gore
of Tost’s Service, Walt Briggs of
Kirk’s Sales and Service; Maze?
.'representing Hartley Motors, Inc. ..
and Gordon Ganschow, Henry
Gallant, William Knutsen, and
Tim McMahon, students from the
PHS driver training class.
Legion Poppy—
(Continued from page 1)
million, every penny of which is
devoted to rehabilitation work by
both the Legion and Auxiliary
which includes aid to the needy
veterans and their families.
“The public is given an oppor
tunity each year to help the great
work of the Legion and Auxili
ary, as well as an opportunity to
pay tribute to all who died in ser
vice, by wearing a poppy on
Poppy Day”, the chairman point
ed out.
Mrs. Dorothy Trudell, Unit,
□resident, announced that Dorothy
Campbell, Junior Auxiliary mem
ber ,was named first prize win
ner in the Unit’s annual poppy
poster contest. She was present
ed $5.00 as her prize Frank Cor
nelious, Jr., taking second place,,
was awarded a prize of $3,5.0..
Delegates from all over Alas
ka will assemble in Anchorage
this week-end for the annual Al
aska Wing Conference, Civil Air
Patrol, to be held in the First
Presbyterian Church. A specia*'
event will be presentation of 'he
; Elmendorf APB Female Cadet
Drill Team.
Custom Drapes
sizes and prices
Save money by having your drapes (j
Koslosky's Dept. Store
WANTED!!!
303 of the valley’s BEST farmers who are leokiag for the BEST
in tractor and farm implements.
TES wFTSKE^TRflDE-TNS” - AKDFIHANCE fST"
JOHN BEERE has always been a leader in BEST QUALITY and
new wiih the LARGEST STOCK and MOST VARIETY in the
Territory.
WHEEL TRACTORS
CRAWLER TRACTORS
DOZERS
SCOOPS
FORK LIFTS
DISCS — All Types
HARROWS — 3 & 4 sect.
GRAIN DRILLS
GRASSLAND DRILLS
MANURE SPREADERS
3 sizes
MOWERS
HAY RAKES
HAY CONDITIONERS
BALERS
FORAGE CHOPPERS
GYROMOR
ELEVATORS
COMBINES
Be one of those 300 who "go John Deere this year" and put away a
vacation trip on the money you'll save on fuel and repair bills.
Reduced prices on “60” & “70” wheet tracts ready
for delivery
See BROOK’S EQUIPMENT
, PALMER
Representing
N.C. Co
Kl
GOMPANY
Anchorage