SEWARD’S
All-Weather
SEAPORT
Is Alaska s
Greatest Asset
Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD, ALASKA
Vol. VII, No. 16
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1950
Price 10 cents
Officials Here
Acquiring
Airport Land
Senator Victor C. Rivers, Stan
ley McCutcheon and S. J. Buck
alew, engineer and attorneys
for the Territorial Board of
Aeronautics arrived in Seward
Wednesday and remained over
Thursday for the purpose of
acquiring additional land for
the-proposed airport extension.
A conference was called on
Wednesday with all those hold
ing land adjacent to the site. It
was decided that it will be neces
sary to have easements on file
from Wm. J. Bland and Henry
DuFresne, and the outright pur
chase of approximately 15 to 20
acres belonging to Herman
Leirer, with an equal amount
from Mrs. Jean Thorne, heiress
to the Hoban and Davis estate.
Mr. Buckalew remained over
Friday to complete the trans
action of agreements which was
concluded by an agreement with
Leirer to sell the needed acreage
at the rate of $40 per acre.
Bland and DuFresne are expect
ed to grant easements and Mrs.
Thorne is awaiting an opinion
from her attorney, who will be
in by the first plane to get
through.
Business License
For Farmers
Farmers, too, must pay the
Alaska business license fee, M.
M. Moore, deputy tax collector,
announced at Palmer last week.
Mr. Moore said that although
farmers apparently do not un
derstand this section of the busi
ness license act passed by the
last legislature, they must pay
the license fee of S25 (applicable
to all gross receipts uo to
$20,000).
The tax was due on Jan. 1
1950, and is now six months de
linquent.
Faith Chapel Sponsors
African Movies
Rev. Samuel Cassells, Deputa
tion Secretary, Sudan Interior
Mission, will be in Seward Mon
day and Tuesday, August 28 and
29 to lecture and show techni
color movies of Africa, under
sponsorship of the Seward Faith
Chapel.
Rev. Cassells has spent over
22 years in the African Mission
field. He just completed three
weeks of meetings in Anchorage
and the series proved very pop
ular.
The August 28 and 29 lectures
will commence at 7:30 p.m. each
evening. There is no charge.
The public is cordially invited
to attend.
FIRE CHIEF ARRIVES HOME
FROM STATESIDE TRIP
Fried Kielcheski and family
arrived home Tuesday after a
long vacation in the States. They
have lost no weight and look
fine .
Fred visited his old home town
in Wisconsin for the first time
in 28 years. It has grown up so
much that he wouldn’t have rec
ognized it, said Fred. Being the
youngest of the family, it was
about time that he went back to
see the folks, he added, and he
enjoyed the trip very much.
They drove over the Alaska
Highway both ways.
BAKE SALE
The Lutheran Ladies Aid will
hold a bake sale next Saturday,
August 26, in McMullens Store,
starting at 12:00 noon.
Donkeys To Race
Saturday Afternoon
On Fourth Avenue
Saturday afternoon on Fourth
Avenue the donkeys that are
here to play in the soft ball
game will race for the benefit
of sightseers. It is said that
Peggy and Dick Beissner, Chuck
Cole and Delores Hasty will be
the riders.
It will be worth seeing who
can manage to mount the little
creatures for the race, as well
as the actual ball game on Sun
day. The Sunday game is for
the benefit of the swimming
pool fund and is being spon
sored by Joe Doyle.
Youngsters are having a swell
time petting and feeding the
donkeys. More loaf sugar has
changed hands this last two
days than in any week before
their arrival. They eat it up! It
is the first time for many Sew
ard children to have seen any
but wild animals and the usual
run of domestic pets.
Bartlett Asks Funds
For Highway
Delegate Bob Bartlett asked
for an appropriation of
SI 1,000.000 Wednesday for the
immediate repair, widening and
straightening of the Seward
Anchorage highway from Mile
6 to the beginning of the new
highway construction.
This piece of highway linking
Seward with the new road
lies entirely within the Chu
gach National Forest. Funds
for road improvement in the
forest area are approved by the
Dept, of Agriculture, and for
the past several years the de
partment has claimed lack of
funds for such improvements.
It is now deemed a military
I necessity, and will have the
support of the Department of
i Defense.
Chief Clark Resigns
Police Force
Police Chief Leonard Clark
resigned his position with the
Seward force to accept a posi
i tion in Klamath Falls, Oregon,
: according to a telegram received
from him yesterday by Mayor
Eugene Lanier.
Mr. Clark was given leave of
! absence in July until Sept. 15,
at which time he did not know
whether he would return to
Seward, but it was hoped that
he would.
Acting police chief, Commis
sioner Don Wilson and the City
Council are taking steps to fill
the position immediately.
W.S.C.S. PICNIC HELD AT
SERVICE CLUB
Due to rainy weather the pic
nic planned at Bear Lake for
the Woman's Society of Christian
Service was held at the Jesse
Lee Service Club Thursday.
A large group of members and
their families and friends gath
ered for a delicious potluck sup
per climaxed with the roasting
of hot dogs and marshmallows
in the large, cheery fireplace.
A short business meeting fol
lowed the supper, with Miss
Frances Clark presiding in the
absence of the president, Mrs.
Gladys Bogard. Much of the
success of the picnic was due to
the efforts of Mrs. Helen Wen
gert who was assisted by Mrs.
Helen Jordan and Mrs. Tressler.
LOCAL CARPENTERS
BOOST PAY RATE
Carpenters Local 2304, AFL,
in Seward has voted to adopt the
pay scale as set for the Territory
this summer at $2.82 per hour
for all work beginning Septem
ber 1, 1950.
This puts the pay scale on an
equal basis with other locals
throughout Alaska.
Civil Defense
Plans Being
Carried Out
A. G. McRae reported to the
Civil Defense Committee which
met last night that the air
raid-fire siren is cleaned, wired
and ready for installation on
the roof of Pat’s Garage. It is
necessary to lay extra cable to
synchronize the siren with that
in the fire hall. This work is to
be done by the Utilities Board.
Bob Muller reported that a
valve has been installed in the
Lowell Creek hydralic power
line which will make available
an extra water supply by turn
ing in the Lowell Creek water
with the regular supply in case
of emergency.
Jack Werner, in charge of
the sub-committee for laying
out the town in blocks with
wardens and alternate wardens
has the plan nearly ready to be
put into effect.
The advisability of an emer
gency food cache outside of
town, and the necessity of a
relocation program for women
and children in extreme emer
gency was also discussed.
Biggest Dance Ever
For Labor Day
A dance sponsored by all the
unions represented in town in
one big combine for the Labor
Day celebration promises to be
the biggest affair of its kind
ever held in Seward.
The unions are sponsoring the
dance for the benefit of the Sew
ard Fourth of July celebration.
The afternoon, however, will be
devoted to the entertainment of
Seward's children.
Free skating, games, hot dogs,
ice cream and pop for all the
kids in town will get them off
to a good start on the school
year which begins the next day.
This is the second annual cele
bration of the Seward unions
for the benefit of the kids.
ALASKA STEAM TAKES TWO
MORE SHIPS FOR
M.S.T. SERVICE
| Two additional Victory-typo
: vessels have been designated by
the Federal Maritime Board for
delivery to the Alaska Steam
ship Company for operation un
der the stepped up activity of
the Military Sea Transportation
Service, D. E. Skinner, vice
president and general manager
‘ of the company, said in Seattle
| this week.
The vessels are the Clovis Vic
tory and Bedford Victory, pres
I ently in Alameda, California and
Baltimore, Maryland, respective
ly.
According to present plans,
these vessels will be turned over
to the Alaska Steamship Com
pany under bareboat charter on
August 28 and simultaneously
chartered to M.S.T.S.
The steamer Joliet Victory
was the first vessel assigned to
The Alaska Line under the pres
ent program. Delivery was ef
fected August 14 in New York
City.
GODFREY FINED ON
DRUNK CHARGE
George F. Godfrey, arrested
by city police, was sentenced
Thursday on a drunk and dis
orderly conduct charge, with
90 days in jail, 90 days sus
pended, and $100 fine.
He appeared in the Commis
sioner’s Court.
Frank Towle, Cooper Land
ing, is in Seward General Hos
pital for treatment and obser
vation.
Equalization Board
is Making City
Tax Adjustments
Only a few townspeople have
appeared before the Board of
Equalization meeting this week
for tax adjustments. Almost all
of those appearing had failed
to submit the assessment forms
as requested, consequently last
years figures were taken by
the assessor, with additions
made from his own personal
observation.
In some cases errors were
made in the record because of
the hurried transfer of figures
or confusion in the record occas
sioned by the fact of three dif
ferent persons handling the
books within one year. It is a
difficult job in itself to take
over all the city tax records
without an opportunity to dis
cuss the work with the former
assessor.
Mr. Harry Southard was
appointed to the position upon
the death of A.A. Fairweather
June 2ti of this year.
Land values remain the same |
as those established last year, i
as do also the millage rates. I
Real property is taxed at the i
rate of 12 mills: personal prop-i
erty at the rate of 20 mills.
Seward Schools Open
September 5
The Seward Public Schools
will open September 5 with the
following staff of teachers:
First grade, Mrs. Marie Elbe
and Miss Joan Terry.
Second grade, Mrs. Dorothy1
Frost and Mrs. Blanche Miller.
Third grade, Miss Ruth An
derson and Mrs. Hilda Moore.
Fourth grade, Miss Lurline
Wilkins.
Fourth and Fifth grade, Mr.
Ben Franmpton.
Fifth grade, Miss Flavia Han
sen.
Sixth grade, Miss Jane Mc
Mullen.
Seventh grade and P.E. (boys),
Mr. Donald A. Dalberg.
Eighth grade, Mrs. Edna
Younker.
Music, Miss Betty Boyd.
Home Ec.. and P.E. (girls),
Miss Nancy Friedrich.
Commercial, Mrs. Hazel Muir.
Math, and Science, Mrs. Grace
I Campen.
i History, English, Spanish, Mr.
i Walter B. Blue.
j Shop and Science, Mr. Hugo
Tringali.
English and Library, Miss Jo
anne Lind.
Superintendent and Latin, Mr.
Carl R. Carlson.
, School Registration
Begins Wednesday
Registration of first graders
will take place in the office of
the superintendent of schools on j
Wednesday, Thursday and Fri
day, August 29-30 and Sept. 1.
The office will be open from
1 to 4 p.m. each of these days.
Registration of the remaining;
grades and the high school will!
be held when school opens on!
Tuesday, September 5.
SEWARD YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE REGISTERED AT
OUTSIDE SCHOOLS
Four Seward young people
have registered at Washington
State College for the coming
Fall term.
Mildred Hansen, Jeanette
Lind, Edward Renwald and
Lilly Thorstvedt will be leaving
soon to take up their studies. 1
Paul McMullen, Dick Dangler,1
Wilma Myers and a number of;
others will also be outward
bound next month. The percent-,
age of Seward students in higher !
schools in the States is very
high. 1
Kenai Festival
To Promote
Peninsula
The village of Kenai is at
tempting to do its share in the
coordination and development of
the entire area of Kenai Penin
sula by holding a festival on the
Labor Day week end. The Kenai
people hope to help advertise
the Peninsula by having the
Kenai Fall Festival take its place
alongside Seward’s Potlatch and
Homer’s Fair.
The Kenai community is small
but very active and plans for a
full scale festival, the proceeds
to go to the benefit of the Kenai
Community Library, which al
ready rivals any other on the
Peninsula.
Mrs. Allan Petersen, chairman
of the “home products’’ booth,
states: “It is our hope that many
contributions of home products
will be sent to us for display
from each of the various com
munities on the Peninsula. We
are not aiming for prize exhibits
but for display of what can and
is being produced in the way of
garden produce, poultry and
farm products, home canning,
home crafts such as wood, fur,
leather, and moose horn articles.
“The contributions we solicit
are intended for display and will
be sold at public auction later
in the day (Sept. 2) and the pro
ceeds will go for the benefit of
the Community Library.”
Mrs. Petersen asks that con
tributions be sent so as to arrive
by noon on Saturday, Sept. 2, if
possible. People arriving through
the afternoon, however, may
bring their exhibits with them
if it is more convenient.
The people of Kenai cooperat
ed beautifully with Seward at
the Potlatch held here last
February, and it is hoped that
Sewardites will reciprocate in
this, their first venture. There
may not be much in the way of
exhibits from Seward, but the
drive to Kenai, or the trip by
bus, is well worth the effort on
the holiday week end.
The Kenai Festival opens on
Saturday, Sept. 2. Formal open
ing of the new Territorial school
is scheduled for Sunday, and a
dance on Monday night.
KINDERGARTNERS TO
REGISTER NEXT WEEK
Kindergarten registration will
be held next Wednesday, Thurs
day and Friday, August 30, 31,
and September 1, from 2 to 4
p.m. at the high school.
Mrs. O. L. Gilbert will be
instructor for the ch ldrcn. In
formation regarding eligibility
may be obtained by phoning
Adams 37.
HIGHWAY TRIP IS TOUGH
FOR WOMEN DRIVERS
Mrs. Aretta Hoffman and two
sons, Lester and Willis, arrived
in Seward Wednesday from
Eureka, Calif.
Mrs. Hoffman drove over the
highway by herself, completing
the trip in eight days. She was
formerly with the Alaska Shop
at the fountain.
Mrs. Cecil Horton also re
turned by highway from the
States last week. She drove the
entire trip without assistance.
Many men repeatedly insist
that women who make the trip,
doing all the driving, are to be
commended for their ability,
skill and endurance on the long
journey. Several Seward women
have made the trip in recent
years.
Patsy Mann from Kenai is in
Seward General Hospital for a
tonsilectomv.