The Fronti_rsman ihp^
- PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLE"? - -..
VOLUME 9, NUMBER IS __PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1955 _ PRICE TEN CENTS
MVFCA ANNOUNCES MERGER WITH TVFA
FINAL PUNS FOR
’56 FARM FORUM
MADE THIS WEEK
-ttiasitan agricultural leaders
met in Palmer February 6 to lay
final plans for the Second Alaska
Farm Forum, Dr. A. H. Mick, Di
rector of the University of Alaska
Extension Service, announced to
day.
“The 1956 Forum will be held
in two sections to meet the tre
mendous interest of Alaskan
fanners, processors, and people
in the marketing trades who over
flowed the meetings held, last
year in Palmer,” Mick said.
A Tanana Valley section will
be held February 29 and March 1
in Fairbanks. Representatives
from southern Alaska will meet
in Palmer March 2, 3, and 4. Dele
gates are expected from Aleu
tian Island livestock ranches,
southeastern Alaska, and the Ma
tanuska Valley- Anchorage area.
Featured speakers will include
Dr. George D. Scarseth, soil
scientist and Director of Research
of the American Farm Research
Association, who participated in
last year’s Forum, Scarseth also
conducted soil studies in Alaska
during the 1955 growing season.
Merrill N. Warnick, president
of the American Dairy Associa
tion and a Pleasant Grove, Utah
dairyman, will speak on market
ing of milk products. Also present
will be Dr. W. E. Peterson, a
Minnesota University scientist
best known for his research in
developing protective antibodies
in the udders of dairy cows whose
milk may offer immunity to a
variety of diseases.
“We are fortunate to attract
0 two scientists whose work can
be great value to Alaskan vege
table growers and dairymen,”
said Dr. Mick, “and Mr. Warnick
comes to Alaska at a time when
we n&ed ht?ip with marketing and
milk distribution problems.” Ad
ditional agricultural scientists,
producers, and processors from
the Territory were selected
to participate in the Palmer sec
tion of the Forum program at the
February 6 meeting of the plan
ning group, he said.
Invited to attend the program
planning meeting were Don. L.
Irwin, Director of the Alaska
Agricultural Experiment Station;
Lee Fryer, fertilizer manager of
the Chas. H. Lilly Company of
Seattle; Dr. George D. Scarseth;
TeiTitorial Agriculture Commis
sioner James Wilson; Stewart
Durrant, Manager of the Mat
anuska Valley Farmers Cooper
ating Association; Territorial
Conservationist Charles Wilson;
James Hurley, Manager of the
Alaska Rural Rehabilitation Cor
poration.
Also George Jackson of Anch
orage, President of Alaska Dairy
Products; Mrs. C. A. Brewer,
President of the Alaska Home
makers’ Council; P. R. Johnson,
Chairman of the Alaska ASC
Committee; Clarence Hoffman,
(Continued on page 4)
*—— -1
BURGERS
f. ----FOR POLIO!::
{ Saturday, Feb. II
ALL PROCGEDS
to
March of Dimes
1 Remember!!
THE HOSPITAL MEETING
FEBRUARY 15
Co-Op Cafe
\ CLAUDIA WILSON. MGR. j
OFFICES TO CLOSE
IFOR LINCOLN'S DAY :
Because Abraham Lincoln’s ;i
birthday falls on Sunday this /
year, several agency offices in
the local area will be closed
on Monday, February 13.
Among those who will be clos- ;
ed ate the Matanuska Valley I
Bank, offices of the Depart- I
ment of Agriculture and Uni- !;
versity of Alaska Extension !
Service. ]
Federal offices will remain
open, including the Soil Con- !
servation Service, U. S. Geo
logical Survey, Alaska Rail- !;
road and the Experiment Sta- '•
tifn. The office of the U. S.
Commissioner will remain op- !
en, specifically for persons :
wishing to obtain vehicle li- :
censes. ■
LARGE ATTENDANCE
ANTICIPATED AT
HOSPITAL MEETING
Area merchants this week join
ed forces with the board of di
rectors of the Valley Hospital As
sociation in urging the public to
attend the annual meeting of the
Valley Hospital Association
which will be held next Wednes
day evening, Febmary 15, in the
cafeteria at the new high school.
Meeting time has ben set at 7:30
p.m.
Valley residents are showing
good interest in the hospital, ac
cording to Board president, John
Weisenberger. By February 6,
350 renewals or new member
ships had been purchased. As a
result of letters mailed to all
Valley organizations early this
week, it is thought that the year’s
drive may bring in a total of 500
memberships.
Membership sales will cease at
7 p.r.i. fee night of the annual
meeting to permit closing the
books so the meeting may be call
ed to order on time.
Chief item of business on the
agenda is the election of three
board members for three-year
terms. Board members whose
terms expire are President Weis
enbergr, Priscilla Bacon, and
Wesley Norbo. A slate of eight
nominees has been prepared by a
nominating committee and con
sists of Mrs. Thelma Ross, Mrs.
Glen Parsinger, Mrs. Ben Hudg
ins, Mrs. Cy Brewer, Ray Lan
caster, George Kezak, Dale Bry
ant and Phillip Edleman. Addi
tional nominations may be made
from the floor.
All members must present
their 1956 membership cards in
(Continued on page 4)
EVENING HOURS
SET FOR LICENSE
PLATE PURCHASES
For the convenience of those
persons who are unable to get
into town during the daytime,
U. S. Commissioner Dorothy Sax
ton announced this week that
her office will be open the eve
ning of February 16, from 6:00
to 8:00 p.m. for the purchase of
vehicle license plates. Mr§. Sax
ton reminded vehicle owners
that February 28 is the deadline
for purchase. Following that
date there will be no warnings
issued, anyone driving an un
licensed vehicle will be cited.
The purchase of registration
plates is running behind last
year, Mrs. Saxton said this week.
“Many res'dents have yet to
purchase their new 1956 plates,”
she said.
Territorial school tax pay
ments, $7.50, may also be paid at
Mrs. Saxton’s office. The iax is
due and payable January 1 of
each year, and with few excep
tions, must be paid by all per
sons who are employed in Alas
ka.
I Boy Scouts Mark 46th Birthday |
&&th ANNIVERSARY #956
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
OFFICIAL BOY SCOUT WEEK POSTER
More than 4,100,000 Cub Scouts,
Boy Scouts, Explorers, and adult
leaders throughout the nation
will observe Boy Scout Week,
February 6 to 12, marking the
46th anniversary of the Boy
Scouts of America.
Since 1910, Scouting has served
over 24,500,000 boys ahd adult
leaders.
The new Four-Year Program,
“Onward for God and My Coun
try,” is launched in 1956 to help
prepare America's boys to live
in today’s world and to prepare
them to carry their full share
in the years ahead.
Boy Scout Week observances
will feature rededication cere
monies to be conducted by each
of the nation’s 104.000 units at
their meeting places on Febru
ary 8, the actual birthday of
Scouting in America. Demonstra
tions and exhibits will drama
tize the purposes of the Boy
Scouts of America and its rich
heritage.
CD To Show
Free Film,
“Operation Noah”
The public was this week urg
ed by Alfred Hagen, Greater
Palmer Civil Defense director, to
attend a public showing of CD
films which will be held next
Thursday evening, February 16,
at 8 p.m. in the Valley Theatre.
There will be no admission
charge.
The feature film, “Operation
Noah’’, is based on the coopera
tive work done by Civil Defense
and the U. S. Army during the
devastating floods experienced
by residents in the Northeastern
states last year. Additional short
films will be shown by CD per
sonnel.
More participants in the local
Civil Defense program are need
ed, Hagen stated this week. Any
one who will help in the program
—from first aid workers to book
keepers, wardens, fire and police
work, engineering, transportation
—there’s a place for every volun
teer we can get, Hagen said.
Volunters are requested to con
tact Hagen at any time, or after
the film showing next Thursday.
Fm.e.a. nominating
COMMITTEE TO MEET
I; A meeting of the nominating !;
> committee of the Matanuska /
; Electric Association will hold
> a meeting Thursday evening, <;
; February 16, in the office of
; the association at 8 p.m. All j;
^committee members are urg- ;
| > ed to be present. • ;i j
Go-Op Cafe
To Sponsor
“Burgers for Polio”
The current March of Dimes
campaign in Palmer will be given
a lift this Saturday by Mr. and
Mrs. Jim Wilson of the Co-Op
Cafe who are sponsoring a “Bur
gers for Polio” day at the cafe.
All proceeds from sale of burg
ers at the cafe this Saturday will
go to the March of Dimes fund.
The Wilsons said this week they
will be happy to prepare orders
to go—they will even deliver, if
it isn’t too far from the cafe. The
Wilsons are building up a fine
reputation for their burgers, in
which they are using pure ground
beef. The burgers will sell for
50 cents apiece.
Collections received a boost
this week from Mr. and Mrs. L.
P. Rorrison who contributed
their annual dime-savings which
this year amounted to $17.00.
Contributions to the current
campaign are running far behind
past year’s collections, Ed Smith,
campaign chairman said this
week. With over one half of the
collection bottles counted, only
$53.70 has been contributed in
this manner. Smith pointed out
that the Salk vaccine h£ts not
yet solved the polio problem. A
case was reported in Anchorage
this week and very expensive
therapy work must continue for
years for those persons who have
had polio. Equipment and it’s
maintenance, trained personnel
travel costs and many other cost
ly expenses must be borne by the
March of Dimes Foundation.
The Foundation’s source of in
come is the general public. Only
^Continued on page 4)
^ONING^PROPOSALS^
TO BE MADE TONIGHT
> City residents are given
' their final remainder of the !;
> public meeting to be held to- <:
/ night at City Hall, beginning
; at 7:30 p.m., for a discussion of j:
!; proposed zoning in the City of ;!
!; Palmer. The proposals will be |
/ brought to the public by mem- ;
!; bers of the City Planning !
I; Commission and will include
; suggested zonings for the vari
; ous sections of the city. All in- ;
terested residents are urged
; to attend the meeting and par
; ticipate in the discussions. ;
;! Commission members have ;
\ pointed out that their suggest- ;
\ ed zonings are not .the final ;
; word. It is up to the people
;! living in these sections to >
make known their desires at /
;! this time. Once the zoning is
! accepted, it will eventually be i;
’ put into effect. Changes may I;
;! be made from time to time, !;
to suit the growth and expan- !;
sion of the city, or sections of !
;j the city, they added. j;
FAIRBANKS, PALMER
TO MEET IN TWO
BASKETBALL GAMES
The top team !o the T'
Conference, the Fairbanks Male
mutes, will be in Palmer this
week-end for a two-game series
with the Palmer High School
team. Games will be played at
Central School gymnasium.
The Malemutes have experi
enced a fine season this year and
will be looking for a repeat of
the trouncings they handed the
Moose up in Fairbanks last
month. The Palmer hoopsters
have been piling in lots of prac
tice time and will be on their
home court.
Although these games are the
final Railbelt Conference games
between the far-north and Pal
mer, schools, the teams will meet
again on March 5 when they open
the Western Alaska Basketball
Tournament at Anchorage.
Delegate Hurley
Returns Home
From Convention
James W. Hurley, area dele
gate to the Constitutional Con
vention, returned to his home in
Palmer on Monday of this week,
following attendance at the 75
day convention during which the
proposed Alaska Constitution
was drawn by 55 delegates from
throughout Alaska. Commenting
briefly on the convention, Hur
ley had high praise for his fellow
delegates. He told of the many
problems which came up during
the drawing of the Constitution;
of the mutual work done by the
Delegates; and of the non-partis
an -ttitude of all participants.
A large oil portrait of William
Egan, Convention president, was
presented to him as a gift from
the Delegates, by Hurley, Ada
Wien of Fairbanks, Mike Walsh
of Nome, and William Knight of
Sitka. In describing the presenta
tion, Hurley said that a prepared
speech was impossible to make,
so filled with emotion were the
men and women who had work
ed together, under Egan’s capable
leadership, for so long.
Alaska’s constitutional conven
tion will be honored for all time
by the University of Alaska, Dr.
Ernest N. Patty, university presi
dent, disclosed today.
He said the board of regents
agreed to coname the new $600,
000 Student Union Building, in
which the convention just ended,
“Constitution Hall.”
FAIRBANKS GROUP
TO JOIN LOCAL
CO-OP ASSOCIATION
The merger of the Tanana Val
ley Farmers Association and the
Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
operating Association was an
nounced this week by Stewart
Durrant, general manager of the
local Association.
"This is the first time the Co
Op has expanded outside the
Valley area, as far as producers
are concerned,” he said.
The first formal discussion of
the merger was made by mem
bers of the Tanana Valley Farm
ers Association last summer
; when a vote taken indicated their
; interest to affiliate as a branch
; of the M.V.F.C.A., Durrant said.
During the annual meeting of the
j local Association in August of
I 1955, the proposal was present to
: the members and a committee
consisting of Harold Thuma,
Simon J. Newcomb, and A. R.
Carson were appointed to investi
' .gate the feasibility, possibility,
land ways some type of merger
.might be perfected.
Following considerable study
by the committee, and with infor
hiation gathered by the general
manager during a trip to the
States, the findings were presen
ted at a special membership
•'"“ting held February 2. A un
... ora ous vote of the membership
accepted the Tanana group into
the organization as members and
the local Co-Op Association will
take over liabilities and assets
of the Tanana group. Assets of
the Tanana Association include a
large potato cellar, large apart
ment house, office, several acres
of land, a new truck, and potato
processing and grading machin
ery. A11 bookkeeping and office
work will be transferred to the
general office in Palmar, Dur
rant said.
Twenty-five producing mem
bers have now joined the local
Co-Op through the merger. The
far-north members will have full
privileges of the association, and
patronage memberships will be
permitted in the Tanana area as
in the local Valley area.
"This merger will have many
advantages,” Durrant pointed out.
“It will give us a much stronger
bargaining position--we will be
better able to supply agricultural
needs it offers us a chance to
step up the quality and grade of
produce sold—will give us ter
ritory-wide distribution—'and of
great importance, will open up
possible industry through grains
(Continued on page 4)
I REMEMBER YOUR
SWEETHEART !;
ON FEBRUARY 14 WITH
FLOWERS FROM
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Building
VALENTINE SPECIAL ;;
S15 Helen Curtis ox
Durant Permanent $12.50
Remember the Hospital
Meeting ;>
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Phone 3301
: LAVONNE JOHNSON
!; Where Else Will $1 Donation j’
Admit You to a Dance? ;!
; It covers refreshments, gives
\ you a chance on a record ■ ;
; player and a chance to buy /
kisses. I;
COME TO THE i;
: Leap Year Dance ;
MARCH 3 —10 to 1
SCHOOL GYM
Sponsored by
\ NORTHLAND PIONEER
GRANGE
FRANK CORNELIUS Vt nlfninp ||ni|ut ^08
& “WOODY” WOODS»»“ltUlllC llUlllt SAXTON
EVERYONE WELCOME - Music by WHITEY & SAXTON