SEWARD’S
All-TVeathec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska s
Greatest Asset
Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD, ALASKA
Vol. VI, No. 74
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY. MARCH 17, 1950
Price 10 Cents
Welcome Lions Club Delegates
To Seward
Fifth Annual Alaska Convention
MARCH 16 - 17 - 18
Our Yearly Objective—Seward's Community Welfare
Liberty - Intelligence - Our Nation’s Safety
ritorial Library
4-61
C of G Letter
To Seward
School Board
Seward School Board,
Seward, Alaska.
Dear Sirs:
The Seward Chamber of Com
merce was surprised to read in
the Seward Seaport Record,
issue of March 14th, that the
School Board had definitely de
clined to recommend to the City
Council the building of a gym
nasium, which can be approved
at once by the Alaska Public
Works Agency, and were hold
ing out for the building of a
high school building and audi
torium, which cannot be ap
proved for several years, due
to the Commissioner of Educa
tion claiming that Seward has
adequate school buildings, “class
rooms,” for two or three years.
The Chamber of Commerce
has no wish to question the
action of the School Board con
cerning the need of additional
class rooms, but we do wonder
if due consideration is being
given to a project that is badly
needed in Seward, and which is
within the recommendation of
the Governor for immediate
action. To sacrifice a needed
addition to the school facilities,
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Sea Hawks Return
From Juneau Trip
The eight tired boys of the
Seward Sea Hawks and their
coach will return tonight on the
train. They did not win their
basketball series, and are not
the Alaska champions, but we
are proud of them anyway. To
paraphrase an old adage, “It is
better to have played and lost
than never to have played at
all.”
The radio broadcasts* of the
three games proved them to have
oeen wTell played, and the two
teams evenly matched. The ex
citement of the Tuesday battle,
which ended with a one point
oss, reached fever pitch.
The whole story will have to
vait until the team arrives.
TRESSLER BURNING
1UACKENBUSH
The glare in the sky over the
mall boat harbor last night was
[Othing to get worried about,
llenn Tressler is burning the
ulk of the Quackenbush so as
> get it out of the way before
le dredgers arrive to dredge
le harbor. The fire department
rill stand by to prevent any
anger of the fire spreading.
Special Train Brings
j Elks To Attend
Purple Bubble Ball
The Seward Elks will hold
their first annual Purple Bubble
! Ball on Saturday night in the
Civic Center. This is a tradition
al dance given by Elks Lodges
all over America some time dur
ing the year. The Seward Elks
Lodge, being one of the newer
groups in the Territory, are put
ting on the affair for the first
time this year.
j The dance floor is being pol
! ished. the building decorated in
purple and white streamers and
balloons. Music will be furnished
by the Swanson Swingsters of
Anchorage, and the whole eve
ning promises to be a very fes
tive affair, backed by the fel
lows who make a specialty of
good entertainment.
A special train will leave An
chorage at 10:00 o'clock Satur
day morning, carrying t w o
sleepers and 100 visiting Elks
from Anchorage and the Rail
belt. Lions Club members and
the visitors to the Lions 5th Dis
trict Convention have also been
invited to attend,
i Joe Hughes is chairman of the
i entertainment committee, assist
i ed by Hal Gilfilen, Del Zent
; mire, and others on the big job
j of decorating the hall.
FHA Representative
Here for Weekend
I Mr. George Bond, representa
■ tive of Clinton C. Staples, Terri
J torial Director of Federal Hous
| ing, is to be in Seward during
| the weekend. He was scheduled
j to arrive Thursday, but did not
1 arrive on that day.
j He asked Mayor Eugene N.
I Lanier to arrange an interview,
j saying that “we are gradually
! solving your problems and have
I full support of the Eank of Sew
ard.’’
Because of the uncertainty as
to the exact time of arrival, it is
impossible to arrange a public
interview for any set time, but
all steps will be taken to inform
prospective home builders who
are interested in receiving FHA
assistance.
NEW POLICE CAR ON WAY
Word was received by Don
Wilson, Police Commissioner,
by way of a telegram sent to
Hamilton’s Garage, that Sew
ard’s new police car was being
shipped March 16 from Seattle
aboard the SS Nadina. The car
should be on the dock in 8 or
10 days.
Mr. and Mrs. Glen Hammerly
celebrated their fourth wedding
■ anniversary Thursday evening.
Alaska Lions
Convention In
Gateway City
The Fifth Annual Convention
of the Alaska District of Lions
International is underway in
Seward this week. Delegates be
J gan to gather and registered on
Thursday, March 16.
Business sessions will con
tinue through Friday and Satur
day, with adjournment after
the banquet Saturday evening.
The Seward Lions Club was
organized in June, 1944, in the
Palace Cafe, under the direction
of Ellsworth G. Whalen, repre
sentative of Lions International
of Chicago, 111., with 24 charter
members. Lion Whalen had ap
pointed three prqspective mem
bers as a nominating committee,
who presented a list of names to
fill the club offices.
The charter was presented to
the club by Thomas N. Fowler,
theft director of Lions Interna
tional of Seattle. Since the club’s
inception it has had many inter
esting affairs. Among the first of
these was “days of '98.” For one
night in February, 1945, Seward
reverted to the gun-totin', rip
snortin'. hell-raisin’ days when
all forms of vice were wide
open.
(Turn to Page 4'
American Legion Post
Sponsors Scout Troop
Announcement is made that a
local troop of the Boy Scouts of
America is being formed in Sew
ard. and that all boys 11 through
14 years of age, are invited to
attend the first meeting of this
troop next Tuesday night.
This meeting is being held in
the basement of the Episcopal
Church at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday,
March 21. This will be a get
acquainted meeting and will ex
plain to prospective members
how to join, what the Boy Scout
program is, and all the activities
that will be engaged in. This is
an opportunity to get in at the
start of a group that will be
going on hikes, camping over
night, learning to read a com
pass, tie all kinds of knots, have
its own baseball team, and many
other things: so do not miss it.
An evening of games—maybe
something good in the line of
refreshments—has been planned
by the American Legion Boy
Scout Committee, who are the
sponsors and guides for this
troop; so, again, the committee
urges, “Don’t miss being at the
Episcopal Church basement next
Tuesday night.”
S Engineer To Hold
Seward Hearing On
Small Boat Harbor
Mayor Eugene N. Lanier this
week received the following let
ter from the Corps of Engineers,
Office of the District Engineer,
Alaska District, Anchorage:
“Reference is made to your
letter of 23 February, 1950, and
your conversation on 10 March
in this office with Mr. L. A
Stanley and Mr. H. L. Moats, re
garding the possibility of ex
tending the existing breakwater,
and analysis of the needs of an
other breakwater at the Seward
Harbor of Refuge.
“The Alaska District plans to
complete an Interim Report of
the Copper River-Prince William
Sound area during this year, and
will hold a hearing in Seward in
the near future to determine the
scope of improvements des red
by local interests.
“I would like to take this
means of assuring the people of
Seward of the combined interest
of the Corps of Engineers in the
problems of the community, and
to assure you that the Alaska
District will do everything pos
sible to assist in solving your
problems.
“Sincerely yours,
L. E. Sceman
Colonel, CE
District Engineer”
CAA Man Tc Discuss
Seward Airport
The following telegram was
received by Mayor Eugene N.
Lanier today from Robert O.
Kinsey, CAA, Anchorage:
“Arriving Seward by train
Friday evening. Will be at the
New Seward Hotel and will look
forward to talking informally to
you and other interested persons
about Seward air transportation
facilities and requirements. Plan
to remain in Seward at least un
til noon Sunday.”
Persons interested in this sub
ject, and who wish to attend the
informal discussion should con
tact Mayor Lanier for further
information.
NOTICE TO HIKERS, ETC.
The public is warned to be
extremely cautious when in the
vicinity of Jap Creek Canyon
entrance, as blasting operations
will be carried on there for ap
proximately the next 30 days.
V.F.W. AND AUXILIARY
TO MEET MARCH 28
There will be a joint meeting
of Seward Post 386 Veterans of
Foreign Wars and Auxiliary on
Tuesday, March 28, in the I.O.F.
Hall. It will be a business and
social meeting with introduction
i of new members.
Engineers
Recommend
Improvements
j For the information of all who
! may have an interest in the com
! prehensive investigation regard
1 ing the advisability of improve
ment of the harbors and rivers
of Alaska in the interest of navi
gation, flood control, hydroelec
tric power and related water
uses, as authorized and directed
by Section 204 of the Flood Cob*
trol Act of 1948 (Public Law
858 - 80th Congress), notice is
given that an interim report
thereon covering the Cook Inlet
Basin has been made by the Dis
trict and Division Engineers and
j is favorable to various improve
' ments.
Public hearings were held in
1949 in connection with the
referenced investigation and
Cook Inlet Interim Report.
The reporting officers recom
mend the following improve
ments that should be Of interest
to Kenai Peninsula residents:
Navigation
Construction of a small boat
basin in Seldovia Bay 700 feet
by 300 feet in extent, dredged to
a depth of 12 feet below mean
lower low water and protected
by two rock breakwaters, at a
total first cost to the Corps of
Engineers of S364.700 plus $1400
annually for maintenance, sub
ject to provisions concerning
requirements of local coopera
tion and agreements.
Construction of a small boat
harbor at Homer by dredging a
basin 400 feet by 300 feet to an
elevation of minus 12 feet at the
lower end of Homer Spit and
protected by a rubble mound
jetty, at an estimated first cost
to the Corps of Engineers of
$353,500 plus $500 annually for
maintenance; subject to the same
requirements of local coopera
tion as specified above for the
Seldovia project.
Construction of a small boat
basin at Ninilchik by dredging
in the river channel an area 320
feet by 150 feet to an elevation
of 2 feet above mean lower low
water, with an approach chan
nel excavated to an elevation 9
feet above mean lower low
water protected by a pile jetty,
all at an estimated first cost to
the Corps of Engineers of $125,
250 plus $2,500 annually for
maintenance, subject to the same
requirements of local coopera
tion as specified above for the
Seldovia project.
Hydroelectric Power
Construction of the Eklutna
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