Mr. Keithahm, Curator,
TERRITORIAL MUSEUM
Vol. V, No. 49
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, DEC. 21, 1948
Price 10 Cents
Navy to Take Over Army Dock
I
School Bond Issue Approved
By Vote of 115 to 24;
$125,08D Authorized
PUBLIC APATHY SHOWN
BY LIGHT VOTE
The voters of Seward yesterday
approved the issuance of general
obligation bonds to the sum of
$125,000 for the addition of five
class rooms to the Seward Public
School Building.
With a very small percentage of
voters turning out in beautiful
weather, the vote count showed
that 115 citizens had voted in favor
of the bond issue, and only 24 had
cast their ballots against it.
While it was generally consid
ered a question of prime import
ance to the City of Seward, the
referendum was not considered a
burning question, since the people
had been fully informed of the
need for more classroom space.
Much Work Ahead
With approval of the voters now
a matter of record, both city offi
cials and the school board find
themselves confronted with the
task of floating tb« tone! ‘ssuc-. is
suing invitation to bidders, con
tracts, and completing work ,on
the addition before next school
term.
The small turnout of voters was
a disappointment to officials, who
had expected the people of the
town to be greatly interested in
the welfare of the local school.
Some people, however, expressed
the opinion that it was a foregone
conclusion that the addition to the
school was needed, and that, be
cause of a lack of opposition, feu
people felt it necessary to make
the effort of casting votes in favor
of it. *
Shipping News . . .
The last emergency barge of the
Alaska Railroad is now unloading
supplies for Seward and Railbelt
communities, with over 2.000 bags
of mail unloaded already. There
were 13 cars aboard, with only one
for Seward. Practically all the
cargo consisted of food supplies,
with some beer and whiskey.
It was announced that the Motor
Ship Coastal Monarch is scheduled
to leave Seattle for Seward Dec.
30. The SS Alaska is due to arrive
in Seward Dec. 23, and on Dec. 25
the Denali is scheduled to arrive.
The Baranof will return on Dec.
31.
Careless Use of
Firearms Noted
It is reported that there is quite
a bit of irresponsible shooting be
ing done oqtside the Seward city
limits, especially near the Kenai
Lumber Company saw mill. “No
Shooting” signs have been posted,
and hunters are asked to heed
them. Such shooting is a constant
danger to people who live and
work in this vicinity. It was re
ported that One young man de
liberately fired into some bushes
after being warned that children
were playing near there.
—Buy and Use Christmas Seals—
In Seward
★ ★ ★
CHRISTMAS SHIP
Contrary to general belief. Santa
Claus will hit Alaska from the
; south this year, and he won’t ar
rive by reindeer power, either.
He's coming by steamship, the
SS Denali, to be exact, and lie's
going to distribute stockings filled
with candy and good things to ail
the good little boys and girls. He
doesn't say just how good the boys
and girls have to be but it is
rumored that to Santa Claus all
boys and girls are good.
To the mothers who bring their
; children to see Santa Claus come
i
in on the Denali, Santa will give
favors as he always does, because
l Santa thinks mothers are pretty
nice, loo.
The Alaska Steamship Company
thinks Santa is a pretty good
scout, and always brings him to
Seward so he can give the children
a treat.
LUTHERAN SUNDAY SCHOOL
The' public is invited to attend a
Christinas program which will bo
presented by the children of the
Seward Lutheran Sunday School,
Thursday, Dec. 23, at 7:30 in the
evening.
Besides the “Welcome” by Curtis
Lee. the program will consist of
songs and recitations by the fol
lowing performers: Bobby Stanton.
Joe Baehm. Ronald Lind and J.
| Sorenson giving recitations; carols
' by pre-school children and first
J graders; songs by Darlyne Soren
1 son and Sally Baehm, Bernie
| Trevethan, Patty Elhard, Mary Ann
j Johnson, Karl Keidser, Betty
■ Hoagland, and Norman Keidser.
A trio will be sung by Phyllis
Baker, Carol Ann Trevethan and
Ruth Hoagland, and the audience
will join with the Sunday School
! in singing "Joy to the World" as
a finale.
A group of boys of high school
| age were hosts to the Rainbow
Girls at a party on Saturday eve
ning, Dec. 18.
ST. PETER'S AUXILIARY
There will be a social meeting
of the St. Peter’s Auxiliary Thurs
day evening, Dec. 30, at 1:30
j o’clock at St. Peter’s Episcopal
| Church. Hostesses will be Mrs.
jReed, Mrs. Campen, and Miss Sex
ton. Members who plan to attend
are asked to notify the hostesses.
LIBRARY
The Seward Public Library will
not be open on Christmas night or
New Year’s night.
A promising Christmas feast is
being put together by Frank
Blanchard and Jim McCracken.
'Turn t
I
Skating Rink
Approved;
Starts Soon
Murl Trevelhan, acting president
of the Seward Athletic Association,
appeared before the City Council
at its regular meeting Dec. 20 and
outlined the plans which had pre
viously been arranged in regard to
the various organizations of Sew
ard sponsoring skating in the USO
building.
• Officers have been chosen for the
Athletic Association and the vari
ous organizations are each putting
up $50 to get operations started.
Activity will not start until after
the first of tlie year.
The plans of the association
were well received by the council.
A lease will be drawn up and
signed at the next regular meet
ing, Jan. 3. 1949. However, the
council assures the association
everything is in accord and the
formality of signing the lease need
not hold up preparations for get
ting the hall in use.
The committee will wire for ad
ditional skates from Chicago .and
it wiil be necessary to airfreight
them in to avoid anothei month's
delay in getting skating started.
The extra expense will be a small
item compared to a possible
month's delay of the program.
Purchase of a juke box, includ
ing records is another step. In fact,
in order to begin skating immedi
ately upon arrival of the skates, it
will lie necessary for the associa
tion members to have a great
many details ironed out.
Subscriptions are being taken up
among the members of both ship
side and dockside unions for the
purchase of the needed equipment.
There are enough large size skates,
but more children's skates are
necessary.
Sc were! Has First
Isaac Walton Chapter
The first Alaska chapter of Isaac
Walton League lias been formed in
Seward through the sponsorship of
the Riverside, California, chapter.
While tiie Isaac Walton League
has been trying for many years to
get a foothold in the Territory, it
was largely through the efforts of
Les Gossage and a number of
Seward business men that the
chapter was finally chartered.
Securing the first Isaac Walton
League chapter in Seward is one
of the most significant “firsts” in
league history, according to a let
ter received from the national
headquarters in Chicago. The Sew
ard chapter, the letter stated, will
be the parent organization of all
other chapters to be formed in
Alaska.
Leonard Hopkins, one o£ the or
iginal members of the first Isaac
Walton chapter, came immediately
from Anchorage to be enrolled as
a charter member of the Seward
chapter. All the members, at pres
ent, are charter members.
The Isaac Walton League is the
largest and most powerful organ
ii'i tion in the country working in
behalf of conservation or our nn
tu 1 resources. There are mem
ber-, in every state legislature and
Two Fliers
Rescued
Ry Army
Gil Anthony and Carl Gage, who
were marooned on Montague
Island last week by a plane crack
up, are reported safe in Anchorage.
They were picked up by a res
cue plane after being sighted by
G. W. Shuster, owner of Safeway
Airways, last Saturday. Both Gage
and Anthony were expected in
Seward yesterday, but flying con
ditions have. been bad and their
flight from Anchorage has been
postponed till today.
After having dropped food and
sleeping bags to the downed fliers,
Shuster returned to base and in
formed tlie 10th Rescue Squadron
of their position. Because of their
outdoor experience, the rescuers
were confident that they' would be
I safe until weather permitted pick
ing them up.
Shifkter said that the lake on
which they attempted to land the
plane had been covered with slush
ice, and that the plane turned
i over. He expressed belief that the
! plane could be moved to the shore
i of the jake and salvaged.
-----
Hamilton's Garage
Gets Chevrolet
Saies Agency
Faith in the future of Seward
was expressed in a concrete way
this week by Hamilton’s Garage,
when the owners accepted t lie
sales agency for Chevrolet cars
and immediately ordered ten new
cars to be shipped.
It was just recently that Hamil
ton's took over the agency for
Oldsmobile in Seward, and with
the addition of Chevrolet, they
now have the complete General
Motors line with the single excep
tion of Cadillac.
With completion of the new
highway to the interior, Hamilton’s
have expressed great confidence in
the continued growth and prosper
ity of Seward.
It is only about two years since
the Hamiltons entered into the
automobile sales business in Sew
ard, but they have succeeded in
building up a great number of firm
friends with their progressive pol
icy. Mr. and Mrs. Max Hamilton
have been Seward residents for the
past eight years.
New Car License
Plates Available
Territorial license plates for
automobiles are now available at
the city clerk’s office, and vehicle
operators are urged to secure them
at their earliest convenience to
avoid a last minute rush.
The School Boy Traffic detail'is
working out in a most satisfactory
manner, according to Chief of Po
lice Leonard J. Clark. The chief
stated that he is very well pleased
with the good humored coopera
tion of the motoring public.
Mr. and Mrs. Holland Johnson
bee ■ i: parents of a boy. born
on Monday, December 20. The
name e. ;'-,e new Johnson b ib
v,::on.
The Navy, on two separate oc
casions during the past week, has
taken action which will be of vital
] interest to Seward:
1. Defense Secretary James For
restal announced that the Navy
will take over all military sea
transport, including 260 Army
' ships.
| 2. Mayor Eugene N.- Lanier re
I ceived a letter from Secretary of
the Navy John L. Sullivan that his
! invitation to the Navy to visit
i Seward on winter maneuvers had
i
' been turned over to Admiral D. C.
j Ramsey, Commander in Chief U.S.
Pacific Fleet, for further action.
Port Faciliiie-s
| Since port facilities as well as
shipping facilities will be placed
! under Navy control, it is expected
, that the Seward Army dock will
; be turned over to the Navy au
i thorities when the decision be
comes effective.
It is reported that a Navy officer
was m Seward last week for the
1 purpose of inspecting the Army
dock facilities. Unfortunately, rep
i resentatives of the Record were
| unable to contact him for an inter
| view. It will take at least a year
i to complete all changes.
To Visit Kodiak
' Secretary of the Navy John L.
Suilivan did say that the vessels
to take part in tiie maneuvers were
currently scheduled to visit Kodiak
for a few days, and that no other
visits were scheduled at that time.
In his letter to Mayor Lanier the
Navy Secretary said in part:
i "As you no doubt realize, these
operations are for the purpose of
training under cold weather con
ditions. and the schedule arranged
to provide the- maximum opera
tions at sea during the training
; period. However, the Chief of
: Naval Operations has forwarded
your invitation to Admiral D. C.
Ramsey, the Commander in Chief.
U.S. Pacific Fleet, who, I am sure,
i will do everything possible to ar
range tor some of the vessels to
j visit Seward, and who will com
municate with you in regard to
this matter.”
The mayor sent a telegram yes
. terday to the Secretary of the
Navy, in behalf of the people of
Seward, to thank him for his ef
! forts, and to assure him that the
Navy will receive a hearty wel
come at Alaska's foremost sea
port.
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BUY
CHRISTMAS’
5EALS
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