HISTORY OF HOSPITAL SITE
The following is the conclusion of
& talk given by Ivins# Margaret Anderson
£>ver the Homer News Radio Station Fri
day, December 10, It is printed here
with her permission. The first part of
the talk was printed last week.
Later it was decided that the Health
Center project would be our first at
tempt at community betterment, and a
meeting of the PUD Board and the Homer
Health Council was arranged to discuss
the hospital, prior to which Virgo And
wrson wrote the following letter for
presentation at this meeting:
Box 110
Homer, Alaska
February 12, ^953
^ Kenai Public Utility District No, 1
*' 'Homer, Alaska
Gent lemen:
In the fall of 1950,the Homer Cham-*
ber of Commerce inaugurated a cam
paign to raise funds for the pur
pose of building a hospital in Ho
mer* At this time several loca
tions vasre offered for’ the building,
site, and an attempt was made to
carry out a community survey to de
termine the most desirable site*
As a result, a committee from the
Chamber visited the prospective
sites and the general concensus of
opinion was that the location on my
hone stead was preferred* Therefore,
I offered to give one acre of land
as the hospital site—the Chamber
asking that one ad joining acre be
also set aside for future purchase
by them. To this I agreed.
1% is, of course, a known fact that
the Chanber of Commerce has dropped
this project, and that a community
hospital is now in the hands of the
Public Utility District. Since it '
was not my intention to donate land
to the Chamber, as such, but -rather
to the community for a hospital
site, I wish at this time to offer
again this acre of land for this
purpose. The laid in question is
surveyed, and I am prepared to give
a deed to this land to the Public
Utility District, the only stipula
tion beii^ that it must be used as
a hospital site.
I invite . the Utility Board or a
hospital committee to inspect this
land or communicate with me further
about this natter.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) Virgo Anderson
After this meeting, it was publicly
announced by the PUD through the medium
of the Homer Radio Station, operated
by Jack Mills, that Virgo .under son* s
acre had been accepted for the proposed
hospital, and that the Board was await
ing the survey plat to be sent over
from Peterson Bay by Joel Moss to com
plete the transfer of title.
The Territorial Legislature in its
1953 session appropriated :>30,000 for a
hospital for Homer. To my knowledge,
this action by the Legislature was com
pletely _ independ ent o f the loc al PU0;
however, since vo had already started a
Health-Center program of our own, bud
geting |15,000 for this purpose, it was
decided to pool cur $15,000 with the
<$30,000 appropirated by the Territory
and get the Federal Government to mat ch
these funds, totalling v45,000 thus
providing the community of Homer with, a
$90,000 hospital.
The attention of the public was tem
porarily diverted from the hcspital
site to the election of PUD directors
in April 1953, The terms of I,Sr. Harry
Grogoire and Mr. Robert Mranich were
the ones expiring. At this election
Mr. Kranich and Mr. Greg) ire wore re
tained in officer It is my sentiment
that if Mr. Gregoire had made known to
the public at this tine that he inten
ded to offer a site for the hospital,
he would not have been re-elected. Fur
ther, if he privately ted come to such
a decision, from an ethical point of
view, he should not have run for re
election. Haturally, Ido not know
specifically when Mr. Gregodre ' formu
lated this plan in his mind.
Following the election, Virgo Ander
son was approached by lx. Harry Greg
oire and Mr. Jack McLaughlin, members
of the PUD Board, regarding the inter
est of the Board in purchasing three
acres of land adjoining the one acre cf
laid he had donated. Virgo Anderson
was not confronted with the proposition
that fbur acres was a requirement of
the Health Department or anyone else—
only that the Board was .interested in
purchasing the additional acreage for
future expansion. Also, Mr. Anderson
was given to under stand that the Board
might not be financially abLe to pur
chase the land at this particular time,
but Mr* Anderson was Hilling to hold
the land until such time as it could be
purchased, Virgo Anderson considered
this a oona fide inquiry and on May 4,
1953, wrote the following letter:
Box 110
Homer, Alaska
May 4, 1953
Kcnai Public Utility Board
Kcnai Public Utility District No, 1
Homer, Alaska
Gentlemen:
It has been brought to my attention
by Mr, Harry Gregoire, Secretary
Treasurer of the Utility Board,
that the Board is interested in the
pur phase of three acres of land
vhich adjoins the one acre of land
which I have''donated as a community
hospital site.
The land it question is all sur
veyed and usable, representing some
of the choice land on this home
stead; however, since it is to be
used for the welfare of the commun
• ity, I offer the three acres to you
for six hundred dollars ($600*00)
per acre* If you decide to purchase
this land and make public announce
ment to that effect, T would like
it emphasized that my. land is not
for sale to the gemral public 'be
cause I do not wish to be "hounded"
by people desiring to buy land at
the same price that I am offering
the Utility Board*
Please feel frep to contact me at
any time for any further informa
tion you may desire* I also wish
to point' out that I will be going
. fishing within approximately three
weeks, It would be advisable to
comple-te these negotiations before
that time.
m
Very truly yours,
(Signed) Virgo .Anderson
Mr. Anderson was never tendered the
courtesy of a reply to this letter. No
public announcements were made that
Virgo Anderson1s land had been rejected
or rhy.
- In the interim which followed, Mr*
Harry Gregoire purchased the land pros-*
ently known as the Fairview Sib division
fed offered acreage to the Board for
he hospital site—five acres at £100
pa* acre* Since Virgo Anderson was ne
ver given any reasons (Cont* on Pago -4)
TO ONE AND Au.. ■
FROM THE
SKYWAY THEATER
THE HECDAHl'S
THE
A
SEASONS
GREETINGS
MAY THIS. CHRISTMAS BE THE
MERRIEST EVER AMD
MAY THE NEW YEAR BRING
PEACE AND PROSPERITY
to you all
Ho/Wf/?
Electric
Associa tion