AU AL AS.'A
Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLET
VOLUME 15. NUMBER 6 PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. NOV. 1. 1962 SIXTEEN PAGES PRICE 15 CENTS
HANGAR-WARMING PARTY
BUDDY WOODS HANGAR
SMORGASBORD DANCE
NOV. 2
8 PM.
MILLER RESIGNS;
LONG APPOINTED
Merritt Long was appointed
to the Palmer city council at a 1
special meeting Oct. 30, to fill
the vacancy created by the res
ignation of former mayor Billy
R. Miller. Miller, whose term
expires Oct. 1, 1963, is attend- j
ing a 16-week course at a
school of design in Oakland,
Calif., and stated as a reason
for his resignation that his
plans fora return to Palmer
are indefinite.
According to the provisions
of the charter, mayor pro tem
pore Ralph Moore will act as
mayor for the balance of Mill- i
er*s term.
Long, a resident of Matanus
ka Street with wife Phyllis and
four daughters, is the local |
representative for Mutual of
Omaha.
Other business conducted at
the special meeting included
approval of a contract with
Leo Lucas in the amount of
$2,000 (a portion of a state
fund allotment for mainte
nance and improvements at the
airport) for clearing of runway j
space at the Palmer airport.
City manager Winston Gil
christ volunteered to draw up
a civil defense plan for the city
in as simple a design as pos
sible, also a chart of organiza-'
tion. The manager presented
information on a survey of pos
sible fallout shelters in Palm
er, made last April. Of five sur
veyed, only four proved quali
fied, he said. These would
house 130 persons. The four
are the Co-op basement, hous
ing 76; the City Hall, 15; Pal
mer Automotive 16; the Bar
rett and Lesh Building, 23. The
Center Theatre Building was1
surveyed but not approved, he
said.
Dinner Tonight
Honors Gov. Egan
Gov. William Egan will be
honored at a potluck dinner to
night at the Elks hall, to be
served from 6 to 8 p.m. There
will be no charge, and every
one is welcome to attend,
Democratic committee mem
bers said.
The governor visited the coal
mines at Sutton this morning,
and was entertained at a lun
cheon at the Sutton Commun
ity hall at noon.
Area, City Maps Civil Defense Plans
525 VOTERS
REGISTER FOR
BOND ELECTION
By noon today, 525 Palmer
area taxpayers had registered
to vote in the Palmer Indepen
dent School District bond is
sue election, the office of the
tax assessor said. This number
represents about a third of
the eligible voters on the tax
rolls.
Polling places for the school
election will be the same as
those for the general election,
with Palmer Precinct No. »
voters polling at the original
Koslosky Building, between
Lea’s Dress Shop and the Tro
pical Gardens; Matanuska Pre
cinct, at B and H Supply on
Matanuska Road,' just beyond
Ketchikan Spruce Mills; Butte,
at the Butte Fire Hall, Sutton
Eska, at the Sutton Community
Hall.
Outside the school district,
voters in other precincts of
District 7 will go to their usual
polling places unless otherwise
instructed.
Polls will be open from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. In the general
election there are four bal
lots, one for choice of candi
dates, one for the capital re
location initiative No. 1, one
for four bonding propositions
on the state level, and one
judicial ballot.
Incumbent William Egan
and challenger Mike Stepovich
are candidates for governor;
Hugh Wade and Robert Ross,
secretary of state; Ernest Gru
ening and Ted Stevens, U. S.
senator; Lowell Thomas Jr.
and Ralph Rivers, U. S. repre
sentative; Nick Begich, Samuel
Lightwood, and Bob Stratton,
state senator from District E;
and Eugene Reid and Jalmar
Kerttula, state representative
from District 7.
Bonding propositions include
construction at the University
of Alaska, general school con
struction for a number of state
operated schools, trunk airport
construction, and a vocational
school in the Kodiak-Aleutians
Senate District.
PALMER TEACHER TOSSES MESSAGE IM
KNIK; GETS REPLY FROM AUSTRALIA
Ned Morgenson, mathematics
instructor at the Palmer high
school, had time on his hands
one day a year ago last sum
mer (1961) while stationed with
the U. S. Geological Survey at
Lake George, and amused him
self by dropping several bot
tles with his name and address
inside into the Knik river.
Two weeks ago he received
a letter from Adelaide, South
Australia, written in a child’s
hand. Theodore Arthur Wake
field, playing with his sister on
a beach at Moonta Bay while
on a family picnic, had found
a bottle with Morgenson’s
name and address, “and that’s
fair ding.” (Local Australian
Betty McIntyre translates this
as “on the level, or no kid
ding.")
He didn’t know where Alas
ka was until his teacher point
ed it out on the map, and the
boy noted that “you are close
to Russia.”
Morgenson is somewhat puz
zled as to how the bottle
reached that particular por
tion of Australia if it followed
prevailing ocean currents, and
figures it must have taken a
roundabout route.
He does not anticipate fur
ther correspondence with the
boy, since he neglected to in
clude his return address, and
Adelaide’s population is listed
at about 400,000.
Cutback Postponed;
Solution in Sight
Imminent possibility of achi
eving a power contract at pres
ent rates which is acceptable
to REA has resulted in post
ponement of personnel cut
backs at Matanuska Electric
Association, a spokesman for
the electric co-op said today.
A new offer from Chugach
Electric Association to sell
power to MEA was made re
cently, which would provide
for delivery to MEA of a 2000
KW block of power from CEA’s
Eklutna allotment, at the same
price MEA now pays for power
from the Bureau of Reclama
tion plant.
REA will release construction
and transmission loan funds to
MEA upon receipt of word say
ing that a satisfactory contract
arrangement for the additional
power needs has been made,
the MEA official stated. The lo
cal Co-Op is now awaiting dis
position by the Anchorage city
council on the contract previ
ously drawn up between the
City of Anchorage and MEA
for purchase of power from
the city’s new gas turbine.
Mason LaZelle’s MEA mana
ger, and Phil O’Neill, president
of the board of directors, have
been conferring with REA offi
cials in Senator Gruening’s of
fice, with members of Bartlett’s
and Rivers’ staff present, in
Washington, D. C. for the past
; few days. Both men plan to
return here Saturday.
It has been reported that
Washington officials say that
MEA, CEA, and HEA are the
only group of electric co-ops
in the United States today run
ning so close to the line on re
serve power, and that REA
stands ready to lend funds for
a plant to supply additional
generating capacity in the
amount of 44 megawatts as
soon as the three organizations
can reach a satisfactory mutual
agreement.
REA would be agreeable to
including the city of Anchora
age in the resultant power pool,
Roast Boot Dinnor
To Bo Novoipbor 8
The fifth annual roast beef
and-apple pie dinner of the
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal
Church in Palmer will be serv
ed at the Elks hall here on Nov.
8 from 5 to 7 p.m. The annual
event is planned by the wo
men’s group of the church.
Tickets may be purchased
from any St. Bartholomew’s
member, with the charge being
$2.50 for adults and 75c for
children.
The church women are also
arranging for a gift table and
a baked goods table. Features
will be all kinds of gift aprons
—guest, novelty, and utilitar
ian.
I providing the city would be
willing to contribute part of the
funds necessary for generation
and transmission, it was added.
In return the city would be
given a firm long-term power
contract, which would include
a payout schedule to the city
providing for repayment in
full of these funds.
Jalmar Kerttula, local repre
sentative from District 7, and
the office of Governor Egan
have been in daily contact with
REA on progress of negotia
tions to forestall cutbacks on
personnel and construction,
the spokesman said.
AIRMEN PUN
HANGAR PARTY
Plans for the Buddy Woods
hangar-warming party are
fast taking shape, with a large
attendance expected, airmen
said this week. Proceeds from
the dance and smorgasbord
will go for the purchase of run
way lights at the Palmer air
I port. The party will be held
this Friday, Nov. 2. beginning
at 8 p.m. at the Buddy Woods
i hangar.
Chef Paul James is preparing
' the smorgasbord, and Tom
Moffitt’s Moose Orchestra will
provide live music.
Although tickets will be
i sold at the door, guests may
1 save themselves confusion and
j inconvenience by purchasing
j them beforehand from local
airmen, Mary King, Floyd
Spickerman, Dick Benson, or
Dick Hamilton.
The city of Palmer has allot
ed $2000 from a state grant
of funds for grading a taxiway
to be used as a ski strip this
winter.
Positions for the lights were
surveyed last weekend. The
airmen hope to be able to sup
ply 12 lights for the runways.
They have expressed the wish
that residents will support a
very worthwhile project thro
ugh their attendance at an eve
ning of fun. Not only a safety
measure, the runway lights
will be a means of increasing
business for the city of Palmer,
the airmen said.
SCHOOL DISTRICT
RECEIVES ALLOTMENT
The Palmer Ind ependent
School District was notified to
day that the allotment for the
local district from the State to
bacco tax will be $36,288.21.
The amount is a decrease of
about $5,000 from the sum re
ceived last year. Funds re
ceived from the tax are ear
marked to retire bonds for the
Palmer high school, which tot
al $27,000 yearly. Receipts from
the tobacco tax statewide
showed a drop of $100,000 in
the past fiscal year.
JUNIOR CUSS
READIES PUY
Folksy happenings in a Pen
nsylvania Dutch Mennonite
family provide the action in
“Papa Is All,” a three-act com
edy by Patterson Greene, now
in its final week of rehearsal.
The Palmer junior high school
class will present the play to
morrow evening, Nov. 2, at 8
p.m. in th Central school gym
nasium. The production is di
rected by Mrs. Ruth Schaefer,
of the teaching staff at the
high school.
Since this is not the type of
play that is likely to amuse
small children, no children un
der 12 will be admitted unless
accompanied by an adult, Mrs.
Schaefer said. Parents are ask
I ed to limit their youngsters’
movements about the auditori
um while the play is in pro
gress, since the accoustics of
the gymnasium are such that!
foot steps on the stairs and on
the floorboards have a particu
larly noisy echo.
Price of admission will be $1,
regardless of age.
Members of the cast are Dav
id Cottrell, who plays tyran
nical Papa; Mary Weisenber
ger, gentle Mama who shows
j surprising spirit when the need
j arises; Donna Edmiston, pretty
daughter Emma; David Alex
: ander, son Jake, who is trying
to learn mechanics in spite of
Papa’s opposition; Ruth Phil
lips, good-natured, gossipy Mrs.
Yoder, a neighbor; and Scott
Demming, State Trooper Bren
dle.
Student assistants include
I Marcia Miller, student director;
! Hal Ingalls, electrician; Susan
Marple, makeup; Linda McNal
ly, costumes; Stan Smith, stage
manager; and Ann Fowler and
Stephen Wallace, properties.
Mrs. Phillips of the Lazy
Mountain staff n<js given valu
able assistance in preparing
the stage sets, as have the shop
classes under the direction of
instructor John DeVries.
Hospital Asks for
Cottonwood Bark
A plea has been received by !
Mrs. Rose Kirsch of Palmer
from the occupatioanl therapy
department at the Alaska Na
tive Service Hospital in Anch
orage for tne cottonwood bark
which can be found in the
Palmer area. This bark is used
by the hospital patients to
carve novelty items which are
put on sale in their gift shop.
Persons who have an oppor
tunity to collect any of this
bark are asked to leave it at
the Treasure Chest in Palmer.
Other items needed include
moose and caribou horns, cari
bou hooves, yarn and crochet
thread, needlework books,
embroidery transfers, old but
tons and zippers, old fur coats
and parkas, fur scraps, sinew,
scrap material for quilts, ny
lons, beads, porcupine quills, j
and so forth.
Farm Emergency Plans Disclosed
In response to the special
problems of farm families as
to what to do in case of an
enemy attack, the Extension
Office, with the aid of local
and state civil defense officials,
has prepared a list of sugges
tions.
First, no pre-attack evacua
tion is planned in or out of the
Palmer-Wasilla area. If subse
quent evacuation becomes nec
essary because of attack, radio
active fallout, or otherwise,
families will be notified.
In case of bombing attack,
each family is expected to take
care of itself for the initial
period, which may be from a
few hours to several days if
radioactive fallout is present.
Local and state officials rec
ognize that milk and meat pro
duction, stored potatoes, vege
tables, and grains are of ma
jor importance in any survival
plan; therefore, top priority
will be given farmers in pro
viding radioactive fallout in
formation, communications, de
contamination assistance, feed
and water supplies, etc., in the
event of attack.
In case of attack, it is antici
pated that from one-half to sev
eral hours will elapse before
radioactive fallout becomes
critical, and each farm family
is asked to place all animals in
the best barn shelter available,
fill all inside stock tanks or
water containers possible, and
provide animals with an emer
gency supply of feed; then get
into the family shelter and stay
there.
Every farm home location is
listed and located on a map
available for Civil Defense use,
and as soon as the initial radio
active intensity decreases en
ough to permit people to em
erge for limited periods of time,
farm families will be notified
by radio, telephone, curiers, or
airplane loudspeaker, which
ever is feasible or possible.
Hay and grain will remain
uncontaminated if protected
from radioactive dust by tarps,
polyethelene, or tight build
ings. Silage will be all right if
a foot or so off the face and
top are removed. Water from
wells will be uncontaminated,
and milk may be uncontamin
ated if the cows can be given
feed and water free of radioac
tive dust, even though they
may have been exposed to some
dirct radiation.
Dairies will receive first as
sistance from the radioactive
monitoring men in checking the
feed, water, and farmyard
amount of radiation. If power
is off and cannot be soon restor
ed, clean stock water will be
supplied by tank trucks and the
fire department tankers. They
will also assist where decon
tamination of the dairy from
radioactive dust is feasible
All farm production and sup-1
plies will be rationed during
any extreme emergency, so as
to maintain a high level of pro
duction.
It might be necessary to ne
glect livestock for a period of
one or more days during a peri
od of high radioactivity, but as
1 soon as it is safe for people to
leave shelter for limited peri
ods, all farmers will be notified, i
No Evacuation,
Area Director Says
In spite of the easing of the
Cuban crisis early this week,
state, area, and local civil de
fense emergency plans con
tinue to be made, George Ed
Smith, area civil defense dir
ector, emphasized.
Organizational and planning
meetings, begun last week, are
continuing, he said. City, area,
and state representatives met
in a special session Sunday,
Oct. 28, in the Extension Ser
vice office to clarify the city
and area position in the over
all defense plan, and to map
out what needs to be done to
insure maximum safety in case
of enemy attack.
It was pointed out that the
immediate responsibility of the
individual is to lay in at least
a two-weeks’ emergency sup
ply of food—preferably a four
weeks’ supply because of Alas
kan transportation problems.
Families are advised not to
make evacuation plans beyond
keeping a full tank of gas and
emergency rations and clothing
on hand. The present plan for
the area is to stay put and
work on providing suitable
shelters, Smith said, but added
that there is always a possi
bility of emergency evacuation
orders.
There is no connection be
tween military and civilian
defense plans, he said. In
event of attack, military units
i in the area will be too busy
| fighting a war to give assist
ance to civilians — “We have
been advised that we will be
on our own,” the area director
stated. There is no truth in the
rumor that the military will
set up supply points along the
Alaska highway as an evacua
tion route, he added.
Present at Sunday’s meet
ing was Alvin J. Dalke, assist
ant director of civil defense
for the state of Alaska. Points
brought out by Dalke during
discussion included disposi
tion of wholesale food stocks
in case of emergency. The
state would assume responsi
bility, except for foods being
prepared or packaged. In a
“state of emergency,” guards
should be set on the grocery
stores, all firearms and weap
ons would be confiscated im
mediately, and all liquor
should be immediately confis
cated—put under lock and key
so as not to be available to the
public. Liquor that could not
be immediately transported to
a place of security should be
destroyed by smashing.
In discussing an auxiliary
police plan. Dalke stated that
within the city the auxiliary
police would work under the
police chief, and that outside
the city the state police would
have jurisdiction. The auxil
j iary police would assist in eith
| er area.
j The need for standby gen
. orators was stressed by Smith,
who pointed out needs at the
high school, at Swanson school,
and at the City of Palmer off
ice building. Dalke said he
would try to locate the neces
sary generators.
The need for a siren with a
(Continued on page 8)
Cordova Airlines
To Resume Flights
Merrill “Cordova” Smith,
! owner of Cordova Airlines1,
j said here Monday that the air
line plans to resume a regular
schedule of flights to Palmer
in early 1963 if not sooner.
Freight and passenger runs
are planned, with possibility
three flights a week. Smith
said. The schedule would pro
vide passenger service for Pal
mer residents to the Copper
River Valley area, as well as to
Cordova and Valdez.
Local Electrical Contractor Suggests
Creation of Slate Emergency Loan Fund
In a statement before the
Oct. 24 meeting of the Matan
uska Valley Chamber of Com
merce, Jack Dodge, local elec
trical contractor, suggested the
setting up of a state emergency
loan fund to be used, in Dodge's
words, as a " . . , means of cur
bing the excessive power of
REA to dominate local deci
sions.”
Dodge cited two recent ac
tions, one in which the award
of contract for line construction
to Dodge Electric Company by
MTA was rescinded and award
was made to T. Zontelli of Iron
ton. Minnesota; the other, the
case of the conditional hold
placed on MEA’s construction
and transmission loan.
At the original bid opening
Zontelli was the low bidder but
did not have an Alaska Elec
trical Contractor's license as
required by state law, Dodge
said, and added that REA speci
fications for this job also re
quired that the bidders have
their electrical contractor's li
cense number on the outside of
the bid envelope prior to bid
opening, which is a standard
requirement to apply in all
states having such license laws.
All bids were opened, how
ever, and after Zontelli was
found not to be licensed, his
bid was rejected and award
was made to the next low bid
der, Dodge Electric Company.
Upon request of REA head
quarters in Washington, D. C.,
the attorney general of Alaska
ruled that MTA was within its
legal rights to take this action.
“However, it soon became
.pparent that the Senate major
ity floor leader. Senator Hum
phrey of Minnesota, was put
ting pressure on the REA to re
verse this action,” Dodge said.
“REA in turn forced MTA, us
ing as an excuse the statement
that Zontelli should be award
ed the bid and then allowed to -
tain a license.”
Asked yesterday to comment
on Dodge’s statements, Max
Clements, MTA manager, re
plied that REA's interpretation
of the low is that a contractor
has to have a state license be
fore he can begin construction
but not before he can bid, and
that the state attorney general
has been unable to refute this
interpretation.
The requirement for the li
cense number to appear on the
sealed envelope containing the
bid is required by REA if the
state requires it; Alaska does
not, Clements said,
obtain a license.”
which requires that a contra
ctor hold a state license is to
insure that any electrical con
tractor awarded a contract will
do the work according to the
Alaska electrical safety code.”
Clements said. “The intent is
not to create a monopoly in
Alaska of Alaskan electrical
contractors’ work.”
REA lends money in a differ
ent way from other lending ag
encies, he pointed out. Others
require that the borrowing cor
poration put up u percentage
of the necessary funds itself,
whereas REA supplies 100 per
cent financing, and maintains
more rigid controls. Written in
to the loan agreement is the re
| servation that REA has the
right to approve all contracts
drawn up by the borrowing co
operative.
ELECT- NICK BEGICH - State Senates