Constitution Forum
High School Cafeteria
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THE FRONTIERSMAN
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may have for sale,
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PRICE TEN CENTS
"VOLUME 9. NUMBER 23
PALMER, ALASKA. THURSDAY. MARCH 29, 1958
SEE AD ON
PAGE 5
Pd. Ad▼.
35 CARLOADS SEED. FERTILIZER ARRIVING
WILSON TO RESI8N
FROM M.E.A.
DIRECTOR’S HOARD
Charles W. Wilson, member of
the Matanuska Electric Associa
tion board of directors, this week
announced his resignation from
the Board. Wilson was elected to
the board at the 1955 annual
membership meeting. “Because
It was the membership which
elected me—T am submitting my
resignation to them through the
media of newspapers,” he said
this week.
"The following text is a copy of
the letter resignation as submit
ted by Mr. Wilson, citing many
of his reasons for resigning from
the Board of Directors of the
M.E.A.
“To the Members of the
Matanuska Electric Association:
“At the annual meeting of your
Association you elected me to
serve on the Board of Directors
for a two-year term. I want to
take this opportunity to express
my appreciation for the confi
dence you have shown. In con
sideration of that confidence I be
lieve it my duty to offer my resig
nation to you, to become effective
April 15, 1956, for your action at
the annual meeting of tte mem
bership. 1
“I am tendering this resignation
because it has been quite clear to
me for several months that I am
not in accord with the majority of
the members of the Board. It. was
my desire to leave the Board last
August. I did not resign at that
time because you elected me and
I felt you should have the right
to elect my successor rather than
that it be a Board appointment.
“Insofar as the regular activ
ities of the Matanuska Electric
Association a small rural electric
cooperative distributing power to
a primarily rural area, are con
cerned, there has been a surpris
ing amount of harmony on the
Board.
It is in tnose activities outsiae
of this field that I am not in ac
cord with some of the other
members of the Board. It is my
opinion that since M.E.A. has
operated as a distribution coop
erative for thirteen years, any
radical change in its activities
would be a proper matter of dis
cussion by the membership, es
pecially when this change was to
take place only a matter of weeks
after the annual membership
meeting.
mYi__ .. i._41_1_
il vt ao iiwv uii wav- v*. ‘'-b“■*
authority, because your Bylaws
as amended grant the authority
to tHe Board to join associations
such as Central Alaska Power
Association. I do not see eye to
eye with some other members on
making unsecured loans such as
was done on two occasions this
year. You were lead to believe
(Continued on page 8)
PALMER HOSPITAL
FUTURE LOOKS DARK
“An ultimation by the MEA
Board will plunge Palmer’s hos
pital into darkness on April
9,” announced hospital board
president A. H. Mick today. “This
precipitated and unexpected ac
tion came as a surprise, Mick
said, “especially since letters to
MEA asking for an opportunity
to discuss the hospital’s overdue
account for electrical service
have been ignored. On October 18
the hospital asked the local MEA
manager and the MEA directors
for advice in this matter. So far
these letters have not been an
swered,” said Mick.
‘‘The problem is especially
acute because the hospital’s in
ability to pay for electricity is
largely due to non-payment of
hospital bills owed by people
who are members of MEA. The
f MEA’s Board’s attitude cannot
| reflect the true feelings of the
community which also comprises
the MEA membership,” com
mented Mick. “In the event the
hospital is deprived of electrical
services there are two courses
open: we can try to operate on
the emergency standby plant
i which will* furnish only a frac
tion of the institution’s needSj, or
the hospital can be closed.”
The MEA is not the only busi
nes owed money by the Hospit
al,” said Mick. "In addition to
a $3,295 electrical bill, the hos
pital owes M.V.F.C.A. $5,300;
Palmer (for water service) $762;
MTA (for telephone service") $233;
Koslosky’s store, $770; and $2,660
to Evan Jones, Coal Company.
Aside from patient's failure to
pay their hospital bills,” said
mick, “this is the first concrete
evidence that Palmer’s hospital
is not supported by the Matan
uska Valley residents.”
“The picture is not entirely
black,1” said Mick, “since we have
reason to believe this MEA board
action was not unanimous and is
not in accord with the wishes of
many members. The Hospital fin
ance committee is working on a
solution to this crisis.”
PROPERTY TAX
ONLY OUT,
COUNCILMAN SAYS
“As far as I can see, our only
out is a property tax in the City
of Palmer—as much as I hate
to see it”, Councilman Jan Kos
losky stated at the March 27
meeting of the City Council. His
statement was brought about by
the announcement that the Alas
ka Public Works has denied the
City’s request to extend pay
ments on the city water system
from 20 to 30 years. The pay
ments will have to be made in
20 years, as originally contract
ed for by the first City Council.
“We are fighting a losing bat
tle”, Koslosky stated. “The time
has come when we are just go
ing to have to ‘kick in’ for the
city. As the city has and is grow
ing, we need more police and
fire protection, street improve
ments. The" present income just
won’t cover our going expenses”.
City officials have protested to
APW about faults in the water
system that have shown up; they
have expanded thousands of dol
lars in repairs and thawing. How
ever, there appears to be no way
out and Council members auth
orized the payment of $1962.63
as down payment on the system.
A complete water cost report will
be sent to Juneau to again just
ify the City’s point in asking for
30-year payment. The letter re
ceived fiom James W. Huston,
APW director, pointed out sev
eral ways in which the City
could raise the yearly payments
on the system, among 'which was
a suggestion that fire protection
costs could be asessed to the resi
dents. He pointed to savings
enjoyed by residents since the
installation of the adequate fire
protection by the lowered insur
ance rate.
SCOUTS PARTICIPATING
Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and
Explorers of the Palmer troops
are busy making house-to-house
calls, selling tickets to the Scout
ing Exposition which will be held
in the Anchorage High School
gymnasium April 8.
IConslitution Forum
Slated for Tonight
The “Know Your Constitu- !
tion” forum being sponsored !
by the Matanuska Chamber of !
Commerce this evening in the
new high school cafeteria, will i
see Delegates to the Constitu- I
tional Convention James Hur- '
ley of Palmer, and George^Mc
Laughlin, S. J. Buckalew, Vic
tor Rivers, and Victor Fisher, ;
all of Anchorage, on the dis- ;
cussion. ;
The public is urged to at- j
tend the meeting and becor%?
more familiar with the Con- ;
stitution and the Statehood
questions in general so that
he may be better prepared to ;
vote in the April 24 election.
“This is not a political ;
rally”, Ed Smith, Chamber ;
president stated. “Questions !
should be directed to the Coi> !
stitution delegates and not as 1
political candidates.” !
PLAN CJTY-W1DE
BAKE SALE
ALL DAY SATURDAY
One of the largest bake sales
ever held in Palmer is slated for
Saturday, March 31, according to
Mrs. James Wilson, president of
the Palmer P-TA, The citv-wide
sale will be conducted from sev
eral stores in the Palmer shop
ping center.
All members of the P-TA or
ganization, interested residents,
and parents of school children
are urged to participate in the
sale by contributing baked items.
A general receiving station will
be set up in the Co-Op club room
where a staff will direct the dis
tribution of cakes, cookies,
breads, rolls, and the many other
delectable items that are found
at bake sales.
The receiving committee has
asked that cakes and pies be deli
vered on disposabl plates and if
possible, wrapped in transparent
paper . . . and they ask that pie
flavors be marked on the pies.
The station will open at 8 a.m.
and remain open to receive baked
goods until mid-afternoon.
MINSTREL SHOW
PROFITS GO TO
YOUTH SERVICES
Tickets for the Palmer Kiwan
is Minstrel Show are going like
the proverbial hot cakes, accord
ing to reports from the commit
tee. The 1956 show' will be pre
sented at the Central School gym
nasium Friday and Saturday
nights, April 6 and 7 and those
planning to attend are urged to
get their reserved seats as soon
as possible to avoid disappoint
ment. General admission tickets
may also be purchased in ad
vance.
Proceeds from the year’s show
will go toward the Club’s youth
services activities fund, as they
have in the past. A recent report
presented by the club’s treasur
er, indicates the wide scope in
which the youth services fund is
used. The report shows expendi
tures during the 1954-55 period
totalling SI803.65, broken down
as follows: PARC, $200; Boy
Scouts, S125.50; Girl Scouts, $75;
Polio, $100; Farm Youth Ex
change, $25; Kids Dav, $70.50;
Band Boosters, $467.67; Heart,
325; Kids gk.sess, $44.99; trans
. portation for children to- Spates,
$154; kids clothes, shoes, $121.31;
Little eLague. $100; School chor
us. $25; physio-therapist table,
$82.10; 4-H Fair, $25; and kids
Christmas party, $25.
Next Thursday night the entire
Minstrel Show cast are slated to
assemble for dress rehearsal.
During the coming week rehear
sals will be stepped up and the
Show will be ready to go on, Fri
day and Saturday night. One of
the widest and most appealing
programs ever presented at a lo
cal minstrel show has been pre
pared for this year’s show. “Don’t
miss it!” they tell us, “You’ll be
sorry if you do when you hear
your friends talking about what
great talent Zebadiah had—what
made Lightning sick—-why the
‘delegates’ called in an expert
from China—and the many, many
more featured and specialty
numbers will be presented.”
Valley Residents Invited to Easter Services
Easter observation in the Val
ley begins tonight and continues
on through Sunday. All churches
of the Valley have extended cor
dial invitations to everyone to
attend any or all of their plan
ned services.
Easter Sunday sunrise services
in Palmer will this year be held
in the United Protestant church.
The united service is being
sponsored by the M. V. Minister
ial Assn. Church, it wris announc
ed today. The Rev. John Dicker
son of the First Baptist Church
of Palmer will be the speaker.
Services will begin at 6:30 a.m.
and will be followed by the serv
ing of refreshments. Churches
participating in the union service
are: The Church of God, the
Highway^Church of God, the Sut
ton Community Church, The
Church of Christ, the First Bap
tist Church, United Protestant
Church, and the Lazy Mountain
Children Home, Faith Hill Home
for Children, Valley Christian
Children home, and the Church
of God Children’s Home.
St. Michael's
Holy Thursday will be observ
ed at a mass at 6 p.m. at St. Mich
'ael’s Roman Catholic Church.
Adoration before the blessed sac
rement will begin at 6:30 and
continue to midnight. Each fam
ily has been asked to sign up for
at least one half hour. On Good
Friday there will be three hour?
of devotion from noon until 3
p.m. and at 6 p.m. unveiling of
the cross and communion will be
offered. On Holy Saturday the
Easter vigil mass will be offered
at 8 p.m., during which all may
receive holy communion. On
Easter Sunday a low mass will be
offered at 8 a.m., and a high
mass at 10:30 a.m. Confessions
will be heard on Thursday and
Friday from 5 to 6 p.m.; on Sat
urday from 7 to 8 p.m. and on
Easter Sunday prior to each
mass. All Catholics are encourag
ed to participate in the newly
stored rite of Holy Week, which
became effective by decree of the
Sacred Congregation of Rites No
vember 16, 1955.
Sutton Community
On Saturday afternoon an
Easter egg hunt for the entire
Sunday School group of Sutton
Community Church will be held
at 2 p.m. at the church. Sunday
School will begin at 10:30 a.m.
Easter Sunday, followed by the
Easter service during which the
Rev. A. B. Compton will offer
“Come Forth” as his sermon.
An evening service will be held,
at 6 p.m. during which Rev. Com
pton will bring the message.
Church members are invited to
participate in the union sunrise
services planned at the United
Protestant Church Easter morn
ing.
Si. John's
Sunrise services will be held at
St. John’s Lutheran Church, be
ginning at 6 a.m. Easter morn
ing. Following the service break
fast will be served at 7:15 by the
membership. Sunday School will
begin at 10 a.m. and the Easter
Sunday service will be held at
11 a.m. The Rev. Einar Bach will
offer the “Open Tomb” as his
sermon topic and the children’s
choir will offer special Easter
time music.
First Baptist
Easter services at the First Bap
tist Church of Palmer will begin
at 10 a.m. with regular Sunday
School classes, followed by the
morning church service at 11 a.m.
Special music will be offered by
members of the recently formed
choir. “Old Rugged Cross,”
“Christ Arose” and a special
number, “Were You There?” will
be sung by the group. Shortly
after the sermon the Lord’s Sup
per observance will be held. The
Rev. John Dickerson will bring
the Easter message in his ser
mon based on the Resurrection.
United Protestant
At 8 p.m. Maunday-Thursday
communion service will be held
at the United Protestant Church.
The communion meditation will
be “On the Cross”. The adult
choir will offer “Surely He Hath
Borne Our Grief” from the Mes
siah by G. F. Handel.
(Continued on page 8)
CO-OP WAREHOUSE
1956 SHIPMENT
SETS RECORD
The largest shipment of fertil
I izer and seed ever to come into
| the Valley is expected by the Ma
tanuska Valley Farmers Cooper
ating Association this week and
next, according to Stewart Dur
rant, Co-Op general manager.
The shipment is valued at over
$200,000.
One half of the seed and feed
shipments will arrive today via
The Alaska Railroad. The other
half will arrive next week. A to
tal of 35 carloads will carry
over 2(5,000 sacks of seed and fer
_ tilizer, Virgil Eckert, purchasing
agent, said this week. Of this
amount approximately 2,000
sacks will be going to the Tan
ana Valley area; one carload to
Wasilla; and the balance toTSe
distributed in the Matanuska Val
ley region, he added. Nearly all
of the huge shipment is on order
and includes 10 different type
fertilizers, seed oats, peas, and
vetch'
The shipment arriving today
consists of mixed fertilizers and
seed peas and oats. The ammon
ium nitrate shipment will arrive
next week. All farmers were ask
ed to pick up their orders at t|.e
Warehouse as soon as possible,
* . of liffiUedrsterafdJ -space.
Hospital Faces
ESC Tax Claim
“Palmer’s hospital must pay
unemployment security taxes”
announced board chairman A.. H.
Mick. “A ruling from ESC com
mission this week imposes an
additional burden on this non
profit institution. The claim is
apparently retroactive to Janu
ary 1, 1955. We estimate that
$2,500 will be needed to pay this
tax for 1955,” Mick said. “Since
the hospital operated* at a deficit
during 1955, there is no money
available for this purpose. Al
though the hospital is owed
some $35,000 to $40,000 in pa
tient’s fees, payment is very
slow. For this reason the hospital
now owes about $23,000 to local
and Stateside creditors.”
“Renewed efforts to collect de
linqueht patient accounts are
now underway,” said Mick. “The
hospital board regrets the nec
essity for legal action against
people in the Matanuska Valley
but this can no longer be avoid
ed.”
Mat. Valley Distributors
: BAR'S LEAK, gasket, radiator, i
etc. leaks
; ROL CREAM, cleansing cream
for mechanics hands
CO-OP GARAGE
M.V.F.C.A.
—ORDERS TO GO
CHICKEN in the ROUGH
Will deliver in city
Phone 3091
Open 6:45 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Sundays 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
CO-OP CAFE
CLAyDIA WILSON. Mgr.
^VWWWVWWVVVVVVVVVVVVWVVWVWV^rw
Fri., Sat. April 6-7
PALMER SCHOOL GYM- 8 P.M.
RESERVED SEATS ON SALE AT: KOSLOSKY'S — —BETTYS' KETCHIKAN SPRUCE
HARTLEY MOT