The Frontiersman
.
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 22 __ PALMER, ALASKA THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1957__ PRICE TEN CENTS
BOARD TERMINATES HOSPITAL CONTRACT
WESTERN DISTRICT
LEGION CONVENTION
PUNNED IN PALMER
A large attendance is expected
at the First Western District Con
vention of The American Legion
Department of Alaska to be held
in Palmer Saturday, March 23 in
the American Legion building.
The convention will open at 2
p.m. Delegates from all Legion
posts in the western district of
Alaska have been invited.
The Department Commander,
other officers from the Depart
ment and various Legion posts
will be present.
Following the afternoon busi
ness session a banquet will be
held at 7:30 p.m., with members
of Post No. 15 Auxiliary catering.
All Legion members, their
wives and all Auxiliary members
are invited to attend either or
both events.
KIWANIS CANCELLS
’57 MINSTREL SHOW
Because of unavoidable circum
stances the Palmer Kiwanis ClubJ
has had to cancell all plans for"
a minstrel show this year, it was
announced this week by Rosco
Taylor, show chairman. Several
reasons combined to make the
decision necessary, Taylor said,
including a number of activities
throughout the community which
would limit the time and avail
ability of show workers.
We certainly do hope to resume
the minstrel shows again next
year and as an incentive the Pal
mer Kiwanis Club is offering a
prize of $50 for the best minstrel
show script delivered to the club
before November 1 of this year.
A standing minstrel show com
mittee was named and includes
Jim Wilson, Charles Logsdon,
Marvin Slaughter and George
Crowthers.
The Kiwanians extended their
thanks and appreciation to all
who offered their assistance for
this year’s show and extend an
invitation to participate in future
Kiwanis shows.
COMFORTABLE ;|
Steam Heated Rooms j!
Low Weekly Rates |j
Hyland Hotel ;!
2 blocks from Post Office <;
j; We need more children |;
j; to enroll for dancing jj
i school in Palmer this jj
j; summer. Teachers will jj
jjbe from the COLOM- jj
i; BANY School of Dance jj
j| in Anchorage
jj MRS. BOB JENSEN jj
Palmer
Co-Op Adds Grain
Dryer and Storage
To Facilities
A grain dryer and grain stor
age space has been added to the
Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
operating Association facilities,
Stewart Durrant, Co-Op general
manager announced this week.
“We will be in a position to
purchase grain from the farmers
this fall, as well as to offer storage
space for rent”, he pointed out.
“With these new facilities it is
the aim of the Co-Op to pro
mote greater production of grain
here in the Valley”, he said. The
new dryer and storage space will
be added revenue as well as mak
ing available straw for dairy
herds. At the present time there
is a great need for straw.
The new facility is the initial
phase of a new grain mill that
will comd as soon as grain pro
duction warrants it, he added.
Storage space will be added as
space is needed.
Plans and engineering for the
facilities are being done by Beggs
and Redman, an engineering firm
of Kansas City which has design
ed some of the largest feed mills
in the United States.
ROAD RESTRICTIONS]
STARTING SATURDAY
Road restrictions on some Al
askan highways were this morn
ing announced by the Bureau of
Public Roads, according to the
local Territorial Police office.
Starting at noon Saturday,
March 23, on the Glenn highway
between Palmer and Anchorage:
Fifty-percent gross axle weight
and 35 miles per hour speed limit.
Starting Monday, March 25, all
roads throughout the Matanuska
Valley will be under the same re
strictions.
On the same date the same re
strictions will apply on the high
way between Girdwood and Port
age.
On Friday, March 22, the same
restrictions will apply on the
Seward highway between Anch
orage and Girdwood.
Enforcement of these restric
tions will be under the Territorial
Police.
Local Hotel Plans
Open House Saturday
A cordial invitation has been
extended to the public to attend
an open house which will be held
at the Matanuska Hotel from 7-10
p.m. Saturday, March 23. Re
freshmens will be served.
Extending the invitation are
Mrs. Pat Wells, Mr. and Mrs.
Dean Decker, and Mr. and Mrs.
Phil O’Neill who recently pur
chased the hotel property and are
how operating the hotel and bar.
The coffee shop, located just off
the lounge, is under lease.
All friends are cordially invit
ed and anyone not acquainted
with the group are especially in
vited to drop in and meet them
during the open house.
FIRST ALASKAN INVESTMENT CO.
For the First Time in \
PALMER
WELCOME YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
HE MAY BE OF SERVICE TO YOU 1
R. H. Mclntire
and 5
J. E. Brandenburg \
TO SERVE YOU \
WHAT ALASKA BUILDS, BUILDS ALASKA \
PHONE PI-4131 {;
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STRONG PROTESTS
AGAINST MENTAL
HOSPITAL BILL
Members of the Mental Health
Steering Committee of Palmer
yesterday announced strong op
position to House action in re
gard to the location of a mental
health hospital. Telegrams were
sent to each member of the Sen
ate, to Speaker of the House,
Richard Gruel; Acting Governor,
Waino Hendrickson, news medias
in Juneau, Fairbanks, Ketchikan
and Anchorage as well as tele
vision stations in Anchorage.
The text of the wire was as fol
lows: 'House action in regard to
location of Mental Health Hospit
al not in best interest of citizens
9T general economy of Territory.
After considerable research this
committee published a detailed
unbiased brochure, .a copy ot
which is in each Legislators* and
the Governor's possession. The
public is entitled to know the
facts of the case. Is "Build Anch
orage" without regard to other
areas, the democratic way? Any
decision vital as this deserves
committee hearings _ where the
public. Civil Defense, and milit
ary can be heard. Mental Health
Steering Committee, Palmer, Al
aska". j
■ At the March 20 meeting of the
Valley Chamber of Commerce the
mental health hospital Bill as
passed by the House of Repre
sentatives this week was thor
oughly discussed. It was pointed
Dut that the House wrote into the
bill a provision calling for the
main institution to be located in
Anchorage. No hearings were
held. The mental health steering
committee in Palmer was not
notified that the bill was going to
be put up for passage and as a
result Palmer, along with every
other community except Anchor
age had no chance whatsoever to
present reasons why the hospital
should be located in a specific
area. It was pointed out that
every member of the House from
the Third Division, with the ex
ception of one from Seward, is a
resident of Anchorage.
“This action is politics in it's
most naive — but most foolish
form’’, a spokesman for the com
mittee said today. •
It was pointed out at the Cham
ber meeting that the steering
committee had done a great deal
of research before preparing the
brochure which was presented in
a gentlemanly fashion to each
legislator, the governor, the com
missioner of health, the mental
(Continued on Page 8)
Palmer Educators
Attending Conference
Teachers and administrators in
the three Palmer schools are to
day and tomorrow attending the
fifth annual teachers’ conference
sponsored by the Alaska Educa
tion Association. The conference
opened at 9 a..m. this morning
with a general meeting and will
close with a section meeting Fri
day afternoon and a viewing of
“Arsenic and Old Lace” at 8 p.m.
Dr. Roland Spaulding profes
sor of education at New York
University will be the keynote
speaker. Dr. Spaulding is in char
ge of the university’s aeronautical
education division and he will
talk on aviation’s contribution to
the world.
Other featured speakers will be
Dr. Ivar Skaarland anthropolo
gist at the University of Alaska,
and Jack Jefford, chief of the air
ways flight inspection division of
the Civil Aeronautics Authority.
During the conference students
of the Palmer schools are enjoy
ing a two-dav vacation.
| TAX FORMS 1040
IjNOW AVAILABLE
;j Forms for filing income tax j
!; returns are available at the of- I
;jfice of Dorothy Saxton, U. S. j;
/Commissioner. Mrs. Saxton j;
!; said she now has a supply of j;
/ Forms 1040 and 1040F that are \ \
!; available to anyone needing j I
!; them. The Post Office also 11
!; has a number of the same type ;!
1; forms.
i___ -j I
COMMUNITY BACKING
NEEDED TO HELP
BEAUTIFY PALMER
The job of beautifying Palmer
isn’t as big as it sounds, Izabelle
Woolcock told Chamber of Com
merce members at their luncheon
meeting March 20. “Our town is
small, and if we all get together
we can whip this in one season”,
| she said.
Mrs. Woolcock, treasurer of the
Palmer Garden Club and chairman
of the club’s project to make Pal
mer beautiful, reported a number
of organizations were represented
at a meeting held earlier this
week by the Garden club. “Many
good suggestions were made by
these interested groups”, she
said, and reported the following
projects as having been discussed^
for action by the community:
Clean up and paint properties.
It was suggested that paint deal
ers might tie in a special sale
on paint during this time as an
incentive.
Level vacant lots and plant
grass. This would help eleminate
the dust problem and might be
an opportunity for farm equip
ment dealers to demonstrate their
equipment.
Inquire about the completion
of the dismantling of the Brix
building.
Arrange for better garbage col
(Continued on page 8)
MOOSE TO HONOR
BASKERALL TEAMS
Members of the Palmer Moose
lodge are planning a sportsman
ship dinner to honor players of
the Palmer and Wasilla high sch
ool basketball teams who. each
won the Sportsmanship Trophy in
their respective classes in the
Western Alaska Basketball Tour
nament held in Fairbanks two
weeks ago.
All members of the two high
school teams, their coaches and
school superintendents will be
honored guests.
The dinner will be held at
Moose hall Wednesday evening,
March 27, with the Women of the
Moose to cater the dinner. Gen
eral chairman of the dinner is
Don Ingalls who will be working
with James Wilson, civic affairs
chairman. An entertaining pro
gram is planned to follow the
dinner and a speaker from An
chorage will talk to the youths.
Also invited to the dinner will
be members of the Moose spon
sored city league basketball team.
Fathers of all high school play
ers are especially invited to at
tend this all-man event, as well
as all members of Moose lodge.
Moose members may get their
tickets at the door.
WELL CHILD CLINICS
PLANNED IN WASILLA
Well Child Conference will be
held in Wasilla on March 27,
April 10 and 24, it was announc
ed this week by Myrtle Spencer,
Public Health Nurse in the Ma
tanuska Valley. Parents are cor
dially invited to take their pre
school age children to these con
ferences for innoculations and
weight checks.
Farm Families
Invited to
John Deere Day
All area farmers are invited
to attend the John Deere Day
program which will be held at
Elks hall in Palmer March 28
at 7:30 p.m., according to A1
Brooks, area representative for
the Northern Commercial Com
pany, dealers for John Deere
equipment. Extra tickets for the
program are available from
Brooks. Lunch will be served fol
lowing the show.
A special program of six full
color movies made especially for
the farmers’ entertainment and
including the new feature pic
ture, “Heavens to Betsy”, a story
built around a comedy of errors
that involves every member of a
delightful and typical farm fam
ily. Old Tom Gordon is back in
his latest of the popular series
which has entertained John Deere
Day audiences many times be
fore, Also seen will be the latest*
! in the series of “Oddities in
Farming” as well as “What’s New
in John Deere Farm Equipment
for 1957”. Several other enjoy
able films round out the program.
The invitation is extended to
every member of the family,
r Ham Hibbard, distributor of
John Deere equipment will again
be here from Seattle to answer
any questions.
TELEPHONE GUT OVER
SET FOR MARCH 23
All telephones hooked up in
the Paliner-Wasilla-Sutton areas
and those phones in the Chugiak
area now hooked up will be cut
into the' new Matanuska Tele
phone Association dial system as
of midnight March 23 and during
the day March 24.
Following the cut-over it will
be possible to call anywhere in
the Palmer-Wasilla-Sutton area
from any of the three exchanges.
However, because the Chugiak
system is not yet completed, not
all phones will be cut in this
week-end.
Subscribers are strongly urged
to read the two pages of instruc
tion that are included in the mim
eographed directory mailed to
them last week. “It is important
that these directions be read and
understood by each telephone us-~
er". Lew Hanks, MTA president
stated.
Telephone calls going in or
out of Chugiak will have to be
routed through Anchorage and
will be charged the same as a
toll call to Anchorage by the Al
aska Communication System.
Hanks said MTA officials are at
tempting to secure a line so that
the toll charge may be eliminated
sometime in the future.
All telephone users are remind
ed that after March 23 there will
be no operator at the switch
board and subscribers will no
longer have the convenience of
the operator assistance which
Palmerites have so long appre
(Continued on page 8)
|! GIFT ITEMS AND FINE ![
;! china !;
CHOICE IVORY, JADE, !|
HEMATITE
NATIVE ARTS & CRAFTS
TREASURE CHEST
} Wasilla Rd. !;
!» Make Appointments Now j!
![ For Junior-Senior Prom j'
Smart Hair Styling at j!
i| VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
!; L'AVONNE JOHNSON jl
\\ Phone 3043 J;
WITHDRAWAL WILL
GO INTO EFFECT
IN MARCH, 1958
The Presbyterian Board of Na
tional Missions gave notice at the
meeting of the Board of Direc
tors of the Valley Hospital Asso
ciation March 15 to terminate the
present contract with the Asso
ciation for cooperation in the op
eration of the Valley Presbyteri
an, Hospital in Palmer a year
hence on March 15, 1958.
The relationship between the
Mission Board and Association
began in June, 1950, on the invi
tation of the Association. Since
that date the Board has contri
buted approximately $232,000 to
the new hospital building, this
amount being protected by a
mortgage; has made an annual
grant toward operating expenses;
given special gifts and sewing
supplies, and has assisted with the.
securing of personnel. The Board
has been represented by two of
eleven members on the hospital
board of directors: the minister of
the United Protestant Church in
Palmer and the assistant secre
tary for work in Alaska, at pres
ent the Rev. Bertram Rutan and
the Rev. Brian Cleworth respec
tively. , S
The reason for the church
board’s decision to terminate the
contract was announced as the
result of the vote in the annual
meeting of the Valley Hospital
Association on February 15 to
accept a contribution from the
Liquor Dealers Association which
would be raised by a “raffle0.
The Mission Board requested that
this contribution not be accepted
because of the official stand on
liquor and gambling of the Pres
byterian Church which has giv
en the church benevolence funds
invested in the hospital. The vote
to accept by a majority of five,
125 to 120, made it impossible for
the Board, as an agency of the
church, to continue the existing
relationship, it was announced,
and for this reason, the year’s no
tice was given as required by the
contract.
NOT EXPECTED TO
AFFECT HOSPITAL
(Members of the Valley Hospital
Board are puzzled on what the
termination of contract means,
Allan Mick board president said
today when questioned about the
Presbyterian Board of National
Missions notice to the hospital
association of the termination of
the present contract between
(Continued on Page 8)
I. FLOWERS & CORSAGES i
For Green and Gold Dance
Hotel Open House and
Junior-Senior Prom \\
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP ||
Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601 \\
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE {
SERVICES
Sunday School_10:30 J»
Church Service_11:00 j!
nursery {!
CARPENTERS HALL
ALL CLEANING jj
j; 1 for the 4
!| L price of I
]; ON LIKE GARMENTS
Cash and Carry
j BROWN’S CLEANERS
OPEN HOUSE, MATANUKSA HOTEL
EYEBYBODY WELCOME
SAT. MABCH 23
7 P.M. ’till 10 P.M.
FBEE FOOD t PUNCH