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MARCH OF DIMES
’56 CAMPAIGN
OPENS JANUARY 2
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AI> for that itrm
you may have for sale, rent
or lease.
VOLUME 10. NUMBER 10
PALMER, ALASKA. THURSDAY, DEC. 27, 1956
PRICE TEN CENTS
MAYOR OFFERS
ANSWERS TO SOME
PAVING QUESTIONS
Mayor Charles VV. Wilson this
week prepared answers to a few
of the questions that are being
asked in regards to the City’s pro
posed plan for paving streets in
Palmer. Although these questions
and answers are by no means
all that might come up, the May
or has attempted to answer the
ones most frequently asked. Pro
perty owners who have other
questions they wish answered are
invited to write them out and
leave them either at the office
of The Frontiersman or at City
Hall. Answers to the questions
will be printed in editions of
The Frontiersman prior to the
bond issue election, .January 22.
Will the passage of a bond is
hue for street improvements
make a raise in property tax
necessary?
\To. The City Council raised
the tax levy last June to provide
one mill for schools; two mills
for the water system and three
mills for permanent street im
provements. No additional tax
will be needed to retire the city
share of a $200,000 bond issue.
Why not make the bond issue
large enough to pave all the
streets so that we won’t have to
submit the issue again in four
or five years?
There arc two reasons why the
figure of $200,000 is being used
at this time. First, it is enough
to cover all paving that can be
done before some additional sew
er lines are placed. Second, the
Territory will not allow Palmer
to bond its property beyond $500,
OOO on the present assessed eval
uation of $5 million. If this en
tire amount is voted for streets
we would be unable to bond our
selves for sewer lines until a
major part of the paving bonds
had been retired.
How much paving is planned
for the immediate future?
The City Council is asking the
tax payers for authority to com
ply with the requests of property
owners for paving. The $200,000
(Continued on page 4)
HOSPITAL STAFF
HAS ANNUAL PARTY
Among many Christmas par
ties held in the valley area was(
one staged by the staff at the
Valley Presbyterian Hospital.
Each staff member invited a
guest and an evening of fun was
held in the hospital lounge. The
entertainment included a puppet
show presented by Dorothy Bat
terton, Marion McIntyre, and
.Margaret Sharrow and a skit
presented by Dorothy Batterton
and Dixie Wooten. The group en
joyed the hospital’s Christmas
tree, had a visit from Santa
Claus, exchanged gifts and had
refreshments. j
I CORSAGES AND FLOWERS \
FOR NEW’ YEAR
FESTIVITIES
Telegraph Delivery Service
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601 \
SAT. NIGHT: ENTER- ;
TAINMENT AS USUAL.
| Also, Frank, Tom and I
Chuck will play for:
I dancing.
GALA NEW YEAR'S EVE
PARTY AND DANCE,
DEC. 31. FREE LUNCH
and PARTY.
j MOOSE HALL
I SCHOOL RESUMES
JANUARY 2
By next Wednesday all the
Christmas presents will have
been tested, tried on, shown
around among the friends and
students of the Palmer school
system and their teachers will
be right back at it again.
School resumes Wednesday
morning, January 2, following
the annual Christmas vaca
tion.
CONVERTED B-29
CRASHES ON BALDY
Rescue crews are in the Baldy
Mountain area today searching
for a converted B-29 which crash
ed about 8:35 last night. The ship
was reported to be carrying a
crew of eight. Assisting the Army
n the search are Joe Loyer, his
two sons Vic and Fred, and A1
Withey, all of Palmer. The valley
men are acting as guides to the
area where the ship was seen
burning.
At noon today no word has
been received at the Palmer po
lice station in regards to the
ground crew’s progress. Medics
were air-dropped into the section
early this morning.
The ship reported on a rou
‘tine flight, was converted from
a B-29 to a B-50 tanker. Eye-wit
nesses to the crash reported a
large giow in the sky, followed
by an explosion. The plane is be
lieved to be crashed in Section
6, about six miles north of King's
Lake Camp at the 3,000-foot level.
Weasels were brought into Pal
mer early this morning to be
used by the crew attempting to
reach the crash scene overland.
An unofficial report this noon
stated the rescue crew had
reached the wreckage and report
ed no survivors.
Young People
Attending Meeting
At King's Lake
A young peoples’ winter con
ference is being held by the
Westminster Fellowships of val
ley and Anchorage area churches
at King’s Lake Camp this week.
Young people from Palmer,
Wasilla, Anchorage, Spenard and
Elmendorf Airforce Base went
*to the camp this afternoon and
will remain until Saturday after
noon.
Accompanying the group and
taking part in .the varied pro
grams are Hev. Robert Boughton
of the First Presbyterian-Church;
Hev. John Seibert Faith Presby
terian Church; the Rev. Ralph
Weeks Woodland Park Presby
terian Church, all of Anchorage
area; Chaplain Douglas Brewer,
Elmendorf; Rev. Victor Urban,
Wasilla Presbyterian Church;
Rev. Bertran Rutan, and the Mis
ses Beverly Hunter and Ann
Johnson, United Protestant
Church. Rev. Rutan will be in
attendance for part of the pro
grams.
The youths will enjoy a pro
gram of skating, tabboganing,
other outdoor activities, worship
services, and group discussions.
MANY MUST REGISTER NEW
PROPERTY BY DECEMBER 31
AH persons who have acquired
real property in 1956, located
outside incorporated municipal
ities, school districts or public
utility districts, or have receiv
ed patent or deed for such pro
perty from the United States,
must file a Statement of Owner
ship with the U. S. Commissioner
Recorder of the precinct where
the property is located. This fil
ing must be done on or before
December 31, 1956.
Frank Whaley,
AVA Head, to Speak
At Chamber Wed.
All residents of the valley, in
terested in tourism, are invited
to attend the January 2 meeting
of the Matanuska Valley Cham
ber of Commerce. Frank Whaley,
director of the Alaska Visitor As
sociation will be the guest speak
er at the meeting and will point
out the many ways valley resi
dents can help encourage tourist
business in Alaska. He will also
show the advantages to everyone,
from the businessman to the
housewife, in getting the tour
ists' dollars circulating, not only
in the valley, but throughout Al
aska.
Persons with suggestions to
make are especially invited. Wha
ley will report on the progress
made last year by the Associa
tion.
The luncheon meeting will be
held in the Co-Op club room at
12:05 p.m. Reservations may be
made by those who do not regu
larly attend Chamber meetings
by contacting Mrs. Lucille Mick,
Chamber secretary.
‘Contest Winners
Announced By
Garden Club
The Palmer Garden Club, spon
sors of the annual Christmas dec
orating contest in the valley :
area, has announced the 1956
winners.
First place in the outdoor dec
orating section went to the Art
Millers who live in the North
Palmer section of the city. This
is the second year the Millers
have taken first place. Their
home was gaily decorated with
colored electirc lights and Santa’s
sleigh and reindeer were atop
the roof. Rudolph’s little red nose
lit up each time the lights went
on and off. Rosalie Stewart’s dec
orations outside her home took
second place honors and third
place went to the Joseph Gal
lants.
The Paul Martin family again
this year took first place in the
indoor decorating section. Their
theme this year was built around
a giant candle, fashioned by the
Martin children. Second place
went to Mrs. Nick Stadem and
third to the Virgil Eckerts.
A number of homes through
out the valley area are decorated
for the holiday season and a short
trip around the valley during
the evening is a pleasant way to
pass an hour or less.
Checks for the winners will be
in the mail this week.
MEA DISCONTINUES
2 COLLECTING POINTS
All MEA consumers were last
week notified that the collection
points at Chugiak and Wasilla
will be discontinued, effective
January 1, 1957.
All applications for service, in
quiries, collections, payment of
bills and other general business
must now be transacted at the
Palmer business office, the no
tice stated.
Any service complaints or in
quiries should preferably be mail
ed to the Palmer office or made
by collect telephone call direct-;
ly to the Palmer office.
Trouble calls from these two
areas should now be made by
routing the call, collect, to “MEA
TROUBLE CREW” at Palmer.1
The telephone operator will route
the call to the particular man |
.on call.
XMAS MAIL HEAVY
IN LOCAL POST OFFICE
Residents of the Valley area,
served by the F’almer Post Of
fice, received an abundance of
mail as a sampling of one day’s
airmail shipment into Palmer
showed. In one delivery, one
day last week, 5,400 pieces of
air mail landed in the Palmer
P. O. from outside. Each ot
these pieces had to be hand
led twice- once for the first
sorting and again when it was
put in the boxes. This mail
was in addition to at least as
great a number of local and
Anchorage-area envelopes that
came into the Palmer post of
fice on the same day ... in
addition also to the pieces of
parcel post. The Palmer Post
Office handled this entire
amount of mail with only five
employees and every bit of
mail was put up before the
post office closed for the holi
day and the employees took
off for a well-earned rest
Christmas day.
MARCH CF DIMES
DRIVE OPENS JAN. 2
“Let’s finish the job!”
This is the theme announced
'by March of Dimes headquarters^
for the campaign that will be car
ried on through January.
The “job" is two-fold: To raise
funds for repair of the damage
that polio has done to thousands
of Americans in the past and to
prevent the disease from crippl
ing more thousands in the future.
March of Dimes spokesmen ex-;
plain that an estimated 80,000
persons have been left handicap j
ped by polio, throughout the len
gth and breadth of the United
States; and they point out that
the job of conquering the disease j
cannot be considered finished un
til these patients have been help
ed to regain normal and produc-1
tive lives.
The second objective of the
campaign is to promote the wid
est possible use of the Salk vac
cine, which was developed un
der March of Dimes sponsorship,
and which has been proven safe
and effective many millions of
times over.
Commenting on the 16,000
cases of polio reported in 1956,
Basil O’Connor, president of the
March of Dimes organization,
said:
“We of the March of Dimes are
determined that 1957 shall not
see a repetition of the polio rec
ord of 1956. Even so, we know
there will be attacks of the dis
ease, and we must provide for
the care of all who need it.”
“We must also remember,” Mr.
O’Connor added, “those persons
for whom the vaccine came too
late. When we give to the March
of Dimes, we are helping those j
who need help and protecting j
those who don’t."
Grangers Plan
Dance December 31
Only one public dance is slat
ed in the valley for New Year’s ;
Eve. It is being sponsored by the
Northland Pioneer Grange and
will be held in the Central Sch- j
ool gymnasium, starting at 9 p.m. '
and continuing until 1 a m.
A popular dance band from An
chorage will furnish music for
dancing and there will be an
abundance of free hats, bal
loons, noise-makers, and the like
for everyone who attends.
Admission will be $2.50 for
men—the women will be admit
ted free. The public is invited to
attend. Formal dress will be op
ional. i
Churches Plan
Watchnighl
Services Dec. 31
Among programs being plan
ned by area churches for the
New Year holiday is a New
Year’s Eve family program plan
ned for members and friends of
the United Protestant Church.
The evening will begin with a
pot luck supper at 6:30 in the so
cial hall, followed by group
singing and family worship.
About 8 pm. the Walt Disney
film, “So Dear To My Heart"
will be shown in color. The film
will run about one and one half
hours and will be followed by an
intermission period.
Fellowship and refreshments
will be held at 10 p.m., conclud
ing with a candlelight commun
ion service in the sanctuary
from 11 p.m. to midnight.
Those who cannot attend for
the entire evening are invited
to join or leave at any time dur
ing the program, said the Rev.
Bertran Rutan who will conduct
the services.
Watchnight services will be
held at the lliw'ay Church of God,
starting at 8 p.m. with a potluck
supper. A social period will fol
low the supper during which a
16mm sound film, “Simon Peter” (
will be shown. The film tells the
story of the calling of Peter and
his life as a disciple. The worship
service will follow the social time
and will conclude at midnight.
The public is cordially extended
an invitation to attend the ob
servance by the Rev. Joan Ashby,
pastor at the church.
Another program of recreation
and worship is one being planned
at the Church of God on Matan
uska street. The program will
begin at 9 p.m. with a program
planned by the Youth Fellow
ship group which will include the \
presentation of a skit. Refresh- i
ments will be served prior to a I
worship service which will be 1
held just prior to the midnight
hour. Rev. Wesley Lancaster will
be in charge of the evening pro
gram.
At the Sunday morning ser-;
vice on December 30 the Rev
John Dickerson will bring a New
Year’s message in his morning
sermon. Regular Sunday services j
will be held, beginning at 11 a.m.
No services are planned for Janu
ary 1.
Watchnight services will be
held at 11 p.m. in St. John’s Lu
theran Cnurch, the Rev. J. Einar
Bach has announced. Prior to the
service an evening of recreation
will be held, starting at 8 p.m.
HOSPITAL ASS'N
ANNUAL MEETING
SET FOR FEB. 15
The annual membership cam
paign for the Valley Hospital As
sociation will get under way with
in a short time, it was announc
ed this week by Dr. Allan Mick,
hospital association board presi
dent. Membership in the hospital
association is $2.50 each year and
provides each member with vot
ing powers at the annual meet
ing.
The annual meeting will be
held this year on Friday, Febru
ary 15. Six positions on the board
of directors will be filled by the
members in an election to be held
that night.
Dr. Mick has been named mod
erator of the board to replace
Dr. John Burnett who recently
resigned from that position.
Mick reported that the finan
ces of the Valley Presbyterian
Hospital have remained steady
during the past five months,
neither gaining or losing and
the patient load has been very (
.constant, he added.
VALLEY BOOSTED
AS SITE FOR
MENTAL HOSPITAL
A brochure, representing many
hours of preparatory work, is
being mailed this week to ail Al
aska legislators, as well as to
all committee chairmen in Con
gresS, and to many news medias,
j bringing attention to the many
| desirable features which the Ma
j tanuska Valley offers as a site
| for the proposed Alaska Mental
| Health Hospital.
The brochure, prepared by a
; local committee consisting of Dr.
j C. C. Bailey, chairman, Marvin
i Slaughter, secretary, Mayor Char
les W. Wilson, Dr. Foster ft. Sims,
ft. M. Jones, Pat Carter, George
E. Smith, James J. Hurley, Dr.
Allan Mick and Mrs. Izola Sims,
outlines a number of findings
made by the committee in re
tards to basic requirements in
determining a successful loca
tion of the hospital.
Following the visit of the U. S
Department of Health Mental
Survey team to the valley con
siderable interest was created
among residents and a steering
committee was organized for the
purpose of preparing a report as
to why the Palmer area is the
.most feasible and ideal location
for such a hospital.
The preface of the brochure
lists seven important guides for
the selection of the location of
the hospital. Decentralization,
medical facilities, central lo
cation in relation to population,
general economy of the com
munity, climate availability
of building site, and accept
ability of the community “The
Palmer area can offer more
relative to the above require
ments than would be possible to
find in any other area in Alaska’’,
the brochure states.
In brochure the committee has
outlined, in detail, the area des
cription, the decentralization of
the area, medical facilities avail
able including complete informa
tion on the hospital, medical
;taff, consultant staff, courtesy
staff, nursing staff, X-ray and
(Continued on page 10)
Midshipman Is
Kiwanis Club Speaker
Guest at the December 24
meeting of Palmer Kiwanis Club
was Howard Esslinger, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Clayton Esslinger of
Palmer. The guest speaker is
visiting at the home of his par
ents during his holiday vacation
away from the Naval Academy at
Annapolis, Maryland. Midship
man Esslinger’s talk was present
ed in answer form to the many
questions that were asked by Ki
wanians in regard to life at the
academy. Esslinger leaves early
next week to resume his first
year studies at Annapolis.
NEW YEAR’S EVE
PARTY
King Mountain Lodge
# Entertainment
# Barbeque
# Dancing
Everybody Welcome
New Year's Eve Dance
FREE BALLOONS, HATS, HORNS, ETC. . GOOD DANCE BAND
Sponsored by the
Northland Pioneer Grange
Palmer School Gym - 9 P.M. ■ I A.M.
Admission $2.50, Ladies Free