PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PRICE TEN CENTS
VOLUME 11. NUMBER 11
PALMER. ALASKA
Thursday, January 2. 1958
Alaska Parly Names
T. A. Moyer Chairman
Thomas A. Moyer oi raimer
was named territorial chairman
of the newly organized political
•rganization, the Alaska Party,
during the first conference which
was held in Palmer December 29.
Mr. Moyer was named to suc
ceed Ben Hitchcock, party found
er, who died of a heart attack
December 28. Mrs. Kathryn Hit
chcock, widow of the founder,
was named secretary-treasurer of
the new party.
Many areas of the territory
were represented at the confer
ence, with 21 delegates present
from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Cop
per Center, Glenallen, Palmer,
and other areas. The group pledg
ed to carry on the work started
by Mr. Hitchcock in the Alaska
Party which was formed to pro
tect and further political views of
persons not affiliated with either
major political party in Alaska.
A territorial committee of eight
persons was named at the con
ference. They are: B. C. Long
with, Ronald Labe, Joan Kopon
en, and Niilo Koponen, all of
Fairbanks; James Hitchcock, Mrs.
Katheryn Hitchcock and T. A.
Moyer, all of Palmer; and Sam
Ljghtwood of Anchorage.
Delegates attending the con
ference will begin a study of pos
sible planks for the party’s plat
form.
LOCAL ACP PROGRAM
NOW OPEN FOR 1950
The Palmer County 1958 Agri
cultural Conservation Program is
now open, it was announced this
week by Lew Hanks, district
agent and secretary to the ASC
Committee.
The county area includes farm
;Eg land in the Southeastern, An
chorage, Matanuska Railbelt and
Copper Valley areas.
Any land occupant of five or
more acres who engages in farm
ing is eligible to apply for cost
sharing assistance on certain con
servation practices. Handbooks
giving full information on all
cost-sharing conservation prac
tices are available at the Exten
sion Service office in Palmer.
The Palmer County Committee,
lonsisting of A. R. Carson, Vic
tor Falk, Jr., and Howard Estelle,
have announced the following
procedure as followed by the
Committee: Each application Tor
cost sharing will be reviewed by
the committee immediately after
receiving it- If approved, the ap
plicant will be given 30 days only
to complete the practice. If the
work is not done within 30 days,
the application is cancelled and
the applicant must reapply. The
purpose of this procedure is to
prevent funds from being tied up
1 or long periods of time.
Questions regarding the local
ACP may be directed to members
of the County committee or the
Extension Service office in Pal-,
raer.
SANTA'S PILOT
OVERLOOKED IN RUSH
The most important pilot
among those who made the Elks’
trip to Talkeetna a week ago was,
through an over-sight, not men
tioned among those participating.
He was Ben Hermon of Palmer
and his importance on the trip
is borne out by the fact that it
was with Ben that SANTA
CJLiAUS rode as a passenger.
Steam Heated Rooms
$40 Month
Hyland Hotel
2 blocks from Post Office
SAVE!
ON YOUR
CLEANING
LIKE GARMENTS
2 for the 4
price of ■
Cash and Carry
WE GIVE GOLD STAMPS
j.-u-innn— ■ • • -»>»«» wwkwwmw
CHAMBER PLANNING
ACTION FOR
ENLIVENED PROGRAM
Fourteen valley residents at
tended the January 2 meeting of
the Matanuska Valley Chamber
of Commerce during which dis
cussions centered around how
participation in the local Cham
ber may be enlived. It was point
ed out that the local Chamber has
not had a large active member
ship for a considerable length of
time.
Don irwxn long-time resident
and member of the Chamber
pointed out that with so many
varied organizations in the val
ley many people have had to
spread their participation ‘’thin”.
“If the Chamber can outline two
or three projects for the coming
year . . . get an interesting pro
gram going, then consider wheth
er we can afford to have a Cham
ber here or whether we can’t af
ford not to have a Chamber . . . .
He recalled a time when nearly
every business firm in the area
was a member of the Chamber.
“At that time we had the incor
poration of Palmer at issue and
there was active interest shown.”
Eugene Reid acting president
pointed out that, the Chamber
needs the team work of the en
tire community. “This must be
an active participation” he point
ed out. With the entire commun
ity working on the program, we
could accomplish much more than
we have in the past, he added.
Prent Gazaway stated he felt
other local organization could as
sume the services performed by
a Chamber of Commerce.
At the present time the Cham
ber of Commerce has a program
lined up that will require the
100 percent support of the com
munity. It is the tourist industry.
“Dutch” Derr, director of the Al
aska Visitors Association, stated
at a recent Chamber meeting that
(Continued on page 5)
14 Valley Youths
Return From
Fairbanks Meeting
Fourteen valley youths return
ed to their home this morning
following attendance at a three
day Winter Forward held in
Fairbanks.
Enroute to the northern city a
moose failed to give right of
way to the ARR train on which
the delegates were riding and in
the collision the steam lines were
damaged, disrupting the heating
system in the passenger cars.
However, the young people re
ported a wonderful time during
their entire trip and visit.
Attending from the valley were
he Rev. and Mrs. Victor Urban
and Vadney Bledsoe of Wasilla;
and Bob Boothby, Lavern Lind
sey, Don Jones, Ann Jones, Cathy
Roark, Judy Burgess, Shannon
Mick, Jill Cope, Marion Huston,
Marjory Schriber, Sue Baugh,
Phoila Liebing, and Steve Mer
rick all of Palmer. Also attend
ing was a delegation from the
Anchorage Presbyterian Church.
During camp next summer the
group will plan another Forward
for next winter.
NOTICE
City of Palmer business
licenses for year 1958
due January 1. New
licenses may be ob
tained at city clerk's
office.
CITY OF PALMER
For every occasion
THINK FLOWERS FIRST! !;
: Telegraph Delivery Service
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
! Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601!
CITY BUSINESS
LICENSES NOW DUE ,
City of Palmer business li
censes for the year 1958 were
due on January 1, 1958, L. C.
Stock, city clerk, reminded
business owners today. New
licenses, as well as dog licen
ses, also due, may be obtained
at the office of the City Clerk.
T. A. Moyer Filing
For Senate Seal
From Alaska Party
T. A. Moyer of Palmer an
nounced his candidacy for the
Territorial Senate following the
December 29 meeting of the Al
aska Party which was held in
Palmer.
Moyer, who came to Alaska
from Michigan in 1948, has made
his home in the valley area since
that time and has actively par
ticipated in a number of civic
and church organizations. For
four years he served as publish
er and editor of The Alaska Rec
ord and as editor for three years
of Alaska Hi Lights, a publica
tion of the Church of God in Al
aska. He served as president of
the Matanuska Valley Health
-Council for three years: another
three years as president of the
Matanuska Valley Fair Associa
tion, was president of the Mat
anuska Valley Ministerial Asso
ciation, served as Farmers’ Mar
ket over-seer, master of the
Northland Pioneer Grange No. 1
as well as having held a num
ber of other offices in civic and
church organizations.
Moyer and his wife, Pearl, a
Palmer school teacher, and their
son J. C. Harder, make their
home on the Wasilla Highway.
Another son, Don Moyer, is pres
ently living in Wenachee. Wash
ington. The Third Pafty candi
date is a grandfather of two
children.
Candidate Moyer stated that in
addition to supporting the nine
points of the Alaska Party he is
especially interested in education,
farming and veterans.
CITY COURT DECISION ...
UPHELD BY
JUDGE McCARRY
Word was received today by
j the City of Palmer that in a de
| cision rendered December 31,
Judge J. C. McCarry, Jr. upheld
the City of Palmer Court finding
in the Alfred V. Hagen case. Ha
gen had appealed the Palmer
court finding on a charge of fail
ure to file sales tax returns. He
is to appear January 6 in Fed
eral court for disposition of the
case.
Fire Alarm System
Set Up Through
MTA Phone Circuits
Through the modern dial tele
i phone system of the Matanuska
I Telephone Association, three sec
| tions of the valley are able to
I now have a form of fire alarm
system. The system has been in
stalled and is in operation in the
Chugiak and Palmer areas: and
will be installed in the Butte area
as soon as details are worked out,
stated Max Clements, MTA man
ager.
The system operates on a con
ference circuit, whereby firemen
are notified by the fire chief by
dialing one number. This call sets
up the circuit ring in the home
of 10 firemen. Each telephone
rings until it is answered—the
firemen listens to the fire notice
and instructions and then hangs
up, without interupting any of the
other connections on the circuit.
He may then use his own tele
phone for making any other nec
essary call. The circuit call pro
vides a multiple-way conversa
tion if needed, whereby the fire
men may talk to the person mak
ing the original call.
Clements pointed out that if a
telephone line is busy when one
of these fire alarm calls are in
stigated a continued ring will be
heard on the line. “This continu
ed ring means that a fire call is
coming through and persons us
ing the line should immediately
hang up their telephones so the
call may go through to the fire
men”, he pointed out.
Clements reported that the en
tire MTA system is holding up
well, with no major outages re
ported anywhere in the system
due to snow, frost, or wind. Al
though the new subscription list
las slowed down, the manage*
said a number of persons have
indicated their intentions of sub
scribing for telephone service in
the spring.
DR. ALBRECHT GOES
TO PENN. HEALTH DEPT.
Dr. C. Earl Albrecht, former
Territorial commissioner of
health, and a physician in the
valley during the early Colony
days, has accepted the position
; of deputy director of the Pennsyl
vania Department of Health, ef
fective January 15, according to
word received in Palmer this
week. The position pays $18,000.
Dr. Albrecht left Alaska in 1956
and has been with the Columbus
State School in Ohio.
E. H. Schomburg, newly ap
pointed general manager at the
Co-Op, and Mrs. Schomburg, are
expected in Palmer this week.
They are driving up. over the
1 highway from Durand, Wisconsin.
MARCH OF DIMES
The 1958 March of Dimes is
getting under way in the Valley
area ,it was announced this week
by Ed Smith of Palmer, who
again this year will serve as gen
eral chairman in this area. Smith
announced that Mrs. Dorothy
Trudell will act as his assistant
in the program this year.
A number of projects are be
ing discussed, including a new
program which is being used in
schools throughout the States;
the neighborhood “coffees” which
have proven themselves in many
sections; and other programs
through which funds may be
raised.
March of Dimes collection bot
tles have not yet arrived in Pal
mer, the general chairman said.
However, they will be distribut
ed throughout the valley as soon
as they do arrive, he added.
Funds from these bottles and
from those raised by various or
ganizations through their projects
will be used in the continued re
search and help in recovery for
those who are afflicted with the
crippling disease.
The March of Dimes launched
its 1958 polio fund campaign here
and throughout the country this
month on the dramatic note that
for thousands of polio-blighted
victims “Survival Is Not
Enough.” Most of the money
sought in the drive is needed to
help disabled polio patients stage
“come-backs” from helplessness
to usefulness.
The Salk vaccine developed by
the March of Dimes, and made
available locally by the National
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
i Foundation for Infantile Paraly
1 sis, scored dramatically in pre
i venting new paralytic polio cases,
I but during the past year it has
j been necessary to spend a total
of $21,700,000 in March of Dimes
funds on the care and rehabilita
tion of patients. These patients
numbered 57,800, of whom 53,000
were victims of old attacks.
Since*' most of this cost is in
the form of continuing care for
patients stricken in preceeding
fears, the obligation will con
tinue next year with very little
letup, it was pointed out.
The campaign will be held
through the month of January. A
feature of the campaign this year
will be the observance of the
20th anniversary of the Nation
al Foundation for Infantile Par
alysis, the polio-fighting organ
ization which the March of Dimes
supports. ,
“This will be an occasion fOr
both recalling our victories of
the past, including the creation
of the Salk vaccine,” said Basil
O’Connor, president of the Na
tional Foundation, “and for look
ing ahead to new challenges. Most
important of all, it will be the
occasion for pledging ourselves
to assist, insofar as we are able,
those who were stricken and now
still need help.”
Chairman Smith has requested
that organizations or individuals
planning fund-raising projects
report their plans to him or Mrs.
Trudell so they may offer any
possible assistance in the plans,
and to avoid duplication, or over
lapping plans.
Palmer Tax Rate
Below 7 Other Cities
BASKETBALL TEAM
TO PLAY AT
ELMENDORF FRIDAY
Keeping their hand in the bas
ket, the PHS Moose will travel to
Elmendorf tomorrow afternoon
where they will meet for the sec
ond time, one of the military’s
top basketball teams. On Friday
of last week the military team
topped the local hoopsters by five
points on the Palmer court. The
game will be held in the after
noon following which the youths
will have an opportunity to swim
in the base swimming pool.
On Friday, January 10, the An
chorage Eagles will be coming to
Palmer for a double-header game
in which the Jayvee’s will meet
the Palmer Javee’s and the two
varsity teams will tangle. The
following evening the Wasilla
teams will come here for games
with the Palmer JV’s and varsity
teams.
The Co-Op league team trim
med the Palmer JV’s in their
game last Friday.
Ben HHchcock,
New Party Founder
Taken by Death
Private funeral services for
| Benson (Ben) Frank Hitchcock,
i 44, were held at the Palmer Fun
i eral Chapel on Sunday, Decem
| ber 29, and interment followed
| in the Palmer Cemetery. Mr;
I Hitchcock died at Valley Presby
terian Hospital in Palmer Decem
ber 28 following a brief illness.
Mr. HitcncocK wno was born in
Missouri May 23, 1913, capie to
Alaska some 23 years ago and had
worked as a miner and in more ,
recent years built pre-cut log
cabins. He and his family home
steaded at Caribou Creek, Mile
107, Glenn Highway. On Decem
ber 6 he filed his candidacy for
the Territorial House of Repre
sentatives on the Alaska Party
ticket. He was the founder of the
newly organized Alaska Party.
Survivors include his wife
Kathryn Hitchcock, two sons,
James and Nels, all of Pal
mer; His mother, Mrs. Bertha
Benson Hitchcock of California;
a sister, Mrs. Vivian Spur
gin of Gakona, a sister Mrs.
Helen Womack of California, and
two brothers, Don Hitchcock of
California and Francis Hitchcock
of Pennsylvania.
HEALTH NURSE
KIWANIS SPEAKER
Mary Rowley, public health
nurse, was guest speaker at the
December 30 meeting of the Pal-*
-mer Kiwanis Club. Miss Rowley
spoke on her various duties in
the public health field and touch
ed on help received from the lo
cal Kiwanis Club in the past and
on how they may continue to
help in the future.
The Alaska City Officials Di
rectory, published by the League
of Alaskan Cities, has been print
ed and contains current infor
mation on cities in Alaska.
By comparison, the tax rates
in Palmer are lower than all but
fivO cities. Cities whose tax rates
are higher include Anchorage,
where there is no sales tax, 20
mills; Cordova, 17 mills; Fair
banks, 20 mills; Kodiak, 20 mills;
Sitka, 19 mills; Valdez, 20 mills
and Seward, 16 mills, real pro
perty and 26 mills, personal pro-'
party. Palmer’s rate of 16 mills
is higher than Juneau, 12 mills
Ketchikan, 11 -mills; Nome,"‘15
mills; Petersburg, 14 mills; and
Wrangell, 15 mills. All cities
have the two percent sales tax
except Sitka, where the sales tax*
totals three percent, and Anch
orage, where there is none.
Cordova and Petersburg are
the only cities showing a drop
in population since 1950. Cor
dova’s present population is list
ed at 1,000, a drop of 65 persons
in the past seven years. Peters
burg dropped from 1,605 to 1,550.
Palmer shows an increase of 622
persons, bringing the present
population to 1,500. Valdez counts
341 as compared to 554 in 1950.
Wrangell shows a gain of only 12
persons for a total of 1,275. Sitka
has gone from 1,985 to 2,300.
Seward increased from 2,114 to
3,000 persons.
Nome’s population has gone
from 1,855 to 2,000; Kodiak shows
a jump from 5,305 to 7,500: 7,100
persons were counted in Juneau,
compared to 5,818 in 1950; Fair
banks nearly doubled the 1950
figure of 5,771 to its present 10,
050. Anchorage shows the great
est change in population figures,
going from 11,254 seven years
ago to 31,000 at the present time.
Anyone interested in seeing the
report is invited to stop in at The
Frontiersman office.
Confirmation Planned
At St. Bartholomew’s
On January 12 at 8 p.m. the
first confirmation class of St.
Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church
will be presented to the Rt. Retf.
.William J. Gordon, Jr., Bishop of
the Misisonary District of Alaska
of Episcopal Churches. The ser
vice will be held in Grange hall,
with a buffet supper to follow.
An important meeting for all
members of St. Bartholomew’s
parish will be held immediately
following the 11 a.m. service on
Sunday, January 5, at Grange
hall, with a buffet supper to fol
.low. ..
An important meeting for all
rrjembers of St. Bartholomew’s
parish will be held immediately
following the 11 a.m. service on
Sunday, January 5, at Grange
hall. All parishoners are urged to
attend.
On January 6 there will be a
meeting of the Episcopal Church
Women at the home of Mary
Rowley at 8 p.m.
YOUR INVESTMENT IS
NEEDED NOW!!
SUPPORT YOUR OWN RECREATION
A Valley' Enterprise
Palmer Bowling
Center
Stock offered only to bonafide resident
of Alaska
FOR DETAILED INFORMATION SEE . . .
E. O. DUGAS NORM HARTUNG
ROBERT JOHNS DR. FOSTER SIMS
JIM HURLEY ED SMITH
John Polis, Wasiila, is accepting subscriptions
from interested persons in the Wasiila area.