The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that ilem
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VOLUME 11. NUMBER 21
PALMER, ALASKA
Thursday. March 13, 1958
PRICE TEN CENTS
KIWANIS MINSTRELS OF 1958 * "E.Urf
BRING THE FAMILY — FUN FOR ALL Sponsored by Palmer Kiwanis SHOW TIME 8:30 P.M.
GOVERNOR, COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS MILK PROBLEM
CAST AND
READY FOR SHOW;
TICKETS ON SALE
The Palmer Kiwanis minstrel
cast and crew, numbering close
to 50 persons, are putting on the
last minute touches to the 1958
show, according to Jim Wilson,
producer of the show.
“New costuming for the chorus
and endmen should make this
our most colorful show,” he said.
“We have several new specialty
acts and a unique twist to the
theme that should prove enter
taining”. ’
“Rastus” Stephan ,as senior
ehdman will be dishing it out to
“Bones” Smith, “Sunbeam” Maze,
and little “Ozone” Slaughter.
Wilson states that suits for Sun
beam and Bones have been re*,
ceived from Northwest Tent and
Awning Co.
CREW
Reserved seat tickets are on
sale at $2; general admission,
$1.50; students and children, 75
cents From, past experience, it
would be advisable for those
wanting reserved space to buy
their tickets early. In addition
to Kiwanians selling tickets,
members of the Palmer Key Club
are assisting the Kiwanis Club
in their ticket sales. A percent
age of the proceeds from the
tickets sold by Key Club mem
bers will revert to their own
treasury to help offset expenses
of some of their own projects in
the community.
The Nieman trio, who hold the
record for minstrel performances,
will present several numbers in
their ever more popular style. In
an effort to maintain the ele
ment of surprise, five specialty
acts featuring local talent new
to the show, will not be announc
ed until show time.
Proceeds from the Kiwanis
show go to support of various
community service projects which
in the past have included the
valley hospital, Boy, Girl, and
Cub Scouts, Little League, etc.
Special projects have been aid
to underprivileged and handi
capped children kids’ Christmas
party and Christmas gift baskets
to distressed families.
COMFORTABLE
Steam Heated Rooms
Hyland Hotel
2 blocks from Post Office
PLACE YOUR ORDERS FOR
EASTER FLOWERS NOW!
There is still lime for state
side orders to go air mail.
See our new shipment of
African violets.
MAUD S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601
SAVE!
ON YOUR
CLEANING
LIKE GARMENTS
2 for the 4
price of I
Cash and Carry
BROWN’S CLEANERS
WE GIVE GOLD STAMPS
GEORGE CROWTHER
NAMED LOAN AGENT
WITH AG DEPARTMENT
George Crowther of Palmer
has been named to succeed
Herbert Lang as loan agent
with the. Alaska Department
of Agriculture, it was announ
ced today by James W. Wil
son, commissioner of agricul
ture. Crowther has served the
Department since 1951 in in
spection, marketing and regu
latory work covering all pro
ducing areas of the Territory.
His new duties will also cover
these same areas. Crowther
and his wife made their home
in the valley. They have two
young children and operate a
potato farm, specializing in
certified seed potatoes.
CHARTER PRESENTED
TO LOCAL JAYCEES
Members of the recently chart
ered Mataijuska Valley Junior
Chamber of Commerce termed i
their inaugural ball a wonder- J
ful success. The ball was held at \
Elks hall Saturday evening,
March 15.
During the evening the presen
tation of the charter was con
ducted at which time Gerry
Wolf, member of the Anchorage
NOTE: We regret that a pic
ture of the Valley Jaycees
officers, which was to have ac
companied this news item, has
not yet been returned to us
from the engravers. The pic
ture will be run in next week's
issue of The Frontiersman.
Junior Chamber of Commerce,
presented a gavel to John Gore
president of the Valley Jaycees,
as a gift from the Anchorage
Chamber.
Tom Fink, also of the Anchor
age Jaycees spoke to the group
on the organiaztion of the new
chapter. Bill Sheffield, national
director from the Anchorage
chapter, persented the charter to
the group.
Bill Sisco of Palmer, named the
Outstanding Young Farmer of the
year in the local area, was pre
sented a membership in the Val
ley Jaycees.
The new organization is open
for all interested young men be
tween the ages of 21 and 35 years
of age. Meetings are held each
Friday evening in the basement
of city hall at 7:30 p.m. All in
terested men are ■ invited to at
tend. A varied and constructive
program is being planned.
WORK ON BRIDGE
MAY CAUSE TRAFFIC
DELAYS DURING WEEK
Effective this morning, and
continuing for one week, minor
delays up to one half hour at
Knik River Bridge may be ex
pected due to steel erection for
a transmission line by the Bur
eau of Reclamation.
LITTLE SUSITNA
LODGE
Open Under
New Management
EDITH COTTINI
TOURISM PROJECT
TO BE STARTED
BY LOCAL JAYCEES
Tourist attraction has been tak
en up by the recently organized
Matanuska Valley Junior Cham
ber of Commerce as their first
project, it was announced this
week by John Gore, Jaycee presi
dent.
The Valley Jaycees hope dur
ing their project to erect a log
cabin type structure within Col
ony Park; prepare and distribute
a brochure on the original val
ley settlers which would contain
a history of the settlers, their
place of origin and when they
came to the valley. It is hoped
that pictures of the early-day set
tlers will be included.
Among their plans the young
men hope to erect signs at the
original valley farm sites, com
pile and make available to the
visitors a map showing the lo
cation of these farms and other
points of interest such as area ■
resorts. The brochure would in
clude a brief history of the val
ley.
To complete this very ambi
tious and worthwhile project the
Jaycees will be calling on other
local organizations for aid and
work.
The need for a tourist center,
where they may obtain informa
tion about the famous Matanus
ka Valley, has long been recog
nized in this area by several or
ganiaztions. Through the local
Chamber of Commerce and the
Alaska Visitors Association, last
year several thousand colored
brochures on the valley were dis
tributed throughout Alaska and
the States. However, these bro
chures did not specifically high
light the early settlers or the col
ony farmers. Other than a few
out-dated maps that are made
available to the public through
the courtesy of local business
establishments, there is no litera
ture available for the tourist at
the present time.
The Valley Jayvees hope
through this project to not onlyj
get the tourists coming here for
a vacation, but enjoying them
' selves while they are here, and
publicize the valley to their
friends upon their return home.
Acapella Choir
Here Next Tuesday
The public is invited to hear
the University of Alaska Acapel
la choir which will present an af
ternoon program at Central Sch
ool gym Tuesday, March 18 at
two o’clock.
Members of the choir will ar
rive in Wasilla, via The Alaska
Railroad, Tuesday morning and
will be met by a Palmer school
bus, brought to Palmer for break
fast and lunch and then return
ed to Wasilla where they will be
housed during their valley visit.
On Wednesday evening they will
present a second program in the
Wasilla School.
Admission will be $1 for adults,
50 cents for high school students,
and 25 cents for elementary grade
pupils.
^SPRING^H^hDO?
> It's time to think about your ■;
new spring hair style. j;
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
LAVONNE JOHNSON
Phone 2041
FINANCE FORUM
TO OPEN HERE
MONDAY, MARCH IT
Women of the valley area are
being offered an opportunity to
learn about financing through a
Womens Finance Forum being co
sponsored in Palmer by the Ma
tanuska Valley §ank and the Xi
Eta and Theta Chapters of Beta
Sigma Phi.
The forum will be held Mon
day evenings, starting March 17,
for four consecutive weeks, in
the cafeteria at the high school.
Each session will begin at 8 p.m.
and will last for 45 moinutes to
one hour. All interested persons
are invited to attend. There will
be no attendance charge made.
“Functions of Banking” will be
the topic of the March 17 session,
with Richard C. Benjaman, as
sistant cashier with the First
National Bank of Anchorage, as
speaker. Mrs. James Hurley,
president of Xi Eta chapter, will
offer the welcome and will pre
side during the meeting. Kyle
Turner, assistant cashier at the
Matanuska Valley Bank will
serve as moderator. Following
the talk there will be a period
for questions and answers dur
ing which the audience will be
invited to participate.
Other programs being planned
include Real Estate and Title In
surance, March 24, with the fol
lowing speakers: Richard Jones,
cashier and manager of the Ma
tanuska Valley Bank; James J.
Hurley, general manager, Alaska
Rural Rehabilitation Corpora
tion; James W. Wilson, adminis
trator, Alaska Agricultural Loan
Board; and John E. Murray,
president Title Insurance and
Trust Company of Alaska. Paul
Martin will” moderate this session.
On March 31 “Life Insurance
and Social Security” will be the
topics and Willis Townsend of
the Alaska Underwriters Associa
tion will speak, as will a repre
sentative of the Social Security
Administration. Moderator will
be Ed Smith, manager Palmer
branch, Ketchikan Spruce Mills.
“Wills, Estate and Taxes” will
be the topic of the final session
on April 7 at which time John
£>. Sh^_ of Palmer, attorney at
law, and George Hedla of An
chorage, certified public account
(Continued on page 8)
OLD KNIK BREWERY. INC.
Stock Offering
Salesman:
FRANK (SWEDE) SORENSEN
Phone FR-3345
ELECTRIC &
REFRIGERATION
OF PALMER
Phone PI-2560
is only doing the manual work
of installation and repairs for
Frank McKenzie Glacier Re
frigeration, Phone PI-3010.
Frank is still handling the
sales of equipment and repair
parts. Due to injuries he no
longer can do his own work.
Aviation Speakers
Here March 19
For Special Meeting
A sDecial meeting of the Ma
tanuska Valley Airmens Associa
tion will be held Wednesday,
March 19 at 8 p.m. in the high
school cafeteria. The meeting will
be devoted to lectures and dis
cussions on aviation education.
Guest speakers will include
Ray O. Mertes, director of School
and College Services, United Air
Lines, who on March 20 and 21
will be the main speaker at the
Sixth Annual Western Teachers
Conference to be held in Anchor
age. Also speaking will be John
V. Sorenson, aviation education
ist, Pacific Region Civil Air Pa
trol; Chester A. Allen, aeronaut
ics and preflight instructor, An
chorage High School; Robert
Hall, assistant superintendant of
on-base schools, Elmendorf AFB, (
Anchorage ;and C. E. Planck, of
fice of information and aviation
education, Civil Aeronauics Ad
ministration, Anchorage.
Following the presentations by
Mertes and Sorenson the audi
ence will be invited to ask ques
tions of the panel members.
“Many times”, said Ralph
Farnsworth, president of the Air
(Cointinued on page 5)
WOMEN VOTERS
TO BEGIN UNIT *
STUDY PROGRAMS
Unit study groups of the Pal
mer Provisional League of Wo
men Voters will begin on Mon
day, March 31. Approval of their
charter and official recognition
of their provisional status was
given by the National League
this week, according to Mrs. Ber
tran Curry, League president.
The units will meet in the
afternoon and evening on Mon
days and the evening on Wednes
day of the same week. Definite
times and places will be an
nounced next week as well as
the curernt agenda the units will
study. All members and pros
pective members will receive a
more explanatory bulletin short
ly.
All women of voting age con
cerned and interested in local
government, taxation and their
functions are cordially invited to
Visit any of the unit study meet
ings as observers.
EARLY SOLUTION
BEING SOUGHT BY
LOCAL PRODUCERS
James Wilson, commissioner of
agriculture, and several members
of the special milk marketing
committee, plan to meet in Anch
orage with Governor Mike Step
Ovich and his military procure
ment committee to discuss the
matter of military procurement
of local milk.
This meeting, to be held Sat - •
urday, follows a series of local
meetings to co-ordinate the work
being done by several agencies
and individuals in an effort to
broaden milk outlets.
To be presented at the meeting
is a report of the Commissioner’s
Committee which will include:
the problem, the causes; and
recommended solutions.
The report points out that pro
cessors in the Anchorage milk
shed have record high receipts of
fresh milk, approximately 34,000
pounds daily, of which only about
64 per cent is presently being
sold as fresh fluid milk. The bal
ance is going into secondary us
es which cannot return a “cost
of production price” to the farm
er. It points out that in spite
of..labor scales having doubled
and other costs of living riser!
materially in the past eight years,
the retail price of milk and the
price received by the producer
has remained equal to or below
that of 1950.
Causes of this situation were
listed as production increase, sta
bilization of population, commis
sary freight subsidization, use of
recombined milk for troop issue,
and milk substitutes.
Milk production has more than
doubled in the past five years,
the, report showed as farmers
strived to fill the growing de
mand for fresh milk in this rap
idly expanding area. The rapid
population increase has slowed
in this market area during the
past two years and has resulted
in the milk industry catching up
to demand sooner than anticipat
ed.
The report points out that the
practice of offering stateside
merchandise at stateside prices
to military commissary patrons
prevents this excess milk from
moving into this outlet at a com
petitive price. Testimony at the
(Continued on page 8)
AT THE
ALPINE INN
SATURDAY NITE - MARCH 15
Music by Otto & Bud
10 TILL ?
Chinese Dinner
By Tommy Wong
All You Can Eat $1.50 7 till 12
RICH MAN'S DINNER
SPONSORED BY WASILLA LIBRARY AND WASILLA GRANGE NO. 2
""ELT SAT. MARCH 15
5 P.M. - 8 P.M. SMILING WAITERS — TURKEY AND TRIM