SEWARD’S
All-cWeatKec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Seward Seaport record
Territorial Library
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VI, No. 75
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 1950
Price 10 Cents
441
Engineers To
Hold Hearing
April 28
The following letter was re
ceived in Seward this week from
the Anchorage office of the
Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army,
Office of the District Engineer,
Alaska Distrirt:
Mayor Lanier:
“A Public Hearing with a view
to determining the advisability
of improvements of the Seward
Harbor in the interest of navi
gation, flood control, hydroelec
tric power and related water
uses has been tentatively sched
uled for 28 April, 1950, at 8:00
p.m., at the Civic Center, Sew
ard.
"It would be appreciated if a
list of names and mailing ad
dresses of persons known to be
interested in attending the hear
ing would be furnished this of
fice in order that notices of hear
ing may be distribdted.
Inasmuch as it is proposed to
mail notices well in advance of
hearing, it would be appreciat
ed if the list could be furnished
as soon as possible.
"For the Distrfict Engineer:
"Sincerely Yours,
LEWIS A. STANLEY.
Principal Assistant
Special Survey Division"
Any person interested in at
tending the hearing on April 28
should leave his name and ad
dress with Mayor Eugene N.
Lanier immediately to give
ample time to get the list into
the Engineers' office and notices
distributed.
Spring Signs and
Street Signs
Signs of spring are putting in
their appearance round ’n about
town. Mild weather, rain, thaw
ing streets with the usual mud
and slush, frozen pipes as the
frost goes down, Easter flowers
indoors, a few flies and a stray
mosquito—not to mention the
“new" look in the ladies’ ward
robes—all these are the first
signs of spring which officially
begins today. March 21.
Not to be outdone by either
the beautiful fresh styles in
spring clothing, nor even by Na
ture, herself, the City of Sew
ard will soon blossom out with
beautiful, sturdy, fashionable
new street signs. Employees of
the street department have be
gun digging holes to sink the
standards that support the up-to
date street and traffic signs that
have been waiting for several
months to be erected.
rourtn Avenue irom Kailroad
St. to C Street will be the first
to be marked, in the program
that will eventually and effici
ently mark the entire city, for
the convenience of visitors and
townspeople alike. At present,
many residents are not acquaint
ed with the system for naming
the streets of Seward, and al
though Fourth Avenue is the
first to be labeled, it will ac
quaint people with the names of
the cross streets, and the num
bered avenues will be obvious.
Besides the new street signs,
a brand new, modern police car
will be on patrol within a few
days. Not a sedan, but a regular
police, ambulance type, sedan
delivery model, fully police
equipped, as used and recom
mended by King County, Wash.
“Scrappy” Southard went to
Anchorage by train last Satur
day and returned Monday eve
ning. It was the first train ride
he could remember and accord
ing to his grandmother, Mrs.
R. S. Seater, who accompanied
him, he was all eyes and enjoyed
every minute of the trip. They
visited Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Seater
while there.
Contributions To
College Delegate
Fund Short
Seward's University Fund is
still short of the amount needed
to send a delegate to the meet
ing of the committee for the lo
cation of a Methodist college in
Alaska to convene in Cleveland,
Ohio, on April 19, at which time
the committee will deal definite
ly with the college location.
All rumors to the contrary,
the location of the college has
not been chosen, and Seward’s
chances are as good, if not bet
ter, than any other Alaskan city.
Representatives of several
other Alaskan cities will attend
the meeting and Seward must
be represented as a follow-up of
tiie groundwork laid by Rev.
Paul Irwin who attended the
Methodist Board of Education
meeting in New York early in
December.
So, if you have not already
done so, deliver your check in
person or by mail, made out to
The University Fund, to W. W.
Sipprell, president of the Sew
ard Chamber of Commerce; W.
C. Erwin, Chamber of Com
merce secretary; or to this news
paper. Your money will be
turned over to the University
Fund Committee, which has
complete charge of all expendi
tures.
C. of C. Trip To
Homer Cancelled
A telegram is being sent to
the Homer Chamber of Com
merce this evening notifying
that body that the contemplated
visit to that city by the Seward
Chamber of Commerce this
weekend is being called off be
cause of the undesirable condi
tion of the roads as reported by
the road commission and people
who have been over the road
in the past few days.
Elks and Guests Enjoy
Purple Bubble Ball
The Elks first annual Purple
Bubble Ball of last Saturday,
the 18th, was the gala social
event of the year. Everyone is
saying that it was the best dance
ever given in Seward.
Approximately five hundred
Elks and guests, including 109
from Anchorage, attended the
ball. Guests from Hope, Moose
Pass, Homer. Kenai and other
towns were also present.
The Swanson’s Swingsters. a
very fine orchestra from An
chorage, put everyone in a danc
ing mood.
an me gaiety arm
dancing a most impressive cere
mony followed the striking of
the 11 o’clock chimes. At this
time the members of the Elks
paused to remember their ab
sent brothers.
The hall was beautifully deco
rated in their colors of purple
and white. The music was tops
and the women were dressed in
beautiful formals as lilting as
spring melodies.
The Elks forgot nothing to
make the occasion a festive one,
with confetti, noise makers, gay
paper hats and refreshments
there for everyone’s pleasure.
Balloons of purple and white
were floating through the air,
raining down from huge paper
balloons suspended from the
ceiling. It was fun trying to cap
ture them.
A spirit of good will and
friendliness was most evident.
Everyone reports a wonderful
time. The ability to put on a
j dance of this kind reflects credit
on the Seward Elks Lodge.
Irvin' Tressler, one of the
Tressler Brothers who operate
the Bear Lake Sawmill, suffered
a broken leg in an accident at
the mill this morning. He was
brought in to the Seward Gen
eral Hospital for treatment.
Sea Hawks
Enjoy Trip
To Juneau
The Sea Hawks basketball
team came back from their trip
with high praise for the manner
in which they were treated in
Juneau.
First of all they enjoyed the
boat trip on the Baranof. The
chief steward introduced the
boys at dinner and held a dance
in their honor. They arrived in
Juneau Sunday about midnight.
Even at that late hour Supt.
Sears and group were on hand
to meet them.
The boys were housed and fed
in private homes. They were
entertained by the Student Body
and at a Lions Club dinner.
Monday morning they were
the guests of Mr. Zack Gordon
at a breakfast at the Baranot'
Hotel. Mr. Gordon, who is in
charge of the Teen-ager’s Club,
invited the boys to use the club
at their pleasure.
According to Coach Bill
Knapp the way they were treat
ed was a lesson in friendliness
and hospitality.
The referees were neutral,
being brought in from Peters
burg at considerable expense to
Juneau.
When the whistle blew for the
start of the game it was all busi
ness until the final horn sound
ed. The boys played well and
the best they could. They were
handicapped a little by the
strange court, etc., however no
excuses are being suggested?
The Juneau team is to be con
gratulated. A splendid team
won fairly and squarely without
any question.
Supt. Sears, Principal Avery
and Coach Nickel did all possi
ble for our Seward team. The
Juneau school spirit was splen
did. They showed what good
sports they are by cheering for
the Sea Hawks almost as much
as they did for their own.
Coach Bill Knapp and the
team wish to thank the Seward
people who so generously con
tributed to send them to Juneau.
lions Elec* Officers
For 49th District
The Fifth Annual Convention
of Lions International Club end
ed the three-day session held in
Seward, March 16, 17 and 18.
The convention adjourned after
a banouet held in the Legion
Club at 7:30, after which mem
bers and their wives attended
the Elks Purple Bubble Ball be
in** held at the Civic Center.
Delegates and their ladies
from all Alaska clubs were in
attendance, having arrived by
plane, train and ship from Fair
banks, Anchorage and South
eastern cities of Ketchikan, Ju
neau. and Mt. Edgecumbe.
Officers for the following year
1950-51 were elected as follows:
District Governor, Win Erwin
of Anchorage: Deputy District
Governor, A1 Lawrence of Mt.
Edgecumbe: District Secretary,
Earl Blinzler of Anchorage.
The convention went on rec
ord as endorsing the provisions
of the White Cane Act for adoo
tion by the Territorial Legisla
ture in the interest of the blind:
it pledged the support of the
District in the raising of funds
toward the building of Lions In
ternational City. It was resolved
to promote the dissemination of
educational information on tu
berculosis by securing radio time
to broadcast the tape recordings
prepared by Dr. Cottington,
thoracis surgeon of the ANS.
Statehood for Alaska received
an endorsement from the Dis
trict, and Delegate Bob Bartlett
was to be advised of the resolu
tion.
Amended Health
Ordinance To Be
Strictly Enforced
The City Council in regular
session last night amended the
existing health ordinance to re
quire all businesses handling
food and or drink to obtain an
annual inspection permit after
inspection by the City Health
Officer. The amendment also re
quires that at every change of
ownership or management a new
permit must be obtained, and
that in the case of establish
ments having two or more di
visions, each division will pass
a separate inspection and have
a separate permit and grade
card.
All food and drink dispen
saries are required to sterilize
dishes, glasses and silverware
by tiie process of three baths:
soapy water, immersion for 20
minutes in chlorine solution and
hot rinse, in accordance with
Territorial law. The drying of
dishes with towels is prohib.ted
because of the possible contami
nation of towels.
There will be a regular in
spection of all establishments
at three month intervals to
comply with a new Territorial
health department regulation.
If at any time the inspector
finds any violation of the exist
ing city or territorial regula
tions the Grade “A” card will
be changed to a Grade ‘'B" or
“C” until the place once again
attains a Grade “A” rating or is
closed by the inspector for ir
regularities that remain uncor
rected. ,
Sewer Project denied
For This Summer
A letter from John D. Arget
singer, district engineer for
Alaska, dated March 17, which
was in reply to a telegram from
Mayor Eugene N. Lanier, states
definitely that the proposed
North End sewer project, as ap
plied for by the City Council,
will not be considered by the
Office of General Services Ad
ministration before the next
fiscal year, beginning July 1,
1950.
Mr. Argetsinger does state,
however, that the application
will receive early consideration
next year providing that Con
gress appropriates funds to al
low substantial programs during
the next year.
It was not possible to secure
the engineering data necessary
to the application for the sewer
project in time to meet the dead
line of Jan. 31, 1950.
Homerites Plan Kenai
Peninsula Fair
Ben Bellamy, president of the
Kachemak Bay Farmers’ Ass n,
was in town Thursday and in
forms us that the association,
with the support of the Homer
Chamber of Commerce, is plan
ning a Kenai Peninsula Fair to
be held at Homer probably in
late September or early October.
Tentative plans feature Kenai
Peninsula produce and livestock
with special emphasis being
placed on 4-H Club work.
It is expected that due to the
scope of the undertaking that
assistance will be asked of other
Peninsula towns with the idea
in mind that the affair will be
come ah annual event for the
Peninsula, to be held in a dif
ferent location each year with
Seward getting first chance at
the 1951 show.
From Mr. Bellamy’s descrip
tion of plans for the Kenai Pen
insula Fair, it is very evident
that the affair is worthy of the
united support of all towns and
residents of the Peninsula.
Mrs. John Penrose was in
Seward over the weekend.
Mail Contracts
Awarded To
Smith, Brattain
Clarence T. Larsen, acting
postmaster in Seward, announc
ed the awarding of the star route
mail contracts to Homer, Hope
and all way points this week.
Robert C. Smith of Homer,
Alaska, was lowest bidder at
$129 round trip over the Ster
ling Highway to Homer and all
intermediate points, including
delivery to individual mail box
es along the highway. The con
tract specifies one round trip
each week, beginning July 1,
1950, through June 30, 1954.
The intermediate post offices
of Cooper Landing. Naptowne,
Soldotna. Kenai, Kasilof, and
Ninilchik, will receive delivery
on the same trip, with pickup
from the same stations on the
return trip.
W. L. Brattain was awarded
the contract for Hope and inter
mediate points and individual
box deliveries from Moose Pass
to Hope at the rate of $48 per
each weekly round trip, for the
same four year contract as
above.
Word has not been received
as to action taken on contracts
i with steamship companies for
the carrying of mail from the
States. The MV Garland is de
layed at Kodiak at this time
with motor trouble, consequent
ly there is no information avail
! able on the mail contracts to.
! the Westward.
The addition of the two star
routes lays an added burden
upon the Seward post office,
which already handles all the
mail for the railbelt and the
entire interior region of Alaska,
without raising the status or
rating of the local office. The
Seward office is required to
count and weigh all incoming
and outgoing mail and make the
distribution according to des
tination, which constitutes a big
job aside from the local and star
route service.
The star route is differenti
ated from the rural route sys
tem in that the rural route is
a daily service, covering a cir
cular area rather than point to
point. There are only two rural
mail routes in Alaska, being at
Anchorage and Ketchikan.
SEWARD VETERAN DIED AT
FORT LEWIS. WASH.. MAR. 10
Ollie Bryan, aged about 62,
well known resident of Seward,
passed away in Madigan Gener
al Hospital, Fort Lewis, Wash
ington, on March 10. Interment
was in the Washelli National
Cemetery, Wash., the following
Friday, March 17.
Bryan is survived by his wife
and one son living in Seattle,
a brother, Walter Bryan, and a
sister, Mrs. Anna Shea of Sew
ard.
Mr. Bryan lived in and around
Seward for the past 30 years,
working part of the time as a
longshoreman on the Seward
dock. He was a veteran of
World War I and had several
months duty overseas. He left
Seward in December, 1949, to
enter the veterans hospital for
treatment, but his death came
as a surprise to his many friends
in Seward.
Hunting for news has its mo
ments. When asking for com
ments about last week end social
events one person gave us this:
“Over the week end of celebra
tion the loud roaring of Lions
and the distinct bugling of Elks
could be heard in the normally
peaceful town of Seward. Some
howling was heard, too. Could
it be possible there were some
wolves in Elks hides or Lion
skins mixed in with the rest?"