ARMED FORCES DAY
SAY MAY 19
PROGRAM PLANNED
FOR ANCHORAGE AREAS
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD lor that
item you may have lor sale,
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VOLUME 9. NUMBER 30
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. MAY 17. 1956
PRICE TEN CENYS
Dr. LeRoy Good
Commencement Sneaker
Dr. Leroy Good, director of An
chorage Community College, will
deliver the commencement ad
dress at exercises to be held in
Central School gymnasium to
morrow evening. His topic will be
“What Is An Educated Person?”
The exercises will begin at 8 pan.
when the graduating seniors of
Palmer High School take their
places to the processional tunes
of Verdi’s “Triumphal March”
played by the brass ensemble to
the high school Pioneer Band.
The invocation will be offered
by the Rev. John T. Dickerson of
the First Baptist Church of Pal
mer, followed by the high school
chorus’ presentation of ‘There is
a Ladye” by Alan Murray.
Jennetta Hughes will offer the
salutaiorian’s address, “Victuri te
Salutamus”. The salutatorian is
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Ernest Harrington and has been a
student in the Palmer schools
since the second grade when she
came to the Valley from Wash
ington. She was named to the
honored position with a 3.88 aver
age. Throughout her high school
attendance she was active in
many school activities. She was
president of Pep club, assistant
editor of Polaris, member of the
National Honor Society, student
council and chorus. She was nam
ed outstanding member of chorus,
this past year and received a
trophy during the Music Festival
held in Fairbanks last month.
Valedictorian will be Jerene
Stephan, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Harold Stephan. Miss Ste
phan’s average grade was 3.91
out of a posible 4.00—the tops in
the 1956 graduating class. She
attended Palmer schools from
grade one through twelve, and
was very active during her high
school years, including chorus,
student council, Pep club, Nation
al Honor Society, cheerleader,
song leader, and school publica
tions. During the past year she
was editor of the high school pa
per, Banana Belt Breezes. Miss
Stephan plans to continue her
education. As Valedictorian of
her class she will receive the Uni
versity of Alaska scholarship.
Following the two addresses
graduate James Cottrell will pre
sent Schuman’s “Traumerii,” a
tromibone solo, followed by the
commencement address by Dr.
Good.
“Life is a Lovely Thing” by
Glad Youse will be offered by
members of the girls’ triple trio.
William T. Zahradnicek, Pal
mer schools superintendent, will
present awards, including the
Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
operating Association and the Al
aska Rural Rehabilitation Asso
ciation $500 University of Alaska
scholarships and other special
awards, and the University schol- ’
arship which goes to Valedictor
ian Jerene Stephan. The presen
tations will be followed by the
high school chorus singing “God
My King”.
High School Principal Harry
Wimmer will present the class of
1950 to George Ed Smith, presi
dent of the Palmer Board of Edu
cation who will award diplomas
to the graduates. ,
Benediction will be offered by
Rev. Dickerson, followed by the
recessional.
Students of the 1956 graduating
(Continued on page 8)
ELKS SPRING DANCE
Saturday, May 26
ELKS HOME
Live Music
GUESTS BY GUEST CARD
PAID IN ADVANCE
Forester Plans
Training Session
For Hot-Shot Crew
A training session for the Fire i
Guard Station hot-shot crew will
be held at the Station this Satur
day afternoon, according to Wil
liam Adams, forester. The ses
sion will be held for those men
who have registered for the sum
mer work, and for others who
were unable to register at an
earlier time but who are interest
ed in working with fire crew this
year. The operation of Pacific
Marine pumps will be demon
strated, as well as the use of other
fire fighting equipment. The
pump will be set up at Moose
Creek where the crew will prac
tice pumping and the proper
method of placing fire lines. As
sisting Forester Adams with the
work will be Gene Horning, fire
guard stationed at the local Sta
tion this summer.
80 PROMOTED IN
ANNUAL EXERCISES
Promotion diplomas were pre
sented to 80 eighth grade stu
dents of the Palmer school system
in exercises held at Central Sch
ool yesterday afternoon. William
Behyish, junior school principal,
awarded the diplomas to the re
cord number of students which
were promoted this year.
The program included selec
tions by the chorus group and a
trumpet quartet presentation.
The American Legion citizen
ship awards were given to James
Shaginoff and Polly Moffitt, and
winners of The American Legion
Auxiliary Americanism essay
contest, received their awards.
They were Lila Ann Woods,
grade' 7, and Terry Niemarii,
grade 6. In addition, essay awards
in the senior division ware made
during the program to Jerene
Stephan, winner, and honorable
mention winners Roberta Sharp,
Walter Phillips, Anna Onkka,
Betty Schaefer, and Carol Splet
tstoezer, all high school students.
The following students receiv
ed promotion diplomas:
Duane Anderson, Pehny Buzby,
Ernest Evan, Harold Gene, Kar
en Grover, Marcina Hartner, Ro
bert Johns, Donald Jones, Horst
Kalwies, Katherine Knutsen,'
Russell MScKechnie, Polly Moffitt,
Doris Nicolie, Mona O’Donnell,
Steven Peterson, Mary Ratliff,
Donald Shaginoff, Donald Sayers,
Leland Stainbrook, Joan Stuart,
Andrew Smulich, William Smith,
Mary Terapelli, Craig Trow
bridge, Kristie Verrall, and Gail
Wooten.
Also, Janice Bach, Donna Car
son, Patricia Cassel, Shannon
(Continued on page 8)
Firemen Answer
Brush Fire Call
Palmer volunteer fire fighters
were called out Sunday morning
when a brush fire in the North
Palmer section got out of control
and jumped to a wooded area
nearby. Because of high Knik
winds at the time it was neces
sary to call on the street depart
ment to doze a ring around the
fire and the Palmer Fire Guard
station responded to a request
for help in controlling the fire
which was threatening nearby
homes.
Fire Chief Joseph Gallant
again warnd residents about
burning on their property with
out first obtaining pemission.
“With the wind blowing the way
it has the past few weeks, it is
not safe to start stump, brush or
grass fires. As soon as the winds
let up the fire department will
be glad to assist property owners
in burning off their brush and
grass”, he said.
MTfl DIRECTORS
MEET TONIGHT
FOR BID DISCUSSION
A special meeting of the Ma
tanuska Telephone Association
directors will be held this even
ing during which the results of
bids for the construction of the
Central office and the unattended
stations will be discussed. Bids
were opened and read at a meet
ing held yesterday afternoon. A
total of five construction firms,
including local and well as Anch
orage firms, were received. Pres
ent for the openings and plan
ning to attend the special meet
ing tonight are Clifford Getting,
REA representative from the
Washington, D. C. office, and Earl
Sisk, REA engineer from Seat
tle. Mr. Getting has followed the
progress of the MTA project from
the very first and is very much
interested in its development.
Robert Partridge, MTA man
ager, said today, that it is very
imperative that equity payments
be made by those members plan
ning to have telephone service on
the new system. “We lack about
$2,000 in equity payments and if
we don’t get it very soon we may
have to delete some areas of the
proposed system,” he stated. Pay
ments may be made at the MTA
office, in person or by mail. They
may be part-payments or whole
payments—“just so we meet the
minimum requirement of about
$2,000,” Partridge said.
RESERVES TO MEET
TWICE NEXT WEEK
Members of “C” Company,
180th Engineer Battalion, USAR,
will be meeting on Wednesday
and Thursday of next -week, ac
cording to Lt. Herbert Lang.
There will be no meeting the fol
lowing week because of Memori
al Day.
Recently assigned to the local
Company were SP3 William i
Wade, SP3 Charles Hoffman, and I
PFC Charles Baugh. StP3 Miles
Rice, SP3 Paul McGiboney, and
James Hitchcock will bg assign
ttl to the company in the hear
fut&re. McGiboney holds an
Army Master rate in pistol shoot
ing and both Rice and Hitchcock
are expert demolition men.
MEMBERS FILE
PETITIONS FOR MEA
SPECIAL MEETING
Seven petitions, carrying esti
mated 209 signatures of Matan
uska Electric Association mem
bers, were filed at the MEA of
fice this week, calling for a spe
cial meeting of the membership
on June 16, 1956. The petitions
were circulated earlier this week
to obtain the necessary 10 percent \
of membership signatures to en
able the special meeting call,
Interested members of MEA
who circulated the petitions
pointed out that the purpose of
the membership calling a special
meeting on the 16th of June,
when the Directors have already
called a membership meeting for
that date, was to insure the legal
ity of the meeting. In other
words, should the Director’s call
for meeting be termed void, the
membership’s call would permit
the meeting to be held just the
same.
Notice of the membership's
call for the special meeting will
go out to the members this week.
Nal. Geographic
Carries Article
On Alaska
In the Aleut tongue the word
“alashka”, which gave Alaska its
name, means “big land” or “main
land”. The National Geographic
Magazine for June, with four
articles, 91 photographs, and a
new 10-color wall map of Alaska,
describes the far-tnorth Territory j
as “the fastest-growing portion of ;
the United States.”
Leading the magazine’s por
trayal, Elsie May Bell Grosvenor,
wife of Dr. Gilbert Grosvenor,
chairman of the board of trustees
of the National Geographic So
ciety, writes of “Alaska’s Warm
er Side.” W. Robert Moore .chief
of the Society’s foreign staff,
ewers' "Alaska, the ‘Big "Land.”
Virginia L. Wells, an Anchorage
housewife and amateur natural
ist, describes “Photographing
Northern Wild Flowers.”
Parade to Open
Colony Day Events
M. D. Snodgrass
Gives History
Of Alaska Fairs
M. D. Snodgrass, long-time val
ley resident, and long a staunch
supporter of the Matanuska Val
ley Fair, this week contributed
the following article on the Ter
ritory’s biggest fair—the Matan
uska Valley Fair. In his article
he points out that fair time is
hereby here. What will you have?
he asks—What will you give?
“Do you people of the Matan
uska Valley want to make the
1956 Fair an agricultural, indus
trial and educational affair? Or
perhaps a carnival type—or a
combination of both?
“Do you want to help build a
State Fair at Palmer?
“It takes people and materials
and a large amount of work and
time to accomplish such an un
dertaking. Alaska Fairs came
about through the efforts of a
small group of Fairbanks busi
ness men, truck gardeners and1
homesteaders about 1917. The j
first Fair was an exhibit of vege-1
tables, farm crops and flowers,
exhibited at the skating rink and
climaxed bry a banquet and Grand
Ball.
“This was followed by the
Boys and Girls* Victory Garden
Show in 1920, promoted by Mar
garet Harris of Fairbanks High j
School. In 1923 a Bill providing
funds was passed by the Legis
lature for Alaska Fairs and spon
soring the 4-H Club work in Al
aska.
“The Extension Department of
the Agriculture College and
School of Mines, now the Univer
sity of Alaska, have rendered a
very valuable service in the
growth of the Fairs and through
their heij? we buill the four divi
sional fairs—Fairbanks, Anchor
age, Juneau and Nome. The
Western Alaska Fair at Anchor
age suspended operation during
(Continued on last page)
Kepler Park Opens for Season
SUMMER VACATION
BEGINS IN
PALMER SCHOOLS
Activities in the Palmer;!
; school system will be complet- ;;
! ed tomorrow when students !;
;! pick up their final report cards !;
; and bid their teachers a happy !
; summer vacation: Several ;!
!! teachers of the local school;!
;! system are planning trips to !
; I the States this Summer, some !;
; to vacation, others to take !;
; soecial summer school courses. !;
; Promotion exercises were held ;!
! for eighth graders on Wednes- ;!
! day of this week and commen- ;
! cement exercises for the grad- !
!; uating seniors will be held to- !;
!; morrow night.
Two Injured in
Car Accident
Virgil Kinnunen, 23, and Frank
W. Konnight, 22, were injured in
a car accident at Mile 56 last
Saturday. Four other passengers
in the car, Richard Momany,
Earl Heln.ers, Raymond Wagner,
and Douglas Weaver received
minor injuries. The 1955 Ford
sedan was a total loss. Konnight,
the driver, was reported to have
fallen asleep while traveling at
a high rate of speed. He was
brought to the Valley Presbyteri
an Hospital by the Palmer Com
munity Ambulance and later
transferred to the 5005th Air
force hospital, along with Kin
nunen. All the men are members
of the 5039th Motor Vericle Trans
portation Squad' at Elmendorf.
Picnic grounds at Kepler Park*,
are now open, according to Jesse
Kepler, owner. Three picnic tab
les will be available for public
use and a shallow well is being
put down for the convenience of
picnickers and campers. Mr. Kep
ler has extended an invitation to
the public to use the facilities at
their own convenience.
“When I bought that property
a number of years ago I thought
it would be ideal for a play area
—and that is what I am striving
for”, he said. Mr. Kepler has what
is probably a unique method for
collecting fees. It is all by volun
tary contribution. Collection cans
are attached to trees in various
spots of the area and persons us
ing the boats, picnic or camping
grounds are invited to help hand
le the maintenance costs by vol
unteer donations. He said that
the system worked out very well
last year when he made boats
available to fishermen. “I didn’t
lose an oar, an oarlock, nor were
the boats damaged”, he said—
“and I don’t think I lost much
money either—most sportsmen
are an honest lot”, he remarked.
This year three boats will be
available to the public on Echo
Lake and on Bradley and Kepler
Lakes there will be six more. The
connecting channel between the i
lakes has ben cleared of brush
and dead trees and t-oats will be
able to travel from Bradley to
Kepler lake. A new dock has been
built for boats on these lakes.
Mr. Kepler said his future plans
include the installation of open
fire places. At the present time
the road is in good travel condi
tion, he said. No mud or deep
holes to catch the travelers.
ALFRED V. HAGEN
CHAMBER SPEAKER
AI V. Hagen was guest speaker
at the May 16 meeting of the Ma
tanuska Valley Chamber of Com
merce and made reports on the
Civil Defense program in the
Greater Palmer Area (of which
he is director), of progress in the
1956 Valley Fair, and announced
the formation of Playland, Inc.
at Wasilla Lake.
The CD Director told Chamber
members of the radios that have
been assigned to this area and of
their proposed uses. He told
members that an alert is expected
in mid-July during which there
is a possibility that some 10,000
persons may be sent to the valley
region and the military expect
to conduct maneuvers in this
area.
During his discussion of the
1956 Valley Fair, Don L. Irwin
announced he will give $50 to be
used for prizes in a photography
contest during the Fair. The pic
tures may be of anything Alaskan
and the right for the Fair Asso
ciation and Chamber to use them
in publicity will be requested.
Complete details of the contest
will be announced very soon.
Hagen also told of the project
being planned by area farmers
whereby a livestock auction
would be held at the Fair dur
ing which young farmers of the
area could sell their stock. Adams
and Watts, area farmers, are for
mulating the plan.
Playland, Inc. was recently in
corporated by Hagen, Glen Bur
(Continued on page 8)
The Central School play ground
will be the assembly point lor
the parade that will open the
1956 Cottony Day celebration
which will be held in Palmer on
Sunday, May 27. The parade is
slated to get under way at 1 pun.
Four local organizations have
signed up for participation to
date, according to Ed Smith,
Chamber of Commerce president,
and chairman of the parade com
mittee. Cash prizes of $75, $50,
and $25 will be awarded to the
winning floats. In addition the
Palmer Kiwanis Club’s youth
services committee announced
this week that their organization
would award prizes of $25, $15,
and $10 to the best floats enter
ed by 4-H members.
Following the parade members
of the iMatanuska Valley Airmens
Association will present a mock
bombing demonstration, with
their target to be marked off at
the Fairgrounds. The local fly
ers will demonstrate their talents
in formation flying and the mock
bombing.
With the exception of the con
cessions, everything will be free.
Smith pointed out. The Valley
Chamber is sponsoring the cele
bration in observance of the 21st
anniversary of the colonization of
the Matanuska Valley. Plans for
the big free beef barbeque have
been completed and arrange
ments are being made for con
cocting that famous barbeque
sauce that everyone just “goes”
for. Prior to the barbeque there
will be kid’s games, contests,
ball games, and a horse show'.
Members of the Arctic Trails Rid
ing Club will present the horse
show w'hich will include various
riding tricks and games.
Smith said today that the com
mittees are hoping that the Col
onists will have a tent where
pictures will be on display, de
picting life in the Valley back
in the 1935 period. They hcpe
also to have many of tlie original
Colonists, and those active in the
colonization work, on radio and
television programs prior to the
celebration. *
organizations planning 10 op
erate concessions at the Fair
grounds are asked to contact AI
Hagen concession chairman, as
soon as possible so that finaPar
rangements may be made. Space
rent will be $10, electricity $5 and
a $5 deposit for grounds. The lat
ter is redeemable if the grounds
are left clean.
Also, all organizations plan
ning to participate in the parade
are urged to register with Smith
as soon as possible. The Palmer
High School Pioneer Band will
play lively marching tunes for the
parade.
C9URT NEWS
George Masters was fined $15
on a speed limit violation when
he entered a plea of guilty in
U. S. Commissioner’s Court on
May 9. The complaint was
brought by the Territorial Police.
William B. Fox, 23, entered a
plea of guilty and was found the
same on a charge of purchasing
and procuring intoxicating liquor
for the purpose of giving or serv
ing same to persons under the
age of 21. He appeared in court
May. 16 on a citizen’s complaint.
He was fined $100 and given a
five-month suspended sentence.
Friday Night is
FAMILY NIGHT
Open
Week Days 6:45 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sundays 1:00 p.m. - 8 p.m.
CO-OP CAFE
Claudia Wilson. Mgr.
HOW ABOUT AN J
EASY-TO CARE-FOR
SHORT HAIR-DO?
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Phone 3043
LAVONNE JOHNSON
NEW MANAGEMENT
CELEBRATION AT
MUG-UP CAFE
FRIDAY
MAY 18
rnrr Malanuska Maid Ice Cream
1 llljjj Cake from Rice’s Bakery
SERVED ALL DAY. EVERYONE INVITED
FREE $100 JACKPOTS!! COMING SOON: