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ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
MEETING VALLEY
FAIR ASS’N. NOV. 13
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that item
yoa may have for sale, rent
or lease.
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 4
PALMER. ALASKA. ^HURSDAY, NOV., 15, 1956
PRICE TEN CENYS
CITY PLANNING SECOND BOND ELECTION
Farm-City Week to be Observed Locally
The period between November
16 and November 22 has been
designated as FARM-CITY
WEEK in this area.
The special week is a seven
day observance designated to
promote beter understanding be
tween farm and city folk, to the
greater good for all. FARM-CITY
WEEK in Palmer is being spon
sored by the local Kiwanis Club.
Highlighting the observance
will be a special dinner-dance at
the Elks hall this Saturday which
the Northland Pioneer Grange
and Kiwanis club will jointly
sponsor. The Kiwanis will also
observe Ladies Night and Charter
Night at the dinner.
Speakers will include Howard
Pollack of Anchorage; Kiwanis
Ex-Lt. Gov. James Hurley who
will conduct the initiation of new
Kiwanis Club members; and
James Wilson, past master of the
Northland Grange.
The buffet-style dinner will be
served by women of the Grange
and Kiwanian wives, and will be
gin at 7:30 p.m.
Herb Lang is chairman of the
arrangement commitee; Cliff
Marcus of the agriculture com
mittee and James Wilson of the
coordinating committee.
RESIDENTS URGED TO
REGISTER FOR XMAS
DECORATING CONTEST
All residents of the Matauska
Valley are invited to enter the
Christmas Home Decorating Con
test being sponsored by the Pal
mer Garden Club, Mrs. Mary
King is general chairman.
Homeowners planning to enter
the contest are asked to register
as soon as possible at Maud’s
Flower Shop. Cash prizes are
planned for the winners in two
classes. First prize in the outdoor
section will be $15; second $10;
third $5. The family with the
first prize winning indoor decor
ation will receive $15; second $10;
third $5. *
More information on the con
test may be had by contacting
Mrs. King or other members of
the Garden Club.
This is the third year the lo
cal club has sponsored the con
test and a large number of par:
ticipants is hoped for by the or
ganization.
TEACHERS PLAN
P-TA PROGRAM FOR
EDUCATION WEEK
Parents are especially invited
to attend the November 20 meet
ing of the Palmer Parent-Teach
er Association which will be held
in the high school cafeteria,
starting at 8 p.m. Teachers of the
Palmer school system will pre
sent the program in observance
bf American Education Week.
Their program will be in the
form of a round-table discussion
on problems found in the school
and in the relationship of the
parent-teacher-student.
SORORITY BUYS NEW
TIRES FOR AMBULANCE
Automotive Parts and Equip
ment Co. were successful bid
ders for furnishing tubes and
winter-tread tires for the Palmer
Community Ambulance, accord
ing to Betty Rice, president of
Beta Sigma Phi City Council.
^ The M.V.F.C.A. Garage was the
’ successful bidder for furnishing
chains. The ambulance is spon
sored by the local BSP sorority.
All
MOOSE MEMBERS
i Sunday Morning ij
Breakfast and
Initiation
Nov. 18-8:30
FAIR BOARD TO
NAME NEW OFFICERS
The board of directors of the
Matanuska Valley Fair Associa
tion will hold an organizational
meeting Monday evening, Novem
ber 26 in the theatre building
basement. Officers for the com
ing year will be named.
Members of the association
named five fellow members to
the board at the annual member
ship meeting held November 13.
Re-elected to the board was
Stewart Durrant and A. V. Ha
gen. Hagen has resigned his
board position earlier this year
to take over the duties of fair
manager. Also named to the
board were Mrs. Jessie Klem,
president of the Homemakers’
Council, Sam Cotton and James
Frey. Hold-over members are
T. A. Moyer who has served as
president the past two years and
Dr. Richard Foley.
President Moyer gave his an
nual report and his recommenda
tions were approved by the mem
bership. The manager’s report
was given by Hagen. More com
plete details on the reports will
be given next week in The Fron
tiersman.
Area Churches Join
in Thanksgiving
Service Wed. Night
The annual Thanksgiving com
munity worship service, sponsor
ed by the Matanuska Valley Min
isters Association, will be held
Wednesday evening, November
21 at the First Baptist Church
at eight o’clock. The main speak
er for the service will be the
Rev. John Gillespie, director of
Alaska Missions, Inc., and for
merly assistant minister of the
Church of the Open Door in An
chorage.
Representatives from the vari
ous Valley churches will partic
ipate.
A junior choir, composed of
boys and girls in grades three
through six of the participating
churches, will sing under the di
rection of Gloria Wilson.
Plans have also been made for
the participation of an adult
choir under the direction of Mrs.
Wesley Lancaster. This choir will
rehearse Tuesday evening, No
vember 20, at enght o’clock at the
Baptist Church. Anyone who
wishes to participate in this un
ion choir is invited to attend the
practice session.
The public is invited to attend
the Thanksgiving eve service.
14 Students on
PHS Honor Roll
Out of 195 high school stu
dents, 14 were named to the
honor roll for the first six weeks
this school year.
In the ninth grade there was !
only one student out of 76 who j
made the list. He is Lavern Lind-!
sey. In the 10th grade Vadney
Bledsoe and Joan Hurley were
the only tu'o out of their class of
45. Five of the 37 members of
the 11th grade were listed. They
are Gretchen Esslinger, Dorothy
Lentz, Colin Mick, Charlene San
sel, and Betty Jo Wilson. Steven
Colberg, RoseAnn Branton, Dur
ene Curtis, Judy Hurley, Annet
ta Saw by, and Larry Trowbridge
were named from the 12th grade
class of 37.
To make the honor roll a stu
dent must maintain an average
of 10 points. These are earned as
follows: Three points for every
“A”; two for every “B”, and one
for each “C”, in academic sub
jects where a full credit is earn
ed for a full year or one half
credit for one half year.
Make Reservations
For Holiday Galls,
MTA Manager Says
Alaskans planning to make
overseas telephone calls around
Thanksgiving and Christmas are
reminded that to be sure their;
calls get through a reservation ;
should be made. Robert Part-!
ridge, MTA manager, said this!
week that by making a reserva- i
tion the caller may be reason
ably sure his call will get through
at a more or less specific time
A savings on overseas calls
may be had by making calls on
night rates which are in effect
from 6 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. at which
time regular rates are reduced.
This same reduced rate applies
on Sundays but is not in effect
on Thanksgiving day. Christmas
and New Year days do come un
der the reduced rate, however.
Those planning to send holi
day greetings by telegram may
do so by calling the Palmer ACS
office during business hours and
charging the telegram to their
telephone account. During the
hours when the local ACS office
is closed, telephone subscribers
may call their telegram messages
to the Anchorage ACS office
without a toll charge between
Palmer and Anchorage. There
are no reduced telegram rates,
however, it was pointed out that
messages sent on the night letter
rate always go at a lesser rate
than a straight wire sent during
the daytime.
BLOOD DONORS TO
REGISTER FRIDAY
November 16—that’s tomorrow,
residents are reminded, is the
day that has been set aside for
area residents who are willing to
become blood donors (if needed)
and be registered at the Valley
hospital. The hours are from 1:00
-9:00 p.m.
The present list of volunteer
blood donors is seven years old.
Many persons, whose names ap
peal’ on the list, have moved from
this area, leaving only a small
nucleus of donors who are re
peatedly called upon to donate
blood. “With a larger list, these
people would not have to be call
ed repeatedly”, it wras pointed
out by a member of the Hospital
Auxiliary, the organization which
is sponsoring the registration.
Those willing to have their
names added to the list of will
ing donors, who now have a
blood-type identification card are
asked to take their cards to the
hospital tomorrow. Registration
will be taken off the cards. An
additional typing will not be
necessay. Those who do not have
a card, or who have not been
blood typed previously, may be
typed at the hospital. The pro
cess stakes only a few minutes.
Dorothy Batterton, hospital tech
nician, will do the blood-typing
work. Members of the Auxiliary
will do the voluntary registra
tion work.
City Council Proceedings
Delinquent sales tax returns
and water bills were discussed at
the November 13 meeting of the
City Council. Mayor Charles
Wilson told Councilmembers
that the sales tax ordinance must
be enforced and that action
against delinquent accounts will
be started. Council members
agreed with the Mayor who point
ed out that sales tax returns are
due the 10th of each month. Be
cause of possible irregularities
in some returns a spot audit on
city businesses has been propos
ed. The sales tax ordinance pro
vides for such examinations.
Water users who are delinquent
face the possibility of having
their water turned off if their
accounts are not brought up to
date.
* * * #
The sales tax ordinance was
thoroughly discussed by Council
members and the Mayor. A num
ber of suggestions for changes
in the ordinance were proposed.
It was brought out that if the sal
es tax was dropped it would take
an additional 12 mills tax assess
ment to get the money the sales
tax raises each year. Mayor Wil
son suggested the Council mem
bers study the ordinance, and the
possibility of remodeling it be
considered.
• * < i
The appointment of L. C. Stock
as city clerk and magistrate by
Mayor Wilson was approved by
the Council. Stock has been serv
ing in the two capacities on a
temporary basis.
* * ♦ *
To date 1129 barrels of asphalt
mix have been delivered to the
City, it was reported. Freight on
this has come to just under
$3,000, or a little less than $3 a
barrel. This material is being
obtained as surplus material and
will eventually be used for some
type of paving work. Council
members voted to complete the
shipment as of this week.
Mayor Charles W. Wilson was
authorized by the Council to sign
the sales agreement and other
: papers pertinent to the purchase
of he city water system from the
Alaska Public Works.
Permission to use the old gar
age owned by the Bureau of Pub
lic Roads will be sought by the
Mayor.
* * * *
Liquor license renewal appli
cations were approved for the
following Palmer establishments:
Palmer Moose Lodge, Palmer
Elks Club, club license; Hal and
Willa Eckard ('49 Club), Robert
Peterson (Palmer Bar), Valley
Hotel Corporation, Shamrock
Lounge, Sourdough Bar, and
Steve Ward (Frontier Bar), bev
i erage dispensary; and Steve
Ward (Frontier Liquor Store),
Ray Byham (Ray’s Liquor Store)
I and Koslosky’s, package store.
* * *
The City of Palmer will make1
a formal request to the Territori
al Legislature that one of the
mental hospitals be located in
the valley area.
Mayor Wilson made a brief re
port on his attendance at the
League of Alaska Cities conven
tion held in Ketchikan two weeks
ago. He spoke particularly of the
complete harmony at the conven
tion, with all cities w'orking to
gether to help one another with
their problems.
Bills in the amount of $3453.19
from the general fund and $304.
10 from the water fund were ap
proved for payment.
a#* * *
All Council members, with the
exception of A1 V. Hagen who
was attending the annual Fair
Association meeting, were pres
ent for the November 13 meet
ing as was Mayor Wilson, the
City Clerk and City Attorney
John Shaw.
* 9 m
The next regular meeting of
the Council will be held Novem
ber 27 in the office of the City
Clerk at 8 p.m.
Mary Carson has been named
the winner of the two Rusty Dow
paintings awarded by the Gold
dusters Homemakers Club.
CHAMBER TO ERECT
DIRECTIONAL SIGNS
TO BUSINESS AREA
At a board of directors meet
ing of the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce, it was
voted to have two small road
signs, approximately four by
eight feet in size, painted and
erected near the corners of Val
ley and Railroad streets where
they intersect the Glenn high
way.
The signs will carry the fol
lowing wording: PALMER BUSI
NESS DISTRICT, Heart of the
Matanuska Valley. Directional
arrows will be located under the
lettering.
The sign project is one that
the local Chamber has been
working on for a number of
years. Some Chamber members
have indicated their preference
for large over-the-highway signs i
that would go from one side of
the highway to the other. The
initial costs of such signs and
their maintenance was believedj
by lhe directors to be prohibit
ive at this time. However, in rec
ognition of the acute need of
signs to indicate the business
section, the directors voted to
have the smaller ones made and ;
erected immediately.
Other business conducted at1
the meeting included the discus
sion of preliminary plans for the i
annual Christmas party for val- i
ley children. It was pointed out
that membership fees in the lo
cal Chamber this year included
amounts for the party. However, i
a number of former members!
have not yet paid their dues and j
it will be necessary to contact |
some of the merchants for dona-'
lions toward the annual party.
Members are reminded that at
the first Chamber meeting in
December nomination of offi
cers for the coming year will be
held.
MAIL EARLY, URGES
LOCAL POSTMASTER
Beatrice Huntley, postmaster
it the Palmer Post Office, this
>veek urged that Christmas mail
be prepared and sent as soon as
possible to be sure of delivery in
the States before the holiday.
Cards and letters going regu
lar mail should be posted by the
first of December, she pointed
out. Packages going to the States
should be mailed at once to be
sure of delivery before Christ
mas. Mrs. Huntley urged that all
packages be clearly marked, that
addresses be as complete as pos
ible and that packages be secure
ly wrapped and tied. Fragile
items should have special atten
tion in packing and the package
marked ‘ Fragile”.
STREET PAVING
PROPOSAL TO BE
FULLY EXPLAINED
Following a lengthy discussion
on street paving at theNovember
13 meeting of the City Council,
members voted their approval to
call for another bond election.
The date for the election has
not been set. Prior to the elec
tion, city officials will have re
ceived estimated costs of paving
from the Bureau of Public Roads
and other pertinent information.
All of this information will be
made public prior to the election,
through newspaper articles aitd
possible public meetings that
have been proposed by two area
organizations.
City officials stated that every
effort will be made to answer
any and all questions in regards
to iiow the paving will be paid
for; where it will be located;
when it will be done and other
questions that have been asked
repeatedly since the bond pro
posal was turned down in the
October election.
Mayor Wilson pointed out that
in voting for the proposed bond
issue all the voter is doing is
giving the city authorization to
sell bonds so that when the pro
perty owners request street pav
ing the money will be available
for the work, “it is of utmost im
portance that we have this ap
proval if we are going to take ad
vantage of economical paving
during the time when the con
tractors are in the city doing the
Bureau of Public Roads paving.”
The BPR will do the paving
they have previously announced
and will be calling for bids from
the contractors by February 1.
If Palmer is to take advantage of
the contractor’s presence in the
city his spring, city officials will
have to know within a short time
just how much paving is wanted
on city streets so that the con
tractor may figure the work in
with the BPR work, hereby giv
ing the city a much better price.
It was pointed out that the BPR
will be paving only a strip down
the center of the road. If the city
can pave on both sides of this
strip at the same time, it will pay
off in years to come through dust
control — easier parking, and
much less maintenance costs. It
was pointed out that strip paving
only will not solve the dust prob
lem.
“The logical place to start pav
ing in any city is in the business
section where the heaviest flow
of traffic is noted”, a Council
man pointed out. Everyone will
benefit from it whether or not
their property is located in that
section, through the dust control,
easier traveling and parking,
and much, much less maintenan
ce. With the heavier traveled sec
tion paved it will allow the city
street department personnel and
equipment more time for work
on smaller streets. It wiil allow
time to prepare other streets for
(Continued on page 4;
See our lovely assortment of
® CHRISTMAS CORSAGES
AND FIGURINES
Telegraph Delivery Service
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601
ALASKA’S FAVORITE GAME
Saturday, November 17-8P.M.
PALMER MOOSE H&LL
Turkeys - Hams - Other Valuable Prizes
Dance Follows
A fine Anchorage Orchestra will play. If
you like them we wll have them often.