SEWARD’S
All-TVeathec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD, ALASKA
Vol. VI, No. 50
SEWARD, ALASKA. FRIDAY, DEC. 23, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Merry Christmas - Everybody!!
/ Territorial Library 4-50
John Stieffel, Pioneer
Mr. Stieffel celebrated his 94th
birthday last Tuesday, Dec. 20.
John Sticffel, with the help of
eight other old time Alaskans,
celebrated his 94th birthday last
Tuesday with a sumptuous birth
day dinner at the Ocean View
Home in Seward.
Stieffel has been in the Terri
tory since 1896, has never been
Outside since, and has no desire
to go Outside.
John is the oldest pioneer on
the Kenai Peninsula. He is usu
ally very shy about having pic
tures taken of him, but in this
case he had the moral support of
the young lady in his arms, who
is “Pin-up Girl” to John and the
other old timers at Ocean View.
She is two-year-old Dorothy
Joan Savetilik, also a resident of
Ocean View.
In the winter time, John keeps
the snow shoveled from the
walks at the home, and in sum
mer he raises flowers that are
the envy of the entire neighbor
hood.
*Round V 'Bout Town . . .
—The Roving Reporter—
Saw Leland and Blanche
Miller riding around sporting
-a new car.
J*'
Mrs. Dorothy Simonton, of
Falls Creek Mining Co., who
is in Los Angeles, sent a Christ
mas card to Messers Paul Doyle
and Ed Schnoeker in which she
told them that Mel Horner had
stopped in L. A. and was now
on his way to ■ Indiana. She in
,-vited both of them to picnic at
the Falls Creek Mine come next
summer.
A very clever Christmas pro
gram was staged by the children
at the Methodist Church Wed.
nite.
' &
"Whitey” Backlund and Hans
Forsythe, BPR employes, rej
cently purchased a home at 906
Second Ave. Does anyone have
a good cook book specializing
in meals for two, or three, or
maybe more?
Have received many letters
from friends in Montana, Idaho,
and Wyoming sympathizing
with us for living in cold Alaska
and yet in various places back
there the mercury has dropped
to 20 below. We are just now
experiencing our first cold spell
which is really balmy weather
compared with theirs. Must do
some bragging about our cli
mate to them.
5£'
Harold .Jacobs got a record
for Christmas. Wonder why and
who sent it to him? He and
Hank will have some fun with
the electric truck tonight before
10:00.
%
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Ander
son of the Sanatorium are hav
ing some folks in Christmas
Eve. There will be presents
exchanged and refreshments
served.
*?
There will be a Christmas
party for the employes of the
San tonight. Each ward is hav
ing a Christmas tree and ex
change of gifts. The trees were
decorated by the up and about
patients. In Miss Hussey’s de
partment the patients were
using lots of ingenuity making
ornaments out of silver, gold
and different colored tin foil.
ff
Clyde Clark of the San is
leaving for Kodiak and Bristol
Bay on the MV Health boat
today.
Jack Ballinger and Jack Rod
denberry are leaving on the
Denali. Jack Roddenberry, the
hair stylist, who has operated
the beauty salon in Moody's
Dep't. Store, sold out to Helen
Croxton. He is leaving for Or
lando, Florida, and will go in
business with his uncle there.
Jack Ballinger intends to
start up a law practice in his
home town in Waycross Ga
The two Jacks are leaving many
friends who wish to say, “Good
Bye and Good Luck.'’
VS
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mitchell
moved into their new home
last Tuesday. They live next
door to the Elks’ Club. It is a
large log type structure, having
a living room 24 x 14 feet, a
den and will have 5 bed rooms
when completely finished. Mrs.
Mitchell is very happy about
her new home.
Dr. and Mrs. Lowell enter
tained the George Pucketts, Dr.
Robert Crabill, Mrs. Cullens
and daughter, for dinner last
week.
Si*
Mrs. Park Smith arrived home
last Friday. She has been Out
side since last May and stated
the snow and mountains looked
wonderful to her after being in
California so long.
The Second Avenue Birthday
Club had a Christmas party on
Tuesday. Mrs. Guy Kearns was
the hostess.
Gentry Shuster and Dick Car
penter flew in Tuesday from
California. Mr. Lawrence from
Homer was in town to pick up
the plane they flew up for him.
.
The members of the Episcopal
Choir had a surprise birthday
party for Rev. Clapp after choir
practice the other evening.
*
Gus Werner had a dinner
party for the Hal Gilfilens, Rus
sell Painters, the H. E. South
ards, and John Matich Wednes
day evening.
Mf
Mr. Merrill Johannsen, who is
connected with the Alaska Rail
road, is being transferred to
Curry, Alaska, in the near- fu
ture. Dorothy, his wife, is the
office nurse for Dr. Sellers. Mr.
and Mrs. Johannsen have a host
of friends'here who are going to
miss them. 1
Special Sled Runs
Established For
Children's Coasting
Combined efforts of Dick
Beissner and Van Nyman, mem
bers of the Seward Athletic
Association, with the City Street
and Fire Departments have con
structed three special sled runs
for the children of town.
After sites were located by
Beissner and Nyman, the Street
Department plowed out the
runs and the Dock Firemen are
icing them down. They are lo
cated in three different sections
of town, all have good slopes
and are banked on the sides to
keep the sleds from running off
into the street.
One run is east of Fifth Ave.
in the old BJL surplus storage
lot, running down hill toward
the railroad. This run has a
grade low enough for small
children, and one faster slope
for the larger sleds.
On First Ave. at Madison St.
running north under the moun
tain to the swimming hole, tne
second sled run is a slightly
steeper slope.
The third run is fast. On First
Ave. close in to town. Begin
ning near the top of the hill
close to D. C. Brownell’s it runs
down, past Adams Street toward
the bay.
The runs are all made with
curves and zigzags to add to
the fun. No one of them crosses
a street, and the children will
be safe from traffic if they con
iine their riding to the places
made for them.
Great concern has been ex
pressed by townspeople over
sled riding in the streets, and
several near accidents have
been reported. The Police De
partment will forbid the use of
all streets to children on sieds
hereafter, and j^f parents co
operate by instructing their
children to play only on the
slides provided them, we may
get through the winter with
out any serious accidents.
CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR
KIDDIES AT PAT'S GARAGE
Santa Claus will arrive in
downtown Seward Saturday at
3 p.m. The jolly fellow is travel
ing by dogteam this year, in
i stead of driving his reindeer.
He will go directly to Pat s
i Garage at 3rd and D Streets,
where he has stored treats for
all the kiddies that can be there
to meet him. Candy, nuts, ap
ples and oranges are the order
of the day for the youngsters,
as well as a big Santa Claus bal
loon for each one.
Incidentally, it might be in
teresting to the grown-ups to get
out and see the fabulous St. Nick
mush his dogteam through the
main part of town. A good many
camera fans are expected to be
on hand to record the perform
ance on film.
TURKEY DINNER DEC. 21
FOR LEGIONNAIRES
Well over a hundred Legion
naires, their ladies, and friends,
enjoyed a buffet dinner at the
Legion Club Wednesday eve
ning.
Being the American Legion’s
Christmas party, no effort was
spared to make the evening en
joyable. The turkey was really
good, and there was plenty to
go around, and seconds for all
who wanted more. *
Arlee Hayne entertained with
several songs, and many couples
enjoyed dancing after the din
ner.
STOP
jyKiil
These young gentlemen are members of the Junior Patrol and
man the safety station on Third and Fourth Avenues, surround
the Seward Public School. Their job is to'slow down traffic and
keep children out of the streets, allowing pedestrian crossing at
intersections only. From left to right, they are Glen Evins, John
Clark, Teddy Howell. Rodney Hardesty, Dick Murphy, Danny
Rose, Peter Wagner. David Dyer, and Chief of Police Clark,
under whose direction the Junior Patrol is operated. If any of
the boys want copies of this picture, they can be had at the
Police Station at cost—50 cents each.
METHODIST CHOIR TO GIVE
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The senior choir of the Metho
dist Church will give a concert
of Christmas music Sunday,
Christmas night at 8:00 o'clock.
Everybody is invited to enjoy
the music with them. No admis
sion charge, no collection.
Rev. Irwin suggests that since j
three will be many strangers in 1
town, living ’n hotels and away ,
from their families, that it would j
be a fine showing of the Christ
mas spirit if townspeople would '
each invite one person into their
homes for dinner. Being known
as “The Frieldly City,” there is
no better way to show our |
friendliness.
DO NOT DUMP GARBAGE
ALONG THE HIGHWAY
Several times in past weeks it
has been called to the attention
of Highway Patrolman George
Puckett thht people are dump
ing garbage and refuse along
the highway within the right-of
way boundaries.
Besides being unsanitary and
unsightly, such Action is against
the law and Patrolman Puckett
warns that anyone caught dump- i
ing garbage or refuse on the j
highway right-of-way will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent
of the law.
PARENT-TEACHERS PLAN
YEARLY SCHOOL PROJECT i
The Seward Parent-Teacher
Association at its December;
meeting decided that enlarging'
the school grounds and adding
new play equipment would be
a worthwhile undertaking.
The membership committee of
the P-TA is planning an all-out
drive for additional membership.
DID YOU SEE IT?
We watched the sun dog in
the noon sky today and won
dered. Upon inquiring of old
timers whether it has any wea
ther significance, we were as
sured that a change of weather
is due in a . few hours. As the
temperature at the tide station
was 12 degrees at 1:00 o’clock,
a little change will be welcome.
Maybe more snow is in the
cards.
Sewardites thjs week are re
ceiving Christmas cards from R.
E. Baumgartner at Ross, Calif.
Lucky guy, down there with
all that beautiful sunshye!
Postoffice To Close
At Noon Saturday
Postmaster Clarence Larson
stated today that in spite of the
unusually heavy load of mail
this year, postal employees will
have all packages out by the
regular closing hour of noon on
Saturday, the day before Christ
mas.
The SS Denali carried 4000
sacks of mail for Seward and
the Railbelt this week, and 5000
sacks came in last week. There
is so much mail and parcel post
stacked up in the postoffice that
at times it is hard to see a clerk,
but they have all kept cheerful
and pleasant while wading
through the mountains of Christ
mas packages.
LUTHERAN SERVICES TO BE
MONDAY. DEC. 26
Lutheran Church services will
be held Monday, Dec. 26, at
11 a.m.. Reverand A. O. Ode
gaard officiating.
The Lutheran Christmas pro
gram will be held in the eve
ning at 7 p.m. Everyone is in
vited to attend.
There will be no Sunday
Scilool on Christmas Day.
COOPER LANDING WOMAN
DIES SUDDENLY
Mrs. John Johnson, Cooper
Landing, aged about 70 years,
died at noon after a twenty-four
hour illness in the Seward Gen
eral Hospital Dec. 22.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have
made their home for the past
two years with their son Frank
Johnson at Cooper Landing.
The body will be sent to
Sand Point, Idaho for burial.
■ fMPPffle
s***uepr
wcmsrmsms
Plan To Attend The Firemens New Years Dance