YoU
OMER NEWS
■HOMER * ALASKA*
5* No# 32
Your Community Newspaper
January 13, 1955
Alaska Historical
Library & Liuseum
Box 2051
Juneau, Alaska
THE INSTITUTE
Tho Farmers Institute came to a
close Saturday night ~ith tho officers
of the Kachemak Bay Fanner’s Associa
tion and tho Extension Service leaders
both expressing the opinion that it nas
an unqualified success.
Cecil VJynnt, president of the As
sociation, said that trhilo ho i.as a
little disappointed at tho small num
ber of farmers present, he felt that
those Toho ~cre able to attend gained a
great deal from the discussions held by
tho extension staff noid that a similar
progrf^m should be planned for next year,
Dr. Mick, Extension director,, said
that he ttus very pleased ;ith both the
attendance and the interest displayed
in tho lectures. He noted that many of
the fanners stayed long after each lec
ture iras concluded to got additional
information from the 1cactors*,
At the kick-off luncheon, '"hieh nas
sponsored by the Chanbor of Commerce,
approximately 40 persons hoard Senator
elect Jack Horner of Souard tell of his
experiences in the retail food busi
ness. He urged local farmers to "bo
prepared" and roady to jump. The eco
nomic development of Alaska "ill come
in "big jumps", he said, and referred
to the possible development of oil on
the Peninsula.
Ho noted that Alaskan farmers produ
ced $3 million "orth of farm products
in 1353 mjiich represents only a small
percentage of the food products, consum
ed by the people of tlx: Territory an
nually.
He told the group that it *./as qual
ity that "as the primary factor “here
produce is concerned and ho told of his
experience in packaging produce to pro
mote sales.
Ho urged that a marketing agency be
aot up. Such an agency- he said, Tiould
be of groat value to both the producer
and the retailor.
The Friday evening program observing
the 25th anniversary of -the Extension
Servico proved most entertaining.
The Homer Community Chorus sang
three numbers and was followed by Mrs
Lydia Fo hr--Han sen, associate director
Of the Extension Service-, aho related
some of her experiences during the ear
ly years of the service in Alaska,
Mrs. Fohn-Hansen told of her first
visit to Homer and of later visits.. She
ras assisted in part of nor program oy
Mrs. Arlene Kranich oho recalled -ith
her some of the early-day vrohlai;is that
faced the people of this community many
years ago.
I..M. C. Anderson of. the Farm Homa
Administration told of his f^rstf mips
to Homer in the 1930’s and of the hos
pitality that.uas prevalent in those
times.
(Cont. on Page 2, Col. 3)
WEATHER
High Lot:
January 6 24 19
January 7 32 6
January 8 43 33
January 9 41 35
January 10, 39 32 -
January 11 39 33
January 12 33 23
CHURCH MEN HERE
The Right Reverend Willi an Jones
Gordon, Episcopal Bishop of Alaska and
the Rev* L. Russell Clapp of Seward
were Homer visitors on Tuesday and Wed
nesday of this week. While here they
attended a pot-luck dinner with local
church members to discuss a proposed
building program*',
An endeavor will be made to build a
log church on property donated to the
local organization by Natalie Hewlett.
The site :*3 just below the Skyway
theater quonset.
iv£rs.. Inez Bilbao was* named chairman
of the campaign to get the logs and
other building materials.
It was also decided to hold confir
mation classes and Sunday School at the
Bilbao residence Sunday mornings at 10„
Twenty-five were present for the
dinner which was held at the Bill Smith
home«
PUD MEETING
The PUD board of directors learned
Monday night that firs. E* L*. Wilkinson
does not hold their president, Gene
Browning, in very high regard. Mrs*
Wilkinson gave vent to her feelings
after reading a copy of a letter which
VirgiL Seiser of the Bureau of Land
Management had sent to the Board. The
letter referred to a telegram sent by
the board to Seiser asking that a de
lay be made in the granting of the pat
ent on the beach property owned by Al
fred Jones and on which the Wilkinsons
have their cannery* The basis of the
trouble between Mrs* Wilkinson and the
PUD stems from the use of the tie-up'
peg on the J'ones ^property which she
says was placed there without permis
sion and for which- she has asked &1C0 a
month rent, during the months when a
boat ties up at the dock*
uiner DU3xness wuicq cone ernec. me
directors included a letter from Stard
aru Cil company which skid that their
books indicated that the PUD still owed
#1,C<39V26 on the pipeline at the dock®
The line was installed by the company
at a cost of $7>632»15 and is being
paid for by the PUD from revenues re
ceived from oil being brought over the
dock. The manager was instructed to
check the figures with the dock manager
Boland Pettig,, Anchorage auditor y
was officially hired to audit the PUD
books . He has indicated that he would
like io start the job January 171 How
ever she books will not be ready so the
board has 3sked him to start February 1
if possible,
A 'otter from the longshoremen’s un
ion r: s read asking that something be
done about the tie-up line at the dock*
They pointed out that at the present
time l line has to be taken by hand
across the back of * the dock warehouse
and out to the approach. This is very
dangerous, end something should be done
about It;, they said. Directors Hiner
and Gregoire were appointed to check
the situation and work out a solution'.
These mat: wore also asked to lock into
the possibility of installing some trye,
of motor hoJst at the dock to f&ciii-'
tate 1 idling crab and other freight up
to the dock#
Two meetings of importance to Homer
residents will be held next week, ac
cording to present plans. The first
meeting is to be held Monday night at
the schoolhouse at 7:30 Etnd will be
conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Ser
vice concerning commercial fishing in
Cook Inlet. The second meeting has
been scheduled for Tuesday evening when
Col. Farrell and Harold Moats of the
District Engineers meet with local
fishermen, the board of directors of
the PUD and* others ihb erested in the
building of a small boat basin on the
Spit.
According to the Anchorage Daily
Nows of Tuesday, mass meetings of Cook
Inlet area fishermen are slated to be
held this week in advance of the FWS
hearings. The paper mentioned Kenai
and Seldovia as communities where the
meetings would be held, but no mention
was made of Homer.* Miss Lottie Hdelman
Cook Inlet branch agent of Alaska’s
Fishermen’s Union and S- an landmark,
assistant secretary of the AFU,. will
report at the mass meetings pdn recent
aci: vities in Washington to the Alaskan
fishermen so the local people may be
’’filled in” on.the situation, according
to the Anchorage paper*
Under discussion will be the ruling
placing an 1800 foo*t distance require
ment 'on set"nets. Also up for discus
sion will be the legislation introduced
by Delegate Bartlett to exempt set-nets
from the 1800 foot requirement# John
Farley, FvJS director, has given his
support to the proposal to return the
distance requirements to the 600 feet
here as was the rule last ye sop*
Chuck Abbott, who had been in An
chorage earlier this week, said that
Moats and Farrell planned to be in Ko
diak on Monday of next week and planned
to arrive in Homer on Tuesday. They
will offer their -assistance in the
planning of the proposed basin here and
answer questions of the fishermen and
others present.
Abbott brought back from Anchorage
several revised copies of the boat bas
in plans# The plans reveal that the
basin will lie primarily in lots 25 and
26 on the Spit, with a portion near the
entry lying in lot 24 which belongs to
Abbott# He has deeded an easement to
the required portion of Lot 24 to the
FUD without my charge# The lots in
question lie just to the west of the
present site of the signal light, on the
Spin*
A copy of the basin plans is avail
able for public inspection at the FUD
office#
CHAMBER NOTES
The membership of the Homer Chamber
of Commerce stands at 57 this week with,
the joining of Hev. Arthur Nichols, Bob
•Smith, Arleen and Bob iiraiich, Howard
Nickersham and Pacific Northern Aij>.
Lines.
At the meeting Monday, Bob Smith
told of the fight Pacific Northern Air*
lines is now engaged in to get a renew
al or v^tension of its present certifi
cate to operate between Alaska and the
States* He pointed out that PNA has
the best record of any of the four car
riers involved in the States-Alaska
(Cont* on Page 2, Col. 4)