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The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLET
—
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
itam you may hava for sala,
rant or laasa.
VOLUME 9. NO. 33
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. JUNE 7. 1956
PRICE TEN CENYS
MEA Membership Calls
For Meeting June 16
To clarify any confusion exist
ing about the coming Matanus
ka Electric Association member
ship meeting, John Shaw, MTA
attorney, said today that the act
ion of the Board of Directors in
rescinding their previous order
to hold a special membership
meeting has no effect upon the
membership’s petition which was
filed calling for a special meeting
on the same date.
The meeting ordered for June
16 by the directors, and then by
petition of the membership act
ing independent of one another,
was later rescinded by the board
of directors. The meeting which
will be held on June 16 has not
been officially called by the dir
ectors but is being arranged in
respect to the membership’s pe
tition and will be held on the
16th.
A typographical error in last
week’s issue of The Frontiers
man stated the meeting would
toe held June 1, instead of June
16.
Fares! Fires
Continue In Area
Fire fighters of the Bureau of
Land Management, Forestry Div
ision, put in another busy week.
On June 2 they were called out
from the Palmer Fire Guard Sta
tion for a fine that burned off
about 50 acres. It was started on
the Harold Harris property on
the Cottonwood Creek cut-off
road where Harris was burning
stump rows. The fire jumped
the road and took off, fanned by
the winds. Four fire fighters set
up a pump and worked on this
fire and Harris put *9. fire line
around With a “cat .
The following day the local
Station had two fire cells, the
first at Knik Lake where about
three acres were burned. This
fire was spotted from the Bu
reau’s plane. The same four fire
fighers were put on this fire
which was located on the Jef
ford property. A stump row fire
about two months old, was
brought to life by the winds and
blamed for the fire. Jefford plans
to put a fire line around this
area.
The second fire was located in
"the Bodenburg-Butte area on the
Hanson property, where a fire
line had been dozed before de
bris was set afire. In spite of the
precaution the fire jumped the
line and burned off about two*
acres. Vic Falk contributed a
“cat” to put the fire line around
“this Fire.
Mopping up work on the Wolfe
lake fire, which had to be aband
oned during the other fires, was
completed on Wednesday of this
week.
Forester William Adams again
urged that all burning to be done
with extreme care and asked
that fishermen and picnickers
use extreme care while smoking
in the woods or building camp
fires. All camp fires must be ex
tinguished before leaving the
area.
Lots of celery for the valley
this year—it appears. The Co-Op
this week sold 125,000 plants
and has placed an order for an
additional 10,000 plants.
Flowers for the
June Bride
t Wedding Books
i Guest Books
: • White Bibles,
Tapers
Corsages for all
occasions
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
> Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601 ;
FISHERMAN'S LUCK
Young Harry Buzby, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Buzby, has
the laugh on a lot of exper
ienced fishermen this week.
The young lad proved the old
adage about the little boy—
a willow pole, and a bent pin.
Harry was fishing from a rub
ber life raft with a mail-order'
rod and reel. Nearby was a
local fisherman, resplendent
with the newest and best of
fishing equipment, a fine boat
and anequal amount of en
thusiasm. Just so you’ll know
the story turns out the way
you think it wil . . . Harry got
19-inch trout—our fisherman
friend got nothing but a long ;
face.
PALMER MAN HEADS
NEW LEGION GROUP
Richard Deming of Palmer
was elected commander of the
recently organized Western Al
aska District of the American
Legion, Fourteen Legion Posts,
west of Longitude 141, met in
Anchorage this week to form the
organization and name the of
ficers. A similar organization has
been in existence for a number
of years in the Southeastern
District.
Other officers of the organiza
tion are John Kessel of Fair
banks^ first vice -comma n d er;
Floyd Johnson of Seward, second
vice-commander; Tom Hester, of
Cordova, sergeant-iat-arms; Mrs.
Lucille Poe, Anchorage, chap
lain; Mrs. H. E. Heintz, Glenn
alien, historian; Herald Stringer,
Anchorage, judge advocate.
Other ORalmer Post men named
were:
Phil Everett, chairman of the!
executive committee; Foster
Sims, finance; and John Weisen
berger, resolutions. The next
meeting of the gro> planned
during the Amerk ion De-,
partmerat convention in Anchor
age July 11-14.
TEEN-AGERS
MAY GET GANTEEN
Parents of all teen-agers who
signed a petition seeking help
from the Palmer Area Recreation
Council in forming a teen-age
canteen, will be contacted with
in the next few days to deter-1
mine how much assistance they
will offer in such a project. A
meeting of parents and teen
agers will be held as soon as act
ive interest on the part of the
parents is shown.
Richard Branton who has vol
unteered his services in organ
izing such a group under the
sponsorship of P.A.R.C. said
this week that although the
group will need some money, at
the present time the thing that is
most urgently needed is the vol
unteer help of the adults. “We
have had definite clearance for a
building but there is the stipu
lation that there must be adult
supervision at all times,” Brant
on said.
The teen-age program will be
open to all valley youths who
show adaptability to the program,
Bran ton said. Recreation equip
ment will be needed for the
youngsters, he pointed out. Ping
Pong and pool tables—checkers
and other table games—in fact
any type equipment will be wel
comed. Anyone having equip
ment they wish to donate is ask
ed to contact Dorothy Saxton
who has agreed to act as collect
ing agent for the equipment.
“We’ll have plenty of floor
space”, he said, “and will want
suitable equipment to keep the
youths busy.”
Parents are requested to watch
(Continued on Page 5)
4
[TAX ASSESSOR
BEGINS OITY
RE-EVALUATING
William Wakeland, city and
school district tax assessor, is
currently re-evaluating build
ings within city limits. Each
building will be done individu
ally, he said, and the information
put on a card, open to the tax
payer’s inspection. The assess
ments are for 1957, and have no
bearing on 1956 taxes now being
billed, he pointed out.
The assessor is interested only
in the building—it’s dimensions,
construction, date it was built,
and condition. He will not pry
into personal effects, and pre
fers to have a member of the
house accompany him through
the building. He will carry a let
ter of authority, signed by the
mayor and the president of the
school board.
The assessing system being
Used is based on the 1950 con
tract construction costs in Anch
orage, Wakeland pointed out.
“We use 80 percent of cost to el
iminate the usual profit in a con
tract, but may still value your
building at more than you have
in it, because we assume ALL
labor as a cost. And your own
labor may constitute up to 50
percent of the value of your
building. Our method is a “mass
production’ evaluation that av
erages out 13ie many variables in
a building to arrive fairly close
to 80 percent of the replacement
cost, less depreciation. Beginning
in 1957, depreciation will be con
sidered each year”, he said.
The goal of the city council
and school board is equality. The
total revenue necessary for the
school district and city will be
raised by adjusting the mill crate,
not by tampering with assessed
valuation, he said.
Co-Op Creamery
Makes Record
Shipment June I
A record daily shipment of
dairy products was made on Fri
day of last week by the Mata
nuska .Valley Farmers Cooperat
ing Association creamery plant
in Palmer when 33 tons of fresh
milk, ice cream and other dairy
products were shipped to the
Anchorage and Fairbanks mark
ets. This is the biggest shipment
to go out of the local plant in a
single day and was shipped via
truck to the two cities.
The shipment included 18,000
quarts of fresh milk and six tons
of Mabanuska Maid ice cream.
The huge shipment was the
combined resuLts of large milk
supplies from valley farmers and
a market increase in the two
cities, according to Jack Flint,
Palmer creamery manage#. “We
are now receiving 24,000 pounds
of milk per day from local farm
ers”, he said. “As the summer
goes along I expect that we shall
be making even larger shipments
than the one last Friday”, he
added.
COUNCIL NOTES
Members of the City Council
canvassed the May 29th vote
during a special session hfeld
June 4 at the Clerk’s office. The
votes were found in order.
Council members discussed the
present fire department equip
ment and authorized the pur
chase of an additional 700 feet of
two and one-half inch hose;
authorized repairs on the Chev
rolet pump; and the installation
of a hose drying rack in the fire
hall.
Guests at the June 6 meeting
of the Matanuska Valley Chamb
er of Commerce included Dr.
Dwight Espy of the Experiment
Station office in Washington, D.
C., Ralph Brown of the Cordova
Airlines, and Lloyd Thomas of
Seatle, Washington.
Receives Commission
In U. S. Army
(U.S. Army Photo)
Robert L. Graham, son of R.
Bruce Graham of Palmer, re
cently was commissioned a se
cond lieutenant in the U. S.
Army after being graduated
from the Artillery and Guid
ed Missile Officer Candidate
School at Fort Sill. Oklahome.
Lt. Graham, a 1933 graduate
of the University of Washing
ton and a member of Sigma
Phi Epsilon fraternity, was em
poyed by Newberry Electric
Corporation in Anchorage be
fore entering the Army in De
cember 1953. He received basic
training at Fort Ord, Calif.
G.O.P. DELEGATES
ATTEND CONVENTION
This area was represented at
the Territorial Republican Con
vention! in Juneau June 1 and
2 By Heinie Snider of Wasilla,
M. D. Snodgrass of Palmer, Mr.
and Mrs. James Prey and Mrs.
Doris McKinley of Butte, and
Reese Tatro of Chugiak.
Delegates returning from the
convention reported they felt
that progress has been made to
ward unity within the four div
isions of the Republican party
by the election of Bob Grosclose,
business man of Fairbanks, as
chairman of the Territorial cen
tral committee.
To head the Republican ticket
of the Alaska-Tennessee Plan in
the October general election, de
legates nominated Robert B. At
wood, Anchorage Times publish
er and chairman of the Alaska
Statehood Committee, and John
Butrovich, for many years a
member of the Alaska Senate
from Fairbanks to the U. S.
Senate seats and Charles Bur
dick, Assistant Regional Forest
er retired, who will seek the
House seat. The three were des
cribed by Paul Robison, chair
man of. the nominating com
mittee as “the three finest can
didates available in the Territory
of Alaska—in either party.”
ALL NURSES INVITED
TO CONVENTION
All registered nurses who live
in the valley area have been ex
tended an invitation to attend
the Alaska Nurses Association
convention being held in Anch
orage this week. Mrs. Bernice
Pettit, president erf Palmer Dist
rict No. 6 said today that attend
ance is open to all nurses, not
for those who are members of
the association alone.
A banquet is being held to- (
night at Thompson’s restaurant
and an all-day session of business
meetings is planned for Friday,
beginning at 8:30 and conclud
ing at 5:30 p. m. The seven Dist
rict presidents will speak during
the meeting, mainly on liability
insurance and its problems. A
tour of the new 5005th Airforce
Hospital is also planned.
Airline Service to City
May Be Curtailed
Polio Vaccine
Arrives In Palmer
Another shipment of polio;!
; vaccine has arived in the val- \
; (ey according to an announce- ;!
i ; ment made this week. Because ;
; all polio vaccine is dated, >
; those persons eligible to re
ceive it are urged to do so as ;
;! soon as possible. All children, ;
;! aged one to nine years and ;
! pregnant women are eligible ;
to receive the vaccine. !
MTA INSTALLING
NEW DIAL PHONES
The installation of new dial,
telephones for paid-up members
of the Matanuska Telephone
Association started last week
and Robert Partridge, MTA man
ager said this week that a numb
er of subscribers have completed
their equity payments in order to
be eligible for the new' tele
phones. Until the new outside
plant'is completed the dial phon
ing may not be used, however,
the advantage in having a new
instrument at this time is that
the reception will be greatly im
proved over the present type
phones, he pointed out.
All MTA members who are
now receiving telephone service
may apply for the installation of
the new telephones by filling out
the service card and by complet
ing equity payments, if the full
amount has not yet been paid.
Personnel from the Bonneville
Construction Company, success
ful bi<Mers for the installation
of the outside plant, have arrived
in the valley and preliminary
work has been started on the
system. The contracts are to be
completed iby November 15
which means that all MTA
members, throughout the system,
should have new dial telephones
in working order before Christ
mas.
the final construction contract
that for building the Palmer
control office and sub-stations at
Wasilla, Chugiak and Sutton,
will be awarded soon, provided
a satisfactory bid is received by
the association. Original bids
were rejected as too high and
another call for bids was later
issued. These bids are to be
opened Friday afternoon, June 8
at the MTA business office in the
Severn/s building at 2 p. m. All
interested MTA members are in
vited to attend the bid openings.
Garden Club Plans
Wild Hewer Shew
Members of the Palmer Gard
en Club are completing plans
for their annual spring wild
flower show which will be pres
ented on Sunday, June 17 in the
Extension Service craft room
from POO to 6:00 p. m.
The show, open to the public,
is being held as an opportunity
for area residents to acquaint
themselves with the wild flow
ers, shrubs and plants that are
native to Alaska. All residents
are invited to take arrangements
or displays to the show; it is not
necessary to be a club member to
present a display.
Club officials have requested
that all arrangements or speci
mens be left at the Craft room
before 6 p. m. on Saturday. The
flowers should be labeled with
the name, if known, and where
it was found—'Whether in high or
Low country. If the name is not
known, a member of the club
will be on hand to help with the
labeling.
More complete details of the
show will be published next
week.
The daily airline service, pro
vided in and out of Palmer by
■ the Cordova Airlines, may come
to an aibrupt halt if the residents
of the Valley do not indicate
their strong desire to have the
service continued. This is the
message that Ralph Brown of the
airlines company brought to the
June 6 meeting of the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Brown explained that a Civil
Aeronautics Board -examiner is
in Anchorage from Washington
D. C„ conducting hearings. With
out the backing of the area ef
fected by the service, Cordova
Airlines may be denied permis
sion to continue the flights to
Palmer. He reported that under
normal procedure testimony is
taken at the early part of the
hearing; because there was no
one in attendance from Palmer,
there was no testimony approv
ing the service now being pro
vided between Palmer and Anch
orage.
At the present time the air
line service is the only means of
transportation, outside of private
vehicles, between Palmer and
Anchorage. At one time Palmer
had daily passenger train service,
as well as daily bus service. First
the train service was discontinu
ed and then during the winter
the bus service was stopped. Un
til about six weeks ago when
Cordova Airlines began their
daily flight service to Palmer,
there was no public conveyance
service.
Brown pointed out that if
Cordova Airlines is refused per
mission o fly into Palmer, it is
very unlikely that the CAB will
recertify any other line in the
forseeable future. Usually testi
mony is based on the airline’s
service record; in this case,
where the service has been in
(Continued on page 8)
FAIR BOARD
WORKING ON BUDGET
Members of the Matanuska
Valley Fair board of directors
are working or. the budget for
the 1956 Valley Fair and com
mittees are expected to make re
ports at the next meeting.
A number of homemakers are
working with the board this year
in reviewing the premium book
and securing judges and super
intendents for the Fair. Present
at the June 5 meeting of the dir
ectors were Karla Duff, Midge
Hudgins, Mrs. L. P. Rorrison,
Mrs. Carl Mielke, Mrs. Jim Frey,
all representing the Homemakers
organization and Mrs. Marylou
Rideout, home demonstration
agent and Lew Hanks, district
agent of the Extension Service.
The 4-H program is being em
phasized at this year’s Fair
through various means now in
the formative stage. Also present
was John King, president of the
Arctic Trails Riding Club.
Bumper strips will be order
ed which will be distributed
throughout Alaska as soon as
they arrive.
The advertising deadline for
the annual premium book is
nearing and anyone not yet con
tacted is urged to contact the
association as soon as possible.
OUR MENU FEATURES .
Matanuska Maid
PRODUCE & PRODUCTS
CO-OP CAFE
Claudia Wilson. Mgr.
PERFECT FOR SUMMER
SHORT HAIR - SOFT CURLS
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Phono 3043
LAVONNE JOHNSON
" --- w -~
SAGEBRUSH JUBILEE June 19
Starring Charlene
mmf*w
Arthur, RCA Record Artist; Neal Peach seed. Jones, Columbia Artist, plus many other celebrities of stage
PALMER SCHOOL
GYM