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VOLUME 11. NUMBER 18
PALMER. ALASKA THURSDAY. FEB. 20. 1958
PRICE TEN CENTS
LOCAL RESERVIST
WIKS TWO PLAQUES
CURING ENCAMPMENT
Approximately 100 Army Re
serve officers and enlisted men
from Anchorage and surrounding
areas returned to civilian life
February 17 following a two
week tour of active duty at Fort
Richardson. Included in the
group were members of Company
C, 180th Engr. (C) (A), of Pal
mer: First Lieutenant John
Parks, First Lieutenant Byron
Hollembeck, SFC Frank Smith,
SFC Curtis Reed, Sgt. Harry
Campbell, Jr., SP-3 Samuel Kop
penburg, Pfc. Ronald Aklestad,
Pfc. Bill W. Nelson, Pfc. Jeremy
Gallagher, and Pvt. Keith Smith.
Specialist Koppenburg earned
two outstanding plaques during
the encampment. The first was
earned by taking first place in
■the cross-country ski race. Kop
penburg did the two and one half
mile cross country race in .14
minutes, 52 seconds (averaging
about 10 miles an hour). His
name and Company C appear on
the plaque which will be kept
at Company headquarters until
the annual encampment next
year. Koppenburg was named to
receive the best soldier award of
■the battalion and received a per
sonally engraved placque.
In addition to the plaques,
cash awards went to the out
standing soldier. A prize of $15
was offered by Battalion officers
to any man in the battalion who
placed first in the ski race—in
addition men of Company “C”
-potted an award to $20. The idea
for the company prize was start
ed--by Sgt. Smith as an incentive
to the men. Pfc. Ronald Aklestad
received $10 for placing second.
His time was 16 minutes, 29 sec
onds. Sgt. Smith tied for third
place and received $5.00. The
company prizes were awarded
the men at the regular drill ses
sion of the company last night.
The local reserve company is
planning additional ski work,
hoping to train in the Little Su
sitna area as long as the snow
.lasts.
The local Engineer unit had a
taste of training during their
Iwo-week tour, including prob
lems encountered by army en
gineers under combat conditions.
The engineers built a bridge cap
able of supporting a 2%-ton
truck, improvising from materials
found at the scene. They also
built a footbridge, using the
same method.
The 180th Engineer Battalion
is commanded by Lieutenant Col
onel James T. Walker, enmploy
ed by the Post Engineers at
Fort Richardson.
FLOWERS FOR THE
PURPLE BUBBLE BALL
MAUD'; FLOWER SHOP
Theatr-. bldg. Phone 3601
SAVE!
ON YOUR
GLEANING
LIKE GARMENTS
2 for the 4
price of ■
Gash and Garry
BROWN’S GLEANERS
WE GIVE GOLD STAMPS
I -^^lwuvvwvwuxr^^
SOCIAL SECURITY
REPRESENTATIVE HERE
; John E. Blakey, field repre
!; sentative, social security ad
!; ministration, will be in Pali
I; mer tomorrow afternoon, Feb
ruary 21. He will be staying
<: at the Matanuska Hotel and
! may be contacted there. Blak
1 ey said he will be glad to
■ ; complete annual reports for
| anyone needing assistance,
; and he is anxious to see any
; one having any social security
;! questions.
Forum Creating
Area-Wide Interest
Considerable interest is being
shown in the forthcoming Fourth
Annual Farm Forum which will
be held in Palmer next week
Friday and Saturday, February
28 and March 1. One of the larg
est attendances at a forum is ex
pected this year.
Outstanding Farmer
The Outstanding Young Far
mer will be named at the no
host dinner Saturday evening
which will be held in Moose hall.
Women of the Moose will cater
the dinner which is being spon
sored by the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce.
All young farmers who have
been nominated for this title will
attend the meeting, including
persons from the Matanuska Val
ley, Anchorage, and Kneai areas.
Judging in the contest will be
held Thursday evening and the
winners announced at the dinner,
according to Orville Hansen,
chairman of the Outstanding
Young Farmer committee of the
Anchorage Junior Chamber of
Commerce which is sponsoring
the contest in this section. Repre
sentatives from the Anchorage
Jaycees, as well as the Palmer
Junior Chamber, will be in at
tendance, Hansen said. In addi
tion to an area winner, a local
winner will be named.
During a general session Sat
urday afternoon a number of
community organizations will' be
discussed under the title of “The
Importance of Agricultural Or
ganizations in the Community.”
Organizations to be outlined in
clude the Grange, Matanuska
Valley Fair, and the following co
operatives: Matanuska Electric
Association, Matanuska Tele
phone Association, Matanuska
Valley Farmers Cooperating As
sociation, and the Matanuska
Valley Federal Credit Union.
Eagles Here Friday
For Game With Moose
The Palmer Moose take on the
Anchorage Eagels tomorrow
night in the Palmer gym for their
final game in the 1958 Railbelt
Conference. T vsiehiintETAOTH
Conference. The visiting team
will be seeking another leaf for
their crown but a few new plays
the local lads have been practic
ing this week may catch them
by surprise. Because of their
present standing in the Confer
ence, the Anchorage lads will
emerge the winners again this
year; however, this is expected
to be one of the better games of
the year and a big following of
Anchorage basketball fans are
expected to come to Palmer for
the game.
The Western Alaska Basket
ball Tournament will open in
Anchorage on February 26 and
continue to March 1. The win
ner of the tournament will travel
Southeast to take on that sec
■ tion’s winner for the Alaska title.
NOMINATING GROUP
NAMED FOR M.E.A.
ANNUAL ELECTION
A nominating committee in the
Matanuska Electric Association
has been named to nominate can
didates for offices in the Associa
tion. Election will be held April
12 during the annual member
ship meeting.
Named to the nominating
committee were the following:
iMrs. Rodney Johnson and Robert
Tucker of Sutton; Earl Combs
and Neil Browne Jr. of Wasilla;
Glen Briggs, W. H. Stephen and
James McDowell of Chugiak;
Don L. Irwin and A1 J. DeJulio
of Palmer; R. J. Heddles and
Mrs. Doris McKinley of the
Butte section.
The committee will meet Feb
ruary 28 in the M.E_A. assembly
room.
Two offices on the Board of
Directors will be open this year.
The two-year term of James Hur
ley will expire; and the second
vacancy will be the office held by
Harold Thuma until his resigna
tion and which has been filled
since that time by Roy Tedrow
of Chugiak.
Forum Panels
Will Interest
All Homemakers
Homemakers will find pro
grams of special interest to them
at the Fourth Annual Farm For
um to be held in Palmer Febru
ary 28 and March 1, according to
Frances Hulbert, Extension home
demonstration agent.
In addition to general sessions,
two special sessions have been
planned to meet popular requests
of the homemakers.
A oa'ne'l discussing hair styling
and beauty care will be presented
by members of the Anchorage
Hairdresser’s Unit on Friday at
3 p.m. They will be discussing
general grooming, hair styling,
and 'show a film on these sub
jects.. Models will be used in
demonstrating and anyone wish
ing to have a personal analysis
for hair styling may request one.
Homemakers doing any build
ing, remodeling, or spring dec
orating will find the panel on
"Modem Interior Finishes for tne
Home” very helpful. This will
be held on Saturday at 3 p.m. Ex
hibits of current finishes will be
displayed by Alaska Floors, Inc.
and Fuller Paint and Glass Co.
of Anchorage; Co-Op Building
and Farm Supply, and Ketchikan
Spruce Mills of Palmer. A panel
composed of representatives from
these suppliers will answer ques
tions those attending may have.
A nursery will be available in
the building where mothers may
leave their small children. How
ever, mothers are requested to
take a toy for each child, as none
will be available.
JAYCEES APPLY
FOR CHARTER
The iMatanuska Valley Junior
Chamber of Commerce has made
formal application for their char
ter. it was announced this week
by John Gore, Jaycee president,
and plans have been started for
an Inaugural Ball which will be
held at the Elks lodge on Satur
day, March 8.
On March 1 and 2 the local
president and Kenneth Young
ren, State director, will attend
the State Board meeting slated
for Traveler’s Inn at Anchorage.
The local Jaycees are holding
(Continued on page 8)
r _
I SCHOOL BOARD SEEKS
BASIS OF "CHARGES"
Palmer School Board offici
als today announced the hiring
of a qualified person to follow
up certain public allegations
made against certain school
personnel. Officials stated that
there have been too many
charges “thrown’ around and
the investigation will give
them something to work on.
In the meantime things are at
a “status quo”. Board mem
bers ask the patience of par
ents and the general public
and ask that they not believe
all the rumors that are circul
ating around the town. A firm
answer will be given by the
Board as soon as all facts
have been considered.
GRADE A PRODUCERS
TO MEET ON FED. 21
Seventy-two Grade A milk
producers from the Palmer, Chu
giak and Anchorage areas will
be meeting at 1 p.m. Friday,
February 21 at the M.V.F.C.A.
meeting room which is located
in the basement of the general
business ofifce, according to Har
. Ian K. Hamilton, interim presi- ‘
dent.
The meeting has been called
for the purpose of considering
recommended articles of the An
chorage-Palmer Fresh Milk As
sociation and its bylaws.
Minutes of the first meeting
will be offered at the opening of
the meeting. A report of the in
terim Board of Directors will in
clude the presentation of the
articles and bylaws, following
which there will be a call for
memberships. When the bylaws
have been adopted, a signed ap
plication blank for membership
is to be submitted to obtain vot
ing privileges on any further
business.
....
MARCH OF DIMES
NOW OVER $400
A total of $433.89 is on deposit
to date in the local March of
Dimes campaign, it was announc
ed this week by Ed Smith, chair
man. This amount includes dona
tions made by various individu
als and groups.
Students at Swanson School
contributed $31.08 and those in
Central School the sum of $81.10.
Six dollars came from the high
I school. Dime collection cards at
the Frontier Bar netted the cam
paign $32.71; cards and a bottle
at Bert’s Drug store totalled $26.
20 and $19.40 was collected at
the Frontier Cafe.
Other contributions were made
by the Cheechako Homemakers
Club, Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Tay
lor, George Small, Mr. and Mrs.
Max Sherrod, Mr. and Mrs. Ed
Johns, American Legion Auxili
ary. Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Heddles,
and Mr. and Mrs. L. P. Rorrison.
Mr. and Mrs. Rorrison save dimes
during the year for the annual
March of Dimes and this year
turned over 160 dimes.
Additional com cards and col
lection cans will be picked up
during the coming week and a
final report on this year’s cam
paign will be made as soon as
determined, Smith said.
The Pennsylvania Department
of Health this week announced to
the University of Alaska the ap
pointment of Dr. C. Earl Albrecht
as that state’s deputy secretary of
health. Dr. Albrecht is a former
University of Alaska regent and
a former Palmer resident.
CHAMBER CONCERNED
OVER PRESENT
MILK SITUATION
A constructive program for
1958 is being planned by the Ma
tanuska Valley Chamber of Com
merce, it was announced this
week at the regular luncheon
meeting.
Projects being discussed by the
Board of Directors include: En-;
courage tourists and visitors and
work for additional facilities and
attractions; Get ground work
started for road to Lake George;;
Provide better market for farm
products; Support Farm Forum;
Work toward the building of
more roads, including the short
cut to Anchorage; Revise and
publish the information booklet
on the Valley; Actively support
the Matanuska Valley Fair;
Adopt new bylaws; Greatly
broaden membership representa
tion; and Milk.
The later project was discussed
at the meeting. Chamber presi
dent, Eugene Reid pointed out
that the recombined milk being
put on the Anchorage market is
a serious threat to the dairy in
dustry. It won’t be too long be
fore all type businesses will feel
the impact of this condition, he
pointed out. Chamber members
were unanimous in their opinion
that as a Chamber they must do
(Continued on page 8)
Marvin Slaughter
Named President
Hospital Association
Five new directors were nam
ed by members of the Valley
Hospital Association during the
annual membership meeting held
in Palmer February 15. Named
to the board were Rev. Bert Ru
tan and Ralph Koslosky, incum
bents and both of Palmer; Mrs.
Ada Boyd, Star Route, Palmer;
Mrs. Ada Snider, Sutton; and
Mrs. Beatrice Hansen, Star Route,
Palmer.
Following the membership
meeting the directors convened
and named Marvin Slaughter as
board president; James Hamlin,
'dee-president; Mrs. Marjorie
Brewer, secretary; and Allan H.
Mick, treasurer.
The next meeting of the di
rectors will be held in the hos
pital dining room February 28 at
8 p.m. A schedule of regular
meetings for the remainder of
the year will be adopted during
the meeting persuant to a change
in by-laws authorized by the
membership at the February 15
meeting. Previously board meet
ings were set by the by-laws for
the third Friday of each month,
which proved to be inconvenient
in many instances.
NORWEGIAN SCIENTIST
COMING HERE ON
NSF GRANT OF $2,500
A National Science Foundation
grant of $2,500 has been awarded
to the University of Alaska, Agri
cultural Experiment Station to
underwrite a consultative visit
by Dr. Olvind Nissen of the Agri
cultural College of Norway, ac
cording to Dr. A. H. Mick, Sta
tion director.
Dr. Nissen will spend three
months with the Station, arriving
in May. He is a geneticist and
biometrician of considerable re
pute. After leaving Alaska he will
be Norway’s official representa
tive at this summer’s Montreal
international congress dealing
with genetics and biometrics.
$30,WO AVAILABLE
FOR REPLACING OF
WINTERKILLED GRASS
Word was received February 14
from E. L. Peterson, Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture, that
the Matanuska Valley area has
been designated as a wind ero
sion disaster area. The sum of
$30,000 in emergency conserva
tion funds has been allocated to
the valley to assist farmers in re
placing permanent grass winter
killed in early 1957.
.According to Philip R. John
son, chairman of the Alaska ASC
Committee, the entire emergency
program has not yet been worked
qpt. However, the following facts
have been established:
The emergency program will
be handled as part of the regular
Agricultural Conservation Pro
gram (ACP), and will be admin
istered by the Palmer ASC
Committee. Farmer members of
the committee are Vic Falk, Jr.,
A. R. Carson, and Howard Estel
le. Lew Hanks, Palmer agricul
ture extension agent, is secre
tary-treasurer of the committee.
The committee office is in the
Extension Office.
Seeding of permanent grass in
1958 under the ACDP will be done
both under the present practice
four (in which the sum of $19,000
will be made available) and a new
practice 13, the emergency con
servation practice. These two
practices will have adequate
funds to assist in seeding about
2,000 acres of permanent grass
in the Matanuska Valley in 1958.
According to Lew Hanks rates
of assistance have been establish
ed at 20% an acre. This is con
siderably above those paid in
Palmer County in past years.
Payment in all cases can be ex
pedited by the use of purchase
orders. Hanks pointed out. All
seeding under the emergency
practico must be completed or
substantially completed by June
30, 1958. The appropriation for
the emergency practice expires at
that time.
Priority for participation in
the emergency practice will be
given farmers who had perman
ent grass winterkilled in early
1957.
Details of the emergency prac
tice will be worked out within
, the next week and submitted to
Washington for approval. After
the text of the practice is ap
proved the final details will be
announced. Hanks pointed out
the immediate need for every
farmer who is planning to seed
grass to contact the Extension of
fice or fill out applications for
grass seeding as soon as possible.
He pointed out that many have
returned their surveys but it will
still be necessary to fill out the
required application so that the
number of acres to be reseeded
will be known. He also reminded
farmers of the need to know the
amount of seed which will be
needed so that orders may be
sent immediately.
Johnson pointed out that farm
ers should revise their plans for
the 1958 crop year to make full
use of the regular and emergency
■seeding practices. They should
order the additional seed and
fertilizer they will require. Busi
nesses and organizations who im
port seed and fertilizer should
(Continued on page 8)
COMFORTABLE
Steam Heated Rooms
S40 Month
Hyland Hotel
2 blocks from Post Office
PURPLE BUBBLE BALL, SATURDAY, FEB. 22
PALMER B.P.O. ELKS 10 P.M. All Elks, their ladies & invited guests