I Y ti D h W V
The FRONTPRSMAN
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
VOLUME 10. NUMBER 27 PALMER. ALASKA THURSDAY, APRIL 25. 1957 PRICE TEN CENTS
31 YOUTHS TAKE OVE1 CITY REINS MAY 1
NEW MEA RATE CUT
EFFECTIVE UN MONTH
OF MAY USAQE
Matauska Electric Association
meters turning after the first
day of May will be operating on
the new lower rate and home and
farm users of electricity will find
an appreciable reduction when
they pay their bills the first of
June. Commercial and small pow
er users will find an even larger
savings.
Under the new rate schedule
farm and home users will receive
a reduction amounting to 9.1 per
cent. The commercial and small
power users will receive a 14.8
percent saving. Under a special
contract the Valley Presbyterian
Hospital will have a decrease of
33.3 percent.
The rate reduction which was
announced at the MEA annual
membership meeting earlier this
month was adopted by the Asso
ciation following recommenda
tions of the R. W. Beck and Asso
ciates utility analysts and engin
eers who were hired by MEA to
make a rate study and the ap
proval of the rate cut from the
Rural Electrification Administra
tion in Washington, D. C.
New billing books which will
contain the new rates will be
mailed to consumers prior to the
meter reading date in late May.
O'NEILL RE-ELECTED
MEA PRESIDENT
Members of the Matanuska El
ectric Association named officers
for the coming year at a meeting
held April 22. Only one change
in the list of officers was made.
C. Ivan Branton was named vice
presiednt to replace Aaron Combs
whose term of office expired.
Combs declined a nomination for
the board this year. Phil O’Neill
of Sutton will continue as presi
dent of the association and
James Hurley of the Butte will
continue as secretary-treasurer.
Regular meetings of the board
of directors are held in the MEA
meeting room each fourth day
of the month at 8 p.m. All MEA
members are eligible to attend
any of these meetings.
| WARNING |
•:The public is notified I
<;that the fire telephone ;
i; (PI-4444) is for the pur-j
i pose of reporting fires.:
|:NO CALLS may be;
ij made to this number j
!|by the general public:
to determine the loca-i
tion of a fire.
\\ This WARNING is given j
;! because of the need to i
keep the fire line open ;
at ALL TIMES in the j
;:event of simultaneous:
<: fires.
CITY OF PALMER;
Property Valuation
Committee Makes
Tax Recommendations
A property valuation commit
tee met April 17 at the tax as
sessor’s office to help establish a
“yardstick of Values” to be used
by the assessor in the Palmer In
dependent School District. The
committee was named by the
School Board this past winter.
During the meeting William
Wakeland, tax assessor, showed
maps indicating that some areas
Bre presently over-assessed; others
under-assessed, and in all areas
a lack of uniformity.
The committee, which consists
of Richard Jones, James Hurley,
Roland Snodgrass, Harold Thuma,
Victor Falk, Sr. and Hugh Ad
ams recommended a table of val
ues ranging from a top figure of
$150 per acre for good, flat, clear
ed farm land, down to $5 per acre
for steep, rocky, or swampy
areas. Soil quality and slope to
be determined from' soil conser
vation service maps and field
work.
The amount of clearing will
become more important as the
value of cleared land increases,
the committee pointed out. The
assessor will determine the acre
age cleared from this year’s aeri
al photographs if possible, and
from field work. The committee
furtheV recommended that ques
tionnaires be sent to owners of
improved land in the School Dis
trict asking for a breakdown by
acres of their cleared land. This
step would equalize the burden
of higher valuations on land
among all owners during the sev
eral years it would take the as
sessor to personally inspect eat
parcel of land. Any large overall
increase in valuation would then
be reflected in a lower mill rate
to raise a given sum of money.
The committee wrestled the
longest over the problem of
assigning values to land ad
jacent to the city. They re*
(Continued on Page 8)
City Issues Permil
For Trailer Parking
Members of the Palmer City
Council sat in special session last
night and voted to issue a tem
porary permit to Alva Saxton to
put trailers in the city limits. It
was voted that a non-transferable
permit charge of $5 per year, per
trailer, would be made. This per
mission was voted pending trail
er and zoning ordinances. Records
are to be kept of the registration,
name, type of car and make of
trailer.
Other business transacted in
the special session was the ap
pointment of the legal firm of
Preston, Thorgrinson, and Horo
witz. of Seattle to draw up the
bonding ordinance needed by the
City of Palmer. This is a firm that
specializes in bond work and was
appointed to do the work in the
absence of the City Attorney,
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I FIRST ALASKAN INVESTMENT CO. ]
3: NOW IN ![
PALMER
! WELCOME YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
HE MAY BE OF SERVICE TO YOU
R. H. Mclntire
jj and 3;
J. E. Brandenburg
FOR SERVICE CALL PI-4131 3;
WHAT ALASKA BUILDS, BUILDS ALASKA
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS the young people of Alaska are our greatest
asset and,
WHEREAS it is the desire of the city government of Palmer
to recognize this value and pay tribute to our
young people and,
WHEREAS May Day has for many years symbolized youth,
and spring and,
WHEREAS active participation in community affairs will
tend to Jt>etter acquaint young people with the
machinery of government in a democracy and,
WHEREAS it is the intent of the City of Palmer to partici
pate in the programs of our young people,
THEREFORE May 1, 1957 is hereby proclaimed as Youth
Day in Palmer and on that day elected repre
sentatives of Pal mer High School will actively
participate in all phases of city government.
CHARLES W. WILSON
Mayor, City of Palmer
I
I "Don't call it the
Warehouse Any More" ji
From now on when employ- >
ees at the Co-Op Warehouse jj
answer their telephone the!;
listeners will hear them say, !;
“Co-Op -Building and Farm!;
Supply”. This is the new name !;
for the warehouse and will !;
soon appear on all their iden-!;
tification. 3;
Although about 25 names ;!
were submitted in the contest, ;!
none of them were used. The jj
new name was one that had
been suggested prior to the J»
contest. However, in apprecia- J»
tion to those who entered, $1.00 !;
in merchandise will be given !;
free to each contestant, it was !;
announced this week.
HOSPITAL RATES
GO UP ON MAY I
Effective May 1 a new rate
schedule will go into effect at the
Valley Presbyterian Hospital, it
was announced this week.- Ac
cording to Dr. Allan Mick, hospit
al association president, for some
time the board has been aware
that prevailing rates at the valley
institution were lower than those
of other hospitals in Alaska and
the Northwest. In spite of the
continuing operating deficit at
the Valley Presbyterian Hospital, j
directors hesitated to add to the
financial burden or patients in
the valley.
Growing concern over the dif
ficulty to maintain a high stan
dard of hospital care and qual
ified personnel, while at the same
time charging a lower rate than
other hospitals, prompted the di
rectors several months ago to
move toward a rate increase.
The board’s finance committee
proposed a new rate schedule,
which was approved first by the
policy committee and the local
medical staff, and then by the
hospital board as a whole.
The new rates are still not as
high as those of other hospitals
in the area, Dr. Mick pointed out.
As an example of the charge,
daily patient care which has been
$17 per day will now be $20.
Charge for operating room for
minor surgery has been $24; will
be $25. There is no change in the
fee for operating room for major
surgery. Copies of the complete
rate scale may be seen at the hos
pital office.
“The board realizes that some
people in the valley, especially
those who carry no hospital in
surance, will be inconvenienced
by the increase in rates”, Dr.
(Continued on page 8) -
;! Place Your Orders Now for j|
jl flowers for Mothers Day
;! Telegraph Delivery Service !;
j! from J»
| MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP ij
; Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601 |
... . ... "-A
BTH ANNUAL MUSIC
FESTIVAL BEING HELD
THIS WEEK-END
Members of the high school
Pioneer Band and of the chorus
will leave for Anchorage this
afternoon where they will partic
ipate tomorrow and Saturday in
the eighth annual Southwestern
Alaska Music Festival which is
to be held in that city.
Three stateside leaders in music
are in Anchorage this week for
the Festival. L. W. Echols arriv
ed in Anchorage Monday to con
duct music clinics which will ac
company the festival for the first
time. Echols is a music educator
in Elkhart, a concert trombonist
and a member of the Pennsyl
vania and Canadian Bandmasters
Association. Dr. Floyd Oakland,
director of choral activities at
Montana State University and
Professor Justin Gray director of
bands at Montana State Univer
sity arrived in Anchorage today.
Dr. Oakland, who will direct
both choral and orchestra work
at the festival, was in Anchorage
two years ago. Professor Gray
will be director of the band and
judge of the band instrumental
ists.
High schools represented will
be those of Fairbanks, Cordova,
Nome, Wasilla, Seward, V-aldez,
Seldovia," Anchorage and Palmer.
Palmer students will be trans
ported to Anchorage late this
afternoon by bus and registration
will take place this evening..
The program will begin Friday
morning at 8 a.m. in the high
schdol auditorium at which time
solo and small ensembles will
majorettes and drum corps, of
the local group.
offer tfyeir presentations. In the
afternoon the massed band, or
chestra and choir will meet for
the first rehearsals. This rehear
sal and one on Saturday after
noon will be closed, however the
public is invited to the morning
session. Friday evening individu
al musicians will be judged in
the auditorium.
Saturday morning the school
bands and their majorettes will
parade starting at 10 a.m. and
more than 1,500 Boy Scouts from
the Anchorage1 area will march.
The youths will parade down
Fourth and Fifth avenues.
Saturday evening the festival
concert will begin at 8 p m. in the
high school gymnasium. Admis
sion charge, to cover all costs of
the festival, will be $1 for adults
and 50 cents for students.
The Palmer choral group will
be under the direction of Mrs.
Lois Weldon and Lee Plumbley,
band master, will direct the band,
I ■ — ___
READY FOR THE STYLE '!
j! SHOW? MAY WE HELP <:
WITH YOUR HAIR STYLE? j!
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP ;
LAVONNE JOHNSON
Phone 3043
New Ordinance
Wilt Create
Subdivision Law
The City of Palmer is about to
enact a new ordinance pertaining
to subdivisions and the require
ment of graded streets within
subdivisions. The ordinance had
its first reading at the April 23
metting of the City Council and
is as follows:
No subdivision of land shall be
considered until a preliminary
plan has been submitted to the
City Planning Commission.
No subdivision of land shall be
approved until all streets there
in are cleared and graded, pro
vided however that subdivisions
may be approved subject tp
agreement of the subdivider to
clear and grade the streets with
in a stipulated period of time
provided further that a satisfac
tory bond ts posted to insure such
clearing and grading within
such period of time.
No subdivision of land shall be
approved which provides dead
end streets within Such subdivi
sions nor alleys running in east
west direction nor any system of
lots which contains less than
6,000 square feet per lot or has
less than 50 feet of frontage per
lot on any principal streej.
■ The ordinance will have two
more readings before it becomes
law.
ROAD RESTRICTION
CHANGES ANNOUNCED
Road restrictions put in effect
this past week include:
Limiting gross axle loads to 50
percent of normal and speeds to
35 miles per hour on the Rich
ardson Highway from Fort Gree
ley to Black Rapids.
Limiting gross axle loads to 75
percent of normal and speeds to
35 miles per hour on the Richard
son Highway from Fairbanks to
Fort Greeley and on the Alaska
Highway from Big Delta Junc
tion to Alaska-Canada Border;
Limiting gross axle loads to 75
percent of normal and speeds to
35 miles per hour on Glenn High
way and, accessroads, Anchorage
to Mile 118; Anchorage area lo
cals; and Palmer locals and Ma
tanuska locals with the exception
of the Palmer-Wasilla-Willow
Road.
Restrictions remain at 50 per
cent of normal axle loading and
35 miles per hour on the Sew
ard-Anchorage highway, Sterling
highway and their access roads,
all locals on the Kenai Peninsula
and on the Palmer-Wasilla-Wil
low Road.
■ ?:3^-Z^-_-LnL^unJ-u-irU-ur '
I GIFT ITEMS AND FINE f
CHINA
CHOICE IVORY, JADE, j!
HEMATITE j!
NATIVE ARTS & CRAFTS |
TREASURE CHEST
' Wasilia Rd. <
EVENT TO OBSERVE
NATIONAL YOOTH DAY
THROOGHOOT CITY
4
On Wednesday of next week 31
Balmer High School students will
le$m how a city is operated. The
students were elected by the stu
dent body on Tuesday of this
week to participate in the Pal
mer Elks’ sponsored National
Youth Day which will be observ
ed in Palmer on May 1.
Dean Parks, elected as mayor
for the day, will take over the
gavel from Mayor Charles W.
Wilson at 10 a.m. At the same
time members of the City Coun
cil; Karen Aklestad, Karen Gro
ver, Rose Kucera, Jerry McKech
nie, Bert Verrall, and Allyn Wil
son will take their oaths of office
and other city officials will be
sworn in.
Acting as city clerk will be
James Fogg who will probably
find he is one of the busiest city
employees as he “issues” dog li
censes, building permits, business
licenses, attends to correspond
ence, and assumes the many dut
ies of a city clerk. Steve Hamil
ton appointed by Mayor Parks
as assistant city clerk, will be
lending a hand in these many
chores. City Clerk L. C. Stock
will work with the youths.
Neil Hermon will be charged
with the safety of the city in his
role as chief of police. John
Maze will help in this capacity
as appointed assistant chief. May
or Parks appointed Gilbert Ed
monds as jail custodian and Betty
Shaefer as jail matron. They may
or may not have duties to per
form. City Police Chief Bernard
Bouwens is working with this
department.
Tom Kucera was named fire
chief and will be assisted by Lar
ry Trowbridge. Members of the
fire department, as appointed by
Mayor Parks, will be Dale Whal
en, Robert Estelle, John Mears,
Larry Lucas, and Terry Weiland.
This department will be work
ing with Fire Chief Gallant and
are expected to see action.
The street commissioner on
May 1 will be Fred Loyer, with
assistance from Russ Felzien, of
the street department. Micky
Leek was named by the students
to be the water commissioner and
Ted Buzby of the water depart
ment will lend him a hand. Vad
(Continued on Page 8)
j ATTElmON^
P ALL GLEANING jj
: ^ for the 4 jj
!j L price of I jj
jj • ON LIKE GARMENTS
Gash and Carry
j BROWN’S CLEANERS j
I Starting May I - New location of the
CO-OP CAFE
We will be located in the Shamrock Building
FEATURING FAMILY STYLE SERVING
BREAKFAST: 6:30-8:30 A.M.
LUNCH: 11:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.
DINNER: 5:00 - 7:00 P.M.
We wish to expess our thanks to our many
customers who made the operation of our cafe
in the Rec Hall building such a pleasure. We are
looking forward to seeing you at our new
location.
Jim and Claudia Wilson
DANCING TO COONRADTS BLUE NOTES, APRIL 27 PALMER BAR