VOLUME 10. NUMBER 38
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PALMER, ALASKA THURSDAY. JULY 11. i957
PRICE TEN CENTS
COUNCIL j
NOTES s
Five council members and the
mayor were in attendance at the
July 9 meeting of the Palmer
City Council. Answering roll call
were Councilmen Zahradnicek,
ILogsdon, Peterson, Lancaster,
and Koslosky. Councilman Hagen
was attending a Civil Defense
meeting.
Visitors at the meeting includ
ed Mrs. Robert Hardisty, Mrs.
Margaret Cope, Mrs. James
Smith, and Henry LaRose who
were present to inquire about
tewer facilities in the Lucas sub
division. Also present at the
meeting were Jack Daum, city
bond salesman, Charles Tryck,
engineer hired by the city to do
peliminary work for street pav
ing, and Mrs. Lucille Mick of the
City Planning Commission.
Mrs. Mick presented recom
mendations from the Commission
regarding the adoption of an or
dinance governing the location of
bouse trailers within the city
limits. Council members decided
to carry the subject over to the
next regular meeting, providing
lime for study of the proposed,
ordinance. Exerpts from the pro
posed ordinance will be printed
in next week’s issue of The Fron
tiersman. ••
!; Engineer Tryck presented pre
liminary plans and costs to the
daty for study.
v- The status of paving within
the city will be the subject of a
Meeting being held here today
detween city officials and offic
ials of the Bureau of Public
i|oads Juneau office. It is hoped
tjsat- definite plans will be made.
.'Members of the personnel com
mittee requested that city em
sioyees submit vacation plans to
me council for approval,
i Fire inspections will be made
di all sub-standard buildings and
areas in the city by fire depart
ment personnel.
f The city water department will
Start July 20 and read water met
ers in the city each four months,
following a plan used by the
M.E.A. in checking meters.
The City Council accepted a
use permit from the Alaska Rail
road for land belonging to the
railroad which will be paved.
City Clerk L. C. Stock reported
that to date a total of $4380 has
been spent by the City of Pal
mer acquiring valuable equip
ment from surplus property. The
equipment is valued at a total
figure of $94,045 government ac
quisition cost. Council members
voted to make necessary repairs
to put all equipment in operating
condition.
Council members voted free
water use for the Matanuska Val
ley! Fair Association from now
until the close of the fair.
Bills approved for payment
amounted to $4123.55 from the
general fund and $1510.38 from
the water fund.
Mrs. Naomi Houston of Palmer
is a new part-time employee at
the telephone business office.
ATTENTION!
ALL GARMENTS
for the
price of
ON LIKE GARMENTS
Gash and Carry
BROWN’S CLEANERS
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, PALMER BRANCH
CITY TO DRILL
NEW WATER WELL
The city will soon call for
bids for the drilling of a 10
inch well at the present reser
voir site. Tentative plans call
for a six-inch pump and that
the well will be from 140-200
feet deep. Bids will be called
for as soon as specifications
have been set up.
CROP LOSS
PREDICTED AT
OVER $200,000
Because of the severe winter
kill and drought conditions this
spring and summer, loss to val
ley farmers will total at least
$200,000, or an average per far
mer loss of $2,000. This informa
tion was presented to Governor
Michael Stepovich by James Wil
son, territorial commissioner of
agriculture during the governor’s
visit to the valley area last week
end.
Hardest hit, Wilson told tne
governor, are approximately 100
stockmen, whose 5200 acres of
grassland are affected. This grass
land represents 37 percent of the
cropped land in the area he said.
From a poll made by the De
partment, Wilson estimated that
at least 2600 acres requires re
seeding at a cost of about $30 an
acre or a total of $78,000.
“Our farmers”, Wilson told the
governor, “who have been rein
vesting every dollar available in
increased acreage and improved
facilities, and who have been
squeezed between rising produc
tion costs and a stabilized return
for their product can ill afford
this added burden.”
Wilson pointed out that it is
(Continued on page 10)
Masonic Official
To Visit Anchorage
Walter Higgins, Grand Master
of all Free and Accepted Masons
of Washington and Alaska, will
be introduced to Palmer and An
chorage Masons at a meeting
July 12 at 8 p.m. in the Masonic
Temple, Anchorage.
Higgins, the seventh Grand
Master to visit Alaska in the
past nine years, will be accom
panied by Grand Lecturer Francis
Snyder and Grand Marshal
Thomas Gollan, both of Seattle.
The Matanuska Lodge No. 293
of Palmer, including all officers
and past masters, will make the
trip to Anchorage to conduct the
meeting.
Members of Anchorage Lodge
No. 221 and Mt. Susitna Lodge
No. 294 and all visiting Master
Masons will attend the meeting.
BROOK’S EQUIPMENT
Springer Loop,
Phone PI-2195
EVERY YEAR
FOR LIFE
Just come in today, have a
free demonstration of the
Horaelite EZ-6 or 6-22
chain saws and register.
You may win the grand
J prize of a chain saw of your
I choice every year for life or
I one of these new 6-horse
| power Power Twin# being
I given away by the Home
- life District Office.
j Don’t delay. Come in today,
I
NEW PALMER CHURCH
DEDICATED JULY 10
The dedication of the North
western States Mission, The
Church of Jesus Christ of Lat
ter-Day Saints was held in Pal
mer on July 10, with the dedi
catory address and prayer offer
ed by S. Dilworth Young of Salt
Lake City, Utah, one of the gen
eral authorities of the church.
Attending with President
Young was President Douglas H.
Driggs of the Northwestern
States Mission, Portland, Ore
gon, who offered remarks dur
ing the program.
Dor* W. Boulter of Palmer of
fered the invocation, followed by
a persentation, “Reverence”, by
children of the Primary. Wells
Bowen, district president of An
chorage, also spoke briefly as did
Clifton W. Grover, former branch
president of Palmer.
The womens’ chorus sang
“Lord, We Dedicate This House
to Thee”, followed by a talk by
Stewart A. Durrant branch presi
dent of Palmer.
A male quartet consisting of
Steve Brown,* Dale Newbold
Robert Day and Robert Fulker
son all^of Anchorage offered
“Come, Come, Ye Saints”.
iMaughn McMurdie of Anchorage
sang “The Lord’s Prayer”, fol
lowed by the benediction by Er
nest Denison of Palmer. The
program was concluded with an
organ postlude by Mabel Wallace
of Palmer.
The First Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in
the Matanuska Valley was start
ed in 1948 when four families
commenced the work of the
church with a Home Sunday
School. The following year, un
der the direction of Alaska Dis
trict iPtesident Erwin M. Skou
sen, the Palmer Branch was or
ganized with Clifton W. Grover as
president. Don W. Boulter, was
first counselor, Claude D. Carroll
was second counselor and Grace
F. Boulter was clerk. Deloss H.
(Continued on page 10) j
City Plans Spot Checks
On Sales Tax Returns
City council member voted
this week to hire an auditor to
make spot checks in business
houses within the city whose
sales tax collections have in
dicated discrepancies. It was
brought out at the council
meeting that a number of cus
tomers have reported to mer
chants that they “don’t have
to pay the tax in another
store”. At the time of the city’s
annual audit it was pointed
out that there are apparently
discrepancies in some of the
amounts paid to the city.
unamner to near
Possible Plans
For College Courses
During the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce meeting
next Wednesday a report will be
presented regarding the possibil
ity of some type of Extension col
lege courses in the Palmer area.
A committee was named by the
Palmer School Board this week
to make a survey and contact the
proper officials regarding voca
tional education on a community
college basis from which persons
taking the required number of
hours could transfer with full
credits to the university.
All persons interested in hear
ing of the plans are invitfed to
attend the Chamber meeting July
17 which will be held at noon at
the Co-Op club room.
AREA NURSES TO HEAR
CONVENTION REPORTS
Members of the Alaska Nurses
Association, District 6, will meet
Friday night at 8 p m. in the
health center at the valley hos
pital. Mrs. Myrtle Spencer, pub
lic health nurse, will report on
the Alaska Nurses Association
convention held in Sitka last
month. All interested persons are
invited to attend.
Hundreds Attend Reception for Got.
Alaska’s new governor, Mich
ael Stepovich, made a two-day
tour of the Matanuska Valley
last week-end and reported in
Anchorage that he was “great
ly impressed with what the peo
ple of the Matanuska Valley are
doing with their land”. He stated
the expansion of Alaska markets
for homegrown agricultural pro
ducts will be one of his key aims.
He said he would seed means
to encourage new and larger
markets for Alaska-grown pro
duce, including both civilian and
military markets.
Governor and Mrs. Stepovich
were honored guests at a public
barbeque held at the Butte home
of Dr. and Mrs. Lee McKinley
on Saturday evening. Attend
ance by Anchorage and valley
folk was estimated at nearly 7'0O.
An honor guard, consisting of
Cub Scouts and other children
of the valley, greeted the Gov
ernor and his wife as they arriv
ed at the McKinley home.
During his stay in the valley
Gov. Stepovich visited a number
of valley farms, coafering with
a number of farmers and other
residents of the area. He report
ed points heard most frequently
were regarding the hardships of
drought, the need of irrigation,
and some type of tax relief on
newly-cleared land.
While in Washington, D. C.
two weeks ago Gov. Stepovich
sought assistance for the farmers
of the valley who were hard hit
by a rainless growing season this
year. He requested the valley
area be declared a “disaster area”
in order to qualify for emergency
relief funds. Information for his
request was furnished by the Ter
ritorial Department of Agricul
ture and the Maatnuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association.
James W. Wilson commissioner
of agriculture, accompanied Gov.
Stepovich on his tour of the val
ley farms.
Before returning to Anchor
age on Sunday, where he partic
ipated in the dedication of the
Co-Op Donates
$5,000 to Hospital
DOROTHY LOYER
FIRST TO REGISTER,
FOR QUEEN CONTEST
Dorothy Loyer, 17-year-old
daughter of Patrolman and Mrs.
Joseph Loyer of Palmer, was the
first valley girl to register for
the 1957 Matanuska Valley Fair
queen contest, Howard McCal
lister, Fair promotion manager
announced today. Miss Loyer reg
istered for the contest on the
opening date, July 10, and is be
ing sponsored by the Frontier
Cafe, sponsors of last year’s win
ning queen contestant.
Daughter of original Matanuska
Valley colonists, the brown-eyed*
queen contestant was born in
the valley November 17, 1939 and
attended the Palmer schools,
graduating from high school this
past May. She is five feet and
four inches tall and weights 123
pounds. She wears her light
brown hair in an attractive long
style.
Employed in the law office of
Attorney John Shaw, Miss Loy
er reports her favorite hobbies
are ice skating in the winter
and horse riding in the summer.
IPrizes in this year’s Queen
contest will total over $5,300 in
value, according to McCallister.
Heading the list in first position
will be the 1957 Ford Thunder
bird secured by the fair associa
tion through Hartley Motors, Inc.
of Palmer. Second prize will be
a 21-inch Zenith Cinebeam (re
mote control) television, console
model. This valuable set is val
ued at $450 and was secured
through the Co-Op Building and
Farm Supply, Palmer. Third prize
will be a portable Motorola tran
sistor radio, valued at $79.95, se
cured hrough Alaskan TV, Pal
mer. The fourth prize will be
$75 worth of groceries, secured
through Teeland’s Shopping Cen
ter at Wasilla.
These prizes will be awarded
the final night of the 1957 four
day Matanuska Valley Fair. Win
ners will receive their awards
from the 1957 Valley Fair Queen,
who with her court, will be par
ticipating in all events of the
Fair following her coronation on
Saturday night.
Work on the fairgrounds is
progressing very well according
to T. A. Moyer fair association
president. Two of the association’s
buildings were moved this week
to provide more efficiency on the
grounds. One quonset hut was
moved over next to the 4-H build
ing and will provide room for the
youngsters to hold their 4-H
demonstrations and style show
this year. The second building
was moved near the grandstand
and will be divided to provide
space for the promotion man
continued on page 10)
Alaska Crippled Children’s Asso
ciation new treatment center, the
governor and his wife attended
mass at St. Michael’s Catholic
Church in Palmer.
The Fairbanks-born governor
arrived in Anchorage last Friday j
and w'as guest of honor at the
Alaska Press Club’s annual
awards dinner that evening. Sat
urday afternoon he and his wife
were honored at a reception giv
en by the Aanchorage Republican
Women’s Club.
,The sum of $5,000 has been do
nated to the Valley Hospital As
sociation by the Matanuska Val
ley Farmers Cooperating Associa
tion.. The announcement was
made, by Stewart Durrant, man
ager of Palmer’s farm coopera
tive; on behalf of the member
ship board of directors.
In accepting this grant A. H.
Mick, representing the hospital
association’s board of directors,
pledged that it would be used to
operate the Valley Presbyterian
Hospital. He pointed out that the
grant is in the form of a write
off of indebtedness of the hos
pital to the MVFCA, accumulated
over a period of several years.
The sum is sufficient to clear the
books of both associations of all
indebtedness incurred prior to
July 1,. 1957.
We greatly appreciate this
much needed assistance,” said
Mick, “since it is a concrete ex
pression of the support that has
been and will continue to be
given by the community to in
sure continued operation of Pal
mer’s hospital. We trust the com
munity leadership displayed by
the Matanuska Valley farmers
will serve as an example for
others to follow”.
The Co-Op donation is the
third such gesture made toward
the hospital. The Matanuska Elec
tric Association has allowed the
hospital a special rate which is
believed to be the lowest in this
section of Alaska. The Matanus
ka Telephone Association has al
lowed the hospital free use of
one telephone and necessary
equipment, thereby making avail
able two telephones for the cost
of one.
PALMER TO PLAY
LIMITED PART
IN CD EXERCISE
The Greater Palmer Area Civil
Defense organization will partic
ipate in a limited way in a simu
lated nuclear weapons attack
scheduled for Friday, July 12.
Identified as Operation Alert
1957, the nation-wide exercise be
gan July 9 on a limited scale
and will blossom into full action
tomorrow. The exercise will be
centered in Alaska at Juneau,
Anchorage and Fairbanks. Emer
gency government and CD cent
ers will be manned in the three
cities by key representatives of
various offices.
Harold Pomeroy, Territorial
CD director, said no public eva
cuation or drills are planned dur
ing the exercise which will last
until Sunday. Amateur radio
rommunications will link the cit
ies with headquarters at Juneau
and a special Alaska Communica
tion System line will be used to
the States.
In Palmer area key person
nel will participate, according to
A1 Hagen, CD director of the
(Continued on page 5)
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n^lfkAAAAAAAAAAAAA A A A A A A A
Caterpillar Work
See BILL NELSON for D-8 “Cat11 work, special
izing in land clearing and road building. We
also have giant breaker disc, scarifier and
angle blade.
WILL DO GOOD WORK AT REASONABLE RATES
Phone FR-3423