4
ALASKA HIS
LIB R A R V
JUNEAU
o
C A
L
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that iiem
you may hare for sale reni.
or lease.
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
VOLUME 12. NUMBER 6
PALMER, ALASKA WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17, 1958
SOCIAL SECURITY
REPRESENTATIVE AT
MATANUSKA HOTEL
DEC. 18 — 6-9 p.m.
PRICE 15 CENTS
Lumber Company
Has Acreage Option
The Alaska Rural Rehabilita- ]
lion Corporation this week auth
orized an option to purchase a
parcel of land just south of Pal
mer to the Konikson Lumber
Company. The land is located
just south of the fairgrounds,
along the Alaska Railroad tracks.
Douglas Hunt, company repre*
tentative, said this week the firm ;
plans to build a dry kiln, remanu
facturing plant and drying sheds
that will be used in processing
lumber. He stated that the firm
will primarily utilize local birch,
but added because local cotton
wood appears to have good po
tentials, they will probably use [
cottonwood as well.
Hunt, who makes his home in
the Hurley Apts., Wasilla High
way, recently returned to the
valley from a trip to the hard
wood market where extensive
tests were made on local birch.
He reported the company well :
pleased with the prospects.
Ivor Konikson of the Konikson
Loggin g Co., Dead wood. Oregon,
is expected to arrive in Palmer
Monday, December 29. to review
the progress to date.
Konikson and Hunt became in
terested in Alaskan birch after
becoming interested in the Tal
keetna birch. They plan to make
processed lumber available to
1 u r n i tu re man u fa c t u re is.
1
Richard Jones
New Chamber Head
New officers in the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Commerce j
were named at a recent meeting
of the board of directors.
Named to head the Chamber
for the coming year was Richard
Jones. Serving with him will be {
Max Clements, vice president;!
Wilson Woods, secretary-treasur
er; and Dr. C. C. Bailey, John j
WeLsenberger. and Lew Hanks, j
directors. Jones succeeds Eugene
Reid whose term has expired.
Chamber meetings are held i
each first and third Wednesday
of the month at the M a rad a Cafe. \
The luncheon meetings, as well j
as membership in the Chamber, ;
are open to all interested persons, j
Northland Pioneer
Grange
NEW YEAR’S EVE
Dance
Central School Gym
Music by
Matanuska Valley Trio
Favors, Noise Makers, Balloons
Donation SI.00
SAVE!
ON YOUR
GLEANING
CERTAIN GARMENTS
2 for the |
price of
Gash and Carry
BROWN’S GLEANERS
WE GIVE GOLD STAMPS
Closed Saturday Afternoons
BAND AND CHORUS
TO PRESENT ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The annual Christmas concert
will be presented by the music
department of the Palmer junior
and senior high schools this Fri
day evening in Central School
gymnasium.
The concert will begin prompt
ly at 8 p.m. and will include pre
sentations from the junior and
senior bands and choruses. The
choral department is directed by
Mrs. Lois Weldon and Lee Plura
bley is bandmaster.
There will be no admission
charge for this concert and the
entire community is invited to
attend.
Band numbers to be present
ed include: “New Colonial March”
—-Hall; “Adoromus Te” Pales
trina; “Messiah” (Overture) —
Handel; “Daughter of Zion”—
Handel. These numbers will be,]
done by the Pioneer Band. The
junior band will join the Pion
eer group in presenting “Spirit
of Victory March” 'Whistler
Hummel; “Shadow Waltz”
Whistler-Hummel; “Largo”
Dvrock; “Merry Widow Waltz”
Lehnr; and “Liebest Raume"
Liszt.
“Christmas Greetings” Wal
ters; “We Three Kings”—.Hop
kins; “Lo, How a Rose” .brass
ensemble) Onus; “Noel! Noel!
Noel!” (French carols) John
son; “Yuletide at Yorkshire”
(English carols) Walters; all by
the Pioneer band and “Jingle
Bells Rhapsody” Pierpont by the
combined bands.
The combined program is plan
ned to help make the Yuletide
season a happier season for the
community.
The junior high school chorus
and the Girls Glee Club of the
high school chorus will present
an interesting choral section in
the concert. Among numbers to
be sung by the junior high group
will be “Jolly Old St. Nichols”.
“Up On the Housetop”, “We
Three Kings”, and “Silent Night.”
A special group of singers will be
featured in these presentations.
The girls glee club will present
a varied program, including “Car
ol of the Bells”, “Birth of a King”,
“White Christmas.” and a few
Christmas carols, including “Now
Tell Us Gentle Mary”, and "An
gels We Have Heard on High.”
Trios will be included in this sec
tion.
The combined choral groups
will present “The First Noel” as
their final number.
BENEFIT DANCE
PLANS CANCELLED
Because of the busy holiday
season, it has been decided to not
hold the Community College
benefit dance which was an
nounced in last week’s issue of
The Frontiersman.
The Beta Sigma Phi chapters
plan to hold their annual Christ
mas party December 27 but plans
for a public dance to follow have
been cancelled because of many
other holiday plans being made
at this time in the community.
STOP AT THE
HYLAND HOTEL
in Palmer
First-Class Rooms
S45 per month
WrawiiwiwwiiiiriiffinffiMrmiii mwirm
Questionnaire Lists
Proposed Courses
For Comm. College
Questionnaires regarding the
Palmer Community College cour
ses were distributed throughout
the valley this week and are
available at the Matanuska Val
ley Bank. Extension Office and
The Frontiersman office for those
who did not receive copies in the
mail. It is pointed out in an ac
companying letter that these are
not registration forms, but are be
ing distributed to interested per
sons to determine what courses
may be offered at the college
this winter.
The college will be open to all
persons 18 years of age or older.
However, only high school grad
uates will receive credit towrard
a college degree. Some high
school courses will be given if j
sufficient interest is shown. All j
classes will be offered at night, i
To help determine whether or i
not the college is needed and j
subjects that might be taught, in- j
terested persons are asked to fill
out the questionnaire and return
it to the high school office. Val- j
ley Bank, or Extension Service !
office.
Many people last year showed j
interest through a similar ques- j
tionnaire but failed to register foP
classes. To aid the committee in j
forming its program, persons are j
asked to return the questionnaire I
only if interested in participating
in the College program.
Data furnished by the Com- :
munity College committee in
cludes such pertinent informa
tion as follows:
Classes will .start at 7 "p.m.
Average cost per course, $25.
Length of classes, 16 weeks
(academic), others eight weeks,
or to be announced.
Class periods two nights per
week, one hour and 20 minutes
each; some courses (recreational,
interest, Vocational) will be held .
once a week for two hours.
Books to be bought from Col
lege at current prices.
Tuition costs payable at regis-'
tration; no tuition refunds after
first class period.
Registration commencing Janu
(Continued on page 5)
Local Government
Under Statehood
Outlined by Hurley
James Hurley, Representative
elect, and a delegate of the Con
stitutional Convention, was
speaker at the December 1J,
meeting of the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce, He based
his talk on the section of the
Constitution which pertains to
local government.
Hurley pointed out that the
Constitution was written as a
frame upon which to build the
program for the State of Alaska.
He said that Section One, which
he feels will be used again and
again by the Legislature, provid
es maximum local self-govern
ment with minimum local gov- i
eminent units. In the past, local j
governmental units, such as j
school districts, public utility
districts, health districts, and cit
ies, were operated under enabl
ing legislature under laws passed '
to fill a need that existed. Any- j
thing done by these governing j
bodies had to be authorized by ;
Territorial law.
Under the Constitution the situ
ation will be reversed . . . local
government will be allowed to do
anything they want to which is
not prohibited by State law. This
is based on the supposition, he ad
ded. that; local governments are
best qualified and equipped to |
provide laws and administration j
in the particular areas where they
are needed.
“This is contrary in some re- |
speeds to the American form of j
government . . . where some ad- i
rotate less and less local govern- !
men! and more federal,.” he ad-1
dec!
In speaking of boroughs Hur
ley explained that the State of
Alaska will be divided into sec
tions to be called boroughs, the
first step down from the State
government. “These may be or
ganized boroughs, or unorganiz
ed,” lie pointed out. He added
that in Alaska where there are
large areas sparcely populated
there may be no need for govern
ment other than State and Fed
eral-these would be unorganized
boroughs. The legislature will i
(Continued on page 5)
PALMER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
DINNER-MEETING SUCCESSFUL
Approximately ninety-six per
sons turned out for a savory tur
key dinner and meeting sponsor
ed by the Palmer Education As
sociation at the Palmer Elks Club
at 6:30 last Saturday evening.
Purpose of the occasion was to
become acquainted with newly
elected legislators for this area
and to discuss with them legisla
tion which the association will
recommend during the next legis
lative session.
The program opened with
‘'Pledge of Allegiance” by the as
sembly, led by Superintendent
Dale Bryant of Swanson school.
Mrs. Ada Boyd. President of
P.E.A., gave the assembly wel
come, followed by group singing
of “America the Beautiful”, led
by Mrs. Lois Weldon with Mrs.
Olga Rieger accompanist at the
piano. The Rev. Calvin Brown
gave the invocation.
Superintendent of Palmer
schools William Zahradnicek in
troduced legislators: Senator and
Mrs. Ralph Moody and Repre
sentative James Fischer all of
Anchorage. Representative James
Hurley arrived later in the even
ing.
Zahradnicek also introduced
as guests, Palmer Board of Edu
cation members and their spous
es: Board President, Ed Smith;
Treasurer, Prent Gazaway; Sec
retary, Barbara Skok and A. J. |
f Do Julio.
Introduction of another group \
of guests representing local civic j
clubs was made by Mrs. Margaret j
Cope. These were Dr. and Mrs.
Clarence Bailey, (Kiwanis) Mr.
and Mrs. Bertran Curry (Mrs. !
Curry represented League of Wo- ;
men Voters). Mr. and Mrs. Frank
McKenzie (Mrs. McKenzie repre-,
sented Homemakers’ Council)!
Mrs. Ada Boyd who acted i
as MC read a brief history of I
j Education Associations, their in
j stitution, function and purpose.
Mrs. Alma Blunk spoke extern -
I poraneously on establishment and
function of the Delegate Assem
! bly. Mrs. Blunck is a member of
the Alaska Education Executive
Committee.
A six-point legislative program
proposed by the P.E.A. Legisla
tive Committee was presented by
Committee Chairman, John Aper.
Briefed down the program calls
for:
1. A state board of education.
(a) Trained professional ad
ministrative officer.
(b) Overlapping terms for
board members
(c) Board members limited to
two consecutive terms.
2. That the state board of edu
cation be a separate, principal
„ (Continued on page 5)
Farmers Seek Closure
Of Homesfead Entry
A petition to President Eisen
hower is being circulated among
farmers and homesteaders in Al
aska requesting the President’s
assistance in securing a fair com
petitive position in military mar- j
kets, and asking that Alaska be !
closed to further homestead en
try until such markets are avail
able on a reasonable basis.
The action is an outgrowth of
conditions which led former Gov
ernor Stepovich to call the Pro
curement Conference of Novem
ber, 1957. The conference result
ed in modification of military
procurement policies concerning
brand name items, but in no
change regarding commodities
Fred Machetanz
To Instruct
College Art Course
Fred Machetanz, one of Alas
ka’s most outstanding artists, will
instruct an art course at th*
Palmer Community College, it
was announced this week by Wil
liam Tull, college director.
Machetanz will instruct art
fundamentals in classes which
will be open to both beginners
and those who have had some
training. The course will carry
college credit and will run in
three-hour classes two nights a
week for eight weeks. Tull stated
a good enrollment in this class is
anticipated.
The local artist received his
Bachelor and Master degrees
from Ohio State, has taught
there and done graduate work in
Chicago and New York. He and
his wife Sara (author) are well
known throughout Alaska and
the other States, having made a
number of lecturing tours the
past few years during which they
appeared on many television pro
grams and before scores of live
audiences.
ELKS' SANTA GOING
TO TALKEETNA SUNDAY
Weather permitting Santa
Claus will fly to Talkeetna this
coming Sunday for an annual
Christmas party which is staged
in that village each year by
members of the Palmer B.P.O.
Elks. Cooperating with the Elks
are members of the Matanuska
Valley Airmens Association who
volunteer their planes and them
selves as pilots, to help make
the visit possible.
In addition to local airmen,
Don Sheldon will fly. to Palmer
from Talkeetna and pick up the
cargo—this will provide more
passenger room for the Elks mak
ing the trip.
The flight is scheduled to leave
the Palmer Airport at 9 a.m. and
those participating can be sure
of a warm welcome when they
reach Talkeetna where the resi
dents look forward to Santa’s
visit each year.
j VALLEY GLEANERS {
TWO for the !
Price of ONE
jl LOCATED: Between Valley & j
]; Colony Streets, diagonal from J
> Bowling Lanes. Ph. PI-5-3750 ;
produced locally, including agri
cultural products.
Commenting on the situation,
Harlan Hamilton of Palmer,
president of the Fresh Milk As
sociation, sponsoring the petition*
said: “Twenty percent of the
dairy farmers in interior Alaska
have been forced out of business
in the past nine months. At the
same time the equivalent of five
million pounds of fresh milk per
year is being shipped in to the
commissaries and sold at state
side wholesale cost. We have
had the milk to supply this mar
ket for more than a year.
“Although we understand it to
be Army . policy to issue fresh
milk to troops where available in
the other 48 states, Secretary
Higgins cited the issue of recom
bined Grade C milk in Korea,
Japan, Okinawa, North Africa,
Guam, Spain, Formosa, New
foundland, Iceland, Turkey,
Greece, and Bermuda. It is note
worthy that in none of these
areas are American farmers en
gaged in devloping agriculture
as a defense and economic asset.”
Dr. Allan Mick, director of the
Alaska Experiment Station stat
ed, “The present policies follow
ed by the military bar the expan
sion of our agricultural industry
to a scale which may permit a
general lowering of prices to all
Alaskan: consumers on a sustain
ed basis. At the same time, the
| illusion of a sizeable market leads
the unwary homesteader into an
! investment of time and money
which result only in undue hard
ship."
Commissioner of Agriculture
James Wilson stated, “For years
we have been trying to correct
this situation. It has been pursu
ed through all normal channels
without result. I am not surpris
ed that these people are becom
ing impatient.”
Specific charges made by the
Association include that in order
to maintain uniform prices in all
commissaries, many commodities
which may be produced locally
are imported and sold below act
ual cost, thus rendering the local
i producer unable to compete on
(Continued on page 4)
Xmas Party, TROPICAL GARDENS' Fri., Dec. 19
MIDNIGHT CHAMPAGNE
FOOD - FUN FOR ALL