SCHOOL CHORUS
BENEFIT CONCERT
MARCH 27 — SCHOOL GYM
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 9. NUMBER 22
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1959
PRICE TEN CENTS
Asks Malanuska River
Flood Control Work
I ne Corps of Engineers has
been requested for views as to
the need and the estimated cost
■for reviewing reports on the Ma
tanuska River, in connection with
Delegate E. L. Bartlett’s repre
sentation that flood control work
to prevent further damage to
farm land in the vicinity of Pal
mer should be undertaken as soon
as possible.
The veiws of the Engineers
have been requested by the
House Public Works Committee I
.at Delegate Bartlett’s request.
“The situation arises,” Dele
gate Bartlett has stated, “on ac
count of damage being done to
rich farm land by the Matanuska
River not far from the commun
ity of Palmer. The river is erod
ing the banks of the stream and
its flood waters already are tak
ing valuable farm land down
stream. I was able to witness per
sonally some of the effects of the
river’s actions in a flight made
over the area last fall. It is my
understanding that inspections,
although, of course, no formal
surveys, have ben conducted by
the office of the District Engineer
at Anchorage.”
Reply to the committee by the
Engineers in Washington is
awaiting advice from the District
.Engineer at Anchorage.
YMCA LEADER TO
MEET WITK PARC
Loren Bell, general secretary
of the Anchorage Y-M.C.A., will
meet with members of the Palmer
Area Recreation Council and all
interested parents, in the United
Protestant Church assembly hall
Wednesday evening, March 28, at
8 p.m.
Mr. Bell has been asked by the
P.A.R.C. (board of directors to ex
plain what the Y.M.C.A. could or
would contribute to a youth pro
gram if the situation merits it,
and if the parents and civic lead
ers are sufficiently interested.
This will be the first time Pal
mer has had an opportunity for
outside professional help in aid
ing our youth and combating de
linquency and it is hoped by the
group that recent developments
have aroused sufficient concern
of the parents of teen agers to
assure a large audience to hear
Mr. Bell’s recommedations.
Everyone interested in young
people is invited to attend the
meeting.
HOW ABOUT A NEW
SPRING HAIR STYLE
FOR EASTER?
Evening Appointments
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Pbone 3301
LAVONNE JOHNSON
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
I AVAILABLE IN PALMER :
Absentee ballots, for voting \
in the April 24 primary elec- ;
tion, have arrived in Palmer 1;
and are available at the Post !
Office or the office of U. S. ;
Commissioner Dorothy Sax
ton. Absentee voting may be ;!
used by an elector who abides !;
in any local five miles or more
from the fofice of the U. S. I;
Commissioner, or who on elec
tion day will be two miles or ;!
more away from his designat- ;
ed polling place. Voters must !;
be residents of the Territory ;
for one year or more and must ]■
have been a resident of his ;■
precinct for at least 30 days ;i
prior to the election. ;!
Constitution to be
Discussed at
Area Meeiings
Residents of the valley are be
ing offered opportunities to be
come versed on the text of the
Alaska Constitution through pub
lic meetings planned within the
next week. Tonight the North
land Pioneer Grange is holding
an open meeting at Grange hall,
during which the Constitution
and Statehood will be discussed.
Next Thursday evening, March
29, the Matanuska Valley Cham
ber or Commerce will sponsor a
“Know Your Constitution” for
um at the high school. A number
of delegates to the Constitutional
Convention have been invited to
attend the forum and participate
in the program. James Hurley,
area delegate, will be in attend
ance to present the program on
the Constitution and Statehood.
All interested persons are urged
to attend the meeting so they
may become acquainted with the
Constitution text before the April
24 election date at which time
voters will be called on to ratify
the Constitution.
CARAVAN TO VISIT
IN PALMER SATURDAY
A caravan from Anchorage is
expected to arrive in Palmer
Saturday afternoon between 4
and 4:30 p.m., it was announced
today. Included in {Re list of vis
itors will be a group of speakers
from the Alaskans for Eisenhower
organization. A meeting will be
held immediately following their
arrival at the Valley Theatre. All
interested persons are invited to
attend. Enroute to Palmer the
caravan will make a stop at Chu
giak. A similar trip is planned
to Seward next week.
TICKETS GO ON
SALE FOR KIWANIS
MINSTREL SHOW
With the iPalmer Kiwanis Min
strel Show only two weeks away,
members of the cast are working
hard smoothing out the nigged
edges and from all indications,
will be turning in one of the best
performances ever seen in Pal
mer.
Tickets go on sale this week
end and may be purchased at
Koslosky's Department Store of
fice, the Matanuska Valley Bank,
Bettys', or at Ketchikan Spruce
Mills. Reserved seats will be
$2-00; general admission, $1.50;
and children, 50 cents. Everyone
is urged to get their tickets early
to avoid disappointment the night
they plan to attend the show.
This years end men. Jack Maze,
Marvin Slaughter, Harold Ste
phan, and Dave Porter will be
outstanding in their new sparkle
glitter costumes which are now
in the seamstresse’s hands. Fit
tings are slated for Wednesday j
night, March 28 at the gym. New j
back drops for the stage are be- i
ing made by Betty Jo Riddle.
Rehearsals go into high gear on ]
April 3 when the entire cast will I
assemble in the gym. Dress re- !
hearsal has been set for April 5. j
Word has come back to Palmer |
that the Anchorage Kiwanis 1
Quartet is busy in rehearsal and ;
that their presentation of blend
ed voices will be a surprise.
Not to be out-done by their
neighboring brothers, the local
Kiwanis club will also offer a
quartet. They almost have to be
good, with such well-known j
voices as Cy Brewer, Bob Pippel, |
Ken Hughes, and George Crow
ther who will be blending favor
ite tunes.
The harmonica quarter, feat
uring local talent, will have the
audience stomping their feet be
(Continued on page 8)
ROAD RESTRICTIONS
DUE VERY SOON
Although no definite date has
been announced, personnel at
the Alaska Road Commission
quarters today said they expect
that spring break-up road restric
tions will go into effect sometime
between April 1 and April 15.
“We have roughly about two
weeks left”, a spokesman said.
“The date will depend entirely on
road conditions and weather—
it may be before that time—it
may be later,” he added.
During the critical period, gross
axle loadings and maximum
speed allowed will be reduced on
all sections of the roads and high
ways where distress is evident.
The highways and roads are be
ing watched closely and evaluat
ed by sections. Restrictions nor
mally are in effect from three to
six weeks, depending upon wea
ther conditions and rate at which
the ground thaws and reaches a
stable condition.
PUBLIC INVITED
TO ATTEND GRANGE
OPEN MEET TONIGHT
Residents were reminded this
week of the open meeting being
planned by the Northland Pion
eer Grange this evening. The
meeting will be held at Grange
Hall, beginning with pot-luck
supper at 7 p.m.
James Hurley will speak on the
Constitution and Statehood as it
effects the farmer. In addition a
discussion will be held on the
present airport situation. A repre
sentative of the Airmens Asso
ciation is expected to be present
to offer information pertaining to
this subject.
This meeting will be the first
of a series of planned open meet
ings for the discussion of farm
topics and the public is invited to
attend this and subsequent meet
ings.
Mrs. James Wilson
Re-Elected President
Palmer P-TA Group
Mrs. James Wilson was reelect
ed president of the Palmer- Tes*
cher’s Association at the March
20 meeting, on a unanimous bal
lot cast by the membership for
herself and Dexter Bacon, vice
president; Mrs. Cloycine Driggars,
secretary; and Lois Weldon, trea
surer.
Two films were shown during
the evening, pertaining to the
growth of the human body and
on venereal disease. The films
were shown to the parents for
their approval, or disapproval, for
later showings to students in the
upper grades in Palmer schools.
Following the showings, and
brief discussions in which City
Health Officer Dr. John Burnett
and School Nurse Mrs. Bernice
Pettit participated, the parents
voted their approval for the
showing of these films, and oth
ers at later dates. The films, of
an educational nature only, are
secured through the Department
of Health and are designed for
children in specific age and grade
groups.
In his discussion Dr. Burnett
pointed out that this type film
is shown in nearly every school
in the States. He recommended
that the films be shown to mix
ed groups, unless otherwise rec
ommended. “The child whose
sex education has been neglect
ed from a lack of education will
be in doubt, but pretend that he
isn’t”, he pointed out. “This type
of film reduces speculation and
erroneous talk on the subject and
teaches them the truth.” The film
on venereal disease is planned for
the high school age groups only
All films shown to the students
will be at grade levels recom
mended by the Department of
Health.
The next regular meeting will
be held April 17 at which time in
stallation of officers will be held.
VALLEY CHURCHES PLAN ELABORATE PALM SUNDAY SERVICES
Churches thruoghout the valley
are planning special sermon top
ics and music for Palm Sunday,
March 25. Each church has ex
tended a cordial welcome to
everyone.
The Rev. Einar Bach of St.
John's Lutheran Church announc
ed a baptismal service will be
held during the Sunday service
which will begin at 11 a.m. The
church’s junior choir will present
Palmer Sunday music and Rev.
Bach will preach on “Look and
Live.”
At St. Michael's Catholic
Church The Rev. Father Nugent
of Anchorage will offer mass at
10:30 a.m. and palms will be dis
tributed. The choir will offer
special holiday music.
The Rev. Wesley Lancaster of
the Church of God. has chosen
for his Palm Sunday topic,
"Praise and Pathos”. Special chor
al music will be presented dur
ing the service which will start
at 11 a.m. There will be no even
ing service on Sunday. Church
members have been invited to at
tend the showing of the film
“Martin Luther” which is being
sponsored by the United Protes
tant Church at 7:30 that evening.
The United Protestant Church
service will begin at 11 a.m. and
The Rev. Brian Cleworth will
offer “Along the Way of Sorrows”
as his morning sermon. The
church choir will present special
Palm Sunday music. In the eve
ning the “Martin Luther” film
will be shown and all interested
persons are invited to attend. A
second showing is planned for
Monday evening for those unable
to attend the Sunday night show
ing.
The Sutton Community Church
services will begin at 10:30 am.,
The Rev. A. B. Compton an
nounced this week. The Rev. Ken'
neth Hughes of the Lazy Moun
tain Childrens Home will be guest
speaker and the H. J. Woodworth
family from Anchorage will bring
a special musical program. No
evening service will be held
March 25, to permit those who
desire, to attend the film showing
at the United Protestant Church.
The Rev. John Dickerson will
bring the Palm Sunday message
to members of the First Baptist
Church of Palmer during the
regular Sunday morning services
which will begin at 11 a.m.
Good Friday services are being
planned in several valley church
i es. At the Church of God a chor
al group of 25 voices, accompan
ied by organ and piano, will pre
sent an Easter Cantata, ‘'Trag
edy to Triumph” by Bernard
Hamblan. The public is invited
to attend the presentation which
will begin at 8 p.m. Completed
programs of other churches who
plan observances of the day will
be announced next week.
-2,... ..— -.. .
Seek Annexation
High School Area
WATER USERS URGED
TO LEAVE FAUCET OPEN
All users of the City water
system were again this week
urged to leave a faucet open
in their homes to help allevi
ate the freeze-ups that are oc
curring daily in the system.
Ted Buzby of the water de
partment said today that the
next two weeks probably will
be the most critical and the co
operation of all water users
is asked at this time. City of
ficials last week announced
that water users who leave a
faucet open will be allowed
2,000 gallons of water without
charge during this period.
Buzby also warned motorists
to exercise caution when driv
ing near the thaw spots in the
streets. Thawing machines are
busy in many spots in the city
and where the thaw holes are
put down the street should be
used with caution.
Radio Station KBYR
Plans Direct
Program From Palmer
Officials of Radio Station
KBYR this week announced
plans to begin a weekly broad
cast from Palmer. The program,
to be presented each Saturday
afternoon, will originate from the
lobby of the Matanuska Hotel
and will include on-the-spot in
terviews, news items in and
around the valley, and a limited
number of request records will
be played.
The broadcasting station, lo
cated at 1270 on the dial, recent
ly boosted its broadcasting pow
er to 1,000 watts. KBYR f* a
music, news, weather, sports
station and will offer a varied
program of interest to valley resi
dents.
The first program will be
broadcast from 2:30 - 4:30 this
Saturday afternoon. Valley resi
dents are invited to participate
in the program when in town,
and to listen to their friends and
neighbors on the program.
800 ACRES VALLEY
LAND RELEASED
The Interior Department in
Washington, D. C. this week an
nounced plans for disposal of
public land near Palmer. The 800
acres involved have been in re
serve since 1935 as part of the
original 192,000-acre Matanuska
Valley colonization project.
It was announced that the lands
to be released are not particular
ly suitable for farming.
A hearing by Judge J. L. Me
Carrey, Jr,, will be held April 20
in the District Court in Anchor
age, pertaining to an annexation
proposal that would increase the
corporate limits of the City of
Palmer an additional 40 acres.
The land contained in the pe
tition for annexation would in
clude the new high school proper
ty; that land where the Bureau
of Reclamation houses are locat
! ed; and another small section.
More particularly, land from the
new high school north to the
city’s south limits—land which
includes the school land.
The main purpose of the pro
posed annexation is to extend
police and fire protection to the
new high school and the housing
area now located outside city
limits in the arear proposed for
| annexation. At the present time
members of the city police depart’
j ment have no jurisdiction on the
! high school property because it
is located outside city limits. Fire
[ service has been extended to resi
dents living outside city limits as
a courtesy service.
The petition was signed by
Mayor Charles Wilson ,on behalf
of the City of Palmer; by John
D. Shaw, as city attorney; by
Edna Wehking in the capacity of
a property owner in the territory
proposed to be annexed; and by
James Hurley, representing
ARRC, as a supporter of the pe
tition.
Because of the primary elec
tion which will be held on April
; 24, it was thought most expedi
i ent to hold the election fo'/ an
nexation on the same date, to
avoid the necessity of voters
turning out twice within a short
time. Judges for the annexation
election have been secured.
Qualified voters in the annex
ation election are as follows*- to
vote in the City, the voter must
have the qualification of an elec
tor in a general municipal elec
tion and must be a taxpayer
whose name is on the tax rolls of
the City. This will include very
nearly every city resident inas
much as the tax roll consists
of all persons who pay either or
both real or personal taxes in the
City.
To vote in the area to be an
nexed the voter must be 21 years
of age or more, a resident of Al
aska for at least one year and
of the area for not less than 30
days prior to the election, and
shall be the owner of property
interests in that area.
Reminded of Tax Payments
Alaskan farmers have less than
a month to report earnings for
farming and pay the three per
cent social security tax, Arthur
S. Buswell, Extension Service as
sociate director, reminded the
men today.
Booklets explaining how social
.security covers farmers are avail
able without charge from every
district extension office.
The Magnificent Motion Picture of Our Time
"MasitUt JdutheA"
Over Twenty Million People saw this
film in Theater showings
THE UNITED PROTESTANT CHURCH
Sunday and Monday - March 25 • 26
7:30 P.M.
No admission
Free Will Offering
Wasilla Grange Follies
MARCH 22 AMD 23
WASILLA COMMUNITY HALL