New Mayor Takes Over a Tough Job
Keating opened the last meet
ing of the 1947-48 Council with
remarks about the Marine Ways
and the City Light plant.
The R.F.C. brought suit against
the city of Seward but the suit
was never entered. In a counter
proposal $15,000 have boon paid
on the $96,300. The last council
agreed to pay off this $96,360 a!
the rate of $10,000 per year. (This
new council is not bound In the
action of the old council.)
Mr. Keating stated the city
was all clear so far as court cas
es were concerned.
He stated also that 10 percent
of the total bid was withheld by
■j. the government as per usual 'til
the Project was accepted by the
city and the government.
The amount of $1600 was paid
and came out of funds which
were paid the city bv the lessees
of the Marine Ways. The itemiza
tion of th:s reads as follows:
Atty. Nesbitt. $600 : D. C. rBown
* ell. $600: 6 percent inter st on
$8000 which was due Brownell
and a balance for the trip to
Washington where he is said to
have register, d as a lobbyist.
Also included somewhere were
expenses, etc. for plane fare be
tween Seward and Anchorage in
the amount of $250 but a matter
of $50 which was collected by Mr.
Keating from Mr. Novick to pay
toward the expense of return
transportation of 24 transients to
Anchorage was deduced and set
' aside for the Red Cross on the
request of Mr Novick and the
consent of Ex-Mayor Keating.
, The city was called upon to pay
this bill some time ago which
it did.
The Ex-Mayor brought out the
fact that without th help of Mr.
Brownell, the citv could not have
acquired the Marine Ways. He
spoke very highly of his help and
advice.
Upon motion of Councilman
Dahl with a second whom we
failed to catch the bill was paid.
Th vote was registered in the
minutes as follows: ,
Sellers, Stanton and Novick. No. !
Kennedy. Dahl and Painter. Yes. 1
Keating voted yes in the tie. !
‘We call attention to Sec. 4892,
<CL A) 1933.)
Keating recommended the re
tention of the present Police ,
| force: stated and recommended :
that Atty. Duel Nesbitt be held j
V over as city Attorney: and that
] Mr. Head be called in to audit
the books. (Mr. Jones audited j
: th m last year.) He advocated
| *^ publication of all ordinances
i fiom 1 to 200 in some form or
i other.
The 1947-8 Council then ad
journed. |
* * *
NEW COUNCIL IN
* 1
The ne\V council as seated were
Mayor Gene Lanier, Councilman
for 2-year term. Miller, Painter
and Seferovich: for one-year term
Pad. Two hold-over councilmen
w re Kennedy and Seller^.
f The new mayor. Gene Lanier,
opened the meeting with the
st; tement that “he waned every
one to work together for the bet
t rment of the city.”
“Those who had ideas of spend
* ing should put off these thoughts
as the city was obliged to “dig
in" for a considerable time and
was faced with a deficit of $21,
DOO.OO, with $14000.00 of this a
mount due in school wages.” (Of
this $14,000.00 a considerable a
inount is due by the end of the
school term which ends in May
and must be ready in cash.)
Six committees or Departments
were listed and it was proposed
to have one-man committees so
as to give him more lee-way and
his authority given by the coun
cil and Mayor made him more re
sponsible for the results of his
efforts. He therefore has no one
to blame but himself for his
showing.
Anyone having any complaint
against any condition, group, of
ficial. place of business, method
or anything which warrants a
complaint in need of investiga
tion must make a signed state
ment thereof, this method being
placed in vogue to stop rumors
and to make lire person signing
the complaint responsible for his
share in the matter.
Mayor Lanier spoke of General
Scott's spe “eh on the advantages
of Seward, and closed with the
hope that progress would be made
in this direction also.
He proposed that the Council
work with the Chamber of Com
metre and the two working to
gether could accomplish much
more than either could by work
ing alone.
The committees were then ap
pointed and are ns follows:
Airport and Park—Miller
Police and Fire--Seferovich
Taxes and Finance— Kennedy
Street, Sewer and Vet. Housin '.
Painter
Public School and U.S.O.—Dahl
Health and Hospital—Sellers
Dr. Sellers was also appointed
to act as Mayor Pro tern in an;
absence of the Mayor.
Ordinance No. 170 which was
adopted April 21. 1947. set the a
mounts paid to the different city
officials in 1947-8 until the pres
ent council came in.
CityEngineer per mo. $350
City Clerk per mo. 350
City Assessor per year 500
City Fire Chief per mo. 100
City Street Commissioner per yr.
350
City Police Chief per mo. 400
City Night Patrolman per mo.
350
City Treasurer per year 100
City Health Officer per mo. 25
City Attorney per mo. 100
A new ordinance is in the pro
cess of enactment with several
changes. Bids will be asked as is
customary on all these "jobs", as
a previous council may not bind
the council following.
An attempt will be made to se
lect an outside man who will
give everyone a “fair shake" on
the existing tax structuro without
raising and lowering the assessed
valuation but to obtain the idea
of the taxpayers as to the amount
of tax they should pay and ad
just th» tax statement so that it
is fair for all taxpayers.
It is certain that some adjust
ments must be made even at the
rate of 12 mills. On personal
property a rate of 20 mills as was
established will probably remain
but it is certain that many more
persons will pay personal taxes
tban did last year as these tin
new assessor must seek out and
list.
ate and give to the council in let.
ters or verbally the ideas on how
the tax adjustment could be
brought about so that it will be
fair to all.
fContinued on page 4)
4-H Club Rally
Thursday-Friday
Gardening and Quick-Freeze
Demonsirations
•
Mr. L. T. Oldroyd and Miss
Marylin Johnson from the U. S.
Dept, of Agriculture Extension
Bur. au will be in Seward Thur
sday and Friday of this week to
talk to interested persons.
Mis Johnson, who gave a dem
onstration to the ladies in Febru
ary on the use of pressure cook
ers. will give a demonstration
on the preperation of all foods
for freezing in th High School
on Thui day afternoon at 2:00
o'clock. Every one is invited to
attend.
On Friday night, also in the
High School, at 8:00 P. M. there
will be i 4 11 Rally of all clubs
and the parents of the children.
At this time Mr. Oldroyd will talk
to the parents on gardening in
Alaska. Any person who is in
tero-ted in gardening is invit d to
attend this lecture. Refreshments
will be servel.
©
NOTICE
0*
We are unable to keep the tem
perature of th cold storage locker
room at the degree necessary to
prevent the spoilage of products
now within.
We take this method of notify
ing everyone to please remove this
meat as bv toniqht the t mper
ature will be up to 32 degrees
and thawing will start.—
The Management
Seward Fish & Cold Storage
Maj.-Gen. Scott &
Col. Johnson Here
For Seward C.ofC.
After an inspection trip out on
the Bay the City’s first visitors
under the new Chomber of Com
merce regime, arriving at the
basement of the Episcopal Church
where quite a numbr listened to
General Manager Johnson spoke
saying that the status of the In
terior Department's plans in re
gard to the railroad remained un
changed.
He stat d that many cars had
been brought in and were as vet
unpainted in the colors of the
road and bids for the work of re
painting were going to tie asked
and that practically all this work
would be done in Seward.
Colonel Johnson introduced Ma
jor General Scott, U. S. A. in
charge of the Alaska Department
who also spoke before the Cham
ber.
He compared the scenery about
Seward with that of Switzerland
and how the people of Seward
should get together to obtain the
most from the tourist situation
here, which is bound to increase
as time goes on.
Ther\ is agriculture and timber
to In- taken into consideration
also.
A progressive community can
cooperate with the Army in many
tilings and in many ways.
He stated that the highway ap
propriation for the road between
Seward and Anchorage was hur
ried along by the approval and
action of the Army and that
Transportation could he facilitat
ed in the same manner.
General Scott has been inter
ested in Alaska for many years
and wanted an assignment up
here hut as per army he was sent
to Hawaii.
Later he became acquainted
with many prominent Alaskari
figures who included Colonel
Steese. Richardson and Glen Al
ly n.
He stated he had been here but
once before, several years ago
and remembered the steak he
had at Gabes.
The meeting adjourned early.
Among those who were in the
party of Colonel Johnson of the
A.R R. were Mrs. Scott, wife of
the G ncral: Captain and Mrs.
Schultz, 'The captain is the rank)
ins; naval officer in the Territory)
Colonel Previer. Colonel Beck and
Colonel Crawford. Mr. Mathews
and Mr. Robert Lewis of the W -
A.A. were also in the party.
Mrs M ggie Rafter Here
For Two Month Visit
51?
Mis. Maggie Rafter of Fairbanks
is visiting her son and family,
Le ter C. Rafter.
Mrs. Rafter is a former resi
d nt of Seward and plans to spend
a couple months here.
s'" '’ter rn mf not. \i.ms sow
Records Broken
72 Cars Go North
From Colonel Johnson we lear 1
that an all tint ■ record for ship,
ping out of Seward was made on
Friday April Pth when 72 loaded
cars were sent to points north.
•
Read the TFtPTFF in tlie Polaris.
‘Ladies in Retirement’ Enjoyed
The curtain foil Saturday April
lUth. on the Junior Women's ini
tial amateur dramatic venture.
From a standpoint of amateur
“artistry" th • show "Ladies in
Retirement" by Percy Denham
was a great success. A surprising
number of townspeople voiced
their interest and approval of the
play and the cast
The cast, headed by Betty Bry
son. recent bride of Roy Bryson,
who took the difficult name role,
of a retired lady of easy virtue,
competently spun the thread of
the .'■lory to its donoument in
; i> astonishingly unselfconscious
gioup uf portrayals.
As the neurotic younger sisp. r
ol Ellen Gi* ed, housekeeper and
companion of the Lady of Estu
ary Mouse. Barbara Cole played
a Consummate p. rformance.
Meggy Holden, as Emily Creed,
won laurels for her arbitrary pot
trayal of the eccentric marsh
haunting cider sister.
Meggy Penrose, as the maid.
Lucy Gilham, was humorously
brazen and her brash comedy had
just the right touch.
Albert Feather, light-fingered
nephew of the housekeeper, play - (
ed by Tommy Ned Bland, was
portrayed by Kathryn Ling, who's
assumption of the1 role of male
lead in the cast, was a most cred
itable characterizat ion.
Another difficult character, i!;
nun. Sister Theresa, was given a
delicate and understanding delin
eation by Dorothy Holmes.
Especial mention must he made
o! Peggy Beisner. Pompter. and
IT a Davis, props, both of whom
accepted the thankless but no
less diliieuli duties of understud
ying.
Costuming credits go to Mrs.
Alfred Noyes and her committee1.
Mrs. Gwi'iin Tressler and Mrs.
Gwi'iin Cobban. Period costumes
are a hobby with Mrs. Noyes,
wlio has a great store of authen
tic data on hairdos, dresses, and
oilier period effects. Mrs. Noyes
was a member of the Alterations
departments of I. Magnim and
IT’st s Apparel for some years,
i he cast benefited by her experi
ence.
Another hard job was carried
through smoothly and with a
minimum of flurry if not effort
by Doris Doyle, chairman of
props and stage effects and her
commit toewoman Bertha Lewis.
Boa Davis added further to h r
numerous activities by undertak
ing sole responsibilities for ligh -
ing and sound effects.
Makeup for the entire cast w *
done by Hal Gilfilen, Carmen St -
erovich assisting.
The following receive mention
for their enthusiastic support as
well as the materials, actual wo: k
and props given the project.
Mr. and Mrs. John Penrose,
Lawrence Whitmore. Mr. Good
will. Fred Howard. Elnar Bryson,
Murray Bilby, Van Nyman, Osl: >
Electric. George Lesko, Sally Ann
Mann. Bea Davis. Bert Lewis,
Doyle's Furniture, Mrs. Gilliland,
Mrs. Grey, Cathrvn Shop. Alaska
Shop. Nobby Club. Seward Po
laris and the Seward Public
Schools as represented by M1''-'.
Campon and Mr. Carlson.
Finances and publicity were
handled by Fern Burke. France*
Walker. Elsie Whitmore, Florence
Wangley and Peggy Beisner.
Any proceeds from th? produc
tion were intended for the Anti
tubercular Association.
•
Patronize those who Advertise