Thought of the Week:
Most of the Communists are
extremely active for civil rights
—in the United States.
ALASKA 1STCBSCAL SOCItir *
& MUSEUM
BOX 2051
The Frontiersman
UMEAU AL’
ITT
Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce
Forum on School Needs
Nov. 21—Noon—Frontier Cafe
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TEN PAGES
PRICE 15 CENTS
VOLUME 15. NUMBER 8
PALMER. ALASKA THURSDAY. NOV. 15. 1962
i^A^WS/WWN/W
: ••porters—
Notebook
Two proud Palmer mothers
are believed to be the first Al
askan parents to witness the
graduation ceremony for naval
recruits at the U.S. Naval Trai
ning Center at San Diego, on
Oct. 26.
Mrs. Alva Saxton and Mrs.
Betty Rice were present at the
673rd Recruit Brigade Review,
in which three local youths,
Pat Rice, James Anderson, and
Robert Saxton took part. Ro
bert carried the Alaskan flag
in the All-State Honor Color
Guard, the first Alaskan-born
naval recruit to receive this
honor.
Following the graduation ex
ercises, Mrs. Rice enjoyed a
sightseeing trip up the Cali
fornia coast with Pat and old
er son Joe, who has also been
stationed at San Diego, before
the young men were sent on to j
new assignments, Pat to Mem-1
phis, Tennessee, and Joe to
Long Beach in California. She
returned to Palmer Nov. 7, and
says she enjoyed every min
ute of her first trip Outside
since she came to Alaska in
1935.
Jimmy and Bob returned to
Palmer with Mrs. Saxton,
spending ten days here before
reporting back to duty. Jimmy
is now stationed in Texas, and
Bob is in Memphis, where an
other Palmerite, Steve Mer
rick, is also receiving advanced
naval training.
* * *
Donald E. Harris, sonarman
third class, USN, son of Mr.
and Mrs. John D. Harris of Pal
mer, is serving aboard the
guided missile frigate USS
Coontz.
MTA HOLDS OPEN
HOUSE TOMORROW
Now established in its new
business office, Matanuska
Telephone Association will
hold an open house tomorrow,
Nov. 16, to acquaint members
and friends with the facilities
at their new location on the
corner of Valley Street and In-1
dependent Avenue. The busi
ness office is located in the ad-1
dition to the Central office
building, constructed this sum- j
mer.
Visitors who register at the
MTA office tomorrow will be!
included in a drawing for three
three-minute long distance
calls to any point within con
tinental United States.
Persons paying their October
bills at the telephone office to
morrow will find a good-na
tured staff who will waive the
$2 penalty for late payment—
tomorrow only. Ordinarily, the
15th of the month is the cut
off date for payment of bills.
Council Authorizes
Engineering Contract
BOY SCOUT FUND
DRIVE OPENS HERE
The annual Boy Scout drive
for funds is now under way,
local scout officials said this
week. This is the method, em
ployed on a national basis, of
obtaining working capital for
the organization, rather than
to charge dues to members.
Business organizations thru
out the area are being contact
ed for contributions. Others
who are interested in support
ing the Boy Scout movement
may mail their donations to
Bob Pippel, Kyle Turner, Ed
Smith, Dr. Harlow Hodgson, or
Joe Lentz.
In the Palmer area there are
now two scout troops, sponsor
ed by the American Legion and
the LDS Church; one Explorer
unit, sponsored by the LDS
Church; and one Cub pack,
sponsored by the Palmer PTA.
Another Explorer unit is ex
pected to organize soon, and
plans are being formulated to
start a scout troop and a cub
pack in the Wasilla area.
To begin early in December
is an overall scout training
program for adult leaders in
all units in the Matanuska
Valley. Training films will be
employed and professio nal
workers in the field of scout
ing will be on hand to give in
struction.
Lewis Geiwitz
To Speak Here
A former Palmer resident,
the Rev. Lewis E. Geiwitz. will
be guest speaker for a series of
meetings at the local Church
of God at Matanuska and Ek
lutna Streets, Rev. William
Miller, pastor, said this week.
Services will be held each eve
ning of Thanksgiving week,
Nov. 18 through 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Rev. Geiwitz, a graduate of
Warner Pacific College in
Portland, Oregon, has been
pastor of the Juneau Church of
God since 1958. He is married
to the former Hazel Werner,
also a former Palmer resident.
The public is invited to at
tend the meetings, Rev. Miller
said.
O'Halley To Plan
(ily Sewer System
With all members present at
the Nov. 13 meeting, the Pal
mer City council authorized
city manager Winston Gilchrist
to execute a contract for the
necessary engineering on the
city’s projected sanitary sewer
system.
The contract, read by man
ager Gilchrist, named Jack
O’Malley as engineer and pro
vided that the engineering
work would be completed on or
before April 1, 1963. Under the
terms of the contract, O’Malley
would agree to do the necessary
engineering for the sum of $10,
000, $2,500 of which would be
paid upon completion of the
initial report phase in mid-De
cember. The contract stated
that, since O’Malley is not a
registered professional engin
eer, his work would be certified
by a registered engineer.
In passing the motion to
authorize Gilchrist to execute
the contract, the council stipu
lated that a letter from the reg
istered engineer named by
O’Malley (Ernie Kling) be at
tached to the contract, verify
ing that he will certify the
work done by O’Malley.
♦ ♦ *
After a discussion of match
ing funds available under the
federal accelerated public
works program, the city coun
cil authorized the manager to
apply for matching funds for
collector sewers in the amount
of $500,000, and for waterworks
improvements in an amount to
be specified after further
study. The need for a new well
was pointed out, with the pres-1
ent water supply classified as |
marginal. It was stated that
failure of a pump or a well j
would create a water shortage
and that present output would
not be adequate if more indus
trial users should be added to
the line. \
* * *
Merritt Long, appointed by
the council to fill the vacancy
created when Ralph Moore as
mayor pro tempore took Billy
R. Miller’s place as mayor, was
sworn into office by city clerk
Emilie St. Pierre. City attorney
Burton Biss defined the terms
of the two men as both being
appointive, both to expire at
the time of the next regular
election — that when Moore
took over the office of mayor,
he had resigned his seat as
councilman. Moore’s term
would have expired a year from
next October.
* * •
Betty Mears, a council vis
itor, asked for clarification of
the status of the basement of
the Barrett and Lesh building
as a civil defense shelter, and
was told that further discussion
with the area director would be
necessary before a final deci
sion could be reached on whe
ther or not the building will be
put to use for defense purposes.
* * *
A motion to give Paul Haire,
basement stairwell contractor,
a $1,000 advance on his $2,265
contract was voted down un
animously by council members,
* * *
A letter from General Phil
lips, assistant fire marshall for
the state of Alaska, was read,
which stated that the storage ol
| ammonium nitrate at the fair
[ grounds in Palmer does not
meet with the specifications ol
the state fire code. Phillips
made ten recommendations for
correcting the situation, saying
that a hazardous condition ex
ists which must be remedied.
Hp added, however, that Pal
mer citizens need not become
unduly alarmed and that the
conditions which caused the
Roseburg, Oregon and Texas
City, Texas explosions do not
exist here.
Police Chief Lewis Bencar
dino asked that the city clerk
write a letter to the company
which owns the fertilizer, in
forming them of an inspection
date at a time to be set within
the next few days, at which
time the police chief, fire chief,
and state fire marshall will
check to make sure the hazard
ous storage conditions have
been corrected.
(Continued on page 7)
Three Local 4-H’ers Leave for
Chicago Congress Next Week
Thre$ Matanuska Valley 4
H’ers have won trips to the 41st
national 4-H Club Congress in
Chicago as a reward for out
standing achievement, accord
ing to recent announcements,
from the Cooperative Exten
sion Service. They are Richard
Washburn, Jr„ Cynthia Bliss
ard, and Edward Hanks, who
will attend the Congress Nov.
25-29. Another top 4-H win
ner is Roger Lincoln, who will
PURPLE
bubble BALL
NOV. 17
She wilt be lovely with a
CORSAGE
from
MAUD'S FLOWERS
PI 5-4054
receive a 19-jewel wristwatch
as his award.
Richard is the 15-year old
son of Dr. and Mrs. R. H. Wash
burn of Palmer. A 4-H’er since
1958, he has raised 4-H gard
ens on a total of 14,300 square
feet valued at $779. Before win
ning the 1962 top state 4-H gad
den program award, he had re
ceived 18 blue ribbons for vebe
table exhibits at the Alaska
State Fair. His award was do
nated by the. Farm Equipment
Division, Allis-Chalmers Manu
facturing Company, Milwau
kee.
Cynthia, 15, a student at Pal
mer High School, has been a
4-H member for five years. She
is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
John C. Blissard of Wasilla.
Her winning demonstration,
“Give Us This Day our Daily
Bread,” has been given five
times this year, the last time
at the state fair in Fairbanks
where she was named top state
bread demonstrator. In her
three years of breadmaking,
Cynthia has learned to make
several kinds of break, quick- <
breads and rolls, last year 1
placing first in state compe- 1
tition with a popover dem- j
anstration. Sponsor of the ;
national 4-H bread demon- |
stration program and of her 1
trip is Standard Brands, In- <
corporated. i
Edward Hanks, 18, state i
winner in the electrical project i
program, is the son of Mr. and i
Mrs. Lew Hanks of Palmer. A i
1962 graduate of Palmer high 1
school, he is now enrolled as a '
freshman at Idaho State Col
lege in Pocatello. Ed joined
4-H in 1954, and has been a
continuous member for the past
eight years. He has been active
in a number of 4-H projects,
concentrating on the electrical
program for the past two years.
His Chicago trip is sponsored
by the Westinghouse Corpora
tion.
The Palmer group will leave
here on Nov. 19. Young Hanks
will join them in Chicago.
Roger Lincoln, the 15-year
ild son of Mr. and Mrs. R. A.
Lincoln of Wasilla, achieved
op standing in his dairy pro
ect, and will be awarded
i handsome, beautifully en
;raved 19-jewel wristwatch
>y his sponsor, the Oliver
Corporation of Chicago. Dur
ng his six years of 4-H
nembership, Roger has car
led the dairy project, start
:d with a newborn heifer giv
*n to him by his father. He
las now acquired two cows and
,wo calves. This year his calf
von the grand championship at
he Alaska State Fair.
The record of David Martin,
;on of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mar
in of Palmer, who attended
he Congress two years ago,
las been judged tops statewide
imong the boys in achieve
ment, and will be sent to Chi
:ago, where it will compete for
i national award, the prize for
vhich is a $400 scholarship.
David is a senior in the Palmer
ligh school.
SCHEIBL SERVICES
TO BE SATUROAY
uustave bcheiol, bb, Matan
uska Valley colonist who has
lived here since 1935, died
Tuesday at Valley Presbyterian
Hospital after an illness of
about a year, although he had
been hospitalized for the first
time in his life only a few days
before his death. He had been
suffering from a heart ailment.
He was born in Greenbush,
Wisconsin, on Dec. 7, 1895. Af
ter making the move to the
Matanuska Valley in 1935, he
farmed here until 1951, when
he retired. He was a veteran of
World War I.
Funeral arrangements are
being made by the Anchorage
Funeral Chapel. A visitation
and rosary service will be held
Friday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. in
the Palmer Funeral Chapel,
and funeral services will be
Saturday, Nov. 17, at St. Mi
chael’s Church in Palmer, with
the Rev. Father Nugent offi
ciating. Interment will be in
the Palmer Cemetery. The Pal
mer unit of the American Le
gion will assist at graveside
rites.
Pallbearers will be Joseph
Loyer, Tony Vickaryous, Clair
Patten, William Ward, Virgil
Eckert, and John Tulles.
Mr. Scheibl is survived by
his wife, Alethea, two sons
Franklyn and Allan, f o u i
daughters, Mrs. Claude Hartei
(Evelyn), Mrs. Norbert Chowa
niec (Annabelle), Mrs. Daniel
j Contini, Jr. (Enola), and Pa
tricia, all of Palmer, and
twelve grandchildren. Another
son, George, died in 1942.
Other survivors are four
brothers, Frank, Joseph, John
and Emmanuel, and two sisters,
Mrs. Mary Mohnsam and Sister
M. Joseta, all of Wisconsin.
No Settlement Seen
For Palmer Strike
Pickets continue to patrol
three Palmer restaurants, with
no solution to the labor dis
pute in sight, local proprietors
said today.
After Palmer members of the
Hotel and Restaurant Bar Ten
ders, Local 878, voted down the
union proposal for a new con
tract, the union, instead of
making a new proposal, placed
the picket lines, according to
local employers. After the pic
kets were placed, a strike vote
was taken in Anchorage by
Local 878, for which Palmer
members were not notified.
The dispute involves a fringe
benefits clause, which local
proprietors feel is impossible
to meet in view of present con
ditions. They intend to stand
firm on their present position,
they stated.
The three proprietors say
that business has not yet been
greatly affected by the pres
ence of the pickets, although
they have been successful in
turning some persons away.
Moore Gets Answer
To Frontiersman Letter
Remember the open letter
published in the Frontiersman
i to REA administrator Norman
Clapp, asking that the hold be
lifted from MEA loan funds?
i Readers were asked to clip it,
] sign it, and send it to Clapp.
According to the mukluk tele
| graph, quite a few did.
Well . . . Ralph Moore, pow
; er use advisor at MEA got an
answer, signed by Clapp. The
letter explained the REA posi
tion in placing the conditional
hold order on the loan, and
added that new arrangements
| appeared to supply a solution
| to the problem.
Chamber To Hold
School Needs Forum
Need for additional construc
tion in the Palmer school sys
tem will be discussed at the
Nov. 21 luncheon meeting of
the Matanuska Valley Cham
ber of Commerce at the Fron
tier Cafe, it was announced
this week.
The program, a forum dis
cussion which will include
members of the board of direc
tors of the Palmer Independ
ent School District, will begin
at 12:30. Persons who would
prefer not to attend the lun
cheon are welcome to come in
at that time and participate in
the discussions. It was emphas
ized that the meeting is not
limited to chamber members,
but that the public is invited.
A Chamber of Commerce
committee on school bonds,
which includes Betty Mears,
Dr. C. C. Bailey, William Zah
radnicek, and A1 Brooks, met
Nov. 8 and laid plans for the
luncheon meeting. It was gen
erally felt by the committee
members that the school bond
issue may have failed in the
Nov. 6 elections because the
public had been poorly inform
ed, a spokesman for the com
mittee said. Every effort will
be made to get all the facts be
Choruses To
Present Concert
By Mary Boothby
The Palmer Junior high
1 school and the high school
choruses will present a con
I cert Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. in the
j high school cafeteria. Mrs
Weldon will direct both groups
with Mary Durrant as aecomp
anist. Tickets will cost fifty
cents for everyone except pre
schoolers. who will be admit
j ted free.
1 The high school chorus will
I sing ‘‘Born to Be Free,”
I “Around the World," “Bless Ye
I the Lord,” “Aura Lee.” “God
I My King” (David Martin will
i direct this number), and "Bat
tle Hymn of the Republic.”
Madrigal Singers will sing
“O Eyes of My Beloved,” “My
Heart with Love Is Springing,”
and “Sweet Love Doth Now In
vite.” David Martin is to play
a piano solo, “Liebestraun.”
The junior high school chor
us will sing “For the Beauty of
the Earth,” and “Let There Be
Music.”
MAGISTRATE HAS
REGISTRATION FORMS
Forms to register aircraft and
airmen as part of the emer
gency civil defense program
are available in the local dep
uty district magistrate’s office,
Mrs. Dorothy Saxton said yes
terday. (See story, page 9)
fore the voters of the district, it
was added. Committee mem
bers hope to see the issue
brought before the voters again
in a January 1963, election.
The $1,322,000 bond issue
presented in the Nov. 6 elec
tion would have provided for
a 12-classroom addition to
Swanson elementary school,
and additions to the high school
to house classrooms, office
space, gymnasium, auditorium,
and chorus room. Plans also in
cluded a swimming pool, con
struction of which would have
hinged on available funds.
REA Loan Funds
Released to MEA
Release cf the conditional
agreement on REA loan funds
to Matanuska Electric Associa
tion received administrative
approval. on Nov. 13, accord
ing to a wire from Jerry Did
dle, western area director for
REA. The message was re
ceived the same day by Phil
O’Neill, president of the MEA
board of directors.
Loan funds are expected to
be released immediately, Ma
son LaZelle, MEA manager,
said yesterday. Release of the
conditional hold eliminates the
necessity for the emergency
cutbacks in personnel and con
struction which had been sch
eduled for the electric cooper
: ative.
! During the past months con
I stvuction has been slowed be
I cause of lack of funds, the
manager said, adding that it
will require some time to get
the program started again. The
same order of construction will
be followed, and jobs will be
taken care of as rapidly as pos
sible.
The REA hold had been plac
ed on the loan pending presen
1 tation of a contract by MEA
showing firm power commit
ment sufficient to cover the
new services which would be
connected through use of the
loan funds.
MEA has recently accepted a
new proposal from Chugach
Electric Association which
would supply the Palmer co
operative with 3000 kilowatts
of power through December,
1964, at the same price MEA
now pays for power from the
Bureau of Reclamation Eklut
na plant, 10.5 mills. A previous
proposal from CEA would have
provided for pooling MEA’s
present allotment from the
Bureau, and buying it, plus the
additional needed allotment,
buck from the pool at an aver
age figure of 14.7 mills per
KWH.
Game Department Men Assist In
Rescue of Helicopter Crash Victims
Fred Smith of the Alaska de
partment of fish and game and
his assistant, Douglas Jones, as
sisted in the rescue of 12 El
mendorf airmen when their
twinrotor helicopter crashed
25 yards off of Goose Bay
Road, about a mile west of the
Knik Bar Tuesday afternoon.
Smith and Jones, returning
from a routine patrol of the
Goose Bay area, had noticed
the helicopter in flight, and a
few minutes later were stopped
by Goose Bay homesteader
Chester Burden, who told them
that the helicopter had just
crashed behind them. The game
department men rushed back
to the scene of the crash, and
found the pilot and co-pilot
suffering from back injuries
and the other crew members in
need of attention for superfic
ial wounds and bruises.
A school bus was also stop
ped, and the two vehicles were
able to transport all the airmen
to the Nike missile site, where
they were given emergency
treatment.
Smith said that the helicop
ter crashed at 4:22 p.m., and
that he and Jones arrived at
the scene at 4:25. A half hour
later the injured men were de
livered at the missile site.
He commended the fast
thinking of Burden and Nick,
and Olga Goossen of Knik Road
in obtaining immediate help
for the crash victims. He noted,
however, that when Douglas
Jones attempted to call Elmen
dorf A' Force Base to notify
army officials of the crash, he
was denied the use of the only
telephone in the immediate
area.
BAZAAR
2 P.M.
Baked Goods
Homemade Christmas Gifts
Popcorn Balls
Grab Bag
ROAST BEEF DINNER r._
Saturday, Nov. 17
5:30-8:30 p.m.
LDS CHURCH BASEMENT
1 • *<*
Elks Annual Purple Bubble Ball
Elks Home - Sat. Nov. 17-10 p.tn.
Live Musie-Elks & Ladies Only