HOMER NEWS
-HOMES * ALASIA=*«“»
Your Dependable Community Newspaper
April 21. 1955
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Juneau,
library
Vol. 5. No. 45
SEWARD TRIP
Your Horner News is late this week
all because a planned six hour trip to
Reward took a total of 33 hours to com
plete.
The trip referred to, of course, is
the now-famous Chamber of Commerce
“good will” trip to visit their fellow
Chambermen in the city of Seward.
The flight, which started on sched
ule at 10:30 Tuesday morning, was to
have brought the local Chamber members
beck to Homer by 6:10 the same evening.
However, nature played a trick on? the
Homer folks, and the long journey home
was made by a bus that arrived in Homer
at 7:30 Wednesday evening, 33 hours af
ter the start of the journey.
In the absence of the group, which
included 28 local residents, the town
found itself without comnercial conmun
ications, the National Guard commander
was out of town for the big alert and a
visit by an inspecting officer, and men
whose wives had taken the ”six-hour
trip” suddenly found themselves tucking
squalling children into bed.
The trip to Seward via the big Cor
dova Airlines plane was a good one. The
visibility was good all of the way and
the plane winged low through the mount
ain pass affording a bird’s eye view of
towering spruces and a mountain climb
ers view of the towering peaks. Hardly
had the plane landed in the port city,
however, sfcen the weather closed in and
it began to snow.
At the dinner meeting of the two
groups the Homer guests were introduced
and Jack Scott spoke briefly on the
value of the CSC program and Don Smith
mentioned briefly the possible future
of hydro-electric development of the
✓ Peninsula.
Bishop Stephen Bayne of Seattle told
the membership of the work of the CSC
in the states and especially in Port
Angeles, Ashing ton. He urged the Sew
ard people present to consider adopting
* the CSC plan for their city.
Larry Hatchet, of the Anchorage of
fice of the Alaska Road Commission,
* told the Chamber members that Congress
had reduced the budget of his depart
ment and that unless the cuts were re
st orod there would be no paving done on
the Sterling highway this sunnier. How
ever, he said, the Territorial legisla
ture did increase the motor fuel tax so
* that more could be done for local roads
’ in the Territory.
Chet Stears of the Seward office of
the Bureau of Public Roads said that by
midsummer the work on the Sterling
highway in the vicinity of Henton's
Lodge should be completed, as will .work
on the Kenai River bridge* He said
that his department would probably go
ahead with their plans to black top
some of the Sterling highway this sum
mer.
Senator Jack Corner of Soward gave
the group some of his impressions of
the recent legislature.. He explained
the operation of the Senato and the
legislative council. He spoke of the
budget problems that faoed the legisla
tors and noted the power of lobbyists
and how the mining industry of the
(Cont. on Pago 6, Col. 2)
MAIL SCHEDULE
Starting this reek Homer rill enjoy
too schedules for outgoing as rail as
incoming mail, according to Mrs. Arlene
Kranich, Homer postmaster.
Under normal conditions, Mrs. Kran
ich says, all mail should be distribut
ed into the local postoffico boxes by
11 a*m. and 4 p.m. daily.
Outgoing mail must be in tho postof
fice by 11;30 a.m, and 4;30 p.m., the
hours of tfto last* cancellations before
the mail is prepared for dispatch.
Tho time changes have been brought
about by the change in the PNA sched
ule and the addition of one flight out
of Homer daily for Anchorage.
NOT LOST ■
Local residents became alaimod Tues
day rhen the CAA station reported that
a plane, carrying Mr, and Mrs. Homer
High ras overdue at the local airport.
At 7;30 p.m. the local CAP plane
florai by John Klingbiel ani uith Gene
King as an observer, took off to search
for the High plane. At the same^time
PNA flight in the area mas notified to
look for the overdue plane. It tras
spotted on the beach at Ninilchik sdiero
the Highs had told the Kemi CAA sta
tion they Tjould land if they could not
make it on to Homer in the rough troath
er.
The "lost” couple continued their
flight to Homer on Wednesday morning.
They had. been on a short business trip
to Anchorage.
WEATHER
High Lor
April 14 40 34
April 15 43 ' 31
April 16 43 27
April 17 40 32
April 18 42 26
April 19 43 25
April 20 38 30
CSG ELECTS
Jack Scott ras elected president of
the Citizen’s Study Croup at the Friday
evening meeting of the organization*
Other officers elected reie Margaret
King, vice president; Marion Kooppel,
recording secretary; Fran Cronin, sec
retary; Bob Norman, treasurer; end Cap
King, Alza King and Merrill Hatchor,
directors at largo*
It ms stated at the meeting that
the logs for the proposed shop building
for the sohool are at the road on the
Gregoire homestead and that as soon as
possible they rill be taken to the mill
for cutting. Trucks rill be needed for
hauling the logs to the mill#
In a discussion on the boat basin
funds, no. definite decision uas reached
as to uhat should bo done rith the
funds collected. Several suggestions
rare, made horever* One suggestion ras
that anyone rishing to rithdrar his
funds could do so* Another suggestion
ms that it ras too late to use the
road comnission equipment this spring
and that the funds be left in the bank
until fall rhen there might bo some
(Cont* on Page 6, Cole 2)
Homer is without a mar anal again
this reek* U. S* Marshal Fred William
son of Anchorage stated Thursday that
his deputy. Cecil Johnson, would be
leaving Homer and would not be return
ing until suitable - quarters could be
found. A flu fire in the marshal's
building on Tuosdr.y has made the build
ing unlivable, he said#
The personal property of Deputy
Johnson was taken back to Anchorage by
Williamson and the office furniture has
been stored in the Chamberlain ware
house *
Williamson met with the directors of
tte Chamber of Commerce Thursday morn
ing seeking their assistance in getting
a suitable building for a marshal’s
living quarters, an office and a Jail*
Bid farmsi Willimson said could tie
picked up at the Don Smith Insurance
Agcnoy. ?
JOHNSON ELECTED
Henning Johnson ras elected presi
dent of the Konai Peninsula Public
Utility District No* 1 at the special
meeting Thursday evening* Other of
ficers elected includod Jack McLaughlin
clerk and Margaret Anderson, treasurer*
In the main business of the evening,
the board* passed a motion to make ap-«
plication for funds for a boat harbor
under the provisions of House Bill 41
of the recent territorial legislature*
The motion stated that the application
uas being made with the understanding
that the local PUD would not be made to
contribute anything toward the comple
tion of the harbor at this time.
Don Smith suggested that tho board
might bo interested in purchasing a
surplus tumapull for approximately
$1400. The board stated that they had
no funds but that it might be purchased
from the special fund for the boat bas*
in. 1
The board also hoard a statement of
proposed policies made up by the new
president, Henning Johnson* The poli
cies were taken under study for action
at a later datp*.
A large crowd of local residents was
on hand to take part in the discussions
CHAMBER NOTES
President Nelson Moyer of the ^omer
Chamber of Conmerce g^ve the highlights
of his trip to Juneau and the meeting
of the Alaska Chamber of Conmerce at
Mondayfs meeting of the Chamber# Stat**
ing tlrt he had not been ^ble to digest
-11 of his notes, the president told of
his visits to various territorial of
fices and of some of the things he had
learned#
Ho am a informed by the Superinten
dent of Police A# P# Brandt, he said,,
that Homer aould definitely have a ter
ritorial patrolman in about tuo months#
The ner officer, ho said, ramld be an.
experienced married patrolman and that
an endeavor should be made to obtain,
housing for him#
The president said that the Homer
display at the convention caused con
siderable comment. It included pic
tures of the area, coal from the beach,
a Kuik-Log display and an array of pro
ducts from tho Alaska .Wild Berry plrnt*
(C6nt# on Pago 6, Col# 3)