MOOSE vs. AIR
TRANSPORT SQUAD
Central School Gym
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 9, NUMBER 11
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. JANUARY 5. 1956
[Reporters—
Notebook
Mrs. Marylou Rideout, home
demonstration agent with the lo
t-ad Extension Service, present
ed a program on “How to Avoid
Clutter” when she appeared on
the Extension program over tele
vision station KTVA on Wednes
day of this week.
A regular meeting of the Mat
anuska Valley Health Council
will be held this evening, Janu
ary 5, at the Health Center in the
Viailley Presbyterian Hospital.
’Ithe meeting is scheduled to get
under way at 7 p.m.
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Colberg
•of Palmer had three of their
children who are away from
borne, at home for the Christmas
holiday. Lois Colberg, a public
health nurse and missionary in
Japan was home and has now
left: for New York where she
plans to continue her schooling;
Carol Colberg, student at the
University of Alaska was borne
for the holidays, as was her bro
ther Jim who is attending Pacific
1 < nro rv Anllncrn
Mrs. Gladys McMahon was
guest of honor at a birthday
party held in hefr honor New
Year’s eve at the Harry Wimmer
home. Mrs. Ed Barrett was hos
tess for the surprise party. A tur
key dinner ,and all the trimmings,
was served to the group of 12
who were in attendance.
Several Palmer youths, enroute
back, to colleges in the States,
were among those boarding plan
es this past Sunday at Interna
tional Airport. Included were Ar
lene Benson, daughter of Irene
Benson, student at the University
of Washington; Janice Barry,
■daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl
Barry of Fingerlake, student at
Seattle University; Sheila (Pat)
Hagen, daughter of Councilman
and Mrs. Alfred Hagen, student
at Annie Wright Seminary in
Seattle; Douglas Bixby, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Bixby, stu
dent at Michigan State; Jim Col
berg, son of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur
Oolberg, student at Pacific Luth
eran; and Margaret Cope, dau
ghter of Mrs. Margaret Cope, stu
dent at Willamette College.
Mr. and Mrs. Courtney Flem
ing, and two children, formerly
of Wasilla, recently moved into
a new' home purchased in Valdez.
Dr. Allan Mick of the Alaska
Agricultural Experiment Station,
is at the University of Alaska this
week on routine business. He
traveled via the ARR new pull
man car.
Stewart Durrant, Co-Op gen
eral manager, is expected back
m Palmer late next Wednesday.
He will be returning just in time
to take off the following day for
Homer where he will be guest
speaker at a meeting of farmers
of that area.
Friends are invited to attend
the wedding of Genevieve De
Land Adams and Clayton LeRoy
Scanlon which will take place at
7 p.m. at the Church of God Janu-,
ary 7, and to the reception which
will be held immediately follow
ing at Elks hall.
James Hurley, area delegate to
the Constitutional Convention,
was gufrst speaker at the Janu
ary 3 meeting of Palmer Kiwanis.
He spoke on Constitution propos
als.
DIRECTOR TO MAKE
NEW CIVIL DEFENSE
APPOINTMENTS
A number of new appointments
will be made in the area Civil
Defense program during a staff
meeting which has been schedul
ed for Tuesday, January 31, ac
cording fto an announcement
made by Alfred Hagen, CD direc
tor for the Greater Palmer area.
The meeting will be held in the
basement quarters of the Valley
Theatre, in the section which is
soon to be designated' as head
quarters for Greater Palmer Area
and Palmer City civil defense di
rectors.
All area directors, deputies,
and service department heads
are urged to a“end meeting.
The Greater Palmer Area is
made up of Palmer, Wasilla, Al
pine, and the Butte region.
Each district has a director who
works under the correlated su
pervision of the Greater Palmer
Area director.
RTA Engineer
Reviewing RITA
Construction Plans
i
Plans of the Matanuska Tele- |
phone Association are being re
viewed and approved this week
by Earl Sisk, Rural Telephone
Administration field representa
tive engineer who arrived in Pal
mer January 3 from Seattle. He
expects to conclude his work to
day.
While in Palmer Engteses S'sk
has been going over plans with
project engineer, J. W. Bauler.
Sisk’s presence in Palmer, and
the work he is doing, will save
considerable delay, according to
Robert Partridge, MTA manager.
“Mr. Sisk is checking our plans
now and by receiving his appro
val, on the spot, we will be able
to go ahead without waiting for
approval from Washington, D. C.
As soon as our plans are approv
ed, and revised if necessary, we j
will be ready to call for bids,”
Partridge said. “This should be
within the immediate future”, he
added.
Approval has been received,
Partridge, said, for the installa
tion of lines to the Big Lake and
Knik areas. However, he point
ed out, telephones in these two
sections will be small in number
because so few persons got their
applications in to MTA in time.
Shut-Off Dale
In speaking of the time ele
ment, Partridge said that any ap
plications received of this date
can no longer be assured of tele
phone service. We will accept the
applications, he said, but we can
not give any indication of when
we will be able to offer service
to these persons. “We have said
again that there would have to
be a shut-off date. This is it.”
In speaking of his visit to Pal
mer, Sisk said that he was glad
to have witnessed the wind storm
that hit the valley. This is his
first trip to Alaska and by actu
ally having seen the velocity of
the wind and the damages it
causes utility lines, Sisk said he
is now better influenced to the
requirements of the system.
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Few Seats Available
On Fairbanks Flight
Between 12 and 15 seats on
a plane to Fairbanks remain
open, William T. Zahradmcek,
said today. The Palmer Moose
will be flying to Fairbanks for
a two-game series in the Rail
belt Conference January 13
and 14. The fare will be $15
round trip. Anyone interested
in seeing the Moose-Malemute
game—or anyone wanting to
make the trip to Fairbanks,
should contact Zahradnicek at
Central School as soon as pos
sible to make reservations.
Moose to Meet
Airmen Friday
Night, Here
In their last game before meet
ing the Fairbanks Malemutes on
January 13 and 14, the Palmer
Moose will tangle with members
of the Air Transport Squad from
Elmendorf AFB tomorrow night
at the Central School gym. This
is the second time the Airmen
have visited the local court and
basketball fans who saw the first
meeting of the two teams know
that the game will be a fast,
interesting one.
A preliminary game will be
played at 7:30.
STORM RESPONSIBLE
FOR SMALL ATTENDANCE
AT HEARINGS
A small number of valley resi
dents Nvere able to negotiate the
heavy snow fall that hit Palmer
last Thursday to attend the pub
lic hearing meetings scheduled
that night at the high school.
Jim Hurley, delegate to the
Constitutional Convention, spoke
to the small group on proposals
that are before the group of dele
gates at this time. He explained
some of the basic reasons why the
proposals have been presented—
how they will most benefit each
locality and Alaska as a whole.
He distributed copies of various
proposals which have already
been made, but which have not
yet been accepted by the dele
gates. In speaking to the group,
Hurley encouraged public inter
est in what is going on at that
Convention.
The Fish and Wildlife Service
annual game hearing, formerly
scheduled to immediately follow
Delegate Hurley’s hearing, were
postponed until January' 4 be
cause of the weather.
CITY CELEBRATES
QUIET NEW YEAR'S
“A very quiet New Year’s”,
City Police Chief Bernard Bou
wens reported this week. There
were lots of cars around—people
out enjoying themselves, but no
trouble he said.
“We had only one call during
the holiday”, he said. That turn
ed out to be a couple of local
funsters playing a trick. The pOr
lice department received a call
that a woman in a pick up need
ed some help. Answering the call,
the police discovered a truck go
ing up the street—a woman’s leg
sticking out the window — and
loud screams coming from within.
Turned out to be in fun. The leg
was that of a store dummy and
the screams? Added for color.
HAIR SHAPING FOR A
SHORT "CUT" TO BEAUTY
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Phone 3301
LAVONNE JOHNSON
READY TO BLOOM
POTTED DAFFODILS
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Building
SPORTSMEN ASK FOR
COW MOOSE SEASON;
OPEN FOX SEASON
Open season on fox in the Ma
tanuska Valley and a controlled
cow moose season were proposed
to Fish and Wildlife Service re
presentatives at the annual game
law hearing held in Palmer
January 4.
Present at the hearing were
Holgar Larson, enforcement ag
ent; Bob Scott, game biologist,
Roger Allen, sport fish biologist.
Bob Burkholder, predatory con
trol agent, and military conserva
tion officers of the U. S. Army
and Air Force. Also Alex McRae
of the Department of Fisheries.
No changes in the moose hunt
ing dates were proposed by area
sportsmen. Last year’s dates were
from August 20 - September 20,
first season; November 10 - No
vember 30 second season.
Scott told sportsmen that the
moose population in the valley is
just as high as last year, per
haps higher. The ratio of bulls
to cows is down to about seven
to each 100 cows, he reported.
Because no similar conditions ex
ist in other sections of Alaska it
is difficult to compare this ratio,
he said. In making a moose count
west of the Susitna Scott said
they found the ratio to be from
75-80-100 to 100 at the same' time
of the year. By the time we got
through the second season, there
just weren’t many bulls left in
this section, he reported. The calf
drop is down a little, also, he ad
ded.
In a count taken in the Fish- ;
hook triangle (about 18 square
miles) a concentration of about
400 moose were found. Using the
7-100 ratio, this would meg®
about 28 bulls.
Scott asked those at the meet
ing how they feel about the
moose in and around the urban j
areas during the winter. “In An
chorage we have heard two stor
ies—one that you people like
them and feel that they are an
attraction to your area. The other
is just the opposite, that they are
destructive and that you wish
something would be done. We
want to know just how you peo
ple feel about it.”
One farmer present at the
meeting answered Scott by say
ing that he feels the moose are
a problem to the farmers. “They
destroy crops, break fences, al
lowing neighbors stock and the
farmers stock to wander on others
properties—they destroy shrubs
and ornamentals, many of which
are expensive . . . and there’s
nothing we can do about it.” Old
timers in the valley tell us that
the moose are on an increase,
have been the past few years. He
pointed out that several years ago
the moose population was con
j trolled to an extent by year
| round hunting by Indians and
| taking of both cows and bulls.
I Wolves took their toll but today
through predatory control the
wolves are not so plentiful. “The
moose used to run away from me
—now they run toward me," he
concluded.
“The moose herd could stand
a cow season if it is under regu
lated control”, FWS officials said.
Scott pointed out that if manage
ment and feed does not reduce a
herd then it is proper manage
ment to killcows. He compared
the situation to that of commer
cial cattlemen who guarantee the
increase of their herds by protect
ing the cows. However, he point
ed out, when the herd reaches
the increase point where it needs
cutting back, then they kill cows
also.
The Fish and Wildlife Service
have proposed to Congress that a
controlled cow season be per
mited. Local sportsmen approved
this idea and were assured that
if permission is granted by Con
gress, and if the Game Commis
sion approves, that the cow sea
son will be regulated under a
stringent control measure—pos
sibly by permit hunting, or a de
signated hunting period during
which cows may be taken.
Farmers and sportsmen joined
(Continued on page 8)
Credit Union
Slates Annual
Meeting Jan. 16
The annual membership meet
ing of the Matanuska Valley
Federal Credit Union will be held
January 16 at 8 p.m. in the Ma
tanuska Electric Association
meeting room, it was announced
this week.
All members of thq local Un
ion are urged to turn out. “It
looks like the membership will
be able to vote themselves a good
dividend again this year”, a
spokesman said.
In addition to voting on the
dividend, members will vote for
board of directors seats.
SEMINAR JANUARY 6
AT EXPERIMENT STA.
Entomology and plant pathol
ogy will be discussed at the Janu
ary 6 seminar at the Alaska
Agricultural Experiment Station,
it was announced this week. The
topic discussions will be led by
Dr. Richard Washburn and Dr.
Charles Lodgsdon, Station staff
members.
The seminar, like previous
ones, is open to all other govern
ment agencies and will begin at
4:00 p.m.
HOSPITAL MEMBERSHIP
SALES GOING GOOD/
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Hospital membership sales are
coming along very well, a board
member said this week. Mem
bers of Palmer Kiwanis are sell
ing memberships, as well as hos
pital board members. Funds rais
ed through the membership sales
.are used to pay off bonds that
were purchased by area residents
several years ago.
No local organization has yet
requested a board member to ap
pear at a meeting to explain the
operations of the Valley Presby
terian Hospital. The board of di
rectors of the hospital association
have volunteered their services
in this line and will be happy to
attend any organizational meet
ing where the membership is in
terested in learning more about
the local hospital.
Dr. Allan Mick reminded or
ganizations this week that any
group desiring membership tick
ets for their group may obtain
them by contacting him at the
Experiment Station ,or by con
tacting other board members.
WIND STORM HITS
AGAIN; GANCELLS
MEETING, SCHOOL
Using a mild statement, the
January 4 meeting of the Mat
anuska Valley Chamber of Com
merce was cancelled “because of
inclement weather”. Operation
Strong Blow, originating at the
Matanuska Glacier a few miles
north of the valley, called a howl
ing halt to several scheduled
events, including a day at school
for the area’s near’y 800 students.
The wind storm, the fifth this
season, came up late Tuesday
night and had lots of material
with which to work. The record
snowfall which hit the valley
Thursday and Friday of last
week had hardly had time to set
tle. A large percentage of that
snow is now deposited on the
farm roads and in the wooded
sections south of town.
Just before noon on Wednesday
the fire siren summoned volun
teer fire fighters on the run for
a fire in a house trailer on the
Palmer highway. Little damage
was reported. The firemen re
turned the trucks almost irnmed- •
iately to the fire hall, relieved
that the fire was of no more seri
ous nature. ^ „
During tlhg fitOFfTi tne telephone
lines to the fire sirens went out.
In such -an emergency the MTA
determines that someone is avail
able to sound the siren manual
ly, as happened during the storm
on Wednesday.
Telephone and electric lines
withstood the gale type winds,
with-very few outages and dam
ages reported. The new telephone
cables which the Matanuska Tele
phone Association have put up
to replace the miles of single
strands, is paying off in these
storms, Robert Partridge, MTA
manager said this week. Had the
old lines been in use, work crews
would probably still be repairing
damages from the previous
storms.
CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS SET
The Joint Board of U. S. Civil
Service Examiners, Anchorage,
announces open competitive ex
aminations for career-conditional
appointments to positions of Tele
phone Operator (Trainee1, GS-1,
Telephone Operator, BS-2 and 3,
and Telephone Supervisor, GS-4,
5, 6, and 7. Salary range is from
$2690.00 to $5335.00 per annum,
plus 25 percent Territorial Cost
of Living Allowance. Additional
information on this examination
may be obtained at any First or
Second Class Post Office.
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For that week-end trip, Cordova Airlines
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charter service to any place you wish
to go.
SOON - DIRECT SERVICE TO PALMER
For information and reservations call Cordova
Airlines at Anchorage 35236 or 31585 or see
your travel agent.