The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 9
PALMER, ALASKA Friday, December 20, 1957
PRICE TEN CENTS
ALASKA HISTORICAL
library
JUNEAU
COMM. AMBULANCE
NEEDS SUPPORT
FROM USERS
Cooperation of persons using
the community ambulance is
needed, it was stated this week
by members of the local Beta
Sigma Phi sorority, sponsoring
organization.
Many accounts are outstand
ing and it was pointed out by the
group that charges for the use of
the ambulance are kept at a min
imum, for the benefit of the per
sons who find it necessary to use
the vehicle. "However,” the wo
azien added, “if these minimum
charges are not paid, there is no
other income with which to keep
the ambulance running”.
The ambulance itself was do
nated to the sorority some three
years ago by the Anchorage Fun
eral Chapel. The sorority has pur
chased needed equipment to out
fit the ambulance and has put
considerable funds into its opera
tion since that time. In addition
various organizations, individu
als and business establishments
have made contributions. The
ambulance must be kept in top
condition, requiring winter tires, -
chains, anti-freeze, oil changes,
and other expenses necessary to !
keep it ready for 24-hour duty.
At the present time the sorority
hopes to replace the out-dated
respirator now being used. It is
an old model and may be used on
only one persons at a time. The
new one they hope to purchase is
smaller, more compact, easier to
operate, and may be used on
more than one persons at the
same time.
“We could maintain the am
(Continued on page 5)
CHAMBER NAMES
NEW DIRECTORS
A unanimous ballot was cast
at the December 18 meeting of
the Matanuska Valley Chamber
of Commerce for new members
on the board of directors. Those
r,amed include: Max Clements,
manager of the Matanuska Tele
phone Association; Robert Pippel
of Pippel Insurance Agency; and
John Weisenberger of Palmer
Sheet Metal. Other members of
the board who will serve during
the coming year are: Mrs. Betty
Hears of Betty s’; Eugene Reid,
valley produce farmer; and Dr.
C. C. Bailey, local physician.
The seventh member will be
named at a later meeting.
Garden Club Items
Needed for Basket
Palmer Garden Club members
are asked today to be sure that
all items intended for the Christ
mas ‘basket be turned in at
Maud’s Flowers no later than
Monday evening.
City and School
District Made
Tax Exempt Offer
An offer to exempt 50 per cent
real property tax for a period not
to exceed two years, has been
made by letter to the Matanuska
Valley Farmers Cooperating As
sociation by the City of Palmer
and Palmer Independent School
District.
The offer was made following
a joint meeting of city and school
district officials on Monday of
this week and was made in an
swer to the Co-Op’s request 01
tax exemption under new Terri
torial legislation which makes
provisions for tax exemptions.
The offer was made on real pro
perty only and would not include
inventory of personal property.
Before the recommendation
from the city and school district
goes into Juneau, the Co-Op will
be granted sufficient time to an
swer the offer if they so desire,
it was stated.
FUNERAL SERVICES
SATURDAY FOR
ROBERT H. PETTIT
Funeral services for Robert
Harding Pettit, 37, of Palmer
will be held Saturday morning
at 11 o’clock from the United
Protestant Church. Mr. Pettit
died at his home on Lazy Moun
tain on December 17.
Born in Backoo, North Dakota
on November 27, 1920, Mr. Pettit
came to the valley from Califor
nia in 1947 and with his family
built a home in the Lazy Moun
tain section of the valley. Prior
to his illness he worked in the
construction field. He was a
World War II veteran and before
moving to the valley held the
rank of first lieutenant with the
U. S- Air Force. He was a mem
ber of the United Protestant
Church, Mtaanuska Valley Post
No. 15 American Legion, the Ma
tanuska Valley Masonic lodge,
and was very active in the local
Little League program.
Survivors include his wife,
Eloise Jane, three children, Rickie
Lynn, 13, Michael Duane, 11 and
Colleen Ann, 9; his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Leon Pettit of Sioux
Falls, South Dakota; and four
brothers, Richard R. Pettit of
North Redondo Beach, California;
Rev. William D. Pettit of Madi
son Hights, Michigan, George W.
Pettit of Yuma, Arizona; and Rev.
John L. Pettit of Stezler, Wis
consin.
The funeral service will be
conducted by the local Masonic
Lodge and graveside services at
the Palmer Cemetery will be con
ducted by the Matanuska Valley
Post American Legion, with the
local military squad participat
ing. All Legionnaires are request
ed to turn out for the service.
Arrangements are under the di
rection of the Palmer Funeral
Chapel.
BILL AND RUBY
INVITE EVERYBODY TO THEIR
Christmas Party
FRIDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 20
FOOD, MUSIC AND GIFTS FOR ALL
Crisp $20.00 Bill Door Prize
Will Be Awarded
SOURDOUGH BAR
■ WELL CHILD CLINIC
MOVED UP ONE DAY
Because the next regular
\ Well Child Conference to be
; held at the Health Center was
\ slated for the day before
; Christmas, Mary Rowley, pub
; lie health nurse, has made ar
rangements so that parents
; may take their pre-schoolers
to conference on Monday, De
! Cember 23. Anyone unable to
!; make it on Monday may go at
1; the regular hours on Tuesday
!; if they wish, she added.
Hitchcock Files
For House On
Alaska Party Ticket
The first filing of candidacy on
the Alaska party ticket has been
made in the Third Division. Ben
Hitchcock of Caribou Creek made
first public announcement today
that his declaration of candidacy
on the Alaska party has been on
file with the Third Division Clerk
of Court since December 6. He
seeks a seat in the Territorial
House.
Hitchcock was a candidate for
the House as an Independent in
1956, but was defeated. Immedi
ately following the election he
stated that he would run again
in 1958 as an Indepentdent, but
has since annouced the formal m
of the Alaska party. This party
incorporates the principles upon
which he ran as an Independent,
Hitchcock states.
Formation of the Fourth Divi
sion Alaska Party Committee was
publicly announced in newspap
ers of Fairbanks and surrounding
I areas, and in Nome, on December
6.
The candidate, a resident of Al
aska for 23 years, is a homestead
er and miner and builds pre-cut
cabins at Caribou Creek, Mile
107, Glenn Highway. He is mar
ried and has two sons and one
grandson.
His special concern in the open
ing election campaign, he states,
will be re-districting, to provide
representation in the Legislaure
for rural areas; for the enactment
of initiative and referendum, to
give the public a direct vote on
issues; and with rural develop
ment, to provide a living in Al
aska without dependency on fed
eral spending.
Al Saxion Buys
Local Barber Shop
Al D. Saxton, who recently
graduated from the Folks Bar
ber College in Seattle, this week
purchased the barber shop locat
ed in the Wright building from
Harry # Phillips and has opened
his shop for business. Saxton is
licensed to practice in both the
state of Washington and the ter
ritory of Alaska.
The new owner said the shop
will be open daily at 9 a.m.
• ARRANGEMENTS for your ;!
holiday tables \
• CORSAGES for your holi
;j day dates
!; • FLOWERS for your hostess 1;
i it • TELEGRAPH DELIVERY |
j;! SERVICE for orders back ;
! home
it ORDER EARLY, AVOID
RUSH
MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP jl
; Theatre Bldg. Phone 3601
District Engineers
Make Christmas
Bright for Children
There will be a Merry Christ
mas for the 25 children at the
Valley Christian Home for Chil
dren, thanks to the annual “B
Day” drive today at the U. S.
Army Engineer District, Alaska.
The “B-Day” has been held
each year since 1953 to help
raise extra Christmas funds for
the childrens’ home. Lucky Gla
cier Bugs, obtained from the Nug
get Shop in Juneau, are sold to
employees at Alaska District with
the proceeds going to the Or
phans’ Fund Committee to help
fill the children’s Christmas
stockings. This year’s Glacier Bug
drive was highly successful, ac
cording to committee members,
with a total of $376.40 raised.
The Valley Christian Home for
Children has been a voluntary
project of District employees
since 1948. So far approximately
$25,000 has been turned over by
employees through their elected
committee. The money, strict
ly audited and administered with
out cost, is one of the main sour
ces of income for the home, which
is supervised by Mr. and Mrs.
Harold A. Richards and located
on a large farm on the Wasilla
highway.
COMMUNITY PARTY
SET FOR SATURDAY
Merchants of the valley area
will again this year sponsor the
traditional Christmas Party the
Saturday afternoon before Christ
mas, December 21.
The program, under the direc
tion of the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce, will be
held in the Valley Theatre from
1:30 to 3:00 p.m. All children of
the age group through Grade 4.
are cordially invited to attend
this party. There will be no ad
mission charge and in addition to
a delightful program of Disney
and other films there will be a
visit from Santa Claus and treats
for each and every child.
Because of limited seating
room, parents of small children
are asked not to attend the party.
Adults from the Palmer Moose
Lodge and the Valley Chamber
will be in attendance to serve as
ushers and keep an eye on the
young children—see that they are
properly seated, and attend to
their needs.
Women of the Moose will again
this year take on the job ofi
sacking the several hundred bags \
of treats that will be distribut
ed. These women, and members
of the Moose lodge, have assisted
in this community project for
many years.
Mrs. Gladys Hayes, secretary
at high school, leaves Saturday
for a holiday visit to her former
home in California.
SAVE!
ON YOUR
HOLIDAY CLEANING
LIKE GARMENTS
2 for the 4
price of I
Cash and Carry
BROWN’S CLEANERS
I LIBRARY TO CLOSE
FOR HOLIDAYS
The Palmer Public Library
will be closed on December 24, j;
25, 31 and January 1, it was ;
announced this week. Books ;!
marked for return on any of ;!
the mentioned dates will net ;!
be considered late if returned \
on January 2.
Scouts Appreciate
Community Help
In Toy Project
Girl Scouts of Troop 33 this
week expressed their thanks and
appreciation to the community
for the support given them in
their toy workshop project.
“We received a great number
of toys—many of which were in
new condition and even some that
were pre-wrapped (which saved
us lots of time and money). Most
of the toys this year were in bet
ter condition than in past years.
We appreciate every donation
made and also wish to thank
those persons who helped us dress
the dolls”, the girls stated.
Anyone who has assisted the
project by making doll clothes
who has not'yet turned in the;
dressed dolls is asked to leave
them at the office of Dorothy B. ■
Saxton cm? at the home of Mrs.
Keith Lovejoy as early as pos
sible on Saturday. The Girl
Scouts plan to complete their
wrapping and packing jobs Sat
urday so they may have ample
time for distribution throughout
the valley area.
Will Rogers, Jr.
Wants to See Valley
Sometime in March Will Rog
ers, Jr., will be visiting the Ma
tanuska Valley.
Frank Brink, director of the
Anchorage Community College
Workshop, announced during his
visit to Palmer that Rogers will
be coming to Anchorage in March
to appear in O’Neill’s “Ah Wil
derness”, a play in which his
famous father made his first
stage appearance.
“One of the first things Rogers
said to me was ‘I want to see the
famous Matanuska Valley, my
dad talked about it so much”,
Brink said, and added that a trip
to the valley will be provided
the famous actor when he comes
to Alaska.
“Ah Wilderness” will be pre
sented by the Anchorage Com
munity Workshop in March.
WEATHER ABOUT THE SAME
Checking back over old notes
this week it was interesting to
find that on December 13 of last
year it was 22 below zero in the
Palmer area. There had been
sub-zero readings for eight days.
Sub-zero readings have been not
ed throughout the valley every
day this week.
URGE participation
IN CHRISTMAS
DECORATING CONTEST
All residents who have decorate
ed windows in their homes lor
the holidays are urged to register
for the Palmer Garden Club’s
annual Christmas decorating con
test.
Because of incllment weather
in past years the Club this year
announced that judging' will be
on window decorations only, and
all families who have spent the
time and money to decorate their
Windows are urged to enter the
contest. It was pointed out that
if there is not enough interest
shown in the contest this year, it
may be discontinued.
Cash prizes are planned for the
top three winners and it is the
hope of the Club that residents
will help promote the contest by
their participation. “If you have
registered at Maud’s Flower Shop
in the Theatre building, then urge
your neighbors to enter also”, a
member said this week.
NEW "CO-OP DOLLARS"
BEGIN TO CIRCULATE
Clayton Esslinger, comptroller
at the Co-Op, stated that the
.general business office was “like
a mad-house” on Monday of this
week when a great number of
persons holding 1951 certificates
of equity converted them to “Co
Op Dollars” cash. A total of $57,
560.00 will be paid on the 1951
certificates held by present or
former local residents. Up in the
-Fairbanks area $8,190 will be
paid out to holders of 1947-48
certificates. Although the volume
has dropped off during the week
certificate holders are still apply
ing steadily throughout the day,
he said. Those persons who have
not applied for certificate redem
ption by the end of the month
will be mailed checks, he added.
COMFORTABLE
Steam Heated Rooms
$40 Month
Hyland Hotel
2 blocks from Post Office
ATTENTION ALL ELKS
Regular Meetings December
25 and January 1
cancelled.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Please make early
appointments for
holiday events
BEST NEW YEAR
GREETINGS
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
LAVONNE JOHNSON
Phone 2041
LIVE MUSIC
THE CHEER HOTES
BOB & RUTH BURGESS
SATURDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 21
Palmer Bar
Holiday Party, Shamrock Lounge, FrL Dec. 27
TURKEY FEED — Ft! 11 EVERYBODY WELCOME