SEWARD’S
All-'Weathec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
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Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VII. No. 21
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, SEPT. 12, 1950
Price 10 cents
Civil Defense
Chief Meets
Local Board
Col. Alexander, Chief of Civil
Defense for Alaska, met with the
local committee and Mayor
Eugene Lanier in a special meet
ing Sunday night to discuss the
program in Seward.
He told the committee that un
like the program in the States
where it is financed by the indi
vidual state, there has been no
provision made in Alaska for
financing Civil Defense. It re
mains, therefore, the problem of
each community to do what it
can without either Federal or
Territorial aid on expenses.
“The main thing,” he said, “is
to prepare as much as possible
to fight fires, prevent looting,
and alleviate suffering after a
raid.”
ARR Takes Responsibility
The Alaska Railroad has been
given the responsibility of stor
ing food and medicines and of
evacuation of communities when
necessary. Col. Johnson has al
ready secured and is stockpiling
emergency rations in key spots
along the railbelt to be moved
in when needed.
Col. Alexander agreed that
practice alerts and blackouts
are a wise precaution. “There is
no reason for people to be
alarmed by such practice,” he
said, “it is no different than fire
drills or insurance.”
He feels that a possible inva
sion would probably not be made
through Seward, but a strike
would be made against the large
air fields. There might be some
possibility of nuisance raids or
strafing, but our chief difficulty
would be isolation.
Every house should observe
the usual precautions against
fires, and the spread of fires by
keeping attics clear of trash,
yards clean, eliminate fire dan
ger by stopping the storage of
gasoline drums in yards, and
other safety measures.
Siren Is Installed
The Seward Civil Defense
Committee, under the chairman
(Turn to Page 3)
MAJOR ROSNESS, USAF,
HOME ON LEAVE
Major J. Henry Rosness is vi
siting his father and mother,
Mr. and Mrs. John Rosness, and
sister, Mrs. Sigrid Stearns. Ma
jor Rosness is on leave from the
Air Force, where he is presently
stationed at Washington, D. C.
This is his first visit in almost
two years. He is a real Seward
ite, having been born here. He
graduated from Seward High
School, attended the University
of Alaska, and later was appoint
ed to West Point by Judge An
thony Dimond, who was then
Alaskan Delegate to Congress.
Major Rosness graduated from
West Point in 1943. He was in
the European Theater during
and after the war, with the
8th Air Force.
SEWARD WOMAN'S CLUB
TO SEE "ALASKA. U.S.A "
The Alaska Development
Board film “Alaska, U.S.A.” will
be featured at the fall meeting
and reception of the Seward
Woman’s Club Thursday night
in the Methodist Church parlor
at 8:00 p.m.
The first fall meeting is al
ways a reception to the new
teachers and women of the city.
It was not definitely known
until today that the film would
be available for this meeting,
but it is assured for this week.
All women of Seward are in
vited to this “get acquainted”
meeting and reception.
Homer Fair Offers
Many Attractions
For Peninsutaites
No word has been received by
the paper concerning details of
the Homer Fair which begins
this week. A personal letter to
Miss Peggy Goodrich, however,
dated Aug. 23, gives the follow
ing information.
The fair will open at 10:00
am., Sept. 14, running until
midnight Sept. 17.
Governor Gruening has been
invited to attend and Friday,
Sept. 15, has been set aside as
his day. Saturday will be chil
dren’s day with games, races,
and other amusements.
Many types of concessions and
games are planned for the four
day fair.
Exhibits of handicraft, sewing,
knitting, canning, home products '
and livestock will receive the!
usual three ribbon awards with
special prizes given on the last
day.
Sewardites are invited to
bring or send their exhibits and
enter into the activities of this
first annual fair of the Kache
mak Bay Farmers Association at
Homer this week.
Sehwamm To Slarf
Airport Work
Next Week—He Soys
Tony Sehwamm, who was
I present at the dedication cere
mony of the Sterling Highway
| last Wednesday, told Sewardites
! present that he will be in town
I next week to start preliminary
1 work on the Seward Airport.
Acquisition of land has been
completed, all easements given,
and all that remains is the ac
tual engineering of the project,
which is to begin immediately.
SEWARD LOCAL MAKES GIFT
TO SWIMMING POOL FUND
Common Labor Union Local
341 made a gift of S50 last Fri
day to the swimming pool fund.
Bob Lewis presented the check
just too late for publication.
The donkey softball games
sponsored by Joe Doyle netted
S228.15 for the fund and various
smaller donations have brought
the total to the amount of S778.
15. A steady increase throughout
the winter is hoped to place the
committee in a position to start
work in the spring.
Labor Commission
Candidate Visits Here
Ross E. Kimball. Democratic
candidate for Territorial Com
missioner of Labor in the Octo
ber 10 election, was in Seward
over the weekend laying his
platform before the people.
Mr. Kimball is familiar with
conditions in Western Alaska,
having lived at Kodiak, Anchor
age, Jonesville and Fairbanks.
Until receiving nomination at
last spring’s primary, Mr. Kim
ball was in the transfer and
storage business in Fairbanks,
but has liquidated his business
in anticipation of taking office.
Two years ago when the Fish
Trap Referendum was before
the people, Kimball was head of
the Fish Trap Abolishment Asso
ciation, and himself financed
the entire campaign in the In
terior and cooperated with other
agencies interested in abolish
ment of fish traps. Of a vote of
over 5,000 in the Interior, only
430 were in favor of traps.
While in Anchorage on the
present trip, Mr. Kimball offer
ed to speak before any group,
including Republicans, that
would like to hear him, and if
he returns to Seward before
election the same offer holds
good here.
Five Narrowly
Escape Death
In Accident
Art Loring and family and
two passengers from Anchorage,
John J. Vandike and Jack V.
Jacobson, escaped death at Mile
23 on the Seward Hope High
way, by what Highway Patrol
men describe as a “miracle”
when a soft shoulder gave way
from under the outer wheels
of the pickup truck which Mr.
Loring was driving, allowing
it to leave the road and roll
completely over Mr. Jacobson
and Mr. Vandike. who were rid
ing in the rear. Large rocks in
the path of the rolling vehicle,
the size of a man's body, pre
vented more serious injuries.
The two accident victims were
taken to the Seward General
Hospital for medical attention,
and it was found that Mr. Jacob
son was suffering from a broken
right arm and severe lacerations
of the face, and that Mr. Van
dike was suffering facial lacera
tions and bruises. None of the
Lorine family were hurt other
than for minor bruises.
Pulling out too far on a soft
shoulder to make passing room
for an approaching vehicle was
the direct cause of the accident.
Loring said.
Motorists are urged to use
every precaution when passing
vehicles at this time of year be
cause the shoulders are very
soft and the roads narrow’. If
you see that there isn't room
enough to pass an approaching
vehicle, stop, and if necessary
I back up to a point where there
| is room enough to pass safely,
rather than chance having an
: accident.
Drivers should also use every
precaution when passing trucks
and buses, as these vehicles are
heavy and cannot pull too far
out on the shoulder because of
j their weight and by doing so
! would endanger life and prop
i erty.
POLICE ISSUE 8 TICKETS
IN FOUR DAYS
|
' Local police officers have
issued eight tickets for speed
ing and reckless driving in the
past four days. One drunk driv
ing and speeding through thr
school zone have been the chiei
cause of offenders.
One man was clocked at 5fl
miles an hour through the school
zone! The tachometer on the
patrol car is indisputable evi
dence against the speeder.
SIX SEWARDITES TO TREK
OUTSIDE THIS V/EEK
I
| Mrs. Ralph Reed, Mrs. L. V.
j Pay, Miss Sylvia Sexton and
Mrs. R. C. Ingram will start the
long drive over the highway
this week to spend the winter
; Outside.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Faust will
, leave at the same time, but ex
pect to return after a short
j visit.
I -
MAYOKOKS ON TOUR
OF STATES
Mrs. Esther Mayokok and her
four children are on a six month
tour of the United States in the
care of Mr. David Erwin.
Mr. Erwin was responsible for
the Mayokok family at the last
World’s Fair in New York,
where they represented the
American Eskimo from Wales.
Letters from Mrs. Mayokok
disclose that the family is en
joying the tour, and are at pres
ent at the Eskimo Village of the
New York State Fair in Syra
cuse. They will return to Sew
ard at the end of the tour.
No Seward Boys
In Draft Call
For This Month
For once Seward is glad to
have been passed over by some
thing. The list of draftees for
September as published yester
day does not include any local
boys.
Ten men from Anchorage,
two from Cordova and one from
Palmer make up the list of four
teen called by the Selective
I Service Board to report for in
duction on September 25. Four
others who came within the al
lotment for this district will be
inducted by boards Outside
where they are visiting.
Selection is made by age from
the 1-A classification, the oldest
being called first. None of the
Seward boys called for pre
induction physicals last week
are over the age of 22.
Seek Identity of
Mystery Camper
Mr. Cushman of Portage re
ported to the highway patrol
man on Sept. 8 that two weeks
previously a shelter tent had
been pitched near the south end
of the second highway bridge
south of Red’s Saloon and Trad
ing Co. at Portage, and that it is
still there unattended. No one
in the vicinity has seen anyone
near the camp.
Patrolmen Puckett and Kel
log went to the scene immedi
ately after receiving the report
and found a camping outfit
stored in the tent. The stored
items consisted of a form fitting
sleeping bag, one tan ski cap,
flour, rolled oats, cocoa, salt,
powdered milk, condiments and
matches.
At the entrance to the tent
were found two cartons that had
contained .22 shells. The men
were unable to find where a fire
had been built and the sleeping
bag did not appear to have been
used at the site. No means of
identifying the owner were dis
covered.
Anyone knowing the where
* abouts of the owner, or informa
tion leading to identification, is
requested to communicate with
the Marshall's office, highway
patrol or city police.
School Lunch Program
; Gets Underway
The first day of the hot luncn
' program in the Seward schooJ
! went off smoothly and withoul
! a hitch, according to Mrs. B
j Davis, president of the P-TA
' lunch committee.
Lunches were served to 1UH
! pupils and teachers. A light
| menu was selected for the first
day with buttered corn as the
one hot dish. Peanut butter
sandwiches, carrot sticks, hot
j chocolate and canned peaches
• completed the m e n u, which
J seemed to satisfy both the appe
tites and the taste of children
and teachers.
There was no disorder or mis
behavior, according to Mrs.
Davis, and the committee was
very pleased to see every plate
returned empty.
Twenty volunteers are needed
to operate the project through
the year. By having this number
on the list, every mother will
be asked to serve only four
hours in two weeks, thus reliev
ing the burden for everyone.
Women who are willing and
able to serve are asked to con
tact Mrs. Helen Gerwer, Madi
son 72, or Mrs. Davis, Polk 113,
immediately, giving the day of
the week which is most con
venient for them to help with
the lunches.
If enough help is not volun
j teered it will be necessary to
(Turn to Page 4>
Lowell Canyon
Hydro Line
Washed Out
Heavy flood waters rushing
down Lowell Canyon have
washed out the trestling whicn
supports the hydraulic power
line of the Alaska Telephone
Engineering Corporation. It will
; be repaired as soon as the water
j subsides enough to allow work
men to approach the break. In
the meantime there is no inter
ruption in service.
The unusually heavy rams
and wind of the southeaster
which has pelted Seward this
past week have caused a rise
in the creek which is pouring a
rushing, roaring torrent of
j water and debris through the
tunnel which can be heard for
several blocks in the down town
area. The cannery road and
bridge are washed out com
pletely.
A pick-up truck belonging to
the canery was lost in the water
when the driver attempted to
ford the stream and, not aware
that the bridge was gone, drove
into the washout. By noon yes
terday all that was visible of
j the truck was about a foot of
j the top of the cab.
i Small boats overdue in Sew
! ard are supposed to be holed up
! in safe harbors out of the storm.
A phone cable serving Sew
! ard General Hospital and other
lines in that area was blown
1 down by the storm. An emer
gency line is being run into
the section as rapidly as possi
ble so as to open up service
to the hospital. Workmen are
being flown in to repair the
cable.
No serious damage has been
reported as yet but some wash
outs on the highway are to be
expected if the storm does not
abate soon.
MRS. BIE RESUMES POSITION
AS PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE
Mrs. LaPreal Bie bas been
appointed Public Health Nurse
for Seward. She began her work
September 1. Mrs. Bie has served
Seward before in this capacity,
but resigned last December “just
to live at home and get ac
quainted with my baby,” she
said.
After her resignation. Mrs.
: Gertrude Jurgeleit served in the
! position from January 1 to June
1 of this year. Since Mrs. Jur
geleit's transfer, Seward has
been without the services of a
Public Health Nurse.
Owing to the scarcity of quali
fied Public Health Nurses in
Alaska, Mrs. Bie consented to
resume her position rather than
leave the community without
j assistance any longer.
FOREST SERVICE ISSUES
GUIDE TO ALASKA TREES
“Pocket Guide to Alaska
Trees,” an illustrated booklet
identifying the -trees of Alaska,
1 has been revised and reissued
\ by the United States Forest
Service.
This booklet by R. F. Taylor,
Forester in Charge, Alaska For
est Research Center, and E. L.
Little, Jr., Dendrologist, adds
five species and one variety
to the 28 species in the first
edition issued in 1929. It gives
the common and scientific names
and describes the tree, its habi
tat, economic importance in non
technical language and a map
of the forest regions in Alaska.
A limited number are avail
able for free distribution at the
local Forest Service office. In
dividuals may also order copies
at 25 cents each from the
Superintendent of Documents,
Washington 25, D. C.