VOL. 22. NO. 11 KODIAK, ALASKA, MARCH 16, 1962 _ PRICE TEN CENTS
Need For Upgrading Commercial Area
Stressed By Planning Consultant
Residents present and members
of the Town Planning Commission
in attendance Wednesday evening
at a meeting held in the Cafeteria
of the high school heard a sum
mary of results of months of study
of Kodiaks’ industrial, commercial
and residential pattern. John Ault,
Community Planning Consultant
with the Alaska Housing Author
ity, spoke to the group.
Untaxed areas, a high rate of
substandard buildings in the
commercial area of the City,
were highlights of the report.
The speaker was introduced by
Dr. A. Holmes Johnson, president
of the Planning Commission. He
outlined the Commission’s prob
lem when Kodiak’s needs were
first dealt with, and the decision
made to seek an expert in mak
ing a study with recommendations
to follow. A substantial part of
the cost of the study is being de
frayed by the Federal government
in line with its urban renewal
program.
The planning consultant illus
trated his remarks with vari-color
ed charts on the walls. Each chart
dealt with particular areas of the
city. In order to plan for the fu
ture, he said, it was first neces
sary to find out what various pat
terns there are, what has exist
ed in the past—physical studies.
’‘From them we learn trends for
the future and needed planning,”
Ault stated.
According to the speaker, the
2 per cent of the City that is its
commercial area, is of greatest
importance for the economic
health of the community. The
study, he stated, pointed up the
fact that one-fourth of the build
ings in the area are substandard.
Many are in need of some type
of major repair. He stressed the
need for building codes, and a
capital improvement program,
which he said, should be updated
every five years. “A building
code is required when you look
for Urban renewal money,” Ault
stated.
One chart illustrated the fact
that in a large area of Kodiak
no revenue is derived from tax
ation. This comprises 24.10 per
cent of the City’s land.
Ault stated the study will be
concerned mainly within the city
proper, but will extend into out
lying areas as they affect the city.
Thought should be given to the
outer areas, he said, since they
will be organized into some form
of boroughs in the next two years.
Scottish Rite
Banquet Mar. 21
, Kodiak area Masons and their
wives will attend a Scottish Rite
Banquet at the Masonic Temple
this coming Wednesday, March
21st at 6 p.m.
A Consistory Team comprised
of four Juneau Masons will be
guests at the banquet. The four
expected from Juneau are Art
Hedges, Jim Gregg, Charles Mont
•joy, and Bob Rogers.
Admission will be $3 per person.
Ault particularly stressed zonin.
as much needed in future plan
ning. Data collected will be fur
ther studied, he said, and recom
mendations will be made at a fu
ture meeting.
Dr. A. Holmes Johnson presid
ed. City Manager Bill Poland anc
Mayor Merrill Coon spoke briefly
City Council and Planning Com
mission members present includ
ed Wilton White, Walt Kraft, Ar<
Brooks, Bill Lamme, T. T. Jack
son, Nick Frost, Charles Powell
Jack Hinckel, Morris Burnhan
and City Clerk Doug Preston.
Directors Chosen
At Rotary Meet
Board of Directors for 1962-61
were elected by the Rotary Clul
members present at the meetini
Tuesday noon at the 49 Room
The new directors take offici
June 30.
The six directors chosen are Dr
Bruce Keers, William Lamme, A
Hochberger, Ivor Schott, Pet<
Ramaglia and Rev. Lewis White.
Ron Batchelor, biologist witl
the Alaska Fish & Game Depart
ment, spoke to the group and il
lustrated his talk with slides. Hi
told of the recent caribou coun
in the Nilchena area. Batchelo
stated that the herd in the are;
surveyed has shown a sharp rise ii
population. A count made tw<
years ago showed about 16,000
and last year 40,000. The coun
this year showed they had increas
ed to 70,000. The surveyed are;
ranged from Nelchina to the Alas
ka Range and the Tanana river
The survey group made the coun
by airplanes, and were aided b:
fresh snow, which indicated here
patterns. Caribou were found t<
be spotty in places and dense ii
others in the 23,000 square mile;
covered in the survey.
Slides shown graphically illus
trated patterns indicating cariboi
being chased by wolves and even
tually being killed.
Other guests at the meetin:
were Everett Onnin and Capt. J
D. Fulp.
Chamber Adds
Two New Members
Two new members were added
to the roll of the Chamber of Com
merce here. These were Len
Johnson and Jim Barr.
The seafafer’s memorial to b*
erected at the entrance to the
small boat harbor will not be
completed in time for dedication
[ during the King Crab Festival
Mr. John Tapscott, designer oi
the memorial, who will complete
it, stated in a letter there was not
sufficient time to do the sculp
turing. He is expected here next
week to finalize the design,
i A letter from the president ol
the Kodiak high school studenl
body, asking support of the Cham
ber for the staging of the Class
“B” basketball tourney here, was
referred to the Tourist committet
’ for report next week.
' Ray Martin, Festival chairman
’ reported the tickets were read)
for distribution, and he is await
ing word on the final entry of i
queen contestant from the station
' when tickets will then be offeree
for sale.
!. It was thought to hold a Pillai
Mountain marathon race during
1 the Festival, but weather cor.di
tions prior to the time preven
training. It is expected to rui
* the event on July 4.
John Ault, Community planinj
consultant with the Alaska Hous
1 ing Authority, spoke to the grou]
1 on the study which he is conduc
* ing on Kodiak. The study was be
’ gun in July, 1961 and is expectee
^ to be completed by Nov. of thi:
year.
i _
Kodiak May Get
Refund On Tax
r
| Kodiak Independent School Dis
> trict and the city of Kodiak woulc
i benefit financially under the pro
; visions of a bill introduced las
week in the state house.
The city of Kodiak would re
I ceive $6,145 and the school dis
■ trict, $1,594, under the provisions
of a bill appropriating refund:
[ totaling $108,551 from the tax or
. non-profit electric and telephone
membership cooperatives.
Special Election, Sales Tax Vote
Clarified By City Manager Bill Poland
By William Poland
Kodiak City Manager
The Special Election to be held
March 27, 1962 is necessitated
primarily by the fact that Ordin
ance No. 205, adopted October
1956, which authorized the levy
of a 2% Sales Tax to be used for
Street Construction and Improve
ment and Boat Harbor Facilities,
requires that, when the sum of
$500,000 is collected for that pur
pose, the proposition of continu
ing that Sales Tax be placed be
fore the voters of the City. This
authorized amount of money will
ave been collected by March 31,
1962.
The voters of this City approv
ed the levy of an additional one
percent sales tax, to replace the
personal property tax, at the Gen
eral Election of October 3, 1961
This one percent sales tax is per
petuated until revoked, and o
course will continue after th<
$500,000 authorized in 1956 ha:
been collected. The Sales Ta:
proposition before the voters a
the March 27th election is simph
this: Do you wish to continui
the two percent sales tax, and us<
one-half of this money for contin
uing the Street Construction an<
Improvement program, and th<
other one-half for financing con
struction of the Pillar Creel
Water Supply and replacemen
and enlargement of water line
on Rezanoff Drive and Brooklyi
Avenue to the City Dock area?
Let us take a look at the rea
Along The Waterfront
Many of the big crab fishing
boats, and some of the smaller
ones are laying in at the small
boat harbor. Catches are sketchy
with the quality of the crab not
too good. This is seasonal.
Bob Springhill, Superintendent
at King Crab, Inc., reports get
ting a few crab and some shrimp
lately.
&
Hull repairs have been com
pleted on the vessels Left Cape
and Chum at the Alvine’s Marine
Repair. They now have Pat Can
non’s vessel the Swallow hauled
out for repairs to damage suffered
at the Alaska Packer’s dock last
November.
A heavy sea did considerable
damage to vessels at Homer last
Sunday. During the heavy weath
er the vessel Eunice broke loose
from her moorings and caught
fire about the same time. Aboard
i her were Carl Sullivan, well
, known here, and skipper and own
1 er, who was getting into a skiff
when a large wave hit the vessel
’ and he disappeared. The 73-year
5 old fisherman was presumably
- drowned.
1 &
' The large vessel docked at city
dock past several days is the U S.
I Bureau of Commercial Fisheries
■ research boat, Bertha Ann. She
> has been operating out in waters
■ south of the Alaska Peninsula and
■ in Adak waters for some weeks.
I Her three biologists have been
1 taking water, plankton, and fish
samples. She will refuel at the
navy base here and then continue
researching the Shelikof Straits.
Kodiak Welding Works did a lit
tle machine work for her while
she was in.
t.
The m/v Sea Venture is drifting
at sea approximately 145 miles
from Adak. The three persons
. aboard were taken off the ves
. sel by the m/v Silver Wave.
The Sea Venture reported itself
; as sinking yesterday afternoon. A
UF-2 Albatross aircraft and the
i USS Abanaki were dispatched
from Adak and a Coast Guard UF
soning behind this Sales Tax prop
osition, and also take a look at
what has been done with Sales
Tax monies already collected. We
are all well aware of the accomp
lishments in the small boat har
bor as regards construction of in
[ ner facilities. Dock, floats, berths,
etc., have been installed which
! make the Kodiak boat harbor one
1 of the finest in Alaska. In addi
: tion, the automobile parking facil
: ities at the boat harbor have
r greatly reduced the demands on
the main street and has provided
! an excellent area for special oc
' casions such as the King Crab
' Festival and the Fourth of July
! celebration. Because of financial
' aid received from the State of
: Alaska, in the last two years, over
t $100,000 remains in the Boat Har
5 bor Sales Tax fund. This money
1 is planned to be used for addi
tional facilities in rnothe** boat
(Continued on Page O
from here. The UF from here
has returned and the vessel is
designated as a drifting derelict.
£
3 Escape Unhurt
In Boat Sinking
Three persons escaped without
injury after the 32-foot boat
“Lory” struck a reef and sank
about one mile offshore between
Woody and Long Islands last Sun
day morning.
After attempting for over two
hours to stem the flow of water
through the damaged hull, the
three were forced to abandon the
craft in a small skiff.
Skippering the deisel-powered
vessel was it’s owner, Bob Bible
who was being accompanied on
the seal-hunting trip by Carl
Christiansen and George Horner.
Christiansen originally lived in
Old Harbor until moving to Ko
diak recently. Horner is chef at
Grayce’s Cafe.
The three rowed their skiff to
the Woody Island shore and
walked across the island to catch
the FA A boat back into town.
Bible used the craft as a resi
dence and lost most of his personal
belongings in the sinking. The
vessel was not insured.
Seek To Curtail
Excess Fishing
JuneaufTP). A bill designed to
discourage excessive entry by fish
ermen into areas where poor runs
are predicted passed the House
Wednesday.
The measure, HB432. would es
tablish procedures whereby the
Alaska Fish and Game Board
could, with the consent of the lo
cal advisory boards, set fish quo- ,
tas for commercial fishing boats.
Such quotas would be set only
after maximum number of licens
ed fishermen or gear prescribed
for the area had been reached.
At that noint permits could be is
sued to license holders physically
nresent in the area.
*
Monashka Closure
Effective Sunday
An emergency closure of Mon
ashka Bay to all king crab fish
ing, effective midnight this Sun
day, March 18, has been announc
ed by the Department of Fish and
Game.
The closure order effects all of
Monashka Bay bounded by a line
extending from Miller Point to
Termination Point.
Also the use of trawls for ob
taining bait has been prohibited
in Fizhuyak Bay inside a line from
Kekur Point to Peregrebni Point
(Settler’s Cove) and Puale Bay in
side of a line from Cape Unali
shagvak to Cape Kekurnoi. This
closure order became effective
midnight Tuesday, March 13.
These closures are to protect
breeding male king crab on the
spawning grounds and soft shell
crab that are being destroyed by
bait trawling, the department ad
vised.