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this paper and also the local news published herein.
_.lit, »!■_ _' ■■■
Rat Population Increases In Kodiak
By Bichard Pace
City Sanitarian
It is becoming more evident in
recent months that the rat popu
lation of Kodiak and its environs
is on the increase, Some of this
no doubt, is due to the coid wea
ther and snow which force the ro
; dents to seek warm shelter and
food and thus, become more evi
• dent. However, the fact remains
teat in spite of the efforts of City
©* fie Lais the rat population is on
tee increase.
How ran we, the public, help elim
inate this problem? It is a proven
biological fact that in spite of
poisoning and trapping, rats will
continue to multiply. The only
effective means of eliminating the
peat <is to destroy its home and take
away its food supply. Only after
we have accomplished this can we
hope to achieve lasting control of
teis obnoxious nuisance.
Rats in populated areas depend
entirely on mankind for existence.
, They lave in old lumber piles, re
fuse and stacks of debris which
are allowed to accumulate, and in
abort, in any place where material
is available for cover and nesting.
They depend on main’s discards
from the kitchen table for their
food. Eliminate either or both
of this part of a mat’s environment
and you have the first step of an
effective control program in op
eration- Then trapping and poi
soning techniques may be applied
which will eliminate the rat once
and for all.
Proper storage of home garbage
is the home owners responsibility.
Garbage cans must be kept covered
at all times, and the garbage stor
age area must be kept clean and
saxvitary. Garbage can racks
should be built to keep the cans
(from being blown around by the
wind dr tipped over by dogs. Var
ious devices are on sale locally
which will keep the lid on the
can and ensure that the lid and
the can do uot become separated.
Lumber should be stacked in neat
pdfles and all refuse piles hauled
wway to the dump.
If there are no improvements
in home garbage practices the rat
population will continue to in
crease. If allowed to reach the
population density present in 1955
it is quite possible we could have
an outbreak of leptospirosis in the
Kodiak area.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Sir:
There seems to be soone confus
itn in the minds of a few taxpay
ers <as to the city’s new tax struc
ture. I will try, in my humble
way, to explain what has gone
on fui<l why.
First, iit must be remembered
that >our councilmen, property
owners and taxpayers all, are as
much concerned about taxation as
anyone else. Fair and equitable
taxation concerns us all.
Fur twenty years now, o * since
<Aie city was incorporated i’JtO.
many individuals have been hired
m tax assesors, not Always ior
Ataoir ability, but as someone* to
do the job. Many of these asses
sors had little or no knowledge of
property values and therefore the
value of the property was often
giilAS* work and not just Some
taxpayers were paying more taxes
than they should have, others not
paying their share but deriving
the same benefits as those who
Aid
This method of taxation was
entirely wrong. The council de
eidod to do something about it so
hired a professional assessor from,
Anchorage to evaluate the various
■properties ih Kodiak on a proiess
KMiJtl and honest basis. This man
is of the highest integrity, having
dene similar work in Anchorage,
Seward, and numerous other cities,
earning himself a reputation as a
fair and just appraiser.
Many things, not immediately
apparent to some, must be vaken
into consideration in placing a
City To Appeal
lln- City of Kodiak will file an
«ppvdi ol the judgement handed
fair valuation on property. Some
of them are: location of the prop
erty, access to roads, view, type
of material, adjacent to sewer and
water, closeness to transportation,
etc.
An increase in the assessed val
uation does not necessarily meap
you will pay more taxes. The city
operates on a budget. It takes
just so much money to operate
the City for one year, namely,
fire protection, police protection,
maintenance of streets and utili
ties, clerical help, etc:
Each year a budget is made
up anticipating the amount
ia money needed for each depart
ment. The budget is carefully
checked and rechecked to insure
the utmost for each dollar that is
spent.
In the past, property values
Itave been assessed at twenty mills,
(Legal limit is thirty mills). If
the assessed valuation shows an
increase, the millage assessed can
be decreased and still supply
enough funds to operate the city,
efficiently. It should be noted
that a major portion of our city
taxes go to the support of our
schools; in 1959 of the 20 mill
levy, 9.1 mills, or almost half was
paid' to the Kodiak Independent
School District.
Rich man, poor man, beggar
we will all be taxed on an equitable
basis, paying our just taxes, no
man, thief, it makes no difference,
more, no less. This, I believe is
the fair and equitable way of tax
ation in a democra y such as ours.
Sincerely,
blLL WORTH
down by Judge J. L. McCarrey,
District judge, which was entered
January 25, in the case of the
Russian Orthodox Church vs.
City of Kodiak.
Food Prices
Down In 1959
The family food shopper in nine
Alaska cities paid on the average
56 cents less for 40 items in Dec
ember, 1959, than in December,,
1958.
Cities showing the greatest de
dinees were Anchorage, Fairbanks,
Paimer, Petersburg, Juneau, Sew
ard, Kodiak and Ketchikan. The
announcement comes from the
University of Alaska Cooperative
Extension Service, which makes
regular price surveys.
For the quarter ending in Dec
ember, 1959, a survey showed de
dines for most Alaska cities, ex
cept for seasonal increases in
Kodiak, Fairbanks and Nome.
Foods with the greatest September
December drop in Alaska cities
were bacon, 6 cents;- shortening, 4
cents; chicken, 3 cents; apples, 3
cents; canned peaches, 3 cents.
Pork chops, salad dressing, fresh
oranges, eggs, carrots, canned and
frozen orange juice, flour and fruit
cocktail all dropped 1 to 2 cents
apiece. There were increases in
tomatoes, 13 cents; lettuce, 6 cents;
chuck roast, 3 cents; sugar, 2 cents;
and butter, 1 cent.
Here are the price figures for
the 40 item “market basket," with
the order being Dec. 1959, Sept.
1959, Dec. 1958: Seattle, $16.74,
$16.80, $16.91; Ketchikan, $19.44,
$19.53, $19.57; Petersburg, $20.42,
$20.82, $20.98; Juneau, $20.34,
$20.66, $20.89; Kodiak, $21.97,
$21.68, $22.17; Seward, 21.87,
$21.97, $22.39; Anchorage, $21.86
$22.34, $23.29; Palmer, $22.10,
$22.10, $22.29, 22.87; Fairbanks,
$24.68,, $24.63, $25.64; Nome
$28.15, $27.32, $28.09
The forty items covered in the
retail price survey are: flour, roll
ed oats, corn flakes, bread, round
steak, chuck roast, ground beef,
luncheon meat, pork chops, frying
chicken, milk, ice cream, butter,
evaporated milk, eggs, strawber
ries, frozen orange juice, apples,
bananas, oranges, potatoes, onions,
carrots, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes,
fruit cocktail, canned orange juice,
peas, tomato soup, pork and beans,
jello, baby food coffee, shortening,
jello, baby food, coffee, shortening,
a copy of the latest food price sur
vey, write the University of Alaska
Cooperative Extension Service,
Box B, College, or visit your local
extension office.
Cub Scouts Have
Lively Evening
The Cub Scouts of Kodiak Pack
213 blasted off to a lively evening,
complete with flying rocket ship
last Friday, January 29, in the
Highschool Gymnasium. Annual
inspection was conducted by Mr.
Erwin Wheeler with Mr. Allan
Byrd, Ned Farber, Dr. Robert
Parker, Cubmaster Richard Loch
miller and Scoutmaster Lowell
Jones assisting.
Bobcat awards were presented
to Freddy Leonard and Robert
Breckberg. The next event on the
evening’s program was the judging
and awarding of first and second
prizes for the two most original
and best made space helmets by
the Cubs.
Judges for the contest were Mr.
O. Foreman. Ivor Schott and La
yer ne Chase. First prize was a
warded to Joe Hester and second
prize went to Ralph Longmire.
Cubs of Den 3 then presented a
skit, “Voyage into Space”, which
ended in the surprising locale of
Australia. A second skit was pre
sented by the Cubs of Den 6.
“Rocket to the Moon” was the title
of this skit and employed the use
of a rocket ship which actually
“flew’’ the length of the stage
with great clatterings and bump
ings.
Cubmaster Lochmiller closed the
evening with an invitation to all
Cubs and their parents to attend
the annual Blue and Gold banquet
to be held February 25th at the
Highschool cafeteria.
Bowling
Emblem Club
W L
Mecca 49 Room 49% 22%
Orpheum Flickers 42 30
King Crabs 41 31
Kraft’s Super Mkt. 40% 31%
Mecca Cab 38 34
Breakers S. Shots 38 34
CSty Mkt. 34 38
Knudsen’s 31% 40%
Ship’s Tavern 30 42
Chiniak Chicks 29% 42%
Naughton’s 29 43
Breakers Liquor 29 43
Hi single game scratch V. Pan
chot 205; hi single game hdcp V.
Panchot 228, R. Andrews 228; hi
series, scratch & hdcp S. Ramaglia
531-612; hi team game scratch &
hdcp King Crabs 755-936; hi team
series, scratch Mecca 49 Room
2186; hi team series, hdcp Mecca
Cab 2681.
Mixed Doubles
w h
NoOiots 54 20
Rock-N-Boilers 49% 30%
Seagram 7s 44 36
Sinpetters 42 38
B. S. Si tots 41 39
McLinn-Snyder 41 39
Huer-Andersen 40 40
Gutter Snipes 37 43
Dickew-Richardson 35 45
Unger-Veerman 34 40
Din-Heads 32 48
So rum & Co. 30% 49%
Hi single game women, N. Nel
son 180, A. Huer 180; men E.
Lester 227; hi single game hdcp
women, A. Huer 219; men, Ole
Johnson 231; hi series scratch &
hdcp women, N. Nelson 510-612;
men, E. Lester 643-643; hi team gm,
scratch Seagram 7s 689; hi team
game hdcp, McLinn-Snyder 820;
hi team series, scratch Seagram 7s
1951; hi team series, hdcp, McLinn
Snyder 2391.
Chiniak Maniac* 24 48
Hi game, Wittxrh 225; hi gam©
w/hdcp, Munro 247; hi series. Wit
tich 630; hi series w/hdcp, Nelson
681.
Elks League
Honest Johns 57 23
Penny Pinchers 49 27
Lecturing Knights 49 35
Roosters 45% 34%
Antlers 46 38
Paul Bunyons 43% 40%
Pin Toppers 43 41
Bilko Specials 38% 41%
Esquires 28 48
Fiddlers 30% 53%
Clubbers 27 53
Heav-A-Heads 17 39
Hi series scratch Lester 592; hi
game scratch Bible 235; hi series
w/hdcp Dawson {>66; hi game
w/hdcp Dawson 236.
Basketball Action
For This Week
Only two games were played this
week.
PNA firmly entrenched them
selves in second place with s 67
47 victory over the last place high
school Independents. Leading
PNA was Jerling with 29 points
and Skinner with 25. High for
the Independents was Starbird
with 16.
The second ga me of the eve
ning found American Legion
moving into third place by trounc
ing Krafts easily 71-35. Cloudy
with 27 points led the Legdonaires
while Hartman was high for Krafts
with 17.
Action Next Week
Monday and Friday only will be
devoted to town league basketball,
with American Legion msetung
NAVCOMSTA on Monday at 6:30
while FASRON tangles with Sup
ply at 8:15.
Friday night finds the first
place Bears clashing with fourth
place Krafts at 8:15 while the JVs
meet the American Legion 2nd
team at 6:30.
Commercial
W L
Mecca 57 31
B & B 52% 31%
Schlitz 54 34
Breakers 52 36
Kodiak Telephone 45 43
Town Club 42 46
Heidelberg 39 45
National Guard 38 46
Chase & Copsey 39 49
Sportland 37% 50%
Loran Station 32 52
Standing
Town League
1. Kodiak Bears 7 2
2. PNA 7 4
T.. Amer. Legion d 4
4. Krafts 5 5
5. Supply • 4 5
(j. 1'asron 3 3
7. NAVOOMSTA 2 2
8. H.S. Independents 1 11
Do you need money? Sell that
unwanted item through the pages
of the Kodiak Mirror.