■ Hn k h/ott of l/Ko*t 'h.itofiC Roland
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Staff Photographer....George C. Ameigh, Jr.
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in this paper and also the local news published herein.
Is Paved Highway Necessary?
Pro Con
The Kodiak Street project as
planned for construction by the
State, to be routed through Brook
lyn Avenue, Rezanof Drive, “J”
Street to Potato Patch Lake and
thence to Mission Road, is one
badly needed by the people of
Kodiak.
At the present time the prin
cipal state highway is routed
through town by way of Shelikof,
Alaska Way, Main Street and out
Mission Road to the city limits.
This route presents so many prob
lems involving right angle turns,
narrow rights-of-way, traffic con
gestion, etc. that the Bureau of
Public Roads has refused to con
sider improvement of this route.
Since the Bureau of Public Roads
now pays the City of Kodiak ap
proximately $16,000.00 per year
for maintenance of this route and
Brooklyn Avenue, and since main
tenance costs of both the above
roads will be borne by the city
after Omnibus Bill monies are ex
hausted by the State in 1963, it
behooves us to make every effort
to get the state to improve both
State through routes prior to
dumping them in the lap of the
city for maintenance.
If the State will construct the
proposed street in accordance with
standards presently proposed
which is a city type street with
curbs and gutters, a great many
drainage problems will be solved,
by draining run-off from private
property into the street, thence
into gutters, where it can be con
trolled to flow into the proper
drainage area.
A street of this type should be
practically maintenance - free for
many years. The estimated cost is
$550,000.00, of which the city
would be required to pay 10%, or
$55,000.00, from its Sales Tax
Fund. Since the SheQikof, Alaska
Way, Main Street, Mission Road
route takes at least 75%, or $12.
000.00 of the $16,000.00 annual
maintenance cost for the two State
routes previously mentioned, it
follows that the city would recover
its cost of the project in AVz to 5
years in reduced maintenance ex
penditures. which makes such an
investment economically sound.
Additional benefits, of course,
would be the gaining of a much
needed through paved thorough
fare, and many drainage problems
along the proposed route cured.
Naval Station
Births
A daughter, Patricia Marie,
weighing 6 lbs. 6 ozs., was born
on August 4 to Dolores and James
Mark Brown. AG1, USN.
A daughter, Tracy Alma, weigh
ing 6 lbs. 6 ozs.. was born on Aug
ust 4 to La Vonne and Ernest Lee
Caldwell, CS2, USN.
Read the classifieds for profit;
use them for results.
The following is a analysis of
facts pertaining to the BPR Proj
ects F-011-1 (1), (2), (3) for the
widening, curbing and paving of
an arterial highway through Ko
diak from Alaska Way north on
Benson Avenue to Rezanof,
through Rezanof to J Street and
through J Street to make a junc
tion with Mission Road near the
city limits.
9
Is Road Necessary?
Is this project really necessary?
It does not appear to be. The
areas through which it passes are
already served by adequate roads.
Can We Afford It?
The latest total estimated cost
is $550,000, and on this estimate
the minimum cost to the City of
Kodiak in direct charges would be
ten per cent, or fifty-five thousand
dollars ($55,000). This figure could
be increased by costs of relocating
■water mains and sewer trunks and
any Right of Way costs that ex
ceed the $35,000 maximum obli
gation figure for which the State
is responsible. It appears that the
right of way costs will exceed this
$35,000 figure by a considerable
amount as the cost of moving
power and telephone lines, the
cost of appraising abutting prop
erty and other incidentals has
eaten into the figure to a consider
able degree and no abutters have
been compensated for damages.
A conservative estimate of local
participation is $75,000.
Who Will Benefit?
Those people residing on streets
from which traffic will be diverted
may benefit to some extent. Those
persons who do the construction
will benefit, but we have no assur
ance that the successful bidder
will be a local contractor.
Who Will Be Hurt?
The majority of the abutters to
the project will be damaged by
having their street widened un
necessarily in order that construc
tion will comply with specifica
tions that will permit Federal par
ticipation. Many businesses and
home owners will have their prop
erty cut back virtually to their
very doors.
The new school was deliberately
located off the main traveled roads
to eliminate a hazard to lives of
the school children. The new ar
terial will reroute the heavy traffic
through the residential section of
town and past the school grounds.
Could this $75,000 be spent to
better advantage on surface drain
age. paving extension and dust
control? Worth thinking about.
Will the $500,000 expenditure by
the State on this project affect our
chances of getting other projects
approved? Yes. We can only get
our fair share of the tax dollar.
House Numbering
Is No. 1 Project
Kodiak may yet have street
signs and house numbers if plans
of the Civic Improvement commit
tee of the Kodiak Chamber of
Commerce are carried out.
A report from the committee at
Thursday meeting of the Chamber
listed this as the number 1 proj
ect. Other projects as outlined by
the committee as necessary were:
Swimming pool. A study is now
being made of this to determine
costs and feasibility. A sign on
road entering Kodiak, and at the
small boat harbor, designating en
trance to the City. A Clean Up
Paint Up campaign in the spring
with continuous publicity leading
up to it. Cleaning up the ceme
teries. Restrooms in the city; and
a city park.
In another report Dr. A. Holmes
Johnson announced the new school
facilities were completed. The old
downtown school will not be used
this year, he said. He visualized
the site of the old building as a
Civic Center and suggested over
tures be made .to acquire it for
that purpose.
Bill Poland, reporting for the
Industrial committee, stated the
committee is studying problems in
connection with plant locations,
with a view to attracting new in
dustry here.
Poland also reported a grant of
$5,000 has been made by the State
for a survey of the Leite Addition
for new sewer facilities. The sur
vey is being made by Jim Barr
of Hubbell & Waller.
Springhills Return
From Europe Trip
(Continued from Page 1)
where they drove through beauti
ful countryside with neat homes.
Betty said that nowhere in Sweden
did they see any poverty and the
people looked happy. From Stock
holm they took a ship to Finland,
where they visited John’s family
and toured the country for a
month.
“Finland is a country of great
beauty that grows on one,” Betty
remarked. “It is not a wealthy
country but the people are build
ing for the future. They just look
forward . . . never into the past.
One learns to admire the people
of this interesting country.
“John, of course, had no diffi
culty with his native language and
I learned enough words to carry
on a conversation, although a bit
haltingly. Marya quickly learned
many Finnish words.
“We were there long enough to
feel that we really learned some
thing of the country and its
people ” she concluded.
They sold the car in Finland
after driving it 5,000 miles, and
flew from Helsinki to Amsterdam
by jet. They again boarded a Cana
dian Pacific plane for Vancouver,
B. C. A stopover in Seattle, then
they were again winging their way
back to Kodiak via PNA.
When asked what she enjoyed
most on the trip, Betty said she
thought seeing the small villages
in the various countries was the
most interesting.
“I am certain that we shall never
forget our wonderful trip and feel
most fortunate in having been able
to see the many, many interesting
people and places. Some were
places old in history, others were
things new to us,” she stated.
IN APPRECIATION
I wish to thank all those who
voted for me in the primary elec
tion. Your support is encouraging,
and is greatly appreciated.
FRED BRECHAN
Candidate for State Senator
Biship of Alaska To Conduct Services
Of great interest to the commun
ity will be the arrival on the after
noon of August 13th of the Right
Reverend William J. Gordon, iTr.,
Bishop of Alaska, Missionary Dis
trict of Alaska of the Protestant
Episcopal Church.
Bishop Gordon is coming to
Kodiak at the invitation of Captain
Nathan R. Lincoln, Commanding
Officer of the Naval Base. He will
speak at the 11:15 a.m. Protestant
services in the station chapel on
Sunday, August 14th, and at spec
Spray, North Carolina. He was
educated in Virginia Episcopal
School, the University of North
Carolina and Virginia Theological
Seminary. He came to Alaska 'rom
the seminary in 1943 and served
for four months at St. Peter’s
Church in Seward as a Deacon.
He married, was ordained to the
priesthood, and transferred to St.
Thomas Mission at Point Hope all
within a period of ten days.
For the following four and a half
years he served by dog team, Point
USHOP WILLIAM J. GORDON
ial Confirmation and Communion
services at 4 p.m. that same day.
The public is invited.
At five o’clock Sunday evening
the Bishop will be honored guest
at a notluck supper in the Chapel
Annex on the Naval Station. This
will be of primary concern to the
townspeople who are interested
in establishing an Episcopal mis
sion in Kodiak. One of the per
tinent problems to be discussed is
the acquisition of a building, or of
land upon which to build a church.
Alii civilian and military friends
who would like to attend may call
Mrs. Robert Simon at Kodiak 3462
for reservations.
Bishop Gordon was born in
Hope and four outlying stations
scattered over four hundred miles
of the Arctic. He was elected
Bishop of Alaska in 1947 but had
to wait six months for his con
secration until he reached his
thirtieth birthday, in compliance
with church canon law.
For the past twelve years he has
served as Bishop of all 'Maska. His
jurisdiction takes in four parishes
and forty-two missions from Ketch
ikan to Point Hope.
Bishop and Mrs. Gordon have
three daughters and one son, and
live in Fairbanks, from which the
B;shop flies his own plane about
45,000 miles annually for visita
tions throughout the state.
Aid To Mariners
Supplied By CG
Owners and operators of boats
in Alaska are urged to have their
names placed on the mailing list
for the Seventeenth Coast Guard
District Local Notices to Mariners.
There is no charge for this service.
All that is required to receive
the service is a postcard or letter
requesting it be sent and the name
and address to which it should be
mailed. The person’s maritime af
filiation should also be stated, such
as boat owner or operator, com
mercial fisherman, or appropriate
occupation or sea-going interest.
The Notice to Mariners is pub
lished weekly, and informs the
recipients of planned and complet
ed changes in aid to navigation,
existing deficiencies in aid, the
correction of deficiencies, impor
tant hydrographic information and
general information of interest to
mariners in Alaska.
Requests for the service should
be addressed to the Commander,
Seventeenth Coast Guard District,
P. O. Box 2631, Juneau, Alaska.
Mirror classifieds bring results.
Rotary Governor
Here Wednesday
(Continued from Page 1)
Wherever Rotary Clubs are lo
cated, President Art Brooks as
serted in discussing the governor’s
visit, their activities are similar
to those of the Rotary Club of
Kodiak because they are based on
the same general objectives—de
veloping better understanding and
fellowship among business and
professional men, promoting com
munity-betterment undertakings,
raising the standards of business
and professions, and fostering the
advancement of understanding,
good will and peace among all the
peoples of the world.
Each year, this world-wide serv
ice organization continues to grow
in numbers and in strength, Brooks
added. During the past fiscal year,
405 new Rotary clubs were organ
ized in 47 countries, bringing the
total number of Rotary clubs to
an all-time high of more than
10,600, and five geographical re
gions were added to Rotary’s mem
bership roster — Aden, French
Polynesia, New Guinea, Ryukyu
Islands and San Marino