VOL. 22, NO. 41 KODIAK, ALASKA, OCTOBER 12, 1962 TRICE TEN CENTS
Ready For A Record Amphibian Flight
Chamber of Commerce President Art Brooks hands a copy of
George Ameigh’s book, “Kodiak” to Cmdr. W. C. Dalgren on the
left, while Mayor Merrill Coon hands a King Crab to Cmdr. W. G.
Felon on the right, to take along on their expected record-breaking
trip to Florida. Looking on are Ronald Ellico, NAA Directing of
ficial, and Lt. William Senn, both who will take the trip.
Coast Guard Pilots Out To Set New
World Record In Kodiak-Florida Hop
In hope of establishing a new
world record for amphibians for
straight line distance without land
ing, three Coast Guard pilots were
scheduled to depart from the Na
val Station early this morning en
route to Florida.
The present world’s record was
set in 1954 by Italy for a distance
of 1,613 nautical miles.
The Coast Guard fliers, under
Project Officer Cmdr. W. C. Dahl
gren who will act as co-pilot, hope
to virtually double this distance
in reaching Florida, about 3,100
nautical miles.
The flight is expected to take
upwards of 23 hours in the air, and
will be accomplished with the
standard fuel load normally car
Along
The
Waterfront
I5y Karl Armstrong
Wednesday morning a fellow
popped into our office and advised
us that some large odd-looking
craft was coming into the bay. . . .
“Do you guys know what it might
be? he inquired. Without looking
up from his typewriter, our witty
editor, Bill Mason replied, “It’s
probably the Russians coming in
to attend the public hearing,” add
ing grimly. . . . “On second
thought, it probably isn’t them,
they seemed to be well represented
at the hearing by those fellows
from Washingto n.” Nobody
laughed. It was too close to the
actual truth.
One fisherman leaving the court
room at the close of the hearing
was heard to remark, “I’ve heard
about red herrings . . . now I’ve
heard a pink Herrington!” Another
who arrived at the hearings late
(Continued on Page 4)
ried in tne Grumman UF-2G on
long range missions, 10,250 pounds
of AvGas.
The flight, as planned, will be
literally from one end of the coun
try to the other—from Alaska to
Florida.
Exactly what city will be reached
in Florida is not yet known, as it
depends on the help received from
favorable winds, and will be de
termined later as the flight pro
gresses. Fleet Weather Central is
analyzing and forecasting weather
information for the flight which
was set to start Thursday but de
layed because of wind conditions.
Accompanying Cmdr. Dahlgren
will be Cmdr. W. G. Felon, his co
pilot, and a third pilot, Lt. Wil
liam Senn, who will act as the nav
igator. The fourth man aboard the
airplane will be the National Aero
nautics Association’s Directing Of
ficial, Ronald Ellico whose respon
sibility is to determine that all
the necessary requirements are
(Continued on Fage4)
A TIE NTION FI SIIEKMEN
From now on all fishermen
and cannery operators are urged
to report immediately to the
Kodiak Mirror any incidents in
volving Russian or other foreign
boats, including any further
losses of g»'ar or sighting of for
eign vessels.
At Last - State
Calls For Paving
Bid In Kodiak
Alaska Department of High
ways this week has announced
invitation for bids for grading,
drainage and paving of 0.871
miles of roadway from Brooklyn
Avenue to Seventh Avenue in
Kodiak.
The project calls for curb and
gutter, concrete sidewalk and
water and sewer construction
and adjustments.
Complete details are found in
today’s Kodiak Mirror.
Bids will be received until 10
a.m., Nov. 1, in the Commis
sioner’s Office. t
Successful contractor will be
granted 200 working days to
complete the project.
Chamber Praises
Robert Acheson,
Cdr. R. L. Stacer
Tribute for their contribution to
the community and the Kodiak
Chamber of Commerce was paid
by resolution, Thursday, as the or
ganization thanked Cmdr. R. K.
Stacer, legal officer at the Base
who will be leaving Oct. 20 for a
new post in New York, for his
work in behalf of the city-base
relations and community work,
and also to Robert Acheson, own
er of Donnelley and Acheson.
The motion in behalf of Ache
son asked that he be thanked for
his contributions to the commun
ity and a note of regret that his
firm will be closed.
A copy of the tribute to Cmdr.
Stacer will be sent to the base
commandant.
— irmru ir awww • • - - • - —- —
Officials Observe Russian Fleet
Governor Bill Egan (top r.) peers intently through high powered
binoculars at a huge modern Russian Reefer ship (above) typical
of the others among the 14 vessels observed by state and federal
officials aboard the C. G. Cutter Storis on Wednesday. State De
partment representative William C. Herrington (lower r.) is pic
tured as he clambered aboard the Storis in Jap Bay. Governor
Egan told the Mirror that actual viewing of the large Russian ves
sels comprising the massive Soviet fishing operation off Kodiak
shores “made a visible impact on federal officials.” Approximately
115 to 130 Russian ships are now reported to be operating around
waters off Kodiak, scattered from the Barren Islands to the north
and the Trinity Islands to the south. Egan expressed “hope that
the federal government would recognize that the foreign fleets
are not just an Alaskan or Kodiak problem ... it is a national prob
lem thats’ going to have to be faced on all our coasts.”
—Photos by Gil Jarvela
Fishermen Charge Federal Government
With Appeasement In Soviet Invasion
The Kodiak Mirror’s story of
Sept. 28 headlined “Russian Trawl
Fleet Forces Kodiak King Crao
bers Out of Prize Fishing Grounds"
brought rapid developments this
month climaxed by a hearing held
here Tuesday night when approx
imately 100 Kodiak fishermen
aired their complaints to William
C. Herrington. Assistant to the
Undersecretary of State, Gov. Wil
liam Egan of Alaska, and a party
of state and federal officials.
Kodiak crab fishermen hit on
one theme, “The federal govern
ment has adopted an attitude of
appeasement toward the Russian
invasion of Alaskan fishing waters"
and this was backed up by Gov
ernor Egan who said, “We keep
backing away, and the federal gov
ernment must recognize this is not
a local problem."
Gov. Egan continued, “The state
of Alaska has no fear psychologic
ally of the Russians, and the na
tional government must realize it
is not a local problem but one
which will be on every coast soon
unless we take a stand.”
Accepting the testimony from
Kodiak fishermen in almost un
believing manner, Herrington said,
“Security has top priority, al
though your problems will receive
sincere attention.”
The Undersecretary further in
quired if it wouldn’t be feasible to
use radar shields and balloons to
aid in assisting in the loss of gear,
crab pots and buoys.
Accompanying Herrington to Ko
diak for the hearing were Ralph
Baker of the State Department,
Harry Reitze of Juneau, regional
director of the Bureau of Fisheries
and Wildlife in Alaska and Roy
Lindsley of Anchorage, bureau re
sources management agent.
FISHERMEN TESTIFY
Among comments made by
crab boat skippers were the fol
lowing:
Skipper Oscar Dyson of the
vessel Robbie openly charged
the federal government with a
policy of appeasement and called
for an end to “backing off under
Russian pressure.”
Skipper Jim Jones of the Ke
tovia described his unusually
heavy losses of gear since the
Russian trawling operations be
gan and appealed for federal
government protection. “What
are we going to do? The govern
ment has to take some steps to
protect the resource,” he stated.
Skipper Clayton Harris of the
Tahiti strongly supported Dy
son’s charges that the federal
government was following a pol
icy of appeasement and cited In-'
(Continued On Page 4)
-- Kodiak Kapsusles —
(By Bill Mason)
QUARTERLY REVIEW
It has been slightly more than
three months since we took over
the editorial chores for the Mir
ror on the Sunshine (?) Island
of Kodiak, and perhaps it is time
to pause and review the situa
tion.
* * * *
IMPRESSIONS: Apparent
ly there is no “middle road" here,
people dearly love the island or
can’t wait to get away, and the for
mer accounts for so many naval
personnel staying on after getting
Gov. Bill Egan
Undersecretary Herrington
out of service. . . . Before we came
here, about the only fact about
Kodiak which stood out was “Ko
diak Bears” but after three months
we haven’t seen one, dead or alive,
not even the “Bares” at the Mont
martre. . . . The fabulous King
Crab of this island are little-ad
vertised outside for some reason,
and what promotion has been done
you can thank Wakefields for. . . .
The most disagreeable factor about
Kodiak are the streets. They are
either dusty, muddy or full of
(Continued on Page 11)
Sen. Bob & Mike
Exchange Words
FAIRBANKS—Sen. E. L. Bart
lett answered charges Thursday
made in Anchorage by Republican
gubernatorial candidate Mike Step
ovich against Gov. William A. Egan
for enlisting aid of the State De
partment in solving Kodiak-Rus
sian fishing situation.
Bartlett said Stepovich “has is
sued charges of hypocrisy because
the Governor enlisted State De
partment and Department of In
terior aid after the Russian crab
fleet had damaged Alaskan fishing
gear off our coast.” Bartlett said,
“The people of Alaska will judge
otherwise. They have already
judged and praised Gov. Egan for
moving so promptly and quickly to
halt these repredations.”