VOL. 21, NO. 88__KODIAK, ALASKA, OCTOBER 7, 1961 PRICE TEN CENTS
One Cent Sales Tax Increase Voted In
Merrill Coon Re-elected Mayor
Kodiak voters in an almost three
to-one decision added another one
cent to the sales tax now paid.
They also voted in present
Mayor Merrill Coon for another
term of two years, and chose two
new members to sit on the Council.
The two are Morris Burnham and
Eldon Lester.
The one cent sales tax increase
was given the affirmative nod by
223 voters with 84 registering op
position. Ratification of the ordin
ance, No. 245 eliminates the pres
ent personal property tax. The new
levy does not go into effect until
the first of the year, however.
Voters also ratified Ordinance
No. 246, which gave K.E.A. a twen
ty-year franchise in providing elec
trical services for Kodiak. Vote
was 268 for, and 34 against.
Remaining council members are
Bill Criss, Bill Worth, Nick Frost
and Wilton White. Retiring Coun
cilmen are John Patterson and
Fred Brechan, each of whom have
served four and three years re
spectively.
Morris “Red” Burnham is the
owner of the Kodiak Welding and
a long time resident of Kodiak.
Eldon Lester is a partner in the
firm of Island Electronics and the
Kodiak Amusement Company.
Mrs. Acheson On
School Board
Mrs. Betty Acheson was elected
to the Kodiak Independent District
School Board, in the election Tues
day.
Mrs. Acheson was the lone candi
date. She tallied 298 votes out of a
possible 322. Several write-in can
didates received a vote each.
Mrs. Acheson is the wife of Rob
ert Acheson, of the firm of Donnel
ley and Acheson.
Mirrored Reflections
By SIG DIGREE
In our opinion the people of Ko
diak are to be congratulated on
passage of the one-cent raise in
sales tax to replace the personal
property tax levy.
We say “congratulated” because
we feel this eliminates one of the
most objectionable taxes on the
books. Second, we think the people
of Kodiak will derive more funds
from the sales tax, in a painless
sort of a way, which will in turn
be reflected in greater benefits to
the greatest number—for it must
be remembered these taxes are
solely for municipal use—the bene
fits show up in improved city utili
ties and services.
We are not one to advocate In
crease in taxes—in fact we think
on the whole they are too high al
ready. We are opposed to any in
crease in federal taxes—pouring
money into federal coffers can be
an endless proposition—there’s a
hole in the bottom that will never
be plugged. But for municipal
taxes you get something tangible—
something for your money. If you
don’t you can do something about
it.
* * *
Just a word in passing about an
other civic improvement that
should be occupying the thinking
of everybody—that is the City li
brary-museum building. It takes
long years to acquire something
like that—long years of dreaming,
talking, planning, constructing.
And yet such a project is an abso
lute necessity—as necessary almost
as food and drink—and especially
for a city such as Kodiak, where
children and adults are miles away
from such cultural centers. Where
would a Lincoln have been without
books—or other great men of the
past? Kodiak’s historical heritage
must be preserved in a fit and pro
per museum. An estimate of $150,
000 has been suggested as the prob
able cost of such a building. That
should come close. The emphasis
should be on a good and proper
structure, fireproof and adequate.
Thus we will in future years point
with pride to such a structure, as
well as enjoy its adequate facilities.
• * *
On returning home, Realtor con
vention delegates from Fairbanks
raved over the “wonderful hospi
tality and beautiful scenery of Ko
diak,” according to an article in
Jessen’s Weekly, Fairbank’s news
paper.
Thfey expressed their apprecia
tion for the excellent entertain
ment ihere, and cited “Dr. Bob
Johnson’s hometown show, ‘The
Millikens.’ ”
* * *
Other comments about Kodiak
included this one from Judge
Forbes: “We were greatly im
pressed with the apparent eco
nomic wealth of Kodiak, its great
ranching industry, the building of
a new cold storage plant arid the
year-round crab industry here.”
Miss Graddle Leigh, who won
the Realtor of the Year award,
stated also that Kodiak was a beau
tiful city and had great real estate
and industrial possibilities.
(Continued on Page 4)
Visitor Here
From Ellensburg
A visitor from Ellensburg, Wash
ington, Mrs. Virginia Driver, ar
rived here Tuesday to spend a week
or ten days.
Mrs. Driver is a cousin of Del
Valley, and is visiting her husband,
Herb, who is working on the con
struction of the Cold Storage plant.
She is a staff member of the Ellens
burg daily newspaper.
$100,000 Fire
At Teller, Alaska
'NOME (JP) — A fire which be
gan Wednesday afternoon des
troyed the Teller Commercial Co.
building at Teller with the loss
estimated at $100,000. The owner
is Rep. Bob Blodgett.
The fire destroyed the winter
food and oil supply which had just
been stocked.
Local Guard
Unit Inspected
A former commander of the Ko
diak National Guard unit inspected
troops of the local organization at
the regular meeting on Wednesday
evening.
Capt. 'Edward Pagano, now a
resident of Juneau, spoke to local
guardsmen on command inspection
activities and plans for the coming
National Guard encampment, ten
tatively scheduled for the period
18 March to 1 April 1962. Capt.
Pagano is the son of Mrs. August
Heitman, local resident.
Capt. Pagano also informed local
guardsmen on developments con
cerning activation of National
Guard units in the United States
in the present international crisis.
Capt. Pagano’s present assignment
is Operations & Training Officer
for the Alaska National Guard.
Promotion of Lt. Arnold Bjer
ken, company commander, to Cap
tain was also announced at the
meeting. Three other men were re
cently promoted to grade of Pri
vate First Class. They are Mitchell
J. Ohya, James Loe, and Preston
Shively.
Neil Berestoff also recently en
listed in the local unit.
On Sunday, October 1, members
of the unit trained in the Bell’s
Flats area with the unit’s heavy
weapons, two 81MM mortars and
106MM rifle.
In addition to other activities the
unit is preparing for participation
in a military maneuver scheduled
for mid-November.
Jobless Rate Up
JUNEAU (JP) — Alaska’s insured
unemployment rate moved up to
5.4 percent during the week ended
Sept. 30. This compared with 5.0
percent during the previous week
and 3.5 percent for the same week
in 1960.
Officials attributed the rise to
unemployment in fishing and con
struction industries.
ANCHORAGE—George Sharrock
elected mayor of Anchorage, with
George Byer a close runner-up as
a write-in. Sales tax ordinance was
defeated. John Hughes, former Ko
diak lawyer elected to three-year
term on the school board.
Election News
Around The State
SITKA W) — Voters named R. J.
Cushing and Gene Prewitt to three
year terms on the City Council. M.
S. Mitrovitch elected to two-year
term and Eton E. McGraw to one
year term. '
CORDOVA (A*) — John Lefevre
elected mayor in Tuesday voting.
Voters also approved boost in the
City sales tax from 2 to 3 percent
and okayed $1 million sewer bond
issue. William Sherman and Wil
liam Reid elected to three-year city
council terms. La Vern Johnson
and Charles Nestor elected to two
year terms.
HAINES (A5) -j— Leo Osterman
elected mayor and John Fox and
L. E. Wyrick named to three-year
council terms. Marty Tangs elected
to two-year council terms and
Helen Fenn to school board. Haines
voters also approved proposal that
council consider consolidation with
neighboring Chilkoot. At Chilkoot
voters approved a similar proposal
to consider consolidation.
Music Trails
Concert Oct. 16
The Alaska Music Trail, spon
sored by the Kodiak Business &
Professional Women, will open the
season of fine music on Monday,
Oct. 16 at 8:15 in the Kodiak High
School Auditorium with a gala and
unique concert, the four brilliant
hands of Milton and Peggy Salkind,
at one piano.
Both members of this lively and
gifted young husband and wife
team are graduates of the Juilliard
School in New York. They have
been acclaimed on both East and
West coasts for their special cate
gory of musical performance, the
presentation of original four-hand
works.
They also appear on occasion as
duo-pianists, at two pianos, es
pecially with orchestra. They have
appeared at two pianos with the
Boston Pops Orchestra, the San
Francisco Symphony, and with the
New York Chamber Symphony.
(Continued on Page 4)
University Study Group Here Monday
Kodiak will be the first stop for
a group of educators from the Uni
versity of Alaska touring the state,
who will arrive here Monday morn
ing. A no-liost luncheon is planned
for them at the Town Club.
The study is being conducted in
relation to the University of Alas
ka Division of Statewide Services
program and is being financed by
a grant of $15,000 from the Fund
for the Advancement of Education
of the Ford Foundation.
President of the University, Dr.
William R. Wood, commenting on
the visit of the group, stated:
“Using their observations on the
trip and the advice of community
leaders in the 'locales they visit, the
members of the study group will
present recommendations to the
state university and administrative
personnel of the Board of Regents.
These recommendations may lead
to significant changes in the adult
education services provided for
Alaskans by their state university.”
The men making the trip include
Dr. J. Roby Kidd, secretary-treas
urer of the Social Science Research
Council of Canada and former ex
ecutive director of the Canadian
Adult Education Association; Dr.
Julius M. Nolte, dean of the Uni
versity Extension of the University
of Minnesota; and Dr. Lloyd Drury,
dean of statewide service at the
University of Nevada.
University of Alaska officials
making the trip include Dr. George
Worthington Adams, academic
vice-president; Dr. Arthur Buswell,
dean of statewide services and head
of the Cooperative Extension Serv-.
ice; and John Niemi, assistant to
the president.
on the waterfront
Howard Wakefield
Placed In Charge
Of Cold Storage
Howard Wakefield has been ap
pointed manager of the Kodiak
Cold Storage plant now under con
struction here, according to Eu
gene F. Craig, a member of the
firm.
Craig and Dick Sweezey, part
ners in the cold storage venture,
were in town this week, checking
on the construction now going on.
Wakefield was formerly with
Wakefield Fisheries at Port Wake
field. He is a native Alaskan, hav
ing been born in Wrangell. At pres
ent he is in the lower 48.
Cold storage officials are very
optimistic as to outlook here. There
is a possibility of several other
plants adjacent to Alaskan waters
that may close down on the open
ing of the plant here, which would
mean most of the halibut would be
funnelled through Kodiak.
£
An Alaskan salmon that was ca
vorting around in the cold waters
of Icy Strait a couple of months
ago made a fast trip deep in the
heart of Texas—in a can, of course
—and since salmon don’t have any
private life anymore, just about
everything that happened to him
since July 12 is known.
The Texans who opened a can
of 1961 Alaskan salmon found a
salmon tag, number C 1202. He re
turned the tag to the fish company
whose label was on the can. The
company in turn forwarded the tag
to the Fish and Game Department
at Juneau. The records showed
the pink was caught, canned, la
beled, wholesaled and then retailed
by a food store in Texas, all in the
space of two months.
It was believed the reason why
this tag escaped unnoticed was
partly because it was white. The
yellow and red ones are easier to
spot. The Texan got his dollar.
JUNEAU (/P) — The 40-foot fish
ing boat Bertha R., owned and op
erated by Barton Sollars of Sitka,
went aground and sank near the
mouth of the Sitak River Wednes
day. Sollars, six others aboard,
reached shore safely.
&
Ole Sedenius of Kodiak, skipper
of the freezer ship “Michelle Eve,”
and his wife donated two Alaska
ptarmigan to Seattle’s Woodland
Park Zoo.
The birds were doing a little
aerial hitch-hiking aboard the 137
foot ship, as it operated off the
Kuskokwin River. It’s the first time
the zoo has been able to get ptar
migan, it was said.
&
An interesting development in
the shrimp industry that may have
its. effect in Kodiak some day, was
reported in an Anchorage paper re
cently.
A Louisana firm, Goldhill Food
Corporation, announced it will pur
chase Alaska shrimp and process
and freeze it for commercial mar
(Continued on Page 4)