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VOL. 22, NO. 13 KODIAK, ALASKA, MARCH 30, 1962 PRICE TEN CENTS
Kodiak Votes “Yes”
Sales Tax, Bond Issues, Charter
Endorsed By Voters In Election
Voters in Kodiak Tuesday cast
their ballots for a continuation of
the sales tax, in the special elec
tion held to determine a number
of issues involving financing of a
new water system and municipal
road construction.
Electors also tfoted to frame a
new charter for the City, and
elected nine members to the Char
ter Commission.
The affirmative vote of the
electors means a continuation of
the two per cent tax which has
been in force for more than four
years, and has netted $500,000.
These funds have been used for
small boat harbor construction,
and for procurement of equipment
and material for black topping
existing City streets, as well as
improving various roads and black
topping short stretches.
Passage of the sales tax ordin
ance, accomplished over the vig
orous campaigning of a small seg
ment of the Citys population, to
swing the voters’ support against
it, now raises to three per cent
the tax levy on consumer pur
chases. This includes a one per
cent tax presently in force which
was passed at the fall election in
lieu of a personal property tax.
The sales tax propositions pass
ed Tuesday will raise $500,000,
one-half of which will be used for
continuation of the street con
struction and improvement pro
gram, and the other one-half for
financing construction of the Pil
lar Creek water supply and re
placement and enlargement of wa
ter lines on Rezanoff Drive and
Brooklyn Avenue to the City Dock
area.
The election this year was high
lighted by an open protest in an
attempt to have the sales tax
measure voted down. Voters,
however, gave the present admin
istration an open bill of health,
with a good margin of votes in
the affirmative on every proposi
tion on the ballot.
A total of 442 votes were cast,
the largest vote yet recorded in a
municipal election. 268 voted for
the sales tax, 154 against. 211
voted for the $500,000 bond issue
and only 72 against. This will be
used to finance the construction
of a new water supply system.
Another bond issue calling for
$130,000 general obligation bonds,
to finance the new sewer system
in the Leite Addition, also passed.
There were 206 votes for and 66
against.
The home rule measure, calling
for the adoption of a City Charter,
and the election of a nine-man
Commission, also passed by a good
margin. There were 261 votes for
and 123 against. The names of
twenty-five residents were on the
ballot for Commission members.
Of these the nine receiving the
highest votes were: Jack Hinckel,
Al Hochberger, Walter Kraft,
John “Blackie” Patterson, Leon
Johnson, Fred Brechan, R. S.
Acheson, Robert Hall and Emil
iXorton.
Most of the above received suf
ficient votes to make their selec
tion final. However, there was a
close vote on a few, and final re
sults will not be determined until
the City Council, sitting in session
early next week, will canvass the
votes, including the absentee bal
lots, which have not been counted.
Runners-up were Charles Powell,
Thomas Frost, Jr., and Russell
Wright.
Bill Wood To Be
Given New Post
W. R. “Bill” Wood, longtime
representative of Alaska Steam
ship Company in Alaska and most
recently district manager with
headquarters in Anchorage, is be
ing transfered to the home office
of the company in Seattle for fur
ther assignment, according to R.
C. Rose, Alaska Line traffic man
ager.
Bill Wood
Wood served Alaska Steam as
purser aboard ship, as agent at
Nome and general agent at Ket
chikan before moving to his An
chorage assignment in January
1958.
The position of district traffic
manager is being dissolved and
the responsibilities formerly as
signed to Wood will now be assum
ed by the Alaska Line agents in
their communities, Rose pointed
out.
Fishermen Needn’t
Carry Licenses
Juneau (JP). Yesterday the state
senate approved HB343, a house
approved measure which elimin
ates a provision in state law that
required commercial fishermen to
keep licenses on their person.
Under the new bill, which now
goes to the governor for signing,
licenses must be kept only in a
readily accessible place.
C of C Group
Eyes State Laws
Pending legislation at Juneau
occupied the meeting Thursday of
the Chamber of Commerce at the
Town Club.
Following a report by the Legis
lative Committee, Bill Poland and
Art Brooks, the group endorsed
HB396, a bill to require all fish
ermen to pay a net income tax
before being issued a license.
The bill is directed towards fish
ermen from out of state who
evade state income tax.
The group voted disapproval of
HB 425, a bill which provides for
reimbursement for transportation
for children going away from home
to further their education.
Other bills reported on were
HB 207, otherwise known as the
“junk bill”; HB 239, which releas
es land within municipalities to
the municipalites; SB 181; and SB
286. The latter seeks to change
the method of balloting in the pri
mary elections. Under the pres
ent system, voters indicate their
party choice and must vote a
straight party ticket. The change
called for in the bill would allow
a voter to vote for candidates of
either party. Following consider
able discussion, the group voted
to lay it on the table.
Members present voted to revert
to holding meetings on the second
and fourth Thursday of every
month rather than weekly. Next
meeting will be April 12.
Salmon License
Deadline Nears
Kodiak fishermen are advised
that all salmon nets and vessels
used for salmon net fishing must
be licensed not later than April
15th of the year of operation.
The Alaskan Department of
Fish and Game today called atten
tion to the new regulation adopt
ed this year which reads:
“Late registration or transfer of
registered nets or vessels to an
other registration area may be
permitted by the Commissioner
only in the case of serious injury,
sickness, or death.”
Previously, the Commissioner
could grant late licensing or trans
fer to another registration area
upon determination that conserva
tion of the salmon runs would not
be adversely affected.
Formerly, a salmon net fishing
gear license could be forfeited by
a person not wishing to use it
and a license issued in its place
to another fisherman after April
15. This practice is no longer
permitted.
MEMORIAL SERVICES
FOR PEARL ROLD
Memorial Services for Miss
Pearl Rold will be held this Sun
day afternoon at the Community
Baptist Church at 3 p.m.
Rear Adm. Bakutis Takes Command
In an impressive ceremony held
in Hanger 2 on the Naval Station,
Rear Adm. Fred E. Bakutis as
sumed command of the 17th Naval
District and Commander of the
Alaskan Sea Frontier. He re
lieved Rear Adm. H. H. Caldwell.
The ceremony began with a
salute to all branches of the armed
services, each being piped aboard.
In attendance were Lieut. General
George W. Munday, USAF, Com
mander-in-Chief, Alaska, and oth
er high ranking officers, Navy of
ficers, and civilians from the Base
and town.
Gen. Mundy in a short address,
spoke of the very fine cooperation
he has had from Adm. Caldwell.
He welcomed Rear Adm. Bakutis
and stated he felt that at its com
pletion he would look back on his
tour in Alaska as a most pleasant
one.
Adm. Caldwell stated in a
speech prior to reading his orders
that he has regrets and misgiv
ings about leaving “this fine sta
tion.’ He thanked station per
sonnel and the people of Kodiak
for the “many courtesies and kind
nesses that have been extended
to Mrs. Caldwell and myself.”
Adm. Bakutis called the change
of command ceremony a “once in
a lifetime exeprience.” He said
it was a rare opportunity to relieve
a man of such stature as Comman
dant. He said he was delighted
with the evidence of untiy among
the various commands on the sta
tion. He stated he was looking
forward to his duty here with
much pleasure.
Mirrored Reflections
Ry SIG DIGREE
The Kodiak voter, a hard one
to figure out sometimes, came
through with flying colors in the
special election held Tuesday.
Criticism of the City Adminis
tration’s program of water and
roads was rampant over the week
end and on election day. This in
dicated that a close vote would
result on the proposition to con
tinue the sales tax.
However, in the final analysis,
it was impossible for the voters
to cast their ballots otherwise—
since they were voting on issues
the outcome of which would de
termine the future economy of
Kodiak.
It is obvious that there is room
for criticism. The topic of roads
and street improvement has been
a top subject these many years in
Kodiak—reaching a point where
the residents have become liter
ally frustrated. This has not been
the City administration’s fault al
together—the State has probably
played a greater part in bringing
about this state of mind with its
continual surveys and yet no
roads.
However, as stated, it was ob
vious that we needed more water
and we need better roads. The
voter is to be congratulated that
he forgot his frustrations, his dis
gust and his criticisms and fol
lowed a progressive concept of
needs and fulfillment and voted
accordingly.
The small segment who not only
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