Library & Museum
.Tunwau, Alaska
'(lectincy the &Vem *f, Sfcla&kab @/Kori Mtfortc <$Uand
'VRnMMBKnnBHBHMnnaHHMHBHHnBHHnHHBMHHHHHBHHHinBHHHBHHIHHnHBBMnMiMi
VOL. 22, NO. 12 KODIAK, ALASKA, MARCH 23, 1962 PRICE TEN CENTS
Cold Storage Plant Ready By May 1
Plan To Care For Halibut Catch First
The Cold Storage plant now un
der construction here will be open
for business about May 1st.
Chamber of Commerce mem
bers attending the meeting of the
group at the Town Club were as
sured by Mr. Bill Gee, an official
of the Kodiak Ice and Storage,
who was present at the meeting,
that plans are going ahead for
opening on or near that date. The
company, he said, is making
every effort to get equipment into
place to handle the anticipated
halibut catch.
Gee stated they would like to
make Kodiak a major halibut
market. He said they are put
ting in “the finest equipment we
can buy, and getting qualified
men to run the plant.
“We have begun to intensify
our public relations efforts,” he
continued. “We are encouraging
halibut fisherman to work out of
Kodiak.” He emphasized their
primary efforts will be directed
towards processing halibut, but
they will freeze and ship shrimp
as the demand warrants. The
company has already made ar
rangements for bait, which con
sists of octopus and herring,
. which they will bring in when
they get the plants room temper
ature down.
In answer to a question, Gee
went on to say that the company
plans to handle local beef in its
plant, but did not believe it would
be possible to complete facilities
for beef this year. He stated the
beef could not be stored with fish
products, and would necessitate
separate rooms.
Ice Control By
Machine Possible
Control of ice conditions in the
city’s small boat harbor may be
attempted with the same type of
ice control machines used by the
navy in the Antarctic.
The city council last night heard
a report from the city manager on
his investigation to date along
such lines.
The city manager read the coun
cil a letter he had received
from the Leslie Wells Corporation
which manufacturers the ice con
trol machines. The firm described
its machines and quoted prices of
the various sizes available. It of
fered the city a discount of ten
percent should it desire to pur
chase machines on an experiment
al basis.
The main principal involved in
the operation of the machines is
the scooping up of the warmed
water from lower depths and
swooshing it up against the ice
thereby melting it. The navy
used such equipment along its
operations in McMurdo Sound in
the Antarctic where they were
successful in dealing with ice
some feet thick.
The council unanimously ap
proved a motion by Councilman
White instructing the city man
ager to pursue his explorations
into the idea.
Rear Adm. Caldwell, who was
present at the meeting, stated
that preliminary arrangements
have been made for supplying
fishing and other vessels with
deisel fuel at Adak. The Navy,
he said, would act as a go-be
tween, with the oil companies
billing the fishermen and hand
ling supply problems.
A resolution proposed by Bob
Simon, commending the Navy
through Adm. Caldwell for its ef
forts in behalf of the fishermen,
was voted on and adopted unan
imously.
Mr. John Tapscett of Anchor
age, who was present at the meet
ing, stated he would definitely
not be able to get the proposed
seafarer’s merhorial, which he is
working on, ready for the King
Crab Festival. He said it would
be closer to Labor Day before it
could be completed and ready for
dedication.
Present as guests at the meet
ing were Ivan Drubie, John Tapp
scott, Leo Mark Anthony, Bill
Gee and Roy Madsen.
Cold Storage Asks
Additional Space
By a vote of four to two, with
Councilmen Bill Chris and Maur
ice Burnham dissenting, the city
council last night approved a mo
tion by Councilman Wilton White
to offer a counter-offer involving
a trade of property with the Ko
diak Cold Storage Company.
Kodiak Cold Storage has pro
tested to the city that there is not,
in actuality, the correct amount
of land within the boundaries as
described in the title.
A letter from City Attorney
John Mansuy gave his opinion
that the sale was legal and the
city was not liable under law. He
suggested however that the city
attempt to come to some under
standing with the cold storage
firm in the interest of coopera
tion and good will.
The cold storage firm pointed
out that it desired additional
space in the dock area on which
it could construct a shrimp oper
ation. The shrimp operation was
described to the councilmen as
“shrimp freezing in blocks.” It
would provide employment for
from 40 to 50 people year-round,
a company spokesman at the
meeting advised.
Since the area requested by the
firm would tend to reduce the
area used by the city for loading
and unloading operations, the
proposal of the company was op
posed by City Wharfinger Gene
Erwin, who pointed out that the
crews were already cramped for
space to work vessels.
Alaska Steamship Agent Lou
Veerman advised that their knot
type freighters would not be able
to utilize the city dock if the cold
storage firm were to build as
they suggested. Jack Hinckel,
representing the Union Oil Com
(Continued on Page 4)
Hew Admiral Will
Assume Kodiak
Command Friday
Rear Admiral Fred E. Bakutis,
USN, will assume command of the
Alaskan Sea Frontier and Seven
teenth Naval District in ceremon
ies here, Friday, March 30. *r*
He relieves Rear Admiral Hen
ry H. Caldwell, USN, who has been
reassigned as Commander Fleet
Air, Quonset, at Quonset Point,
R.I.
RADM Bakutis comes to Alaska
from Fort Ritchie, Md., where he
was Deputy Chief, Joint Alternate
Command Element.
Born in Brockton, Mass., in
1912, RADM Bakutis is a 1935
Naval Academy graduate. Fol
lowing a tour of sea duty, he en
tered flight training and was des
ignated a naval aviator in 1939.
During World War II, he served
as executive officer and command
ing officer of Navy fighter squad
rons in the Pacific.
He holds the INavy Cross, Legion
of Merit and Bronze Star Medal
with combat “V”, Distinguished
Flying Cross, and air medals, for
aerial action against Japanese
forces.
Other assignments have been:
Washington, D.C.; Commander Air
Group One, on USS Tarawa; Com
mander Air Group Five, on USS
Valley Forge; Pacific staff duty;
and, commanding officer of USS
Gardiners Bay and USS Hancock.
He is married to the former
Helen Marie Flucker of Leonia,
N.J. They have three children—
Suzanne, Barbara, and Robert—
and list Brockton, Mass., as their
official home.
RADM and Mrs. Caldwell have
been in Alaska two years. They
will depart for Quonset Point, R.I.,
following the change of command
function Friday, March 30.
The Caldwells have been the
subjects of several farewell gath
erings in their honor.
Council Awards
Bonds To Nichols
The city council last night un
animously approved awarding the
purchase of $630,000 worth of
bonds to the Paul Nichols Com
pany at an interest rate of 4 and
3/8th per cent.
The Federal Housing and Home
Finance Corporation, a federal
corporation, had offered financ
ing at one percent less, 3 and
3/8th percent, according to City
Manager Bill Poland.
The bond purchase proposal of
the Nichols firm was represented
at the meeting by Paul Nichols
of that firm and Mr. Rafferty of
Schwabacher, a major bonding
house with 16 offices reaching
from New York to Honolulu.
Mr. Rafferty explained to the
council that while private financ
ing could not compete with the
lower interest rate offered by
federally subsidized financing cor
porations, that there were several
advantages in obtaining financing
(Continued on Page 4)
Ban Shipping
Of Live Crab
Juneau (A*). Gov. William A.
Egan Thursday signed HB405,
which prohibits shipment of live
king and dungeness crab from
Alaskan waters.
In a letter to Secretary of State
Hugh J. Wade, advising Wade he
had signed the bill, Egan said:
“Though I am advised there
might be a question of constitu
tionality involved in the enact
ment of this measure, there is a
strong likelihood that the bill will
have no legal difficulty whatso
ever.
I agree with the legislature that
this enactment will prove to be
beneficial to the State of Alaska.
Red Cross Meet
Set For April 5
The annual meeting of the Ko
diak Chapter of the American
Red Cross has been announced for
Thursday, April 5, beginning at
4 p.m. The meeting will be held
in the Conference Room at the
Community Baptist Church.
Main purpose of the meeting
will be for the election of offi
cers, and to discuss the forthcom
ing campaign slated for April in
Kodiak. All members are urged
to attend the meeting. A Chap
ter spokesman points out that
anyone who has contributed a
dollar is a member eligible 10
vote.
Anyone else who desires may at
tend the meeting and will be wel
comed.
BILL PROTECTS CONSUMER
Juneau (/P). The House Thurs
day revived and passed 27-13, a
bill which would provide for the
regulation of retail installment
sales.
The measure had been tabled
by the lower chamber two days
before, after being described var
iously as an undue burden on the
businessman and as a much-needed
protection for the consumer.
Johnson Resigns
Others Are Fired
Juneau (/P)— Resignations and
dismissals of state officials began
taking on mass migration aspects
yesterday with the announcement
of the resignation of Highway
C’ommisisoner Sam E. Johnson
and Governor Egan’s announce
ment of the dismissal of three
other top officials.
The resignation of Johnson and
dismissal of assistant state high
way engineers Donald R. Roser
and A. G. Gardner were termed
by the governor as a part of the
major reorganization in the newly
created Highways Department.
Egan also announced that Pub
lic Works Commissioner Richard
A. Downing had fired his deputy
commissioner, Lawrence D. Wil
son. Resignations and dismissals
were effective at the close of the
working day yesterday. Johnson
is to return to his former posi
tion as assistant state construction
engineer within the department
of highways at Anchorage. Others
will leave state service.
Juneau (IP). Gov. William A.
Egan advised Highways Commis
sioner Sam Johnson Thursday he
could not “in good conscience”
agree to reinstatement of Thur
man D. Sherard to a position of
responsibility in the Alaska road
program.
Sherard was fired as the direct- .
or of the state Division of High
ways on Jan. 25, eight days after
the Department of Public Works
announced it would need $4,008,
333 to carry out the state road
program for the balance of fiscal
1962. Johnson was named to re- '
place Sherard.
Last week, Egan made the
Highway’s Division a full-fledged
department and appointed John
son Commissioner.
Wednesday, a letter in which
Johnson asked that Sherard be
hired as chief state highway en
gineer became public knowledge.
To the People of Kodiak
When innocent statements are
made that might tend to reflect,
or mislead, I believe such state
ments should be corrected.
The article in last week’s pa
per by a “group opposing Sales
Tax”, mentioned “the good water
we promised them” This writer
cannot find where the subject wa
ter was ever mentioned before as
far as the sales tax is concerned.
The only subjects mentioned
in the past, to my knowledge,
have been: Small Boat Harbor,
Street Construction and Improve
ments, and the added 1% Sales
Tax, October 3, 1961 to eliminate
the Personal Property Tax. At
no time previous to this coming
election has “WATER” been an
issue, as far as our sales tax is
concerned.
As Mr. Poland, our City Man
ager stated in his article, “As the
years pass quickly by, many of
us arle prone to forget.” How
many of us remember: When we
used to run out of water during
the winter and summer, and had
to pack our water for drinking,
cooking, washing and flushing
toilets. Some of us kept our bath
tubs full of snow water to flush
the bath facilities. IIow many of
us remember when the City ran
out of water in 1948, and the
whole water system froze and the
City crews were thawing for
weeks, and where were we getting
water for drinking and the house
hold facilities. Yes, my dear
people, we are prone to forget.
When the present water system
was constructed, it v as thought
at the time the system would be
ample for years to come. Since
that time we have two canneries
that operate practically the year
around; King Crab, Inc. and Alas
ka Packers Association; the Alas
ka King Crab operates approxi
mately six months and they are
now planning to process Dunge
ness crab, V'e are now about to
realhe a 37 year dream: “A Cold
fCoi’tinuea On Page 4)