library & Museum
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VOL. 19 NO. 40_ KODIAK, ALASKA, OCTOBER 10, 1959 PRICE 10 CENTS
Establishing Foreign Trade Zone
In Kodiak Not FeasiUe—C. of C.
Chamber members present dis
cussed at great length at the meet
ing Thursday the idea of Kodiak
becoming a free trade port, fol
lowing a report on a study made
by John Gibbons.
Gibbons brought out that there
are only four Foreign Trade Zones
in the United States—New York,
New Orleans, Seattle and San
Francisco. Gibbons stated it would
take years to furnish facilities
here for a free trade zone. “It
would jeopardize the shipper if
Kodiak were such a port,” he
stated. “I don’t see its application
to Kodiak.”
Gibbons further stated that there
have been many in Alaska who
have been interested in the estab
lishment of a free port in Alaska.
He named individuals from various
cities in Alaska who have been
working for years on the idea.
Emil Knudsen, also voiced the
opinion that it wouldn’t be feasible
here, “To duplicate the facilities
of such ports as New York, San
Francisco, Seattle, in order to
establish a free port here,” he said,
“would cost three or four times
the original cost.”
O.A. Torgerson stated the idea
was too far-fetched for Kodiak.
State general property taxes
were discussed. It is expected this
will come before the next legis
lature. It was brought out that it
will more than likely come before
the State Chamber conference in
Sitka this month. John Gibbons is
the Chamber’s delegate.
In legislation of this nature, it
was pointed out that it was best
not tocreate an unfavorable clim
ate for in industry in Ala ka.
Poland stated he thought the
Chamber here should neither en
dorse the idea or vote against it.
He said the idea was being studied
by State Planning Commission, rie
said he couldn’t sae the Legisla
ture jumping into a state proper .y
tax until the Commissions findings
are available.
The Chamber here then voted o
wait before endorsing or condol
ing the idea.
Plan To Level
Cemetery Plots
The Civic Improvement Commit
tee of the Chamber of Commerce
stated in their report to the group
Thursday, they favored leveling
the ground in both the Russian
American and Mountainview ceme
teries and planting grass seed as
an aid to maintenance.
The committee felt this was the
only way to make them present
able.
It was brought out by CRv Man
ager Bill Poland that the City
actually has no cemeteries.
There are two possible ones,
he said, but negotiations are still
pending on them.
Rev. Talbott and Mayor Merrill
Coon stated the committee would
like to have expressions of opin
ions from those affected in re
gards to the two cemeteries men
tioned earlier, as to the idea of
leveling the ground. Committee
members should be contacted in
the near future, he said, voicing
objections or consent.
Schedule Given
For X-ray Unit
Monday through Friday of next
week, the State Health Depart
ment X-ray Unit will be in Kodiak,
for the purpose of taking x-rays of
all who $esire their services. The
x-rays are free.
Time and place where the Unit
will be set up has been announced
as follows:
KODIAK HEALTH CENTER
_Monday, Octobe 12 thru Wed
nesday, October 11, 9:00-12:00 a.m.
—2:09-5:00 p.m.—7:00-9:00 p.m.
ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH
Mission Road
Thursday, October 15, 10:00
12:00 a.m.—2:00-5:00 p.m.—7:00
9:00 p.m.
NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY
Friday, October 16, 9:00-12:00
a.m. — 2:00-5:00 p.m. — 7:00-9:00
p.m.
Chamber Favors
State Fund Drive
The Chamber <xf Commerce
members present at the meeting
Thursday at the Island Fountain
endorsed “wholeheartedly” mem
bership participation in the fund
raising campaign of the Alaska
State Chamber of Commerce.
Jack Hinckel was appointed
chairman of a committee handling
membership “donations.” He stated
he thought it would be “worth
while” for local businessmen to
join. Others expressed the same
belief. O. A. Torgerson, who was
present, stated he thought it would
be important “when the legislature
meets.” Bob Johnson, president of
the local chamber, stated “We
should be an effective member of
the organiaztion.” It was brought
out that the funds will be used by
the state group to further good
legislation, roads, industrial and
tourist developments.
Reporting for the Chamber’s
roads committee, Bill Poland
stated the committee hasn’t given
up the idea of routing the Ouzin
kie Road via Island Lake. The ser
vices of Sen. A1 Owen have been
secured to assist in putting the
idea across to the State Highway
Department. He has written a let
ter to that effect. This was read
by Poland to the group.
Passenger Feted
As 1,000,000th
Harold A. Daubenspeck of Ke
nai Packers of Seattle became the
1,000,000th passenger to fly Pa
cific Northern Airlines, Tuesday,
October 6, as he boarded the air
lines flight out of Seattle for An
chorage.
Daubenspeck was greeted by Ar
thur G. Woodley, PNA President,
and soundly bussed by Stewardess
Fran Olsen, who welcomed him
aboard.
He was presented with a suit
able engraved silver plaque, ten
shares of comapny stock, made a
member of the “Flag-liner Club.”
He was hosted by PNA in Anchor
age upon arrival.
City Purchases Sear’s Water System;
Two Possible Cemetery Sites Given
The City Council in action Thurs
day evening at its meeting, voted
to purchase the Sears water sys
tem, following a recommendation
by City Manager Bill Poland. Price
indicated was $2,500.
The offer of Leo Sears of two
lots on which is erected the sys
tem’s* reservoir tank, was turned
down. $1,500 was the asking price.
The City has two possible ceme
tery sites and yet does not own
one at present, it was brought out
by City Manager Bill Poland. The
site now being used, which is part
of the Ersikne property involving
an estate settlement, comprises
from three to five acres. Settle
ment is possible aijout November
SO of this year, according to a let
ter from Russ Arnett, City At
torney, who is conferring with
lawyers handling the case. The
City manager was instructed to
pursue the purchase or gift of
sufficient ground for the ceme
tery.
Poland also stated another ten
acres are available to the City for
cemetery use. This is ten acres at
the ACS tmsmitter site. It is land
that will be turned back to the
Bureau of Land Management hy
ACS, and can be acquired. Poland
was i;old to seek its acquisition.
Paving costs to date in the City
were given the council by the
City Manager. The entire cost of
the short stretches of road in
downtown Kodiak that were paved
recently amounted to $28,988, he
said. This includes Kraft Street,
the angle road that connects the
Base road with Brooklyn Avenue.
-Council voted to pay for that, too.
A proposal to purchase several
thousand yards of rock from Ram
stad at $3 per yard, was turned
down. The rock would have to be
stockpiled for future use, and
would take too much policing.
Miss Connie Dand-eneau appear
ed before the Council. She spoke
briefly in behalf of the Civic Im
provement committee, seeking the
City’s aid in maintaining two of
the present cemeteries in the City.
The committee, she said, proposes
to level the ground, and seed it.
The Council agreed to the pro
posal.
In o&ner action ,£he Council
tabled an offer of the Alaska
Housing Authority to assist in a
City planning program. Federal
and state assistance would be
gained, but the city would have to
assume about one fourth the cost
or about $2,500. Poland stated he
believed planning would be help
ful in the future development of
Kodiak, but he did not think the
City could take advantage of it.
Council voted to grant Pat Can
non permission to move his 88 foot
power scow into the small boat
harbor for moorage.
An offer by Emil Knudsen to
place ten trash cans throughout
the City’s streets was accepted by
the Council. They stipulated the
containers should be placed in
proper positions under the super
vision of the City Manager.
Mayor Coon Re-elected; Frest Wins
The incumbent Mayor, Merrill
Coon, was re-elected to guide the
destiny of the Ci t y for another
two years, at Tuesday’s election.
He received 161 votes of a total of
181 cast .
New counciimen to emerge
from the eletion is Nick Frost who
nosed out incumbent Carl Huer.
He received 109 votes and Huer
Kenai Pilot Dies
On Afognak Lake
Melvin Hoben of Cooper Land
ing died on a small lake near Ton
ki Cape on Afognak Island, fol
lowing the crash of his airplane
on takeoff.
Hoben was accompanied by
Ralph Harris, also of Cooper Land
ing, who swam ashore. Hoben, un
able to swim, clung to the wreck
age of the plane, until it sank. He
apparently died of exposure, ac
cording to reports.
Harris was flown to Kodiak Wed
nesday by a Kodiak Airways plane.
He is suffering from shock and is
being treated in the Griffin Me
morial Hospital.
Margie Gibbons
Gees To Hospital
Mrs. Margaret Gibbons left Tues
day morning for Anchorage where
she was to enter Providence Hos
pital.
M.s. Gil bars, who recently
spent some time in the hospital,
will have additional medical treat
ment and surgery.
81. Bill Worth, serving as coun
cilman the past two years polled
128 votes, thus gaining a seat for
another two years.
Nick Frost is a former City
Clerk of Kodiak. Born here, he
left to complete his schooling and
to work “Outside,” only to return
here to fill the City position in
1956. He held it for two years, was
for a short time secretary-treasur
er of the Fishermen’s Union, and
tkbpofcufmifmcdnow is the itme
later bookkeeper for Bob Hall’s
Kodiak Airways, a position he now
holds.
Frost and Merrill Coon were
sworn in in a brief ceremony at
the Council meeting Thursday
evening.
The balance of the votes were
scattered among many write-ins
as follows: Ole Johnson, 3; Jack
Hinekel, De Witt Fields, Ed Naugh
ton, Bill Damme and Art Else,
each one vote. The latter was a
former resident here.
Frost Enters WSU
WASHINGTON STATE UNI
VERISTY, Oct. 7—Richard David
Frost, WSU freshman from Kodiak,
recently has been awarded a
scholarship by the Rotary Club of
Kodiak, Alaska in the amount of
$100 for the 1959-60 academic year
at Washington State University.
Frost is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
T. J. Frost, Sr. of Kodiak. He is a
pledge of Delta Sigma Phi fraterni
ty on campus.
Young Frost was a member of
the 1959 Kodiak high school grad
uating class.
Along The
Waterfront
King crab processing has begun
this week in the two canneries
here.
t
Nobody is setting the world'on
fire, but Alaska King Crab has
processed about 1200 since Wed
nesday, and King Crab, Inc. ex
pects to freeze about 1800 tomor
row.* Neither of the canneries will
can at present.
. v & •
King Crab also plan to run
shrimp experimentally' soon. Bob
Resoif is out of town * and Chris
Poulson was in briefly and out
again. >
&, ,
Jack Johnson is back on the job
at City Dock after a nine day seige
in the hospital with a stomaoh
ailment.
t
The TATALINA is expected in
Wednesday with a load of freight.
The mailboat EXPANSION will be
in Thursday morning for her trip
around the Island. Coming out of
drydock at Ketchikan, the EX
PANSION will be pretty well
painted and refurbished.
The boat will carry the first is
sues of The Mailboat Monitor, a
paper devoted exclusively to news
of people and villages along the
Aleutian Chain and Kodiak Is
land. The first issue will be a four
page paper, and will be expanded
as news and advertising warrant.
&
Conditions generally along the
watefront ‘are reflected in the
statement of Merrill Coon, Stand
ard Oil Comapny agent, when
asked foo* news, said: “Not even a
boat at the dock!”
Byer Choice Of
Anchorage Voters
George Byer, Anchorage post
man and civic organizer, has been
elected mayor of that city in the
election Tuesday. He led by al
most 400 votes over Hewitt Launs
bury, incumbent mayor.
Anchorage now operates under
a home rule charter, adopted also
by the voters. The voters accepted
the controversial gas franchise
and approved a $7,000,000 bond
issue.
Council members elected in
clude Brad Phillips, Roy Nigh, Joe
Yesenski, Harry Pursell, George
Sharrock and Frank Harris. The
letters victory came as the absen
tee ballots were counted.
Under the charter, the council
has been increased from seven to
nine members. The mayor now
has a vote on all matters, not just
to break a tie.
Jess Biinns’
Go On Vacation
Planning to be gen3 six or eight
weeks, Mr. and Mrs. Jess Blinn
left for Anchorage Tuesday morn
ing to begin their vacation.
They will drive from Anchorage
to Seattle, and will spend most of
the:, vacation on the West const.