Vol. 1, No. 56
Palmer, Alaska, April 10, 1948
Ten Cents
C. of C» Talks of
Town Street,
Lighting Needs
Streets and lights within the
town of Palmer were the sub
jects of an impromptu discussion
at Wednesday’s Chamber of Com
merce meeting. When guest
speakers failed to arrive, Cham
ber President Jack Maze called
for a discussion on how to ob
tain better streets within the
town of Palmer and how to in
stall a system of street lighting.
C. W. Peters, questioned by
* Mr. Maze concerning the street
grading problem, said it was his
opinion that grading inside of
Palmer “is the problem of Palm
er itself.” He said neither the
Alaska R u r al Rehabilitation
Corporation nor the Alaska Road
Commission were ■ responsible
for maintenance of streets with
in the business area.
In reference to the problem of
street lighting, W. C. Mau of the
Matanuska Electric Association,
said it was possible to establish
a system of street lights in the
business area, through contract
with the group of business men.
“However street lighting
would be much more simple if
the town were incorporated,” he
stated. “Then we could deal with
officials of the town.” He added
that it was his belief a plan,
whereby an organized group of
business men banded together to
sign contracts, would be feasi
uie.
The MEA director suggested
that lights, if they are installed,
might be so planned that MEA
would retain control of the sys
tem and thus be responsible for
the maintenance until such time
as the town becomes incorporat
ed and assumes its own respon
sibilities.
Mr. Mau recommended instal
lation of underground circuits
to avoid installation of wires
along the town’s main streets.
He said heavy-duty wiring last
summer was moved from the
streets to the alleys in order to
improve the town’s appearance.
Length of time necessary to
install street lights would de
pend upon availability of mater
ials, it was stated. Mr. Mau said
necessary authorization for ne
gotiating the contract would
have to come from the Rural
Electrification Administration.
He estimated that the project
C-puld be begun within 30 days,
if the town’s business people de
cided in favor of the plan, and if
materials are available.
It was suggested that interest
ed businessmen arrange to meet
with Mr. Mau and H. G. Bryan,
REA representative, to discuss
the project. No meeting time was
set however.
Rev. W. L. Zeile, head of the
Cfeimber program committee,
reported that P. O. Epperley of
the Weather Bureau in Anchor
age would be the guest speaker
at the next regular meeting.
Mr. Bryan announced that
Claude Wickard, head of the
Rural Electrification Adminis
tration, tentatively is planning
(.an Alaskan visit this summer,
when he will inspect all REA
projects in the territory.
__
Several Palmer members of J
the Legion of the Moose plan to I
fly to Cordova Saturday to con
duct lodge initiation services
there.
•
M:
I
Spring lies over Cook Inlei and brawling Ekluina River in
this beneaih-ihe-bridge photograph taken on the Palmer-An
chorage highway. (Photo by Palmer Photographic Center).
Here's Just What You Need
For That Basket Lunch
Cakes baked by the Butte
Homemaker’s club, which go on
sale at the Trading Post Satur
day morning, will add just the
final fillip to lunches being pack
ed for Saturday night’s basket
social at the gymnasius, club
members reminded the non-bak
ing misses of the Valley.
In both cases, the purchased
cake will make a definite contri
bution toward the Valley’s good
health. The food sale funds will
be used to purchase bonds for
the construction of a Valley hos
pital, and the basket social pro
Plan To Mairy
An application for a marriage
license was this week filed at
the office of Mrs. Walter E.
Huntley, U. S. Commissioner,
by Elmer Shockley of Palmer
and Pearl Anderson of Anchor
age. Details of the couple’s wed
ding plans are unknown.
ceeds will be used to make up
the deficit in the Valley’s fund
due the Department of Public
Health.
The basket social is to be pre
ceded by Bingo games in the
school’s gym. Bingo begins at
8 o’clock and the auctioning of
the baskets will commence
whenever Bingo palls.
Music Teacher
Sets Recital Date
The spring voice and piano re
cital of pupils of Mrs. Timothy
Hennessey will be presented on
Tuesday, April 13, in the Valley
Theatre under the sponsorship
of the Valley Hospital Associa
tion, Mrs. Hennessey announced
this week. All proceeds fronft the
sale of tickets will be turned
over to the hospital group.
At first planned for presenta
tion in May, the recital date was
advanced because Mr. and Mrs.
Hennessey have been called Out
side. They expect to leave with
in a week or two.
Mrs. Hennessey has planned a
program which will include near
ly 30 of her students. Piano
solos and duets, vocal solos, duets
and arias will be includede in the
recital.
Mrs. Hennessey’s musical back
ground is familiar to Valley resi
dents, for she was in charge of
the music program at Palmer
school last year. She has studied
voice with Pasquale Amato,
Opera, and with Madame Zeru
ba. Her piano instruction was
received under Sylvia Schonti.
Mrs. Hennessey was an artist
on the concert stage before she
came to Alaska.
Fire Association
Seeks Volunteers
Five men attended last Wed
nesday’s firedrill, at which some
Fire Association business was
discussed. It was decided the
most imperative need of the
Association is added volunteer
firefighters, and it was agreed
to commence immediately a door
-to-door canvass of business
establishments. Each business
owner will be asked to designate
one employee as a volunteer fire
fighter.
It also was decided that the
first licensed driver to reach the
fire station following a fire
alarm will be qualified to take
the truck out.
Maze, Ward Resignations Refused
The resignations of Jack Maze
and Steve Ward as members of
the board of directors of the
Valley Volunteer Fire Associa
tion were not accepted at last
Monday’s quarterly membership
meeting. The pair, who had stat
ed in their resignation that they
would serve if returned to of
fice at a membership meeting,
were asked to remain by unan
imous vote of all attending.
At an earlier meeting, two
additional board members had
been appointed to fill the vacan
cies left by the resignation of
Bernie Bouwens and the absence
of Emil Larsh. The board’s new
members are Bob Peterson and
O. R. Mitchelll. Mr. Mitchell for
the present retains his position
of fire chief, but he said he
would be happy to resign that
office as soon as another chief
is found.
A number of new Association
members were added at the Mon
day meeting, but little other busi
ness was conducted.
It was decided to have a tank
constructed immediately for the
Association’s second firetruck.
A1 Hagen was instructed to take
measurements for the tank to
Anchorage on Tuesday.
The group discussed with
George Black how best to elim
inate the overlapping services of
the Association’s equipment and
the Co-op truck. Mr. Black, in
charge of the Co-op firetruck,
joined the Valley Volunteer Fire
Association last Monday even
ing.
It was suggested that one of
the Valley’s two trucks should
always remain in Palmer, while
the other is answering a rural
fire call. Mr. Mitchell stated that
he felt the tanker truck, when
ready for use, should go to every
rural fire, no matter which unit
answered the call.
Several methods of dividing
the firefighting work in the Val
ley were suggested, but no action
was taken to adopt a plan at
Monday’s meeting.
Air. Hagen read a number of
recommendations formulated to
increase the efficiency of the
volunteer firefighters. These re
commended changes included:
(1) Permitting the firetruck
to leave the station with only
one authorized driver aboard,
on a call in the immediate
business district, and with
three firefighters aboard, if
the call is beyond the outskirts
of town. Authorized drivers
are Jafined as those men with
drivers' licenses who know
how to operate the firefighting
equipment on the truck.
(2) Naming all members of
the organization authorized
drivers, with priority numbers
assigned for duty precedence.
(3) Making all directors
members of the volunteer fire
fighters.
The recommendations were
discussed, but no action was
taken on the matter.
Mr. Maze, in accepting his re
election to the organization,
asked to be relieved of his re
sponsibilities as treasurer. He
turned over the books of his ofice
to Mr. Hagen at the close of the
meeting.
Mr. Maze called for confidence
and unanimity among board
members. He said he felt it must
be understood hereafter that no
one member could override the
majority vote of the board.
It was suggested that a letter
to all Valley residents be drafted
to explain the purpose of the
Association’s work, and to name
membership fees. It was decided
that the board should draft the
letter at a future meeting, but no
definite date was fixed for that
session at the Monday meeting.
The evening concluded with a
general discussion of way in
which efficiency of the organi
zation might be increased.
Fair Board
Names Mgr.,
Sets ’48 Dates
Marshall Selover of Anchorage
will manage the Matanuska Val
ley Fair of 1948, the fair board
of directors announced this
week. Mr. Selover has had a
wide background in publicity,
organization of premium books
and management of f a i r s, a
spokesman for the board of di
rectors announced. He was, at
one time, the manager of the
Santa Barbara Festival in Cal
ifornia.
Dates for this year’s fair also
were set at last Tuesday’s board
meeting. This fair will be held
on Sept. 4, 5, and 6, the dates of
the Labor Day Weekend.
Mrs. Ilah Senski of Wasilla
was named to the vacancy on the
board created by the resignation
of Mrs. Harold Dinkel. Mrs.
Senski has indicated that she will
accept the appointment.
Plans for the coming event al
ready are well organized. Di
rectors of this year’s fair are
hoping to complete arrange
ments whereby a permanent
building for concessions can be
erected. They are determined
that the 1948 fair will be oper
ated as a unit, even though they
find that buildings are unavail
auie cit mis time.
“If we have to, we’ll get a
big carnival tent and set that
up on the fair grounds,” one di
rector said. “How ever we do
it, we’re going to be sure that
this fair is located all in one
place.”
It also was decided that the
Fair Association will supply a
truck to pick up exhibits for
the fair and to return them to
their owner at the conclusion of
the fair. This service is for both
livestock and garden exhibits.
It will be free to all Valley resi
dents.
It was reported that negotia
tions are proceeding well for
the purchase of an automobile.
The board expects to be able to
make announcement of the type
(Continued on back page)
25 Bonds Sold
In First 3 Days
Of Hospital Drive
First returns in the current
hospital bond drive, which open
ed with the beginning of a door
to-door canvas on Hospital day
last Monday, revel that a total
of 25 bonds have been sold or
pledged since Monday.
Drive chairman W. C. Mau
reported Wednesday evening that
he had received a total of $875
in cash and pledges nn the
amount of $1,025 up to that
time. He said that manw drive
captains had not yet reported
to him.
The drive will continue for one
month, ending on May 5. Solici
tors are working diligently to
secure the subscription of the
entire $50,000 issue of bonds be
fore that date. Prfior to the open
ing of the active campaign last
Monday, 22 bonds had been sold.
Mr. Mau said he hoped to
have more complete returns, and
a percentage report of progress
on each captain’s list of names
for publication early next week.