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WINNER TO RECEIVE
S2C0; WILL REIGN
OVER VALLEY FAIR
Although the Matanuska Val
ley Fair officially opens to the
public at noon Saturday, the true
highlight of the opening will be
the crowning of the Matanuska
Valley Queen, scheduled to take
place at 11:00 p.m. at the Coro
nation Ball to be held in the Pal
mer School gymnasium.
Nine Valley girls entered the
contest, of which six have al
ready qualified. Those who
haven’t qualified have until 5:30
Saturday afternoon to get their
necessary 250 ticket sfubs in the
administration office at the fair
grounds. This will enable them
to participate in the selection of
the Valley Queen. Any candidate
who wishes to do so may resume
ticket sales after the coronation
thereby earning additional sales
commissions.
Those who have qualified to
date are: Betty Blunck, Pat Car
son, Leona Lucas, Grace Mc
Giboney, Evie Melin and Mary
Louise Moore.
As in the past, judges names
will not be revealed until final
judging is complete and the
queen’s name announced to the
public. Girls will be judged along
the same rules that govern the
selection of the queen at the
Rose Pageant held each year in
California. Ticket sales, the jud
ges decision and votes of the
queen candidates will all go to
ward the points that will total
high score for one of the queen
candidates.
Following the selection of the
queen, Alba Brooks, fair board
president, will place a jeweled
crown on her head and a match
ing robe on her shoulders. From
that time on, the Valley Queen
will reign over the 13th annual
Matanuska Valley Fair.
Kiwanians Hear
Talk on Defense
And Atom Bombs
Palmer Kiwanians heard a re
port on Civil Defense and atom
bombs at their regular noon
meeting held August 31.
George Shannon, Anchorage
city manager and director of the
Greater Anchorage Civil Defense
District, spoke to the group and
showed pictures of the recent
atom bomb explosions in the
States which he witnessed. Ac
companying Shannon were Ed
Fortier, Third Division CD co
ordinator and U. S. Army Cap
tain Cox of the Army Chemical
Ordinance.
Captain Cox witnessed the ex
plosions from a trench located
not too far from the actual ex
plosion and told the group of
radio-activity. Eighty-five per
cent of World War II atom bomb
ing victims were killed by the
blast and heat while 15 percent
died as a result of radio-activity.
Scientists have now discovered,
he reported, how this rate can be
cut down. Cox compared today’s
hydrogen bomb with the atom
bomb, pointing out some of their
differences.
The need for a strong Civil De
fense organization in Alaska was
stressed by the three men during
their visit. “Even though Palmer
is perhaps not a potential target
for an atom or hydrogen bomb,
considering the costs of manu
facturing, failure for one reason
or another to drop the bomb on
the intended target might mean
that it would be released any
where along the flight on the1
way back to their base,” Captain
Cox pointed out.
Simple basement shelters prov
ed efficient during the atom tests,
Cox reported during the showing
of the test films. A five-inch
layer of dirt practically elimin
ates the possibility of radiation
burns, Cox said, in speaking of
home shelters.
Although cars in the bombing
area were damaged, most of them
were driven away under their
own power. Model houses erected
especially for the bombing tests
showed different type results.
Mary Louise Moore,
June Weiss, niece of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Plano, is a newcomer to the
Valley, having come to Alaska this summer. She plans to remain here
and will enter the Palmer High school junior class next week. She
is being sponsored by Knik Drive Inn where she is employed.
Pat Carson, sponsored by the Wasilla Grange, is the daughter of Mr.
| and Mrs. A. R. Carson of Wasilla. Pat has lived most of her life in
I the valley and graduated from Wasilla High school this past summer.
I Grace McGiboney, a valley resident since 1939, is being sponsored by
the Matanuska Hotel and the Shamrock Lounge. She is a 1953 graduate
of Auburn Academy in Auburn, Washington. Her favorite activities
are sports and oil painting.
Mary Louise Moore, sponsored by the Matanuska Valley Airmens’.
Association is the 15-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Moore,
born in Palmer and is a sophomore in Palmer High School
Donna Harris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Harris of Eska is
being sponsored by the Jonesville Miners and has lived in the valley
since July, 1947. She will enter her senior year in Palmer High
School this month.
Betty L. Blunck. Matanuska Valley Farmers Cooperating Association
candidate in the queen contest, is daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henning
Blunck of Palmer. She is a Palmer High graduate and at present is
working for the Arctic Plumbing and Heating Company.
Evie Melin, a Valley resident for over a year, is being sponsored by
Koslosky’s Department store. Evie enjoys all type out-door sports
and collects glass dogs for a hobby
Leona Lucas, was the second Valley girl to enter the contest and is
i the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Lucas of Palmer. She is 16-years old
and will enter her junior year at Palmer High school this fall. Leona
is being sponsored by the Palmer Elks Lodge.
‘ Colleen Hume, 17-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Hume
was the first contest entrant and is being sponsored by Knik Drive
Inn. She came to Alaska from Grants Pass, Oregon and will enter her
senior year in Palmer High school.
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Donna Harris
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Evie Melin
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Leona Lucas
LARGE LAND SITES
OFFERED FOR
METHODIST COLLEGE
Two desirable Palmer area
sites were offered as prospective
sites for the proposed Methodist
College this past week.
Mayor Alfred P. Hagen offer
i ed the group of visiting Metho
dists 100 acres of land on Wasilla
Lake. The site is located near the
Wasilla airstrip, the Alaska Rail
Some were completely disinte
gated, others partially damaged,
depending upon their distance
from the blast.
road station and is accessible by
good roads, Hagen pointed out
in making the offer.
Also offering a location was i
Dr. Lee McKinley whose propos
ed site is a 155-acre tract located
about seven miles south of Pal
mer in the Butte area. There is a
3,000-foot airstrip located on the
site and will be lengthened to
about one mile, Dr. McKinley
reported, and would be included
in the offer.
Following an air tour of the
Matanuska Valley, Dr. McKinley
was host to Mrs. J. N. Rodeheav
er, vice president of the Metho
dist Church Women's Division of
Christian Service and Miss Emma
Burris, executive secretary of the
church’s bureau of social wel
fare and medical work. During
their visit the women inspected
♦he McKinley site. While in Alas- j
ka they have also inspected pro
posed sites at Juneau and Sew
ard.
Mrs. Rodeheaver said funds for
the prospective college now totals
around $250,000. Dr. Earl Brown,
a member of the committee which
will decide on the site for the col
lege, said in Anchorage this
past week that at least another i
million dollars will be needed be
fore actual construction of the
college can be started.
Announcements of the selected
site is expected sometime in Sep
tember, following a meeting of
the committee to be held in New
York earlier during the month.
PATROLMAN MOVES
INTO PALMER
Frank Cornelius of the Terri
torial Police and family have
moved into the former Dale
Roteman house in Palmer where
the Territorial Police radio wilf
be located. Cornelius’ area will
run up the Glenn highway as
30. It will also include all outling
areas around Wasilla, Knik, Big
Lake and Pittman,
far: as Sheep Mountain and to
ward Anchorage as far as Mile
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