Vol. 1, No. 43
Palmer, Alaska, February 21, 1948
Ten Cents
This sight was the reward Arthur Eide of Anchorage had after a search of 62 years for "the
greatest view in the world." It's the Arctic Valley, part of the military reservation of Fort
Richardson, between Palmer and Anchorage. Eide and George Rengaard climbed the slope
above the trees in the center of the photo to lake this shot of a winter wonderland.
Election Is
To Be March 1
March 1 has been set as the
date for this year’s election of
the board of education of Palmer
school. There is one retiring
ratmber of the present board,
Glen Woods, who was elected
for a one-year term last year.
Mr. Woods will be a candidate
for re-election.
The election will be held in
the lobby between Palmer school
and the gymnasium between the
hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Election judges and regula
tions governing the election have
not yet been fixed by the board
of education. These rules are ex
pected to be developed at next
Monday’s meeting of the group.
However the normal proce
dure for the election of a board
member, according to Carl Snel
iing, superintendent of schools,
is to require that each candidate
for election to the board of edu
cation present a petition signed
by a stated number of qualified
voters residing within the dis
trict. The number of signers re
quired for Palmer probably
would be 25.
These petitions must be pre
sented to the office of Palmer
■gfchool before the March 1 elec
tion in order to have the candi
date’s name included on the bal
lot.
A definite announcement of
election requirements will be
published next week, following
the Monday meeting of the board
of education. Names of selected
election judges also will be an
nounced at that time.
-*■ Go Trapping
Leo Lucas and Vern Donald
son, local trappers, plan to leave
next week by plane for their
beaver trapping location. They
expect to be gone for the next
Several weeks.
Co-Op Manager
Sued For Slander
Charging that he is the victim
of slander, both verbal and writ
ten, L. Clair Stock Thursday
brought suit against A. Marvin
Allyn for a sum of over 815,000.
Stock's complaint, filed by At
torney John S. Hellenthal in the
third district court in Anchorage,
sets out seven separate allega
tions against Allyn, present man
ager of the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Co-operating Associa
tion.
Stock says that he himself was
general manager of the MVFCA
from 1939 until November, 1943,
when he resigned. His petition
states that he is the owner and
operator of a farm near Palmer
and joint owner of a restaurant
and “enjoys a good name and
reputation.”
In the past six months, he al
leges, the defendant “wrongfully
and maliciously, both in writing
and orally, published and uttered
false and defamatory statements
concerning plaintiff.”
The petition maintains that the
nature and substance of these
allegedly defamatory statements
were as follows:
a. That prior to moving to
Alaska, the plaintiff was guilty
of wrong-doing and was expelled
from the International Long
shoremen and Warehousemen’s
Union of Washington;
b. That this expulsion forced
him to change residence;
c. That he is unscrupulous in
his business dealings;
d. That he has cheated and
deceived to gain his ends;
e. That he is promoting to
gain control of the MVFCA;
f. That he is now engaged in
attempting to "fleece” people;
g. That his present business
practices will injure “several
hundred” farmers.
(Continued on back page)
C of C Seeks
Valley Foods
The Valley Chamber of Com
merce has been invited to par
ticipate in the celebration of
Alaska Day at the Seattle Times
Sports and Vacation Show in Se
attle, by supplying typical Alas
kan foods for a Chamber of Com
merce luncheon there.
Chamber president Jack Maze
this week received a letter ask
ing that Alaskans help to make
their day at the Seattle show a
success by sending Alaskan
foods for the planned luncheon,
at which Governor Ernest
Gruening will be the speaker.
Three classes of desired foods
—vegetables, berries and wild
game are easily obtainable in the
Valley. Therefore Mr. Maze has
appointed a committee of three
Chamber members to contact
Valley farmers, housewives and
hunters to ask co-operation in
bringing Valley produce to the
attention of the Seattle group.
Don Irwin, Mrs. Clyde King,
Sr., and Harold Thuma will
make up that committee.
Jhey are particularly inter
ested in acquiring as many vari
eties of home-grown produce as
possible. Relishes made of Alas
kan vegetables, the various
krauts made rfom vegetables
grown in Valley gardens, pre
serves, jams and jellies made of
Alaska’s wild berries, and wild
game and fish taken from the
Valley will make up the Mata
nuska contribution.
The products will be carried
to Seattle without charge by
either Pan - American, Pacific
Northern or Northwest Airlines.
They must reach Seattle no later
than March 12. Alaska Day at
the show is planned for March
16.
Call 8 xo gei meeting notices
printed in the Frontiersman.
‘Pupils Are Refused’
P- TA Told This Week
€
Conservator
Explains Job
Of Agency
Charles Wilson, newly appoint
ed conservationist for the terri
tory, began his work in the Val
ley this week with an address ai
the Wednesday session of the
Farm and Home Institute. Latei
Mr. Wilson met with the terri
torial soil board in evening ses
sions on Wednesday and Thurs
day, to assist with the organiza
tion of that group.
Mr. Wilson defined the work
of his agency as “planned use ot
land on the basis of what the!
land can be used for.” He point
ed out that conservation always
involves use, whether it be land,,
forest or wildlife products.
First soil conservation work1
was not begun until the admin
istration of President Herbert
Hoover in 1928.
There are three stages in the
breaking up of land, in two of
which conservation measures
will halt the process. The three
stages were explained as:
First, Gradual breaking down
of soil and loss of organic matter.
Second, Sheet erosion, when
thin layers of soil are displaced
after each storm. The loss of or
ganic matter is increased in this
stage.
Third, Gully formation, when
the battle is lost, for the land
cannot then be reclaimed.
Referring to plans for Alaska’s
soil conservation board, Mr. Wil
son explained that the territory
is one of three of the states and
territories which includes the
entire unit as one soil conserva
tion district. However AlasKa
will be re-divided into sub-dis
tricts to make for more thorough
coverage of its soil problems.
Mr. Wilson concluded by stat
ing, “We plan to work out our
problems by having the techni
cian and farmer work together.
We do our planning right out in
the field. We want to see the
farm and know what kind of soil
(Continued on back page)
Highway Tracts
To Be Limited
To Small Plots
The Alaska Rural Rehabilita
tion Corporation, which has jur
isdiction over sale of public do
main in the Valley, has ruled
that all future sale of land lying
along the highway between
Palmer and the Knik bridge
wil be limited to homesites no
larger than one and one-third
acres.
The move has been taken to
forestall possible speculation in
land along the highway in the
future. Much of the land already
has been sold, according to W. C.
Peters, Corporation manager. He
estimated that no more than four
60-acre tracts remain available
fronting the highway.
BULLETIN
The long-debated question
of whether land under mort
gage to the Alaska Rural Re
habilitation Corp., could be
held for taxes in the event an
incorporated school district
was organized in the Valley
was answered this week. War
ren Cuddy, legal adviser for
the Corporation, has informed
W. C. Peters, general manager,
that if the tax "was levied by
a duly constituted district
(that is, a school district legal
ly set up and organized) taxes
would constitute a lien against
the property."
The ever-present problem of
what to do with the children
who would like to attend Pal
mer school was brought to the
attention of the Parent-Teacher’s
Association at Tuesday’s regular
meeting this week.
Carl Snelling, superintendent
of schools, reported that no
rooms except the seventh and
the combination third and
fifth grade room could ac
cept more students now. He
said the school office was turn
ing away students who seek en
trance in Palmer school now.
The matter was brought up
when Mrs. Charles Schaefer,
P-TA president, read a letter
from Roger Langdon, president
of the Wasilla Community Club,
and Mrs. Vannie Courtney, head
of the P-TA there, in which it
was stated that Wasilla did not
wish to be included in an in
corporated school district plan
ned by Palmer, but rather would
wish to form a separate district,
if such a plan is being consider
ed.
Mr. Snelling then reported
that some plan must be formu
lated to take care of Palmer’s
school enrollment before next
term. He said he was planning
to double-shift the grade school.
This plan probably entails hir
ing two sets of teachers and run
ning school buses on two com
plete circuits daily.
The need for added play
ground equipment and for repair
of present play equipment on
the school grounds was dis
cussed. It was decided to appoint
a committee to investigate the
greatest school need, in the way
of equipment; upon the basis of
this committee report, the P-TA
will order the expenditure of
the $250 fund now being raised.
Mr. Snelling stated that he
was opposed to the expenditure
for playground equipment, since
he opposed the use of play
ground equipment. He said
schools in the states were elim
inating such equipment, because
it is so dangerous, and he felt it
only a matter of time until the
equipment at Palmer school
would be banned also.
Parents discussed the matter,
but no definite action was taken.
Mrs. Victor Johnson, member
of the committee selected to con
duct a magazine sales campaign
for the P-TA, said tentative
plans had been laid. The com
mittee expects to name drive
dates, during which time sub
(Continued on back page)