Jiallowed! <$ Masquerade Dance
WASILLA COMMUNITY HALL
Cctcber 30-9 P.M. - 2 A.M.
WHITEY’S ORCHESTRA
PALMER AREA
RECREATION COUNCIL
MEETS OCT. 31
SCHOOL CAFETERIA — 3 P.M.
The Frontiersman
m, r- PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOL. 8. NUMBER 1
PALMER. ALASKA- THURSDAY, OCTOBER, 28, 1054
PRICE TEN CENTS
Elks Convention
To Open Next Thursday
.Next weekend Palmer will once
more be the gathering point when
members of the 12 territorial
BP.O. Elks lodges and their fam
ilies gather here for the seventh
annual territorial Elks conven
tion. Registration will begin on
'Wednesday, November 3 at Elks
.Hall.
The three-day convention will
open on Thursday, November 4,
and continue through the 5th and
6th. Delegates from Juneau,
Wrangell, Fairbanks, Anchorage,
Seward, Cordova, Kodiak, and
Palmer are expected and possibly
from other southeastern cities, ac
cording to Clair Stock, local lodge
.secretary.
The program has been complet
ed and plans for various events
and meetings have been made.
However, there is still an acute
need for housing. Stock stressed.
Anyone having space in their
home who would be willing to
accommodate some of the visitors
is asked to call the Elks hall and
leave their name.
Much of the program will be I
devoted to lodge work and will
not be open to the public. How
ever, the memorial service plan
ned for Saturday morning will
be open to all Elks, their ladies,
and guests.
Business sessions will keep the
delegates . bus}- during the three
days of their convention and
planned entertainment has been
arranged for their wives, includ
ing Alaska’s Favorite Game, tours
of the valley each morning, skits
on Friday afternoon and lots of
fun throughout the convention.
Present officers of the Alaska
Territorial Elks Association are
Z. H. Tessendorf, president, An
chorage Lodge 1351; Orval A.
Thurman, vice-president, Fair
banks Lodge 1551; Leon H. John
son, Kodiak, Lodge 1772; E. P.
McCarron, Fairbanks Lodge 1551,
Matt Onkka, Palmer Lodge 1842,
trustees; Richard W. Smith, sec
retary-treasurer, Anchorage Lodge
1351; and past presidents, Eugene
C. Smith, Edward C. Barber and
Louis Odsather, all of Anchorage
Lodge 1351; W. L- Lhamon, Fair
banks Lodge 1551, and Walter
W. Sipprell, Seward Lodge 1773.
District deputy Alaska west is
Hollis Henricks of Cordova Lodge
1483.
One of the highlights of the
convention is the parade planned
for the final day of the conven
tion. It is scheduled to get under
way at 1:30 p.m. Saturday after
noon and will consist of various
bands and floats. To date only the
the local chapter of Beta Sigma
PALMER ACT
Delayed showing of Comedy
KIND HEARTS AND
CORONETS
with Alec Guinness
Saturday, Oct. 31 — 8 p.m.
Carpenters' Hall
Phi and the Arctic Trails Riding
Club have indicated they plan to
enter a float in the parade. Any
organization wishing to enter a
float is urged to do so. Cash
prizes of $50, $30, and $20 will
be made to the winners.
RE-ASSESSMENT BEGINS
IN SCHOOL DISTRICT
Field work on Palmer Inde
pendent School District tax as
sessments was started last
week by Ray Byham, accord
ing to Rex Ehrhart, recently
appointed tax assessor in the
school district.
Ehrhart, who was appoint
ed by the school board, began
his new duties on October 11
and stated that reassessment
work is to be carried out
throughout the entire school
district. Ehrhart, with his fam
ily, moved to Palmer this past
year from Anchorage where he
formerly conducted the Anch
orage Rubber Stamp Co.
The tax assessor’s office will'
remain in the same location,
over the bank, in the Wright
building.
Open House At
Schools Set For
Hat. Education Week
Parents, friends, teachers and
students alike will be participat
ing in the program being planned
in Palmer in observation of Na
tional Education Week which
runs from November 8 through
the 13th. Robert Diltz, Palmer
school teacher, is chairman of the
ommittee making extensive plans
for displays and open house in
local schools. Assisting him are
teachers Betty Jo Riddle and John
DeVries.
Window displays will be ar
ranged at Koslosky’s Department
store and Bettys’ as well as at
Swanson and Central schools. The
displays will feature text books
now in use in the schools.
Open house at the schools will
be maintained throughout the en
tire week with members of the
Parent-Teacher Association work
ing as volunteer guides. All adults
visiting their youngster’s school
during National Education Week
will receive a lapel tag marked,
“I have visited our school this
week, have you?” Although the
class rooms are open to visitors
year around, Diltz pointed out
that room visitations are being
especially stressed during the
special week.
Posters will be distributed in
various points around the city and
in the halls at the schools.
On November 16 the P-TA pro
gram will be in charge of the
teachers and will be in line with
the National Education Week
theme, although Diltz stated the
program itself is to be a surprise.
Notice
First half of city real and personal property
tax payments are now delinquent.
Payments past due now carry 7!/2% penalty
plus I % interest per delinquent month.
After February 1, 1955 penalty increases
to 15%.
REX EHRHART
Tax Assessor
City of Palmer
City Council
Proceedings
Visitors at the October 26 City
Council meeting were Clair
Stock, George Fletcher, Mrs.
Olive Johnson* and Merritt Long.
Mr. Stock requested permission
of the council to decorate city
streets during the coming Elks
convention. Permission to i^se
hanging-type street banners and
store signs were granted by the
council. Mr. Fletcher, operator of
the Valley Taxi Service, request
ed clarification on sales tax col
lections on fares outside the city
limits. His request was tabled for
further study. Mrs. Johnson re
quested the council take action
to install individual shut-off val
ves on lines serving north end of
Matanuska Street. Mr. Long was
in attendance as a visitor. In ad
dition to the request for street
decorations Mr. Stock extended
an invitation to Acting Mayor
Betty Mears to give an address of
welcome to the visiting Elks.
* * *
By motion, council members es
tablished the policy that during
a training period no person will
receive remuneration from the
city until such time as officially
nut on city payroll. The motion
is to be added to the telephone
policy.
* * *
The annual report from the
water department and committee
showed that the wood stave water
line in the ARRC section is leak
ing and a request to replace sev
eral hundred feet was included in
the report. It was brought out
(Continued on page 8)
200 ATTEND
ANNUAL GAME DINNER
Close to 200 persons attend the
the Matanuska Valley Sportsmen
annual game dinner held at Elks j
hall last Saturday evening. Fol
lowing a “feast” of sumptuous
dishes of wild game, fish, salads,
and various vegetables members
and their guests were treated to j
an hour and one half of some of
the best entertainment presented
in the Palmer area for a long
time.
The entertainment, consisting
of Air Force personnel, was ob
tained through Ed Bellringer,
entertainment chairman, and con
sited of Ted Hunt, master of cere
monies who also presented several
fine vocal numbers, a group of
singers, calling themselves the
Five Doves, who were well re
ceived as was Charles Montgom
ery, tap-dancing specialist. Vari
ous solos were given by members
of the band, including- an im
promptu piano solo by Marty
Cohen. All of the men are with
the service club in Anchorage and
an invitation was extended to all
those attending the dinner to at
(Continued on page 8)
Territorial School Boards Meet
Here November 10 and 11
BENSON LEADING WITH 66 VOTES
Henry Benson, long time Republican labor commissioner,
has passed his close-runnig opponent. H. J. “Kinky" Lannen
in the race for Territorial Commissioner of Labor, according
to a morning newscast. Benson was leading Lannen by an
66 vote margin with 13,077 votes counted for Benson and
13,011 for Lannen. The absentee votes being tallied this week
are making the difference in the vote. Up until today Lannen
carried the margin of votes.
Current total votes counted from 95 of the 98 Third Divi
sion precincts, plus the 270 absentee ballots are as follows:
TERRITORIAL SENATE, LON TERM: J. Earl Cooper (D)
6546; A1 Owen (D) 6599: Gerrit Snider (R) 4601; Lee L. Mc
Kinley (R) 4,408; George Lingo (I) 936. UNEXPIRED TERM:
J. H. Werner (D) 6755; Sally Gorsuch (R) 3341; Alex Bowker
(I) 629; Bill Buxton (I) 218: H. E. Poole (I) 149.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Democrats: Ray E.
Plummer, 7602; Ken C. Johnson, 7521; Wendell P. Kay, 7180;
Irene Ryan, 6.885; Russell K. Young, 6676; Stanley J. McCut
cheon, 6597; Harry B. Palmer, 6357; Seaborn J. Buckalew,
6277; E. G. Bailey 6195; Peter J. Kalamarides, 6173. Republi
cans: Paul F. Robison, 4421; Dorothy M. Prior, 4384; James
Hawkins, 4063; Paul W. Nelson, 4046: Lloyd Olsen, 3934;
Winifield Ervin Jr., 3885; M. D. Snodgrass, 3753; Emil Knudson,
3702; Carl T. Rentschler, 3609; Jack White. 3598.
SKATING RINK
DISCUSSION SLATED
FOR P. A. R. C. MEET
The public ice skating rink be
ing constructed on the property
next to Central School, and across
from the old hospital, will be
one of the main topics of discus
sion at the regular all-member
ship meeting of the Palmer Area
Recreation Council next Sunday
afternoon, October 31, at 3:00
p.m. in the school cafeteria.
All members and others inter
ested in, helping make plans for
winter sport activities are urged
to attend, and particularly those
interested in utilizing the ice
rink for group skating, intra-city
hockey matches and other skat
ing events. It is hoped to obtain
lighting for the rink to permit
evening use. The problem of
maintenance is yet to be solved
and will also come up for discus
sion. Anyone with ideas on any
or all of the problems are invited
to attend and offer suggestions as
to how they may be solved.
Other plans to be discussed in
clude the Little League program
for next summer. Members of
the P.A.R.C- recently applied for
the charter for the Palmer Little
League and will take over the
responsibilities of the league next
season.
A coffee hour is planned fol
lowing the meeting.
Board members are reminded
of an executive meeting to be
held this evening in the office
of Dr. C. C. Bailey. Final plans
for the all-membership meeting
will be completed.
"TRICK OF TREAT"
CANVASS FROWNED
UPON BY DOCTOR
A suggestion made earlier this
month by Dr. C. C. Bailey, city
health officer, is again repeated
for the benefit of parents and
youngsters who may have missed
the previous announcement.
It was suggested by the city
health official that the popular
past-time, “Trick or treat” be for
gone this year in regard to the
incidence of polio in the valley
this fall.
“It would probably be better
and safer not to encourage the
youngsters to participate in the
annual canvass from house to
house this year”, he said. He ex
plained that he felt it would ex
pose them unnecessarily to chill
ing, meeting people they are not
usually in contact with, and eat
ing food handled by persons other
than their usual associates.
TELEVISION ANTENNA
ERECTED AT HOSPITAL
Bill Kelleigh and Joe Otte,
both of the local ACS office, this
week donated their time and lab
or to erect the television antenna
at the Valley Presbyterian Hos
pital. The purchase of the anten
na was made possible through the
following organizations and in
dividuals: Women of the Moose,
Valley Theatre, Beta Sigma Phi,
Grasser’s Hardware, Bert’s Drug
Store, Mrs. A1 DeJulio and Mrs.
Allan Mick.
The television set was present
ed to the hospital several months
ago by the Walter Teeland fam
ily of Wasilla. Now the antenna
has been obtained the set will
be placed in the lounge where
walking-patients, and visitors
may see the evening programs.
ARC Completes New Houston Road
The new all-weather gravel
road to Houston was completed
on Saturday of last week, accord
ing to Oliver Onkka of the Alas
ka Road Commission.
Motorists may now drive from
Palmer to the coal-mining area
of Huston, a thing that until Sat
urday was only a long-time wish
of residents familiar with the
landscape beauty of that section
of Alaska. Although the new road
to Willow was not completed this
year, a trail runs from Houston
to that town and favorite fishing
spot, and eventually it is expect
ed that funds will be provided to
construct a road, making a round
trip possible from here to Willow
and back over the old Willow
road along the Little Susitna riv
er.
Airport Road
Other work completed by the
ARC this week includes the ac
cess road to the Palmer Airport.
Work on the 22-foot wide road
was completed on Tuesday and
cultimated about two week’s
work. Approximately 30 inches
of gravel was put down on the
road that was in existance. Lack
of funds prevented the ARC crew
from making a completely new
road. This all-weather, year
round road makes a big improve
ment over the muddy conditions
that formerly existed after each
rain storm and throughout the
spring thaw season.
School board members from
the entire territory have been
invited to attend and participate
in the formation of a Territorial
School Board Association during
a two-day meet scheduled in Pal
mer on November 10 and 11.
Donald M. DaFoe, territorial com
missioner of education, will be in
attendance, as will representa
tives from school boards in the
Fairbanks, Anchorage, Valdez
and Nome areas. Other school
districts have not yet indicated
whether or not they will be in at
tendance but it is hoped that re
presentation will be present from
all school boards in Alaska.
The main purpose of such an or
ganization is the promotion of
closer contact with the Territor
ial Department of Education, the
exchange of school problems,
views and experiences.
The first meeting of the con
vention will be held in the Pal
mer School library, on Wednes
day morning, November 10, with
subsequent meetings to be held
in designated points.
Band to Presant
Program at
Booster Meeting
The next regular meeting of
the Band Boosters will be held
Monday evening, November 1 at
7:30 p.m. in the School gymnasi
um. Lee Plumbley, director, will
present the band, drum corps,
and the majorettes, in a program
planned especially for that eve
ning.
All parents and interested per
sons in the valley are invited and
urged to attend the meeting and
“be a Palmer band booster".
Members of the club and band
have, during the past two weeks,
been selling lapel buttons at 50
cents each. Funds derived from
the sale will go toward the pur
chase of equipment, uniforms and
music for the entire band pro
gram. Other projects for raising
. money will be presented in the
future.
Election of Mayor
Held Up Another Week
The election of a mayor for
the City of Palmer was again
this week tabled by council
members in view of the opin
ion given by the city attorney
who questioned the legality of
electing a mayor outside the
city council. According to terri
torial law when tnere is an
absence in the mayor’s office
members of the city council
may fill the vacancy by their
own election. According to the
city attorney, who has consult
ed several Anchorage attorneys
on the subject, there remains
some doubt as to whether the
council may elect an individ
ual to the mayor’s office who is
not himself a member of the
council. The question will ap
pear again on next week’s ag
enda.
CORSAGES
Telegraph Delivery Service
MATANUSKA VALLEY
GARDENS
Phone 32J11 Palmer
4 BIG DAYS
NOV. 3,4,5 and 6
All Elks
>VWVWVVVW^^^^^VVVVVVVWVVVW<
ARE INVITED
TO ATTEND
Convention In Palmer