Palmer, Alaska, July 2, 1948
Ten Cents
Vol. 1, No. 78
MEA Gets
REA Okay
For Building
The Matanuska Electric As
sociation, Inc., last Tuesday re
ceived word from the Rural Elec
trification Administration that
its building plans had been ap
proved, it was announced this
week by W. C. Mau, MEA man
ager. It is not known what the
amount of the loan is to be ap
proved for the construction.
It was not even known this
week when construction on the
new building can begin. “We
just hope to have it partially fin
ished before the weather turns
too bad,” Mr. Mau said.
The MEA structure is to go up
# on the three lots immediately
north of the Matanuska Hotel.
Present plans call for a one-story
building to be approximately
32x75 feet in size. This build
ing will provide space for offices,
garage and warehouse.
The structure is to be erected
in such a manner that it will be
possible to add to it in the fu
ture, should further space be
needed. It will be surrounded by
shrubs and lawn.
It is expected that H. G. Bry
an, now attending an REA con
ference at Butte, Mont., will
have additional information con
cerning the building plans when
he returns next week. Mr. Bry
an is due back about July 10.
Sportsmen Will Meet
Next Wednesday
*
The July meeting of the Mata
nuska Valley Sportsman will be
held on Wednesday, July 7, at
the Grange Hall, president F. R.
Sims announced today. Plans for
the evening’s program were un
announced at press-time.
Goes To Valdez
, Johnny Gore was a passenger
of the Palmer Air Service on last
Monday’s flight to Valdez. He
spent only the one day in that
city.
YVFA Meeting Set
Back To July 13
Since the regular quarterly
meeting of the Valley Volunteer
Fire Association falls on July 5,
a legal holiday, the meeting date
has been set back to Tuesday,
July 13, it was announced today
by chairman A1 Hagen. The
meeting will be called to order at
8 o’clock in the Valley Theatre.
Mr. Hagen said the fire drill,
normally held on Wednesday
evening, would be advanced to
Tuesday next week. The drill!
will precede the business meet- j
ing.
Following the business meet
ing, the group will be enter
tained by 16 mm movies of Val
ley scenes. One film will include
color pictures of the recent fire
which destroyed Bert’s Drug
Store.
Any Valley resident, who is
interested in showing movies
that evening, is invited to bring
his Valley reels. A projector for
16 mm film will be available for
use at the theatre.
All members of the Valley Vol
unteer Fire Association are
urged to attend this quarterly
meeting, when directors will
submit reports of the past three
month’s activity.
Couple Seeking
$10,000 Damages
Myron and Nada Newby are
asking S10,000 damages from
Jack. George and Jimmy Baugh
and Bob Ramer for alleged with
holding of property, records of
the U. S. Clerk's office in An
chorage disclosed today.
The plaintiffs claim that home
sites 18 and 19, comprising about
80 acres, of the Matanuska Val
ley Colony were being wrong
fully occupied by the defend
ants.
In addition to damages the
Newbys ask restitution of prop
erty, court costs and S400 at
torney fees. Davis and Renfrew
of Anchorage represent the plain
tiffs.
Not Everybody
Gets Lawful Rest
On July 5th
Valley folks appear to be of
two minds about next Monday.
For some, it will stretch the
Fourth of July' into a long week
end; for others, it will be just
another day on the job.
In the Co-op area, the garage,
Trading Post and warehouse will
be closed, as will the Co-op of
fices. Employes of the Extension
Service, the Soil Conservation
Service, the Alaska Rural Reha
bilitation Corporation, the Agri
cultural Research Administra
tion and the postoffice also will
have a Monday holiday.
The station office of The Alas
ka Railroad will be closed ex
cept for a short period just be
fore the depature of the railbus
in the morning and again upon
its return in the evening. There
will be no change in the railbus
schedule.
The office of Dr. F. R. Sims,
Palmer’s dentist, also will be
closed on Monday.
Both MEA and REA will take
a day off. MEA is including Sat
urday, July 3, in its holiday
schedule also.
Palmer Cold Storage will be
closed on both July 4 and 5.
Palmer Photographic Center will
remain open on the Fourth, but
will be closed all day on the
fifth. The Valley Frontiersman
office will be open for a part of
the business day on the fifth,
but there will be no paper on
Tuesday, since the fifth will be
a legal holiday for Frontiersman
printers.
However the town’s grocery
stores and business establish
ments will be working regular
hours for the most part. Kos
losky’s will remain open both
days, as will the Shamrock Bak
ery, North Palmer Store and
Variety Vogues.
The Mt. McKinley office will
be closed on both days, as will
the Matanuska Valley Bank.
Grasser’s Hardware personnel
couldn’t decide by press-time. 11
was thought possible the store
would be open for a portion of
bth Sunday and Monday.
—....in mi wmmmwM inMHi«.b.mmmmmmm. _ r.
'•"he Peace River bridge, longest span of the Alaska Highway, is fair game for every camera
husiast who drives to Alaska. Many of them have pictures almost identical with that
■n above. The Peace River area, known as Canada's garden, has one of the greatest agri
ral potentials of the north. The milder climate there permits the maturing of apples and
fruits v.-hich v.-ill net thrive in the Matanuska Valley. 'Pbsts from Palmer Phclsarachic
Palmer, Wasilla Plan
Double Holiday
WASILLA — This town, too,
has plans for a two-day Fourth
of July celebration this year.
The event will open with a dance
on the evening of the third, and «
will continue with a picnic,
shoot, patriotic program, chil
dren’s races and a ballgame on
the Fourth.
Wasilla's program is sponsored
by the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
under the chairmanship of Pat
Carter.
Saturday’s dance, to be held
at the Community Hall, will be
for the benefit of the Library
Association. Mrs. Ilah Senski is
dance chairman. Music for the
evening will be local.
Sunday’s program, which is
to be held at the just-finished
VFW baseball diamond, located
an eighth of a mile out on the
Knik road, will begin at 10
o’clock. Children’s races are the
first event on the program.
Following the races, all who
attend are invited to picnic at
the diamond. For those who do
not pack their lunch, there will
be a hot dog stand. Boy Scouts
will sell soft drinks. Ice cream
will be served.
The patriotic program will be
gin at one o’clock in the after
noon. Heinie Snider has been
selected as the day’s principal
speaker.
Following the program, the
shoot sponsored by the Wasilla
Rod and Gun Club will begin.
At the same time a baseball
game between two all-Wasilla
nines will get under way. This
will be the initial game on the
VFW field.
During the course of the after
noon, a washer given away by
the VFW will be presented to
its new owner.
Only word of warning an
nounced by the planning com
mittee for the entire day’s cele
bration is this: No firecrackers
will be allowed on the grounds.
The committee considers the fire
hazard too great.
Soil Group
Names Heads
Members of the recently-elect
ed board of supervisors of the
Palmer Soil Conservation Dis
trict were installed at a meet
ing held last Wednesday eve
ning. General duties of super
visors were outlined for them
by Charles Wilson, territorial
conservationist, and James Hur
ley, district conservationist, be
fore the five took office.
Officers elected were:
Lucius Ross, chairman; Clair
Patten, vice-chairman; Clar
ence Hoffman, secretary.
It was decided that Mr. Hoff
man and Bill Roark would serve
three-vear terms as supervisors;
i Henry Jensen and Mr. Ross will
remain in office two years; Mr.
Patten will conclude his service
at the end of a year.
The second Monday of each
'month was selected as the regu
Final plans for the Valley's
Fourth of July celebration were
announced today by Shamrock
manager Art Stacey, in charge
af the event. Palmer’s Fourth of
ficially gets under way on the
evening of the third, when the
Shamrock-sponsored dance in
Palmer Gymnasium opens at 1C
a’clock.
The Carlson orchestra has been
sngaged to play for the evening.
Dancing will continue as long
as there are dancers. Both mili
tary police and civilian patrol
men will be on duty at the gym
nasium throughout the evening.
The Fourth's athletic pro
gram opens at 12:15 on Sun
day, when two Army nines.
Detachment Alaska Command
and the 183rd General Hospit
al, meet in the first game of
a four-team softball tourna
ment. At about 1:30 that after
noon, or as soon as the first
game is ended, the Shamrocks
meet the Army's 26th Com
mand Squadron in the second
half of the twin bill.
A quarter will purchase grand
stand seats for both games, and
for the children’s races which
follow the second game.
A 13-race program for chil
dren from under six years of age
to 14 year olds and over, has
been planned. First, second and
third prizes will be given to each
winner, and theatre tickets and
milkshake orders will be distrib
uted to runners-up.
The schedule of events for the
races, which begin at 2:30 Sun
day afternoon, was announced
as follows:
(1) 50-fool dash for boys un
der six.
(2) 50-fool dash for girls un
der six.
(3) 50-yard dash for boys
from 6 lo 10 years.
(4) 50-yard dash for girls
from 6 lo 10 years.
(5) 50-yard dash for boys
from 11 lo 13 years.
(6) 50-yard dash for girls
from 11 to 13 years.
(7) 75-yard dash for boys
over 13.
(8) 75-yard dash for girls
over 13.
(9) Sack-race for boys, age
unlimited.
(10) Sack-race for girls, age
“ (Continued on back page)
Valley Display
Leaves For Chicago
Two dozen 8x10 photographs,
representing all phases of life
in the Matanusku Valley, start
ed on their way to the Chicago
railroad fair yesteiday. The
photos, mounted on a 4x8 back
ing of celotex. were selected and
labelled by photographers Bill
Rempel and Irvin Plitt of the
Palmer Photographic Center.
The display was attractively
lettered in red and white, and
is an accurate supplement to the
printed information in the new
Chamber of Commerce leaflet,
10,000 copies of which also a,-e
en route to Chicago.
A spokesman for The Alaska
Railroad expressed pleasure at
the co-operative attitude of the
Valley Chamber. “We do appre
ciate the work you folks have
done,” he said. “No other group
—not even Anchorage — n