VOL. III.
PALMER, ALASKA, NOVEMBER 25, 1949
NUMBER 11
Photo-Art Opens New Building Today
Nobody Wants Job
Of Heading Valley
G of C in 1950
The nominating committee of
the Valley Chamber of Com
merce found the going heavy
last week, when it attempted to
select the nominees for next
year’s president. “ That’s not for
me,” was the unanimous response
of four members, when their
names were announced. The
quartet, Jack Maze, Carl Ras
mussen, Clair Stock and James
Hurley, all declined the nomina
tion.
They finally agreed to let the
nomination stand, if each of the
other three would allow his name
to remain. Each of the four is
now plotting a campaign that
will result in the election of any
one but himself.
Other candidates for office
named at last week’s meeting
were: Everett Yohn, vice-presi
dent; Betty Mears, Louise Kel
logg, recording secretary-treas
urer (Mrs. Mears declined);
Louise Kellogg and Irwin Plitt,
corresponding secretary; Jan
Koslosky, Carl Meier, I. M. Sand
vik, Clayton Esslinger, M. D.
Snodgrass, Russell Felzien, James
Wilson, Charles Wilson and
Everett Yohn, members of the
board of directors.
President Esslinger announced
that the list of nominees was still
a partial one, and would be aug
mented at the first meet in De
cember. The election will be
held at the second December
meeting, which falls on the 21st.
PHS OPENER
IS POSTPONED
The scheduled opening of the
Railbelt basketball league, which
matched Anchorage and Palmer
in a game tonight, has been post
poned, it was announced this
week by Superintendent William
T. Zahradnicek.
At press-time, new date for the
game was tentatively set at De
cember 3. It will be played in
the Palmer Gym.
Meanwhile Mr. Zahradnicek
and Coach Robert Crites were
discussing practice sessions with
Army fives in order to give the
Palmer squad the ultimate polish
before conference play opens. No
oefinite games had been sched
uled at press-time, but Mr. Zah
radnicek said it was likely that
one or two games would be play
ed in the next week or 10 days.
It was revealed that station
KENI of Anchorage has asked to
broadcast high school conference
games this year. It is probable
that the season’s opener between
Palmer and Anchorage will be
broadcast from the PalmerGym.
And Where Were You
On Sunday, November 20th.?
There were 300 Valley resi
dents who missed an opportunity
to help save a life last Sunday.
They were the 300 persons who
failed to report at the Gymnas
ium for the blood-typing pro
gram being conducted by Dr. C.
C. Bailey under the sponsorship
of the Kiwanis Club.
However the 300 absentees are
to get another chance this Sun
day—an opportunity that doesn’t
usually repeat itself when lives
are involved.
Dr. Bailey originally had
scheduled the blood-typing pro
gram through appointments in
alphabetical order. Next Sun
day, Nov. 27, and the last day of
the typing program, he’s an
nounced he’s throwing the alpha
bet out and running a test on all
comers. It means that instead of
the planned 500 tests for Sunday,
Dr. Bailey and his helpers must
run 700, if the program is to be
completed on schedule.
Everyone between the ages of
18 and 55 is urged to make every
effort to report at the Gymnas
ium next Sunday, sometime be
tween the hours of 9 a. m. and
noon, or 1 to 5 p. m. The 1,000
samples are absolutely necessary
for cross-indexing needed for a
successful file.
“The time and trouble involv
ed are nothing,” the physician
stated. “It doesn’t take longer
than five minutes’ time to run
through the line, the way we
have it set up. We take just a
sample of blood—we’re not ask
ing for donors. And it doesn’t
hurt anyone.
“Too, a person should remem
ber that even if he isn’t interest
ed in anyone else’s life this pro
gram may be the means of sav
ing his own life some day. An
emergency may come up where
his life will depend on our hav
ing this information in a matter
of minutes. Sometimes just a
few minutes of time makes the
difference between life and
death, when blood is needed.”
In order to make Valley-wide
participation possible in this pro
ject, Dr. Bailey plans to send
equipment and personnel to Wa
silla on . Sunday. Between the
hours of 3 and 5 p. m. on Nov.
27, residents of that area may
have their blood typed at Com
munity Hall.
“Remember," Dr. Bailey con
cluded his appeal, “This program
is for your protection, in case
you are hurt dr need a transfus
ion. These tests will be used to
help you, when you need that
help.”
Hagen Plans Third
Christmas Party
Plans for the third annual
children’s Christmas party, spon
sored by A1 Hagen of the Valley
Theatre, were announced by Mr.
Hagen today. The theatre man
ager said many Valley merchants
already had been reached for dis
cussion of the plans, and that all
were as enthusiastically behind
the project this year, as they
have been in'the past.
The Christmas party will be
held at the Valley Theatre on De
cember 24. Feature attractions
of the day include Santa Claus,
the movie “Bambi”, 200 pounds
of Christmas candy, 100 pounds
of nuts, 100 pounds of peanuts,
six cases of apples, six cases of
oranges, and 650 surprist gifts.
The digestible attractions will
be parcelled into 650 gift bags by
members of the Ladies of the
Moose. These bags will be dis
tributed by Santa Claus, sched
uled to make his appearance
from a chimney constructed by
members of the local Carpenters’
Union
Mr. Hagen is now searching for
membership of another organiza
(Continued on Page Two)
’49 Chest Drive
Is Sabotaged
By Listless Canvass
A poor job of canvassing on the
part of some Community Chest
solicitors has bogged down the
1949 campaign, according to Lee
Ray, secretary of the Chest
Board. With the 1949 drive
scheduled to end on Nov. 20, Mr.
Ray said that 10 solicitors still
were unreported on Nov. 22.
Since'the full report is lacking,
secretary Ray said it would be
necessary to extend drive dates
to Nov. 30. He said he was posi
tive the added week would give
solicitors the time they need to
complete canvassing in assigned
districts.
To date, only $1,600 has been
collected in the current cam
paign, yet in many instances in
dividual contributions were
markedly higher than in past
years.
The announcement was re
peated that either Mr. Ray or
Mrs. Dorothy Saxton would ac
cept drive contributions from
anyone desiring to give, who has
not been reached by a solicitor.
STRUCTURE IS ONE
OF MOST MODERN
IN TERRITORY
Although carpenter’s hammers
still pound in hidden corners of
the new Palmer Photo Art build
ing, and although the exterior
still lacks its finish sheath of
Vitrolite, a black glass tile, the
Photo Art opened its doors to
customers in its new quarters
this morning.
The building incorporates
many features of modern archi
tecture new to Alaska, accord
ing to partners Irwin Plitt and
Bill Rempel. It is illuminated by
a 24-foot square of cold cathode
lighting, a pencil-slim tube of
light. The modernistic floor, pat
terned in squares of subdued
greens, buffs and brick red, is of
rubber asphalt tile.
Candies, one of the new lines
added by the Photo Art, will be
displayed in a refrigerated stor
age cabinet, one of three of its
type in the Territory.
In addition to its regular line
of gifts, stationery, office sup
plies and ivory, the Palmer Photo
Art now stocks luggage, cosmet
ics, magazines, toys and house
hold sundries. Within the next
30 days, a pharmacist will be
here to open a complete drug
store, and a men’s clothing store
will open in the quarters next to
the Photo Art.
A 12-stool fountain also is
planned in the building. Open
ing date of the fountain, which
will serve ice cream, sodas, sand
wiches and fountain drinks, is
uncertain since fountain stools
have been delayed in their arriv
al. Mrs. Ronald Schmitz will
work at the fountain. Store per
sonnel, in addition to Plitt and
Rempel, will include Mrs. Dale
(Continued on Page 2)
JUNIOR PLAY
COMINC SOON
Although the production date
still is wavering between the
evenings of Dec. 9 and 10, junior
students of Palmer High School
this week were polishing off the
rough spots of “Inner Willy”, an
nual class play. An indefinite
basketball schedule is the cause
of uncertainty on the juniors’
calendar, but they promise the
announcement of the production
night by next week.
Juniors who will take part in
this year’s play include: Edison
Thuma, male lead, and Lavcm
Roetman, feminine lead. The
pair will be supported by Jean
Smith, Gloria Carroll, Joyce
Hardage, Gloria Wright, Pat
Benson, Hazel Barnhardt, Harvey
Hiber, Jr., Gerald Campbell and
Oren Peterson.