THE FRONTIERSMAN
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the post office at
Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
A- J. DeJulio_Owner-Manager
Editor-Virginia Gallant
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Letters to
the Editor *S
Members of the Palmer Inde
pendent School board thoroughly
discussed the possibility of the
construction of a gymnasium at
the new Palmer High School dur
ing their regular board meeting
last week. The compiled results
of the discussion were prepared
and approved by the school board
for publication, in an effort to
clear up reasons why they are
not, at this time, building a new
gym. The letter follows:
A number of people in the com
munity have criticized the school
board for not presenting them
with a gymnasium at the new
high school. Such criticism is wel
come and doubly so when accom
panied by suggestions based on
facts leading toward a solution to
the problem. Your school board
does not finance the construction
and operation of your schools.
They simply take the money that
you pay, add the subsidies receiv
ed from the Territorial and Fed
eral governments, and attempt to
give you the best school system
that can be purchased for the
money available.
Your Independent School Dis
trict was organized in July of
1949. Two months later planning
was done in cooperation with the
Alaska Public Works and an ap
plication for 50% participation
was approved by them pending
approval of plans and financial
ability of the school district to
pay their share. Plans were
drawn by Johnson and Botesch
of Seattle, a firm of architects
specializing in school design. The
plans include an auditorium and
gymnasium as well as shop, cafe
teria, special purpose rooms and
(12) classrooms. The architects
original estimate of the cost was
$704,000 for the complete build
ing. A. P. W. then advised us (1)
that due to an order from the De
fense Materials Board, it would
be impossible to approve the
gymnasium and (2) the financial
ability of the School District to
pay half of the cost of the build
ing would be limited to $550,000.
By this time (1951) the estimated
cost of the building without gym
and with (3) less classrooms had
increased to $1,100,000. In other
words, the estimate had more
than doubled for the building as
reduced in size.
In order to buy the new High
School from A.P.W., it will be
necessary for the School District
to pay $42,000 down and $31,000
per year for ^0 years. The total
budget for the school year 1954
55 to be raised by local taxes
amounts to $114,000. The assessed
valuation of the whole school
district is approximately $9,500,
000. Thus, in order to meet the
operating budget for this year
alone would require a 12 mill tax.
Instead of levying a 12 mill tax,
the School Board pared down the
budget to approximately $95,000 J
and the City and School Board ]
levied a 10 mill tax The simple
facts are, therefore, that to oper
ate the present two school sys
tem at a minimum level requires
a 10 mill tax. When the new highJ
school is turned over to us, our
operating costs will increase at
least $20,000 and this plus our an
nual payment of 31,000 means
that we will have to raise an ad
ditional $51,000. We hope that to
bacco tax refunds will supply at
least $30,000 of this but it looks
like the other $21,000 will have
to come from the property tax.
This means that at the present ;
assessed valuation an additional
two mill tax, bringing the total
to 12 mills will be a distinct pos- ;
sibility. And this without any ad- 1
ditional construction or mainten
ance. If the tobacco tax refund
should drop or be diverted by the
legislature to other uses, we .
would be in one h. of a mess.
The proposed plans for a gym ;!
show an estimated cost of about
$500,000. If A.P.W. shared 50%, ;!
it would mean $250,000 for our
district. This would require an ;
annual payment of about $15,000
per year which in terms of taxa
tion would mean another 1.5 !
mills, bringing the property tax I;
up to 13.5 mills as against the !;
present 10 mills.
If the tax payers of the district j;
are willing to pay a 14 mill tax
for the next 20 years, we can pro- L
] bably have a gym. How about it?
j Your school board wants a gym
just as bad as you do, but we
also want to be able to pay our
way.
There is one other angle that
your board is working on. That
is, we think it a good possibility
that a good gym can be built at
less than $500,000. If this proves
out, it may be financially pos
sible to build one.
The figures used above are all
approximate and not intended to
be precise amounts. Anyone that
is interested may review the
school budget by contacting the
superintendent.
Prepared by Hurley and
Approved by the School Board
and Superintendent
November 26, 1954
Editor
The Frontiersman
Palmer, Alaska
Dear Sir:
Yesterday was a day of Thanks
giving and rejoicing for the many
bountiful things we enjoy in this
wonderful Territory of Alaska.
Some are still thankful to our
Federal Government for building
our roads and paying most of our
salaries for federal employees.
There are also a great number
who only can be happy when and
if we become a State.
There are no doubt many pros
for Statehood and the few who
dare to speak their minds in re
gard to questions such as taxes
when we are a state, are usually
classified with being “Commies”
or “Fascists”. Politically he is a
dead duck because he dares to
speak his mind in a free country.
If he makes a statement that we
should investigate, trying to find
out if we can pay our way as a
State but also maintains that the
majority should rule, he is called
“a double talker”. So we just sit
down, read and listen to all that
can be said about “Statehood for
Alaska”.
One thing you can be sure of.
That a good slug of the tax pay
ers money will be appropriated
for Statehood. A Bill for $50,000
failed at the last session of the
Sisley Service
Re-Opens Dec. 13
Jack and Loretva Sisley an
nounced this week the opening of
their service station on Bailey
Hill, Mile 49, on Monday, Decem
ber 13.
Sisley’s Service was completely
burned out, last May 31. and the
new station has been • built at
the old site, .Although the garage
is not quite as large as the one
that burned, Jack said this week
that his equipment is more com
plete than before and they will
offer complete garage services
and repairs, as well as tires, gas,
oil, and other sales services.
Alaska Legislature—they have
spent $8,000 already. While I am
not well versed on the plan of
Commonwealth I would ask why
not give them a chunk of the
dough? and a few crumbs to those
who would like to wait for more
industries in our Territory.
As I understand it, the budget
is going to be 15 million more
than the last session—and if my
figures are right, there is around
six million left from the last ses
sion. Of course that’s only pea
nuts to the newly elected mem
bers.
One of the best speeches I have
heard on Statehood was an ad
dress by Ralph D. Paine, Jr., able
publisher of Fortune magazine. I
believe it was three times on the
radio, besides the newspapers had
the speech in full. We heard and
read it. To say the least, it was
the best I ever read. No doubt
about his knowledge of history,
his oratory and a first-class writ
er. The only thing that fouls me
up is—How a gentleman knows so
much about the conditions of the
Territory by being here only two
days!
We think that the U.S.A. feder
al government has been most
generous to us. And if we become
a state and have the same lib
erties—-the same taxes as we are
now paying—then when next
Thanksgiving rolls around again
Yours Truly and his family will
include in his Thanksgiving
prayer—
“Thank you, dear Lord, for
naking Alaska a State.”
GERRIT (HEINIE) SNIDER -
AVERY V. RICHEY, paslor
YOU ARE INVITED
TO ATTEND
FIRST BAPTIST
CHURCH
Palmer. Alaska
Sunday School _10:00 a.m.
Worship Service _11:00 a.m.
Sun. Nighl Service _7:45 p.m.
Wed. Prayer Service 7:45 p.m.
;j An Outstanding Religious
| Sound Film every Sunday
Night.
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HARD WORK PAYS OFF
Ambitious 4 H members and their leader are picture.* in front of the 4-H display building on
the Valley Fairgrounds. These girls painted End re-decorated the quonset booth just prior
to the 1954 Fair. Left to right are Mrs. Florence Sawby, 4-H leader; Charmaine Sawby,
Annetta Sawby, Lila Hoskins and Ida Hoskins, 4-H members.
BLUE RIBBON WINNERS
Pictured above are blue ribbon winners in the 4-H Garden projects for the past year
Pictured left to right are: Billy Combs, Rosann Branton, Vadney Bledsco, Larry Sharp, Larry
Trowbridge, Craig Trowbridge, and Grayson Murphy, district agriculture agent.
y ''»•** *^
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CHRISTMAS
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SUNDAY HOURS: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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King Building, Across from Elks
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