valley F rontiersman
VOL. II, No. 4
PALMER, ALASKA, OCTOBER 13, 1948
TEN CENTS
CONGRESSMAN
AND GENERAL
VISIT VALLEY
Congressman Preston Peden of
Oklahoma and Gen. Nathan F.
Twining, commander of Fort
Richardson, were chief guests at
last week’s Chamber of Com
merce meeting. Both addressed
the group briefly. Congressman
Peden made a fervent plea for
peace, saying that Americans
must “come to the realization
that peace is the only thing in
this world which we cherish.”
General Twining expressed the
Army’s interest in the welfare of
the Valley as in all of Alaska, and
promised help whenever the
Army could be of assistance in
local problems.
Both men later addressed an
assembly at Palmer school, where
Congressman Peden emphasized
the need for the interest of youth
in government of the nation and
of the territory. In both meet
ings, Mr. Peden expressed the
hope that statehood would come
to the territory soon. He is one
of Alaska’s most wholehearted
champions of statehood.
General Twining explained
something of the Army’s plans
for development in Alaska this
winter. He said the territory was
to be used as a testing ground for
new planes and equipment dur
ing the coming winter months.
He stated that the B-36, the new
iet bomber B-45 and P-34s w’ould
all be tested at Ladd Field at
Fairbanks this winter.
• Other Chamber guests on Wed
nesday included .James Wilson,
new Co-op manager, and Rev. B.
J. Dingle. Reverend Bingie out
lined the growing development of
communities lying along the
Railbeit and in the Healy and
Suntrana coal mining areas. He
predicted that coal resources in
this region had barely been
tapped.
Don Irwin of the Agricul
tural Research Administration,
reported on a series of meetings
held with Kenneth Kadow, head
of the Alaska Committee of the
Department of the Interior. Mr.
Irwin explained that one of Mr.
Kadows responsibilities is that of
studying markets for agricul
tural products produced in the
territory. It is also the committee
head’s job to interest capital in
the development of new Alaskan
industries, which in turn will cre
ate greater markets for Alaskan
agricultural products.
Women Seek
Suit Angels
A Women’s Athletic Associa
tion has been organized by the
sports-minded women of the
Valley. Although basketball is to
be their principal athletic en
deavor at present, they hope to
extend their activities to baseball
next summer.
easKeioan uns winter win nut
be sponsored by any local indivi
dual, a team spokesman an
nounced. Each girl on the squad
will be sponsored by a local mer
chant, who is expected to be re
sponsible for the purchase of her
basketball suit. The sponsoring
merchant’s advertisement will
appear on the back of the suit
blouse.
Suits are a major worry of the
Association at present, since last
year’s uniforms all were lost in
the fire at Bert’s Drug Store.
L. S. Stock is to be team man
ager this season and June France
will act as coach.
Girls already are practicing
twice weekly, and they hope to
be able to schedule a game in
about three weeks.
Houses Are Rented
The block houses recently con
structed for Clyde King, Sr., bv
contractors Loyer and Casler are
now fully occupied, Mr. King an
nounced this week. Mr. and Mrs.
Walter Freeman and three sons
live in one, and Mr. and Mrs.
Maynard Sands and family occu
py the other.
Sportsmen Wont To Shoot
In Rec Holl Basement
Co-Op Head
Is Here
James Wilson, long-awaited
new manager of the Matanuska
Valley Farmers’ Co-Operating
Association, arrived in Palmer
early this week, and already was
hard at work at his desk by the
week’s end.
Mr. Wilson, who drove north
over the Alaska Highway with his
family, comes to the Valley from
White Salmon. Wash., although
he names Pocatello, Idaho his
home. While at White Salmon,
Mr. Wilson was for two and a
half years manager of a co-op
erative.
He describes White Salmon as
center of a thriving dairy in
iustry. It lies at the foot of the
Cascade Mountains and is di
rectly across the Columbia River
from the famous Hood River Val
ley of Oregon. The co-operative
with which Mr. Wilson was as
sociated was a dairy co-op.
Prior to his work with the
Washington co-op, the new
MVFCA manager was associated
for five years with the Soil Con
servation Service. His job lay in
the farm planning section of the
SCS, and he has expressed the
hope that he will be able to assist
farmer members of the MVFCA
with the practical ^ield work as
well as with the business end of
their farming.
k. . impi ii ————;a
Directors and guests of the Matanuska Valley Sportsmen
are caught in the act of spoiling the perfection of the buffet
at the club’s recent game dinner. It is estimated that nearly
140 club members and guests crowded into the school dining
room and overflowed into the basement hall on the evening
of the dinner. Pictured above, reading left to right are:
Mrs. L. C. Stock, Holgar Larsen of the Anchorage Fish and
Wild Life Service office, Mrs. Larsen, Dr. F. R. Sims, Leo
Lucas, Bill Roark, Mrs. Sims and Mr. Stock. (Photo by
Palmer Photo-Art)
Plans for converting the base
ment of the Rec Hall into an in
door shooting range and possibly
a meeting hall, were announced
by the board of directors at last
week’s regular meeting of the
Matanuska Valley Sportsmen.
Members of the board reported
the basement had been inspected
and that conversion to a range
and meeting hall is feasible.
Board member L. C. Stock was
directed to carry the plan to the
board of the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Co-Operating Associa
tion for discussion and approval.
He was asked to discuss arrange
ments with the Co-op board, and
to bring facts and figures back
to the Sportsmen’s board, when
next it meets.
James Wilson, Co-op manager,
who was questioned later in the
week regarding the matter, said
the Co-op board had “reacted fa
vorably to the suggestion” but
had taken no action. A commit
tee was appointed to work out
details with a Sportsmen’s com
mittee.
Ralph Goodrich was appointed
to take charge of construction
work at the ski tow. It was urged
that a work party be organized
to install the tow in the very
near future. It was suggested
that high school skiers might be
drafted to help.
It was reported that game din
ner receipts had totalled $129.
The balance in the Sportsmen’s
treasury now stands at $893.
The group discussed the plant
ing of pheasant, deer and elk in
the Valley. Secretary Bruce Gra
ham was instructed to write a
letter to the Alaskan head of the
Fish and V/ild Life Service, ask
ing what the club could do to
promote this type of program.
The matter of insurance for
the club was discussed at length
and the secretary was directed
to get information concerning
types of insurance available to
the organization.
As an improvement in plan
ning for future game dinners, it
was suggested that next year’s
event should be planned in the
very near future. Assignments
will be drawn from a hat here
after, and members will be given
longer notice of their responsi
bility for the annual dinner.
GO OUTSIDE j
Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Plitt and
ton recently left for the states.
They plan to spend at least six
months Outside before returning
to the Valley. Mr. Plitt is a part
ner in Palmer Photo-Art.