Superintendent Says—
Grade Enrollment Is
•4
Now At Absolute Peak
Grade school enrollment at the
Palmer school has reached the
point of ‘absolute saturation,”
Superintendent Carl Snelling an
nounced this week. Two classes
now have more than 41 pupils
enrolled. These classrooms were
planned to seat 20 pupils and no
more desks can be installed in
them. Even if there were room
for an extra desk, they are un
available here.
In view of this fact, Mr. Snell
ing said the Palmer school will
be forced, in the very near fu
ture, to begin refusing admit-,
tancg to children. He added that
the board of education had not
been warned of the problem yet,
for the absolute maximum of en
rollment has developed since the
latt board meeting. Five new pu
pils were admitted to Palmer
school last Friday.
The superintendent is striving
to cope with the problem. The of
fice of James Ryan, territorial
commissioner of education, has
been notified. The only solution
possible to Palmer school at this
time is the establishment of a
split-class program, where one
teacher will be appointed to care
for the overflow of students from
several classes.
Mr. Snelling said he did not
consider this plan desirable; how
ever it must be utilized to take
care of the emergency. No other
solution is possible, for there are
no territorial funds available to
finance any sort of classroom ex
pansion here.
A half-day schedule for chil
dren, one suggested remedy, is
impossible to set up in the Palm
er school because of the bus
transportation problem involved.
"It the Valley continues to
grow, a new school is absolute-"
ly imperative," the superin
tendent warned. 'However no
long-time plans can be formu
lated by the board of educa
tion without the establishment
of some type of taxing system.
The only answer to the school
problem, insofar as Palmer is
concerned, is incorporation.
"Without incorporation no
new buildings will be possible,
either now or in the future.
The land is available on which
to build, and is now owned by
the school. But no building
program or planning can take
place until incorporation
makes it possible."
It was emphasized that teach
ing loads this year are very
heavy. Teachers and students
both suffer when classrooms are
jammed to capacity, yet there
can be no lessening of present
classroom student enrollment
without the construction of add
ed buildings. Territorial funds
are unavailable for a building
program.
Daniels-In The Lion’s Den
Saturday is Alaska Day, the eightieth anniversary of our ac
quisition by the United States. Almost a century ago, some
statesmen saw practicality in the purchase of a land which prom
ised quick wealth to those who could take it. And after 80 years
of being the property of those United States, Alaska still is just a
land of get-rich-quick opportunities to most.
Those 80 years of being owned, have been principally devoted
to a study of how to best take what Alaska has to offer. The
story of its riches are legend and often legendary. The story of
its^ future as home, office and shop for Americans is little more
known today than it was then.
True, there is more information circulated today than in those
days of purchase. Whether much more of that information is
factual than the myths of the mid-1800’s were is doubtful.
Today Alaska needs, just as she needed then and has needed in
all the years since, a united people to press her cause.. Alaska
needs a race of hard-working, fact-facing, intelligent people. She
needs a population that believes in the future of the territory—a
people that can see and face the challenge of her multiple prob
lems.
Alaska needs a race of truth-loving statesmen. She neeiis in
telligent, factual information circulated in the states. She iifeeds
men with the vision to see that the territory’s future lies in bring
ing north home-builders and not a floating populance hunting the
rainbow’s end.
Alaska needs less fanfare and more government bulletins pub
lishing the facts and figures of northern living. Alaska needs men
who will advertise the truth about her shortcomings—men who
will paint a picture of the territory in vivid primary colors and
not in hazy pastels that mislead andi disappoint.
Alaska needs thinkers, who will welcome the opportunity to roll
up shirtsleeves and sit down to wrestle with problems of trans
portation, manufacturing and industry, housing and the high cost
o^ living.
There’s not a problem in Alaska today that hasn’t been met and
solved by pioneering frontiersmen of other decades. The possibility
that the soft-fibred Twentieth Century product of humanity lacks
the ability of other years to face and overcome a problem is one
that Alaskans have not yet admitted.
Above all, Alaska needs Alaskans who believe wholeheartedly
in the future of this territory. She needs Alaskans who will work
unceasingly for that future in every way that will bring the great
est benefit to all.
Alaska needs Alaskans who will make each of the 365 days of
every year Alaska Day. f
Valley FRONTIERSMAN
- *• - Published each Wednesday and Saturd*^
Palmer, Alaska
Printed in Anchorage plant of Anchorage Daily Times
Viola Daniels .Editor
No printed material in the Valley Frontiersman may be re
produced except by permission of the editor.
-—_
Subscription rates.75c m0nth
Delivered by carrier in Palmer. Mailed to all points in
Alaska and the United States.
Whizz... Slick
Names Tagged
To Streamliner
Greek mythology, Buck Rog
ers, politics, Indian lore and
scraps of round-the-table con
versations of many a past month
all were brought to mind in
Palmer school last week, when
students sat down to submit en
tries in the train-naming contest
for The Alaska Railroad’s new
streamliner. More than one of
the enterprising contestants also
made use of past parental opin
ion of the ARR in submitting his
contest entry.
School heads estimated there
were at least 300 Palmer stu
dent entries in the contest. They
say if all contributions are as
appropriate as Palmer’s, contest
judges are going to wish for a
whole fleet Qf streamliners to
name.
Humorists, both conscious and
unconscious, sent contributions
designed to lighten the more
serious side of the judges duties. |
Among those entrants inclined |
to look on the happier side of ,
the name contest were these. \
Spelling, in all cases, is that of
the original contributor:
Stream Lion Train, Wild Tor-'
tese, Eightball, Rovering Spit
fire, Satin’s Express, Artie Cir
cular, Speedless Northman,
Whistling Wind Whizzer and
Sourdough’s Wonder. Contribu
tor for that last name appended,
“He wonders it it will get there.”
Those who drew on politics
and history for their inspiration
suggested names like these:
Best Alaska Train, Colonel’s
Clipper, Franklin Delenor Roose
velt, Alaska’s Companion and
Policy Maker I. One embittered
soul suggested Millionaire’s Fol
ly.
More literal minds thought of
B. T. (Busy Train), Twin D (for
the two diesels) and Whippy.
Fo rthe poetic touch, combined
with Indian atmosphere, there
were:
Flying Carpet, North Fire,
Shinook Flyer, Flying Papoose
and the Maiden.
Romance blossomed in two
suggestions from a lad and a lass
in the seventh grade. Each of
them pencilled Honey Moon
Special as the most appropriate
suggestion. Another seventh
grader, following their line of
thinking, favored Alaska’s Little
Junior.
Mythology exponents, of both
Greek and Buck Rogers schools,
suggested:
Alaska Roket, ARR Zepher,
Comet, Fireball, Speedball, Mer
cury Flyer, Magic Flyer and
Hermes.
Labor Trouble
Won’t Stop Work
On This Building
There may be a shortage of
building materials in Alaska, but
if there is, the members of Palm
er Local No. 2251 of the Car
penter’s Union haven’t heard
about it. The men had a 24x30
foot basement scooped out last
spring, over which they planned
to erect a carpenter’s hall in
Palmer.
With the basement construc
tion of cement blocks now com
plete, they confidently predict
that there will be a temporary
structure on the site which will
be sheltering union meetings
within a month.
Members of the Palmer school
are proud that although they
have been organized for just a
year, they already have sub
scribed funds to finance the
planned building. There are now
30 members in the local.
Chet Sandvik, president, and
Charles Elton, vice-president, are
in charge of construction of the
carpenter’s building. When the
structure is complete, which
won’t be until .next spring, they
will have a workshop in the
basement and their meeting hall
above it.
Although designed primarily
for use of union members, Mr.
Elton said it is possible the new
hall will be available for hire to
TJfct’er organizations.
Brown’s Shop
CLEANERS & LAUNDRY
Fur Work Embroidery
Everything In Fine
Photography
Robinson Studios
335 F St. Blue 489}
Anchorage '
DON'T FORGET
St. Michael’s Church Bazaar
AT SCHOOL GYMNASIUM
October 18
Washing Machine, Radio, Quilt and Afghan
Given Away
Admission Is Free
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Alaskan Surplus Store
Now Opened
• • •
834 Fourth Avenue, Anchorage
(First Building Beyond the Times)
Stock up for winter when you come to town
We feature heavy woolens and Arctic footgear
Big Rugged Blucher Boots.$4.95
Jumbo Wool Sox. 89
Flying Boots.$4.95
Dozens of Other Real Buys
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WE DON’T HAVE IT.”
•
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