Palmer, Alaska, December 20, 1947
Ten Cents
Vol. 1, No. 27
MAZE, ZEILE, HAGEN HEAD ’48 CHAMBER
Improved Five
Will Take On
AHS Saturday
Although still handicapped by
the loss of speedy Lynn Sandvik,
Lawrence Gibson, coach of
Palmer high school, promised
today that Saturday’s return en
gagement between the Palmer
and Anchorage basketball teams
would find Palmer much im
proved over the first game.
Farther than that, Mr. Gibson
makes no promises. However he
has plans, not to be revealed be
fore Saturday’s whistle calls the
two teams into play, which make
him feel that Saturday’s game
may end far differently than the
one-sided victory Anchorage
snatched late in November.
The second strings of the
two squads will tangle in an
8 o'clock curtain-raiser. Wal
ter Bendixen, who has been
working with Palmer's first
string, will move back to the
B squad for that encounter,
in order to chalk up a little
more game experience.
The second game of the eve
ning is not scheduled to begin
until 9:30. Probably starting for
Palmer in that game will be
Puhl, Onkka, Irwin, Stevens and
Bouwens.
However, there is a strong
possibility that Hutchinson, who
is battling mightily for a start
ing call, may nudge Onkka out
at the opening whistle. Both men
will see plenty of action Satur
day, but decision on the starting
forward may be delayed until
just before game-time.
The starting line-up for An
chorage is expected to include
Eaves, Rafailovich, Pfeil, Berg
*hnd Black. That's the way
they lined up against Seward
last week. The Anchorage lads
took two games from Seward
without much trouble, al
though they allowed the Gate
way city boys to dount for 32
points in their second meet
ing.
The Anchorage special train,
which is bringing 200 high school
students, will arrive in Palmer
early Saturday evening. Since
the train must leave again short
ly after the game, no official
welcome is planned for visiting
students.
However, the Palmer court
squad will play host to their An
chorage rivals at a lunch follow
ing the game.
BUY CHRISTMAS SEALS
Community Chest Receipts Trickling In Slowly
x uc icu iuai ivci wu me var
ley’s Communist Chest ther
mometer, mounted on the load
>ing platform near the railroad
station here, is slowly creeping
upward. Thursday morning’s to
tal, with most Valley families
still unsolicited, had topped the
$700 mark.
Final soliciting assignments,
which have been delayed be
cause of the illness of Mrs. Isola
Sims, who i6 in charge of -solid*
Ldnuii, wcie suggcdicu at
nesday’s Chamber of Commerce
meeting. Drive workers are mak
ing a concerted effort to reach
every family in their assigned
area by Saturday forenoon.
However pledges and con
tributions will be received un
til Monday evening, when the
1947 drive officially ends. Any
Valley resident who it not
reached by a solicitor may
leace his contribution at either
iiio luaiouusiwa v cucy wau&i
the Valley Settler, the library
or the Valley Frontiersman.
Monday, the final day of the
drive, will be Red Feather day
in Palmer. On that day, all con
tributors who gave $10 or more
will be entitled to wear the red
feather presented to them at the
time their pledge or donation
was received.
Again it is emphasized that
a pledge of future contributions
is solicited, 11 me coniriDuuon
cannot be made at this time.
Pledges are as acceptable as on
the-spot contributions and are
accounted as money in totalling
drive receipts.
Members of the Community
Chest central committee will
meet at the home of Clayton
Esslinger next Monday evening
at 8 o’clock to hear final re
ports on the Valley drive.
Play Bingo Saturday
Musical entertainment by
Earl and Betty Nunn, a raffle
ticket, and Bingo cards which
may win either a Christmas
dinner or an electric gift that
giving, all await guests of the
Fire Association at Saturday's
will make good Christmas
Bingo game.
The evening gets underway
in the main hall of the Steve
Ward Bldg., with 15 minutes
of musical enterainment at 8
o'clock on the dot. Bingo will
begin immediately at the close
of the musical numbers, and
will continue until 10:30 when
there will be an intermission,
with more music planned.
The Bingo party is spon
sored by the Malanuska Val
ley Volunteer Fireman's As
sociation in its effort to raise
funds to equip and maintain
the fire equipment now loca
ted in the Valley.
School Program
Drafts Players
Students from every grade in
Palmer school will participate in
the school Christmas program,
planned at 1 p.m., Dec. -3 in the
school gymnasium. All interested
community residents are invited
to be guests of the school.
The program, under joint
supervision of Mrs. J. K. Dunlap
and Miss Jennie Skule, is a
pageant with music and recita
tion. Primary students will sing
Christmas carols. Students from
four through eight are to parti
cipate in the play, while junior
high school pupils and the high
school glee club plan special
musical numbers. Christmas
carols will be accompanied by
chimes music.
These children have parts in
the planned production:
Billy Lenlz, Ray Winegarner
Howard Esslinger.
Angels—Joyce Miller,
Nancy Shelton, Patty Smith.
Carollers—Janice Rich, Lar
ry Bentti, Jane Braden. John
Reed, Louise Loberg, Jack
Dragseth, Raellen Diess.
Students with speaking pans
in the pageant include:
Bertha Gaylord, Lester
Marth, Freddie Cook, Delores
Foster, Marilyn Dragseth, Je
rene Stephan, Monte Larsh,
Robert Zetner, Vernon Frid
ley, Annie Hafemeister, Joe
Lentz, John Barnhardt, Char
lotte Nelson, Dorothy Hoff
man, Ralph Kircher, Billy Fox,
Lowell Krise, Ruth Savchenko
and Jennetta Lindsey.
P- TA Hears Discussion
Of School Problems
The pros and cons of large
consolidated schools and small
one-teacher units were informal
ly discussed at last Tuesday’s
Parent - Teacher Association
meeting. The discussion arose as
the group debated measures to
alleviate the over-crowded con
ditions in the Palmer school.
Carl Snelling, superintend
ent, referring to an incor
porated school district, said
some thought had been given
to a plan, which in the future
might lead to incorporation of
the Valley area as a school
| district.
Under such a plan, Wasilla
j high school students would be
I brought to Palmer, with Wasilla
retaining its grade school pupils.
Another school probably would
be constructed in the Butte area,
with the possibility of one or
two more small units added in
other outlying areas.
Teachers were informally
polled, and while most spoke
i favorably of the better teacher
pupil relationship found in the
smaller school, the consensus of
opinion was that the large con
solidated unit is more practical
because of the greater advan
tages offered in social and extra
curricular activities, as well as
superior equipment and work
materials.
It was pointed out that such
a plant probably would be cheap
er to operate in Alaska, although
that the trend in the states with
in the last ..5 years has been
away from one-teacher school.
Wasilla Plans First
Community Christmas
WASILLA—The first Com
munity Christmas ever planned
by this town is progressing very
nicely, it was reported this week
by Mrs. J. M. Bryant, program
chairman. The program is plan
ned for Community hall at 7:30
next Tuesday evening.
Wasilla school children will
begin the evening’s entertain
ment with 45 minutes of recita
tions, songs and short skits.
Adults are preparing a pageant
of the Nativity scene for the
concluding portion of the pro
gram.
When the program ends, all
Wasilla children will enjoy a
Christmas treat, made possible
through the generosity of Wasil
la merchants.
The discussion was tabled un
til the January meeting, when
C. C. Caldwell, superintendent
of schools in Anchorage, is ex
pected to add first-hand facts on
advantages and disadvantages of
W. E. Huntley reminded the
group that this type of school
does raise a major transporta
tion problem. Mr. Snelling said
an independent school district.
The P-TA plans a potluck din
ner for that evening.
It was decided at Tuesday's
meeting that the P-TA will act
as agent for magazine sub
scription sales in the Valley.
It was suggested that a def
inite drive be sponsored in the
early spring in order to pro
mote this method of sugment
ing P-TA funds.
The movie sponsored by the
P-TA early this month returned
a gross yield of $270.70, Mrs.
Charles Schaefer announced.
One-third of that amount is the
share of the Valley Theatre.
Mrs. Lois Winegamer was ap
pointed as the P-TA representa
tive on the Valley Health Coun
cil.
Mrs. Jack Cope and Mr.
Snelling were appointed as the
P-TA committee in charge oi
purchasing candy for the Christ
mas treat for Palmer schoolchil
dren.
The evening ended with an
informal musical program of
Christmas songs and piano selec
tions played by the pupils oi
Mrs. Timothy Hennessey.
Child Struck
By Taxicab
Little Diane Nelson of Palmei
was struck by an automobile
last Monday evening. At firsl
feared suffering a broken leg
and a broken arm, she was taker
to the Valley hospital where
she was found to be only badly
bruised. She was returned tc
her home in a few hours.
The little girl rushed outside
to greet her mother, returning
from shopping in a taxi driven
by Dave Rush. When his passen
ger left the cab, Mr. Rush be
gan backing the vehicle from the
■driveway, thinking the child
driveway, thinking the child
was struck by the rear of the
vehicle, which was at first be
lieved to have run over her.
Vet Sales Tax
Ends In June,
Meeting Told
Jack Maze, W. L. Zeile and
A1 Hagen are the current big
three of the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce. They
were named president, vice
president and secretay-treasur
er, respectively at last Wednes
day’s annual election. Harry
Wimmer and Matt Perkins were
elected executive committeemen
for the coming year.
Election of officers occupied
most of the business period of
Wednesday’s meeting. New of
ficers will first occupy their
chairs at the January meeting
of the Chamber.
Before retirement from of
fice, Zola Fineman, secretary
treasurer, reported that Cham
ber membership had grown from
27 in 1946 to 42 members in
good standing at the election
meeting.
Floyd Guertin, territorial
representative of the Veterans
Administration, Ludlow An
derson of the Bureau of Mines,
and A. Parmenter, fire chief
for The Alaska Railroad,
were guests at the meeting.
Mr. Guertin briefly summar
ized the accomplishments of the
territorial VA to date, as re
vealed at the recent quarterly
board meeting of its directors.
He said that the veteran’s sales
tax, imposed by the last legisla
ture, already had collected about
two and a half million dollars,
and probably would go out of
existence next June with a col
lection of three and a half mil
lion dollars to its credit.
There are now approximately
one and a half million dollars on
loan to veterans through the
territorial VA, according to Mr.
Guertin. $150,000 of that amount
has been loaned to Valley vet
erans, with $70,000 more in the
offing. Valley loans are used
primarily for the purchases of
houses and farm machines and
equipment.
Mr. Guertin explained that
the territorial fund was a re
volving fund, with new loans
constantly being made as old
ones are paid off. He estimat
ed that at least 400 Alaskan
(Continued on Page 10)
f
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Helen Mae Stenvall, a
sophomore, is the winner of
the essay contest sponsored
by the Chamber of Commerce
and the Palmer school, Les
Ray, drive chairman, an
nounced Thursday night.
Roger Woods, also a sopho
more, won second place.
Virginia Boulter of the
i sixth grade won the grade
I school contest, Mr. Ray re
ported. Second prize went to
< Virginia's class - mate, Joe
Lentz.
Nancy Smith of the grade
school was awarded honor
able mention.
Judges were Marvyn Allyn,
J. L. Dickson, and Rev. Wal
ter Zeile.