valley Frontiersman
VOL. II.
PALMER, ALASKA JUNE 16, 1949
No. 28
15 Want Palmer School Board Jobs
Lavon Roetman
Of Palmer Is
First Queen Entry
Lavon Roetman, the teen-age
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest
Roetman of Palmer, is the first
contestant named as candidate
in the queen contest for the com
ing Matanuska Valley fair, it
was announced today by Charles
Dillon, fair manager. Lavon is
to be co-sponsored by Palmer
Photo Art and the Palmer Cold
Storage.
An entry in the talent contest
is expected to be announced
momentarily, Mr. Dillon added.
The expected entrant is also
from Palmer.
Lavon. a gray-eyed, black
browed blonde, will be a senior
at Palmer High School next
term. She was student yell lead
er there during the past year.
She is an excellent piano player
and has performed as accom
panist at a number of commu
nity functions.
Partners William Rempel and
Irwin Plitt of Palmer Photo Art
were hard at work on camera
studies and color photos of their
queen contestant early this
week. They plan to prepare ori
ginally designed posters of La
von, which will appear in Pal
(Continued on Page 6)
f
THANKS. PAL
There was a friend to har
ried committeemen among
the crowds present at the
Valley’s recent Colony Day
celebration. Although his
identity is not known, his un
derstanding of the press of
committee duties is greatly
appreciated. When sundown
came on Colony Day Sunday,
and no one was at hand to
take down the flag raised
during the afternoon cere
monies, this good Samaritan
assumed responsibility him
self.
Although no member of the
committee was on hand to
help, the flag came down with
proper ritual, committeemen
feel certain. They’re pleased
that there is someone among
us who would willingly under
take this small chore that
they forgot.
However committee mem
bers would like to make one
small request. Please, they
implore, bring back the flag,
friend. It was borrowed.
Union Hall Is To Be
'Housewarmed' Saturday
Union Hall, which has been
under construction for the past
year now, will be officially open
ed at a housewarming dinner on
Saturday evening, it was an
nounced this week by members
of the Carpenter’s Union. Union
members and their guests will
participate. The dinner is being
planned by committeemen Oscar
Kindgren, Lloyd Severns and
Ray Lancaster.
The hall, which measures
24x36, is completely modern
throughout, although its plumb
ing will be incomplete until
frost clears from the ground lat
er this summer. There is a large
meeting room, finished with
hardwood floors, powder rooms,
and a kitchen complete with
sink and stove on the main
floor of the building.
Downstairs in the basement,
in which the furnace is located,
there is space for another meet
ing hall, in the event that two
clubs wish to make use of the
building on the same evening.
The carpenters have chosen a
“peaches and cream” color plan
for walls throughout the build
ing.
The hall is to be made avail
able for rent to any community
club or organization. The Car
penter’s Union has booked the
second and fourth Wednesdays
of each month and the Ameri
can Legion and American Legion
nuAiuaij uuiuo meetings blieiU
on alternate Thursdays. Pros
pective renters should get in
touch with either Lloyd Severns,
William Roark or J. K. Dunlap.
Marketing Survey
Starts In July
The long-awaited marketing
survey of this area is to begin in
the immediate future, it was an
nounced this week by Don Ir
win. upon his return from Wash
ington, D. C. An agricultural
economist and farm manage
ment specialist, Hugh Johnson,
is expected here late in June to
begin the survey.
Mr. Johnson comes to the Val
ley from the bureau of agricul
tural economics of Purdue Uni
versity. To assist him in begin
ning the survey, Wendall Cal
houn, a marketing specialist,
will be here for only a month.
Two other men, one of them
from the staff of the University
of Alaska, will assist in making
the survey. They will be in the
Valley for two and a half
months. However Mr. Johnson is
to be a permanent employee of
of the Agricultural Research Ad
ministration. He brings his fam
ily north with him.
Student Coming Home
Ray DePriest, who has been
attending Washington State
College at Pullman for the past
year, is expected home very
soon, his mother said this week.
A classmate of Ray’s is accom
panying him, and will work on
the DePriest farm this summer.
Doctor Leaves Monday
uy. tt.ennetn Ham plans to
take up his new practice in Val
dez next week. He will leave for
the port city on Monday, he
said.
PCRA ANNOUNCES GOALS,
DEFINES SCHOOL POLICY
The Palmer Community Rec
reation Association, interested in
recruiting a larger membership
of civic-minded Valley residents,
this week drafted an 11-point
program of objectives. These
were the objectives adopted by
members of the group, as the
over-all program of the organi
zation :
(1) Construction of a rec
reational center for the
community of Palmer.
(2) Incorporation of the
Palmer school district.
(3) Formulation of a con
structive recreational pro
gram for the youth of the
Valley.
(4) Promote the interests
of the Palmer Library Asso
ciation.
(5) Promote the interests
of the Valley Hospital Asso
ciation.
(6) Promote the interests
of the Valley Volunteer Fire
Association.
(7) Promote the interests
of the Matanuska Valley
Fair Association.
(8) Promote the interests
of the Palmer Airport Asso
ciation.
(9) Promote the interests
of the Palmer Cemetery As
sociation.
(10) Promote a program of
progressive education in the
Palmer school system.
(11) Promote the interests
of such other local organiza
tions as are devoted to the
advancement of the commu
nity of Palmer.
(Continued on Page 8)
MANY NAMED
AT P-TA CAUCUS,
OTHERS TO COME
A surprising total of 16 names
was presented for inclusion on
the June 28 school board ballot
at last week’s caucus sponsored
by the Parent-Teacher’s Associa
tion. Voters will name five school
board members and will indicate
their stand on school district in
corporation on the same ballot
on June 28.
Mrs. A. H. Mick, who presided
at last week’s meeting, explained
that voting qualifications require
that the voter be of legal age,
have resided in the Territory for
a year, and in the precinct for 30
days. No registration is required.
The candidates named at the
meeting included:
Paul Martin, Clyde King.
Jr., Lucius Ross, James Hur
ley, Mrs. Victor Johnson,
Jack Maze, Glenn Woods,
Mrs. Vivian Goodrich, Mrs.
Amy Irwin, Bernie Bouwens,
Donald Ingalls, Harold Thu
ma, Mrs. Betty Mears, Virgil
Eckert, A1 Brooks, Mrs. Neal
Miller and Mrs. Jenny Per
kins.
Mrs. Eckert asked that her
husband's name be withdrawn.
Several other nominees were not
DroSPnt. frn inHinoi
ness to run.
Mrs. Mick requested that ev
eryone nominated who was not
present at the meeting, to get in
touch with one of the election
judges and indicate his willing
ness to have his name on the
ballot. Rev. Victor Alfsen, W. E.
(Continued on Page 6)
Plane Smash-up
Injures No One
The first plane crash on Pal
mer’s two-year-old airport in
jured no one. but it totally de
stroyed a small plane valued at
$3,500. The plane was almost
new.
The accident occurred when
the plane, owned by Arthur Berg
of Anchorage, took off from the
north-south strip at the port,
while its owner was not in the
ship. Mr. Berg was attempting to
crank the motor when the plane
took flight. The pilotless plane
climbed to a height of 150 feet,
circled the port twice, then
crashed and burned in a stump
row a short distance from the
field.