Thought of the Week:
Civilization is the condition
in which one generation pays
the last generation's debt by
issuing bonds for the next
generation to pay.
ALASKA HISTC:
P
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
I _ s »
"TRUE BLUE & TRUSTED"
Meller-Drama, Variety Show
Elks Home
June 8 and 3—7:30 p.m.
VOLUME 14. NUMBER 37
PALMER. ALASKA.
THURSDAY. JUNE 7, 1962
TEN PAGES
PRICE 15 CENTS
PALMER GIRLS ARE STATE CHAMPIONS
Alaska state bowling champions are, from left, Holly
Schroeder, Cheryl Leek, Janie Hanks, Donna Watts, and
Ginger Lawton.
Competing against junior
bowlers from 50 states and 14
foreign countries, the Palmer
girls’ junior bowling team won
the Alaska state championship
in the senior division of the
American Junior Bowling Con
gress annual mail-o-graphic
tournament. The tournament
was bowled March 31, 1962.
The Palmer team placed 69th
in the nation, competing with
943 teams in their division.
Their score was 2,697. A total
of 16,403 teams bowled in the
congress.
The girls were sponsored by
the D and A Grocery. This is
the first year that junior bowl
ers have participated in nation
al tournaments in Palmer.
AUDIENCE STARS IN THEATRE GUILD
MELLER-DRAMA, VARIETY SHOW
The audience stars in the
forthcoming “True Blue and
Trusted,” a stark, lurid meller
dramer being presented bv the
Valley Theatre Guild with the
cooperation of the Palmer Elks.
Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Fri
day, June 8, and Saturday,
June 9, the Elks hall will rever
berate with shouts, whistles,
cheers, hisses and boos as the
audience helps to set the stage
and carry on the action. Bar
bara Hamilton, publicity chair
man, promises.
Our Heroine, Barbara Lach
er, is a vision of loveliness as
she repulses the foul Villian,
Harry Evans. Mother of the
heroine, Jessis DeVries, sobs
out her heart in anguish to
Grandmama, Jinks France, who
just doesn’t give a hoot. The
sultry Villainess, Ruth Mc
Cavit, inveigles the wealthy
Colonel, Jack Dodge, to part
with some of his money, while
Our Hero (what-a-man) Har
old Newcomb, bravely attempts
to save the situation. Harold
Stephan as the Preacher caps
the lid on the play with usual
Stephan dispatch. A rough and
tough struggle between the
Hero and the Villian is a fea
ture of “True Blue and Trust
ed” not to be missed, says Bar
bara.
To round out the evening, a
fast, peppy variety show is
scheduled with Lee Plumbley
as Master of Ceremonies. Mur
riel Wattum opens the show
with her impressionistic songs.
Kitty Johnson, the Gay Nine
ties Songbird, will entertain,
Jack Riley will amuse the audi
ence with a reading, and Bar
bara Hamilton “gives her all”
as the Opera Star. The Master
of Ceremonies will lead the
audience in a songfest. and the
glamorous Dancing Dolls (Rose
Evans, Midge Melendy, Vir
ginia Dodge, and Gladys Hay
es) complete the bill.
Dick Baker is accompanist
for the show, and Emil Gans
chow is sound effects man and
lighting technician. Jo Puddi
combe is prompter and handles
the properties. The sets were
designed and constructed by
Keith Melendy, who is also di
recting the entire production,
with Barbara Hamilton as as
sistant director.
The Elks Lodge is opening
its doors to the public at 7:30
p.m. for a cocktail hour preced
ing the evening’s entertain
ment. Only adults over 21 are
invited, as state law forbids en
trance to minors. Refreshments
will be served throughout the
evening. Admission at the door
is one dollar. All valley area
adults are cordially invited to
attend.
SURPRISE PLANNED
FOR FAIR HARADE
Program and parade plans
for the 1962 Alaska State Fair
are shaping up, according to
Bill Miller, fair manager. A
:entative scheduled may be
autlined in a few weeks, he
said, and added that he hopes
:o include a surprise for the
people of the valley, the nature
af which he refused to divulge.
Booth and space reservations
are going much faster this year
:han last, Hazel Harris, fair
secretary, said. She started that
space for those who had reser
vations last year will be held
for a time, but urged that these
reservations be picked up as
soon as possible.
Reporters—
Notebook |
Flying the pole route. Mrs.
Ruth Schaefer and son Charles
left Sunday, June 3, on an ex
tended tour which will take
them through several European
countries and transcontinental
United States. They will visit
Mrs. John Clark (Helen Schae
fer) in Norway, then continue
by rail to Italy, where their
tour will include Rome and
Pompeii. After a stop at Ath
ens, Greece, they will go to
England before flying to New
York for a two-week visit with
relatives. The trip home will
include a visit at the World’s
Fair in Seattle, as well as a re
union with daughter Bettv in
that city. After taking delivery
on a new Volkswagon, they
will drive to Palmer in iate
August.
* * *
Airman Third Class Robert
J. Lentz, son of Mr. and Mrs.
William J. Lentz, of Palmer, is
being reassigned to Travis Air
Force Base, California, follow
ing his graduation from the
United States Air Force tech
nical training course for air
craft mechanics at Sheppard
Air Force Base in Texas.
Airman Lentz was trained
to maintain and service reci
procating engine aircraft and
aircraft systems.
* * *
A graduate of Palmer High
School, he entered the service
in November, 1961.
Miss Helen Zernov, who is on
the staff of HCJB, a Christian
short-wave radio station in
Quito, Ecuador, will visit at
the Lazy Mountain Children’s
Home this weekend. Miss Zer
nov broadcasts daily in the
Russian language from the
Quito station.
* * *
Airman Darrell “Pete” Want,
son of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Want,
departed from Elmendorf Air
F'orce Base Saturday, June 2,
for Lackland Air Force Base in
Texas for further training. Dar
rell, a former Palmer High
School student, is a 1962 grad
uate of East Anchorage High
School.
Shannon Mick, who became
Mrs. James Carpenter on June
2, was honor guest at two re
cent showers. Neighbors of the
bride gathered in the home of
Mrs. L. J. Klebesadel on May
24, presenting her with a start
er set of pottery.
* * *
On May 28, Mrs. James Wil
son and daughter Carol, and
Mrs. Dick Jones were hostesses
for a miscellaneous shower
held in the Jones home.
Making an aerial survey of
moose calves in the area is
Dick Hamilton of Hamilton
Flyteways, who is under con
tract with the Alaska Depart
ment of Fish and Game. Flying
under the same contract is Bud
Woods of Woods' Flying Ser
vice, who is working with law
enforcement officers of the de
partment.
Kerllula Emphasizes
Loan Fund Increase
Of his work in the 1962 leg- i
islative session at Juneau, Jal- |
mar Kerttula, state representa- |
tive from Distirct 7, feels that
he gained the greatest personal I
satisfaction from what he was
able to accomplish in the fi
nance committee, he said Wed
nesday in an address before
the Matanuska Valley Chamber
of Commerce luncheon meet
ing.
“The agricultural revolving
S!X NOMINEES
TO RUN FOR
MTA POSTS
Nominees to run for two vac
ancies on the Matanuska Tele
phone Association board of
directors have been named bv
the nominating committee
which met on May 25, Max Cle
ments, manager, has announ
ced .
The vacancies will be filled
at an election to be held at the
MTA annual meeting on Satur
day, August 4, the manager
said. The terms of Harold New
comb and John Zimowske, two
and three years respectively,
are expiring.
Nominees are Laurel Hayes,
James Hurley, and Homer
Ruppart of the Butte area;
Harvey Hiber of Sutton: John
Linnebur of the Big Lake
Houston area; and Harold
Newcomb (incumbent) of Wa
silla. Other nominations may
be made from the floor at the
annual meeting.
Members of the nominating
committee are R. H. Vroman,
chairman, and Jack Maze, Ed
Ingram, Glen Briggs, Charles
Bairn, Clay Johnson, George I
Allen, Claude Gabbett, Bill
Hermann, Roland Snodgrass, ;
and Dexter Bacon.
Early Day
Resident Dies
William D. Lawrence, resi
dent of Alaska for many years,
died June 6 in the Valley Pres
byterian Hospital. Born in
Texas on November 7, in 1878,
he was 83 years of age. For
the past ten years he has made
his home at Wasilla Lake
near Greenacres.
His sister. Mrs. Pearl Pat
rick of Ryderwood. Washing
ton, arrived here early this
morning. F u n e r a 1 arrange
ments are pending. Besides his
sister, he is survived by o n e
nephew.
An employee of the Alaska
Railroad for twenty years, he
has been retired for twenty
two. He was an early-day
homesteader in the Anchorage
Elmendorf area.
SEEK BIDS
Bids are being asked for ad
ditions to the parachute and
dinghy shops on Elmendorf
Air Force Base at an estin -
ted cost of $100,000, the U. S.
Army Engineer District.
loan fund was increased to
$400,000 in this year’s budget, a
40 percent increase over the
entire agricultural loan fund
since its beginning,” he stated.
“'This sum is enough to get ten
new farmers started in the
state of Alaska.”
Asked by Chamber president
Barney Fish what could be
done to coordinate Valley needs
with legislative action at Jun
eau, Kerttula emphasized the
importance of personal letters
written to key members of the
legislature (those most con
cerned with passage of your
bill). Identical mimeographed
letters seem like one letter, be
sides implying a lack of per
sonal interest, he said.
There are key times to send
letters and telegrams, he add
ed. saying that enough letters
arriving at the right time can
carry a bill along.
The fair bill was left in com
mittee this year because it
would have had little chance
of passage in the 1962 session
he said, and with reapportion
ment following this year’s elec
tion, posibilitv of passage may
be more hopeful in the 1962
session.
Light Vote Cast
In City Election
I
Approved by a vote of 80 for
and 67 against in the city elec
tion held Tuesday, June 5, the
home rule charter proposition
will take effect and become law
at 12:01 a.m. on June 11.
Election officials consider the
total of 147 ballots cast a light 1
vote. About 240 votes are us
ually cast in the regular Oc
tober elections, and the city .
j tally in the last presidential |
; election was 492. ,
The charter provides for a
council-manager form of gov- .
ernment, with a paid city man- |
ager to be appointed by the
elective seven-man council.
Other officers to be appointed ■
by the council are the city clerk i
and city attorney.
All persons holding city off- ;
ces at the present time will 1
continue in their positions un
til changes provided for in the
charter are effected.
On Tuesday, June 12, the
City Council will begin steps to
organize as provided for in the j,
charter. Provision will be made :
through ordinances for the in- j
auguration of the new city :
government and the transition 1
from the former government of j
the city.
Members of the council at |
MEA MANAGER REPORTS TO CHAMBER
ON TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
Reporting on his trip to
Washington, D. C.. Mason La
Zelle, MEA manager, told
members and guests at the Ma
tanuska Valley Chamber of
Commerce luncheon meeting
Wednesday that REA remains
firm on its stand that no addi
tional loans for power genera
tion will be made except on an
area basis, and that the Alaska
delegation in Congress agree
that the REA position must be
supported.
The Parsons Company is
going ahead with its definitive
estimate of a 22-megawatt coal
fired steam plant at the Sutton
site, he added.
He stated that the City of
Anchorage, which is installing
a gas turbine this fall, has of
fered to sell MEA 2000 kilo
watts this year and 4000 kilo
watts next year from its Bur
eau of Reclamation allotment
at a cost of IOV2 mills per kilo- !
watt hour. Chugach Electric
Association has offered a figure
of 121/2 mills per kilowatt hour
from its pool.
The MEA manager announc
ed that the electric co-op has
purchased a Cessna 185 air
craft, an increasingly necessary
piece of equipment in MEA's
WINS BID
Chris Berg, Inc., Seattle, is
the apparent low bidder f o r
construction of an equipment
shop at Barter Island, Alaska
with a low bid of $746,300. Five
sealed bids were opened on
the project by the U. S. Army
Engineer District, Alaska. The
government estimated costs for
the proposed work at $764,725.
FHA Declares Valley Disaster Area
The Farmers Home Adminis
tration has designated the Mat
anuska Valley as a disaster
area eligible to receive emer
gency conservation assistance
in replacing permanent brome
grass acreage which was win
ter-killed, the Alaska delega
tion in Congress was informed
early this week.
This action makes farmers
available for 70 per cent Fed
A*al accictanrp in land Dreu
aration, seed purchase, fertil
izing and seeding.
The original estimate of 75
per cent winter-kill of the
5,500 acres of brome grass in
the area has been down-graded
somewhat, according to local
agriculture officials.
Prospects have brightened a
little, as new grass is beginning
to show where stands were
thinned from winter killing.
Adeauate moisture with a lit
tie warmer weather has helped
to develop the brome, though
farmers report nearly a third
of it winter-killed.
Some fields that are nearly
killed out are being reseeded
now, while others expect to
take whatever they can get
from the first cutting and then
reseed.
Some expect to reseed next
spring so as to save all feed
Dossible for this vear. The
dead brome grass fields are
being reseeded with brome
or rye grass where available
or with small grains to aug
ment the reduced forage sup
plies for the coming year.
Grazing dairy cows on t h e
short pastures in the Matanus
ka Valley was quite general
during the past week, and a
few farmers started feeding
“green shop”.
The erass is still short in
most cases and the new feed
disappears rapidly. The possi
bility of limited feed supplies
for the coming year resulting
from the heavy grazing this
spring poses a major problem
to a number of dairymen, agri
culture officials said. It w a s
added that the extent of the
damage to the brome grass
crop this year will not be fully
measured or realized until
next winter when supplies of
hav and silaee disaDDear.
service area. To transport i
heavy equipment 70 miles daily
to Talkeetna, for instance, is |
impractical, he pointed out. and |
cited the cost of feeding and
housing men at remote loca- j
tions. The oil-and-coal rich Bel
uga-Tyonek region, inaccessible
except by air, is in the MEA
service area, he added.
‘ By air, no part of the ser
vice area is more than -15 minu
tes from Palmer,” he said.
The effort to pull the area '
utilities together in a concerted ;
power plan has ben almost ex- i 1
clusively MEA’s, he stated, 1
pointing out the impracticality
of travel by automobile to such j
distant areas as Seward or ;
Fairbanks. Travel by commer- | ■
cial airline is also time-consum- !
ing as well as prohibitive in j,
cost, he said.
REA personnel in Washing
ton were given a much clearer ■■
picture of our problems after |
being flown over the service i
area, he said. "We must sell ,
people on our country if we ex
pect them to help us They have
requests for aid from many ,
quai'ters, and we must build a j
picture in their minds that they |
will return to again and again.” t
LaZelle, who is chairman of ;
the executive committee of the
Area Redevelopment Commit
tee, stated that they went over
the provisional plan (recently
completed by the committee) j
with Area Redevelopment |
headquarters personnel in
Washington, and that it was ;
found acceptable. ;
:(-*********************-x->
he present time are Billy R.
Hiller, mayor, and E. J. Blom,
j. Richard Geiwitz, Rex E.
•Ihrhart, Ralph C. Moore,
fames P. Pazaruski, and Loyd
*V atts.
The next regular city elec
ion will be held October 2,
962.
ELKS LODGES
rO OBSERVE
:LAG DAY
Stressing the need for a re
vival of “the fervent patrio
ism that won our freedom,”
Ben Cabo, Exalted Ruler of
^almer Elks Lodge No. 1842,
oday called for a community
vide salute to the flag on Flag
Day, June 14.
Cabo said that Palmer Elks
Dodge together with the Anch
orage Elks Lodge will hold an
observance honoring the flag
on the 185th anniversary of its
odoption by the Continental
Congress in 1777, to be tele
vised on Channel 2 at 6:30
p.m. on June 14
He has urged every resi
dent of Palmer to display
the flag before every home
and every place of business
on Flag Day.
“The habits of apathy and
complacency weaken the spir
it of patriotism,’’ the Elks lead
er said. “The fervent patriotism
that won our freedom is the
only thing that will preserve
it. We should strengthen our
spirit of allegiance by practi
cing and manifesting our loy
alty to American principles
and to the flag, which is the
symbol of those principles.”
Cabo said that his lodge will
ae one of 2,000 Elks lodges
icross the nation conducting
j’lag Day programs. He point
id out that the Benevolent
rnd Protective Order of Elks
las been observing Flag Day
or more than a half a century.
AUCTION OPENS
SATURDAY, JUNE 9
Inaugurating the Midway
Sales auctions on Saturday,
une 9, will be auctioneers
ames Rutt and Paul Mahoney.
Ihe auction house is located
lalfway between Palmer and
Vasilla on the Wasilla high
vay.
Items already taken on con
ignment for the opening sale
nclude dairy cows, riding
lorses, farm machinery, guns,
ools, household items, sewing
nachines, outboard motors,
ind many others.
RENT A NEW FlOOr.
SANDER & EDGER
FROM
PALMER PAINT CO.
PI 5-4848
•ft********************.
f**********************************
MOOSE
FISH FRY and DANCE
MOOSE LODGE
Saturday, Jans 9-9 F.M. Until?
DANCING TO THE MUSIC OF
TOM MOFFITT and HIS BOYS
MOOSE MEMBERS—THEIR LADIES & GUESTS
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"TRUE BLUE RNU TRUSTER"
ELKS HALL-7:30 p.m.
Adults only - Admission $1.00
June 8 and 9