Vol. 1, No. 20
Palmer, Alaska, November 22, 1947
Ten Cents
Budget Figures
Required For
ChestDrive
Representative of services and
organizations who wish to par
ticipate in the Community Chest
drive in Palmer are asked to at
tend a meeting next Monday eve
ning, Chairman Les Ray said to
day. The meeting will be held at
8 o’clock at the Lutheran church
basement.
It is important that each or
ganization which will benefit
from drive funds be represented,
Mr. Ray said. The representative
should bring the year’s budget.
In addition, the representative is
expected to indicate his organi
zation’s willingness to co-operate
in the drive.
At last Wednesday's meet
ing, a secretary, Mrs. F. R.
Sims, and a treasurer, Clay
ton Esslinger, were elected.
Methods of raising Chest
funds were discussed, and it
was decided solicitation by areas
was best. Lists will be kept, and
efforts made to reach every resi
dent.
Jack Maze suggested that em
ployers be polled first, in order
to make certain that every pay
roll employee is reached. Mr.
Maze, Mrs. Sims and Matt Per
kins were named to plan solici
tation work.
The group decided that the j
area bounded by school bus
routes serving Palmer school !
would be included.
Units who will share in drive
funds were discussed generally.
No decision was made at the
Wednesday meeting, for it was
suggested that organizations
should be given the opportunity
to express their approval of the
drive plan. This they will be ex
pected to do at next Monday’s
meeting.
Campaign dales were not |
fixed, but it was agreed that
the drive must take place in
December. The goal will not
be announced until parlicipat
ing organizations are deter
mined.
Tentative publicity plans for
the drive were discussed. Poster
and essay contests in the school
were suggested. It was decided
to post a thermometer in a prom
inent place, with daily contribu
tions indicated in red.
Virgil’s Ahead
Virgil Meehan was oui in
front by a big lead at the end
of the first four days in the
Valley Frontiersman's sub
scription contest. Other con
testants were closely bunched,
One entrant has made no re
port yet.
The point standings are as
follows:
Virgil .1.260 pis.
Richard . 300 pts.
Barbara . 240 pts.
Joan . 70 pts.
Leola .no report
That Man's Here
James Jordan, representative
of the Bureau of Internal Re
venue, is now in Palmer for sev
eral days. Mr. Jordan is assist
ing local residents who have
knotty tax problems. He asks
that anyone with an income taa
headache see him for advice.
4-H Delegates
Start on First
Leg of Journey
Flo Alice Binkel and Lynn
Sandvik. Valley residents who
will represent Alaska at the na
tional 4-H Conference in Chi
cago from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4, be
gin their trip Outside Friday.
They leave Palmer to go to
Anchorage, where they will be
joined by Richard Dangler of
Seward, third Alaskan delegate.
Richard ana *10 Alice, at least
kvill leave for Seattle aboard an
Alaska Airlines plane Friday
evening. Arrangements are be
ing attempted that will allow
Lynn to go on a later flight so
that he may play in the Anchor
age-Palmer basketball game Fri
day evening. H. A. Floyd, Anch
orage representative of the Allis
Chalmers Co., which is spon
soring Lynn’s trip to Chicago,
still had not completed arrange
ments for the postponement at
press-time.
Alaska’s delegates will be
joined in Seattle by Miss Mary
Robinson, Extension agent from
southeastern Alaska. The group
will stay at the Olympic hotel
in Seattle, awaiting the arrival
of Oregon and Washington 4-H
delegates. The special train
which will carry the delegates
to Chicago leaves Seattle Tues
day evening.
Richard, Lynn and Flo Alice
will join a group of 1000 4-H
representatives at Chicago for
the six-day meeting. Flo Alice
and Lynn have promised a
daily airmailed report of con
vention activities, which will
be published in the Valley
Frontiersman. They expece to
be back in the Valley by Dec.
10 at the latest.
Trips for the Alaskan dele
gates have been made possible
through the co-operation of a
number of Alaskan firms. Allis
Chalmers has sponsored the en
tire trip of Lynn Sandvik. Chris
tensen Air Service transported
Richard Dangler from Seward
to Anchorage, where he joined
the Valley delegates.
Anchorage and Fairbanks
banks contributed to a purse
made up to cover food, lodging
and other incidental trip ex
penses. Two round-trip passages
to Seattle for Richard and Flo
Alice were given by Alaska Air
lines. The Alaska Fur Factory
in Anchorage gave Flo Alice an
Alaskan parka to combat Chi
cago’s winter temperatures.
This year is the first time
Alaska's 4-H clubs have sent
' delegates to the national con
! gress. The trips were made pos
sible by the planning of the ter
ritory’s Extension Service in co
operation with the national com
mittee on boys’ and girls’ club
work.
Sorry, No Paper
Next Saturday
Because next Thursday, Ihe
day on which the Valley
Frontiersman goes to press in
Anchorage, is a holiday there
will be only one paper appear
ing next week.
Merchants are requested to
bear this in mind when plan
nmg nexl week s advertising.
Advertising which normally
runs only in the Saturday is
sue will appear in the Wednes
day issue unless notice to the
contrary is received at the
Frontiersman office.
It will have to be the Fron
tiersman policy that when a
holiday falls on a publication
date, or the day before that
issue will have to be skipped
because of the fact that the
printers, too take a holiday.
Scout Work
Forges Ahead
In two year’s time, Scout mem
bership in the territory has
swelled from 200 to an expected
1,400 at the close of the present
year, Hal Gribble, Boy Scout
executive, told members of the
Chamberof Commerce last Wed
nesday.
Commending Scouting work in
this area, and particularly the
air encampment held at Elmen
dorf field last year, Mr. Gribble
outlined plans for Scout work
for coming months. Last year’s
air encampment was praised by
Elmendorf officials as the “best
air encampment put on in the
United States,” the Scout leader
said.
A patrol of Palmer Scouts
placed first in scoring at the
encampment, the Chamber
as told.
Because of the success of the
encampment, a national air en
campment has been scheduled
for Elmendorf next May. Four
hundred Scouts will come from
all ports of the United States to
participate. Their ranks will be
swelled by all Alaskan Scouts, 15
years or older, who are interest
ed in the encampment.
The boys will spend 10 days
on the Post. They will be flown
to Fairbanks by the Army, and
will be taken on trips to Whittier.
They plan to spend time in Palm
er.
In addition to the air encamp
ment, members of the national
committee of Scouting in the
United States will be invited to
visit the territory at the conclu
sion of their May meeting in
Seattle.
Mr. Grabble said that in an
other two years, 1,000 Boy
Scouts from the states would be
brought to Alaska on tours.
Bingo Party Set For Saturday
i
Lucky numbers will pay off
with 40 Thanksgiving dinners
i neyt Saturday night.
There will be 40 individual
, Bingo games with 40 dinner en
trees offered as prizes at the
Vo 1 u n t e e r Fire Association’s
Bingo party in the Steve Ward
building that evening. Play be
gins promptly at eight o’clock,
and will continue on split-sec
ond timing at three-minute in
| tervals until midnight.
There will be turkeys and
hams as major prizes, chickens
awarded for duplicate prizes,
and two special secret prizes
for the evening's play.
There will be no admission
charge. Bingo cares w>” cost
25 cents each, a:id will be
good for one game only.
In addition to the Bingo cards,
members of the Volunteer Fire
man’s Association, all of whom
will be on duty at the party
Saturday, will sell popcorn and
hotdogs to the Bingo fans who
develop appetites during the
evening.
Just to make certain that no
one misses a number when it’s
called, Bob Wendt will supply
a public address system for the
evening.
Association members invite
all Valley residents to attend
the party. It will mean fun for
the Bingo player and funds for
the Association coffers.
School District,
City Government
Plans Are Weighed
It will cost the Valley an esti
mated $17,000 to $20,000 an
nually to bear its share of the
financial burden of an independ
ent school district, members of
the Parent-Teacher’s Association
were told last Tuesday evening.
This amount does not include the
cost of transporting children to
and from school.
The figures were given by
Harry Wimmer, chairman of the
committee appointed to study the
matter thoroughly. A detailed
breakdown of school costs would
undoubtedly increase the quoted
amount.
The figure Mr. Wimmer gave
represents the 15 percent bur
den of the district, which must
be paid locally in an incorporat
ed independent school district.
The territory of Alaska will pay
85 percent certain of the remain
ing school expenses.
In an independent school
district, the locality would be
expected to bear all of the ex
pense of school buses, cost of
construction of new buildings,
alteration of existing build
ings, cost of heating and
plumbing of the school plant
and the cost of a school health
program.
Under this program, the terri
tory of Alaska will pay 85 per
cent of the costs of school teach
ing and administrative salaries,
a portion of maintenance and
janitorial costs, and salary of a
school stenographer.
Mr. Wimmer outlined steps
leading to the formation of an
independent school district,
which may include a maximum
area of 150 square miles. An elec
tion to determine the wishes of
an area’s residents may be set by
the district court upon the peti
tion of 30 bona fide residents of
legal voting age. This petition
must be accompanied by a cen
sus of the proposed area.
A majority of favorable votes
is required to establish the inde
pendent district. A school board
of five members then is elected.
This board has the power to ap
point an assessor-tax collector
who may tax all real and per
sonal property within the dis
trict up to two percent of its
assessed valuation. The board can
provide regulations for penalties
and interest for non-payment of
taxes.
A second type of incorpora
tion, in the event that the city
of Palmer became incorporated
as a municipality, limits the
powers of the school board.
(Continued on page 3)
The first report of incorpora
tion studies undertaken by the
Valley Chamber of Commerce
was presented at Wednesday's
luncheon meeting when Rev.
Victor Alfsen of the study com
mittee reported on the legal pro
cedure for incorporation as a
municipality.
Two types of incorporation
are possible for municipalities
in Alaska. Cities of the first
class type must have a popula
tion of 400 within the incorpor
ated area. Although the census
planned by the committee is not
yet complete, Reverend Alfsen
said committee members were
sure Palmer was not large
enough to meet this qualifica
tion.
Cities of the second class may
be incorporated in an area limit
ed to 640 acres, with a popula
tion requirement of SO or more
permanent residents.
In either case, petitions are
circulated which request in
corporation of a given area.
If a first-class municipality is
planned, the petition must
have 100 signatures of bona
fide residents who have sub
stantial property interests
within the area.
For a city ofa the second
class, 15 signatures are re
quired. However Reverend
Alfsen said even that small
number "looks like an impos
sible job to get here right
now."
Once petitions are signed and
presented, a public hearing is
scheduled by the district court
to determine if the proposed
incorporation is to the best in
terests of residents of a district.
If hearing results are favorable,
then an election is scheduled to
(Continued on page 3)
Moral Support
To Go With Team
iTo Anchorage
A delegation of Palmer high
school students will be adding
sideline encouragement when
Anchorage and Palmer basket
ball squads meet on the courts
in Anchorage Friday evening. A
school bus has been offered by
Ed Christensen, to take 35 stu
dents to the game.
It will cost $1.50 for the round
trip. The bus will leave from
Palmer school promptly at 5
o’clock, arriving in Anchorage in
time to see the shock troops of
both schools tangle in a 7:30
o’clock curtain-raiser.
The bus will leave on the re
turn trip to Palmer immediately
at the close of the second game.
Students will be returned to
Palmer school. Parents will be
responsible for their transporta
tion home from the school.
No student will be allowed
to make the trip without writ
ten permission from home.
The team will travel to An
chorage on a second bus, schedul
ed to leave Palmer at 3 o’clock.
Both groups will be supervised
by faculty members of Palmer
school.