The frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 7. NUMBER 21
PALMER, ALASKA. THURSDAY, FEB. 11. 19S4
PRICE TEN CENTS
CITY SALES TAX
COLLECTIONS DROP
DURING 1953
Sales taxes collected in the city
of Palmer for the year 1953 show
ed a drop of $6,721.53 over the
1952 figure of $70,861.92. Averag
ing $560.13 per month less than
the previous year, the 1953 gross
figure was only $64,140.39.
Although business in general
has dropped off somewhat, coun
cil members are of the opinion
that proper collections are not be
ing made on some sales and ser
vices in the city. The business
drop should be compensated for
in part by increased population,
one councilman opinioned.
“Unless we can pick up our
full sales tax potential in the city,
we are going to have to resort
to a property tax in order to stay
in business,” city officials warned
this week.
During the latter part of 1953
a minimum of $3,810.00 per month
was paid for city personnel. This
amount does not include $600.00
per month paid to the water de
partment personnel nor does it
include any costs of operation.
From the average $5,345.03 mon
thly sales tax income, only a
small figure remains for rents,
power, fuel, improvements, re
pairs and maintenance.
The following table shows a
break down on monthly sales tax
collections during 1953. The high
January figure represents collec
tions made in December of 1952
and turned in, in January, 1953.
January, $7,888.01; February,
$4,561.50; March $1,094.55; April,
$5,312.44: May, $J,6bo.z3; June,
$4,457.02; July, $8674-92; August,
$6,055.82; September, $5,822.32;
October, $5,921.76; November, $5,
633.26; and December $5,032.49.
Total. $64,140.39.
CAFE DEMOLISHED
BY FREIGHT TRUCK •
Dave’s and Mary’s Cafe, locat
ed at Martin’s Westside Service
at the foot of Bailey Hill was
completely demolished Friday
morning of last week when an
Alaskan Freight Line trailer
truck failed to make the turn and
crashed into the cafe, doing an
estimated $20,000 damage. The
cause of the accident was blamed
on an icy spot on the curve at the
foot of the hill.
Damage to a car parked near
the cafe, amounting to arbund
$100, was done when shortly after
the first accident, a second
freighter rounding the turn and
hitting the same icy spot skidded
off the highway into the same
area. Damages to the trucks were
estimated at $1,000 in the first
accident and $50 in the second.
$10,000 DAMAGES WHEN
BUILDING COLLAPSES
The new Glenallen Theatre,
built this past summer by A1 V,
Hagen of Palmer, suffered ap
proximately $10,000 damage on
February 6 when the building col
lapsed during a hard wind storm.
The quonset-type building had
been closed for the winter with
a nearly April opening planned.
It was believed that a combina
tion of heavy snow on the struc
ture and a severe wind storm
caused the building to collapse.
The loss is partially covered by
insurance. Reconstruction plans
are not yet definite, Hagen said
on his return from Glenallen this
week.
MEA Urges Members
To Turn Out
For Special Meeting
Proxy forms for those who will
be unable to attend the special
meeting of the membership of the
Matanuska Electric Association of
February 20 are available at the
MEA office in Palmer; at Tee
land’s in Wasilla, an at Parks’,
in Chugiak.
The attendance of at least two
thirds of the membership at the
special meeting is necessary and
very important, MEA board mem
bers pointed out this week. The
meeting will open at 9 a.m. and
continue throughout the day un
til 9 p.m. Members may attend at
any hour of the day and cast
their ballots (and those of the
three proxy members which they
will be permitted to carry). At
least two-thirds of the member
ship will be necessary to estab
lish a debt limit in the articles
of incorporation and to levise the
articles of incorporation and by
laws to permit staggering the
terms of directors to conform
with territorial law.
A debt limit of ten million dol
lars has been selected. However,
as MEA officials pointed out, this
does not mean that MEA neces
sarily wishes to borrow ten mil
lion dollars. This 'amount will
take care of any future require
ments for loans without having
to go through a full membership
vote each and every time the as
sociation wishes to borrow money.
Board members had originally
recommended a five million dol
lar debt limit, however, REA rec
ommended doubling Che amount.
Some limit has to be set, accord
ing to territorial law, and this
amount was considered the most
feasible, and will eliminate the
need to change the association’s
debt limit in the future.
The MEA is making the meet
ing attractive to members by giv
ing away three television sets
during the day, or if the person
chooses, he may have the equival
ent in cash of $250. Tickets will
be given out at the registration
desk.
All members are urged to at
tend the meeting sometime dur
ing the above set hours. However,
if they will not be able to attend,
they are asked to give their proxy
to a member who will be attend
ing the meeting so that a two
thirds membership will be voting.
REPUBLICANS NAME
COMMITTEE HEADS;
CONVENTION DELEGATES
Alfred V. Hagen, and Mrs. Ger
trude Felzien were elected pre
cinct commiteeman and commit
teewoman at the Palmer city pre
cinct Republican caucus held Feb
ruary 10 in the Co-Op club room.
Delegates to the Republican
Convention to be held in Palmer
March 19 and 20 were elected as
follows: Alfred V. Hagen, M. D,
Snodgrass, Mrs. Edith Ross and
John Gore. Alternates will be Don
Ingalls, Jack Herman, Robert
Pippel, and George Small.
Monday night, February 15,
there will be a Republican club
meeting beginning at 8 p.m. at
the Elks home. The meeting is
being called for an election of
club oficers. All Republicans are
invited to attend.
Work has been started on the
installation of field lights at the
Palmer Airport. The lights will
permit night landings when com
pleted and put in operation.
10% Freight Increase
Suspended 30 Days
The Pacific Coast-Alaska
freight conference proposed in
crease in freight rates, to have
become effective Wednesday of
this week, was suspended for
30 days by order of the Feder
al Maritime Board, according
to word received by conference
members, Alaska Steamship
Company and Coastwise Lines,
from th Maritime administra
tion. No reason for the suspen
sion was made public. The 10
percent increase was filed with
the Maritime Board by the
conference on January 5. Ob
jections to the increase were
filed with the Board by sev
eral parties, including Delegate
E. L. Bartlett.
New Valley Hospital
To Be Dedicated in
March 6 Ceremonies
Members of the board of direc
tors of the Valley Hospital Asso
ciation announced this week that
the new Valley Presbyterian Hos
pital will be dedicated at cere
monies to be held Saturday after
noon, March 6, beginning at 1:30
p m.
Invitations are being sent out
to many of the leaders of the
territory and local organizations
to attend the ceremonies.
A committee of the board has
been appointed by Ed Smith,
president, to complete arrange
ments for the dedication. The
committee consists of Harlow
Hodgson and Rev. Brian Cle
worth.
As definite plans are made, an
nouncement will be given out,
they stated. However, the board
urged everyone to make plans to
be present at the dedication cere
monies.
COUNCIL NOTES
Communications to the City of
Palmer which were read at the
February 9 meeting of the City
Council included a letter from
Col. James C. Crockett, former
head of the Territorial Civil De
fense, informing the city that
their cost share of the Civil De
fense fire-fighter Jeep would
amount to $843.37. This repre
sents only 15% of the actual cost
of the vehicle. Seventy percent
is paid by the Federal govern
ment; the 15% balance by the
Territory.
* * *
In a letter from the Alaska Rail
road office city officials were
reminded that the railroad has a
200-foot right of way through the
city. The city was asked to see
that any building permits issued
by the city would not encroach
upon this right of way.
• * *
Mayor Don McKechnie was
granted the city proxy, by vote
of council members, for the
special membership meeting be
ing called by the Matanuska Elec
tric Association on February 20.
* • *
A second letter from the Alas
ka Railroad enclosed a contract
granting permission to the city
to construct, operate, and main
tain an underground cable on rail
road property. The cable is to be
used in the rehabilitation pro
gram of the telephone system.
• • •
The League of Alaska Cities
plans to devote one of their fu
CITY MAY SELL
TELEPHONE SYSTEM
The City of Palmer telephone
system may become the property
of the Matanuska Telephone As
sociation if negotiations which
are now under way work out.
Lew Hanks, chairman of the
MTA, appeared before the City
Council on February 9 and read
a telegram he had received from
J. Ko’shaughnesy of the Rural El
ectrification Administration in
which he recommended that an
offer be made to the City of Pal
mer of “not to exceed $10,000 base
purchase price plus net capital
additions to the system between
April 30, 1953 and closing date
plus the value of materials and
supplies at the closing date”.
A copy of a suggested form of
i sales agreement which includes
other minor adjustments to base
I purchase price, normally provid
| ed for in acquisitions by REA bor
! rowers, was also sent to the City.
Following considerable discus
| sion council members announced
they would be willing to call for
a franchise vote of the people if
REA accepts a purchase price of
fer from the city. Mayor Mc
Kechnie was authorized by coun
cil members to negotiate with
MTA for a tentative sales agree
ment for the sale of the city tele
phone system.
A total of $31,746.22 has been
invested in the present telephone
system and it was believed that
the tentative price would have
to be in that neighborhood. This
figure, representing capital in
vestment, was found acceptable
by the Matanuska Telephone As
sociation and were wired to the
REA ofifce in Washington on
Wednesday morning. As soon as
the tentative agreement is com
pleted it too will go into Wash
ington for REA consideration.
According to Parker Lester,
chairman of the telephone com
mittee, there are 218 telephones
now in operation throughout the
system.
Present with Hanks at the
I meeting were Dan Bell of Eagle
River, and Jim McDowell of Chu
giak and Albert Withey, the lat
ter two are MTA board members.
DR. KESSLER TELLS
KIWANIANS OF HELP
NEEDED BY ACCA
Dr. Robert Kessler spoke to
members of the Palmer Kiwanis
Club on Monday, February 8 on
the help that is needed by the
Alaska Crippled Children Associ
ation in orthopedic care.
Another visitor was Roger
Woods who returned for his sec
ond showing of slides of Ecuador.
The series he showed Kiwanians
this time included the highland
areas, the harbor and ships, and
methods of butchering used by
the Ecuadorians. The interesting
slides and explanation offered by
Woods were enjoyed by those at
tending.
The next regular meeting will
be held February 15 in the Co-Op
club room at noon.
REPUBLICAN WOMEN
TO MEET FEB. 16
'fhere will be an important
meeting for all members of the
Matanuska Valley Republican
club Tuesday afternoon, Febru
ary 16 at the home of Mrs. Don
L. Irwin. An election of officers
will be held. The meeting will be
gin at 1:30 p.m. and all members
are urged to attend.
Valley Area Gives
Over $1,500 to
March of Dimes
A grand total of $1,533.18 was
collected in the Valley area dur
ing the 1954 March of Dimes
campaign, it was announced this
week.
Members of the Palmer Kiwan
is Club and Theta chapter, Beta
Sigma Phi expressed their ap
preciation this week to the many
individuals and organizations
who helped make the campaign
such a success.
Organizations sponsoring fund
raising activities, and those mak
ing donations, as well as individ
ual donations are listed below:
Kiwanis - Rockets basketball
game $320.00: Palmer Independ
ent Schools, $279.25; test tube col
lections in the Palmer area,
$206.49; Matanuska Hotel basket
social, $156.75; Beta Sigma Phi
March of Dimes dance, $79.77;
Bureau of Reclamation Project
(Office), $63.00; American Legion
Auxiliary, $10; Kiwanis Club, $10;
Butte Homemakers’ club, $5;
Riverbend Homemakers’ club, $5;
Carpenters’ Union, $10; Collection
at U. S. Marshal’s hearing and
Republican Club meeting, $17.32;
] Palmer Girl Scouts, $1.50; Brew
i ster family, $4.80; Women of the
Moose, $20; Moose Legion, $10;
V. Louise Kellogg, $5; Kirk's
Sales and Service, $10; Matanus
ka Valley Bank, $10; Alpine Inn
and Sutton area, $17.65; Eklutna
Project Bible class, $10.70; Ket
chikan Spruce Mills, $10; Bob
Johns, $2, and Clara’s Variety,
$10
In addition to the above dona
tions, a total of $258.95 was turn
ed over to the 1954 campaign as
funds collected and donated to
ward two previous March of
Dimes campaigns that had never
been called for. Also $24.99 for
which a check will be written and
mailed to Wasilla. This amount
represents money collected in
March of Dimes test tubes in the
Wasilla area which were uninten
tionally picked up by the Pal
mer group.
Because of fewer sponsored ac
tivities and inclimate weather this
year the final figure is approxi
mately $200 short of the amount !
collected last year when $1,457.59 j
(plus $19.25 turned in this year)
was collected. Final figures on the j
Third Division collections will
be announced as soon as they are
released in Anchorage.
MEMBERSHIP FEES IN
HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
DUE; PLAN ANNUAL MEET
Jasper Skok of the Valley Hos- i
pital Association membership
committee announced this week
that membership fee in the as
sociation are due for 1954. They
may be paid to Skok or Mrs. Ri
vera Hiber both of the member
ship committee or to any of the
following board members: Ed
Smith, Brian Cleworth, Harlow
Hodgson, Hugh Johnson, Max
Sherrod, Jack Newcomb, or Pris
cilla Bacon.
The annual meeting will be
held early in March, Skok said.
At that time it will be necessary
to have at least 25 members of
the association in attendance be
fore any business may be con
ducted. The purpose of the meet
ing is to offer an opportunity to
all members to make suggestions
for the association’s activities for
the coming year.
Everyone is welcome to attend
(Continued on page 8)
ALASKAN POTATOES
MAKING MARKET HIT
IN ANCHORAGE AREA
Part of the Valley’s bumper po
tato crop is moving through the
Anchorage retail market under
the campaign to buy Alaskan po
tatoes. The popularity of home
grown spuds is proving itself it
was reported this week, as An
chorage housewives and merch
A^aa/s/vwna/vs/vwwvwwwwwvs/vn
Special: Word was received
this noon in the Palmer office
of the Departent of Agriculture
from Fort Richardson that the
purchasing and contracting of
fice at the Alaska General De
pot is calling for bids on U. S.
No. 1, Size A potatoes in 15
pound bags, either washed or
dry-brushed. The bid calls for
15,000 pounds per week for the
month of March. All potato
producers interested should
contact the purchasing officer
at the Depot as soon as possible.
ants combine efforts to eliminate
a potato surplus.
Alaskan farmers harvested the
largest potato crop ever produc
ed in the territory this past fall.
Matanuska Valley growers pro
duced 6,100 tons out of a total
9,500 tons throughout the terri
tory. The better-than-average
quality of these potatoes finds a
ready market in attractive pre
packed bags of U. S. No. 1 grade.
Military contracts over the ter
ritory call for 3,900 tons of these
potatoes. Military officials this
week announced farmers will be
paid over one-half million dol
lars for their spuds.
Commissioner of Agriculture
Jim Wilson said this week inquir
ies have been coming in from
Seward. George Crowthers, pro
duce inspector, has spent time
this week in the Tanana Valley
where 300 ton of a 2,000 ton crop
are considered surplus. These po
tatoes have been rated as some of
the finest grown in the territory.
Grocers in the Fairbanks area are
cooperating in advertising the lo
cally grown potatoes.
One market in Anchorage sold
two and one-half tons of the Al
aska-grown potatoes in one day'
last week and reported their de
mand as 8-1 in favor of local po
tatoes.
Dr. Robert Kessler is substitut
ing for Dr. C. C. Bailey this week
while Dr. Bailey is vacationing in
the States. Next week Dr. F. A.
McParland will be on duty and
Dr. Kessler expects to return to
Palmer for the following week.
VALLEY PRODUCTS
ON STATESIDE MENUS
Produce from the Matanuska
Valley will be featured on the
menu at two Stateside dinners
this month.
Baked potatoes from the
Matanuska Valley will be serv
ed to the many hundred per
sons attending the Portland
Chamber of Commerce spon
sored Alaska Day dinner this
week, along with Valley-grown
carrots.
Members of the Mayor Pom
eroy’s Alaska Life-Line Com
mittee will not only be served
the Matanuska vegetables but
will also be treated with Mat
anuska Maid ice cream. There
is a possibility that in addition
to the ice cream, Matanuska
Maid milk will also be served
A Night at the Races, Sat. Feb. 13th
PALMER ELKS LODGE HOME