Vol. 1, No. 42
Palmer, Alaska, February 18, 1948
Ten Cents
Hospital Assn.
Plans Meeting
For Feb. 23
I?ate for the annual meeting
of the Valley Hospital Associa
tion was set at last week’s board
meeting, it was announced to
day by Victor Alfsen, board sec
retary. That meeting will be held
on Monday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. in
the gymnasium.
Business to be taken up at the
meeting includes the election of
a new board of directors, the ac
ceptance of reports of business
conducted during the past year,
and discussion of new and im
portant plans for added hospital
facilities in the Valley.
Mr. Alfsen urged that every
Association member make an
effort to be present. “We have
much important business to dis
cuss, and are most anxious to
secure a quorum for the meet
ing,” he said. “If you can’t pos
sibly get there, then be sure to
send your proxy.”
Following the business session,
the hospital board is planning to
present a March of Time “Men
of Medicine” short feature.
The evening will conclude
with a potluck luncheon. All
those who attend are asked to
.tribute an article of food for
ir.j luncheon, and to bring a
drinking cup. The Association
will supply plates, silverware
and coffee.
n i • i •
it n
rairiouc music,
Poetry and Drama
On Club Program
A program of music and nar
rative readings with a patriotic
theme is planned for the Feb
ruary recorded concert of the
Music Appreciation Club, Father
James Snead announced this
week. The club’s next program
will be held in the rectory of
St. Michael’s church at 8 o’clock
Thursday evening.
The program, as planned by
Father Snead, will include these
numbers:
"My Country at War," a
symphonic suite by Harl Mc
Donald with the Philadelphia
Orchestra conducted by Eu
gene Ormandy;
"Between Americans," nar
rated by Kate Smith;
"Lincoln P o r t r a i i." by
Aaron Copland with the Bos
ton Symphony orchestra con
ducted by Serge Kousseviiz
sky with Melvyn Douglas as
speakeT.
Intermission with refresh
ments served by Mrs. Alonzo
Smart.
"The Lonesome Train," a
musical legend, with music by
Earl Rob nson, words by Mil
lard Lampell. The production
includes Lyn Murray and his
orchestra, Earl Robinson, nar
rator, Burl Ives, ballad singer,
Norman Corwin, director;
Readings from "Our Com
mon Heritage," great poems
^lr>v<’--i"'ig milestones in the
hisi- z w America;
"Nancy Hanks," read by
Agnes Moorehead;
"Lincoln, The Man of the
(Continued on back page)
P3J V
Palmer, vintage 1928, was mostly a blank space on the map, as the above photograph shows.
The picture was taken on Sept. 12. from the roof of a tool shed owned by The Alaska Railroad,
which stood at approximately the same location as the site of the present depot. Buildings of
the original White homestead can be seen in the distance. The building to the left of the tracks
was moved over the next year to become the post office for what was then known as Wharton. i
That building is r.ow used as a residence, and still stands at the same location in Palmer. The
photograph was taken by Ed Ueeck, who had, in his own words, "just gotten into town with one
picture left on my last roll of film, and just $2.50 left in my pocket, so I climbed the roof and
took the picture, and then decided I might just as well stay."
Cabin Burns
At Ryan Farm
Flames destroyed a log cabin,
used as a storehouse, at the
farm of Mrs. Margaret Ryan last
Saturday morning. The blaze
was discovered oy Miss Dolores
Zeis, new public health nurse
just returning from her fist visit
to Wasilla.
Miss Zeis reported the fire at
an adjoining farm and four vol
unteer firefighters helped con
fine the flames to the cabin. Sat
urday s hign winds made it im
possible to save the storehouse,
but helped the firefighters in
their effort to save the Ryan
home, which was untouched.
Extent of the damage or how
the fire was started are unknown
at this time. No fire alarm was
sounded in Palmer.
Chamber Plans
Night Session
The next Chamber of Com
merce meeting, postponed from
Wednesday, will be a night meet
ing to be held on Tuesday, Feb.
24, president Jack Maze an
nounced this week. The meeting
will begin at 8 o’clock and will
be held in the basement of St.
John’s Lutheran church.
Mr. Maze explained that the
meeting time had been switched
to the evening because of the
long period of lime it will require
to review proposed amendments
to the Chamber by-laws. The
changes recommended by the
Chamber’s board of directors at
a recent meeting will be dis
cussed and approved at this
membership meeting next Tues
day.
Bingo Pays Off Again
For Valley Firemen
Another “complete finan
cial success” for the Valley
Volunteer Fireman’s Associa
tion resulted from last Satur
day’s Bingo game, board chair
man A1 Hagen reported to
day.
Mr. Hagen said the final ac
counting would not be com
pleted for several days. How
ever, he estimated that the
net proceeds from the Bingo
game itself would total $100.
The number of Saturday night
activities resulted in a small
er attendance than usual at
the game.
From the sale of refrigera
tor tickets, also sponsored by
the Association, there probab
ly will be “a hundred per
cent profit,” according to Mr.
Hagen. The cost of the refrig
erator totalled about $300.
“Bud” Liebing, local farm
er, held the winning ticket at
Saturday’s drawing.
A complete financial re
port of the Bingo game and
the refrigerator drawing will
be published within the next
few days.
Scouts and Their Dads
Enjoy Evening Out
There were 32 sets of knives
and forks which went into active
use at the Saturday Father and
Son Boy Scout banquet at the
United Protestant church. Of the
32 in attendance, there was an
even dozen of dads present for
the occasion.
Both Scouts and their fathers
pronounced the banquet a decid
ed success. The event was spon
sored by the troop committee of
Troop 654 as the culmination of
Scout week in the Valley.
Fair Group j
Meets March 2
I
The annual meeting of stock
holders of the Valley Fair As
sociation this year will be held
on Tuesday, March 2, it was de
cided at last Friday’s board of
directors’ meeting. Time of the
meeting has been tentatively set
for 2 o’clock, but it is possible
that time will be set back to eve- (
ning, one director said.
Fair Association books will be
audited prior to the stockhold
ers’ meeting, so that complete
financial reports can be present
ed at that time.
In addition to the financial
business of the Association, gen
eral fair business will be dis
cussed and an election of direc
tors will be held at that meeting.
Only one director goes out of
office this term.
However the board of direc
tors is expected to bring a rec
ommended amendment to the by
laws which will raise board
membership from five to seven
members. The proposed amend
ment probably will be brought
up for discussion at the meeting.
Zeiles Have
1 A Daughter
Rev. and Mrs. W. L. Zeile of
Palmer became the parents of a
daughter, born at Providence
hospital last Saturday afternoon.
The little girl, who weighed
eight pounds, seven and a half
ounces at birth, has been named
| Mary Margaret. She is the Zeiles’
first child.
I Her father is pastor of St.
John’s Lutheran church here in
the Valley. Her mother, Ruth,
was formerly public health nurse
1 for this area.
Grange Enters
Nationwide
Competition
Palmer’s Northland Pioneer
Grange last week voted to enter
i na lonwide contest in the com
nunity service phase of Grange
vork. The contest, which is
iponsored by the Sears Roebuck
roundation, offers a number of
irojects for Grange participa
;ion.
The Northland Pioneer Grange
las chosen road-side clean-up
md home and yard beautifica
;ion as its project for contest
competition. The Grange plans
to seek the cooperation of The
Alaska Railroad and the Valley
Chamber of Commerce in fulfill
ing plans for the dual-phased
project.
For the road side clean-up di
vision of the contest the follow
ing district committeemen have
been named:
Clyde King, Alaska Road
Commission; Mary King,
ouiie; t-arol Stephan and
Charles Wilson, Upper Fish
Hook and Kirscher roads; B.ll
Bouwens, south of Palmer on
each side of the railroad; Wil
liam Hoskins, from the Experi
mental Farm io Palmer.
Each committeeman is expect
ed to call a meeting of residents
in his district and assign definite
jobs to accomplish the work.
Sub-committees are to be ap
pointed, and a complete report
of the nature of duties given
each person and committee, as
well as results achieved, is to be
given to Mrs. Roy Brock, secre
tary of the Grange central com
mittee working on the project.
Before-and-after pictures of
roadsides and farm entrances are
to be taken for submission to
Grange contest headquarters
with the completed project re
port.
For the second division of
the contest project, which is
home and yard beautification,
Mrs. Vivian Goodrich, Mrs.
Maude Hosier and Mrs. Mar
gery Hoskins have been named
the committee in charge of
planning. They will appoint
assistants as needed.
'their duties will be to find
sources tor quantity purchase of
suitable ttower and grass seeds.
They will seek help from the
hx tension Service oxtice to de
termine types of flowers, shrubs
and lawn grasses most suitable
to the Valley climate.
An attempt will be made to
have each Valley farm given a
suitable name, and to have the
farm owner plan an attractive
entry-way to his property.
The over-all goal of the pro
ject is the “cleaning up of road
sides and beautification of coun
(Continued on back page)
We Don’t Work
Because next Monday, when
the Valley Front.ersman nor
mally goes to press, is a legal
holiday, there will be only
one issue of the Frontiersman
next week. Club leaders are
reminded to list meetings and
calendar events for a full
week in advance for the Fri
day paper.