an
VOL. II.
PALMER, ALASKA APRIL 28, 1949
No. 21
ANS
■-«
chool Site
Board Won't
Change Hind
On Teachers
Palmer’s dismissed school
teachers were not offered con
tracts upon the recommendation
of a school administrator, who
was himself not asked to return
next term, a citizen’s committee
learned at a school board meet
ing last Monday night. Board
members admitted that certain
teachers dismissed upon the
recommendation of the present
administrator might be hired
under a new regime.
A committee of eight, headed
by Jack Maze, with James Hur
ley as spokesman, met with two
members of the board, to seek
information regarding the cause
for dismissal, and to request re
instatement for two of five fac
ulty members dismissed.
Glen Woods, chairman of the
school board, told the committee
that reasons cited in last week’s
Frontiersman — namely, class
room performance, loyalty, effi
ciency and cooperation in the
school system, were the only
bases for dismissal.
Mr. Woods emphatically de
nied, and was as strongly back
ed by C. W. Peters, that social
or any other reasons were con
sidered in the dismissals.
The committee was told that
each dismissed teacher had been
invited to appear before the
board for a special hearing. One,
Charles Dillon, had ‘presented
new facts which had not been
considered before,” Mr. Woods
reported. He, in turn, was given
specific reasons for his dismis
sal and invited to re-submit an
application when a new super
intendent of schools arrives in
Palmer.
Mr. Woods said that certain
reasons bringing about the dis
missal of the seventh grade
(Continued on Page 8)
WILL VISIT ENGLAND
Mrs. Myles Hyland is packing
her bag for a visit to England
and Ireland, after an absence of
20 years. Mrs. Hyland plans to
visit relatives in County Car
lough, Ireland, and a brother
who lives at Liverpool, England.
She has seen one of her relatives
since she left England.
Mrs. Hyland will be gone about
six weeks. She will fly the entire
distance. Mrs. Cameron of Glen
Allen will be in charge of her
rooming house during her ab
sence.
Mrs. LloyJ King
Interred Here
Mrs. Lloyd King of Palmer died
suddenly at the Valley Hospital
at midnight last Saturday, fol
lowing a short illness. She was
buried at funeral services con
ducted from the United Protes
tant Church at 2 o’clock yester
day afternoon.
Rev. Victor Alfsen v/as in
charge of the service. He was as
-isted by Rev. George Geiwitz.
Rev. John Gillespie of Anchor
age also participated. A trio
from the Lazy Mountain Home,
accompanied by Mrs. Alfsen at
the organ, sang.
Burial in the Palmer cemetery
followed the service.
Mr.:. King is survived by her
hit band, by her son Kermit, an
adopted daughter, Terry Ann,
and a small adopted son. Tommy
Dean. She was 32 years of age at
the time of her death.
Mrs. King went Outside last
summer to undergo a serious
spinal operation, and was mak
ing rapid recovery when she was
taken ill by a second ailment.
MOOSE DINE SATURDAY
The recently postponed dinner
planned by the members of the
Moose Lodge and its auxiliary
has been re-seheduled for this
Saturday night, it was an
nounced today. Dinner will be
served to members of the lodge
and their guests between the
hours of G:30 and 8:30 p. m. at
the Moose Hut. A special enter
tainment will follow7 the dinner.
AID TO MEET
Members of the Ladies Aid of
St. John’s Lutheran Church will
meet at the parsonage at 8 p. m.
on Tuesday, May 3, it was an
nounced this week.
Theatre Annex
Will Give Space
To 4 Merchants
Rental space for an expected
influx of new businesses into
Palmer is causing those ham
mers to fly on the Valley Theatre
Annex, according to owner A1
Hagen. Mr. Hagen said he had
no definite plan in mind for
utilizing the space in the new
building, but that he expected
to rent to businesses seeking a
location here.
Constructed of concrete blocks,
with interior blocks partitioning
the building into four 12 x 40
spaces, the finished structure
'. ill provide floor space that can
be easily divided to meet the
needs of the lessor, according to
its builder.
The Annex is being con
truetea next lo the present fire
station, which also will be con
verted into rental space some
time next month. For the pres
ent, Mr. Hagei he hi d no
pee ration of extending his
>uil ing* plai t a ement
which has been excavated the
fContinued on Page 8)
Vaiiey-ites Get
First Shopping Gu>Je
The long-awaited first issue of
the Anchorage Shopping Guide,
advertising throwaway printed
in the Palmer plant# of the
Guide, appeared in postoffice
boxes last Friday. Published
under a Thursday dateline, the
ad sheet was full newspaper
si :e, and was promised weekly
.... Izzell.
"the advent of the Guide in
Anchorage, after an absence of
c vcrai months, brought edito
rial greetings from the Anchor
age News.
SCHOOL GYM NEARLY
AFLAME BY G"5 ASS FIRE
A grass fire set to burn weeds
in the yard at Palmer School
narrowly missed setting the
gymnasium afire late last Thurs
day afternoon. William Gormlev,
school janitor, was burning dead
weeds and grass that afternoon.
Apparently a spark carried by a
slight breeze lodged in the eelo
tex covering placed over one of
the gym’s ventilators near the
ground.
Mr. Gormley, who was tending
the burning weed lire carefully,
failed *o notice the smouldering
ctlotex until it caught on the
drier wood of the gym siding.
Student volunteers and Mr.
Gormley quickly quenched the
blaze before it gained foothold
in the building. Jame; Wil on,
manager of the Matanu :ka Val
iev Farmers Co-operating Asso
ciation, which owns the gymna
sium. -aid damage wus negligi
ble. One trip of siding probably
will have to be replaced on the
gym v all. but that is oil.
The blaze occurred in late alt
ornoon, near the time ot ..chool'z
dismi-.-al Students were not
called to a fire drill, and no gen
eral alarm was turned in.
' S V <p
^ ? \
- .. . i mf
Pa •» r^>TPS *
&Th
f
0 ACRES,
CLEARED,
Give us an 80 acre site of
farmland, partially cleared and
not too far from water and
r" er lines, and it’s possible we
v. ill rebuild Eklutna school in
the Valley.” Don Foster, Alaska
S vice head, told mem
bers of the Chamber of Com
mon e at a special luncheon last
Thursday noon. Mr. Foster ad
mit he was not in a po
sition to promise the school
Id be built here, but said,
Per-anally, I am strongly in
favor of bringing it here.”
Me offered the school as an
alternative to the ANS hospital,
nich local residents have been
attempting to swing to the Val
le...
n outlining the advantages
of Eklutna School, Mr. Foster
pointed out that it would bring
a payroll of 50 members into
Palmer, would supply a market
for Valley foodstuffs, would
furnish employment to Valley
residents during the construc
tion period of the permanent
concrete institution, and would
bring new buying power into the
Valley.
lie said the school would
1G9 children from first to
eighth grade level. Some of the
older children would be a poten
tial 1 .'cor supply during summer
months, when farmers need
* tided help, it was pointed out.
Foster said no money
would be available for the re
of Eklutna this year,
\r " that an appropriation would
(Continued on Page 8)
Lou?seenj Cabin
Ss Robbed
H. J. Louiseau, who lives at
Mile- 41’2 on the Palmer High
way reported this week that his
cabin had been broken into
some time during the past
month, according to E. R. Alex
ander, territorial highway pa
trolman. Mr. Louisseau estimat
ed that robbers had escaped with
$1,000 worth of goods.
The burglar’s loot included
everything from camp cots to
baby food. Machinist’s tools, sil
"ware, cooking utensils, a set
ouvenir spoons from South
Carolina, clothing and personal
effects all were missing when
Mr. Louisseau returned to his
cabin.