1 Thought of the Week:
The big secret of success is
to learn to strike while the iron
is hot without burning your
! fingers.
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
GOLD MEDAL
BASKETBALL
TOURNAMENT
CENTRAL GYM
MARCH 12 - 17
VOLUME 17. NUMBER 2
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, MARCH 8. 1962
Eight Pages
PRICE 15 CENTS
PIONEER IGLOO 31 TO BE INSTITUTED SUNDAY
Reporters—
NatebaoJz
Stewart Durrant, Co-Op gen
eral manager, is in Seattle on
firm business this week.
* * *
The Leo Lucas-es returned to
Palmer this week following a
trip Outside. Leo reports he
had the pleasure of comparing
Alaska’s spring-like tempera
tures to some very low readings
on the same date in Colorado.
The couple was snowbound a
number of hours when a snow
slide blocked the tain on which
they were riding.
* » *
Mrs. George Fowler will be
hostess for the March 12 meet
ing of the Palmer League of
Women Voters. Boroughs will
be the subject of discussion at
the 8 p.m. meeting.
Communicable diseases in
the Palmer area for the week
ending March 2 included two
cases of otitis media, seven
of upper respiratory infection
and one case of tuberculosis.
Men and Women
Bowlers Participating
In State Tournaments
Men and women bowlers of
the valley area are busy com
muting between the area and
Anchorage this week. Both the
men and women bowlers are
participating in their annual
state tournaments which are
being held in Anchorage this
year. The men are bowling at
the new Park Lanes in Moun
tain View and the women will
be bowling at Center Bowl in
Spenard. Anyone from the
area who is interested in wat
ching the matches are invited
to drop in at the bowling es
tablishments. The Palmer wo
men will be bowling their team
events Saturday, starting at 5
p.m. and their double and single
events starting at 9 a.m. Sun
day.
Thelma Riley
Will Sing in
Minstrel Show
Those attending “Fallout Fol
lies”, this year's Kiwanis Min
strel Show, have a special treat
in store for them. Thelma
(Whltehouse) Riley will sing
two numbers and will be ac
companied by the show’s musi
cal director. Ray Holtz.
This will he a decided change
in role for Mrs. Riley who star
rea as iviaru nan, me scuui
tive espionage agent in last
year’s “Race for Space.” Re
cently she starred in “Die Fle
dermaus”, sponsored by the
Anchorage symphoney of An
chorage. Her next starring role,
following the minstrel show,
will be in the coming produc
tion of “The Vagabond King,”
being presented by the newly
formed opera company of An
chorage.
Appearing also in this year’s
Kiwanis production will be Kit
ty Johnson who will play the
short but important role of
' Liza”, a girlfriend of Endman
Fireball Jones. Mrs. Johnson
impressed theater-goers this
oast week-end with her per
formance as “Minnetonka.
Small Flower" in the local
theatre guild’s production of
‘ Lo and Behold.”
The minstrel show is shaping
up very well, with chorus and
... men in full rehearsal, ac
cording to Harlow Hodgson, the
show’s co-director.
TEEN-AGE DANCE
March 10 — 8 p.m.
Moose Hall
Special Entertainment
Adm. 75c - 50c
Ages 13 - 19 FREE LUNCH
Local Borough Study
Group to Continue
Over 100 persons attended
the borough meeting held
March 5 to discuss school or
ganization under borough gov
ernment. A cooperative and
constructive attitude contribut
ed toward the analysis of ex
pected initial costs, probable
tax levy rates and encourage
ment to include all schools in
the Matanuska- Susitna valleys
under one program.
One point ot major concern
earlier expressed in outlying
areas concerned the bonded in
debtedness of the Palmer In
dependent School District. Wil
liam Zahradnieck, superintend
ent of Palmer schools, pointed
out that the present cigarette
tax returned to the district, is
“ear-marked” for amoritizing
this indebtedness. Under pro
visions of the borough law,
compliance with this policy can
be maintained until the debt is
cancelled.
Costs of all schools, now op
erating in the area were pro
vided by the State Department
I of Education and indicated a
i total outlay of $29(3,000 for 100
percent state supported schools.
Comparison with the PISD
udget indicated $19,000 miseel
, laneous items and $69,500 (75
! required ol local effort to pro
i vide local control over the
■area-wide school program. In
addition to the PIDS contribu
tion of $252,000, the over all
coats approximates $341,000.
(Projected costs of operating
. the new Wasilla high school
j are being developed by the
I committee on schools and will
be available in the next report).
It was brought out that when
Federal impact funds are sub
! traded, projected shared taxes.
J which are presently available
j to independent school districts,
I the additional costs above that
now paid in the area would am
ount to $30,000. Indications of
the revenue committee show
that some $36 million real pro
perty evaluation exists in the
proposed borough. Area-wide
levies then, under the present
state-support program, would
be 10 mills on full market
value, as recommended in the
Ford Foundation Report. It
was pointed out that “full mar
ket value” would return to the
voter complete control of tax
levy decisions, whereas under
the present system a defeat of
nullage raises by the voters is
adjusted by increasing the per
cent of full value which the as
! sessing body may be using.
Re-evaluation of property, if
i done under the full market val
! ue program, is open to appeal to
! the borough assembly and the
j city council, depending upon
j where the property is located.
Indication that consideration
I is being given to a “Basic
i Foundation Support” program
1 by the state was brought out
land if adopted, area-wide
| schools would receive a higher
i percentage of state-support
| than at present. Such a pro
l gram was recommended by the
I Ford Foundation committee
! and covered in its report.
! The attitude of those attend
j ing the March 5 meeting show
! ed a desire to meet the program
I presently being maintained in
SOCIAL SECURITY
REPRESENTATIVE
HERE NEXT WED.
! Ray T. Williams, Social Se
curity representative from An
chorage, will be at the business
office of Hazel Byham located
over the bank, from 10 a.m. un
til 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March
14 and will be available for
conferences w’ith persons with
questions regarding their so
cial security.
the Palmer school district, or
improve upon it.
Land ownership, entrymen
status, and other figures were
presented to the school com
mittee from representatives of
advisory school hoards from
Talkeetna, Montana, Willow,
Big Lake, Wasilla and the
PISD. Compilation of facts dis
cussed will be available in a
report by the committtee and
recommendations to the first
borough school board also will
be presented.
In light of pending legislation
to extend the mandatory incor
poration date to 1965. the group
I agreed that the present goal for
Ian incorporation election to be
j held in November of this year
| should be continued at the
j present pace.
A general meeting will be
I held March If at the Wasilla
(Continued on page 81
Health Council
Buys Optometer
For Health Center
Mpnihpr? of 1ho TVTut rm n
| Valley Health Council reeent
j ly purchased a portable optom
j eter for use in the health cen
ter. According to Priscilla Ba
j con. public health nurse, this
j new instrument will perhaps
i make it possible to extending
j screening facilities to adults
l and pre-schoolers. The machine
; was purchased by the Council
! for use in the health center be
cause the State does not own
a sufficient number of the ma
chines to provide one in the lo
cal center. It is expected that
it will prove very helpful to
the public health nurses in
! their clinical work.
----
ACCA Convention
To Be Held Here
Members of the Matanuska
Valley Crippled Childrens As
sociation this week announced
the state convention of the Al
aska Crippled Childrens Asso
ciation, will be held in Palmer
in early Fall. Mrs. Foster R.
Sims has been named conven
tion chairman and will begin
plans for the convention with
in the near future.
"LO AND BEHOLD”
MAKES HIT WITH
AREA AUDIENCES
Audiences of the Valley
Theatre Guild’s “Lo and Be
hold" presentation found it dif
ficult last Friday and Satur
day night to believe that the
cast was composed almost en
tirely of neighbors and friends |
who were making their first ;
stage appearances.
The eight-member cast per- j
formed to capacity audiences |
on both nights and only com- •
pliments have been heard this i
week on their performances i
and the play direction which j
was handled by Midge Me 1 en
ds’. assisted by Jack Riley who
also took the part of the lawyer
in the comedy.
Muriel Wattum. who took the
female romantic lead role,
turned in a very fine perform
jance as the ex-model, turned
cook, who was trying to get
! her man. Harry Evans, as her
goal, took the part f the doc
| tor and turned in a good per
formance. Larry Kincaid, who
; played the interesting role of
;the excentric writer, turned in
'an outstanding performance. A
I big share of the success of the
play goes to Kitty Johnson, the
Indian maid, Myrtle Hume, the
: Southern belle. Jack Dodge, the
1 mad musician, and G a r y
Brown, the bookie, whose roles
added candor and amusement
; to the play.
i The sets, which were prepar
(Continued on page 8)
Retriever Training
Club to Organize
It was announced today by
L. F. (Joe) Martin that plans
are under way to organize a
Retriever Dog Training Club in
the valley. Tentative plans, as
decided by a planning commit
tee that met on February 18, i
call for 1:30 p.m. meetings on.
Sunday afternoons.
The first meeting, to start
training and conduct organiza-i
tional business, is set for 1:30
p.m., Sunday, March 11 in the ■
dining hall at the fairgrounds.
AH persons owning dogs of1
the retriever breeds, and other
persons interested in training
such dogs, are invited to attend, j
Dogs must be on leash and only !
one dog per handler will be ac
cepted at the first session.
Persons desiring further de
tails may call Martiu at
PI 5-3920 after 7:30 p.m. any
evening.
Mayor B.
To Offer
R. Miller
Welcome
Over 50 area Alaskans, who
have been residents of the State
for 30 or more years, will be
participating in the institution
of a new Igloo of the Pioneers
of Alaska here in Palmer on
i Sunday, March 11 in eeremon
; ies to be held in the Palmer
' Elks home.
The instiution will be con
| ducted by the Grand Igloo of
' the Pioneers of Alaska with
Grand President Janies Jorgen
sen of Fairbanks presiding. A
chartered Alaska Railroad train
i will be brwjging many Anchor
! age-area Pi. *-’jrs to Palmer for
j the special fni.
Matanuska Valley Igloo 31 is
■ the first Igloo to be added to
,ihe organization for a nujfeber
| of years and many Pioneers
j from throughout the state are
j expected to be here for the oc
casion.
The special train will leave
Anchorage at 9:30 a.m. Sunday
land registration at Elks hail
will begin at 11 o’clock. At 11:30
|a.m. there will be a meeting of
Grand Igloo officers and com
| miteee on applications.
A welcome lo Grand Igloo
officers, to the new Igloo,
and all visitors will be ex
pressed at 12:30 p.m. by Ma
vor Billv Miller nf Palmpr
Grand President Jorgensen
will make the response.
The public is cordially invit
| ed to attend the ceremonies anc
i are especially invited to attenc
• the welcoming ceremony ni
i 12:30 p.m.
! Assisting the Grand Presi
dent with the ceremonies will
be Sol Uric of Seward, second
vice-president; Past Grand
President Carl Lotsfeldt and
Grand Trustee Frank Shell
horn. both of Anchorage.
Moose Planning
St. Pat Dance
Dig' out the clay pipes, the
tall hats and the shamrocks.
Members of the Palmer Moose
lodge are planning a St. Pat
rick’s Dance and box social at
their home on Saturday. March
17. Moose orchestra will fur
nish music for dancing, start
ing at 9 p.m. and all Moose,
their ladies, and friends are in
vited to attend.
i Gold Medal Tournament to
Be Held Here March 12-17
The Wasilla Warriors and the
Y.C.C. Elks will open the first
annual Matanuska Valley Gold
Medal Basketball tournament
which will be played in Palmer
March 12-16. The tournament
gets under way at 6:30 p.m. in
Central gym. The single elimin
ation tournament will find the
Palmer Whites pitted against
the Wasilla Braves in the sec
ond game to start at 8 p.m.
Monday.
The following day the Anch
orage YMCA team will meet
the winner of the opening
game and the Elmendorf Orion
|team will meet the Palmer
; Blues in the 8 p.m. game.
On Wednesday the Elmen
I dorf Cougars will meet the
Kenai Kardinals in the opening
game at 6:30 p.m., and the
Y.C.C. Moose team will play
the winners of Monday’s Pal
mer White and Wasilla Braves
game.
On Thursday the play w'ill
begin to narrow down and win
ners of games played Tuesday
will meet for the 6:30 p.m.
flame and winners of the Wed
nesday games will vie for a
, finals spot.
Friday, losers of Thursday’s
I games will play for third place
j in the tournament, and the fin
als, to be played at 8 p.m..
; will find winners of the Thurs
; day games vicing for first and
! second place. Awards will be
| made to the championship
team, as well as the runner-up
■ team.
Admission will he $1 for ad
I ults, and 50 cent ; for students.
| Anchorage officials will be us
1 ed in all games.
All of these junior division
teams, with the exception of
(Kenai, will he travelling be
tween Palmer and their homes
! in between games. Players from
! Kenai will be housed in Pal
mer during the tournament.
This is the first time that a
tournament has been set up for
the junior basketball players.
Playing for the Palmer Whit
es will be Jackie Snodgrass.
Dee Woods, Mickie Pettit, Mar
tin Buzby, Don Payne, Dave
Bryant. Richard Smith, Stan
| Tucker. Dave Schrieber, and
i Ken Bouwens. Bill Kueera is
I manager
i Palmer Blues are made up by
I Steve Cook, Jim Ehrhart, Jim
Estelle, Bill Bohman, Andy De
Vries, Hal Ingalls, Wayne
: Eckert, Stan Smith, Harry Har
:tung. and Dave Knikson. Doug
; Maze is >: mager.
1 Ron La: son is coaching both
teams.
The Wasilla Braves, coached
! by M. A. Wetherington and
' managed by Ken Harvey in
clude Richard Walker, Wallace
i Cronin, Jav Johnson, Eugene
Huston. Phil Meritt. Bob Pat
i terson, Jim Huston, Wesley
I Wilkerson and John Otcheck.
The Wasilla Warriors, coach
ed by Lee Turner and managed
by Larry Hill include Pete
; Hjellen, Richard Ingram. Ger
ald Bouwens, Dick Carl, Bill
Gilbertson, Dennis Calhoun
and George Haebeson.
The public is invited to turn
out and support these young
basketball players.
At 2:00 p.m. the initiation
ceremony for all charter mem
bers will he condutced, follow
ed by the installation of offi
cers. The institution of the new
Igloo will complete the formal
part of the day’s program.
Officers oi the Maianuska
Valley Igloo 31 are: Gerritt
(Heinie) Snider, president.
President Snider has been a
member of the Pioneers for
a number of years, was Grand
Igloo President in 1953 and
currently serves as Assistant
Grand Historian. Other of
ficers include Ted Buzby,
first vice-president; Bruce
Graham, second vice-presi
. dent; Donald Ingalls, secre
tary; Robert Estes, treasur
: er: Neil A. Browne, chaplain;
I Edward Ueeck, historian;
William Hoskins, sergeanl-ai
j arms; David Bryant, door
keeper; Robert Hartley, trus
tee, one year; Jan M. Koslos
ky, trustee, two years; and
M. D. Snodgrass, trustee,
; three years.
The objects of Pioneers of
! Alaska, which was organized
in 1907, is to unite the Pion
leers of Alaska; to collect and
i preserve literature and inci
dents of Alaska's history and to
promote the best interests iff
Alaska.
Business firms and individu
als throughout the valley havi*
joined in extending their best
wishes to the new Igloo mein
bers and to the Pioneers whu
will be visiting in the valfgy
this weekend.
In addition to the named offi
cers. charter members of the
new Igloo include: Walter Tee
land Peter J. Corcoran, John.
Polis, G. E. Gustafson, Floyd
D. Smith, Bertran Duff, Ralph
M. Koslosky, Emil Waldal, K.
Paul Stringfield, David C. Kep
ler, Joe Kircher, Walter Menck.
Frank Clark, A1 King, Hardld
W. Moore, Emil Da Walter,
Emil Kircher, Peter J. Bagoj.
Victor Falk, Sr., Victor Falk,
Jr., C. C. Henderson, Clyde
King, Jr., Frank Gagnon, Hans
Arnevick, Dean R. Bronson.
Sam L. Gotten, Theodore W.
Mommsen. Jacob Berg, William
Grow, Lauritz J. Loberg, K. Al
lan Linn, Roy Morrison, George
Bellafontaine. Christopher Tar
ry, Melvin E. Burgan, Fred
Wallace, Phil O'Neill; James J.
Hurley, Oscar Jurgeleit, Don
ald H. Marsh, Frank M. Marsh.
, Frank M. Smith and James C.
j Grow.
CHAMBER ENDORSES PROPOSED
NAMES FOR STATE FERRIES
Members of the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Commerce
' oil March 7 endorsed a move to
name the state’s new ferries
after three Alaska Indian tri
bes. The endorsement was
sought by William M. Paul. Sr .
| grand president emeritus of the
Alaska Native Brotherhood.
In a letter to Alaska legisla
tors, the Chamber heartily en
j dorsed HCR38. which would, as
' a tribute to the Aboriginal resi
dents of Southeast Alaska,
j name the three new ferries
! Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian.
j Bill Herman, who presided at
1 the meeting in the absence of
■ President Barney Fish, read a
I letter from Paul Grieman of
Former Resident
Dies in Colorado
Word has been received that _
Dr. Herbert C. Hanson passed
away at his home in Berthoud,
Colorado on March 5. He was
72 years of age.
Dr. Hanson is survived by
his wife Edith: a son, Don, of
Paltrier; two daughters, Mrs.
L. C. Hamann of Seattle and
;vuKt> mima oi nopewen jun
ction. N. Y. and five grand
children and one sister.
Dr. and Mrs. Hanson were
residents of the valley from
1940 to 1945.
PUBLIC INVITED
TO WORLD DAY
OF PRAYER SERVICE
A program of worship and
j prayer will be observed at the
I Church of God on Friday.
I March 8 in observance of the
; Tiifh annual World Day oi
1 Prayer. The public is invited to
■attend the service which will
j consist of a program of wor
j ship and prayer, especially pre
: pared bv Christian women of
Uruguay
Congratulations
PIONEERS OF ALASKA
IGLOO NO. 31
From
Palmer's Pioneer Florist
MAUD'S FLOWERS
Fairbanks who asked chamber •
support on a request that the .
Post Office grant flexibility in ’»
the delivery of mail time to al
low greater convenience for
passenger schedule. It is be- ■
lieved the firm is interested in £
(Continued on page 8) f
Famed Choral Worfc#'4
To Be Presented
Here Friday Night [
Residents of the valley are
invited to attend a presentation
of Sir John Starner’s well
known choral work. “The Cru-*
cifixion" by the Palmer high*
school chorus and soloist tre*
morrow night. The program
will be presented at 8 p m. in
Central gymnasium, under the
direction of Mrs John Koranda.
Soloists appearing on the
program include David Martin,
Find Dundas. Grace Hurt and
Edward Hanks. Special guest
soloist will be Marvin J Hurt
u’d accompanist will be Mrs.
Walter Covich
Art work for the program*
which has been done by the
-;tuclfiits. has het'ii under the
,:uidanee of Betty Jo Kiddle.
The chorus is presenting the
work as a special Lenten pro
gram. Proceeds will be used to
help defray expenses of the
chorus participation in the
Honor Choir program and the
annual music festival
! SELF SERVioF
DRY GLEANING AT
Valley Gleaners
(Across from Piggly-Wiggly)
Opening March 10
% Daily Door Prize
Until March 25
OPEN DAILY
8 AM. - 10 P.M.
New York Steak Feed
SATURDAY, MARCtf 10, 6:30 P.M.
’Til They’re All Gene
All Elks, Their Ladies and Friends