The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
~T 'VSSIFIED AD for that
it- you may have for tale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 8. NUMBER 5
PALMER. ALASKA.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 24. 1954
PRiv£ TEN CENTS
City Council
Proceedings
A uniform building code and
the enforcement of the same was
discussed at the November 23
meeting of the City Council. Bill
Roark, present by request, point
ed out the need for enforcement
of a building code, not only for
the protection of the public, but
also the builder. The present
building code, adopted by the
City three years ago, does not in
clude electrical or plumbing cod
es. Members of the building,
plumbing and zoning committee
were asked to make a study of
the codes.
* • •
Members of the telephone com- |
mittee will make arrangements j
Jor a telephone line from the j
school gym to the telephone office ;
for the radio broadcast of four
basketball games this winter.
* * *
A request from Koslosky’s
Department Store for a waiver on ;
a delinquent tax penalty payment
was referred to the finance and
budget committee, following the
failure of a motion not to waive
payment. The request will be act
ed upon next week.
* * *
A letter from the ARRC re- !
garding requests of the City, one i
for park area and the other for ‘
reconsideration of the purchase i
price of the ARRC water line, in
dicated the board of directors are
not in. a position to grant either
request.
* * *
Acting Mayor Betty Means will
.make appointments to the city
planning commission next week.
Following a discussion, it was de
cided that no member of the
city council would be appointed
to the planning commission. Three j
vacancies exist at the present
lime.
* * •
Ditching work for the telephone '
cable under the railroad tracks
was stopped last week when
workers recommended abandon
ing the project for this season, ac
cording to the telephone commit
lee. A different method of get
ting the cable into the area will
be studied.
* * *
A new fire ordinance will be
drafted and turned over to the
City Attorney for final drawing
by the fire committee. The ordin
ance will have its first reading
.next week. The problem of heat
ing the fire hall was again dis
cussed, with the fire committee ,
announcing the purchase of a
heater that will be used on the
first floor for temporary-type
heating. Ray Lancaster has of
fered the loan of a space heater
for the basement. Cost of the
heater for the first floor is ex
pected to run around $380.
♦ *
Although the election of a may
or was on the agenda, no nomin
ations for the office were offer
ed and the subject was passed
over.
* * *
The City Attorney will be in
structed to draw up a resolution
exempting the Valley Presbyteri
an Hospital of tax payments. The
(Continued on page 8)
Power Curtailment
Urgent Nov. 26 for
Eklutna Switch-Over
The long-awaited operation of
the Eklutna project is nearing
completion, according to Cy
Brewer, Matanuska Electric As
sociation general manager.
On Friday, November 26, be
ginning at 7:30 a.m. and lasting
until 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon,
members of the MEA crew will
be transferring to its original
supply lines to permit the even
tual switch over the new line.
“On Friday we will be short
of power due to our limited line
capacity,” Brewer stated. “An
other reason is that the City of
Anchorage has consented to at
tempt to carry our load, even
though it is still short one gen
erator and lacks facilities for con
nection with the Chugach Elec
tric Association steam plant”, he
added.
“Our usage for the one day
must be restricted to the essen
tials," Brewer cautioned. "We re
quest that all electric signs be
turned off, and all other use cur
tailed as much as possible dur
ing these hours". Brewer warned
that the voltage will be low dur
ing this period and that refrigera
tors, deep freezers and other mo
tor driven equipment should be
carefully watched to avoid burn
outs.
“We hope this will be the last
time we need to call upon the
people of the Valley,” Brewer
said, “since the fine new Eklut
na project will be rolling Friday
night.”
Original plans called for a two
day operation but MEA has suc
ceeded in making it possible to
make the change over in one day.
NEW RADIO PROGRAM
TO FEATURE VALLEY
The entire Matanuska Valley
will be publicized during the
next few months in a radio pro
gram to be presented over Radio
Station KFQD at 11:45 a.m. each
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday.
The program, being sponsored
by valley merchants, will be of
fifteen minutes duration and is
known as “The Valley Hour”.
Each day will see a change in
program, under the direction of
Lenore Amerman, editor of the
radio program, who will intro
duce local residents, active in
civic, social, and business activ
ities of the valley.
The first program will be pre
sented on Thanksgiving morning
at 11:45 when Miss Amerman
will discuss Thanksgiving in the
Valley with a representative of
The Frontiersman. The follow
ing day Emil Ganschow, president
of Palmer Kiwanis, will appear
an, the program to explain and
discuss the forthcoming public
auction being staged by the local
club as a benefit for the Pal
mer School band program.
Special events—sport activities
—social comings and goings—-and
general information of life in the
Matanuska Valley will be present
sd to the listeners four times each
week. By listening in residents
will hear news about their friends
and neighbors and the latest mer
chandise news from the adver
tisers.
The amazing
CITY OF CHILDREN
■ Imagine an orphan city that children
hate to leave and love to come back to!
The new issue of McCall’s brings you
the inspiring story of Mooseheart . . . the
beautiful orphan city created and supported
by the Loyal Order of Moose, America’s
Family Fraternity. Be sure to read the
heartwarming article “City of Orphans” in
the current issue of McCALL’s.
See MOOSEHEART pictures in j^/JcCclllS
Get your copy today.
The Pilgrims gave Thanks
For So Lillie.
v.
And. we today have so much to be thankful for . . . .
so, in the words of the shortest prayer, we say—
“Thou hast given so much to us — give
one thing more — a grateful heart.
Amen.”
Hospital Patients
Ta Share Holiday
Meal with Guests
Thanksgiving Day in the Val
ley Presbyterian Hospital will be
much cheerier than the patients
had thought, thanks to Valley
Hospital Board members who this
week extended invitations to one
person, per patient, where con
venient, to share the hospital
Thanksgiving dinner. Those who
will be accepting the invitation
are asked to register with the
r.urse on duty by Wednesday eve
ning.
The menu planned by Fritz
Lowe, hospital chef, leaves little
doubt but what the holiday will
be more than enjoyable by the
patients and their guests. Each
patient will be permitted one
guest, with no charge for the din
ner. Additional guests may be ar
ranged for at the hospital but
a normal fee will be charged for
extra dinners.
Leading the menu is the tradi
tional Thanksgiving turkey, roast
ed to a golden brown. Along with
this will be chilled tomato juice,
pickles and olives, brown rice,
cranberry sauce, dressing, giblet
gravy, snowflake potatoes, can
died sweet potatoes, Waldorf
salad, buttered squash, Parker
House rolls, mince and pumpkin
pie with cream, fruit cake, mixed
nuts and mints.
Most tempting, isn’t it? Mem
bers of the Hospital staff will also
partake of the sumptious meal
and will be permitted to invite
guests.
ICY ROADS CAUSE
SEVERAL ACCIDENTS
Icy road conditions were this
week blamed for a series of ac
cidents, many of the minor type,
and one with a fatality.
This morning the Palmer Sch
ool bus that makes the run to
the Goat Creek area had to turn
back without picking up students,
because of icy roads.
A fatal accident at Mile 43 oc
cured last Sunday when a car
driven by Lorraine Learned, An
chorage airline stewardess, skid
ded while passing another ve
hicle, and went out of control.
Miss Learned is believed to have
been thrown from the car and
instantly killed.
More fortunate were three Pal
mer school teachers who escaped
with minor injuries when the car
in which they were riding went
off the road and turned over
Sunday. William Elliott was re
ported to have received leg in
juries, while Gottfried Stevahn
and John Aper escaped injuries.
SHOOTING AT PLANES
REPORTED IN PALMER
Parents were this week urg
ed to caution their youngsters
on shooting at airplanes.
A1 Dickow, territorial airport
manager at the Palmer field,
repo: ted that last week young
boys were reported to have
been shooting .22 rifles at over
flying planes. In citing the evi
dent danger to the pilot, his
passengers, and his and other
persons property, Dickow stat
ed such action is a federal of
fense, and as such punishable
by law.
School Head Attends
Commission meeting
William T. Zahradnicek, super
intendent of schools, returned to
Palmer Saturday from Juneau
where he attended the School
Superintendents’ Advisory Com
mission meeting. School leaders
from all over the territory were
present.
The full program included re
ports on legislative work, teach
er’s retirement, transportation,
sources of school support, territor
ial board requirements, and the
Alaska Constitution committee.
Additional sources of school
support revenue reports includ
ed 1953 assignments on the sta
tus of school land. The report
showed that because so little of
the Territory has been surveyed
the school lands have not pro- |
duced the finances that might be
expected or in comparison to
what has been produced by school
lands in the States.
The possibility of increasing the
revenues was offered by the com
mittee who suggested serious
consideration on the part of the
Superintendent’s Advisory Com
mission. to recommending legisla
tively that certain royalties be
specifically earmarked for school
purposes in order that a founda
tion may be laid for enhancing
income in the event that certain
present explorations should ulti
mately produce large amounts of
natural resources.
They also recommended a con
tinuous checking with Forest Ser
vice Officials as to practices and
accounting on the Forest Reserve
funds.
The Palmer Band- program re
cently received two cash gifts
from interested parties. Lee Spra
gue donated $100 to the fund and
members of Palmer B. P. O. Elks
donated $50. The money will help
purchase needed instruments,
music and uniforms.
School Boards Ask
New Legislation
To Further Programs
A total of nine resolutions were
passed at the first meeting of
Territorial School Boards during
their meeting here in; Palmer a
week ago. Among these was a
commendation to the school board
of Palmer for having taken the
initiative in the organization of
an Association of Alaska School
Boards.
The first resolution passed by
the group urged that Territorial
legislature provide for the fiscal
independence of Independent
School Districts within the terri
tory by passing legislation to ac
complish (1) a provision; for tax
levy by school district based on a
budget prepared by school board
and approved, as to its partici
pation, by the Territorial Board
of Education; (2) provision for a
referendum within the entire
school districts to determine
1 whether or not such fiscal inde
pendence is desired by voters; (3)
provision for publication of fin
ancial statement by all school dis
tricts; (4) provision for audit of
accounts at least annually by all
independent and incorporated
school districts, and (5) provision
for public budgetary hearings.
Other resolutions included: Urg
ing the Legislature to provide
for recodification of the Alask ■
school laws and pro' : for i
proved methods of fina- as
sistance to school u._ .^is, based
on their ability to support a min
imum standard of education.
Urging Legislature to provide
for at least regular annual meet
ings of the Territorial Board of
Education with provision for as
many special meetings as neces
sary and to give consideration to
enlarging the board to more ade
quately reflect school population.
(At the present time the board
consists of five members.)
Another resolution urges- the
Legislature to conside- providing
the means for rgior 1 supervi
sion to more adequately meet the
needs of the school districts.
The re-examinatior. by the Leg
islature and the Territorial Board
of Education of the minimum
teachers pay scales with the view
of increasing the increments for
additional professional education
or., the part of the teachers and
for extending the steps beyond
the present maximum was urged.
Refunds at the regular rate to
school districts employing a tea
cher for opportunity and remedi
al work among such children in
classes of less than 25 children
and that the Legislature provide
the additional funds to carry out
the program was also urged by
the meeting. Also that the neces
sary legislation be passed to eli
mate the present system of re
funds.
A fund of $3,000,000 to be dis
tributed upon application, to
school districts and territorial
schools on the basis of need and
ability to contribute matching
funds for school construction and
repairs was urged by the group.
The association of school
boards was formed to further the
mutual territorial education
needs, and for its first year will
be headed by Lew Hanks of the
Palmer school board who was
named president of the associa
tion.
George Crowther New
Kiwanis President
George Crowther was elect
ed president of the Palmer Ki
wanis Club for the coming year
at the November 22 luncheon
meeting.
Others named to fill the sup
porting offices are: Lloyd Mor
ley, vice-president; Richard An
drews. secretary; Robert Pipple,
treasurer, and H. J. Hodgson, Ed
Smith, James Hurley,. John
Weisenberger, James Wilson, Glen
Persinger, Mann Leisser, and
Emil Ganschow, board of direc
tors. Mr. Ganschow' served as
president of the local elub dur
ing the past year.
A Home Nursing Course is
planned for Valley area, provid
ing enough women are interested.
The course was reported as a
nurses’ aid course last week.
VALLEY T( OBSERVE
THANKSG! NG IN
TRADITION L MANNER
Thanksgiving ill be observed
throughout th» llley in the tra
ditional mann .vith church ser
vices, begim g tonight, and
family and fi endly gatherings
for the bounf ’ul dinners. Sev
lies have invited
■> their homes for
>ny are joining
lors for dinner—
visiting friends
iving offers,
services will be
g in the Church
:anuska Street,
stives of several
■ ^ will join in the
program. Members
Protestant Church
male quartet will
music.
nksgiving services
held at the First
1 in Palmer tonight,
7:45 p.m. The pro
nsist of a pageant,
junior and primary
of the church. A
food shower will
eral valle
service r
the holiuay
with their no
and friends
in their Thar.
Union chu
held this ev
of God on
where reprt
valley chur
Thanksgivi
of the Un.t
choir and
furnish sr
Speck
will a!_
Baptist C
beginning
gram will
given by ti.
department;
Thanksgiving
be given during the service by
members b'r the Turnagain Chil
drens’ Ho- c Anchorage, an or
phanar owned and operated
com letely by the Baptist ehurch
i this area. On Sunday eve
ning at 7:45 there will be two
movies shown, “London. Crusade
Newsreel” and “Hour of Decision”
film, both Billy Graham produc
tions.
On Thursday Thanksgiving ser
vices will be held at St. John’s
Lutheran Church at 10 a.m., and
a holiday mass will be offered at
St. Michael’s Catholic Church.
UTAH MAN NAMED
CO-OP MANAGER
Stewart A. Durrant of Ameri
can Forks. Utah, has been engag
ed as general m; eager of the
Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
operating Association, according
to an announcement made by the
association this week. Following
a personal interview last week,
Mr. Durrant was hired to fill the
vacancy created by the release of
Fred Zieke, former general man
ager, last July.
Mr. Durrant is married, and the
father of four children. The new
l Co-Op general manager will
make his home in the associa
tion’s staff house located on Fair
view Avenue, where his family
will join him next summer, fol
lowing this year's school term.
For the past eight years Mr.
Durrant has been manager of the
American Forks Co-Op, an as
sociation that deals primarily in
vegetables and eggs. He is ex
pected in the Valley the first of
next month.
j -
PALMER MAN TO
GET PH DEGREE
Charles E. Logsdon and family
returned to Palmer on Monday of
this week after spending three
months at the University of Min
nesota where he completed final
requirements for his PH degree.
The degree will be bestowed
in absentia in special University
ceremonies on December 16. Con
gratulations are in order for Dr.
Logsdon.
CUT FLOWERS—POTTED
PLANTS — CORSAGES
For Thanksgiving
MATANUSKA VALLEY
GARDENS
Phone 32J11 Palmer
ATTENDANCE URGED
AT IMPORTANT
CUB SCOUT MEETING
Scout parents, or any one in
terested in Cub Scouting, to
the important organizational
meeting planned for Friday
evening,. November 26, in the
Palmer School cafeteria. It is
very important that parents
and adults turn out for this
meeting, if they wish the Cub
Scout 'program to continue in
the valley.
. ■*. ... .*4