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PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
V
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
ilem you may have for sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 9
PALMER, ALASKA. THURSDAY, DEC, 23, 1954
PRICE TEN CENTS
City Council
Proceedings
Among correspondence read at
the December 21 meeting of the
Common Council, City of Pal
mer, was a letter from the Kay
Pippel Insurance Co., announcing
the upward rating to Class 6 of
the City of Palmer by the Pacific
Fire Rating Bureau. Savings will
approximate 20 percent on dwel
lings and from 10 to 30 percent
on mercantile establishments. The
mew water system and the recent
building of the permanent fire
hall were credited with the low
ering of the rates, according to
Pippel’s letter. Council members
agreed it was gratifying news.
* * *
With some of the City’s largest
insurance policies expiring soon,
Council members announced they
will advertise for bids, to include
full coverage on comprehensive
liability, the volunteer firemen
and coverage on the new fire hall.
Bids will be opened at the Janu
ary 4 meeting.
A letter from E. C. Adams, dis
trict engineer with the Board of
Fire Underwriters of the Pacific,
included a list of recommenda
tions for the city fire department
and equipment which were dis
cussed by council members. Sev
eral of the recommendations are
already in force, many have been
contemplated and others are in
el sded in ^ propped fire ordin
ance now in process of comple
tion.
The new membership rate in
the League of Alaska Cities was
announced at 13 cents per capita,
setting the City of Palmer’s cost
at $130 for 1955 membership.
The street department will be
requested to clear the snow out
of the parking circle near the
three churches in the Central
School area, prior to the Christ
mas services.
* ♦ «
The need for a jail in the city
was discussed and council mem
bers voted to purchase four sacks
of cement from Councilman Zah
radnicek for $2 per sack. Mem
bers of the police and street de
partment have volunteered to
pour a floor in the section of the
new fire hall basement being
reserved for jail space.
* * *
The Building, Plumbing, and
Zoning committee will soon make
recommendations pertaining to
the naming of a building inspec
tor for the City of Palmer.
* * *
There were no nominations for
the office of mayor.
The third reading of Ordin
ance 58, pertaining to the control
of the number of liquor licenses
in the City of Palmer, was not
passed, but tabled for further
study. Also Ordinance 59, provid
ing for exemption from taxation
(Continued on page 14)
FOR CHRISTMAS MAY WE SUGGEST
^ Poinsettia plants or corsage for your hostess
^ Top quality holly wreath for the door
Kissing rings for that Holiday party
^ Cut Holly; Mixed evergreens and mistletoe
for home decorations
Open evenings and Holidays for your
convenience
PALMER NURSERY
11/2 mile NORTH OF PALMER ON GLENN HIGHWAY
t us remember the
King of Israel during this
joyous season.
ANNOUNCE WINNERS
OF CHRISTMAS
LIGHTING CONTEST
Winners in the Palmer Garden
Club Christmas lighting contest
were announced today by the
judging committee.
First place winner in window
decorations was Carol Colberg
who had painted a nativity scene
on the window. Rev. Edward Im
me’s nativity scene set up in the
yard took first place in outdoor
decorations.
The Allan Mick home, with a
stained glass effect window took
second place in the window class,
with the Don Mealy home with
snowflake windows and window
sill scene took third. Honorable
mention in this class went to Thel
ma Cope, and Mrs. Seth Cook.
Dr. Richard Washburn took sec
ond place in outdoor decorations
with outlined door and decorated
trees on each side. Third place
in the outdoor decorations was
tied between Lenore Amerman
and Lorin McKechnie. Miss Am
erman’s decorations consist of a
tree on each side of the porch and
Santa Claus head between and
above. The trees also serve as bird
feeding stations. At the McKech
(Continued on page 14)
Driver's Must Renew
Licenses Before Jan. 1
Alaskan drivers are remind
ed that they have only about
a week now in which to pur
chase their 1955-56 driver’s li
cense. The two-year driving li
cense now in effect will expire
after December 31, 1954. New
licenses, and vehicles registra
tion tags, may be purchased at
the office of U. S. Commis
sioner Dorothy Saxton in the
Theatre Building.
Telephone Sign-Up
Needed Before Jan. I
In with all the Christmas rush
and New Year planning, mem
bers of the Matanuska Telephone
Association this week reminds
residents of the area not to for
get the important date this first
of the year. All memberships and
purchases of equity stock which
will permit the construction of a
new, modern dial-type telephone
system must be purchased by the
end of the year to assure the val
ley of the system.
On January 3 REA officials are
expected in Palmer from Wash
ington, D. C. and at that time
will go over the entire program
with MTA officials. It is very
imperative that the equity collec
tions be completed by their arri
val, Lew Hanks, MTA chairman,
stated. The REA officials will
have to know what the prospects
are—just how many phones will
be needed and their location, to
determine whether or not the pro
ject is going to be feasible. Al
though permission for the REA
loan has been received by the
Matanuska Telephone Associa
tion, if there isn’t a sufficient
number signed up by the January
visit, the entire project will be
greatly endangered and certainly
delayed, Hanks stated.
Those who have not yet sign
ed up may do so by stopping in
at the Extension Service office.
Although there are two solicitors
(Continued on page 14)
CJTY BUDGETS
$99,000 FOR
1954-55 EXPENSES
A recap of the City of Palmer
budget for 1954-55 indicated an
estimated revenue of $99,063.57.
This anticipated amount was
budgeted as follows: Administra
tion: $33,122.80: Public Health:
$1,725; Police: $8,500; Streets:
$16,765.50; Fire: $27,533.74; Con
tingencies: $8,706.53; and loss on
telephone operations, $2,710. Total
expenditures from the general
fund, $99,063.57.
The street department sum in
cludes $6,000 for street gravel and
equipment rental and $2,215.50
for culverts. The latter amount
was authorized in 1953-54. Other
expenditures will go for salaries,
gas and motor fuel, and repairs
and supplies.
Fire department expenditures
includes $1,200 in salaries; $1,000
1 for building maintenance; $1,200
for repairs and equipment main
tenance; $1,000 for firehall fin
ishing; and $2,040, authorized in
1953-54 for firemen’s equipment
and $21,093.74 for authorized fire
hall expenditures.
Estimated revenue in the tele
phone department was set at
$23,640. Anticipated expenditures
will run to $26,350, showing a loss
of $2,710. The largest single item
in the telephone budget expendi
ture is for operator’s salaries,
$14,331.75.
Expenditures for public health
and safety will be made for the
health officer, deficiency in 1953
54, sanitary inspections, public
health nursing, and sanitary fill.
Police Department expenditures
are marked for salaries, jail ex
pense, printing and equipment,
traffic signs and a miscellaneous
fund of $100.
Administration, always the
most costly, includes salaries in
the city clerk’s office and the
city attorney, janitor service, gen
eral office supplies, bank ex
change and recordings, insurance,
auditing, election expenses, legal
advertising, surveys and maps,
(Continued on page 14)
(ily Reclassified;
Fire Rates Drop
Early this week the City of
Palmer learned that the Pacific
Board of Fire Underwriters and
the Pacific Fire Rating Bureau
have reclassified the city upward
to Class 6 rating, putting Palmer
in the same class as the cities of
Juneau, Douglas, Cordova, Ko
diak, Seward and Sitka.
According to Robert Pippel, of
the Pippel Insurance Company, a
survey of the new fire rates ef
fective in Palmer shows a reduc
tion of approximately 20 percent
in the frame dwelling class. He
pointed out as an example, that
! the former frame dwelling rate
! of $7.20 per thousand has been
reduced to $5.80.
The reduction in mercantile
rates range from 10 to 30 percent,
varying with the type of construc
tion. occupancy, exposures, etc.
i “This regrading should result
in a considerable saving to the
property owners of Palmer in the
form of reduced premiums for
fire insurance,” Pippel stated. “We
wish to congratulate the present
and past City Councils for their
fine work in implementing the
construction of the new city water
system and the construction of
the new city fire hall, two factors
w'hich contributed largely to the
regrading”.
Palmer was formerly rated as
Class 7 by the Underwriters. In
July of this past summer a com
plete inspection of fire fighting
facilities, housing ,the water sys
tem, city ordinances, mercantile
construction, and other pertinent
phases of fire prevention and pro
tection was conducted by mem
bers of the Bureau. A detailed list
of their findings wras received by
the City this week and included
suggestions for improvement, as
well as a complete list of results
of various tests which they per
formed while here.
Much of the credit for the re
classification goes to the close co
operation offered by the City of
Palmer, the Fire Underwriters
and the local insurance agency.
In commenting about the re
duced mercantile rates Mr. Pippel
said that frame mercantile build
ings being replaced by concrete
construction results in an over-all
reduction. He pointed out that one
frame building in a block effects
the entire block. Each time one of
the old structures is replaced by
concrete, the fire rates show the
effects.
Makes a wonderful Christmas
present for every city property
owner, doesn’t it?
CUT FLOWERS
POTTED PLANTS
Flowers for Corsages
also
Telegraph Delivery
Service
MATANUSKA VALLEY
GARDENS
Phone 32J11 Palmer
CHRISTMAS BOXES
TO BE DISTRIBUTED
: IN VALLEY AREA
As far as can be determined,
> all needy families in the valley
; area have been taken care of,
; according to U. S. Commission
; er Dprothy B. Saxton. How
; ever, Mrs. Saxton once again
; urged that anyone knowing of
; a family in need check with
! her to be sure they have been
; taken care of.
Various service organiza
;! tions, all the churches, home
; maker groups, business firms,
; and several individuals have
; combined their efforts this
I year to see that no family goes
! without this Christmas. Food,
\ candy, clothing ,and toys have
; been donated and the Christ
mas boxes are packed.
Through the Public Health
Nurse, the Public Welfare, and
;! the Commissioner, a list of
/ needy families was compiled
; to avoid duplications or om
missions.
VALLEY-WIDE PARTY
SET FOR TOMORROW
A list of donors to the Mer
chants’ Christmas party will be
published in next week’s issue of
The Frontiersman. To date the
response has been gratifying,
members of Beta Sigma Phi sor
ority who are making collections,
stated.
Because the group of volunteer
contact-members isn’t as large as
previously planned, many of the
merchants have not yet been con
tacted for this year’s Christmas
party. Any who has' not been call
ed on who wishes to make dona
tions is asked to either mail a
check to the Community Christ
mas Party, or leave the money at
the U. S. Commissioner’s office.
Members of Women of the
Moose spent an evening this week
sacking the candy and fruit that
will be given to each child attend
ing the party on December 24.
The party will be held at the
Valley Theatre from 2 pm. to
3:20 p.m. and every child in the
valley from pre-school through
grade five is invited to attend.
An abundance of cartoon and
comic films will be shown dur
ing the afternoon and Santa Claus
will pop down the chimney of
the candy house late in the after
noon to greet all his little valley
friends. Because of limited seat
ing ail parents are requested to
remain away from the party.
(Continued on page 14)
Sled Dog Races
Sunday, January 2 - 1:00 P.M.
Alaska Sled Dog Racing Association
Hallea Lodge
Lake Lucille, Wasilla