Thought of the Week:
Small fry to father—How
» come soda pop will spoil my
{ dinner and martinis give you
5 an appetite
* L A 3 a A I j !
iiOX 2051
JU . VJ ALAS ;
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
Beta Sigma Phi
VALENTINE
CHARITY BALL
Feb. 10—Elks Hall
VOLUME 16. NUMBER 50
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8. 1962
EIGHT PAGES
PRICE 15 CEKTS
Reporters—
f\late.haaJz
Communicable diseases re
ported in the Matanuska Val
ley area for the week ending
February 2 included three cases
of otitis media; four of upper
respiratory infection and 20
cases of rubeola measles.
* * *
Palmer volunteer firemen
and street department person
nel have been working on the
public skating rink located
near Central school and the
hospital. The firement super
vised the flooding phase of the
project.
Irene Benson, manager of the
Co-Op Trading Post dry goods
department, and Lea Ehrhart,
owner of Lea’s Dress Shop, re
cently attended the Spring and
Summer clothing market held
in Seattle.
* * *
Home-made baked goods will
be offered for sale at Bert’s
Drug store on Saturday, Febru
ary 10, under the auspices of
the Altar Society of St. Mich
ael’s Catholic Church.
* * *
Jim Wilson, director, State
Division of Agriculture, return
ed this week from Juneau
where he reviewed the Divi
sion’s budget and attended ses
sions of the legislature when
the proposed Marketing Bill
was discussed. Also in Juneau
last week attending the legis
lature, was Roland Snodgrass,
local dairy farmer.
* * *
Mary Estep has started
working in the Co-Op general
office. She will be replacing
Faye d’Vere Vuere who plans
to leave soon for sunny Califor
nia.
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Smith, for
merly of the Hyland Hotel,
have returned to Palmer fol
lowing a lengthy trip to Ire
land and visits in California
before returning home two
weeks ago.
* * *
Robert D. Wimmer. son of
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Wimmer of
Spenard and former Palmer
residents, has been elected sec
retary of Lambda Chi Alpha
fraternity at Kansas State Uni
versity. Wimmer, a sophomore
in bacteriology, will serve as
secretary for one year.
MARCH OF DIMES
BAKE SALE PLANNED
The Wasilla Veterans of
Foreign Wars Auxiliary will
hold a public bake sale at Tee
land’s Country Store on Satur
day, February 10, as a benefit
for the March of Dimes cam
paign. All residents of the Su
sitna and Matanuska Valley
areas are invited to donate
baked goods, and participate in
the sale.
Attendance Urged
At Borough Meeting
Robert Vroman, chairman of
the local borough committee,
announces an important meet
ing will be held in the cafeteria
of the Wasilla School at eight
o'clock tonight.
“It is important that as many
persons possible from the Ma
tanuska and Susitna Valleys
attend this meeting,” Vroman
said. Reports will be made on
recent borough meetings held
in Anchorage during which
formation of boroughs in this
section of Alaska have been
discussed. At the meeting to
night special committees will
be formed representing the
valley area.
Vroman reported that in An
chorage area there is a strong
tendency toward a large bor
ough which would embrace not
only greater Anchorage areas,
but the Matanuska and Susit
na Valleys and the Kenai Pen
insula as well. He pointed out
that it is very important that
. persons of the valley areas
! make their own desires known
| at once.
A special television program
will be presented from 10 to 11
p.m. on Channel 2 on Friday,
February 9, when Vroman, ad
vocating the smaller borough
will come up against Colonel
M. R. (Muktuk) Marsten, who
favors the large, all-encompas
sing borough.
“Time is getting shorter all
the time,” Vroman said, “and
we of the valley areas must de
cide what we prefer—not wait
until someone else has made a
decision and perhaps at a time
when it will be too late for us
! to take effective action,” he ad
j ded.
j A number of borough meet
| ings have been held in the
j Wasilla and Calmer areas, but
j interest has been lagging, Vro
; man said. He urged strongly
! that all persons possible attend
! the meeting tonight.
Seek Local Support
On State Fair Site
I
In the State on Tuesday of
this week, a bill which would
designate the Matanuska Val
ley as the site of the official
Alaska state fair, was tabled
by a 10-7 vote. The motion to
table was made by Senator A1
Owen (D) of Uganik Bay.
A special meeting of the di
rectors of Aliaska State
Fair. Inc. and Barney Fish,
president of the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Com
merce. was held today to plan
immediate action.
The Bill (HB 32) was first
introduced in the House by Re
presentative Jalmar Kerttula
and a number of other Repre- :
sentatives on January 25. At j
that time the Bill was read the
first time and referred to the
I Committee on State Affairs,!
i with further referral to the
I Committee on Finance.
Dr. Curtis Dearborn, presi
dent of Alaska Stale Fair, Inc.,
said today that letters and
telegrams to the House and
Senate are needed now from
; all interested persons organ
izations and businesses. In
; addition, the directors have
voted to send Mayor Bill Mil
i ler to Juneau with addition
al facts and materials in sup
: port of the proposed State
I Fair site location here in the
: valley.
j President Fish, on behalf of
I the Chamber of Commerce, has I
j sent copies of an improvement
i plan which has been drawn,
and letters urging both the
House and Senate take favor
j able action in designating the
I Matanuska Valley as the site
; of the official Alaska State
I Fair.
—
Career Day Program
| Planned for High
School Students
“Career Day” will he observ
ed in the Palmer high school
on Wednesday, February 21. it
was announced this week.
Sponsored by the Palmer
Parent-Teacher Association,
the day-long survey of vari
ous career fields will be open
fo all Palmer high school
students and Wasilla high
school juniors and seniors. j
The program will begin with
an assembly at which Dr. Her- ,
bert Heller, dean of Alaska j
Methodist University, will in-1
troduce the subject of selection
of careers. Students will then
disperse to classrooms to hear
discussions presented by lead
ers in various career fields.
Each student may choose to at
tend five different sessions'
where they will learn
of opportunities, qualifications
and training necessary for par
ticular fields. There will be
(Continued on page 8)
—
Annual Reports
Prepared tor
Hospital Meeting
Arnual meeting notices of
; the Valley Hospital Association
| were this week mailed
.throughout the Valley area,
i The meeting will be held at
:7:30 p.m., February 15 in the
j high school cafeteria.
Members are advised that
dues are payable after Jan
uary 1 of each year and that
paid-up membership is re
quired for voting at the an
nual meeting. Memberships
(S2.50) may be purchased at
the hospital, from members
of the Kiwanis Club of Pal
mer, from hospital board
members, and other interest
ed persons. Membership not
only allows participation at
the annual meeting, but pro
vides participation in group
hospital insurance if desired.
Following annual reports
from the president, finance
committee, medical staff. Aux
iliary, and administrator, old
and new business will be dis
cussed followed by election of
officers.
Five members are to be nam
ed to the board of directors.
The nominating committee has
submitted the following area
residents as candidates:
Mrs. Norman France, Mrs.
Robert Mielke. and Paul Moy
er, Palmer; Dorothy Kuhn, Sut
ton and Neil Browne, Wasil
la. Only Browne is an incum
bent.
Terms expiring are Dexter
Bacon, secretary; Marie Gohr,
treasurer and Browne. Mrs.
Ada Boyd and Mrs. Jean O'
Neill whose terms expire in
1964, have resigned from the
board and will be replaced at
the annual meeting.
Other members of the
board include Merritt Long,
president; Robert Vroman,
vice-president; Robert Tuck
er, Ethan Peay, Frank Smith,
and Albert Tanner, directors.
Annual statistics show thal
the average patient load dur
ing the past year was 11.1, ar
increase over 1960, when a 10.1
patient load was noted.
The total number of patient'
treated, newborn, and surgical
operations dropped slightly
from the previous yrear. A
slight increase was noted in
days stay per patient (from 4.2
in 1960 to 4.5 in 1961), the oc
cupancy rate, and outpatients
treated.
Actual cash costs of oper
ation for the past year total
led $157,141, an increase of
of $4,456. Patient charges to
talled $182,272 for inpatients
and $8,741 for outpatients, an
increase over the previous
year.
Other income and donations
including City of Palmer watei
bill and Matanuska Electric
Association power bill which
were donated byr the two ent
ities, totalled $19,916. Totai
earned income and donation
totalled $186,633. The differ
encc in figures is accounted fo
in $1,745 “free” services rend
ered and $22,551 in uncollect
ible accounts. Actually' the hos
pital ended the fiscal year with
$8,395 under actual expenses
nor do the figures take intc
account any depreciation.
The major items of indebted
ness on the hospital books art
(Continued on page 8)
Expect Crowd at
Benefit Basketball
Game This Saturday
Ticket sales indicate much
local interest in the basketbal
benefit game to be played here
on Saturday, February 10 be
tween the high school varsity
team and a faculty team.
A preliminary game, af 1
p.m., will be played betweer
the Palmer junior varsity and t
team from Elmendorf Air Force
Base. The main game will starl
at about 8:30 p.m. and both
teams are “ready and willin’ ’
for a very interesting game.
Proceeds from the game wil
be used to help defray costs oJ
the annual basketball tourna
ment in which the Palmei
team will be participating.
Those who have not yet pur
chased tickets may do so at the
door at $1 for adults, or those
holding season tickets may use
them for admission.
CHAMBER SPEAKER
URGES AMERICANS
TO STAND ON OWN
Our changing world was the
theme of a talk given by Tex
Noey of Anchorage at the Feb
ruary 7 meeting of the Matan
uska Valley Chamber of Com
merce.
In his opening remarks, the
interesting speaker noted that
he is impressed with changes
made in the valley since the
days of ’35 when he lived in a
bunkhouse in Palmer. “How
ever.” he said, “there is not
only a physical change, but a
change in people—not only
here in the Valley, but all over
the United States.
"For instance," he said, “we
no longer call a drunk a drunk
—he is a man who has a drink
ing problem; a criminal is no
longer a crook—he is a sick
man . . . we are becoming a na
tion of evasion,” Noey said.
"We no longer like to call our
selves a Capitalistic Country,
for the Communists have prey
ed upon the words-—now we
have ‘free enterprise’ — how
ever, sometimes we don't even
like being called Amricans—-we
want to depend on the United
Nations. We should take pride
in b e i n g Americans,” the
speaker emphasized.
“We sometimes get so em
broiled in our own affairs that
we fail to look up and see what
is going on around us. W’e have
subsidies, where people think
they are getting something fpr
nothing. We have butter stock
piles that the government gives
away to foreign countries while
we at home eat oleo . . . today
you can’t fire a man—you hat e
to ‘reduce forces’. A few years
ago when you picked up a pro
duct in a store marked Made
in U.S.A.’ it meant something;
good quality. Today the manu
facturer can’t produce the
quality because of high labor
costs and as a result the foreign
market is producing finer pro
ducts, at less money.
“I’m not a prophet of doom—
I don’t feel we have ‘gone down
the drain’, but with country
after country going Communis
tic today, we have got to stop
waiting lor the other fellow
to take the first action, we’ve
got to get up a move on our
own,” he concluded.
FLOORED
The man who jumps at con
clusions is usually easily floor
ed under cross examination.
Exploding Healer
Causes *10,000 Fire
A fire, believed to have been
caused by an exploding heater,
: caused some $10,000 damage to
i the main barn on the Harlan
i Hamilton dairy farm south of
I town on February 6. Firemen
! were called at 4:45 p.m. and re
i sponded with two of the city’s
i fire trucks. The Butte Volun
| tee Fire Department was called
| for an assist and sent two
j trucks from their department.
Noel Woods, Palmer fire
chief, said this week the use of
the city’s big tank truck and
new fog nozzle actually saved
the barn. “Within minutes
after we hit the fire with the
: fog we were able to get the
. hand lines close to the fire,”
he said. This was the first time
the department had used this
new equipment since it’s pur
chase.
The fire damage is covered
by insurance, Chief Woods
said.
Part of the barn was saved
by fire fighters. Woods report
| ed the hay mow, roof and four
! to five tons of hay were des
j troyed, plus damage to the in
; terior of the barn. The milking
; parlor ar.d cooler room were
| saved and there was no damage
to the stock or other buildings,
: Woods reported.
Approximately 14,000 gallons
I of water were used on the fire.
The Butte trucks and fire
fighters were released at about
11 p.m., and the Palmer equip
I ment about midnight.
Woods said that during the
I first stages of the fire unauth
orized traffic caused consider
[ able delay in shuttling the fire
trucks back and forth. It was
! necessary for the trucks to re
turn to Palmer for water and
during the early stages of the
fire the trucks were from 10 to
15 minutes longer in making
the round trips than later in
the evening when there was no
heavy traffic moving or park
ed indiscriminately in the truck
route. “If we continue to have
this type of trouble with motor
ists, it will be necessary for me
to take men off fire fighting
detail and put them on traffic
control. Citations will be is
sued to violators,” he added.
Local Merchants
Give Project Support
The first concerted effort to
raise funds with which to es
tablish the Matanuska Valley
Museum has been taken on by
the Matanuska Valley Chamber
of Commerce and the Matnus
ka Valley Historical Society. A
public auction will be held in
Palmer on Saturday, February
24 at Moose hall.
"This will be a wonderful
opportunity for everyone in
the valley — merchants and
housewives—to help us es
tablish this tourist attrac
tion," said Barney Fish,
Chamber president.
It has been estimated that
approximately $3,000 will be
needed for the project. Howard
and Eva Campbell, owners of
the Frontier Cafe building,
have donated free space for the
museum in the Frontier build
ing, which is equivalent to $1,
000. Another $1,000 will be
sought from the State Tourism
, Department special fund for
! tourist attraction projects, and
1 the final $1,000, it is hoped will
! be raised through the day-long
I auction.
"This museum, located in
the center of the city, will
mean a tremendous increase
in our tourist traffic," Fish
pointed out. "We will have
something authentic and con
venient for our tourists to see
while they are visiting in the
area. This increase in tourist
traffic will be reflected thro
ughout the valley area by in
creased business," he added.
Merchants from the valley
! area a re responding to the auc
tion idea very well, it was re
ported. Harry Evans, manager
! of the Palmer Piggly-Wigglv
store, is serving as co-chairman
along with Fish. Merchants whe
j —..
SENIORS TO PRESENT
"GIDGET" ON FRIDAY
j An entertaining trip to sunny
California’s famous Malibu
beach is in the offering for
those attending the Senior class
play "Gidget", which will be
presented at 8 p.m. Friday.
February !) in Central gymnas
' ium.
i Seniors have been busy the
! past two weeks selling tickets
to the three-act comedy. Those
who have not yet purchased
I tickets may get them at the
| door, but curtain time is 8 p.m.,
so be there a little earlier, the
. Seniors ask.
The play is being directed by
Elizabeth Gaines, high school
English instructor. Student di
rector is Linda Cope and Lila
Hoskins is in charge of proper
ties. Ed Hanks and James
Burry are on the lights and
sound effects, the latter includ
es noises of the surf. Eel Wilkin
son is responsible for the de
signing and creation of inter
jesting props which include
1 everything for the beach scene
such as rocks, bamboo hut. and
palm trees. The costuming and
sets are quite different this
time, the directors said, and
the plot is quite unexpected.
The cast, which was reported
i last week, is composed of lti
| members of the Senior class.
| all who have been deep in re
I hearsals the past few weeks.
GRANGE MEN PLAN
PUBLIC BREAKFAST
Men of the Northland Pion
eer Grange will hold a public
breakfast at Grange hall on
Sunday, February 18, it ha.'
been announced. Jim Hurley
will be chairman of the event
Other committee members art
j Johan Johnson and Bill Hos
| kins. The men will prepare anc
i serve the breakfast and thi
| public is invited to attend.
are not contacted immediately
may contact either Evans or
Fish to make contributions.
Fish stated at the February 7
meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce that it is hoped that
all other merchants will follow
the generous gesture made by
the Campbells in supporting
the museum projects.
Campbell has also offered
the use of a pick-up truck to
collect merchandise and Bill
Hoskins has volunteered time
in helping collect the merchan
dise. All merchandise will be
new and come from the stores
of the participating merchants.
Plans for interior work in the
museum would be to line the
walls with birch slabs and the
lumber (if obtainable) from
the old post office building
which has been abandoned for
many years.
In addition to the museum,
the Chamber is planning other
tourist attractions for the val
ley area which will be an
nounced as soon as formulated.
Charity Bali
Proceeds Benefit
New Loan Fund
The public is invited to at
tend the Valentine Charity Ball
being sponsored Saturday night
by the Palmer chapters of Beta
Sigma Phi. The ball will be
held at Elks hall and The Over
tones will furnish dance music.
Proceeds from the ball will
start a Medical Aid Loan
Fund which the sorority is
setting up for the use of val
ley residents. Administration
of the fund will be carried
out unde* the supervision of
Priscilla Bacon, public healllv
nurse. Recognizing a local
need for such a fund, sorority
members have adopted the
idea as a project and it is
| hoped that the ball will real
ize sufficient funds with
which to start the program.
No interest rate will be
, charged on loans made, how
ever, it is hoped that in all cases
it will be possible for the bor
rower to repay the amount so
that funds will be available for
he next person needing a medi
cal aid assistance loan. The
fund will be made available on
an emergency basis, as deter
mined by the public health,
j nurse, it was announced thia
■ week by sorority members.
Women Voters Plan
Foreign Economic
Policy Discussion
The Palmer League of Wo
men Voters will meet at 8
p.m. February 12 at the home
of Myrtle Bang. Mrs. Max Cle
ments will lead the program on
Foreign Economic Policy, us
ing as a guide the League pub
lication, “Politics of Trade.” In
! eluded in the discussion will be
' a review of U. S. trade polic
ies. peril point clause, escape
j clause and President Kennedy's
proposed legislation for a mod
ified trade program.
DON'T MISS
THE BETA SIGMA PHI
VALENTINE
CHARITY BALL
Saturday, February 10
Elks Hall
BENEFIT MATANUSKA
VALLEY MEDICAL FUND
PUBLIC INVITED
Basketball Benefit Game
SAT., FEB. 10
CENTRAL GYM
PHS Varsity vs. Faculty
7:00 P.M. PREL GAME - JITS vs. ELMENOORF