Vol. 1, No. 55
Palmer, Alaska, April 7, 1948
Ten Cent*
ME A Rate Cut
Is Announced
At Meeting
Menbers of the Matanu s k i
Electric Association, Inc., th(
Valley’s electrical co-operative
last week learned that their co
op is in such good financial con
dition that the close of the fisca
year in 1947 revealed an operat
ing margin of $6,260.74. As <
result of this very healthy finan
cial condition, a rate reductior
in power was announced, to be
come effective on April 20.
New rate schedules, as an
nounced by W. C. Mau, managei
of MEA, were quoted as fol
lows:
Farm and Home
First 50 kwh at.10c
Next 50 kwh at .8c
Next 100 kwh at .6c
Over 200 kwh at .3c
The announced rate makes nc
change in the first three classi
fications, but cuts the rate per
kwh by .5c for users in the
fourth category. The old rate
schedule assessed 3.5c per kwh
for all power used over 300 kwh.
Commercial and Industrial
First 50 kwh at .10c
Next 50 kwh at .8c
Next 250 kwh at .6c
Next 1250 kwh at .4c
Next 1400 kwh at .3.5c
Over 3000 kwh at .3c
Rates in this classification will
make a material reduction in
power charges for those busi
nesses and industries which are
heavy power users.
(Continued on back page)
Many Growers
Approve By-Laws
For Vegetable Men
Nearly every vegetable grow
er in the Valley was represented
at last week’s meeting of the in
dependent growers, when
articles, of incorporation were
approved by the group. The
articles, drawn up by a commit
tee of seven, were approved by a
39 to 9 vote.
The articles of incorporation
will be submitted to review by
a legal adviser before they are
finally adopted by the organiza
tion.
A seven-man board of direc
tors, two of whom will serve for
three years, two for two years,
and three for one year, was elect
ed. Directors of the vegetable
growers include:
Mads Johannsen, F. A. Blom,
Lucius Ross, A1 Brooks, Irving
Newville, Glen Woods and Ray
Rebarchek.
■*" Officers were then elected by
the directors. Mr. Woods will
head the organization, Mr. Johan
nsen will be vice-president and
Mr. Brooks is to be secretary
treasurer.
The board held several meet
ings last week, completing plans
for final organization before the
next membership meeting, when
it is hoped the group will be
ready for the consideration of
marketing contracts.
There was a total of 33 mem
bers registered in the organiza
tion at the conclusion of last
week’s meeting. Many others are
expected to be added within the
’ - next few weeks, according to
Mr. Woods.
Shades of departing winter! This is just to remind Valley readers what winter can be like in
some Alaskan spots. This particular spot is a homestead site located in a far-away valley lying
between Mt. Susilna and Mt. Beluga. It spells home to its prospector-trapper owner, and it comes
complete with lake and island. There's a second home on the island, to which the homesteader
moves, when his 18-mile-distant neighbors at Skwentna begin to remind him that civilization
is only a short air flight away. Planes which use the ice of the lake in winter for a landing field
and its waters in summer are the homesteader's only supply line. (Photo by Cote.)
Valley Millsites
To Be Located
By Chamber Board
The board of directors of the
Valley Chamber of Commerce
met briefly in special session last
Friday afternoon to plan an itin
erary for two representatives of
the Talkeetna Birch company,
who will be in the Valley on
Wednesday. The men seek a mill
site for their company, which
will be conducting logging op
erations near Montana.
The Chamber board plans to
select several possible sites,
which must be located near a
fresh water stream or lake, to
show the visitors, in the hope
that they may be induced to lo
cate their plant here. Clyde King,
M. D. Snodgrass and W. C. Mau
were named a committee of three
to seek desirable sites.
The company’s representatives
will address the luncheon meet
ing of the Chamber of Commerce
and then will be conducted on a
j tour of the Valley.
In other business completed
Friday the Chamber board voted
to write a letter endorsing he
present plan for administration
of the territory’s experim e n t
station under the Agricultural
Research Administration, and to
accept theresignation of A1 Ha
gen as recording secretary.
No action was taken to fill the
position left vacant b y Mr.
Hagen’s resignation.
MRS. WITT DELAYED
Mrs. Mary Witt of the Valley
Cleaners, who spent the past win
ter Outside, this week wrote
friends that she will be delayed
in her return until early in May.
Mrs. Witt originally had planned
to be back in February, but ill
ness prevented her return at that
time.
C of C Meets Wednesday
The next regular meeting of
the Valley Chamber of Com
merce will be held at noon
Wednesday, Chamber president
Jack Maze announced today.
A representative of Talkeetna
Birch will be the day’s guest
speaker.
FWS Men To Attend
Sportsmen's Meeting
The April meeting of the Mata
nuska Valley Sportsmen, which
will be held on Wednesday, April
7 in the Grange Hall, will feature
Holger Larsen of the Anchorage
office of the Fish and Wild Life
Service as guest. It is possible
Mr. Larsen will be accompanied
by Jack O’Connor, FWS head in
Alaska.
Mr. Larsen plans to show
movies for the first part of the
evening’s program, and then will
address the Sportsmen on con
servation. All interested Valley
residents are invited to attend.
The Sportsmen’s business
meeting begins at 8 o’clock with
the evening’s program to follow
as soon as business is concluded.
INTERRED SATURDAY
Ivan Johnson, who shot him
self to death last March 18, was
interred in the Palmer cemetery
last Saturday afternoon.
Seeks Medical Treatment
Herbert Ising, senior student
of Palmer high school, was ex
pected to fly Outside for med
ical treatment this week. Her
bert has been ill for most of the
winter.
Legion Meets Thursday
Members of the American Le
gion are reminded by Command
er Jack Maze that last week’s
postponed meeting is scheduled
for Thursday evening. The meet-!
ing will come to order at 8 [
o’clock in the Koslosky Bldg.
LUNCHES, BINGO WILL !
BALANCE HEALTH BUDGET
There are just two things nec
essary to make next Saturday’s
Bingo and box social, sponsored
by the Valley Health Council
and to be held at the Palmer
school gymuasium, a complete
success, according to Council
president, Mrs. Clyde King.
“Every lady who comes is go
ing to have to provide a well
filled lunch box, and the man
who comes with her is going to
have to bring a cash-equipped
pocketbook,” she declared. “If
we have those two things, the
evening can’t help but be a suc
cess.”
Final plans for the evening
were announced at last Thurs
day’s special meeting of the
Council. Bingo will begin at 8
o’clock and will continue for an
hour and a half or two hours,
depending on the appetites of
the Bingo players.
The committee in charge of
the Bingo games includes Tom
Lepak, James Gray, Jr., Mrs.
Matt Perkins and Mrs. Lois
Winegarner.
As soon as Bingo players reach
the point where they’d rather eat
than play, the auctioning of the
lunch boxes will begin. Bill
Bouwens, Francis Henry, Mrs.
Clayton Esslinger, Miss Bonnie
Moore and Mrs. Harold Thuma
will be in charge of this part of
the evening.
Auctioneers will b e Bernie
Bouwens and Henry Bauer, with
Mrs. F. R. Sims assisting them
in their duties by taking charge
of all cash collected.
As a special attraction for this
part of the evening, a box of
groceries, which will be the con
tribution of the Masonic and
Eastern Star clubs, will be auc
tioned.
The evening will conclude as
lunch provider and lunch pur
chaser sample the contents of
the boxes. A coffee booth, under
the management of Mrs. Victor
Johnson and Mrs. Lloyd King,
will dispense the coffee to ac
company the lunches.
Questioned about what the
contents of the lunch boxes
should be, Mrs. King said they
ought to provide an adequate
snack for a hearty appetite.:
“Fried chicken is always nice,” :
she commented. Sandwic hes,
some type of salad, a lunch-box
special such as chicken or some
(Continued on Back Page)
Hospital May
Tap Territory,
Federal Funds
The Valley’s fight to build a
hospital may be backed by both
territorial and Federal funds,
members of the hospital board
earned last week. Miss Gertrude
Wetzel, territorial director of
hospitals, told the board that
kinds were available from both
sources and recommended that
oplication be made to secure
them at once.
The Federal fund at present
amounts to a little more than
; 40.000 annually. That amount
is at present available, and will
- doubled by a second appro
P iation on July 1. The Valley
may make application for any
portion or all of that amount,
once certain stipulations are ful
filled.
Miss Wetzel explained that
it was a matching fund, with
the Federal government fur
nishing one dollar to every
two put up by the Valley. The
Valley Hospital Association
must have one-third of its
share in cash, before making
application.
The territorial fund, which re
presents an appropriation of
$165,000 made at the last legis
lature, is an outright gift, she
said. It may be used for match
ing Federal funds. She urged
that application for this money
be made immediately.
I
BULLETIN
The board of direclors of fhe
Valley Hospital Association
announced last Friday that
the new building will be con
structed on a site located at
the northwest corner of the
Alaska Rural Rehabilitation
Corporation's subdi vision.
Two acres of ground have been
granted by the ARRC for this
purpose.
The proposed site is located
in the area just beyond the
newly-constructed Valley
Chapel of the Church of God.
It is within 190 feet of water
and sewer lines.
It was explained that the
board abandoned plans for a
location south of the fair
grounds, when it was found
that area lies in the path of the
Palmer airport.
The territorial hospital direc
tor appeared at the final plan
ning meeting of hospital board
and solicitors held last Friday
in preparation for Hospital Day,
when all-out solicitation for bond
purchases began.
The group fixed Monday,
April 5, as Hospital Day and
voted that the drive should
continue for one month.
Twenty solicitors were given
prepared lists of names of Val
ley residents and recei v e d
their final instructions in pre
paration for bond solicitation.
The twenty, to be known as
captains, may appoint assist
ants.
Bonds will be sold, either on
a cash basis, or under a pledge
plan. Remittances under the
pledge plan will be made at the
Matanuska Valley Bank. No fee
will be charged for handling
costs, and no interest will be as
sessed.
At the time of last week's
(Continued on back page)