MATANUSKA MINSTRELS of 1954
Two Day Showings Only
April 9 and 10
PALMER SCHOOL GYM
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The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 7. NUMBER 27
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1954
PRICE TEN CENTS
56 CANDIDATES SEEK
TERRITORIAL OFFICE
IN APRIL PRIMARY
Sample ballots for the primary
-election to be held in the Third
Division April 27 indicate that
33 Democrat, 21 Republican and
two Independent are seeking of
fice. Of these, 15 will be selected
by the voters for the fall election
ballot.
Seeking the Delegate to Con
gress position on the ballot are
E. L. Bartlett, (D) incumbent,
Neil F. Moore (D), Ray Beach (R),
Barbara Dimock (R), and Albert
White, (I). Two Republicans and
one Democrat will vie for the
Territorial Commissioner of Lab
or post; three Democrats and two
Republicans are seeking the posi
tion of Treasurer of Alaska. For
Territorial Senate there are four
Democrats, two Republicans and
one Independent seeking election.
The greatest amount is for the
Territorial House of Representa
tives where 23 Democrats and 13
Republicans are vieing for the
ten positions.
Of these are five persons from
the Valley. Ger-rit (Heinie) Snider
(R) is seeking re-election to the
Senate. Leonard Kygar and Dr.
Lee McKinley, both Democrats,
are running for tue office.
Betty Mears (D), and M. D.
Snodgrass (R) are seeking elec
tion to the House of Represen
tatives. Mr. Snodgrass seeks re
election. Primary election date
is April 27.
$28,000 LOSS IN
EARLY-MORNING FIRE
Fire, believed caused by a gas
refrigerator, completely destroyed
the Glenn Highway home of Mr.
and Mrs. Allan Richie early in
the morning of March 23, with an
approximate loss of $28,000.
The Richies had just returned
to their home from Palmer where
they participated in shooting mat
ches when they smelled smoke.
Investigating, Mr. Richie located
the fire in the basement of their
home. Sending his wife for help,
1 e attempted to remove some of
their valuables but was success
ful in getting only a few things
before the rapidly spreading fire
prevented his re-entering the
building. Their losses include
plumbing, carpentry, and elec
tricians tools, plus several hun
dred dollars worth of shell load
ing materials — nearly all their
clothing and personal belongings.
The loss was partly covered by
insurance. For the present the
Richies are staying with friends,
Mr. and Mrs. Eino Kuoppola at
Eska but plan to rebuild as soon
as possible.
ANCHORAGE FAVORS
SCHOOL BOARD ASS N
The Anchorage school board has
gone on record in support of a
proposal from the Palmer School
Board that an association of Al
aska school boards be formed to
handle mutual problems.
DEMOCRATS PLAN
MARCH 29 MEETING
There will be a meeting for all
Valley Democrats Monday eve
ning, March 29 at the Co-Op club
room, beginning at 8 p.m. All
Democrats are invited to attend.
Mrs. M. D. Snodgrass
Nominated for
Alaska Mather of ’54
For the second year, Mrs. M.
D. Snodgrass is among outstand
ing Alaskan women who have
been nominated for the title of
Alaskan Mother of the year.
Athough Mrs. Snodgrass is now
79 years old, she takes an active
part in all community affairs.
Mrs. Snodgrass came to Alaska
with Mr. Snodgrass in 1907 when
they made their home at Kodiak,
where Mr. Snodgrass was work
ing with the department of agri
culture. Following 30 years work
in this field Mr. Snodgrass retir
ed and became active in the real
estate business, and is serving his
second term in the Alaska Legis
lature and is now seeking re-el
ection to that office.
In addition to raising a family
of five children, Mrs. Snodgrass
also raised an orphaned boy and
took care of four grandchildren
while their, mother was ill sev
eral years.
Her local affiliations have in
cluded lecturer, chaplain and sec
retary of the Northland Pioneer
Grange, worthy matron of the
Palmer chapter, Order of East
ern Star; director of Theta Ct'ap
.ter, Beta Sigma PhT; a member of
the Women’s Republican Club, the
Ladies Aid of the United Protes
tant Church, and is president of
the Sourdough Homemakers club.
Her children are: J. Roland
Snodgrass, Valley dairy farmer
and at present in the States with
his family where he is furthering
his education; Lt. Col. William
D. Snodgrass, U. S. Air Force vet
erinarian; Mrs. Agnes Reed, Mrs.
Margaret E. McCartney, and Mrs.
Mary Hale, all of Palmer
CO-OP TO STOP
HOME DELIVERY
OF MILK APRIL 1
Beginning the first of April,
home delivery of milk and other
creamery products will be stopped
by the Matanuska Valley Farm
ers Cooperating Association, Fred
Zieke, general manager announc
ed this week.
Following a discussion at a re
cent board of directors meeting,
it was felt that the expense of
operating the milk route was not
well enough compensated to make
continued service available, he
said. There just isn’t enough
house delivery to stand the ex
pense, he added.
Customers are reminded that
all Matanuska Maid products may
be obtained at all grocery stores
in the Valley.
MAX SHERROD NAMED
TO TERR. LOAN BOARD
Max Sherrod of Palmer was re
cently appointed to the Alaska
Agriculture Loan Board by Gov
ernor B. Frank Heintzleman as
a replacement for Robert Webb
of Palmer who reigned his posi
tion earlier this year.
The board is composed of five
men, two each from Fairbanks and
Palmer and one from Kenai area.
They are Paul Griemann and
Bert Stimple, of Fairbanks, Rich
ard Jones and Sherrod of Pal
mer, and Archie McClane of Kas
ilof.
LOCAL TALENT TO BE
FEATURED IN 1954
MINSTREL SHOW
The fifth annual Minstrel Show
to be presented by the Palmer
Kiwanis club on April 9 and 10,
will offer something new in min
strel entertainment, committee
members announced this week.
Among outstanding entertain
ers to be presented will be Mel
Munson recognized as one of this
area’s foremost ballad singers.
Also, by popular request, favorites
such as Paul Martin, Dana, Rob
in, and Terry Niemann, Lois
Thompson, Annabell Kelleigh,
George Small, Sweeney Ross,
Norman Rousey, Cy and Marjorie
Brewer, Gerry Pazaruski, and the
laugh-provoking end men, Harold
Stephan, Jim Hurley, Small, and
Keith Stanton.
An addition to this year’ show
will be a six-piece orchestra fea
turing Leo Getsgo, trumpet; De
lores Foster, saxaphone; Allan
Mick, bass viol; Gerry Pazaruski,
violin, Bill Barry, drums, and
Delores Mattila piano. The orches
tra will accompany acts and num
bers during the show.
Rounding out the show will be
an outstanding sixteen-voice mix
ed chorus under the direction of
Miss Thompson. Beautiful COfe
tumes and stage settings have
been arranged.
The minstrel will include over
40 entertainers and 20 acts and
is scheduled for a two-hour pre
sentation, beginning at 8 p.m.
each night.
A limited amount of reserved
seats are available from Kiwanis
members, general admission may
be obtained at the door if seat
ing is available. Those planning
to attend are urged to purchase
their tickets before the perform
ance night, if possible, to be as
sured of seating.
Sportsmanship Trophy
Awarded Palmar
Basketball Players
Members of the Palmer High
School basketball team were
awarded the all - tournament
sportsmanship trophy, following
their participation in the Western
Alaska Tournament in Fairbanks
earlier this month. The trophy
was described as the most valua
ble award of the tournament and
came to Palmer for the second
time. The first award was made
four years ago.
In addition to the team trophy,
Jerry Hemmer and Don Ingalls
were named to the all-star team.
The trophies are on display at the
school.
INFORMATIVE BUILDING
MEETING MARCH 29
All persons interested in build
ing or those planning to build are
invited to attend a discussion
meeting to be held at Grange
Hall, Monday evening, March 29,
beginning at 8 p.m.
The informative program will
be led by C. Ivan Branton and Cy
Fahnestock, agricultural engin
eers with the Agriculture Experi
ment Station. The building ex
perts will discuss various phases
of Alaska building and will illus
trate their talks with slides.
COUNCIL NOTES
In a letter read to members of
the City Council March 23, it
was disclosed that the City Plan
ning Commission does not recom
mend the purchase, by the City,
of the American Legion building
in Palmer. The building consists
fundimentally of office space, the
letter stated, and at the present
time the city is in need of garage
space. Suggestions offered by the
ing of a fire hall, sufficient in size
commission included the build
to house other city owned equip
ment. The city owned tract was
suggested as a building site.
• • •
Other commuicatlons to the
council included a letter from the
U. S. Treasury Department re
questing that the City of Palmer
adopt an ordinance prohibiting
the use of or adiction to narcotic
drugs, except when administered
by an authorized person.
* * *
A letter from the Pacific Water
Works Supply regarding the two
and three-inch water meters the
City desires to return for credit.
The letter explained the freight
costs and stated if the City of
Pjilmer would pay shipping costs
of $22 apiece, $132.78 will be al
lowed on the two-inch meters re
turned. An original offer had
been much less. Council members
voted to accept the offer.
* * *
Insurance coverage of $5,000 on
telephone equipment in the tele
phone office, including the new
switchboard was approved by
council members. The insurance
would provide coverage for fire
and extended coverage, vandalism
and malicious mischief.
* * *
A1 Dickow and Dave Kepler,
members of the Matanuska Air
mens Association, appeared be
fore City Council requesting as
sistance in their problem of main
taining the Palmer Airport. Dick
ow pointed out to council mem
bers that according to Territorial
law, the Territory will not pay
costs of maintenance for airports
located near a city of 600 persons
or over. Dickow pointed out that
the Airmens Association was
formed by a group of persons in
terested in flying. “We have done
all we can for maintenance—it
is now getting beyond our means”,
he added. The airport is a good
thing, he pointed out, and should
be taken care of.
He went on to tell councilmen
that when the DC-3’s came in
here it was necessary to have the
snow removed before they could
land. Grading is needed—the east
end of the east runway is wash
ing out—there is another bad
spot at the west end of the east
runway. The largest expense the
airport has experienced for main
tenance in three years was last
spring when during the break-up
a drain was plugged. This work
cost some $300, he reported.
Members of the city council
were in sympathy with the men
but pointed out that they have
no funds with which to offer help.
However as an assiting measure,
council members voted to loan
the association the old-city-owned
grader, not being used by the city,
(Continued on page 8)
$100 Cash Award
Among Prizes at
MEA Annual Meet
Matanuska Electric Association
members who carry three proxy
votes to the annual membership
meeting to be held Saturday,
April 3, will be in line for a $100
cash award to be given away. The
prize is being offered by the Oes
ser Company of Bellingham,
Washington. Those members who
carry three proxy votes will be
given a red ticket when they en
ter the Palmer School gymnasi
um. Only those carrying three
proxy votes will be eligible for
this prize.
Other valuable prizes will be
offered to the general attendance,
including two General Electric
steam irons, donated by the Line
Material Company and by Em
ployer’s Mutual; Westinghouse
Cook-and-Fry, donated by the
Westinghouse Company; a six
inch Thor bench grinder, donated
by Yukon Equipment Company; a
Cory electric knife sharpener
from Rural Transformer and
Equipment, as well as numerous
other prizes which are still en
route.
All members are urged to make
plans to attend the annual meet
ing. Important proposals to be
voted upon include the establish
ment of a debt limit, necessary
to conform with Territorial law;
elect new directors and increase
the present five-man board to a
seven-man board. To pass, these
proposals will require a majority
vote in favor of the proposals.
Local Post Office
Adds 200 Boxes
The local post office took on
a new look this past week-end
when Joe Loyer, local carpenter
and his assistants, made exten
sive alterations.
“We now have 200 additional
mail boxes, as well as three ad
ditional business boxes, for the
people of the Valley”, Postmis
tress Beatrice Huntley said this
week. Mrs. Huntley said she re
ceived word this month that al
teration work could be done. As
soon as Loyer, who was success
ful bidder on the work, returned j
from a Stateside trip work was 1
started. It was completed Monday
morning.
An interesting aspect in the al
teration work came when Glen
Schroeder who was assisting Loy
er with the work, discovered one
section of mail boxes received
from Portland, Michigan, was the
same section he had helped install
in that post office many years
ago.
Other sections came from Jer
ome, Arizona, San Francisco, Cul
ver City, Calif., West Fargo, No.
Dakota, and Carlisle and Girard
ville, Pa. In making changes such
as these, Mrs. Huntley pointed
out, it is necessary to find sec
tions that are of the same size
being used in the post office mak
ing the alterations. What makes
it even more difficult is that the
box must not carry numerals
that are already in use by that
post office.
In addition to the 200 lock
boxes, a regular parcel post win
dow has been installed.
PALMER MEN ATTEND
ALL-ALASKA G OF G
MEET AT McKINLEY
I
Raymond Davis, special assis
tant to Secretary Douglas McKay,
will discuss Alaska problems at
the All-Alaska Chamber of Com
merce convention which began
today at Mt. McKinley National
Park.
Among those attending from
Palmer are: Richard Jones, presi
dent of the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce; James
Wilson, commissioner of agricul
ture who will discuss agriculture
problems; Dr. Allan Mick, Exten
sion Service director, and Hugh
Johnson, economist with the
Agriculture Experiment Station.
There will be 15 guest speakers
during the three-day convention,
John Croul of the Anchorage
Chamber announced this week.
Members from chambers located
throughout the territory and other
interested persons are attending
the meeting, which will conclude
with a dinner-dance Saturday
evening.
DELEGATES HEAR
MANY SPEAKERS
Senator Gerrit, (Heinie) Snider
welcomed visiting Republicans in
his opening speech March 19 at
at the convention held in Pal
mer and reminded fellow party
members, “That our government
is made up of individual people
like you and me”, and told them
the present high-level of individ
ual and national freedom can only
)e maintained under the present
administration by working har
moniously for the common cause.
“From this convention we will
carry our message to the home,
for it is in the American home
that is lodged the strength and
and responsibility of our govern
ment”.
Along the same line of har
mony-stress, Robert Reeve spoke
at the noon luncheon on Satur
day, pointing out that, “in a mas
sively populated area one group’s
opinions and personal controver
sies and animosities are easily dis
solved, forgotten, or evaded in
the humdrum of existence.”
“We are not that fortunate,”
he went on. “We are small close
ly knit communities and the same
people that we see today we are
going to see the rest of our lives.
Let’s learn to get along with each
other.”
J. C. Morris of Anchorage, told
(Continued on page 8)
ASK REMOVAL
OF ARC HEAD
Fourth Division Republican
club members last week asked the
removal of A. F. Ghiglione as
head of the Alaska Road Commis
sion in a petition to Secretary of
Interior McKay. The petition
charged Ghiglione was a "one
man dictator in his policies” and
accused him of overloading pay
rolls and inefficient administra
tion.
In answer to the petition, Ghig
lione said irate truckers in the
far-north area probably are be
hind the move requesting his re
moval. The Juneau Chamber! of
Commerce has voted to support
Ghiglione in the dispute.
RliRSKH’S mUORTTE GRIDE EVERG IRES.
PALMER ELKS LODGE HOME EVERYBODY WELCOME PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES