Vol. 1, No. 18
Palmer, Alaska, November 15, 1947
Ten Cents
P-TA To Bring Stage Show to Palmer Dec* U
Six Men Plan
To Carry On
As Firemen
Although only six men attend
ed Tuesday’s scheduled open
meeting of the Valley Firemen’s
Association, members of the
group did contribute worth-while
suggestions that will be followed
by action later this week.
Since only one member of the
board of directors was present
(one was in the hospital and an
other at a Chamber of Commerce
committee meeting), the group
was never formally called to or
der.
Ai Hagen, Association chair- !
man, reported that warm stor- \
age quarters for fire equipment I
could be rented in King's gar- ,
age at a reduced rate. Mr. Ha- j
gen said the pumper unit now
stored outside on Railroad 1
property is to be moved to
the garage at once. He suggest- ,
ed that further equipment
might be purchased and stored
at the garage until a fire sta
tion can be constructed.
Types of available equipment
weje discussed and employes of
the Alaskan Fire Control sug
gested that loan of a pick-up
mounted fire-fighting unit might
be secured through the Bureau
of Land Management in Anchor
age. These units were used in
fire control work during the past
summer but are not in use at
present.
Mr. Hagen was to confer with
Lowell M. Puckett, district man
ager of the Bureau of Land Man
agement in Anchorage later in
the week.
Although general lack of in- 1
teles! in the Fire Association
work was deplored, members
of the group at Tuesday's meet
ing voted to begin active drill
immediately. The six men
present Tuesday, plus any
other interested Valley resi
dents, will meet at the Rail
road station at 1 o'clock Sun
day afternoon to learn the
operation of the pumper unit.
Following the drill, the unit
will be transferred to its win
ter quarters in the King gar
age.
The present signal system of
fire alarms also was discussed. It
was decided that it is imperative
to have some type of electrically
operated siren at the telephone
switchboard for a more efficient
alarm system. One member of
fered to loan a small engine for
operation of a siren. Two of the
group volunteered to connect the
unit to a department-owned hand
siren.
More complete information
concerning location of fires
through the signals was re
quested. No one present at
th«t meeting knew the signal
system. It was requested that
signals and corresponding fire
locations be printed in an early
issue of the Valley Frontiers
man so that they might be
memorized by Palmer resi
dents.
Th^ complete list of signals
.vill be reprinted in the next issue
•>f the Frontiersman.
Prize Bait Gets
Two Nibbles I
A pair of 15-year-olds, Leola
De Land and Jo Anne Drag
seth, were sole entrants in the
Valley Frontiersman subscrip
tion contest at an early hour
Thursday morning. Contest
ants have until 9 o'clock Fri
day night to register. Contest
prizes are $25 in cash to the
winner and $15 to the runner
up.
C of C Plans
Census Count
The Chamber of Commerce
planning committee, appointed
to study methods of incorpora
tion, met last Tuesday evening to
outline the next steps of the in
vestigation.
It was decided that a census of
Palmer residents was essential,
before proceeding further. Types
of incorporation possible vary
with the number of residents in
the area. In the near future, the
committee plans to distribute
mimeog raphed questionnaire
cards to residents, in order that
pertinent population figures may
be assembled.
The group also discussed the
need for authentic maps of the
area. Up to date aerial maps are
needed, but it is not known if any
are available.
Want to Buy—To Sell?
Come to Wasilla Next Week
WASILLA — Shoe pacs for
Junior, early American hobnail
glass, winter woolies, antique
plate and pewter, souvenirs from
India and Italy, or just the com
mon everyday necessities of a
comfortable kitchen existence—
they’Jl all be on sale at the rum
mage sale sponsored next week
by the Auxiliary of Susitna Post
9365, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
of Wasilla.
The VFW ladies, who are an
infant organization, have dis
covered several projects in Wa
silla worthy of their sponsor
ship, but the club treasury is em
barrassingly lean. Here’s the way
that ladies intend to replenish it:
For an entire week, beginning
Nov. 17 and extending through
Nov. 24, the VFW Auxiliary will
sponsor a rummage sale at the
Wasilla Roadhouse (next door to
Teeland’s store). During that
week, they will both buy and
sell.
They ask that Valley residents
bring them anything that can be
declared excess in their house
hold. The ladies will include the
item on the rummage sale bar
gain lists, charging 20 percent
commision for handling.
Friday’s Games
There will be two basket
ball games in Palmer gym
nasium Friday evening, coach
L. K. Gibson reminded sports
fans today. The preliminary
event starts at 7 o'clock, and
the featured game between
Palmer high school and the
Army MRU five at about 8:15.
9
‘You’re in the Army Now . . .
Here's another picture of Kermit King during his tour of Port
Richardson prior to his leaving for a week's vacation at Mt.
McKinley park as the house guest of Mr. and Mrs. Ted
Mommsen. Kermit is seen in the above picture as he was
finishing his meal in the 65th Fighter Squadron. 57th Fighter
Kermit's escort on his tour of the army installation. (Official
Air Force Photo).
School Funds
Will Stretch
To Term’s End
The current report circulating
in the Valley which alleges that
Palmer school soon must close
its doors because of a shortage
of funds is false. Superintendent
Carl Snelling of the Palmer
school emphatically denied the
report.
“There is absolutely no truth
to the current rumor that the
school is about to close due to
lack of funds,” Mr. Snelling said,
in answer to a question regard
ing the school’s financial condi
tion. “School allotments have
been coming in on schedule to
meet the current operational ex
penses of the school.”
The superintendent stated that
there was every reason to be
lieve that sufficient funds would
be available to carry the school
program throughout the year in
a normal manner. He added that;
superintendents have been cau
tioned to cut existing purchases
to the bone so that the limited
funds available can be used to
their fullest extent.
“School officials are concern-1
ed but hopeful,” the superinten
dent concluded. “However, they
believe that the present emer
gency will straighten itself out I
and some definite relief will be
forthcoming.”
ARRC Announces
Time Changes
A change in office hours for
the staff of the Alaska Rural
Rehabilitation Corp., was an
nounced this week by C. W.
Peters, general manager. Begin
ning next Monday, the office
will open at 8:30 a.m. and will
remain open until 12:30 p.m.
The office will be closed for
the half hour between 12:30 and
1 p.m. Office doors will be locked
for the day at 5 o’clock.
The change in hours also
brings into effect a five-day j
week, for after today ARRC of
fices will no longer be open on
Saturday. 1
Ray To Head
Chest Drive
Les Ray, manager of the Trading
Post, has been named to head
the Valley’s Community Chest
drive, it was announced this
week by W. C. Mau, president
of the Chahmber of Commerce.
The Chamber recently voted to
sponsor the drive here.
Mr. Ray said yesterday that he
had chosen a portion of his com
mittee and expects to name the
lemaining members within the
next day or two. The first plan
ning meeting of the Community
Chest committee is expected to
take place early next week.
Since this is the Valley’s first
attempt at a Community Chest
drive, Mr. Ray said detailed
planning was necessary before
an announcement could be made
of drive goals.
Campaign dates for the drive
also are un-announced as yet.
AID DINNER
Valley residents are reminded
of the turkey dinner and annual
bazaar to be held in the parlors
of the United Protestant church
Saturday evening. Dinner will be
served at 5 o’clock. The event is
sponsored by the Ladies Aid. •
Movie, Show
To Be Staged
For Benefit
A combination live talent en
tertainment and first-run fea
ture movie is coming to the
Valley Theatre on Dec. 4, under
the sponsor-ship of the local Par
ent-Teacher’s Association. The
show, which includes the movie
“Black Beauty’’ and two comed
ies as well as musical and stage
entertainment hy artists from
the Aleutian Conservatory of
Music, is scheduled for four ap
pearances that day.
The talent portion of the en
tertainment is to be produced
under the direction of William
Lofflin of the Aleutian Conserva
tory. It includes musical and
dance numbers by professional
performers. Mr. Lofflin will an
nounce his complete program
within the next few days.
Shows are scheduled for 11:30
a.m., 2 p.m. 4:15 p.m. (movies
only) and 8 p.m. The morning
show is reserved for children,
but adults may attend, if they
wish. Both afternoon and eve
ning performances will be for
adults only. Because of other
commitments the stage perform
| ers will not be able to appear at
the evening show. They will be
present for the morning and one
afternoon performance. Adults
coming at any time between
j 2—3:30 p. m. will still see a com
plete show.
Tickets, which will cost $1
apiece, will be sold in advance
by members of the P-TA.
The planned entertainment
will be the P-TA’s fund-raising
project for this term. Money
from the show will be used to
match territorial funds which
will go toward the purchase of
needed school equipment.
Each year a fund is set aside
in the territorial treasury for
school use, if a similar fund is
raised within the community.
The money may be used for pur
chases of school equipment
which normally do not fall with
in the school budget. The Valley
P-TA this year has undertaken
the obligation of matching Palm
er’s fund, so that the money will
not be lost to the school.
4-H Club Work Lags,
Extension Head Finds
Work on the 4-H clubs is lag
ging throughout Alaska. It has
been especially weak since the
end of the war, noticeably so
in the Matanuska Valley, ac
cording to Lorin T. Oldroyd, di
rector of extension work for Al
aska. Mr. Oldroyd was in Palmer
last weekend to attend the
Achievement Day held for Val
ley 4-H club members at Wa
silla.
Mr. Oldroyd said the work
had fallen off greatly during
the war. Before war began
there were 800 club members
in Alaska. This year's regis
tration figure reached only
400.
Two factors are causing the
slump, the extension director
feels. First is the high wages
paid to Alaska’s young people
during the war. The youth of the
territory left club work to take
jobs, and now are reluctant to
give up those jobs. The second
factor which leads to lack of in
terest in club work is an extreme
shortage of club leaders, and a
resultant lack of publicity for
club work.
However, Mr. Oldroyd was
optimistic for the success of club
work in the future. More work
ers are being recruited, he said,
and he feels these added workers
(Continued on Page Five)