The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 47
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY. AUGUST 13, 1953
PRICE TEN CENTS
CO-OP REBUILDING AFTER $100,000 FIRE
HUNTERS INVITED TO
AUGUST 20 MEAT
CUTTING LESSONS
Do you know the correct way
to cut-up a moose, caribou or
beef?
Do you know the correct pro
cedure as to the care of the ani
mal after it is shot?
These questions will be ans
wered by I. M. C. Anderson, as
he presents a meat cutting dem
onstration Thursday evening,
August 20 at 8 p.m. in Grange
Hall.
Mr. Anderson, area supervisor
of the Farmers’ Home Adminis
tration, is well qualified to give
this demonstration, members of
the Extension Service announced.
He was asked, they said because
of the demand of members of the
Homemakers clubs to know the
proper procedure in caring for.
game.
The evening meeting was pur
posely arranged so that the entire
famiy can attend. The demon
stration is free. Helpful literature
on the subject will be distributed.
Everyone is invited and asked to
pass word along to their neigh
bors.
New Students Must
Register for School
All children in grades one
through eight who will be at
tending Palmer school this year
are to register August 19, 20,
21. This includes children who
■were enrolled last year, and all
mew children, William Zahrad
nicek, school superintendent.
This is necessary, he said so that
information may be had for the
best possible assignment of pupils
to either the present school or
the Swanson '•chool.
The Swanson school in North
Palmer, which will house one
grade each of grades one through
six, will be completed sometime
in September. Until the formal
opening of the school, all chil
dren will attend present facilities.
First Grade Pupils
All pupils enrolling in grade
one for the first time must pre
sent a birth certificate or other
official record for age verification.
No child may be accepted in
grade one under the Territorial
law, which child is not six years
old before November 1, 1953.
High School Students
Students in grades nine thro
ugh 12 will register and make
out a program of studies on Sep
tember 1 and 2.
Reminder
Students who do not register
on dates assigned or register be
fore the opening day of school
Tuesday September 8, will not be
accepted for registration until
Wednesday, September 9.
CITY EMPLOYEES GET
VACATION; SICK LEAVE
Employees of the City of Pal
mer were notified this week that
they may now be eligible for
paid vacations and sick leave.
Members of the city council
voted in favor of the proposal fol
lowing a discussion at the regu
lar meeting held August 11.
Following six months continu
ous service for the city, employ
ees will be eligible for one day
per month vacation, not to exceed
an accumilation of 12 working
days and one day per month sick
leave, not to exceed 30 days ac
cumilation.
This new plan will go into im
mediate effect and for individual
employees will be effective from
their date of employment.
The above pictures were taken d uring the early morning blaze that destroyed the M.V.F.C.A.
Power House on August 9.
Telephone Office to
Move; Also Fire
Department and Jail
Members of the city council
Tuesday night accepted the bid
of Lloyd Severns for 512 square I
feet of pace in the Severns build
ing and this week started moving |
telephone equipment to the new
location. The space is located on
the main floor of the building,
with heat, clothes closet, private
toilet and lavatory facilities,
water and storage space provid
ed. Rent will be $115 per month.
A lease will be drawn this week
by City Attorney K»- ■ J|d Rptcher,
Other bids receiveu \Jfre from
Alfred V. Hagen. Although found
desirable in many points, by
council members, the bids were
rejected for a lack of some re
quirements, including immediate
occupancy.
During the meeting, Mayor Ha
gen read a letter addressed to
the council informing members
that all space in the Valley Thea
tre building occupied by the city
must be vacated by September
1, 1953. This includes the fire de
partment, city jail, telephone of-'
fice and storage space.
During the discussion that fol
lowed Councilman Zahradnicek
pointed out that the city needs
space, with no money to build.
Possibly, he said, someone in
town has space, or would build
and lease to the city until it can *
acquire real property of its own.
A fellow who owns a building
should know if the city would be
renting for a temporary length of
time or for an indefinite length
and could making building ad
justments with that in mind he
said.
Members of the fire and police
committees were instructed to
set up specifications for the hous
ing of fire equipment and jail
space, to be advertised in this is
sue of the Frontiersman. Bids
will be read at the August 18
meeting.
LOCAL RTA CHANCES
GOOD, REA HEAD SAYS
Riggs Shepperd, assistant REA
adinistrator, attended a joint RTA
meeting of the Central Alaska
Telephone Committee while in
Alaska this week, and told the
group that REA has $67,500,000 to
loan this year, of which $5,000,
000 has already been loaned.
Chances for the Matanuska Val
ley group getting a RTA loan ap
peared to be good to Shepperd,
Lew Hanks who represented the
local group, reported. Over 400
applications are on file, Hanks
said, and within the next two
weeks REA personnel is expected
to visit Palmer to assist the local
group in making an application
for a loan.
JUSTINE PARKS NEW
ALASKA REA HEAD
Mrs. Justine Parks of Chugiak,
and president of the Matanuska
Electric Association, was elected
president of the Alaska Rural El
ectric Cooperative Association
during the annual meeting held
in Homer this past week end.
Mrs. Parks is the first woman
ever elected to head a state or
territorial electric association.
Other officers elected were
Wiley Robison of Chugach Elec
tric, vice-president1 Ed Jarvi,
president of Chugach Electric,
secretary and Nick Eidem, man
ager of the Golden Valley As
sociation of Fairbanks, treasurer.
Riggs Shepperd, assistant REA
administrator, was main speaker
of the convention and spoke on
the present policies of the new
REA administrator, Archer Nel
son. He also told the group that
REA will go along with a tele
phone co-op if their program is
feasible, and if a private com
pany cannot do anthing in reason
able time and at reasonable costs.
In Alaska, he said, money must be
conserved by using joint facilit
ies such as power poles, when
ever possible.
Also attending from Washing
ton, D. C., was F. R. Hamlin, for
med area operation^ specialist
and in charge of management for
Region 9. He spoke to the group
on methods of improving man
agement, personnel problems and
other improvements.
The meeting was reported high
ly successful and well attended,
with approximately 45 represen
atives present from Homer, Fair
banks, Chugach, Palmer, Kodiak
and Auke Bay. In addition to Mrs.
Parks MEA representatives were
Cy Brewer, MEA manager and
Dale Briggs, MEA board member
Following the Homer meeting,
Sheppard made a brief visit to
Palmer and inspected the local
facilities. He announced that Ad
ministrator Nelson is planning an
Alaskan visit during the next
month or so and at that time will
visit the Matanuska Electric As
sociation.
In addition to the election of
officers, the group also drafted
resolutions asking the governor
and territory to investigate Hom
er area coal deposits; asked that
congress appropriate money to
continue hydro-developent on the
Susitna and went on record as be
ing in favor of statehood for Al
aska.
DOSS FRANCIS BARRIER
Funeral services for Doss Fran
cis Barrier, 46, who died Satur
day at the Valley Hopital will be
held in Norwalk, California.
Barrier, who was employed at
the Eklutna project, is survived
by his wife, Mrs. Helen W. Bar
rier of Spenard.
Slreel Conditions
To Improve
APW Inspector Says
Additional plumbers were hir
ed this week by Alaska Plumb
ing and Heating company to
facilitate the installation of the
new city water distribution sys
tem.
APW Inspector Ray Mathews
said that workmen are now cat
ching up and that the completion
work will progress at a more
rapid pace from now on. Swanson
Avenue is thd nearest to com
pletion at the present time the
hydrant and one valve box and
said, with the installation of a
street compacting all that I'emains
to be done.
Smith Avenue has been one of
the most troublesome spots, he
said. Trouble started early when
youngsters playing in the area
removed surveyors stakes, re
placing them hit-or-miss, caus
ing errors and requiring resur
vey work to be done.
In speaking of present street
conditions, Mathews pointed out
that it is physcally impossible
to put in service connections
while the ditch is open for the
main lines. Compacting therefore,
will be delayed until service con
nections have been installed.
Every effort is being made to
clean up the street conditions,
he said. More crews were added
this week and some of them will
be used exclusively for this pur
pose.
MAT AN U SKA VALLEY
AND VALLEY FAIR TO BE
FILMED BY AIR FORCE
Mayor Alfred Hagen this week
received word from Capt. Daniel
D. Dvorin, U.S. Air Force inform
ing him that the 10th Photogra
phic Flight, 1350 Photographic
Group from Elmendorf plans for
a 16mm color and sound movie,
“Assignment Alaska.”
It will be of great military
value, Dvorin said, without stres
sing the military aspects of Alas
ka. It is the desire of the group,
he stated, to depict the real Alas
ka so all military personnel and
their dependents will know what
they have in store for them while
on a normal tour of duty in
Alaska.
Included in the film will be
a feature of the Matanuska Val
ley Fair. Captain Dvorin request
ed an informal meeting before
the fair for a discussion on the
script and filming and Mayor
Hagen has asked Heinie Snider of
Wasilla and Rusty Dow of Palmer
to meet with Captain Dvorin at
an early date for collaboration.
The film will be used through
out the armed forces to depict
a true picture of Alaska.
Power Plant Burns;
Other Buildings Saved
EIGHT VALLEY GIRLS
ENTER QUEEN RACE
A total of eight girls and five
sponsors have registered for the
annual Valley Fair Queen Con
test. The following are brief intro
ductions of girls who registered
this week.
Leona Lucas, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Lucas of Palmer
was the second Valley girl to
enter the Valley Fair queen con
test. Leona will enter her junior
year at Palmer High School this
year and is very interested in all
sports, including skating, swim
ming, hiking and is a member of
the Pep Club and 4-H Club. Her
special hobbies are music and
dancing. She is 16 years of age,
five feet, nine inches tall, weighs
145 pounds and has blue eyes. Her
brown hair is cut in a becoming
short style. She has been a resi
dent of the valley since April 12,
1939.
Miss Evie Melin, Koslosky em
ploye, entered the contest as a
candidate being sponsored by her
employers, Koslosky’s Department
store. She has been a Valley resi
dent since June, 1952, coming
here from Red Lake Falls, Minne
sota where her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Henry ' Melin -make .their
home. She is a graduate of Lin
coln High School at Thief River
Falls, Minn, and Bemidji State
Teachers Colege and is 22 years
of age. She has blue eyes, long
blonde hair, is five feet, seven
inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.
Her clubs include Dramatics,
W.A.A. and Choir. Her sport
activities include swimming, fish
ing, hunting and camping. Music
and the collection of glass dogs
are her hobbies.
Mary Louise Moore, 15-year-old
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
C. Moore of Palmer is the fourth
contestant to register for the
queen race. Born in Palmer, Mary
is a student in Palmer High
School, sophomore year, where
she is a member of the G. A. A.,
Band and Majorette clubs. She
said she has no special sports,
but a keen interest in all general
sports. Her special hobbies in
clude pen pals, music and danc
ing. She is five feet, five inches
tall, has blue-grey eyes, weighs
118 pounds and has short blonde
hair. In 1938 Mary won her first
contest, placing second in a Val
ley baby show. In 1939 at the age
of 14 M> months she took first
place in a baby show.
rf Tam
ruin vaiiey gin 10 register ror
the contest is Miss June Weiss,
niece of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Plano
of Mile 37, Palmer. A newcomer
to the territory, June arrived for
a visit in June of this year, liked
it so well she has decided to stay
in Alaska and will enter Palmer
High School as a junior this fall.
She is originally from Bellevue,
Washington and has been em
ployed at Knik Drive Inn since
coming to the valley. She has
brown hair, blue eyes—is five
feet, two inches tall and weighs
105 pounds. She is sixteen years
old and is being sponsored by
Knik Drive Inn, who are also
sponsoring Coleen Hume.
Also registering this week was
Pat Carson, 18-year-old daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Carson who
live in Wasilla. Pat was born in
Minnesota, coming to the Valley
as an infant with her parents who
are original colonists. She grad
uated from Wasilla High School
in 1952 and is employed at the
Wasilla Roadhouse. The blue-eyed
blonde candidate for Vaiiey
Queen is being sponsored by the
Wasilla Grange. She is five feet,
five and one half inches tall,
weighs 120 pounds and belongs to
the Grange, Community Club,
Square Dancing club and Teen
age club. She is fond of swimming
and all general sports. Her hob
bies are growing flowers, danc
(Continued on page 4)
I Under the direction of Frank
, Clark of the maintenance depart
ment, the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association
this week started a rebuilding
program to replace the associa
tion’s power house, destroyed in
The building will be approxi
mately 52 ft. by 42 ft. with 12
an early morning blaze August 9.
foot ceiling, Fred Zieke, Co-Op
: general manager said this week.
It will be constructed of cement
blocks, with a steel roof. About 90
percent of the material required
for the building have been pro
cured, he said. “We’ve had calls
from Seattle, Fairbanks and An
chorage, all offering their assist
ance in any way possible,” Zieke
reported.
The fire reported to be near
the $100,000 mark, was dis
covered in the ash shoot around
6:00 a.m. by C. A. Blodgett
who was then on duty. By the
time the alarm had been sound
ed and fire fighting equipment
arrived, one end of the building
was )in flames, with the fire
spreading rapidly throughout the
building. A call to Fort Richard
son at 7:09 a.m. was answered by
Company 5, under the direction
of Ft. Richardson Fire Chief S. H.
Huxley who made the run to
Palmer in approximately one
hour. Members of the city fire
department were assisted by vol
unteers and concentrated on sav
ing ' stiff?midifig- -JKnldings wh£‘p
it became evident that the power
house could not be saved. A metal
fire wall, helped in preventing the
fire from spreading to the nearby
Trading Post, where four inch
blisters were raised on the paint
from the intense heat. The loss
is partially covered by insurance.
Zieke said the new structure is
expected to be completed within
60 days. The boilers can be sal
vaged, he said, and will be re
lincd and insulated. In the mean
time, steam is being supplied by
a locomotive loaned by the Al
aska Railroad and secured by
Zieke Sunday morning. By Sun
day evening steam lines to the
creamery and hospital were
changed over and the following
day other Co-Op units were tied
on and are now also receiving
their steam from the locomotive.
Kid’s Day to Be
Held September 26
Kid’s Day, sponsored by the
Kiwanis Club of Palmer, will be
held this year on Saturday, Sep
tember 26. All Valley youngsters
are urged to start getting their
entries ready for the Kids ’n’
Pets parade, talent show and hob
by show. All youngsters are elig
ible to enter any or all three of
the events.
Kiwanis members have switch
ed from apples to peanuts and
this year will be selling peanuts
to help off-set the expense of the
Kid’s Day program. Each child
who took part in last year’s pro
gram received a badge of recog
nition and a candy bar. The com
plete success of the program
would indicate that even more
participants may be expected this
year.
There will be three awards giv
en for each of the following en
tries in the PARADE: (1) Kids
in costume. (2) Bicycle entries
(Bikes may be decorated). (3)
Pets (Pets may be "dressed up”
or decorated) and (4) miscellan
eous entries.
The TALENT show will give
the youngsters a chance to show
their ability in many fields, in
cluding, singing, dancing, musi
cal, reading, skits, stunts or vari
ety acts.
The HOBBY show will afford
a display of collections, scrap
books, handicrafts, art sewing,
needlework and other hobbies.
Youngsters are urged by Wil
liam Zahradnicek, chairman, to
start making their plans for
“their” day.