V ol. 1, No. 58
Palmer, Alaska, April 17, 1948
Ten Cents
ANS Chief
Likes Site
For Hospital
A 20-acre plot atop the hill
side tSverlooking Palmer on the
Wasilla highway, which was of
fered by Leo Lucas as a possible
site for an Alaska Native Ser
vice hospital here, was very
favorably reported upon by Don
Foster and Ralph Mize, ANS of
ficials, when they visited the
Valley last Tuesday.
Mr. Foster was particularly
impressed with the view of
mountains and Valley, as seen
from the proposed site, and with
its proximity to the downtown
section of Palmer. He surveyed
the ground thoroughly, taking a
number of pictures and request
ing pertinent information as to
supply sources of fuel, water and
light.
When the ANS head left Pal
mer Tuesday at noon, he told a
delegation of Chamber of Com
nerce representatives that Pal
mer’s chances for securing the
desired hospital were “many
imes greater than they were this
morning.”
Mr. Foster, later that day, told
Anchorage Chamber of Com
merce representatives that all
hree sites offered as a possible
ocation within that city were
insalisfactory. The suggested
3lo*» were too small, he said,
•ommenting upon Palmer’s offer
>f 20 acres, which he declared
in “attractive and tempting of
er.”
The Palmer site fits many
ither requirements outlined by
\NS, in its proximity to water
ind sewer lines and to transpor
ation and communication facili
:ies.
Mr. Foster and Mr. Mize lack
ed Tfcie time to visit sites offered
n the Wasilla area on Tuesday,
out the ANS chief promised to
nspect locations there upon his
•elurn to the territory in June,
de plans a trip Outside then, and
•vill motor back over the Alaska
dighway, stopping in Wasilla en
mute.
Final recommendations for a
lospital site must be in the hands
>f Department of Interior of
ficials by June of this year, Mr.
Foster said. He intimated it was
possible a Congressional commit
ee will make an on-the-spot sur
vey before final decision in the
natter is announced.
& the meantime, the Chamber
)f Commerce and all other Val
ey organizations are continuing
o press the advantages of loca
lon in the Matanuska Valley,
hrough wires and letters to Con
gressmen and high government
officials.
Election, Forum
Are Planned
For P-TA Meeting
At the April meeting of the
3arcnt-Teacher’s Association, to
pe held next Thursday evening
it 8 o’clock in the school lunch
oom, there will be the annual
.■lection of officers, Mrs. Charles
Schaefer reminded members to
iay.
T« addition, a panel discussion
,s planned for the evening, which
vill include both teachers and
larents. The evening’s topic will
'ie “w'hat does the home expect
if the school and what does the
cxp“i’t n-f fhp home?.”
Innumerable and unnamed glaciers, such as Ihose shown in
the photograph above, dot the mountain crevices and ravines
between the peaks surrounding the Mt. McKinley area. These
glaciers are just one more hunk of ice, insofar as geographers
are concerned, for they've not been considered important
enough to tack a name to. The picture was taken from a plane
flying in the Mt. McKinley area. (Photo by Palmer Photo
graphic Center).
Promotion Plans
For Coming Fair
Studied By Board
Tuesday evening’s meeting of
the board of directors of the
Matanuska Valley Fair Associa
tion was devoted principally to a
general discussion of ways and
means of promoting interest in i
this year’s fair.
Marshall Selover, who was re-1
cently retained as manager for
the September event, outlined
several promotion plans. He was
asked to investigate one or two
more fully and to bring a de
tailed report to the next board
meeting.
The final payment on the pres
ent fair grounds was authorized,
and steps were taken to bond
both the treasurer and manager
of the Association.
The next regular meeting of
the board of directors will be
held on May 11.
Opera Singer To Solo
With Little Symphony
When the Anchorage Little
Symphony presents its spring
concert from the stage of the
Valley Theatre on the afternoon
of April 25, Mrs. Nan Jones
Adams, coloratura soprano, a
former member of the New Or
leans Opera Company, will be
heard as guest artist.
Mrs. Jones will sing the aria
Una Voca Poco Fa from the
“Barber of Seville” as her solo
number. She also is scheduled
to sing two ballads that after
noon.
The soloist has studied under
Luccio Cocia, former La Scala
opera teacher, and has been a
student at the Conservatory of
Music in Mexico City. In addition
to her work with the New Or
leans company, Mrs. Jones has
appeared with the Pittsburg
(Continued on Back Page)
Agricultural Group
Endorses Soil Plan
The Valley’s agricultural com
mittee voted to endorse the es
tablishment of a soil conserva
tion sub-district in the area of
the Valley east of the Seward
meridian at last Wednesday’s
regular monthly meeting.
The move grew out of the re
quest of Arvid Johnson, who
said he felt there was need for
education on the type of crops
which could be grown on in
dividual Valley farms. He said
he thought a committee might
be appointed which could make
some sort of an analysis, so “we
could see people getting as
much out of the ground as they
put into it, at least.”
After discussion, it was agreed
that the establishment of the
soil conservation sub - district
would bring the Valley the serv
ices of experts who are able to
make a correct analysis for the
farmers.
It was reported at this meet
ing that the committee’s move to
get vocational agriculture
courses included in the Palmer
school curriculum had received
favorable comment from Gov
rrnnt- Evnort Greening and from
James Ryan, territorial commis
sioner of education. It was fur
ther reported that the Palmer
superintendent and school board
were working on the matter, but
that qualified teachers were hard
to get.
It was voted that a representa
tive of the Valley Producers,
Inc., the vegetable growers’ or
ganization, should be asked to
join the committee. It was also
decided that representatives of
the poultrymen’s group and the
soil conservation sub - district
would be included, as soon as
the two groups are organized.
Parker Lester reported that a
representative of the Army had
requested a comparative analysis
of Valley and Outside vegetables,
as to vitamin content and food
value.
The committee agreed to con
tinue to push for location of an
Alaska Native Service hospital
in this area. Mrs. Neil Miller,
secretary, was instructed to
write Julius Krug, secretary of
the interior, Del. E. L. Bartlett
and Joseph Flakne to present
ihe Valley's cn^e.
Hospital Solicitors
To Meet On Friday
There will be a special meet
ing of all members of the board
of directors of the Valley Hos
pital Association and of captains
in the current bond drive on Fri
day evening. The meeting, which
will mark the half-way mark in
the bond drive, will begin at 8
o’clock in the basement of St.
John’s Lutheran church.
All solicitors are urged to be
present, for questions and prob
lems concerning the drive will be
aired at this meeting. Also it is
hoped to obtain a full report
from every solicitor at this time.
32 Bonds Sold
In Campaign
A total of 32 bonds had been
issued, and cash and bond
pledges in the amount of $6,010
had been received by 5 o’clock
last Tuesday, it was reported by
C. W. Peters and W. C. Mau at
the meeting of the hospital’s
board of directors.
Mr. Mau, drive chairman, said
many captains still were unre
ported in the drive, and he felt
that the total receipts would
climb considerably higher as
soon as all pledges and contribu
tions are received.
It was annoiinr^d flint thorp
would be a meeting of solici
tors and the board of directors
in the basement of the Luth
eran church on Friday of this
week, in order to iron out any
problems facing the group.
Jack Maze declared there was
a general misunderstanding con
cerning the use of the bonds as
payment on a hospital bill. It
was emphasized that purchase of
a hospital bond does not give the
bond’s purchaser the right to use
the bond as cash in the payment
of a bill.
The board discussed plans to
secure title to all the land in the
block selected as the site for the
future hospital. The Alaska
Rural Rehabilitation Corpora
tion’s offer to give two acres of
ground for the site does not in
clude all of the land in the
chosen block, which contains 18
lots rather than 12.
Mr. Peters was instructed to
discuss the matter with the
ARRC and to find out how the
hospital could obtain title to the
remaining six lots in the selected
block.
Clyde King reported that the
hospital had been offered an op
portunity to purchase two boil
ers located in a building at Ek
lutna school. All radiators were
included in the offer, which
named a low figure for hospital
purchase only.
The matter was referred to the
building committee by Mr. Mau,
who conducted the meeting in
the absence of Walter Huntley.
Mr. Mau asked the building com
mittee to inspect the boilers and
to bring a report and recommen
dations to the next regular board
meeting.
A CORRECTION
The date of the potluck dinner
to be held at the United Protes
tant Church at the culmination of
the meetings of the Yukon Pres
byery was incorrectly given in
Wednesday’s paper. That dinner
will be held at 6 o’clock Satur
day evening, rather than on Fri
<J;.iy evening.
Local Pupils
Must Register
For Next Term
There will be a pre-registra
tion of all students expecting to
enter Palmer school next year,
on Tuesday, April 20, it was an
nounced this week by school
superintendent Carl Snelling.
Registration hours, for both stu
dents now enrolled and for par
ents of pre-school children who
will enter the first grade next
September, have been scheduled
for the morning of April 20.
Mothers of all next year’s first
grade students are requested to
come to school on Tuesday, and
from the superintendent’s office
secure a registration blank. Chil
dren will not be eligible for en
trance into the first grade unless
their sixth birthday occurs be
fore next Nov. 1.
Students in grades one
through six, who are now in
school will be given registra
tion forms that day, to be
taken home and filled out by
their parents. The school re
quests that these forms be re
turned to the school office as
soon as possible.
Grades seven and eight and all
four years of high school will be
pre-registered at Palmer school
on the morning of the twentieth.
Mr. Snelling said the purpose
of this pre-registration was to
determine the number of per
manent Valley students who can
be expected to attend the Pal
mer school next year. It is in an
effort to make certain these per
manent students will have a
place in the school, that the pre
enrollment is being undertaken
at this time.
If was explained that the
average increase in enrollment
here is approximately eight
per cent, but that educational
forecasts predict that Palmer's
increase in enrollment next
year will be 30 per cent.
If the increase in enrollment
does run that high, then Pal
mer school will not be able to ac
commodate all students who seek
entrance. In every case, students
who are Valley residents of long
standing will be given first pref
erence for admission, if their
pre-registration enrollment is
(Continued on back page)
Extension Service
KFQD Broadcasts
Now Heard at Noon
The agricultural broadcasts of
the Extension Service, which
have been appearing irregularly
over Station KFQD at 1:30 p.m.,
have been changed to a new time,
it was announced this week by
Parker Lester, Extension agent.
The broadcasts now will be heard
at noon each Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday.
For the present, the programs,
all of which are to deal with ag
ricultural matters, will be pre
sented as public interest mate
rial, Mr. Lester said. However it
is possible that a sponsor will be
secured for later programs.
Mr. Lester is to introduce the
new series next Tuesday, when
he plans to generally outline ag
ricultural plans and aims for this
area. On Thursday, the program
will deal with plans of the soil
conservation program for the
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