FREE BARBEQUE
One Head Choice Beef Will Be Served EVERYONE WELCOME
CIVIL DEFENSE
FIRST AID COURSE OPENS
MONDAY, JULY 12 — 8 P.M.
Public Invited
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
ilem you may have for sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 36
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1954
PRICE TEN CENTS
14 NAMED TO
LITTLE LEAGUE
ALL STAR TEAM
Fourteen members of the Little
League have been named to the
All Star team. They play against
other All Star Little League
teams during the season. These
boys are Donald Prewitt, Andrew
Smulich, John Harris, Dick Es
telle, David Sweeney, William
Smith, Robert Lentz, Jerry
Combs, Gerald Fogg, Lafry Wade,
Robert McCartney, Russell Mc
Kechnie, Gerald Moore and Joe
Lawton. Virgil Wilkinson is man
ager of the All Star team, assisted
by Ernest Moore.
All parents and interested
adults are urged to attend Dis
trict playoff games to be held
in Anchorage July 29, 30, and 31.
The winner of the district games
will go on to Vancouver, B. C. to
compete in the Sectional play
off, the winner of which will
travel to the States for competi
tion. Little League officials re
port that the percentage of local
adult turn-out at the games is
very low this year, and urged
interested adults to turn out
Monday, Wednesday or Friday
evenings to see the youngsters
playing little League baseball.
The teams have showed sharp
improvement since the games be
gan this season, they added, and
no doubt the coaches will have
a first class small-fry team for
tournament pMyoff. Boys who
have signed up for Little League
play, but have not yet played,
must go to the field and contact
the coaches, officials said this
week. Anyone interested in serv
ing as umpire for any or all gam
es is asked to contact Claude
Want on any game night.
Anyone wishing to give a cash
donation to the League may do so
by leaving it with Mrs. Maxine
Kucera, treasurer, at the Mat
anuska Valley Bank. The money
will go toward the purchase of
needed equipment and operation
al expenses.
LAND MANAGEMENT
OFFICIALS VISITING ALASKA
Bureau of land management of
ficals are visiting in the territory
on an inspection tour. Director of
the bureau, Edward Woozley and
family are accompanied by Earl
G. Harrington, chief of the divi
sion of engineers in the Washing
ton office, and Lewis E. Hoffjnan,
chief of the division of minerals
in Washington.
ARMY TO BiVOUAC
AT FAiRGROUNDS
The U. S. Army Alaska will
bivouac at the Valley Fair
grounds between July 7 and
July 12. it was announced this
week by A1 Hagen, Fair
board member. It is expected,
he said, that between 40 or
50 vehicles and approximately
150 men will participate. The
bivouac will be carried out for
demonstrative purposes and
will be similar to one conduct
ed here two-years ago.
POKE O’ GOLD
TCP FAIR PRIZE
For the third year, the top
prize to be awarded during the
Matar.uska Valley Fair will be a
poke of gold, valued at S300.
Rusty Dow, secretary of the Fair
Association, is planning a trip to
the Bellinger Mine in the Eureka
area for the gold. Other valuable
prizes are being planned and will
be announced soon, board mem
bers said this week. The priezs
are awarded in conjunction with
the annual Matanuska Valley
Fair queen contest. This year the
queen’s robe will be locally made,
and Mrs. Dow will contact local
seamstresses for the work.
Although the Association board
of directors has not yet taken
any definite action on the ap
pointment of a fair manager, it
was announced that a written ap
plication for the position has
been received from Harry Hedg
dal of Homer. His is the only for
mal application received to date
by the directors.
Many letters have been receiv
ed from Alaskan concerns re
garding display space at the 1954
Valley Fair. Among interesting
inquiries is one from the Arctic
Scent of Seward, who are inter
ested in exhibiting their wares.
The Ben Franklin Store of Anch
orage has indicated its interest
in the balloon concession.
To Construct Building
A1 Hagen, John Gore, and Gene
Kirsch were appointed a commit
tee of three to proceed immedi
ately with the construction of the
new permanent-type fair build
ing. Specifications will be avail
able at the space former
ly occupied by the telephone of
fice in the Theatre Building for
interested bidders. An invitation
(Continued on page 8)
- -l
Notice to Taxpayers
BOARD OF EQUALIZATION MEETING
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1954 - 8 P.M.
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
On July 8, 1954 the Common Council will meet
for the last time for the purpose of reviewing,
adjusting, and revising assessments made by
the municipal assessor.
All protests of assessments should be filed with
Tax Assessor Ray D. Byham at his office in the
Neil Wright Building before 5:00 p.m., July 8,
1954.
ELIZABETH BARRY, City Clerk
niiRSKH'S FAVORITE GRIRE EVERU TUES.
PALMER ELKS LODGE HOME 8:00 P.M._EVERYBODY WELCOME_PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES
(i?3
S3. ■
INDEPENDENCE is a mighty important word to every good
American. Our forefathers fought for our country's indepen
dence — and won it for us . . .Upon this foundation, Ameri
cans have steadily built a country that symbolizes Freedom to
the whole world. On this July 4th, 178 years after the sign
ing of the document in which the 13 colonies asserted their
independence, let's each rededicate ourselves to protecting our
democracy and building an ever-greater country of free men!
COUNCIL NOTES
Visitors at tne June 29 meet
ing of the city council were Dale
Bryant of the Lazy Mountain
Childz'ens’ Home and secretary,
treasurer of the Ministerial As
sociation, and Rev. Wesley Lan
caster of the Church of God. Mr.
Bryant questioned council mem
bers on a location in the business
section of the city where street
j meetings could be held Saturday
j evenings during the summer. His
I appearance followed letters to
the council that had been an- |
swered by the offer of either of
the city-owned lots, but which
stressed street meetings could !
not be held because of the traf
fic hazard. The council had sug
gested the group attempt to use
privately owned property, if
available. Mr. Bryant indicated
the group is interested in getting
space more centrally located than
city owned lots.
* * *
A letter from Ghiglione of the
Alaska Road Commission inform
ed council members that it
would not be possible for the
city to purchase crushed rock
from ARC. The information was
prompted by a letter from the !
city to Mr. Ghiglione asking if
the purchase of crushed rock, or
the rental of the rock crushing
squipment, was possible.
* * *
Bob Buzby of Palmer has of
fered an amount of bentenite
from his claim north of the city
for use in experimental work on
surfacing for city streets.
* * *
A letter will be sent to the of
fice of the Alaska Railroad man
ager asking that the city request
for the use of property along the
railroad track in the City of Pal
mer be reserved until such time
as the city can afford to develop
the area.
* * *
Dr. C. C. Bailey accepted his
appointment as Health Officer for
the City of Palmer.
• * •
Following a report by the street
(■Continued on page 8)
CELEBRATION SET
AT WASILLA FOR
FOURTH OF JULY
Wondering what to do on the
Fourth of July? Wasilla Post
Veterans of Foreign Wars are
planning their annual fourth
celebration again this year, with
gallons of ice cream and pop to
be given away “absolutely free’’
to all the kids who attend.
There will be a fish pond con
cession for the youngsters amuse
ment and weiners and hot coffee
will be sold.
Entertainment, which is sched
uled to get under way around
one o’clock, includes sack races,
three-legged races, wheelbarrow,
tricycle and bicycle races for
youngsters and adults. Also a
softball game is scheduled dur
ing the afternoon’s celebration.
Bob Lincoln, post commander,
issued an invitation to all Wasil
la area residents and all other
Valley residents, to attend with
their families for an afternoon
of food and fun.
R. Demming Elected
To Department Office
Richard E. Demming, local land
surveyor, was installed as Ser
geant-at-Arms for the Depart
ment of Alaska, American Le
gion, during the American Legion
convention held here June 23-26.
Demming joined the Matanus
ka Valley Post No. 15 in 1947
and since then has held the fol
lowing offices: Service officer,
adjutant for two years, second
vice-commander, first vice-com
mander, and commander. He has
served on the executive commit
tee and various other post com
mittees.
Demming was born in Little
Valley, N. Y. in 1915, and attend
ed schools in Sherman, N. Y,
Following high school graduation
he worked as surveyor on road
construction in the state of New
York. He entered he U. S. Army
January, 10, 1941, attending in
fantry school at Fort Bragg, No.
Carolina. He was attached to Co.
(Continued on page 8)
ICFFSCES, STORES
TO CLOSE MONDAY
Government offices, and the
najority of local stores will
oe closed on Monday, July 5 in
jbservance of Independence
Day. Firms planning to close
are: Bettys’, all departments of
I the Co-Op except the cream
ary, Kimball’s, Mac’s Plumb
ng and Heating. Piggly-Wig
?ly, Clara's Variety, Grassers,
.vlatar.uska Valley Bank, Pal
ner Sheet Metal and Heating,
and The Frontiersman.
GsTY STREETS
WILED THIS WEEK
The final leg on the street oil
ing program in various sections
of the city got under way Monday
of this week, with Valley, Rail
, road, Colony streets and Wasilla
road being oiled first, in widths
varying from 30 to 60 feet. Oil
ing on additionally heavily-trav- :
eled streets is continuing as far
as money available will permit.
Money for the much needed pro
gram is being raised by a group
j of interested citizens and will be
augmented by some funds from
Lthe city.
I Although the oil is causing
I some inconvenience, as far as
i tracking is concerned, it is felt
: that if the streets are given prop
! er penetration time, the results l
| wdll far out-weight the inconven- j
f ience. The cooperation of all mo
torists was asked this week. Even
though some streets were block
ed off for proper penetration, a j
steady stream of cars continued j
to travel the streets, merely by- I
passing the road block. It not !
only splashed on the cars, but the
oil that was picked up and car
ried off amounted to several gal
lons that would have done much
good if permitted to penetrate the
gravel.
It was also pointed out that this
program is not intended as a per
manent solution to the dust prob
lem in Palmer. It is being used
as a stop-gap until some perman
ent solution can be worked out
with experiments in various sec
tions of the city now' being plan
ned.
Mrs. Mary Steeleman is work
ing in the office of Dr. C. C.
Bailey during the absence of Mrs.
Isabelle Woolcock who is taking
time off for a short w'hile.
FAIRBANKS MAN
HEADS TERRITORIAL
AMERICAN LEGION
Forbes L. Baker of Fairbanks
was elected department com
mander at the 35th American Le
gion convention held here in Pal
er last week. He succeeds Dr.
Foster R. Sims of Palmer who
has served in that capacity the
past year. Mrs. Selma Smith of
Anchorage was elected to the of
fice of president in The Ameri
can Legion Auxiliary. In the final
stages of the convention it was
announced that Petersburg was
chosen as the site of next year’s
convention.
Serving with Baker in depart
ment offices are the following:
Edward Van Horn or Sitka, first
vice-commander: Marion R. Ste
vens of Seward, second vice-com
mander; Richard Demming of
Palmer, sergeant-at-arms; Einar
Tonseth of Fairbanks and William
I. Clark of Juneau, department
executive committee; Perry S.
McLain of Anchorage, national
executive committeeman.
Also John H. Van Horn of
Sitka, alternate national execu
tive committeeman; Homer L.
Crowther of Ketchikan, chaplain;
William L. Sanders of Anchorage,
judge advocate: and Dale H. Hirt
of Petersburg, historian. The last
three named were re-elected to
their respective offices.
Other new auxiliary officers
are: First Vice President Izola
Sims of Palmer; Mrs. Lorene
Ruengel of Sitka, second vice
president; Mrs. Eleanor M. Bell,
Anchorage, secretary-treasurer.
Also Mrs. Mary Stickle, Sew
ard, historian: Mrs. Anna Bod
ding, Juneau, chaplain; Mrs. Gay
le Tice, Homer, sergeant-at-arms;
Mrs. Ann Demming, Palmer and
Mrs. Ruth Palmer, Anchorage,
department executive committee;
and Mrs. Hertha Baker, Fair
banks, national executive com
mittee.
A large number of resolutions
were passed by both the Ameri
can Legion and Auxiliary, among
which petitioning the legislature
for a four-year postponement of
repayment schedule to the ter
r:torial treasurer for $1,200,000
borrowed by the veterans affairs
comission for veteran loans. Also
the endorsement of Senate Bill
50, granting statehood to Alaska
(Continued on page 8)
Fireworks Prohibited
Under Ordinance No. 12, Section 57 of the
City of Palmer it shall be unlawful to sell, use
or explode any fireworks, explosive or stench
bombs within the city. Any person convicted of
a violation of this section of Ordinance 12
shall be punished by a fine of not more than
$300.00 dollars or by imprisonment for not
more than thirty (30) days, or by both such
fine and imprisonment.
ELIZABETH BARRY, City Clerk