Vol. 1, No. 65
Palmer, Alaska, May 15, 1948
Ten Cents
Railbuses may come and railbuses may go, but sturdy though
ancient locomotives like these will continue to be the workhorses
of the Palmer-Jonesville coal runs. It is engines like this one
that make the steep daily haul to pick up the fuel that keeps An
, chorage and this area of the Railbelt warm through chilly Alas
kan winters. The above photo was awarded third prize in the
recent photo contest sponsored by the Palmer Photographic Cen
ter. Don Hutchinson was the cameraman in question.
Further Plans Laid
For Colony Day Events
mm
More elaborate plans for the
two-day celebration of Colony
Day on May 29 and 30 were out
lined at last Monday’s general
committee meeting in the Pal
mer Fountain. Specific duties
were assigned some Valley or
ganizations, while tentative plans
for further events were discussed
and tabled for later action.
It was decided yiat two Bingo
games, rather than one, would
be held during the two-day cele
bration. The first game will pre
cede Saturday evening’s dance,
while the second will take place
at an outdoor stand near the
barbecue pit at 3 o’clock Sunday
afternoon. Bingo games will be
under the direction of the wom
en of the Grange, who were au
thorized to purchase prizes and
make all necessary arrange
ments.
For the barbecue itself, it
was decided that the commit
tee will serve only bread,
beans and coffee with the bar
feecued beef. Members of the
Women of the Moose will be
asked to bake the beans which
are to accompany the barbe
cue. Girls of Palmer high
school will be asked to assist
L. C. Stock in serving. In or
der to centralize Colony Day
. events, the barbecue pit will
' be moved to a new location
nearer the speaker's stand,
which is to be located near
the railroad station.
Members of the Homemakers’
clubs of the Valley will be placed
in charge of a food concession
booth. They were asked to plan
soft drinks. Serving of dessert
and salad was discussed, but
added food items were left to
the decision of the Homemakers.
That organization meets next
Wednesday at 1:30 p.rh. to plan
their part of the Colony Day
program.
Members of the local carpen
ter’s union will be asked to erect
booths and concession stands.
Lumber for the construction will
be requested on a loan basis from
Ketchikan Spruce Mills, the Co
op warehouse and the Valley
Volunteer Fire Association.
A committee composed of
Tom Lepak, Bruce Graham, L.
C. Stock, Mrs. Don Irwin, Mrs.
Ralph Goodrich and John Witt
met Wednesday evening to stake
out locations for the concessions
and the barbecue pit.
Fot the aerial part of the
day's entertainment, L e s
Green reported that Jack Carr
Service of Anchorage will
send a four-place Stinson to
make charter flights that day.
A trip to the glacier is to cost
$6, while a flight over the
Valley will cost $3. Proceeds
will be returned to the Col
ony Day committee on a per
centage basis.
Mr. Green said it was also pos
sible that a private flying club
from Anchorage might make a
mass flight to the Valley on Col
Dny Day.
Dr. F. R. Sims, reporting for
the Matanuska Valley Sports
men, said a two-day shoot had
oeen planned. No time for the
shooting contest had been set.
(Continued on Page 3)
i Baccalaureate
To Be Sunday
Baccalaureate exercises for
Palmer’s graduating class of 1948
will be held on Sunday, May 9,
at 8 o’clock in the school gym
nasium, it was announced today
by Superintendent Carl Snelling.
Father James Snead was chosen
by vote of the graduates to de
liver the evening’s sermon,
which is entitled “The Real Be
ginning of Life.”
The high school chorus and
Rev. George Geiwitz will assist
in the evening’s services. The
complete program has been an
nounced as follows:
Processional by Larry Stock.
Invocation by Reverend Gei
wilz.
"Lord's Prayer" by the high
school chorus.
Congregati onal hymn,
"Faith of our Fathers."
Scripture reading for Corin
thians 13:1-13 by Father
Snead.
"Prayer Perfect" by high
school chorus.
Congregational hymn, "Sav
ior Like a Shepherd Lead Us."
Benediction by Reverend
Geiwitz.
Recessional by Larry Stock.
All friends and relatives of the
graduates are invited to be their
guests at Sunday’s baccalaureate
services.
Details of plans for the com
i mencement exercises, which will
| take place next Thursday eve
j ning, will be announced early
i next week.
Sportsmen Plan
Shooting Matches
For Colony Day
Plans for a two-day trapshoot
ing contest on Colony Day next
May 29 and 30, and boundaries
of a duck reserve for club mem
bers were discussed at last Mon
day’s meeting of the board of
directors of the Matanuska Val
ley Sportsmen.
John Bush reported that the
ground designated on fair prop
erty was admirably adapted to
trap shooting. It was then de
cided to hold both a trapshoot
ing and small gun shooting con
test during the Colony Day cele
bration. Club members are to
meet next Monday at 6 o’clock
to lay out the grounds, and to
assist in moving the Sportsmen’s
hut to the contest area.
Prizes were discussed and the
matter referred to a committee
made up of John Bush, Walter
Cooper, Ralph Goodrich and Ken
Westenbarger. Mr. Westenbarger
also was named to secure targets
for the small gun shooting.
Sources of supply for ammu
nition, traps and birds were dis
cussed. It was decided to see
what was available by purchase
in Anchorage and what might
be borrowed from the Anchorage
Rifle Club.
Bud Lacher was appointed
chairman of the field events,
which are under Sportsmen re
sponsibility. It was suggested
that he contact Vefnon Fridley,
Boy Scout leader, for assistance
with the program. Ideas for sev
eral novelty races were ad
vanced.
It was decided to ask members
of the Homemaker’s Council to
get up a food concession in the
Sportsmen's field house,
Five Teachers
Fail To Sign
New Contracts
Five of Palmer’s schoolteach
ers, four grade instructors and
one high school, will not return
to their classrooms next year,
it was announced this week by
Superintendent Carl Snelling.
The five, all of whom were of
fered contracts for the coming
year, have resigned.
Teachers who will be missing
when schoolbells ring next Sep
tember include Miss Jenny
Skule, seventh grade, Mrs. Bar
bara Smart, sixth grade, Mrs.
Robert Seiber, second grade,
Miss Mary Marsh, fourth grade,
and Miss Jean Dickson, high
school English instructor.
Computed in percentage fig
ures, Palmer’s teacher mortality
was less than usual this year, for
the five resignations represent
only a 34 percent turnover. This
is a better average figure than
that registered by the territory
as a whole.
Mr. Snelling said several letter
acceptances already have been
received for the openings, but
to date no signed contracts have
been returned to the school
board. Neither has a new super
intendent of schools been ap
pointed.
One of the letters of accept
ance for an appointment has
been received from the rural ag
riculture teacher, whom the
school board hopes to employ
for the coming term. His letter
“reads very favorably,’’ Mr.
Snelling said. He added that he
considered it most likely the
man would come. His credits
now are in the process of clear
ing through the office of the ter
ritorial commissioner of educa
tion.
Plans Are Laid
For Farm Tour
Tentative plans for a Farm
Tour and Field Day were out
lined at Wednesday’s monthly
meeting of the Valley’s agricul
tural planning committee. The
event was suggested by Parker
Lester, local Extension agent,
to be held sometime later in
the season with the co-operation
of the Extension Service and the
Agricultural Research Adminis
.tration. 1
As Mr. Lester visualizes the
plan, the morning of the selected
day would be spent in visiting
Valley farms. The group then
would meet at the experiment
station for lunch, and in the
afternoon would divide into in
terest groups to attend discus
sions led by the station’s corps
of technicians.
Members of the committee
stressed the need for instruction
in protection of garden fruits
and vegetables, if the tour is un
dertaken. It was pointed out
that in the past touring groups
have pulled and eaten garden
products.
Plans for this year’s fair also
were discussed in some detail
at the Wednesday meeting. Mrs.
Neil Miller, speaking in reference
to 4-H work, said she felt the
gardens as a whole ought to
be judged rather than individual
exhibits. She suggested that fair
judges might visit 4-H gardens
the week before the fair. Don
Irwin said he felt the garden
“ (Continued on back page)
Fair Board
Says Prizes
To Be Bigger
Premiums for the 1948 Mata
nuska Valley Fair will be more
worthwhile than ever before, it
was announced at last Wednes
day’s fair board meeting. It was
estimated that the total prize
list would be double what it
was for last year’s fair.
In an effort to encourage com
petition in agricultural exhibits,
the number of classes has been
cut, while premiums have been
increased. It is planned to in
clude only those classes of ex
hibits which may be feasibly
produced in the Valley. In an
effort to encourage the estab
lishment of a beef industry here,
new classes have been added in
that department, it was reported.
Work on the premium list
still was not complete by
Wednesday's meeting. How
ever it is hoped to have the
first rough draft finished with
in a week, and the board will
give the list its final polishing
at a special meeting set for
May 21.
Stockholders and exhibitors
will have an opportunity to ex
press their opinions on the pre
mium list at a special stock
holders’ meeting, now scheduled
to be held on June 4. A mimeo
graphed premium list is expect
ed to be available for general
distribution at that time.
Also to encourage more entries
in all classes, the fair board has
arranged to have a truck avail
able for pick-up service during
the fair. Any Valley exhibit,
either livestock, agricultural or
domestic, will be trucked to the
fair and returned to its owner
without charge.
It was decided to add a de
partment, to be known as the
fine arts department. Miss
Mietzi Bleck will be asked to
head the committee which will
work out premiums in this
field.
Under the women’s depart
ments, Mrs. Don Irwin an
nounced that new classes had
been created in the fields of
handmade fur garments, felt
craft, glass etching, plastics and
ceramics.
It was recommended that a
substantial prize be offered for
the best assortment of baked
goods exhibited. It was the wom
en’s suggestion that this prize
(Continued on Back Page)
Health Council
To Meet Monday
The May meeting of the Valley
Health Council has been set
ahead from Thursday, May 20,
to Monday, May 17, it was an
nounced this week by Mrs. Isola
Sims, secretary. The change has
been made to avoid conflict with
Thursday’s commencement exer
cises.
Dr. F. R. Sims is scheduled to
address the Council on the sub
ject of dental health.
Since this meeting will con
clude Health Council business
until the fall, all members are
urged to make special effort to
attend. Several important mat
ters are on the agenda for dis
cussion that evening.