Geologic Survey Opens Perma-Frost
Office Here In Valley
The Alaska Terrain and Per
ma-Frost Section — that’s the *
name the secretary has to gasp I
into the phone at the newest
office of the U. S. Geological <
Survey, which recently opened <
in Palmer. The office, trans- 1
ferred from quarters at Ladd 1
Field near Fairbanks is headed «
by Robert Black, geologist in !
charge. 1
Mr. Black is assisted in his
perma-frost investigation by
Mrs. Black and by Mrs. Norma
Ray, section clerk.
The job of the AT and PF
Section isn’t as awesome as the
name would indicate. In fact,
that job probably is going to
mean a lot to many future Alas
kan settlers. If Mr. Black and
his co-workers find out all the
things they’re looking for, and
if the prospective settler will
listen to what Mr. Black has to
tell him, he’s much less likely to
find himself attempting to farm
a bit of ground that’s first cou
sin to Knik gTacier, than some
of the Valley’s early day farm
ers have.
The AT and PF personnel are
hoping to find out how perma
frost areas got that way, why
they’re found where they are,
and what makes them act the
way they do.
Studies will be of particular
help, since the geologists, who
will be studying from a geologic
point of view, intend to see what
the perma-frost areas have par
ticular affinities for. such as
hills or valleys, streams, roads
or building areas.
Some perma-frost areas just
can’t hide themselves, even if
they try, Mr. Black says. He can
peek into the future, too, and
tell farmers what’s likely to hap
pen if they strip the forest and
tundra cover from land in per
ma-frost regions.
Mr. and Mrs. Black intend to
conduct investigations in the
Matanuska Valley until August,
when they’ll hand over the keys
of their office, upstairs in the
Wright Building, to Dr. William
Benninghoff, now en route to
Fairbanks.
The Blacks then will fly to
Point Barrow, where they’ll
spend the winter studying—not
perma-frost this time though.
They’re going to dig into the
mineralogy of ground ice up
there, since they don’t think
there’s much that even a geolo
gist can do about perma-frost
at Point Barrow.
However the local office will
remain open on a permanent
and year-round basis, Mr. Black
assures. At times there’ll be one
man headquartered here, and at
other times Palmer will be home
for two or three of the men of
the Alaska Terrain and Perma
Frost Section of the U. S. Geo
logical Survey.
Church Camp Draws
Nearly 100 Delegates
Nearly 100 children were in
attendance at the church camp
conducted at King’s Lake last
week, it was estimated by Rev.
R. Rolland Armstrong of An
chorage. Delegates came from
Seward, Anchorage, Fairbanks
and Palmer.
The camp session broke up
Monday morning, when return
ing campers and their baggage
overflowed the morning Brille
car and had to be carried to
their destination by special
transportation.
Thorley Loses 4-Day
Fight For Life
(Continued From Page 1)
fusions were administered be
fore he could be removed to An
chorage.
The injured man had been
working for the Railroad for
only a short time. He comes to
Alaska from Spring Lake, Mich.,
where his wife and two children
reside. Funeral arrangements
await word from Mrs. Thorley.
Larry Stock Is First
Entry in Talent Contest
(Continued From Page 1)
son of their good fortune in be
ing born in Alaska. The two en
tries are Marie Mullan, spon
sored by the Matanuska Valley
Telephone Exchange, Inc., Hart
ley Brothers Garage and North
COFFEY INSURES EVERY
THING — REMEMBER?
Palmer Store, and Hilda Sten
vall, backed by the American
Legion, the Matanuska Valley
Bank and Bert’s Drug Store.
Marie is a tiny blonde with
long red-gold hair and green
eyes. She was born at Afognak,
but has been living in the Val
ley since she was nine, when she
was orphaned. Marie has three
brothers and a sister. She will
be a junior in Palmer High
School next term.
Marie’s chief interest in life,
at the present moment, is learn
ing more about photography.
This queen contestant was in
terviewed last week on the fair’s
Saturday radio program.
Hilda, also a native - born
Alaskan, counts a cannery near
Naknek on Bristol Bay as her
birthplace. She, too, is an orphan
and has made her home in Pal
mer since she was in the seventh
grade. Hilda is a 1948 graduate
of Palmer High School and is
now a teller at the Matanuska
Valley Bank.
Hilda has a brother in the
Navy, and two sisters, Helen of
Palmer and Hilya of Anchorage.
Both sisters are working deter
minedly to help Hilda sell the
300 tickets necessary to pave her
way to the finals of the queen
contest on Sept. 3, 4 and 5.
Banking and basketball share
top billing as the interests in
Hilda’s life. She wants to go
farther in her commercial ca
reer, and she definitely expects
to be in the line-up when Pal
mer’s Rockets take to the maple
court again next fall.
Basketball is also the chief in
terest of Barbara Hecker, who
belatedly announced her entry
just before press-time last week.
Barbara is not a daughter of
colonist parents, as reported
originally. She came to the Val
ley with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Earl Hecker, 11 years ago.
Barbara is a senior at Palmer
High School, where athletics
have been her extra-curricular
interest for the past three years.
She was yell-leader in.her fresh
man and sophomore year at
school, played on the high school
basketball team as long as Pal
mer High School had a team,
and last year was a member of
the Rockets.
VALLEY
THEATRE
Friday and Saturday
'The Exile'
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Maria Montez - Paule Croset
Evening shows at 7:15 and 9
Matinee at 2 o’clock
Sunday and Monday
'Slave Girl'
(In Sepia-tone)
Yvonne DeCarlo
George Brent
Evening shows at 7:15 and 9
Matinee at 2 o’clock
Wednesday and Thursday
'A Double Life'
(In Technicolor)
Ronald Colman
Signe Hasso
Edmond O’Brien
Evening Shows at 7:15 and 9
•
VALLEY
THEATRE
l
PALMER GYMNASIUM
9 P. M. — Saturday Evening
Schaefer's Orchestra
SPONSORED BY THE MATANUSKA VALLEY FAIR ASSOCIATION
COME AND MEET THE QUEEN CONTESTANTS
¥p T^ie VVFA p“9^r“