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t
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 7, NUMBER 34
PALMER, ALASKA, THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1954
PRICE TEN CENTS
LEGION PREPARES FOR '54 CONVENTION
VALLEY BANK
IS DESIGNATED
F.D.I.C. MEMBER
The Matanuska Valley Bank
have received notice from A. J.
L,oda, special assistant, board of
directors, Federal Deposit Insur
ance Corporation, Washington
that deposit insurance for the
local bank became effective Mon
day, June 14.
“We take this opportunity”,
Loda stated, “to welcome your
bank into the family of insured
institutions and to assure you
that it will always be our desire
to be of service.”
Since July 28, 1947 when the
Matanuska Valley Bank opened
to business, a continued growth
has been shown. On March 29,
1952, Robert A. Baker of Anch
orage purchased the outstanding
stock, and with his associates, re
organized the institution with ad
ditional capital funds. Since that
time deposits have more than
doubled and new services were
offered when the bank was de
signated by the government as a
United States Series E Bond
agent, and as a U. S. Depository.
“As another step in offering
the very best in banking servic
es to the people of the valley, it
is indeed a pleasure to announce
at this time, our meiubeishg) in
the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation,” President Baker
stated today.
In addition to Baker, present
officers are: Harry J. Hill, vice
president: Richard M. Jones,
cashier-manager, and John H.
Clawson, secretary.
Ring Rot Causes
Rule Tightening
Requirements for certified seed
production will tighten as a re
sult of the discovery of ring rot
in two lots of certified seed pota
toes this spring, Charles Logsdon,
executive secretary of the Alaska
Certified Seed Growers Associa
tion, said today.
Working with the association
is the university’s agricultural
experiment station which will
start research to find more exact
methods of detecting ring rot
disease in fields and in bins
Slight infections may cause no
recognizable symptoms until the
potatoes are cut for seed. This is
what happened this spring, Logs
don explained. The seed is all
right for commercial planting
this year, but farmers should not
save' ^fiy of this material for
next year’s planting.
Word was received in Palmer
this week of the death of Mrs.
W. L. Wilson of Salem, Oregon,
mother of Charles Wilson of Pal
mer. Mrs. Wilson passed away
June 14.
CITY TO PURCHASE
LIABILITY INSURANCE
Liability insurance, to cover
city activities more extensive
ly than previous, was author
ized by members of the city
council June 15. The insur
ance, to be purchased from
Pippel Insurance covers bodily
injury, and property damage
caused by city operators, ve
hicles, streets and sidewalks,
city park and dump. Prior to
the full coverage, only city
vehicles carried the liability
insurance.
3oy Seoul Gamp
9pens June 27
Jer Local Scouts
Plans for the annual Boy Scout
camp at King’s Lake were dis
! cussed during the regular meet
ing of Troop 654 last Tuesday.
There are a few changes in re
quirements from past years, and
a number of new boys who have
never been to camp were present,
so many questions were answer
ed.
This year the Anchorage Boy
Scout office has asked that the
camp fee of $25.00 be paid in ad
vance of the starting date for
camp, June 27. Therefore, each
boy was asked to have his camp
tee reach Scoutmaster Harry
Wimmer not later than the next
troop meeting June 22.
A medical examination by a
physician is required of each boy
attending camp. Forms for these
examinations were given out at
the troop meeting Tuesday. Any
scout who did not received one
should contact Mr. Wimmer, eith
er at his home or at the Agri
cultural Experiment Station
building in Palmer.
Dr. C. C. Bailey, who again this
year will donate his time, has
requested that scouts wishing to
have medical examinations at
cend in a group. He has set Tues
day afternoon, June 22, from 1
p.m. to 2 p.m. as the date and
time. Scouts should report to his
office in the Wright Building at
the specified time. The office
will be locked, Scoutmaster said,
and Scouts are requested to
knock on the door for admission.
All scouts who wish Dr. Bailey
to give their examinations are
requested to be there on time
Boy Scout camp opens Sunday
afternoon, June 27. All scouts
should plan to arrive at Kings
Lake Camp about 3 p.m., Wim
mer said. Transportation is usua
lly furnished by parents, how
ever, if any of the scouts need
transportation they should con
tact Scoutmaster Wimmer and ar
rangements will be made for their
travel. The week’s camp will end
(Continued on page 8)
FARMERS MARKET
REOPENING
SATURDAY, JUNE 19
Fresh Valley Produce
Hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday
and Sunday
T
CO OP CREAMERY
IN FAIRBANKS
OPENS TOMORROW
The formal opening of the
Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
operating Association’s new
quarter of a million dollar milk
processing plant in Fairbanks
i will be held tomorrow' from 3:30
to 8:00 p.m. Fred Zieke, Co-Op
general manager, and Mrs. Zieke
Keith Walker, manager of the
local creamery, and Clayton Es- ,
slinger, controller, will attend the
ceremonies. Because this is the j
peak planting season, Co-Op
board members were unable to
get away to attend the dedica
tion.
The one-story concrete rein
forced steel building w'as remod
eled under the supervision of Lee
Link of Fairbanks. It is located
at 124 Second Avenue in the far
north city and will be used for
recombined milk processing and
the manufacturing of ice cream, j
Get Ice Cream Contract
The new Fairbanks plant are
apparent successful bidders for J
supplying around 90,000 gallons j
of ice cream on a six-month con
tract from July 1 to December 1,
according to Clayton Esslinger. j
In addition to the new ice cream ;
contract, milk from the new
plant will be shipped to air bases
in the north. This will replace
shipments that have been going
out from the local plant to the
Fairbanks area.
The famous iVLatanuska Maid
brand will be used on products
produced in the new plant.
FARMER’S MARKET
OPENS SATURDAY
Residents are reminded that
the Farmer’s Market will open
for the first time this Saturday.
In addition to seasonal vege
tables, there will be fresh home
made pastry products, flowers,
and possibly some hand crafts on
; sale.
The market will be Open Sat
urday and Sunday throughout
the day. T. A. Moyer was again
this year appointed market mas
ter and will be in charge of space
rentals.
Repairs were made to the mar
ket earlier this spring and the
booths have been repainted. Lo
cated across the railroad tracks
on the Co-Op corner, the market
is accessible to all.
WEINER ROAST
PLANNED FOR
ENTIRE VALLEY
The first community-wide pro
gram to be sponsored by the Pal
mer Area Recreation Council will
be the giant weiner roast to be
held Friday evening, from 5:30
to 7:00 on the lot opposite from
the old hospital. Brush which
was cleared from the lot will be
ignited for the bonfires. Everyone
in the valley is invited to attend
and families are urged to attend,
and take all members of the fam
ily
Each family should take their
their own lunch or weiners, bev
erages will be sold on the lot
by members of the P.A.R.C. and
playground personnel. Money
from the beverage sales will go
toward the summer playground
now in operation.
There will be no playground
program the evening of the wein
er roast, but tentative plans call
for a talent show at the weiner
roast. Youngsters now attending
the playground will probably
participate.
In the event of windy or rainy
weather, the roast will be post
poned. Members of the city fire
department and members of the
Forest Service will stand by dur
ing the burning.
Telephone Numbers
To Be Changed Soon
The City of Palmer telephone
system is undergoing a partial re
organization and some public in
convenience is going to be ex
perienced, Parker Lester, chair
man of the telephone committee j
said this week. There has been !
a new 101 circuit lead covered
cable installed from the telephone j
office north to the Pioneer Apart- i
ments and all subscribers served
by this cable will, by necessity,
have their numbers changed.
The City telephone department
is adopting a new four-digit num
bering code, which will speed !
up operations in the office and
lead to better service, Lester
said. As soon as possible a new
directory will be mailed to all
subscribers, and then persons
mak’.ng calls will be asked to call
by number only. To call by name
will only occasion delay, he
pointed out, for the telephone
operator will have to refer to the
directory and look up the correct
number before placing the call.
(Continued on page 8)
MATANUSKA VALLEY MILK PRODUCTION
TOTALS 6,514,313 POUNDS IN 1953
An agricultural survey for 1953,
conducted by Dick Andrews of
the Agriculture Experiment Sta
: tion, indicates an overall figure
of 10,141,592 pounds of milk
were produced in the territory
; during the past year. Of this
amount, 6,045,313 pounds were
produced and sold in the Matan
uska Valley, plus another 469,000
j pounds which were used on the
| farms.
The total value of $1,016,877
of the overall production, was
computed at the price received
by the farmer through processors.
This tends to devaluate farm
I production compared to some
I past surveys which comuted val
ues at retail price according to
the Department of Agriculture
which assisted Andrews in his
survey. Of the total, the Valley
leads production with $650,106
income from dairy products.
Milk cows in the territory to
taled 1,430, with 980 heifers and
heifer calves. In the Matanuska
Valley there are 881 milk cows;
347 heifers one year and over;
312 heifer calves, and 38 dairy
bulls. Tanana Valley by compari
son have 107 milk cows; 29 heif
ers one year and dver; 30 heif
er calves and 5 dairy bulls. In
the Kenai Peninsula the totals
run very much the same as in the
Tanana Valley.
PALMER TO HAVE
ANOTHER DOCTOR
Dr. C. C. Bailey announced
this week that Dr. John Bur
nett of Seattle, Washington,
who is now completing work
in the Seattle General Hospit
al, will arrive in Palmer some
time the latter part of July and
will be associated with him in
the practice of medicine and
surgery.
Dr. Burnett is married and
the father of three children.
His family will accompany him
on his trip north. Dr. Burnett
was a visitor in the Valley
last week.
Chamber Hears of
Little Susitna
“Playground” Area
Ralph Farnsworth, member of
Ve Matanuska Ski club broach
ed the possible formation of a
corporation among residents to
promote skiing in the Valley re
gion during the June 15 meeting
of the Matanuska Valley Chamb
er of Commerce. Citing the fact
that thousands of skiers will be
seeking a new area this coming
season, because of the closure of
Arctic Valley Ski Bowl, Farns
worth stated the natural place
for them to turn would be to the
Little Susitna area, where skiing
has been carried on for a period
of years but with very little ad
vancement in the line of improve
ments during this period of time.
The local club has installed a ski
tow and what other minor im
provements limited funds would
permit.
Such a development would re
quire capital investment. “Skiers
prefer to ski—they don’t want
to operate a lodge or ski tow”, he
pointed out. “They will pay for
these services, but they do not
want to operate them”, he added.
Chamber members agreed that
the tourist potential would war
rant further study of his propos
al. One member pointed out the
year-round potential in that re
gion, mentioning atractions for
camera clubs, hunter^, fishermen,
prospectors clubs, riding clubs,
(Continued on page 8)
KAT’L COMMANDER
TO ARRIVE JUNE 23;
BIO PARADE PLANNED
Next week at this time the city
of Palmer will be teeming with
hundreds of visiting Legionnair
es and their families. Included
will be 250 delegates who will at
tend the 35th annual American
Legion Convention to be held in
this city from June 23 through
June 26.
Arthur Connell, national com
mander, of Middletown, Conn,
will attend the convention. Com
mander Connell is expected to
arrive in Anchorage on June 22
and will be a guest of the Jack
Henry Post No. 1 in Anchorage
prior to his trip from there to
Palmer. Included in the recepiion
group who will meet Connell at
International Airport is Dr. Fos
ter Sims. Alaska department
commander of Palmer.
Highlights of the convention
will include addresses by Con
nell; Lt. Gen. Joseph P. Atkinson,
commander-in-chief of the Alas
kan Armed Forces, and Weino
Hendrickson, Secretary of Alaska
who will represent Governor B.
Frank Heintzleman. Sid Rayner
of the Jack Henry Post of Anch
orage will be master of ceremon
ies during the convention.
Opening the convention will be
registration from 10 a.m. to 1
p.m.; Forty and Eight banquet
Wednesday evening, and the past
president’s dinner for members
of the Legion Auxiliary.
Thursday evening will be the
“Stuht Night”, beginning at 8
p.m. The program will be held in
the Palmer School gymnasium.
Friday will be highlighted by
the largest parade ever staged in
Palmer. Beginning at 5:00 p.m.,
the parade will continue until
around 6:00 p.m. The official
Legion band, from the Cordova
High School will be flown to the
Valley to participate in the par
ade. Tentatively expected is the
drum and bugle corp from Val
dez.
Units who will be marching in
clude the Matanuska Valley Post
No. 15; 40 and 8; Jack Henry
Post No. 1 from Anchorage; Am
erican Legion Post No. 2 from
(Continued on page 8)
Notice to Taxpayers
Tax assessment notices are being mailed
to property owners within the City of Palmer.
All assessment notices will be mailed on or
before Friday, June 18, 1954.
The Common Council of Palmer will sit as
a Board of Equalization starting at 8:00 p.m.,
Wednesday, June 23, 1954 at the office of the
City Clerk for the purpose of equalizing the
taxes and hearing protests, if any, of taxpay
ers who wish to protest their assessment.
Protests may be filed with Tax Assessor
Ray Byham at his office in the Neil Wright
Bldg, at anytime prior to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday,
June 22, 1954. Forms for filing protests are
available at the said Tax Assessor's office.
ELIZABETH BARRY, City Clerk
Msnrs FAVORITE GRIDE EUERU TOES.
PALMER ELKS LODGE HOME EVERYBODY WELCOME
8:00 P.M.
PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES