Daniels — In The Lion’s Den
The revival of the Valley fire association, reported in last
Friday’s Valley Frontiersman, has been a short-lived affair. The
organization roused briefly from it 18-months’ long sleep, stirred
once or twice, and settled down to nap again.
The board of directors met just a week ago last Monday and
decided that the greatest need of the association was a building.
It was said that if only a building could be obtained in which
equipment could be housed and volunteers might drill, the path
to organizing an efficient fire-fighting unit would be simplified.
Plans were drafted to purchase such a building. Figures pre
sented at the board meeting made it clear that at least $10,000
would be needed to erect a suitable building. Board members
tightened their belts, rolled up their sleeves, and began producing
ideas as to how that amount might be raised.
Benefits which would accrue to the community, if better fire
protection were available, were listed. An insurance agent said
better fire protection, plus adequate hydrants, would mean a
“tremendous saving” in insurance rates. Cost of recent major fires
was discussed. Then the whole discussion was reduced to terms of
actual cost in cash, labor or material to Valley residents.
One member of the board of directors pointed out that it
would take only 400 Valley residents donating $50 each in money,
material or labor to finance the entire building fund. Directors
agreed that in a Valley with an estimated population of 4,000
there ought to be 400 residents with enough interest in acquiring
good fire protection to give that much.
It seemed, in that Tuesday discussion, little enough to ask
in return for modern equipment and efficient volunteer fire
fighters. The equipment is available, as is training for fire depart
ment volunteers. That meetings closed with each member feeling
that much had been accomplished and that a united and coop
erative effort would insure the fire association that we need.
Two days later Col. John P. Johnson, general manager of the
Alaska Railroad, was in Palmer. While here he talked with local
businessmen. He offered them, without cost to the community, the
building needed. He also offered, still without cost, a $9,000 fire
truck and equipment.
In five minutes’ conversation, Colonel Johnson saved the
Valley an estimated $10,000 investment in a fire station. All that
he asked in return was the organization of an efficient volunteer
fire department and that the Valley pay the salary of a full-time
maintenance man at the station.
„ Those of us who heard that conversation felt that the last
obstacle in the path of Palmer’s modern fire station had been
hurdled. We had the winter before us in which to plan, and to
begin organization of the Valley men into an efficient firefighting
unit.
A meeting was set for Monday evening to discuss further de
tailed plans. Announcement was printed in the Frontiersman and
interested community residents were invited to attend. Some doubt
was expressed as to whether the meeting place was large enough
to accommodate all local residents who would wish to participate.
But we had forgotten the Palmer pattern. We had forgotten
that most of us here just sit and wait for the man next door to
start the ball rolling in any co-operative venture. We failed to
realize that not even a $9,000 fire truck and a station in which
to keep it is a big enough bandwagon over which to get many of
us enthused.
My Monday evening, the date of the next meeting, even the
board of directors had got a little tired of the idea. That scheduled
meeting, which was held in the Legion clubrooms in order to ac
commodate as large an audience as possible, was attended by two
members of the board of directors. The other three were absent.
Since two can hardly plan for 4,000, the Matanuska Valley Volun
teer Fire Association has really lost ground in the past week. ,
Group acceptance of Colonel Johnson’s offer has not been
made. No further planning has been accomplished toward acquiring
an association fund, in the event the offer is accepted. In short,
nothing has been done.
In the meantime, two fires have been reported in the Valley
this week. In one case the fire truck did not reach the scene of
the reported fire. Volunteer help in private cars arrived 15 to 20
minutes after the whistle blew. ' f'
In this column of the Valley Frontiersman, dated Oct. 15, it was
stated:
“We can take the first step in the organization of an efficient
fire-fighting unit tomorrow. Or we can wait until homes and busi
ness establishments are smouldering ashes. The choice is ours.”
Can it be that we of the Valley have made that choice?
Valley FRONTIERSMAN
Published each Wednesday and Saturdw„
Palmer, Alaska
Viola Daniels .Editor
* No printed material in the Valley frontiersman may be re
produced except by permission of the editor.
Subscription rates.75c month
Delivered by carrier in Palmer. Mailed to all points in
Alaska and the United States.
----■
J. VIC BROWN & SONS
“The Live Jewelers”
★
I
ALASKA RAILROAD WATCH INSPECTORS
i1 *
Across from City Hall Anchorage
Chugiak
Comment
i
3y JUSTINE M. PARKS
The Community Club met last1
Saturday at the home of Mr. and j
Mrs. James McDowell. The chief |
subject under discussion was the 1
school problem. Since all pos- j
sibilities of getting a building
for this year have been exhaust
ed, the club devoted its time to
plans for getting a school bus.
After light refreshments were
served, the meeting adjourned.
The next regular meeting of
the Community Club wil lbe
held at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Cloyce W. Parks on Nov. 14.
I Mr. and Mrs. Les Tetrow and
son Larry are home again at
1 Mile 191/2 after a trip Outside.
1 The Teircws went out so that
Larry, aged 10 months, could
see his grandparents for the first
time. The Teirows visited in
Spokane, Wash., and Post Falls,
Idaho.
The whole Chugiak commun
ity wishes to thank driver
Ernie Emerson and all his pass
engers on the Sunday morning
Matanuska bus to Palmer. They
all assisted in putting out a fire
in the Wyatt home at Mile 19.
Now the Chugiak residents
would like to request special
buses of fire fighters on the run,
just to take care of such emer
gencies.
Concensus was that when it
froze, the mudhole at the bot
tom of Chugiak hill would be
easy to pass. However, last Sun
day eve'ning between 6 and 8
p.m. there were 41 cars trying
to drive through at one time, and
most of them mired down.
A recent report brought in
from Texas is that the Lone Star
state has plans of its own, when
Alaska becomes the 49th state.
When the territory gets state
hood, Texas is planning to dam
i and drain the Gulf of Mexico in
I order to hang on to its title as
i largest state in the union.
Paul Mitchell has purchased
Harold Taylor's home and soon
wil lbe a member of the Chugiak
community. Mr. Taylor plans to
go Outside‘soon.
Hallowe’en will soon be here.
Those of us who live on the
Palmer road (and some have
been here for as long as 3 Vfe
years) still miss the post-holiday
preparations for the kids’ “Trick
or Treat.”
Wasilla P-TA
Seeks Members, .
, More Knowledge
i WASILLA—Although only a
i few parents were present at last
week’s Parent-Teacher Associa
tion meeting, those in attendance
planned a strong activity pro
gram for the coming weeks. Com
mittees were appointed to con
duct a P-TA membership drive in
Wasilla and to plan a parent’s
night at the school.
Mrs. Vannie Courtney and
Mrs. Vivian Teeland were named
to visit all Wasilla homes and
outline the aims and objective!
of the P-TA program for the com
ing yfear.
Expensive Pheasant
Lt. John T. Williams of Fori
Richardson was convicted of i
game law violation last week anc
fined $100 by Walter E. Huntley
U. S. Commissioner. Lieutenan
Williams shot a pheasant near th<
Wasilla road during the closet
season. He was apprehended bj
Carl F. Stoeckle of the Fish ant
Wildlife Service.
The court also impounded th<
lieutenant’s gun.
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember? —Adv.
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Anchorage
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Out of town orders taken care of promptly
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Sporting Goods
Groceries
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