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The Frontiersman
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VOLUME 8, NUMBER 7
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1954
PHICE TEN CENTO
City Council
Proceedings
A request to purchase surplus
4 by 4 random lengths, left over
in the fire hall construction, was
referred to committee at the De
cember 7 City Council meeting
when council members decided
an inventory of all surplus ma
terials should be made before
selling. A request to purchase
surplus cement blocks and other
materials was also turned over to
the committee.
i ne Di-monthly health reporl
was read, with a large number
of chicken pox cases reported in
the schools the past two months.
Miss Dolores Mattila, public
health nurse, stated the last re
ported case of polio in Palmer
was in October. The report also
showed immurization, and physi
cal examination programs are be
ing conducted and that health
films are being shown in the
schools. The report was signed by
the health nurse and Dr. John
Burnett, acting city health officer.
A check in the amount of $150.
40 was received by the city from
ARRC as its share in a water line
assessment payment made to
ARRC.
Self-assessment blanks should
be mailed soon, members of the
administration and personnel
committee announced. A discus
sion of the present self-assess
ment blanks preceeded a motion
that 1955 assessments use the
forms left over from 1954 and that
the city renew its contract for
joint assessment facilities with
the Palmer Independent School
District for assessment and col
lection of real and personal prop
erty tax returns. The motion car
vContinued on page
DRIVER'S LICENSES
MUST BE RENEWED
BEFORE JANUARY 1
U. S. Commissioner Dorothy
Saxton this week reminded Al
askan drivers that they must re
new their driving license before
January 1, 1955. Tne 1953-54 li
cense now in effect will expire
at midnight December 31, 1954.
The driver’s license fee has in
creased to $4.00 for two years.
There is no provision for a one
year license.
Vehicle license plates may be
purchased anytime after Decem
ber 15, the same date on which
driver’s licenses will be avail
able. Again this year the Terri
tory will issue tags which must
be affixed to the old number
plate. Passenger car license tags
are $10, the same rate as last year.
Pick-up trucks are classified as
trucks, Mrs. Saxton pointed out.
The tags must be purchased be
fore February 28, 1955.
Dairyman Gives
Six Calves to _
Local 4-H Members
Dairyman George Jackson oi
Anchorage is giving six heifei
calves to Matanuska Valley 4
H’ers for the livestock projects
this year.
The six calves are the start oi
a continuing supply of heifer
calves for 4-H club work, Dis
trict Agricultural Agent Grayson
Murphy said today in explaining
the idea. Each 4-H’er who is giv
en a calf promises to raise the
animal to maturity and give the
first heifer calf from the cow to
the 4-H club. Another member
will get that calf to raise in the
same way.
jacKsons gut makes it possible
' for more 4-H’ers to obtain good
dairy calves for projects. Since
dairying is an important part
of Alaskan agriculture, the Exten
sion Service wants to encourage
4-H’ers interested in dairying,
Jackson is president and owner
of Alaska Dairy Products, Inc-,
in Anchorage.
The plan for continuous sup
; ply of calves is used frequently
in the states by commercial firms
supporting 4-H club work, Mur
phy explained. Jackson’s dona
tion is the first such large scale
gift for 4-H dairy work in the
Matanuska Valley.
Four-H members who are in
terested in obtaining one of these
calves must make application at
the Extension office by January
1, 1955.
PLANS BEGIN FOR
MASS X-RAY PROGRAM
Planning for a Valley-wide X
ray program right after the holi
days was initiated this past week
with the visit of Andrew J. Zeb
erl, health education consultant
of the Alaska Department of
Health.
Speaking with members of the
Matanuska Valley Health Asso
ciation, the public health nurses
at the Health Center and other
.nterested groups, Zeberl ex
plained the purpose and scope of
the program. “A chest X-ray for
every Alaskan” is part of a terri
tory-wide battle against the lead
ing disease killers: tuberculosis,
cancer and heart disease.
An organized campaign to get
the message of the program to
every family in the Valley was
begun with the selection of pro
gram chairmen for each area
where the mobile X-ray unit will
be set up for mass X-rays. Co
chairmen for the Palmer area are
Mrs. Richard Andrews and Mrs.
Charles Wilson. In the Wasilla
area, Mrs. May Carter is chair
man; Mrs. Harvey Hiber in Sut
ton, and James B. Daubenspeck
in Chugiak.
During the coming week many
people will be asked to serve on
several committees necessary to
insure the successful coordina
tion of the mass X-ray program.
To avoid yourself embarrassment or
threats by reason of the conditions
now existin'' we shall be glad to
deliver at orders telephoned. We
appreciate your continued patronage.
Telephone 2111
Koslosky's Dept. Store
PUBLIC URGED TO
MAKE RESERVATIONS
FOR HOLIDAY CALLS
The cooperation of Alaskans
who are planning holiday season
telephone calls to the States was
requested today by Colonel M. R.
Kunitz, commanding officer of
the Alaska Communication Sys
tem, Signal Corps, U. S. Army.
Col. Kunitz stated that an ad
I vance call reservation is the best
j assurance tnat the call will be
completed during the period when
the tremendous volume of re
quests often exceeds the available
facilities and may result in dis
appointments to those persons
who fail to make reservations in
advance.
Patrons are requested to con
tact the local ACS office at the
earliest possible date for reserva
tions.
blospita! Pays
Isiterast in Time
For Christmas
Nearly 100 families this week
received a welcomed surprise
from the Valley Hospital Associa
tion. Instead of the usual bill,
‘the letters enclosed a check cov
ering interest due on hospital
bonds.
Payment of interest for 1951,
1952, 1953 was made possible
through the sale of second-hand
equipment and part of the old
buildings. Funds for 1954 inter
est were set aside at the last an
nual meeting, at which time an
nual membership dues of $2.50
per person were earmarked for
■i special fund to pay bonded in
debtedness.
Finance chairman, Hugh A.
Johnson commented today, “It is
a real pleasure for the Board to
be able to become current with
our interest payments. It has been
a long time since we could pay
bills before they were due".
Friends of the hospital also will
be interested in an attractive
leaflet recently released. It pro
vides many interesting sidelights
on the new Valley Presbyterian
Hospital. Copies are available at
the hospital office. They also will
be mailed on request.
CITY ATTORNEY
TO REPRESENT CITY
IN COURT TOMORROW
City Attorney John Shaw will
represent the City of Palmer in
District Court in Anchorage to
morrow afternoon at 2 p.m., when
the city must show cause why it
should not be restrained from in
curring further costs in connec
tion with the construction of a
fire hall; from making further
expenditures for obligations al
ready incurred in connection with
the fire hall and from incurring
additional obligations and liabil
ities of any sort in contravention
of territorial and city ordinances.
Council members gave Attor
ney Shaw authorization to “de
fend to the fullest extent, the ac
tion now pending in the District
Court.”
The summons for the court ap
pearance was served on the city
last Thursday, as the result of a
Palmer as defendant.
ORDER YOUR
POINSETTIAS NOW
See us for Xmas cards,
ties, candles, wrap
ping, trims, Santa
Claus planters and
new pottery.
MATANUSKA VALLEY
GARDENS
Phone 32J11 Palmer
BAND BOOSTER
BOARD MEETING SET
There will be a meeting of
the Palmer Band Booster ex
ecutive committee on Monday
night, December 13 at the Pal
mer School. Any “Booster”
member who has ideas or sug
gestions to pass along to the
board is invited to attend. The
meeting is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Residents Planning
Home Decorations
In Holiday Contest
Several valley families have
started plans for holiday decora
tions in and around their homes,
according to the Palmer Garden
Club, who is sponsoring a Christ
mas Lighting Contest through
out the Palmer area.
those planning to participate
are reminded to register before
December 18, the closing date.
Decorations may be of the inside
window type, outdoor decora
tions, or a combination of both.
The registration book is at the
Matanuska Valley Gardens Flow
er Shop in the Co-Op shopping
area, and will be used to assist
the iudges in locating the par
ticipating houses.
Cash prizes of $15, $10 and $5
will be given in the indoor ar.d
outdoor classes. The awards in
both classifications were made
possible when the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Commerce
voted to match the prizes being
offered by the Garden Club.
Varied suggestions for inexpen
sive, yet effective decorations,
may be found in most current
magazines—at the Extension Ser
vice office—and in scrap books
at the flower shop.
The general area in which par
ticipants must reside to be eligib
le for the contest runs from the
Knik River bridge to Wasilla, up
to Moose Creek bridge, through
out the south-of-town area,
around the Experiment Station
farm region and several addition
al farm roads. Anyone in doubt
about their eligibility is asked to
contact a member of the Garden
Club, or call the flower shop. The
area was set up to try and include
everyone in the area, however, a
few isolated sections where only
one or two homes are located, had
to be excluded because of the
difficulty in reaching the places
for judging.
From all indications the Pal- |
mer area will be exceptionally [
beautiful this holiday season.
No Change Reported
In Strike Status
No change in the status of the
week-old walk out at Koslosky’s
Department store was reported
today, with the picket line is be
ing containued. A week ago to
day eight clerks staged a walk
out at the local department store
when agreement to contract terms
between, the Retail Clerk’s Union
1496 and Kosloskys failed to ma
terialize.
Pearl Gibson, union agent who
is representing the workers, said
this week that the workers are
asking for scale pay, plus fringe
benefits. Jan Koslosky stated
last week that the store is unable !
to meet both the scale pay and
the fringe benefits. The benefits
would include paid vacations,
sick leave, premium pay, and
double time for holiday work.
Waldo Thompson, secretary
treasurer of local 628 of the Am
algamated Meat Cutters and
Butcher Workmen of North Am
erica, was in Palmer on, Wednes
day of this week at the request
of union employees in the Koslos- j
ky meat department who had
asked for representation.
Delegates Ask
Changes in
Insurance Laws
More than 60 delegates and
guests attended the annual meet
ing of Alaska Insurance Agents
Association which was held in
Anchorage last week. Attending
from Palmer were Bob and Kay
Pippel of the Pippel Insurance
Company.
The meeting was attended by in
surance agents from the entire
territory, as well as representa
tatives of many Seattle and San
Francisco insurance companies
and offices. Included among the
Stateside visitors were Robert C.
Stevenson of San Francisco, re
presentative of the Pacific Fire
Rating Bureau, and John H. Mar
tin, manager of the Standard
Forms Bureau, also of San Fran
cisco.
Emphasis of the meeting was
placed on how to protect the pub
lic from unqualified insurance
practices, Pippel reported. The
convention group passed several
resolutions, including asking leg
islature to create an insurance
board, with a full-time insurance
• commissioner, to carry out pro
i visions of the Alaska insurance
| code; asking legislature to pro
| vide more public protection rela
tive to qualifications of domestic,
foreign and alien law stock in
surance companies; asking for re
vision of the present insurance
code relative to regulation and
licensing of insurance agents;
asking legislature for a model ar
son law, patterned after the
form of the American Law In
stitute. The group also will ask
legislature to require a resident
insurance agent’s signature on all
policies covering property in Al
aska arc! they requested an ex
amination of any so-called “pack
age policy” covering risks locat
ed in Alaska to insure the fire
portion of such coverage complies
with existing territorial law
Officers elected were: Lewis
Simpson, Anchorage, president;
Dick Hardcastle, Ketchikan, vice
president; Ed Dimock, Anchorage,
secretary; Jim Taylor, Petersburg,
treasurer, and John Butrovich,
Fairbanks, and Mrs. Doris Barnes,
Wrangell, executive committee
members.
WORLD TRAVELER
TO SPEAK IN PALMER
Visiting mission stations around
the world, Everett Minkler is
scheduled to make his last stop
here in Alaska before returning
to the States.
This Christian business man
will be guest speaker at the
Church of God Sunday night in
the 8:00 o’clock service. Mr. Mink
ler with his wife and son, David,
will report their impressions of
world conditions and share their
inspiring experiences. The public
is most warmly invited to share
this challenging and informative
service.
CIVIL DEFENSE
OFFICIALS TO
VISIT CITY TUES.
Ed Fortier, Third Division Civ
il Defense Director, will meet
with the Palmer City Council and
all who. are active or interested
in Civil Defense on Tuesday eve
ning, December 14 at 8 p.m., in
the City Clerk’s office in the
Wright building.
Accompanying Fortier will be
an officer of the Army Air Force
who will explain the military
situation at present and the
changes in Civil Defense plan
ning which is now in progress.
Edward H. Imme, CD Direc
tor, Greater Palmer District, has
invited the public to attend the
meeting, and it is especially ur
gent, he added, that representa
tives of the different Civil De
fense areas in the Great Palmer
District be present.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
PLANS FORMULATING
Solicitations for the annual
Merchants Christmas Party will
begin in Palmer on Friday of this
week, when members of Theta
Chapter, Beta Sigma Phi, start
contacting local business firms,
soliciting for annual gifts.
As far as possible this year,
merchants will be given their
choice of donating candy or fruit
for the bags of goodies to be dis
tributed to each child, or giving
money that will help offset the
necessary expenses.
Plans for the December 24th,
valley-wide party, call for a 20
foot decorated Christmas tree, the
famous "candy house”, complete
with Santa’s chimney, the show
ing of several children’s cartoon
and comic films, and the per
sonal appearance of Santa Claus.
All children in the Valley, up to
a specific school grade age, are
eligible to attend the party. Be
cause of limited seating and the
increased number of children in
the younger age bracket, all par
ents are asked to remain away
from the party.
The age bracket will be an
nounced as soon as possible.
Members of the Palmer Moose
lodge have again this year offer
ed their services as ushers at the
party and will be on hand from
the time the doors open until the
last youngster has left for home.
Women of the Moose also have
offered their assistance to the
community projedt and will take
on the big job of sacking the good
ies. Sacks of goodies left over will
be distributed among the area
children’s homes.
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Welcome
OLD AND NEW
CUSTOMERS
Reopening of Sisleys Service, Monday,
December 13. Complete garage service
and repairs, with parts and labor
guaranteed.
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DECEM8ER II
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