Vol. 1, No. 67
Palmer, Alaska, May 21, 1948
Ten Cents
.More Events
Are Added
To Colony Dav
Time schedules were juggled
dhd changed to make room for
several new events during the
two-day May 29 and 30 Colony
Day celebration, when the plan
ning committee met for another
session last Monday evening.
Major additions to the day’s
program of events included a
model planes demonstration and
a tug-of-war between Valley
.formers and Jonesville miners.
Roland Snodgrass of the Valley
was named to confer with a
Jonesville representative to ar
range details of this latter event.
Members of Anchorage’s Mod
el Plane club will be asked to
bring their miniature airships
for a demonstration sometime
during the two-day show. It was
at first hoped that Valley boys
would be able to organize a
show, but it was reported that
the local club has been inactive
recently.
It was suggested that a record
making booth be set up, where
Colony Day visitors might make
recordings as souvenirs of the
celebration.
Mrs. Neal Miller accepted the
responsibility of planning a Kid
dy Parade for the afternoon of
vlay 30. She asks that all chil
dren of the Valley, born between
January, 1935 and the present
time meet with her on the school
steps at 1 o’clock that day. The
parade will get under way at
1:30.
The responsibility for the Sat
urday evening dance in Palmer’s
gymnasium was shifted to the
Moose Lodge and to the Women
<>f the Moose, when the Legion
Auxiliary declined. That dance
will be preceded by a two-hour
Bingo session in the school lunch
room under the management of
members of the Northland Pio
neer Grange.
Members of the Matanuska
Valley Sportsmen’s board, which
met earlier Monday evening to
complete plans for their share
in the day’s program, announced
that trapshooting will be held
both Saturday and Sunday.
Shooting is to begin at 4 o’clock
Saturday and at 2:30 Sunday
afternoon.
Contestants will compete for
fnerchandise coupon prizes. Any
caliber rifle will be admitted to
the shoot, according to Ralph
Goodrich. However contestants
must bring their own ammuni
tion, unless shooting with a .22
rifle. Both men and women are
eligible for trapshooting compe
tition.
A plan for a six-day series of
spot announcements over radio
-itation KFQD, plus 15 minutes
of time devoted to promotion of
Colony Day, was adopted by the
group. It was announced that
'(Continued on Back Page)
MAP FINAL PLANS
For final preparation in the
planning of next weekend’s Col
ony Day celebration, members
of the board of directors of the
^latanuska Valley Sportsmen
i will meet in the Palmer Foun
f tain at 7 o’clock next Monday
evening. That meeting will be
followed at 9 o’clock by a gen
Sral meeting of everyone work
ig on the Colony Day plans.
4
IDLE MINUTES ARE FEW
IN HEALTH NURSES' DAY
Most any day is a busy day
in the life of a public health
nurse in the Valley. That fact
was thoroughly proved in the
quarterly report made to the
Valley Health Council by nurse
Dolores Zeis last Monday eve
ning.
Miss Zeis totalled up her quar
ter’s work at the request of a
curious Council. Here’s what
she found she’d accomplish, since
coming to Palmer:
10 cases of communicable di
seases visited.
18 immunizations given.
3 tubercular patients helped
to gain admitttance to sanitoria.
19 visits made to tubercular
patients.
21 pre-natal cases registered,
with a total of 38 visits made to
the homes.
4 expectant mothers from Wa
silla enrolled and given instruc
tion in a pre-natal class.
75 home visits made to assist
mothers in the care of newborn
infants. Instruction was given
in bathing the new infant, and
in some instances, help with
formulae was given.
51 home visits were made to
contact pre-school children.
38 children were examined at
well baby conferences.
19 visits were made to the j
homes of patients with other!
than communicable diseases.
130 school pupils were seen
during the hours given to school
nursing duties.
18 visits were made to the
homes of school students, in cases
where the nurse’s assistance was
needed to assure better health
for the child.
In her spare moments, Miss
Zeis took care of the office work
necessary to her position as the
Valley’s public health nurse. She
made visits to Wasilla and Jones
ville, as well as to the Butte and
the entire Valley area.
In other business taken up at
Monday’s meeting of the Health
Council, it was voted to renew
the Valley’s annual pledge of
$600 as the local quota paid to
the Department of Public Health
each year.
A letter from Dr. C. E. Al
brecht’s office stated that this
year’s lower contribution of $450
would be accepted, in view of
conditions prevailing in the Val
ley.
Monday’s meeting was the fi
nal one of the season for the
Health Council. The work of the
group will be resumed in the
fall.
At the conclusion of the busi
ness meeting, Dr. F. R. Sims,
Valley dentist, addressed mem
bers of the Council on dental
health.
Post Chaplain Speaks
At Chamber Luncheon
Chaplain Victor Pennekamp
of Fort Richardson was guest of
honor at last Wednesday’s Cham
ber of Commerce luncheon meet
ing. Chaplain Pennekamp’s ad
dress emphasized the importance
of instilling the proper values in
young people through adult ex
ample in the home.
Guests at the Wednesday
meeting, in addition to Chaplain
Pennekamp, included Harry
Peebles, manager of the Mata
nuska Hotel, and M. D. Hanson.
Mr. Hanson was one of the 1932
colonists who settled in the Butte
area.
American Legion
Will Conduct
Memorial Service
Memorial Day services will be
conducted by the American Le
gion at the Palmer cemetery
Sunday morning. May 30 at 10 o’
clock, it was announced today
by Commander Jack Maze.
Following the local service,
members of the Legion will drive
to Wasilla, there to assist mem
bers of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars in the dedication of the
Wasilla cemetery. That service
is planned for 11:15.
At last, irronxfersman read
ers are being allowed a glimpse
of Florence Carlson's prize
winning photo of Alice Stew
art. This picture was judged
the best of the lot in the not
so-recent contest sponsored by
the Palmer Photographic Cen
ter. Miss Stewart is pictured
perched on the steps of Pal
mer school.
School Head
Is Selected
Francis M. Malcolm, high
school instructor at Seldovia for
the past year, has been appoint
ed Palmer’s next superintendent
of schools, it was announced this
week. Mr. Malcolm’s Seldovia
assignment was his first in the
territory.
The new superintendent holds
his master’s degree, which he
took at Columbia University. He
has a varied background of
teaching experience, much of it
centered in Maine, which is his
home. He came to Alaska from
an assignment in the Southwest.
Mr. Malcolm arrived in Pal
mer this week to confer with
Carl Snelling, retiring superin
tendent. He expects to spend the
next several days here, and then
will go Outside for a short va
cation before assuming his new
duties.
8 Teachers Plan Palmer Vacation
To roam about the territory
for an all-Alaskan vacation, or
to stay home farming and im
proving the family domicile were
top choices in vacations for Pal
mer teachers this year. Only
three, Harry Wimmer, Mrs. Bar
bara Smart and superintendent
Carl Snelling plan to make trips
Outside.
Mr. and Mrs. Smart are leav
ing the territory at once, with
their first stop set for Los An
geles, California, where they will
visit with Mrs. Smart’s mother.
After that they will make an
extended visit in the states, prob
ably staying out for an entire
year. However they do plan to
return to Palmer, where they
are planning to construct their
future home.
Mr. Snelling will go first to
Kodiak, where he will work next
year. After spending several
weeks there, breaking into the
routine of his new position and
fishing for Kodiak steelhead, Mr.
Snelling will make a short visit
to the states before beginning
the fall school year.
Mr. Wimmer and his family,
who have not been Outside in
seven years, plan an extended
visit for the length of the sum
mer vacation. They will drive
out over the Alaska Highway,
and will visit in Kansas, Nebras
ka, California and Washington
before their return.
Included on the Wimmer visit
ing list this summer are Rev.
and Mrs. Woodrow Kurth, for
mer Lutheran pastor and wife
who have recently moved to
Rawlins, Wyo.; Mr. and Mrs.
Donald Payne, former hospital
employes now living at Sunny
vale, Wash.; Mr. and Mrs. Vern
Mormon of Pasco, Wash.; Mr.
and Mrs. Fred McIntyre; and
Mrs. Margaret Swanson of Har
vard, Neb.
The Wimmers will make the
return trip over the highway in
company with Rev. and Mrs.
Victor Alfsen, whom they will
meet in Washington.
Mrs. Darrell Frank and Mrs.
Robert Seiber, two recent brides,
will exchange classroom chores
Eor housekeeping duties. The
Franks plan some extensive re
modelling on their farm this
summer. Mrs. Frank hopes later
for a trip to the Nome and Kotze
aue area. Mrs. Seiber will go
to Anchorage to set up house
keeping there in the O’Hara
Apartments.
Mrs. Ethel Lyons is planning
to spend her vacation at Cor
dova. Miss Jean Dickson also
may take a look at Cordova this
summer, but her plans aren’t
definite. Miss Dickson’s mother
will join her here in July, and
the pair plan to spend the re
mainder of the summer, “just
looking around Alaska,’’ accord
ing to Miss Dickson. They are
especially anxious to make a
trip into the Interior.
Mrs. Pearl Harter will stay
in Palmer and work on her
douse. Mrs. Harold Winegarner,
" (Continued on back page)
Four Members
Are Suspended
From MVFCA
Rex Monoghan, Mads Johann
sen, Jack Cope and Arvid John
son were suspended from mem
bership in the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Co-operating Associa
tion last Monday, by action of
the board of directors. The ac
tion was taken, it was explained
by a board spokesman, because
it was felt these men “have per
formed acts harmful to the wel
fare of the Association.”
The men were notified of their
suspension by letter. They were
told they will be permitted to
attend meetings, but they cannot
enter into any group discussion
nor can they vote on any ques
tions. However, they were
warned that they are still bound
by their marketing agreement
with the Co-op.
The period of suspension, if
the act is upheld at a hearing,
is to be for two years.
Carl Rasmussen, Co-op board
secretary, said the four men had
10 days within which they may
file a written protest to the ac
tion. The protest period expires
on May 27. A hearing will be
scheduled within five days, when
the four may present arguments
against the suspension.
None of the four have filed a
protest yet. However, one of the
group said Thursday morning
that it was his intention to do
so. He pointed out that the let
ter of notification carried no
specific charges. He said he
would press for definite charges.
The suspended four, three of
whom are farmer members of
the Alaska Rural Rehabilitation
Corporation board, represent
three dairymen and a vegetable
grower.
Chamber Will
Attempt To Get
Palmer Census
Because census information
regarding Palmer’s population is
unavailable, the Chamber of
Commerce board of directors de
cided, last Tuesday evening, to
undertake an informal count of
Palmerites. A census is neces
sary to supply information re
quested by Joseph Flakne, chief
of the Alaska Branch of the De
partment of the Interior.
Under the direction of Jack
Maze, the town was split into
four sections and portioned out
to Chamber members. They were
instructed to skip a time-delay
ing door to door survey, in fa
vor of a more rapid estimate,
based on the homes lying with
in their assigned area. ^
Census takers who will be
counting noses this week include
Ed Christensen, Jack Maze, Mrs.
Lou Henke and M. D..Snodgrass.
A copy of the Valley’s Cham
ber by-laws was sent to the
; Spenard Business Association,
| which had requested informa
tion on how to organize a cham
ber of commerce.
A flying tour of 40 business
men from Great Falls, Mont.,
who are visiting in Anchorage
this week, were wired an invi
tation to include the Matanuska
Valley on their itinerary.