Four 4-H Clubs
Elect Officers,
Begin Year’s Work
Organization work for the
Valley’s 4-H clubs has been push
ed with all possible speed during
;he past week. Several new clubs
have been formed, and former
clubs have been re-organized
with new members enrolling for
the year’s projects.
Although many clubs already
are off to a flying start, there is
still time to enroll in 4-H work,
according to announcement from
the Extension office. Application
forms are available at that office.
The first of the new 4-H clubs
toLe organized was the club just
started at the Valley Christian
Home. This club, to be led by
Miss Florence Zinn, named these
members as officers:
President, Frank Sambo; vice
president, David Anderson; sec
retary, Mavis LaValley; reporter,
Frank Dalvin; song-leader, Don
ald JDalvin.
Another new club was institut
ed at the Lazy Mountain Child
ren’s Home last Saturday, under
the direction of Miss Marilyn
Johnson and Mrs. Bernice John
son. Officers elected in this club,
miiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiniilllillllll
which has selected gardening as
its project, were:
President, Charles Dewitt;
vice-president, Katherine Peder
sen; secretary, Esther Pedersen;
treasurer, Vasilla Hughes; song
leader, Kenneth Hughes.
The Butte 4-H club led by
Gloria Smith completed its re
organization and elected its of
ficers this week. This club will
work on a sewing project. Club
officers are:
President, Hazel Bamhardt;
vice-president, Joanna Rich; sec
retary, Nancy Frank; song-lead
er, Charlene Smith.
The new garden club spon
sored by Max Sherrod, with
Mrs. Neil Miller as assistant lead
er, also has elected its officers.
They are:
President, Betty Jane Clarke;
vice-presiden, Tim Miller; secre
tary, Howard Esslinger; report
er, Sharon McCartney; song-lead
er, Karen McCartney.
Members of this club will meet
at the Extension office each
Tuesday after school, until the
summer vacation begins. On
April 20, Mr. Sherrod has plan
ned a demonstration for the
group. At that time he will
. show the proper methods of fer
! tilizing soil and preparing it
! for planting.
imimiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiii!
■ t
The Alaska Railroad
i Offers Valley Residents a complete passenger and
freight service—daily except Sunday
! SCHEDULE
Leave Palmer .3:30 p m.
Arrive* Anchorage .S:30 p.m.
Leave Anchorage . 9:30 a.m.
Arrive* Palmer . 11:30 a.m.
Fare—$2.55 one way; $3.40 round trip
FOR INFORMATION
Call Palmer Depot — or Anchorage, ARCO 11
When You Repair or Build Use WOODL1FE
Water Repellent Rot Proof
Keeps wood from swelling, shrinking,
checking, warping
Now in Stock
CHAMPION Outboard Motors
RELIANCE Conversion Cookstove Burners
GRAHAM SERVICE
Mwhiiw Work Wolding Ropolr
Gas OU
There’s an O’HARRA bus leaving...
PALMER FOR ANCHORAGE
Daily at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ANCHORAGE FOR PALMER
Daily at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
(Except Sunday)
Sunday bus at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
PALMER FOR WASILLA
Daily at 1 and 8 p.m.
Connections for Gulkana, Fairbanks and Whilehorse
On Monday. Thursday. Saturday, 11 a.m.
O’Harra Bus Lines
'■fjaiu/day, April 10. 1943
Classified Ads
FOR RENT
OFFICE SPACE, Koslosky Bldg.
Inq. Jan Koslosky.
FOR SALE
CHOICE LOT in business dis
trict; corner lot west of Ward
Bldg. See Leon Faurie.
TRUCK, ’45 K-5 International;
2-speed rear end; complete
overhaul; priced for quick
sale; see or write L. F. Smith,
Box 849.
FARM, 3/4 mi. west of Experi
mental Farm. See F. A. Blom.
LOT in Sherrod sub-division. See
Bill Rempel.
TRACTOR, John Deere Row
Crop, Model A; comp, w/
power take-off, power lift, 2
row cultivator, 2-way plow.
See A. A. Rempel.
NOTICE
WELLS DRILLED. Get your
order in now. Write box 759,
Palmer or leave word at ARRC
office.
SPRING’S JUST AROUND THE
CORNER.
Army needs the Spuds,
We’ve got the seed.
Certified Arctic Seedlings, 10c
lb. Leave orders at Loberg’s
Quonset or write Box 1836,
Palmer.
LOST
MAN’S WRISTWATCH, Hialeah.
Reward. Return to Herman
Rempel or Palmer Photo
graphic Center.
BY ALL MEANS!
On your next trip down town,
drop into the tonsorial depart
ment of the Valley Barber Shop
and have your ears lowered or
your whiskers removed in a
fast, dependable manner.
VALLEY BARBER SHOP
D. S. MEEKS.
Owners Changed
At Barber Shop
Management of Vic’s Barber
Shop, located in the Rec Hall,
last week was transferred from
Victor Anderson to Bert McCool.
Mr. McCool, who has been bar
bering in Albany, Oregon, has
named the shop McCool’s Barber
Shop. He plans to keep week
day hours from 10 in the morn
ing until 8 in the evening, and
will be open from 10 a.m. to
9 p.m. on Saturday.
Mr. Anderson returned to his
home and business in Mt. Vernon,
Washington.
VALLEY VISITORS
At the Lodge:
Walt Nygard, Anchorage; H.
Sparks, Gakona; B. Sinclair, A.
M. Selover, Anchorage.
Mk
UNION BANK
of ANCHORAGE
NEW BANKING HOURS
2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
SATURDAY
10 a.m. to 12 noon
“ALASKA’S FASTEST
GROWING BANK”
408 Fourth Avenue
Valley FRONTIERSMAN
Published each Wednesday and Saturday
Palmer, Alaska
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947 at the post office
at Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription rates.75c month, $8 a year
Daniels — In the Lion’s Den
The Frontiersman was singularly honored last week, when a
recent editorial pointing out certain deficiencies in the operating
plans of the Valley Volunteer Fire Association was commended
by the Association representatives as being a “mighty roar.” How
ever there were certain points in this letter of commendation
which need further clarification from the Frontiersman point of
view.
The first paragraph of last week's letter pointed out that
while the Frontiersman editor was ‘ slumbering” the Association,
aided by the work of a few “fire-conscious” Valley residents had se
cured $15,000 worth of equipment. The paragraph implied that
all this valuable fire-fighting equipment had been accumulated
for the Valley unknown to the editor.
We feel Association members must be corrected on this point.
A perusal of Frontiersman files will reveal that its editor has been,
from the beginning of her stay in the Valley, most “fire-conscious.”
For example on Oct. 8, during Fire Prevention Week, an editorial
was written inquiring as to the type of fire equipment in the Val
ley, how that equipment was manned and used, and how fire alarms
could be sounded.
On Oct. 15, a second editorial answered those questions with
the report that “inadequate, out-moded equipment is manned by
untrained and insufficient personnel.” On Oct. 18, a front-page
headline reported “Fire Association Revived by Board.” A bulletin
to that story further reported that Col. John P. Johnson of The
Alaska Railroad had promised Palmer a fire-house and a $9,000
firetruck. “In return,” the story stated, “Palmer must offer a full
time worker to maintain the building and an effective volunteer
fire department to use the equipment.
On Oct. 25, a news story reported Col. Johnson’s fire plans for
the Valley in detail; Oct. 29, plans of the board of directors for the
purchase of a building were outlined.
On Nov. 15, the Frontiersman headlined a story with “Six
Men Plan to Carry On As Firemen.” Nov. 19, a front-page article
related that the “pumper motor is dead, fire drill cancelled.”
Front-page stories subsequently were carried on Nov. 26, Dec. 3,
Dec. 10, Dec. 13, Jan. 14, Feb. 4, Feb. 14 and March 31, all dealing
with Fire Association activities, other than the recreational and
fund-raising Bingo parties which were featured in additional
articles.
All of which, we maintain, goes to prove that the editor of the
Valley Frontiersman has been most “fire-conscious.” However
as time went on, and as Association meetings, board meetings and
fire drills became increasingly less attended, we felt it our respons
ibility to point out those facts to our Valley readers.
The Frontiersman editor believes that a million dollars worth
of fire-fighting equipment rusting into disrepair or freezing in a
cold building wouldn’t be much of an asset in fighting even a
chimney fire. We don’t care how much equipment the Valley has,
who got it, or what it cost—we only care that there is adequately
manned, well-maintained equipment ready to answer a firecall at
any hour of the day or night. That’s the only thing that really
matters.
We’ve never for a minute believed there was any particular
glory in being a volunteer firefighter—we know it’s a job that
goes thankless and unappreciated for the most part. Most fire
fighters just accept that fact and go right on fighting fires, because
they’re interested in saving lives and property.
We called for, in the editorial under question, and we’ll con
tinue to call for, three things. . . . They are, a trained crew of
firefighters, a storage spot for the firetruck that meets the re
quirements of The Alaska Railroad which loaned that truck, and
authorized firetruck drivers. Those three things aren’t qualifi
cations which were dreamed up by the Frontiersman editor. They
were requirements outlined in a contract signed by a Railroad of
ficial and the chairman of the Valley Volunteer Fire Association’s
board of directors. They must be adhered to or we will have only
$6,000 worth of equipment in our Valley rather than the much
publicized $15,000 units.
The Valley Frontiersman has never, at any time, called on
Valley residents to “demand their rights” or to “throw out” any
members of the present Association. The Frontiersman asked for
community attendance at a meeting, at the request of the chairman
of the board of directors. Further, the Frontiersman suggested
that those who attended come with “plans, suggestions and pro
tests.”
The editorial was not written as an attack on any single person.
It was written in a spirit of alarm caused by certain conditions
which apparently existed within the Association. We believe
that a Fire Association must never be a slipshod unit with no
definite plan of action. Within a Fire Association lies the power to
save lives. Little children in our Valley may live or die in direct
ratio to the effectiveness of our organization. Human lives are
the stake. Beside that factor, all other matters are insignificant.
The Valley Frontiersman felt that a more effective organization
could be made of our volunteer association. If any small steps
have been taken in that direction (and last week’s letter implied
that steps had been taken to organize the firefightei's) then its editor
is satisfied, for the present.
However the Frontiersman’s editor will continue to watch with
interest, Association affairs which are conducted at board meetings
and at membership meetings, as well as at scheduled firedrills.
When the time for commendation comes, the Valley Frontiers
man will be first to give it. But if need for additional effort and
improved methods are apparent, then we’ll not hesitate to point
that out. That’s our job and we’U not dodge the issue by a hair’s
breadth.