VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN
Published each Thursday
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 .50c month, $5 a year
Viola Daniels .Editor
No printed material in the Valley Frontiersman may be
reproduced except by permission of the editor.
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
DANIELS — In The Lion's Den
The Valley’s own particular Anvil Chorus has been ringing
out a knell of failure, inefficiency and (of all things) profiteering
this week. Subject of the tirades being published abroad by clacking
tongues is the Matanuska Valley Fair Association.
“Mismanagement” whisper the scandal-mongers. “Colossal
Hop” they chatter under their breath. “Selfish, grasping money
grabbers” they gossip in undertones. “The fair wants to make it
all, and they’ll leave nothing for the rest of us," they cant.
And so it goes. It was ever thus in Palmer and the Matanuska
Valley. We had entertained some small hope of an improvement
in the Valley brand of human nature of late, but it is still running
true to form.
When the fair manager was in Palmer, going among the Valley
people, there was little of this chatter to be heard. Almost as soon
a.s he had stepped aboard a plane for a short 14-day leave Outside,
the murmurs began to swell. The chorus is daily increasing in vol
ume, swelled constantly by the voices of those who only heard
“somebody say that . . .”
Again we can only repeat, as we’ve repealed so many times in
these past weary months, that we think it would be a much better
plan to get to the root of a question by taking that question to
those who arc qualified to answer it. These vague “somebody
said,” so maliciously barbed, are hurting you and me ,not a giant
will-o-the-wisp dubbed “the Fair."
This Fair is nothing more than the people of this Valley
working together on an annual event planned to publicize our
Matanuska Valley, and to bring all of us some measure of fun and
entertainment as our year draws to a close. It “the Fair" ever does
finish a year with a substantial bank account (and it never has yet)
then it s you and I who live in this Matanuska Valley who will reap
the benefits. The good will our annual fair brings, in addition to
the actual “foreign” money it brings to the Valley, touches even
the least of us who do business here, or who make our homes here.
“The Fair” is not a greedy monster stuffing dollars into its
bottomless pockets. Dollars which go to your Matanuska Valley
Fair Association are returned right back to you in the form of prizes
lor exhibits, trips and awards. And in addition to those dollars
which are returned to you, the Fair brings you interest on your
money in the form of new business lor your restaurants, stores, gill
shops, bars, fountains, drug stores, newspapers and dress shops.
“The Fair" of which you re gossiping these days is your Fair.
It can succeed only as you help it to succeed. And until all you
members of the American Legion, the Chamber of Commerce, tIre
Moose, the Masons, the Homemakers and many other Valley or
ganizations begin to realize that fact, there is small chance that your
Matanuska Valley Fair ever will succeed.
Let’s work togther to put it over, not stand in corners back
biting in loud whispers.
COLEMAN HEATERS
Complete Line-In All Sizes
COLEMAN RANGE.$115.00
Apartment Size
ZENITH WASHERS.$112.50
Grasser's Hardware
AND SPORTING GOODS
the Valley home of DUTCH BOY PAINT
Two Tour Parties
Are Here Tonight
Another in the series of Alaska
Steamship tours of the Territory
was expected to arrive in Palmer
tonight, it was learned earlier
this week. The party will come
direct from Seward.
A second tour, one of the par
ties being brought to Alaska by
the Airline Service Co., also is
scheduled to arrive from McKin
ley Park for an overnight stay in
Palmer. Both groups will be reg
istered at the Matanuska Hotel.
This latter party is one of sev
eral making what is known as
the “Golden Belt Tour’ under the
auspices of the Arctic-Alaska
Travel Bureau. These parties
come to Seward by Alaska Steam,
to Anchorage via The Alaska
Railroad, and then travel to Pal
mer by cab and limousine for a
six-hour tour of the Valley. They
then continue from Anchorage
to Mt. McKinley Park by rail.
The “Golden Belt Tours” are
made under the leadership of
Fred Neese.
PAIR MARRY HERE
Percy Coffin, an entertainer,
and Miss Naomi Knutzen, dieti
cian, both of Anchorage, were
married in Palmer last Monday.
The service was performed by U.
S. Commissioner Dorothy Saxton.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Stoeckle at
tended the couple.
COFFEY INSURES EVERY
THING—REMEMBER?
Richard E. Demming
Registered Land Surveyor
Box 675 — Palmer, Alaska
M. D. SNODGRASS
Real Estate
Dairy and Vegetable Farms
City Lots — Acreage
Potted Plants
Cut Flowers
MATANUSKA
VALLEY GARDENS
Plastic Gadgets Galore!
Cutlery Trays, Egg Storage
Trays, Candy Dishes, Re
frigerator Dishes, Bowl Sets,
Plates, Creamers and Sugars
CLARA'S VARIETY
GREEN'S FLYING SERVICE
STUDENT INSTRUCTION, GI TRAINING
CHARTER AND SCENIC FLIGHTS — PASSENGER RIDES
TWO- AND FOUR-PLACE PLANES AVAILABLE
Phone 67_ Palmer Airport
Window Frames
Door Frames
We make 'em any size you want in our shop!
Severns Cabinet1 Shop
Steaks, Salads, Sandwiches
• WE SPECIALIZE IN EVERYTHING •
Tasty Chicken Dinners Every Weekend
Open All Night Saturday—7 a. m. to 1 a. m. Weekdays
BAR-B-Q
Steve Cutuk, Prop.
For Those HOME-MADE
Pies and Cakes
It's the Ron-Da-Voo Cafe