VALLEY HOSPITAL
ASSOCIATION ANNUAL
MEETING TONIGHT
PALMER SCHOOL. 7:30 P-M.
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUBKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 7. NUMBER 24
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY. MARCH 4. 1954
PRICE TEN CENT®
NEW HOSPITAL DEDICATION, SATURDAY
THE VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL, PALMER, ALASKA
uzzmet i : .""" ' ; ■
Completion of the new Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Palmer. Alaska se veral months before schedule by contractor C. R. Foss Company of Anchorage
makes possible an early-Spring move from present quarters to the S700. 000 structure. The 24-bed structure pictured above will be dedicated in
ceremonies to be held at the hospital on Saturday, March 6.
KIWANIAN3 ASK
NATIONAL SUPPORT
FOR STATEHOOD
ATI K. v ni? Clubs maj r cit*
.• :n *l.o Unit-, d Spite- have A -.t,
. c vH:.-tcd. th:* ugh ielt*. iv. to u. ge
1 ’rich t • uop :" : ate:. 1 for
■'.1 and Haw a...
After wa- prepared and
to the many hundred clubs
i the Kiwanis Club of Palmer
-penal statehood con.rr.ittee.
I'.eace ; by Harlow J. Hofilgst-n.
The letter in part states, "The
people : Alaska want Statehood,
t • people of the United States
t A me: ica want Alaska to be
-■ me a State, and Kiwanis Inter
nal!', nai has given its endorse
ment. In view of these facts, the
Kiwanis Club of Palmer respect
fully requests you. collectively or
individually, to urge the Senators
from your state and the Repre
sentatives from: your Congression
al District to support STATE
HOOD FOR ALASKA ADD HI
WAII. We feel the chances of ob
taining statehood are at a peak j
at this time. The support your
Representatives and Senators give
will be extremely important.” J
In addition the letter points out
the fact that the Statehood pro
position carried by a wide mar- !
gin in every major town in Al
aska in the 1946 referendun Al- i
so that at recent Senate Commit- j
tee hearings on Statehood for Al
aska, over 90 percent of those who
testified favored Statehood.
Kiwanian wives who assisted \
in the addressing and mailing
were: Jane Slaughter, Dorothy
Hurley, Lucille Mick, Izetta
Canschow, and Ruth Hodgson.
Entire Family of
Ssven Seek
Ohange of Surrsama
Not.that they v.ill be any more
proud of their .new name, but be
■ r.i.-e of rho Mmpliiioatior. it will
promote, tiie entire Shematovieh
dimly !iving Ir. Alaska, will on
.vlareh 11, go into Third Division
Court and petit’ e. that ti.eir .-ar
’•.ame be changed from Skvmat
ivich to Sims.
John Shaw, local attorney who
is handling the case, said he be
dove- this j.< the first time a
whole family in Alaska has
•hanged their surnames. In addi
tion. Nicholas Sematovich. Sr..
md Nicholas Shematovich, Jr. are
.t.'king permission to change their
given names to Nick, Senior and
Junior.
The seven individuals who will
oe petitioning the court are: Ni
•holas Shematovich, Sr., to Nick
Sims, Sr. Nicholas, Sr. was born
at Tower Hill. Pa. in 1908 and
same to Alaska from Woodbour
ne, N. Y. February 22. 1952. He
s employed by Palmer Construc
tors. Also his wife Harriet who
was born in Greenfield, Mass,
and with their son drove to Al
aska from Woodbourne May 19,
1952.
Their son, Nicholas, Jr. was
born at Barre, Mass, and is now
tn the Armed Forces, stationed
at Fort Richardson. Another son,
Thomas Richard, Sr., his wife
June and their son Thomas Rich
ard, Jr. also wish to change their
surnames to Sims. Thomas and
his family came to Alaska in
April of 1953 from Liberty, N. Y.
He is employed by Palmer Con
structors.
The seventh member of the
family is Thomas Shematovich,
(Continued on page 8)
Members of the Valley Hospital Association and Harold Moline, construction superinten
dent, pose at the entrance of the new Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Palmer. They are.
left to right: Harold Moline; George E. Smith, president Valley Hospital Association;
Mrs. Dexter Dacon, Jack Newcomb, Mrs. Harvey Hiber, Harlow Hodgson, Jasper Skok,
Rev. Brian Cleworth, and Hugh A. Johnson
MUSIC ARRIVES FOR 1954 MINSTREL SHOW
Chorus music for Kiwanis 1954
Minstrel Show has arrived, Bob
Pippel announced this week, and
| chorus rehearsals will begin Tues
day evening, March 9 in the music
! room at the Palmer School, under
the direction of Miss Lois Thomp
son.
All chorus members are asked
to attend the first rehearsal.
Regular rehearsals will continue
each Thursday and Tuesday eve
ning until show time. There is
still a need for a few tenor and
bass male voices, Pippel said.
Anyone interested in singing with
the chorus is asked to contact
Pippel or appear at rehearsal
next Tuesday evening.
Script for the show is pretty
well complete, Jim Hurley said
this week. Specialty numbers are
, bein'! worked out and generally
'■peaking, lie said, the whole show
is progressing very well.
"Mr. Interlocutor” and the j
sparky end men have been sign
ed up, costumes, stage arrange- j
clients and the many projects that j
; go into a successful program are
' being worked out. The show will
be presented on two nights, the 1
' early part of April. Tickets, in- !
| eluding reserve seats, will soon be
j on sale in the Valley.
TWENTY-FOUR BED
$700,000 BUILDING
MODERN, EFFICIENT
Dedication ceremonies for the
new $700,000 Valley Presbyterian
Hospital in Palmer on Saturday,
March 6, will be a long-hoped-for
realization for Valley residents,
as well as many interested organ
izations and individuals from
other sections of the territory and
States.
Tire 24-bed hospital, modern
no* only m design, but also in ef
ficiency. is of ste®| frame and
concrete construction. Just one
vear a40 this month the C. R
Foss Company of Anchorage was
awarded the construction con
tract on a bid of $586,000 and
wiirk was started April (i, less
than a year ago. Planned primar
ily for efficiency, patients will
find every thought for their com
fort has been considered Modern
color lias been used throughout
the hospital, in relief from the
customary browns and whites
Plans for the attractive, modern
hospital were done by Edward
Crittenden of Anchorage.
The new hospital is a long way
from what Colonists had back in
the earlv davs of the Matanuska
Valley. ,
In 1935 the Federal govern
ment formed the Alaska Rural
Rehahil1*-tion Corporation and
transported farmers to the Vat
;ey. The project grew and dovel
>ped Hoiiies, schools, and finally
i ho. pital were built. However.
ipit.nl iciiiiies wert■ f iind in -
: leuaisle am i a i: .Jen; h p:fa I
Gay. Kc'iifileman
Reeled for
Hsspiia! Dedication
• i ! ' s l '»11 ' * •. * *: 1 ■!. • • > ■ * I
;>.<■ : ;• •. 1 ’:<• •! i -pi*
CP• . nor B. K. II intz'.e
..o beer: it, V,*.: di.ngtoi..
13. C. ■ t: T< ! nto-rial bu m<
Har<• I• i P< o;.. •• r< pre
-entt'i (I iv. Hi';tit/!<•;;■ <<n si th
Republi at! Lincoln Day dinner
n Air ' M<intlav evening,
a, i ti.e governor in a telephone
•'•nver-alion said this vt ek “he
hope • , return from Washington,
in ti'ie t<> attend dediet 111<'n cere
:.(»!.!eI: he unable to at
om d tr." dedication Mr Pomeroy,
,vh<i : - Tel rito al Civil D< fense
Direct . toll n present !'• e gov
■ 'rnor.
Ai 1 ted "ii the program are:
Rev. Dr.,ir. H. Ck-.vorth, hospital
.-haplain; George Smith, president
Ooa: 1 1 directors Valley Hospital
Association: Miss Elsie R. Pen
field, secretary of women's work
Board of National Missions; Mrs.
Cecil C. Land, Washington Syn
odical; Mrs. Lowell Puckett, Yu
kon Pre byterial: Hugh Johnson,
•hairman local funds drive; Dr. C.
Earl Albrecht, Territorial Com
missioner of Health; Dr. Edward
Blomqu t. medical director, Ar
ctic Health Research Center; Ed
win Crittenden, architect; C. R.
Fos . general contractor; Harlow
11' tig n, chairman new construc
iion cot . : ittve: Donald McKech
nie. Mayor. City of Palmer and
Dr. R. Holland Armstrong, mem
ber of board of directors.
ALASKA'S FAVORITE GAME EVERY TUES.
PALMES ELKS LODGE HOME EVERYBODY WELCOME PRIZES, PRIZES,
8
P.M.
PRIZES