Vol. 1, No. 35
Palmer, Alaska, January 24, 1948
Ten Cents
JMVFCA Votes
To Put Units
Up For Sale
Members of the Matanuska
’¥filley Farmers Cooperative As
sociation Wednesday night voted
by substantial majorities to sup
port the program to sell a
number of Co-op properties ad
vanced in a seven-point board of
directors’ plan recently.
The board was given the au
thority to sell, when and as such
sale appears feasible, these units:
* The water and sewer sys
tems, the Lodge, six staff
houses, the hatchery, the
Chicken Coop apartments, the
Rec hall, the sewage disposal
building, the Extension serv
ice building, the postoffice, the
hospital building, the garage
and the gymnasium.
Details of the sale, how units
are to be offered, and determina
tion of property limits for each
unit listed also were to be set
tled by verdict of the Co-op
board of directors.
Each unit’s sale was voted
upon separately by the member
ship. Approval of the sale was
voiced by four to one votes in
some instances, and even con
tested items, as the water and
sewer system, were voted to go
jon the block by two to one ma
jorities.
Co-op members hailed the
plan as the first step toward
putting ihe MVFCA on a sound
business basis. One member
stated, "The Co-op is going to
get out of the business of run
ning a municipality. We can't
afford it and v/e're not going
to try to do it any longer."
The opinion was advanced that
TJhe move also will speed up
P aimer’s development, and
probably will hasten incorpora
tion. The sale will put on the
market homes to attract perma
nent residents and will bring
many new businesses into Palm
er.
Action on other points in the
board of director's plan was
tabled until a later date. It was
announced that the annual mem
bership meeting of the MVFCA
will be held on Feb. 25, when
further business will be consid
ered. This annual meeting is an
all-day session.
The plan of operation ad
’ vanccd by the directors was
adopted in order to make avail
able funds for payment of the
money due the Dairymen’s As
sociation, which recently won a
court judgment for money due
on milk shipments.
Highway Is Slick
*At Anchorage End
The Palmer-Anchorage high
way is in fairly good condition,
except for the last 10 miles on
the Anchorage end, it was re
ported yesterday by Wesley Gil
man, highway patrolman. Mid
week rains in the Anchorage
area have spread an icy glaze
over that end of the road, ex
tending from Eagle river to
^Anchorage proper.
Our Schedule’s Changed Again
Been knocking on the editor’s door without any results
these days? I know you have, and "I’m sorry, but there’s a reason.
In the interests of an improved Valley Frontiersman, I’ve
found it necessary to be in Anchorage each week when the
paper goes to press. Transportation being what it is, that
means being away from the Palmer office all day Monday and
Thursday, and Tuesday and Friday morning.
It makes it tough for those of you who want to pay a bill,
insert an ad. or give the paper a bit of news, I know. But maybe
we can work out a mutual schedule that will help us have that
better paper we boih want, and still not entail too many trips to
the office for subscribers and advertisers.
Although I’ll be away on Monday and Thursday, Evon De
Land, who also is handling Frontiersman advertising now, will
be in the office from 3:30 until 5 p. m. those days. Evon will
gladly take your money, handle your advertising, or report your
news, if you drop in at those hours.
If you need to catch the editor, I’ll be here the other week
days, every evening except those days I spend in Anchorage,
and on Sunday from 1 o’clock until late that night. You’re wel
come to drop in at any time you see the light burning in the
Frontiersman office.
Contniuing with that idea of an improved Frontiersman, it
is my plan to include a picture in eachissue published. I’d like
to see some of your prize Valley scenics for use in that picture
feature. The Frontiersman will pay $2 for every picture used,
and in addition will give credit to the photographer who took
the shot.
For best engraving purposes, the pictures submitted should
be 8x10. finished in glossy print. I’ll return the picture to you,
noce the cut is completed.
(On this schedule, I forgot to mention that every Wednes
day afternoon is reserved for gathering Wasilla news. That
means the office will be closed from 1 to 3:30 p. m. that day also.)
I hope you’ll bear with me in working out this new schedule.
It’ll be a little hard on you and a little more effort for me, but if
it results in a better Frontiersman, then we’ll both be greatly
satisfied. And if any of you have ideas for improving your paper,
let’s hear them. I’ll try hard to put them into practice, if it’s
at all possible.
Flying Basketeers
Due Friday Afternoon
There were to be 22 Cordova
basketball players aboard the
chartered plane which was ex
pected to arrive at Merrill field
at 5:30 Friday afternoon, air
lines officials announced yester
day. The players represent a
men’s team and women’s team,
both known as the Cordova Im
perials.
The Cordova visitors will be
met at the field by a delegation
of Palmer motorists who will
transport them to the Valley.
The first of a weekend double
header basketball engagement
will begin promptly at 8 o’clock
that same evening.
At the conclusion of Friday’s
games, Wright’s Girls and the
Shamrocks, Palmer teams, will
be hoste and hostess at a caribou
and moose dinner to be served in
the school lunchroom. Palmer
teachers will slip into aprons for
waitress duty for the occasion.
Palmer-ites will tuck their
guests into borrowed beds at
various Valley homes following
the dinner. The next morning
they’ll call them out in time to
take a sight-seeing tour of the
Matanuska Valley which will
end with a chili luncheon at the
Experiment Farm.
Game-time rolls around again
at 8 o’clock Saturday, for the
final event of what will be a
four-game series. To date,
Wright’s Girls have won two
from the Cordova ladies, while
the Shamrocks split their deci
sion with one won and one lost,
when they visited Cordova.
Following the basketball finale
Saturday night, Cordovans will
be entertained at a hard-times
dance in the gymnasium to
which all Valley residents are
invited guests. The visitors will
return to Anchorage by bus Sun
day, to take plane back to Cor
dova.
Mail Petition
Needs Signers
A petition requesting the
establishment of rural mail serv
ice in the Matanuska Valley still
may be signed at the Palmer
post office, for a few more days,
postmistress Mrs. Walter E.
Huntley announced today.
The list of signers already is
lengthy, but all who are inter
ested are asked to stop and add
their names. Anyone living in
the Valley area may sign the pe
tition, including residents of
Palmer, who will indirectly bene
fit by the rural mail service.
Postoffice rules require that
the service may not be instituted
for fewer than 10 residents for
(Continued on Back Page)
Seven Days Left
To Buy ’48 Plates
Valley residents have only
one more week to purchase 1948
license plates, license dispenser
Lou Henke reminded today. Wes
ley Gilman of the Highway Pa
trol last week told Alaskans that
fines are heavy for motorists
caught on the highways without
current plates. A penalty of as
much as $100 a day can be as
sessed, for every day a motorist
drives without the ’48 license.
In order to accommodate driv
ers who are employed during
regular day-time hours, Mr.
Henke has scheduled evening of
fice hours between 7 and 9 p.m.
every day except Wednesday of
next week. The Henke office is
located next to the Palmer Cold
Storage.
Wasilla Plans
Masquerade
WASILLA — A benefit mas
querade dance is planned by the
Wasilla Community Club in or
der to raise funds for the pur
chase of needed fire equipment.
The dance will be held in Com
munity hall on Feb. 14.
All who wish to dance must
come masked, the planning com
mittee has ruled. Old-fashioned
round and square dances in cos
tume will be featured.
In all, 11 prizes are offered
for maskers that evening. Judges
will choose contestants during
the Grand March who will be
awarded prizes for the best
dressed, most original, the most
comic and the dowdiest cos
tumes. There will be special
prizes for juniors, too.
Masks will be available at a
local store about Feb. 1, the
planning committee has an
nounced.
Posters advertising the event
appeared in Wasilla this week.
Community Club members have
invited the whole Valley to be
their guests on Feb. 14, and they
promise good fun to all who
come.
Mrs. Oscar E. Johnson is head
of the central committee which
is planning the masquerade. She
will have further announcements
of other dance plans within the
next few days.
Masons Will Meet
Next Thursday Evening
A special meeting oi' all Mas
ter Masons has been called for
Thursday, Jan. 29, it was an
nounced this week by C. L. Nel
son. The meeting will be held in
the Nelson home at the depot at
8 o'clock Thursday evening.
The meeting is called to dis
cuss plans for organization of a
lodge in Palmer, and to study
ways and means ox financing
the construction of a Masonic
Temple in this city.
Mr. Nelson urges lhat all Ma
sons be in attendance, for plans
which are vitally important to
the group will be discussed.
Chamber Hears—
Cooperation
Is Essential
To Prosperity
C. W. Peters, general man
ager of the Alaska Rural Re
habilitation Corp., who spoke
to members of the Anchorage
Chamber of Commerce at a
luncheon meeting Monday, re
turned to Palmer to address a
Valley Chamber meeting on
Wednesday. The text of Mr.
Peter's message was identical
at both meetings—he called for
full co-operation between the
two cities in the development
of market outlets for Matanuska
Valley produce.
Mr. Peters emphasized, on
both occasions, that the Valley
can no longer be considered a
government subsidy. He said it
was true that the Corporation
originally was given a govern
ment grant to establish colonists
on their farms here.
"But the Corporation has
had no government money for
a good many years now," he
declared. "It's locally con
trolled and not master-minded
by government officials, and
its operations now are entirely
dependent upon what can be
collected on outstanding obli
gations to keep our revolving
fund revolving."
He added that the Corporation
was subsidizing farmers in some
degree, however, by renting
land-clearing equipment at a fig
ure which means the equipment
is* operated at a loss. Farther
than this the Corporation cannot
go, he maintains.
As in Anchorage, Mr. Peters
declared that agriculture can be
made a paying business in the
Valley, if the Anchorage mar
kets can be exploited to their
fullest extent.
Valley products can compete
with Outside farm produce,
Mr. Peters believes. He point
ed out, however, that Valley
farmers must spend time and
thought in selling this idea
to the consumers of the An
chorage market. "We don't
have to take our hats off to
anybody on quality," he said.
"But too many people think
just because it's produced in
Alaska it doesn't measure up.
That's where ihe Anchorage
meerhants can do much to
overcome that point of view."
He suggested that Valley
farmers take definite steps
toward co-operation with An
chorage in working out a solu
tion to the marketing problem.
He said Hugh Dougherty, mem
ber of the Anchorage Chamber
board of directors, had asked
that a committee from the group
be appointed to work out coop
erative relationships with a Val
ley. Under the plan, the Valley
Chamber would appoint a like
committee to meet with the; An
chorage group.
In connection with the devel
opment of markets for local pro
duce, Mr. Peters touched upon
the matter of homesteaders now
flocking to the territory without
(Continued on Back Page)
WELCOME TO PALMER, CORDOVA