valley Frontiersman
VOL. II, No. 3
PALMER, ALASKA, SEPTEMBER 29, 1948
TEN CENTS
Power Project Ready For Approval
Soil Surveys
Concluded
For Season
Soil conservation surveys to
determine the economic agricul
tural possibilities of land in the
Kenai and Dunbar areas have
been ended for this season, it
was announced this week by
Charles Wilson, territorial con
servationist. The survey in the
Dunbar area is about 20 per cent
complete, and that in the Kenai
about 10 per cent finished, ac
cording to Mr. Wilson.
‘ We are right on schedule with
these surveys," Mr. Wilson stat
ed. ‘‘We expect to take this in
formation, together with the
economic information gathered
by others, and compile them in
a report this winter. The field
work will get under way again as
soon as weather permits in the
spring, and will continue until
the surveys are complete.”
Asked about the condition of
the land surveyed, the conserva
tionist stated that judging on
the basis of the area already
covered, land on the Kenai ap
pears to be equally as good agri
culturally as the land of the
Matanuska Valley.
James Hurley of the Palmer
district office of the Soil Con
servation Service is still busy on
field work. Soil scientists Henry
Fox, John Thompson and Rudy
Mayko already have completed
their jobs for the year and have
returned to their homes.
Meanwhile the work of the
Soil Conservation Service con
tinues to progress in Alaska. A
sub-district was established in
Fairbanks at the recent semi
annual meeting held there. A pe
tition for the creation of a sub
district at Wasilla has been filed.
A hearing is to be scheduled
within the next few days.
Brooks Have Girl
Mr. and Mrs. Alba Brooks of
Palmer became the parents of a
seven pound, two ounce baby
daughter on Sept. 20. The little
girl, the couple’s first child, has
been named Lizbeth Jean. She
was born at the Valley Hospital.
VACATIONS WITH SON
WASILLA—Mrs. Mary Harvey,
mother of Rev. Wenter Harvey,
has arrived from California to
visit her son. She plans a stay of
indefinite length.
Foir Board
Pays Its Bills
Fair finances were still unset
tled, when the board of directors
met recently. That meeting was
primarily a bill-paying party,
and by the evening’s close, board
members had okayed payment of
approximately $3,500 in bills with
still more to come, before a final
accounting could be made.
As was anticipated, the fair
took a heavy loss on the car this
year. Incomplete returns indicate
that the ticket sales did not gross
over $2,500, while the automobile
cost $3,300.
It was decided at Tuesday’s
meeting that the board would
plan a banquet for all depart
ment superintendents and board
members, so that a final finan
cial statement could be present
ed, and recommendations and
criticisms could be voiced, with
a view toward building a better
fair next year.
Board president Parker Lester
named Don Irwin. M. D. Snod
grass, Paul Martin and himself
to a committee to plan details
of the affair.
Banquet plans now are com
plete, according to announce
ment from Don Irwin. Members
of the Ladies' Aid of St. John's
'Continued on Page 10)
BOY IS SHOT
BY BROTHER
Robin Richardson became the
second Valley victim to gunshot
wounds this fall, when he recent
ly was shot in the leg. The acci
dent happened at the Richard
son home near the Matanuska
Glacier.
Robin's brother picked up a
gun inside the Richardson home.
It discharged as he raised it and
the shot pierced the walls of the
room and shattered the leg of
12-year-old Robin standing out
side in the yard.
The boy was brought to the
Valley Hospital, where doctors
later were forced to amputate the
injured leg.
Earlier in the year, Verne
Donelson suffered a similar in
jury during the caribou season.
Mr. Donelson was shot in the
knee by a fellow hunter. He, too,
is now recovering in the Valley
Hospital.
SHAMROCKS TO MEET
A fall organization meeting of
Shamrock basketball players has
been called for tomorrow eve
ning, according to Emil Waldahl,
team business manager. All men
interested in playing basketball
this winter are asked to meet at
the Rec Hail at 7:30 p. m. to
morrow.
Food Assignments Completed,
Penalties Fixed, For Game Dinner
Final plans for Saturday’s
game dinner were outlined at
last week’s meeting of the board
of directors of the Matanuska
Valley Sportsmen. The board met
with Mrs. L. C. Stock, and Mrs.
F. R. Sims, who with Mrs. Wil
liam Roark, make up the com
mittee in charge of the dinner.
The group reviewed food as
signments for the dinner and
added several names. Bud Lach
er was asked to bring a goose.
Jerry Smith a duck and Charles
Schaefer is to supply celery. All
food is to be brought to the
kitchen of Palmer school ready
for serving, it was decided. Roasts
may be carved just before serv
ing begins, but other than that,
food must be ready to eat.
Members each will be allowed
to bring one guest only. There
will be a $1 assessment of the
membership to cover the cost of
the dinner.
The board spent much time in
considering the penalties to be
fixed against members who fail
to fulfill their food assignment
for Saturday’s dinner. Drastic
measures, not to be made public
at this time, will be taken at the
dinner, they decided. However
they left a loophole for the luck
less sportsman who failed in his
game assignment—anyone who
finds it absolutely impossible to
fulfill his assignment may call
upon Clare Stock at the Palmer
Fountain for an alternate.
Saturday’s dinner is to begin
promptly at 7 o’clock and will
conclude early enough so that
the local club can drive to Wa
silla to attend the dance being
sponsored by the Wasilla Rod
and Gun Club.
At the conclusion of the busi
ness meeting, board members
inspected the basement beneath
the Rec Hall to determine its
possible use as a small arms
range.
WOULD GIVE
WHOLE VALLEY
BETTER POWER
If proposed plans for the de
velopment of the Eklutna power
site are approved by the Depart
ment of the Interior, resulting
installations will make for a
greatly improved power program
in the Matanuska Valley, ac
cording to H. G. Bryan of the
Rural Electrification Adminis
tration.
“If the report just finished is
accepted, and we have every
reason to believe it will be. it will
make possible many improve
ments in the Valley,” Mr. Bryan
declared. “Valley farmers will be
able to have hay driers, to pump
water for irrigation, to make use
of soil heating equipment, will
have cheaper power for farm
and home, and will be able to
make extensive improvements in
their dairies in the way of addi-*
tional equipment.” Mr. Bryan
continued.
The report to which he re
ferred is the survey and report
on the Eklutna site which was
compiled by the Bureau of Land
Reclamation this summer. Mr.
Bryan and Don Irwin of the
Agricultural Research Adminis
tration collaborated in the com
piling of the report.
Two plans were developed in
the report. Under the first, 22,500
kilowatts can be generated and
under the second, about 30,000.
The Eklutna project has pri
ority in the Alaskan power pro
gram, Mr. Bryan stated. How
ever it represents only one-fifth
of the proposed power develop
ment scheduled for Alaska. The
Eklutna project is one of seven
to be undertaken in the territory.
The just-completed report
goes to Washington, D. C., there
to await approval of officials of
the Department of the Interior.
Once it is okayed by them, Con
gress will be asked for an ap
propriation for the project. It is
estimated that the Eklutna de
velopment will cost between fif
teen and eighteen million dol
lars. The entire territorial pro
gram is expected to reach a cost
of two hundred million dollars.
Once the project is approved
and an appropriation is made,
work is scheduled to begin next
April. The entire Eklutna project
(Continued on Page 10)