Valley FRONTIERSMAN
t Published each Tuesday and Friday
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
Viola Daniels .Editor
Evon DeLand .Advertising Manager, Palmer
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 loss of the Alaska Native Service hospital is now
definite; it is a loss that all of us who live in the Matanuska Valley
will feel. However the blow falls hardest on those members of the
Chamber of Commerce and those of us who had made that hospital
the major goal of our efforts for the past few months.
But hard though the blow has been, the Chamber of Com
merce is proving its real civic worth to the Matanuska Valley by
at once turning its attention to other projects, the attainment of
which will benefit us all. Realizing that the good will and under
standing of our neighbors is all-important to us, the Chamber is
sponsoring a plan designed to foster that feeling between An
chorage and Palmer.
They show by their attitude that we are attaining an adult out
look on life. We’ve lost something we wanted, and Anchorage has
gained it. It would be a very human trait, although a childish one,
to withdraw into our Valley to pout. It’s hard to see the plum that
we wanted eaten by someone else.
We feel that the Chamber’s action, in inviting Anchorage
members of the Chamber of Commerce to be our guests next month,
wil go farther to bring about good will, since it comes at the time
when the hospital decision has just been announced, than if the
gesture had ben made at any other time. We’re backing up the
bid for friendship that we made last month, and there can be
little doubt in Anchorage that our feeling is sincere. We look for
ward to their wholehearted acceptance of our offered hand of
friendship.
Concerning the Chamber’s plan for a tour of Valley farms and
business, we think it one of the finest ways to promote real under
standing. We of Palmer, when we go to Anchorage, go for business
reasons and therefore are, of necessity, well informed with what
that city has to offer. Anchorage folk, when coming to Palmer,
usually are vacation-minded and are little interested in the Valley,
other than to find where the big ones are biting.
We feel our visitors should be shown our dairy farms, our
vegetable farms and our poultry farms. We think they should see
Palmer airport, and should be told something of the planned de
velopment there. They ought to be informed of plans for coming
construction in the Valley—the Agricultural Research Administra
tion headquarters, the new Matanuska Electric Association build
ing, the re-built drug store.
They must be made to see that Palmer is much more than the
source of the cream for their breakfast coffee or the salad ma
terials for their dinner. By all means, they must be invited to con
sider certain problems, as those of electric power, as mutual prob
lems. The inter-dependence of our two communities must be
stressed.
That we need Anchorage in order to survive is no secret.
That Anchorage needs a porspering and well-developed hinterland,
intd which her surplus industries can expand, and from which
she can draw a measure of her subsistence, also should be self
evident. The future of the Matanuska Valley and Anchorage are
linked; one cannot prosper without the other.
Because of our need for one another, we feel that our Chamber
of Commerce heads are indeed wise to let the controversy over the
hospital cause no rift between Palmer and Anchorage. We can
not afford to quarrel.
But just before the Valley closes the chapter on the Alaska
Native Service hospital, might it not be well to make one last
minute review in an effort to determine the reasons for our failure?
Secretary Warne spoke of the “advantages and disadvantages” of
both sites Perhaps now is the time to face those disadvantages, as
we know them, and to plan to do something to remedy them, so
that we shall not fail again.
Perhaps the moment is ripe to study our problem of street
lighting, our lack of civic organization, our need for a community
owned water system, our lack of city planning, our need for street
and road improvement and our vital need of some kind of municipal
government which will provide intelligently for our school and
for a law enforcement program within Palmer.
* There are none of us who will deny that Palmer, as it is today,
has certain disadvantages as the site for any large project. We felt,
in relation to the hospital, that no advantages were so large that
they could not be dealt with an overcome in the months just ahead.
We’ve lost the hospital now, but we feel it probably still is a good
idea to get to work on those problems which face us. The problems
are still with us, and they will continue to be a barrier to our
further development until we take steps toward their solution.
*We think it’s fine that we’re encouraging the friendship of
Anchorage. We look forward to the coming visit of their repre
’ sentatives in August. Let’s make it a plan to schedule that visit on
our annual calendar, and next time they come, let’s make our
tour one which will show Anchorage the improvements that Palmer
has put into effect. As we develop and our disadvantages are les
sened, there will be other construction projects outlined for this
area. Next time, let’s be so fitted as the ideal location that An
chorage will be working for us and not against us.
—
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■’ t YOU WRECK 'EM . . . WE LL FIX 'EM j
f;.\ 24-HOUR SERVICE
\ W» Go Anywhoro, Any Tim*
LMER BODY & PAINT SHOP j
I .
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Classified Ads
FOR SALE
HOUSE LOGS; delivered or at
mill. Phone 50Y12 or write
Box 682, Palmer.
LOG CABIN, 2-rooms, furn.;
wired for lights; insulated; lo
cated at Mile 36 on Palmer
Highway on 5-acre homesite;
ideal business location. $1,500
full price. Write Box 713, Pal
mer, or inq. within.
FOR SALE OR TRADE
ACREAGE, close in; will take
late model pick-up, panel or
station wagon. Inq. LeDuc,
Ketchikan Spruce.
’37 BUICK, recently overhauled
motor, new tires; exceptionally
good condition. Hartley Broth
ers Motors.
MUST SELL $4,600 home; elec
tricity, city water; complete
except siding; lot 75 x 140.
$3,500 full price, $2,000 down,
bal. terms. Will consider car
or pickup with house trailer
part payment. Stensen, first St.
north of Anchorage Highway,
third house.
88-ACRE farm, 7 rm. house,
water, lights; 30 acres cleared;
4Vi mil. north of Palmer. Inq.
David Bryant, Box 1848, Pal
mer.
APPROXIMATELY 25 acres of
land, 20 under cultivation;
priced for quick sale; located
three mi. so. of Palmer on
good road. Inq. Palmer Photo
graphic Center.
HYDRAULIC LOADER units; fit
Ford-Ferguson and McCor
mick-Deering tractors. Hartley
Bros. Motors.
’38 GMC 1-ton pickup; A-l con
dition. Palmer Automotive
Service.
’38 DODGE panel; A-l condition.
Palmer Automotive Service.
TAPP AN gas stoves and regu
lators. Hartley Bros. Motors.
HELP WANTED
WOMAN to do cleaning for sev
eral hours, 1 day week. Inq. at
Valley Frontiersman office.
Merchant Patrolman
Is Given Police Powers
Merchant patrolman “Cap”
Allen of Palmer this week re
ceived notice of his courtesy ap
pointment as a territorial high
way patrolman. This appoint
ment, which has been pending
since Highway Engineer Frank
Metcalf visited here last March,
gives Mr. Allen full police pow
ers in the town of Palmer. It
carries no compensation.
The appointment gives him po
lice powers equal to those of a
United States marshal, accord
ing to Mr. Allen.
The patrolman reports that
additional requests for protection
arc reaching him daily. He inti
mated that it may be possible to
extend his services to the entire
town of Palmer, if enough re
qrests for protection are re
ceived. The patrolman at pres
ent is employed by a group of
Palmer businessmen to guard
their establishments from fire
loss and theft at night, and to
police Palmer streets.
Breaks Ankle in Fall
Maud Hosier, Owner of the
Matanuska Valley Gardens nurs
ery, suffered a broken ankle last
Wednesday. The accident occur
red when she fell over a box, it
is reported.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to express our ap
preciation for your cards and
expressions of sympathy fol
lowing the loss of our loved
wife and mother.
(Signed)
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
Huntley
Mr. and Mrs. William
Rempel
BRYANT & CO.
BULLDOZING CARRYALL WORK
GENERAL LAND CLEARING
Write Box 1848
McCOOL’S BARBER SHOP
(In Rec Hall)
SPECIALIZING IN
HAIRCUTTING. SHAVING, SHAMPOOS AND MASSAGE
Weekday business hours from 10 aum. to 8 pan.
Saturday business hours from 10 a.m. to 10 pan.
W. B. BARNHARDT
Dimension Lumber House Logs
Phone 50Y12 Write Box 682. Palmer
(Mill located on Lower Butte road)
A Friendly Place to Spend Your Time
Come, Bring Your Friends
The drinks are fine!
With RUSS and BOB
On the Job
To Serve
YOU
The SOURDOUGH CLUB at Palmer
A Complete Selection
OI
SPORT SHIRTS AND SLACKS
is a vacation “must” in every woman’s wardrobe.
We’ve a good choice of both
in
White Stag or J-V Lines
And don’t forget to ask about our new fireman’s red
pedal pushers
VARIETY VOGUES
When You Repair or Build Use W00DL1FE
Water Repellent Rot Proof
Keeps wood from swelling, shrinking,
checking, warping
Now On Display
CHAMPION Outboard Motors
RELIANCE Conversion Cookstove Burners
GRAHAM SERVICE
Machine Work Welding Repair
Gas Oil
Planning a Picnic
We’ve just the desserts to fit easily in the
picnic basket without crushing
or smearing
CINNAMON ROLLS JELLY ROLLS
FANCY CUP CAKES
SHAMROCK BAKERY