Thought of the Week:
Vital statistics for the past
year show that a lot of people
went stork mad.
ALASKA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
& MUSEUM
BOX 2051
JUNEAU ALAS.. A
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
9
VOLUME 14, NUMBER28
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, APRIL 5. 1962
EIGHT PAGES
PRICE 15 CENTS
MTA Plans New Dial Equipment for Local Office
| Reporters—
Nat&baa-k |
Robert W. Gershmel, para
chute rigger third class, USN
son of Harold Gershmel oi
Wasilla ranked among the top
10 percent of the March 9 grad
uating class at the Parchute
Rigger School, Naval Air Tech
nical Training Unit, Lakehurst,
N. J. Prior to entering the ser
vice in April 1958, Gershmel
was graduated from Wasilla
High School.
James W. Wilson has assum
ed his new duties in th£ loan
department of the Matanuska
Valley Bank.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. Kurt A. Ueeck
and 1Vi year old son Darryl
have arrived in Palmer follow
ing a four-day trip from Haw
ley, Minnesota. Kurt is one of
Ed Ueeck’s many nephews from
the South 48 and will be living
■ in Ed’s home and carrying on
the horn and ivory curio work,
now Ed has fully retired. Ed
says he is contemplating invest
ing in a new fishing pole and
will do a little fishing in some
of the many streams he hasn’t
fished in a long time.
* * *
George Crowther, recently
named acting director, State
Division of Agriculture, is in
Fairbanks this week on divi
sion business.
* * *
Don Jones, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Richard Jones, is spend
ing a two-week leave at the
home of his parents. He recent
ly completed his basic train
ing at the U. S. Naval Train
ing Center in San Diego and
will return to Bremerton,
Washington where he will be
stationed aboard the U. S. S.
Kearsarge as aviation appren
tice.
* * *
Mrs. Les Mears, co-owner of
Bettys’ is spending a few days
in the Seattle area.
Kerttula Reports
On House Action
According to word received
on Wednesday of this week
from Representative Jalmar
Kerttula, it is expected that
the budget will come out of
committee today. Rep. Kert
tula reported the finance com
mittee has worked hard on the
budget.
In his telegram Kerttula
stated that Ed Smith was con
firmed for a new term on the
State Board of Education. The
fate of HB420 (an act creat
ing a public school foundation
program; providing a system
for allocating state aid to lo
cal school districts; repealing
certain laws in conflict there
with; and providing for an ef
fective date) is to be decided
in the House today, Kerttula
reported. “Our area has strong
ly supported this program,” he
said.
“We have read the adult
camp into the budget and have
a strong agricultural program,
along with a substantial road
program”, he said, and added
that he expects to be home
soon.
SAVE $20 a DAY
Clean Ycur Carpets
with a Clarke Sham
poo Machine Rented
from
Palmer Paint Go.
PI 5-4848
PRIZES PLANNED
AT MEA MEETING
I
Some lucky member of th(
Matanuska Electric Associa
tion will win a washer-dryei
combination at the annual
membership meeting to be held
April 14 at 8 p.m. in Central
School gymnasium.
The washer-dryer will be
the grand prize. A number of
additional prizes have been ar
ranged for and will be given
away during the meeting.
These include a “Lawn-Glo”
lamp, installed. The lamp is a
decorative outdoor type. Also
a Westinghouse table radio, do
1 nated by Northern Supply
Company of Anchorage; a
toaster by Toastmaster, donat
ed by Line Material Company
of Anchorage; four dozen as
sorted fish lures, donated by
John P. Bagoy and Associates
of Anchorage; $50 for use as
credit on MEA consumer’s ac
count, donated by Oeser Cedar
Company of Bellingham, Wash
ington. There will be other ad
ditional prizes, according to
Mason LaZelle, MEA manager.
Registration for the meeting
will begin at 7:30 p.m., and
the meeting will be called to
order at 8 p.m. by Phil O’Neill,
president of the board of di
rectors.
All MEA members are urged
to attend the meeting. Else
where in The Frontiersman,
the attention of members is
drawn to the information that
according to State law, there is
no voting by proxy. The notice
also points out that a persoif
who is an owner, officer, or
employee of a business which
is a member of MEA, may vote
for such a member, but must
have written authority signed
by the governing authority of
the businesss, or a duly em
powered officer.
Woman Voters
Will Discuss
United Nations
The United Nations will be
the topic of discussion at the
April 9 meeting of the Palmer
League of Women Voters. Mrs.
Keith McCavit will be hostess
for the meeting which will be
gin at 8 p.m. at her home.
The discussion will be based
on the problem of financing the
United Nation’s peace and se
curity operations, it was an
nounced. Some UN members
have refused to pay their as
sessments to the UN Emer
gency Fund and U N Opera
tions in the Congo, and from
these two operations, the bulk
of the deficit has arisen.
To meet these costs, the Un
ited Nations will float a $200
million bond issue. In Janu
ary of this year President John i
Kennedy indicated that he
would ask Congress for author
ization to buy $100 million of
these bonds. As was anticipat
ed, the President’s request is
meeting opposition in Con
gress. The League will discuss
such questions as why the U.S.
should purchase U N bonds;
whether or not the purchase of
one half of the bond issue
would adversely affect the in
interational character of the
U N and would the U N be
likely to default on the bonds.
ACCEPTING ORDERS
NOW - - - FOR
EASTER LILIES
AND
CORSAGES for
JUNIOR-SENIOR PROM
MAUD’S FLOWERS
Palmer Hwy—PI 5-4056
Report $29,000
Damage by Moose
A report made at the April
4 meeting of the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Commerce
indicates that moose have caus
ed over $29,000 damage to crops
"This is only part of the dam
age, as reported by some 13
farmers,” Stewart Durrant, a
: member of the committee who
investigated the damage told
j Chamber members.
As a result of the commit
j tee’s report. Chamber members
authorized a letter be sent to
Phil Holdsworth, commission
er, State Department of Natur
al Resources, seeking his aid.
The letter states, in part,
. . in view of the fact that
no funds are immediately avail
able to help those who suf
fered losses, we would like to
request that you pursue furth
er the possibilities of their (the
farmers) acquiring surplus
grains through the United
States Department of Agricul
ture to help compensate them.”
At the April 4 meeting it was
suggested that one means of
aiding the farmers might be
an additional $! or $2 charge
for hunting licenses, with the
money acquired in this man
ner, to be used to compensate
farmers for lost crops and dam
aged land and equipment. Bet
ter game management also was
suggested. It was pointed out
that a recent survey indicated
Time For Moose
To Eat Moose
Members of the Palmer
Moose lodge will hold their
annual moose meat dinner on
Saturday, April 7 at Moose
hall. All Moose, their ladies,
and guests are invited to at
tend.
Following the dinner, danc
ing will start at 9 p.m. to the
tunes of Billy Guitar and the
Kenai Kids, billed as the most
versatile five-piece Western
band in Alaska.
During the evening an at
tractive door prize will be
awarded.
at least 1.000 moose in the im
mediate valley area . . . 30
years ago there were none.
Dr. Curtis Dearborn of the
Alaska Agricultural Experi
ment Station rep'orted that
since the snow has melted
moose have been grazing on a
crop of Timothy. This dispells
the old idea that moose do not
graze.
Copies of the letter sent to
Holdsworth were sent to the
Anchorage Chamber of Com
merce, state legislators, the
Governor’s office and the Con
gressional delegation in Wash
ington, D. C.
-—
BIDS TOTAL $2,155,534
Bids totaling $2,155,534 for
two projects, including the con
struction of a Nike-Hercules
hipar system at Fort Richard
son, have been awarded by the
Alaska District Army Engin
eers’ office. In addition to the
above project, a contract for
additional fire protection work
at Clear Air Force Station was
awarded to City Electric of
Anchorage, Inc.
WILLIAM RENFRO
NAMED TO NEW
POSITION IN MVB
Robert A. Baker, president
of the Matanuska Valley Bank
today announced the promotion
of William D. Renfro to the
position of executive vice
president, effective April 1.
Renfro, in banking since
1937. has been vice president of
the Matanuska Valley Bank
Prior to joining the Matan
uska Valley Bank, Renfro
worked for various banks in
Washington State and the
First National Bank of Anch
orage. He has been a resident
of Alaska since 1952, residing
with his wife Jean and one
child in Turnagain Arms An
chorage.
The Matanuska Valley Bank
has it main office in Palmer,
headed by vice president and
cashier Richard M. Jones.
Since opening the Anchorage
branch, assets of the Matanus
ka Valley Bank have tripled
to $13,500,000.00 making one of
Alaska’s largest state banks.
Directors of the bank include
Robert A. Baker, Harry J. Hill,
Keith M. Lesh, William D.
Renfro, Asa L. Martin, Ken C.
Britt and A. C. Swalling of An
chorage, Richard M. Jones, I
Palmer and Walter Teeland of
Wash la.
INTERNATIONAL LEADER, ROYAL ARCH
MASONS MAKING ALASKAN VISIT
Edwin A Martini, general
grand high priest of all Royal
Arch Masons, will be a two
day visitor in the Matanuska
Valley and Anchorage this
week-end, it was announced to
day by Charles W. Wilson,
Grand High Priest of Alaska
Royal Arch Masons.
The international leader of
Royal Arch Masons, will be
accompanied to Alaska by his
wife. The couple will arrive in
Anchorage April 6 evening via
Pacific Northern Airlines and
will be greeted at Internation
al Airport where a reception
is planned.
During his visit a special
meeting of the ^Alaska Grand
Chapter of Royal Arch Ma
sons will be held at 10 a.m.,
April 7 in Faith Baptist Church
in Spenard. A buffet dinner i
at 6:30 Saturday evening will
be followed by a reception for
Mr. and Mrs. Martini. The din
ner and reception will be held
at Odd Fellows Hall on North
ern Lights Boulevard, near
Lake Otis Road, and is open to
all Masons and associated or
ganizations, and their friends.
Martini is a 33 degree Scot
tish Rite Mason, and is Past
Potentate on the Minnesota
Shrine, as well as holding the
highest honor in York Rite Ma
sonry. He is a native of Duluth,
Minnesota and has been a prac
ticing attorney there for more
than 30 years.
The Martinis are visiting Al
aska for the first time as a
part of an extended official
visit throughout the Orient and
a return by way of Hawaii.
Youth Camp Charges
Denied by Committee
Charges made last week by
Pepublican gubernatorial can
cidate Verne O. Martin that
“ all was not right” at the State
Youth Conservation Camp and
School here in the Valley, were
ciscussed by Youth and Adult
Authority officials, members of
he camp’s Citizen’s Committee,
nd a number of interested per
ons on Monday of this week.
Attending the meeting was
'harles Pfeiffer, director of
YAA, who introduced members
f the Citizen’s Committee who
nvestigatcd charges made by
lartin. Salvation Army Major
Ierman Smith of Anchorage,
cting as spokesman for the
ommittee, told those present
hat there have been some in
tances at the camp, that the
ommittee and YAA officials
are aware of them, and that ac
tion has been taken. He stated
hat acting camp director, Pat
l arter was to be praised for
lis work with the youths.
4 ... of course there are some
i istances . . . even in other
chools we find students rebell
ng against their teachers . .
t )ing things they perhaps
houldn’t . . . these boys aren’t
tty different than others . . .
s for the charge that when a
boy does wrong he is taken for
a ride—working some 19 years
years in this type of work, I
find that many times more can
be accomplished by taking a
youngster out in the car, talking
to him, and getting at the root
of his trouble. It works much
better than the ‘30 lashes’ of
years ago.
“I do not see how a “Kan
garoo Court’ could operate at
the camp, for such a court, to be
successful, must be done when
counselors are not around, and
they are there all the time. The
“old vehicles and equipment
standing around useless’ at the
camp are surplus properties ac
quired by the camp which will
be put into useable condition
when possible. We accept any
thing that is offered, hoping we
will be able to use it somewhere
in our program. Charges made
that the camp road is not pass
able are not correct. In nearly
two years time, the only time
I've had trouble with roads was
on the State maintained road,
not the access road to camp.
The Mayor of Skagway has
praised the youths and YAA
for work done on the Chilkoot
Trail and expressed hope they
will return to the area for addi
tional work.
Present at the meeting were
mothers of two boys who are
at the camp. Both women
%'olunteered that their sons
have shown great improvement
since being placed in the camp.
Pfeiffer pointed out that the
camp program is one the State
may well be proud of. He told
of a camp program study made
by the Bureau of Indian Af
fairs. “Many of the recom
mendations made from this re
port are being worked into the
program. The camp has always
been open to the public ... in
fact we encourage interested
persons to visit the camp . . . the
coffee pot is always on. He stat
ed at the present time there are
33 youths at the camp, opera
tions are on a limited budget, j
and personnel at a minimum, i
He said that when the adult
camp is established in the Buf- j
falo Mine area it is anticipated
that some of the staff will be
able to work at both camps in
similar program work.
Candidate Martin, who made
public charges against the
camp, did not identify his
source of information.
Expansion of MTA
Told By Manager
Plans for the expansion (
the Matanuska Telephone A.‘
sociation system were outlir
led by Max Clements, MT,
manager, at the April 4 meet
ing, of the Chamber of Com
merce.
Clements pointed out tha
in the past five years, since th
system was cut over to a dia
system, with 500 telephone;
the system has grown to 135
telephones, with some 400 ap
plications on file that the as
sociation has not yet been abli
to serve.
The revenue increase from
$78,COO in 1957, to over
$191,000 last year, also indi
cates the rapid growth of the
system. Clements pointed
out that 30 percent of the
revenue originates from toll
calls, with the 70 percent bal
ance realized from local ser
vice and other miscellaneous
revenues.
Operating ratios pointed out
by Clements show that the na
tional average of REA financ
ed telephone coops average lit
telephones per employee; in
the MTA system the average
is 122 telephones.
MTA has a total invest
ment of from $900,000 to $1
million in the plant.
Clements reported that aboul
two years ago the need for ma
jor additions to the plant were
ecogmzed, to handle aret
growth. The decision to go in
to a major program was reach
ed following a survey made by
a consulating form. An appli
cation to REA for a $1,107,000
loan was approved; engineers
and architects were selected
and plans and specifications
sent to Washington for final ap
proval. “We hope to call for
construction sometime in May,
pending REA approval,” he
said.
In Palmer complete new dial
equipment is planned. The old
system will be retired, or used
elsewhere in the system,
whichever proves most econ
omical. New headquarters fac
FHA Receives
Additional Funds
The Bureau of the Budget
has released an additional
$400,000 to the Farmers Home
Administration for rural hous
ing purposes in Alaska during
the year ending June 30, 1962,
Governor William A. Egan has
announced.
Word of the action, which
has the effect of doubling the
EHA allocation io Alaska, was
received by Governor Egan
from Senator Ernest Gruening
Egan said approval for the
allocation followed submission
to Federal officials of a mem
orandum prepared by Frank
Eleshman. chairman of a com
mittee for improving housing
in the Farmers Loop area at
Fairbanks, and strongly en
dorsed by the Governor.
f
f ilities will he added to the ex
j change building on Valley
- street to provide some 3,000
\ square feet of additional space.
- New cable and plants . . . bur
- ied cable . . . improve toll ser
vice for the system . . . new ex
t change at Big Lake ... the
31 possible availability of dial mo
1 bile telephone service, which
will be the first of its kind in
I Alaska ... a major program at
. Eagle River which will provide
. tree dialing to the Anchorage
; area, that latter program will
| also include Chugiak users . .
were among plans outlined by
| the speaker.
"The studies indicate that
this major expansion program
i can be carried out at no in
: crease in rates." Cleemnts said,
i Credit in making the program
| possible was given by Clements
to the MTA board of directors,
; MTA employees, and the co
| operation of all.
The MTA manager said that
increased payroll, as applied to
the new venture, would result
from construction work this
summer, and next winter.
Within the next three years, he
said it is anticipated that four
or five employees would be ad
ded to the system.
MINSTREL SHOW
WELL RECEIVED
Although the Palmer Kiwan
is minstrel show, “Fallout Fol
lies" opened on a first dress re
hearsal setting, the perform
j ances turned in by the many
talented valley folk who par
j ticipated, were polished and
| belied the setting.
Friday night's performance
drew a full house. On Satur
day additional seating was re
quired before the curtain went
up at 8:30 p.m. Written by Les
Klebesadel and co-directed by
H. J. Hodgson and James W.
Wilson, the show was a "hit"
with the audiences.
The end men, Charles Marsh,
Charles Welling. Ed Smith and
Harold Stephan, and William
B Oliver as interlocutor, kept
the show swinging with their
antics. Specialty numbers in
dicated the valley has much
talent. Music Country Style
was presented by the Susitna
Saints; Bill Combs, accompan
ied by David Martin, pianist,
turned in a good performance
with his sax; Carmen Splet
tstoezer presented an unusual
whistling act; Thelma Riley,
accompanied by Ray Holtz,
pleased the audience with her
operatic presentations; Holtz
proved his versatility again
with a vibraharp solo and Cliff
Salisbury's flea circus was right
up to “scratch". The all-male
chorus, which was directed by
Holtz, offered several numbers,
with Bob Pippel and Paul Mar
ton doing solo bits in two num
bers.
ANNUAL MOOSE MEAT
Dinner & Dance
MOOSE MEMBERS & GUESTS
MOOSE HALL—SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1962
BILLIE GUITAR and the
KEMAI KEOS
Most Versatile 5-piece Western Band to
Come Out of the "South 49"
DOOR PRIZE
$1.00 DONATION
WHO-Varied Show WHERE
WASILLA HIGH SCHOOL
AUDITORIUM
APRIL 6TH and 7TH
TICKETS $1.00
!