For Cooperation and Efficiency, Vote for McKechnie JL
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VOLUME 7. NUMBER 2
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY OCTOBER 1. 1953
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may hare for sale.
! rent or lease.
PRICE TEN CENTS
TWO SEEK OFFICE IN MAYORALTY RACE
Valley's 'Bumper' Potato Harvest Nears Finish
90% COMPLETED
REPORT FARMERS;
RECORD CROPS SEEN
The Valley’s bumper potato
crop continues to grow. Harold
Stephan of the Co-Op produce
department said this week that
Co-Op members are pretty well
done with their harvesting but
that potatoes are still coming in
for storage. It was estimated this
week that 10 percent of the Val
ley crop remains to be harvested.
In addition to over 1,000 tons
stored in the Co-Op root cellar
facilities, 450 tons are stored in
the Valley Theatre basement;
over 250 tons in the basement
formerly occupied by Brooks
Feed and Co-Op farmers have
over another thousand tons stor
ed in their own cellars.
Glenn Woods, one of the Val
ley’s largest individual potato
growers, has completed his har
vest and stored over 450 tons of
potatoes. Other independent po
tato growers have reported large
crops. Total harvest figures are
expected to top pas1 records.
Although no figures were avail
able this week, carrot fields have
also produced far above average
this year, with much of the crop
yet to be harvested.
New Power House
Nearing Completion
Under the direction of Frank
Clark, of the Co-Op maintenance
department, workers are this
week preparing to roof over the
new reinforced concrete block,
power house being constructed
to replace the building destroyed
by fire August 9.
The steel fabricated roof will
be covered by two feet of con
crete. Two 65-foot metal smoke
stacks are expected to be erected
within a couple of weeks. The
boilers have been reconditioned
and a new stocker, ordered from
Erie, Pennsylvania is expected
to arrive within two months, Fred
Zieke, CoOp general manager
said this week. In the meantime,
he added, as soon as possible we
will have one boiler in operation.
At present steam is still being
supplied by a locomotive loaned
by the Alaska Railroad.
APW OFFICIALS
VISIT WATER PROJECT
A1 Boburg of the Juneau Alas
ka Public Works office and Mr.
W. J. Tweet of the Anchorage of
fice visited the Palmer water
system project Tuesday of this
week and went over all phases
of the contsruction.
FOR EFFICIENT
CITY BUSINESS
ELECT A BUSINESSMAN
f
Vot* AL V. HAGEN
COMMUNITY CHEST
CAMPAIGN GETS
UNDER WAY MONDAY
'< Starting next Monday volun- !
| teer workers in the 1953 Com-!;
| munity Chest Campaign will j;
; start ringing door bells in their
; neighborhoods in a concerted ;!
; effort to reach the higher £oal !
of $4,000 set for this year. >
At the close of the school ;
; poster contest Wednesday, ■;
1; October 7, posters depicting;;
!; the various participating agen-;!
!; cies and their work will be;!
!; placed throughout the area.;!
; All posters will be judged on ;
neatness, originality and effec-;
! tiveness. >
The campaign will run from !;
;! October 5 through October 24. >
VSAA^/S/WVSAA<WWVAA/WVS/WVS^/VW\
Only Three File
For School Board
Election Tuesday
Apparently the total number
of candidates for two vacancies
on the school board will remain
at three. Closing time for filing
a declaration of intention to run
for office closes this afternoon at
5:00 p.m. at the Palmer School.
One seat on the school board,
a five year term, expires this
year. Lew Hanks, board member
the past year, is seeking unop
posed election to the vacancy.
Bill Roark and A1 J. DeJulio have
filed for the unexpired four year
term to which Roark was elected
a year ago and from which he
later resigned.
Polling places for the Palmer
Independent School District will
be at the Co-Op club room where
Mrs. Charles Wilson, Rev. Ed
ward Imme, Mrs. Aleen Uzelac
and Mrs. Seth Cook will act as
judges and clerk, and at the Eska
Post Office where Jonesville area
voters may cast their ballots. Mrs.
Harvey Hiber and assistants will
judge the election in tha area.
ACS OFFICE GOES
ON WINTER SCHEDULE
New winter-schedule hours will
go into effect October 1 at the
local Alaska Communication Sy
stem office, Sergeant William
Kelleigh announced this week.
Under the new schedule the
office, located in the Severn
building, will be open from 8:00
a.m. until 9:00 p.m. on week
days and from 11:00 a.m. until
2:00 p.m. on Sundays.
Also effective the same date is
a new arrangement whereby per
sons with ACS charge accounts
may pass toll calls 24 hours a day,
whether the office is open or
not. During hours when the of
fice is closed, calls will go
through Anchorage direct, Kel
leigh said. Previous to the new
(Continued on Page 4)
WORK STARTS FOR
NEW MEA BUILDING
Ground clearing and excava
tion work was started yesterday
for the construction of a new
concrete block Matanuska Elec
tric Association building on their
property opposite from the Fair
grounds.
C. R. Foss, Inc., of Anchorage
was the apparent low bidder at
$116,690. Confirmation and awar
ding of the bid will be completed
as soon as possible,Cy Brewer,
MEA manager said following the
opening of bids on Monday of
! this week.
The new building, designed by
Edwin B. Crittenden, Anchorage
architect, consists of a 40 by 60
foot two-story- office unit and a
40 by 60-foot garage, repair and
storage space.
Other bidders were: Sandvik
and Roark of Palmer, $119,275^86;
Anchorage Builders, $122,300; C
and R Builders of Seattle; J. B.
Warrack and Co., Anchorage
Doughty Construction Co., Spen
ard; Loyer and Casler Construc
tion Co., Palmer: E. M. Peterson,
Spenard and William Hufeisen,
Anchorage.
The C. R. Foss company is at
present completing the new 24
bed Valley Presbyterian Hospital.
THEODORE GLENN
GIVEN 3V2 YEARS
ON MORALS CHARGE
Theodore Roosevelt Glenn was
sentenced to three and one half
years in the penitentiary by Jud
: ge George W. Folta on September
: 26, on a sodomy conviction.
The former Palmer man was
found guilty of one of two morals
counts in a verdict returned by
: the district court jury in Anchor
age on September 25. The charge
carried a statutory sentence of
one to 10 years’ penalty. He also
has been charged with the mur
der of Mrs. Margaret Toloff in
1951. A charge of statutory rape
originally lodged against Glenn
was withdrawn at the start of
i the trial.
Glenn was represented by Har
| old Butcher of Anchorage. Pro
1 secuting attorney was Lyn Kirk
, land.
PALMER JOINS LEAGUE
OF ALASKAN CITIES
The City of Palmer will be
i come a member of the League
I of Alaskan Cities as soon as the
application is accepted. Members
of the city council voted unanim
ously to join the organization at
the September 29 meeting, fol
lowing an invitation from May
nard Taylor, league president
who explained the functions of
the league to council members on
September 15.
City Council
Adopts Water Policy
Accepted by council members
at the September 29 city council
meeting, were recommendations
of the budget and finance com
mittee on city policy for water
rates and methods of customer
billing.
The report, delivered by Wil
liam Zahradnicek, committee
chairman, recommended the City
of Palmer establish a system of
customer reading of meters. The
meters to be read on the 20th of
each month, with payments due
by the first day of the following
month. Customers who pay their
bills on or before the first day
of the month will be allowed a
10 percent discount.
Apartment houses which are
not metered will be charged a
standard rate of dwelling per
unit. When possible, all water
customers will b$ permitted tc
buy metered water.
All water users will be charg
ed the regular inspection and con
nection fee of $10.00 per main
i connection. In case of multiple
| hook-ups to a single property
! owner, the owner must guarantee
the water bill, unless shut-offs
are installed to individual units
In case of multiple hook-ups tc
separate the different property
owners, the city will provide in
dividual shut offs as soon as
possible and in cases of non
payment of water bills the city
will take necessary action to in
stall shut-offs as soon as possi
ble to cope with the situation
In cases where it is not feasi
ble to install shut-offs at this
date, individual shut-offs will
be installed as soon as possible
or as emergencies arise.
Water rates to customers out
side city limits will be the same
as that of regular city rate anc
all water is to be metered.
Rates to schools, one-quartei
or 25 percent of regular rate
Rates to churches one-quarter oi
25 percent of regular rate excepl
that parsonages which are dwell
ings also be metered and be
charged at regular dwelling rate
Where churches have rental
apartments, apartment be meter
ed and billed at regular dwelling
rate. When church and dwellinf
or parsonage are one unit the
church is to be billed at regulai
dwelling rate. Churches to ge1
special rate must be on meter.
All other similar organizations
clubs and lodges be billed at the
regular rate.
The water committee will have
authority to make adjustment:
and changes in inequities to the
customer. The city water mar
will have authority to recommenc
good and proper installation o
water lines to customers and the
(Continued on Page 4)
ENGINEER REPORTS
CITY GRADES SET
Grades have been established
for all city streets in which water
mains were to be installed and
tentative grades for many ad
ditional streets within the city,
according to a letter from Charles
W. Tryck of the Rutledge, John
j son and Tryk firm of engineers.
The drawings have been pre
pared on permanent type paper
on which changes may be made
: from time to time, the report
stated. Street right of way lines,
proposed ditch lines, proposed
culvert locations, ditch slope
direction and in most cases, ex
isting roads are all shown on the
drawings.
However, the maximum autho
I rization of $4,500 will be exceed
ed if the drafting and survey
; work remaining is completed.
Tryck reported that the balance
of work wil cost $1,925. Council
members went on record accept
ing Tryck’s proposal to complete
the work but that it be deferred
until the next budget is prepared
and funds be allocated for the
project.
DEATH TAKES
"GRANDMA" EZI
One of the Valley’s most color
ful inhabitants was found dead
about one mile south of Palmer
Wednesday noon.
Mrs. Olga Ezi, known as
“Grandma” Ezi to all and sun
dry was one of the oldest Natives
in the area. She had made her
home at Matanuska for the past
years, having gone there from
the Eklutna Indian village.
“Grandma” was the subject of
many interesting and colorful
stories, many of which have never
been checked for authenticity.
She has been photographed many
times and her picture has ap
peared in several publications.
Although some of the stories
(Continued on page 4)
LITTLE SUSITNA LODGE,
Is Giving a
Free Lamb Meqne
SATURDAY OCT. 10
COME ONE COME ALL
and try the local grown Lamb raised in the
beautiful Little Susitna range by Harold
Nickles of Wasilla.
START SERVING 6 P.M.
NO CONTEST FOR
COUNCIL; ONLY 3
CANDIDATES FILE
City voters will go to the polls
next Tuesday, October 6, to elect
a mayor and three councilmen.
However, the only contest will be
in the race for the mayor’s posi
tion.
Running for the mayor’s office
are incumbent Alfred V. Hagen
and Don McKechnie, who is com
pleting a one year term on the
city council.
Although City Clerk Elizabeth
Barry kept the city office open
until 5:00 p.m. on the final day,
September 26, for filing nomina
tion papers, there were no late
filings and the total number of
council candidates match the
total number of council candi
dates match the total number of
vacancies. William T. Zrhradni
cek filed for the unexpired two
year term; Lucille Mick and Par
ker Lester filed for the two,
three-year terms.
City attorney, Harold Butcher,
ruled this week that write-ins
or sticker voting would probably
not be legal inasmuch as provi
sion for getting a candidates
name on the ballot was set forth
publically previous to the final
filing date.
All city voters were urged this
week to take advantage of their
voting privilege and cast their
ballots on Tuesday. The polls, to
be located in the Co-Op club
room, will open at 8:00 a.m. and
close at 7:00 p.m. Election clerks
will be Haleen Ingalls, and
Robert Pippel. Nan Curtis, Kath
leen Moore and Gertrude Larsh
are election judges. All election
officials were appointed and ap
proved at the September 29 city
council meeting
Following the election on Wed
nesday night, the present city
council will canvass the vote.
The term of office for new city
officials will begin with the first
Monday following the election.