CIVIL DEFENSE MEETING
Tonight 7:30 p.m.
CARPENTERS' HALL
THE FRONTIERSMAN
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may have for sale,
rent or lease.
"VOLUME 7. NUMBER 28
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. MAY 6. 1954
PRICE TEN CENTS
$114,000.00 SCHOOL BUDGET APPROVED
CLEAN UP WEEK
MAY 16-22; CITY
ASKS COOPERATION
Palmer Clean-Up Week was
set for May 16 through May 22
by Acting Mayor Betty Mears, at
the May 5 City Council meeting.
In setting the dates for the
annual spring clean-up, Mrs.
Mears called upon all city resi
dents to help beautify the City
of Palmer, by removing all ac
cumulated debris from yards, al
leys, and vacant lots. “With the
beautiful mountain setting our
city has for a background, let
us all strive to make our city
as attractive as possible”, Mrs.
Mears said this week.
Members of the city depart
ments will assist home owners in
removing collected debris to the
dump. However, this will not in
-* elude the winter’s collection of
ashes, it was announced. Home
owners, Boy and Girl Scouts, and
service organizations will all be
called upon to cooperate in the
-week-long clean-up campaign.
Dates for debris collections by
the city truck will be announced
in next week’s paper.
Tires and Wheels
Taken in Early- -
Morning Theft
The theft of three wheels and
three tires was reported to city
police this morning by John Gore.
The wheels and tires were re
moved from his Buick car which
-was parked in the driveway of
his home, sometime after 1:00
a.m. this morning.
The jack used to raise the car
was taken from the back of a
pick-up truck owned by Dick
Ganschow that was parked a few
feet away from the Buick. Gore
said this morning that the tires
and wheels were valued at about
$260. City and territorial police
.are investigating.
WORK MAY BEGIN
SOON ON VALLEY ROADS
Although the amount and type
"was not stated, Alfred Hagen,
secretary of the local Republi
can Club received word this
■week from Irving Reed, Terri
torial Highway Engineer that he
believes as soon as the weather
becomes suitable for road con
struction, work will begin on
Valley area roads, along such
recommendations he obtained on
a visit to the area last fall
The letter was in response to
-one written to Engineer Reed
asking that farm to market roads
and the Palmer-Wasilla-Big Lake
roads be considered for construc
tion work. Reed told Hagen that
he plans to be in the Valley again
this summer and will contact the
group further on the roads at
that time.
National Commander
To Attend American
Legion Convention
Arthur J. Connell of Middle
town, Conn., national command
er of the American Legion, will
attend the 1954 American Legion
territorial convention to open in
Palmer on June 23, according to
word received here this week.
Commander Connell was elect
ed to his national office in Sep
tember, 1953. Under his direc
tions impressive g[ains on all
fronts of the Legion’s endeavors
have been realized.
This is the second time a na
tional commander has attended
an Alaskan convention. In 1949
Perry Brown, then national com
mander, was in attendance at the
Mt. McKinley Park convention,
as was the national president,
Mrs. Laura Goode of the Ameri
can Legion Auxiliary.
GOING TO HAVE
A FAIR BOOTH?
Anyone planning to operate a
concession at the 1954 Matanuska
Valley Fair is asked to contact
the Fair Board as soon as pos
sible, designating the type con
session planned, and space re
quired. Applications should be
writing or in persoh. Fair board
meetngs are being held on al
ternate Monday and Tuesday
nights at Brook’s Equipment.
The next meeting is to be held
May 11.
Clean up work on the fair
grounds were started this week,
removing all accumulated rub
bish around the barns. The old
grandstand, that had been found
too far deteriated, was torn down.
A salesman for the annual Fair
Premium book will be named at
the next meeting and work will
be started as soon as possible
after that date to insure early
issue of the book.
CHAMBER PREPARING
NEW BROCHURE ON
MATANUSKA VALLEY
Work on a new brochure, pro
moting the Matanuska Valley,
has been started by the local
Chamber of Commerce. Although
the pamphlet is not yet ready
for the printers, it will be some
what similar in in formation to
the one printed and distributed
by the Chamber a few years ago.
Illustrations and information on
agriculture, industry, recreation,
and home and social life in the
valley will be featured in the
pamphlet, along with a listing of
commercial enterprises doing
business in this area. During the
May 5 meeting, Richard Jones,
Chamber president appointed a
commitee to prepare the pam
phlet.
ELKS PLAN ANNUAL
MOTHERS DAY PROGRAM
Palmer Lodge B. P. O. Elks
No. 1842 will hold annual
Mother’s Day services at 2:00
p.m. at Elks Hall, it was an
nounced this week by Exalt
ed Ruled John Reed.
All members are requested
to bring their mother, or if
that is not possible, it was sug
gested that members bring
; some one else to honor on
| Mother’s Day. The program
[ • will begin at 2:00 p.m.
MOTHER’S DAY, MAY 9, 1954
Children, look in those eyes, listen to that
dear voice, notice the feeling of even a single
touch that is bestowed upon you by that gentle
hand! Make much of it while yet you have the
most precious of all good gifts, a living mother.
Read the unfathomable love of those eyes; the
kind anxiety of that tone and look, however
slight your pain. In after life you may have
friends, fond, dear friends, but never will you
have again the inexpressible love and gentleness
lavished upon you, which none but a mother
bestows.—Macaulay.
CHOWDER FEED;
DANCE TO HONOR
WOMEN PILOTS SAT.
Fresh clams, right from the
beaches of Ninilchik and Clam
Gulch will go into the big clam
chowder to be prepared for the
Airmen’s party planned for this
Saturday evening at the Elks
Hall. Phil McRae, Don McKech
nie, Dave Kepler, and Earl
Brown, all local pilots, flew to
the area this week and brought
back an abundant amount of
j clams.
The pubic has been invited to
attend the party, being held in
honor of The Ninety-Nines, in
ternational organization of wo
ment pilots.
Invited guests will include old
time Alaskan flyers, CAA and
Department of Aviation officials,
television, radio, and newspaper
representatives and airline offi
cials.
A1 Hughland, CAA assistant
regional administrator will be
principal speaker. Others who
will speak briefly are Robert
Reeves, of Reeves Aleutian Air
lines, E. M. Higgins of the Alas
ka Airlines, Mrs. W. L. Stoddard,
chairman of the Alaska chapter
fo 99s, and Ralph Farnsworth,
president of the Airmen’s Asso
ciation will be master-of-cere
monies.
Fifteen members of the Anch
orage 99s, of which Rene Nielson
of Mile 73 is the only local mem
ber, plan to attend the party and
dance.
The Ninety-Nine club
derives its name from the
number of charter members who
baned together to further the
role of women in advancing the
cause of aviation. On November
2, 1929, 26 of this group met at
Curtiss Field on Long Island,
N. Y. and launched the club of
fically. Amelia Earhart became
its first president. Practically all
feminine aviation records made
since the founding of the club
have been made by 99s.
To be eligible for membership
in the 99s, a woman must possess
an active pilot’s license of private
grade or higher in either power
ed aircraft or powerless craft. At
the present time there are over
(Continued on page 8)
JHt*********************^
COUNCIL NOTES
X-**********************-?
A request that the Matanuska
Valley Fair Association be ex
empt from sales tax collection
was presented to members of th«
City Council at the May 4 meet
ing by Eugene Kirsch, fair board
member. Kirsch pointed out thal
the annual Fair brings thousand:
of visitors to Palmer and thal
the collection of sales tax would
put a burden on the Associatior
and on Fair concessions. Follow
ing a discussion Council mem
bers approved the request.
* * *
Another visitor at the meet
ing was former Mayor Carl Meier
who requested the Council take
action on having survey stakes
returned to the section of his
property that was dug up dur
ing the water line installation.
Although the responsibility of
replacing the stakes is that of the
contractor, council members vot
ed to have the survey work done,
following which the bill will be
presented to the contractor.
* * *
Acting Mayor Betty Mears re
ported to Council members that
the City Planning Commission
are discussing zoning in various
areas of the city, with two mem
bers of the commission assigned
areas for study. Their recommen
dations will be presented at the
next commission meeting May 24
and will later be presented to the
City Council for study.
• • •
A letter from Charles Wilson
of the Planning Commission
recommended that the City
Council take steps to acquire
city park areas. Council mem
bers authorized the Planning
Commission to enter into nego
tiations for park areas, without
costs to the city, mentioning the
area known as Park Reserve, in
particular.
• • *
Fire Chief Joseph Gallant re
ported that all city fire hydrants
have been tested and that three
which were found in poor work
ing condition have been repaired.
Council members decided to ex
tend the period of space rent for
the city fire trucks which ex
(Continued on page 8)
High School
Sgierelta To
Feature 12 Voices
I 1
Ah operetta in two parts will
! be presented by members of the j
! Palmer High School chorus next
| Friday evening, May 14 in the |
j school gymnasium, beginning at
: 8:00 p.m.
The operetta is set on the cam
pus of Marden College in the
middle west and among many
other characters, will present
Leon Grover who will sing the
part of “Snooze” Andrews, the
college comedian, who has a ten
dency for getting into scrapes.
There will be a matinee per
formance for students on Thurs
day afternoon, Miss Lois Thomp
son, chorus director said this
week. Miss Thompson is being
assisted by Keith Stanton who
is in charge of stage directing.
In addition to Grover, others
in the cast and their roles are as
follows—with those who will sing,
in the Friday performance being
named first; those named second
will sing that role at the Thurs
day matinee:* Birdie Boggs, a
freshman girl, by Ginger Eas
tham and Pat Chandlr; Amy Ar
nold, a junior girl, by Alma
Roark and Doloris Foster; Dolly
McSpadden, daughter of the col
lege president, by Annie Have
meister; Dr. McSpadden, presi
dent of the college, by Leo
Plumley; Mrs. McSpadden, by
Arlen Benson and Wilda Harris.
(This is the only speaking role
in the ODeretta).
Also, Mark Watson, the college i
yell leader by Jim Cottrill; (
Hamilton Hunter, leader of the
glee club, by Kenneth Hughes;
Willie (Sleepy) Carter, a fresh
man, by Lane Rice and Emery
Roberts; Marjorie Blackwood,
belle of the campus, by Jeanetta
Lindsey and Gerry Eastham; Ag
atha Lockstep, housemother at
girls’ dorm, by Janice Barry, and
Dan Flanigan, young motor cop,
by Laddie Huntley.
The liberreto was written by
Geoffrey F. Morgan and the mu- .
sic by Geoggrey O’Hara.
Tickets are on sale now and
may be purchased from students
or at the school office.
PALMER AIRPORT
HAS FIELD LIGHTS
Field lights have been install
ed at the Palmer Airport and
are working on the north-south
runways during the hours of
darkness. The lights are worked
by automatic control, members
of the Airmens Association an
nounced this week.
The lights were recently ac
quired through the efforts of the
association and the Matanuska
Valley Chamber of Commerce
who are underwriting part of
the cost of operation.
A—Elks plan annual .
A warning against rabies was
issued this week by Dr. Robert
Rausch of the animal disease
branch of the Arctic Health Re
search Center in Anchorage. He
cautioned hunters and others
planning trips to outlying areas
to be on the lookout for rabies
in both wild and domestic ani
mals. Outbreaks have been re
ported in widespread areas, he
said.
CITY’S SHARE IS
$56,366; SCHOOL
DISTRICT, $57,944
The Palmer Independent
School District budget, in the
amount of $114,310.58, was pre
sented to the City Council on
May 5 and was accepted as pre
sented, by council members.
On this amount the city will
pay 49.31 percent, or $56,366.55
The money will be obtained by
the city collection of personal and
real property tax as announced
earlier this year. The school dis
trict’s share of 50.69 percent will
be collected through personal
and real property tax in the
school district outside city limits.
The budget submitted was
thoroughly reviewed by coun
cil members and .Acting Mayor
Betty Mears, previous to the ap
proval by members.
City assessments will be mail
ed to real property owners as
soon as completed and members
of the City Council will sit as a
board of equalization on Wed
nesday evening, June 9 in the
city clerk’s office at 8 p.m.
A summary report showed es
timated expenditures for general
control at $22,080; instruction,
$220,205; operation of plant, $45,
790; maintenance and repair, $6,
600; auxiliary agencies, $80,505.
50; fixed charges, $5,705; outlays,
$34,700, and debt service, $1,000,
for a total of $416,586.08. Of this
the territorial portion would be
$207,990 and the district portion
$208,596.08. Estimated income
from territorial and federal funds
of $302,275 leaves the balance of
the $114,310. 58 requested in the
budget.
PRODUCE BIDS MUST
BE IN MAIL TODAY
All farmers planning to en
ter bids on military require
ments are reminded that they
must be in the mail today.
They will be opened and
awarded on May 14, according;
to word received by the De
partment of Agriculture.
ALL CIVIL DEFENSE
WORKERS URGED TO
ATTEND MEETING
All Civil Defense workers
in the Palmer area were re
minded this week by Ralph
Moore, director, of the full or
ganization meeting planned
for tonight in CD headquart
ers in Carpenters’ Hall, begin
ning at 7:30 p.m. Area Direc
tor Edward Imme will also at
; tend the meeting.
All CD members, and those
interested in joining the or
ganization, are urged to at
tend the meeting, during
which time Moore will ac
quaint himself with the vari
ous units and personnel. Plans
for an area practice alert the
early part of the summer will
be discussed.
Area Director Imme an
nounced the appointment of
Phil O’Neill as area director
in the Sutton, Eska, Jones
ville area. A director for the
Matanuskja Experiment Sta
tion farm area will be named
at a later date, he said.