VALLEY FRONTIERSMAjN
Altered as sscond class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the post office at
__Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 187JL
A1J. DeJulio .Publisher, Manager
Mtt**°*r.:.-.Virginia Gallant
Abicription Rates . 50c a month, $5 a year
_ Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
WHERE TO LAY THE BLAME?
Who is at fault? During the past week-end three service
men met instant death when their car crashed at the Anch
orage end of the Matanuska bridge, turned end over end
and landed on the river’s edge, 30 feet below.
This is not the first fatal or near-fatal accident at that
scene. In fact it is but one of many. Excessive liquor has
been blamed for some of these accidents—speed in excess
of existing conditions for others. Commuters who drive
the Palmer-Anchorage highway daily tell of taking the curve
easily at 50 miles an hour. Yet some of the accidents oc
curing at the bridge have involved sober drivers who are
very familiar with the conture of the road.
Warning signs erected by the Alaska Road Commis
sion indicate the curve should be taken at a low rate of
speed. One sign, yellow in color, states “Slow.” Under the
word is a small white square with the figure “20”. This
figure it has been explained, is the recommended speed for
that area. However, a stranger, not familiar with particular
Alakan signs, might not interpret the number correctly. In
fact, there have been those who thought the figure was
a milepost number—another party thought it was the num
ber of the sign. There is nothing to indicate it as a recom
mended speed limit.
The election of a steel guard rail, similar to that along
the Moose Creek hill curve has been recommended by many.
Unconfirmed reports say that the Road Commission is
considering such a railing. In the meantime, the question
is still posed as to where to lay the blame.
DALE BRiGGS NEW
MEA BOARD MEMBER
More than 600 persons attend
ed the annual Matanuska Elec
tric Association meeting held Sat
urday night, April 11 in the school
gymnasium.
Dale Briggs of Chugiak was
elected to the board of directors
following the withdrawal of
George Small, former board mem
ber. He and Gien Woods of Pal
mer tied for the office. Necessit
ating a drawing. Other planned
business for the meeting was can
celled following an interpretation
by the association’s lawyer per
taining to the quorum necessary
to change the by-laws. The at
torney announced that two-thirds
of the membership would be
needed and with only around 270
of the 1200 members present, no
voting for the changes was con
ducted. As an alternate in trying
to get the large membership per
centage together, it was suggest
ed sectional meetings be held
sometime in the future. In the
meantime the present board will
serve until their successors are
duly qualified. If the sectional
meets prove successful, the 5-man
board will probably go to a 7
man board next year.
A film “The Amazon Awakens”
was shown to those attending and
L. F . Wiley, engineer in
charge, of the Bureau of Recla
mation spoke briefly on the pro
gress at the Eklutna hydroelectric
project. Members viewed a scale
model of the dam on exhibition
during the evening.
Also presented for viewing by
the membership was Architect
Edwin Crittenden's drawing of
the proposed MEA building.
Annual awards were made to1
the following persons: Mrs. Geor
ge Small, $25 award; Mrs. Jus
tine Parks, Sunbeam coffee-mak
er; Mrs. Dorothy Saxton, Toast
master; Mrs. Clair Stock, electric
drill; Mrs. James Conroy, Mirro
matic iron: D. T. McMahon, Gen
eral Electric toaster; Wendall
Hubbell steam iron, Mrs. Grace
Reid, electric mantle clock and
William Kalleigh, electric kit
chen clock.
In addition to donors previous
ly announced, Kav Pippel In
surance donated the Sunbeam
coffee-maker and the Yukon'
Equipment Co. of Anchorage gave
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
ACCOUNTING FORMS
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Everything
for the Office
Expert Office
Machine Repairs
COMMERCIAL
STATIONERS
Reed Bldg., Opp. Federal Bldg. ■
Dial 30515—Anchorage. Alaska !;
the eleetirc drill.
The membership voted to back
the rural telephone program in
tne \ alley and surrounding areas
and MEA Manager Cy Brewer an
nounced this week that applica
tion blanks are available at the
office for those desiring member
ship.
Entertainment for the evening
also included a 20 minute presen
tation by the Palmer High School
band, under the direction of
Bandmaster Leo Getsgo.
LOCAL PHARMACIST
TAKES SEATTLE BRIDE
Returning to Palmer last week
j was Tatsuo Gosho, pharmasist at
' Bert’s Drug. Accompanying him
! was Tatsuo Gosho, pharmacist at
j ice Fdamura, daughter of Mr. and
| Mrs. Heijior Eaamura.
The double ring ceremony was
I performed in the Seattle Budd
hist temple on March 29. The
biide wore an ivory atin gown
with a lace yoke set off by a
Peter Pan collar, and a fingertip
veil of illusion edged with white
satin. She carried a bouquet of
three lavender orchids and step
hanotis.
Henry Gosho, the bridegroom’s
brother was best man. A recep
tion was held following the cere
mony. The couple will make their
home in Palmer.
HOMEMAKERS CLUB
NOTES
Chsechako Club
Members of the Cheechako
Homemakers’ Club held their reg
ular meeting at the home of Billie
DeJulio April 13, with 15 mem
bers and two guests present. Roll
call was answered by “a green
thumb tip.”
Dr. Richard Washburn of the
Alaska Experiment Station labra
ory gave a talk on garden insects
and presented literature on ex
termination.
Some members brought slips
from flower plants and exchanged
with others.
The next meeting will be held
at the home of Mrs. Pat Lawton
May 11.
4-H NEWS
Mixing Bowl Club
Members of the 4-H Mixing
Bowl club had an Easter party at
the home of our leader, Mrs. Hen
ning Blunck.
First we had an egg hunt. Win
ners were Jean Onkka, and Judy
Hurley. Then we had an egg roll
ing contest. Darlene Brager’s team
won.
Next we challenged each other
to an egg breaking contest Joan
Hurley won this contest. Then
refreshments were served and
after refreshments we sat around
and talked.
At the next meeting we will
elect officers. We will be starting
our projects soon and hope to be
just as successful as last year.
Jean Onkka, reporter
Valley Women Named
To Yukon PresbyteriaI
Mrs. Lowell M. Puckett of An
chorage was elected president of
the Yukon Presbyterian Associa
tion, an organization for Presby
terian women in the Anchorage
to Barrow area, at the two-day
annual meeting of the group last
week.
Also named to serve on the ros
ter of officers were Mrs. Esther
Hansen of Wasilla .recording sec- i
retary; Mrs. Eileen Cleworth of ‘
Palmer, literature secretary and
Mrs. Vera Rorrison of Palmer,
missionary education secretary. ,
Public bivHed to
Invest in 03
Exploration Stock
Alaskans and the public this
week were being invited to take
$300,000 worth of stock in an
oil drilling venture scheduled to
get underway this summer north
of the Glenn Highway at Eureka.
The Alaska Oil and Gas Devel
opment Co., headed by C. F.
“Tiny” Shield, president and gen
eral manager, proposes to start
work on at least one exploratory
well by August 1. If sale of stocks
at $1 par value goes as well as
expected, the drill and other
necessary materials should be on
the way north from Texas by
mid-July, he said.
In the meantime, Slim McMa
hon of Palmer completed the
initial road building work this
past weekend. Additional work
to prepare the strip for the heavy
duty equipment scheduled to roll
over it this summer was started
this week.
The firm has 51,200 acres under
lease from the government, in
the names of Shield, N. F. Nelson,
William O’Neill, Carl Williams
and P. L. Parker as well as two
other well known area men.
Anchorage Travel
Bureau
Lloyd C. Olsen, Owner, Mgr.
Authorized Agent for all
AIR — SHIP — RAIL — BUS
No extra charge for our
services
P. O. Box 1673 — Phone 23391
Cut for Cash!
Yes, you can earn extra money cut*
ting wood with a TITAN chain saw.
Easiest saw you’ll ever handle,
TITAN fells trees for pulp and saw
mill logging; cuts cordwood, posts,
railway ties; squares timbers; prunes;
clears land. Let us, your reliable
TITAN dealer, show you TITAN’S
fully automatic clutch, self-winding
starter, 360° swivel.
YOUR
TIMM
DEALER
KOSLOSKY’S
HARDWARE DEPARTMENT
SPRING SPECIALS
PRINT AND INLAID
LINOLEUM - at Big Savings
DRAIN BOARD COVERING
RED. GREEN. YELLOW. BLUE. GREY
CONGO WALL COVERING
3 PATTERNS
CARPETING
NUMEROUS PATTERNS AVAILABLE
OVAL BRAID RUGS - THROW RUGS
Brady
FLOOR COVERING
330 4TH AVE.
DIAL 46481
"Minstrel Moods
ANNUAL KfWANIS
Minstrel Show
L#fN8TR£S
.SHOW.
rr
i* •
HOSPITAL BENEFIT
THURSDAY - FRIDAY - SATURDAY APRIL 23 - 24 - 25
Palmer School Gym
Tickets: Children $.75 - Adults $1.50 - Reserved Seats $2.25
While Shields and O’Neill
frankly admitted it would be a
gamble, they pointed, out that the
general area is considered a like
ly prospect for locating oil pro
ducing wells. Gas seepages have
been noted in the area and oil
slicks have been spotted on vor
ious lakes with the boundaries
of their lease holdings. They said
the Geological Survey reconnai
sance in 1918 disclosed practical
ly the same formations exist
there as were found in Cold Bay
By controlling fires in inactive
coal deposits, the Bureau of Mines
has saved from destruction over
165,000,000 tons of coal at a cost
of less than 1 cent a ton. The
coal thus saved for future use is
valued at nearly $700,000,000.
REAL ESTATE
HOMES
1 Bedroom partly furnished
modern . . . terms . . .
2 Bedroom modern fully fur
nished in city limits 10,600
cash.
3 Bedroom partly furnished
modern close in. SI 2,720
terms—ON HI-WAY
2 Homes on large lot can be
moved, total price S7.500.
1 Bedroom home, unfurnished,
terms
4 TRAILERS FOR SALE
LOTS
Butte Subdivision
LeDuc Subdivision
Pioneer View Subdivision
Pribhyl-Grasse Subdivision
City Lots
Valley Real Estate
***************.*******#4
! Potted Plants
; Lillys — Tulips
Hyacinths—Azalias
African Violets
: MATANUSKA VALLEY
GARDENS
MAUD HOSLER
S.S. BARANOF S.S. DENALI
Thurs., Apr. 23 Thurs., Apr. 30
Sitka Cordova
Juneau Juneau
Ketchikan Petersburg
Seattle Wrangell
Ketchikan
Seattle
FREIGHT SERVICE
From Scaltla
S. S. ILIAMNA
Sailing Tuesday, April 28, call
ing at Cordova, Seward-and
Valdez
M. V. SQUARE KNOT
Saling Tues., May 5, calling
at Sieka, Valdez and Sew
ard
FOR INFORMATION
J. VIC BROWN & SONS
"The Alaskan Jewelers"
S23 Fourth Ave., Anchorage Phone 23M1
<■**<<< <<<*<<
WATCHES DIAMONDS
SILVER NUGGET AND JADE JEWELRY
Prompt Attention to Mail Orders
Serving Alaskans for 35 years—ask any old-timer
For Ihe Best
in
Dining & Drinking
May We
Suggest
Our Daily Special! The Alpine Inn features every day
a special dinner that is complete and satisfying and
priced right. If you don't care for a complete meal
you will find a wonderful selection of sandwiches.,
salads deserts and beverages at the Alpine.
At the Cocktail Lounge brinks are mixed to suit your
individual taste. Slop in anytime, we will be ready to
serve you.
Alpine Inn
Mile 61 — Glenn Highway
Phone 1-J-31