Vol. 1, No. 77
Palmer, Alaska, June 29, 1948
Ten Cento
'Reported Crop Loss Exaggerated, Farmers Say
Pioneer Peak, as it is seen from Palmer—Anchorage High
way, just eight miles from Palmer, will occupy the place of
honor on the front page of the Valley's new Chamber of
Commerce bulletin. This photograph is an exact reproduction
of the bulletin picture. Other pictures to be included in the
bulletin are a pair of farm scenes and a downtown shot of
Palmer taken from near the top of the hill next the John
Bugge property on Wasilla road. (Photo by The Alaska Rail
road)
ARR Plans
Construction
In Palmer
Although no definite construc
tion date has been set for the
beginning of work on Palmer’s
I“J£” and for the building of a
new freight warehouse here, it
appears likely that both proj
ects will be opened for bid this
summer, it was announced to
day by a Railroad spokesman.
Engineers have only recently
completed specifications for the
freight warehouse, which will
be constructed as an addition to
the present depot structure.
As planned now, the ware
house is to be a one-story build
ing, 54x38. Facilities in it are
to include a cold storage depart
ment.
(The Railroad’s plans for Pal
mer also include the remodelling
arid renovation of the present
depot to create additional office
space.
Contrary to previous announce
ment, the announced plans for
the freight warehouse do not,
at this time, include space for
a Palmer fire station. At the
time of the original announce
ment, the construction was
planned to include a fire station
ai*d quarters for crewmen oper
ating the railbus.
Goes Outside For Plane
Leslie Green, recently author
ized to set up a veteran’s flying
school here, flew Outside last
week to purchase the necessary
(second plane for the school. He
w^nt to Portland., Oregon., to
make his purchase, which he ex
- pects to fly back to Palmer some
time this week. The veterans’
flight school is to begin sessions
oif July 1.
■i'
Local Youngsters
Invited To Go
To Boys’ Camp
A fishing and camping trip
at Lake Hood is being planned
for boys of Anchorage and the
Valley, who are above the age
of eight years, it was announced
in Anchorage this week. The
camp is jointly sponsored by
the Anchorage junior police and
the YMCA.
Any boy is welcome to attend
this camp, which will be held
from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8. There
will be supervised swimming,
hiking and all types of outdoor
recreation on the camp program.
Total cost of the six-day camp
ing trip is $22.
Valley boys who wish to learn
more of the details of this camp
are asked to check with Art
Stacey. Bob Kelly, head of the
Anchorage Junior Police, is in
charge of all camp plans.
Sponsors for the outing for
under-privileged boys also are
being sought in the Valley as
well as in Anchorage. The char
acter-building efect of such out
door life is considered highly im
portant, and it is the wish of the
camp’s directors to reach as
many boys as possible.
Valley businessmen who
would like to sponsor the outing
for one or more boys also are
asked to discuss further details
with Mr. Stacey.
UNDERGOES SURGERY
Mrs. C. O. Huntley, who re
cently left for the states to se
cure medical attention, yester
day was to undergo surgery in
Ann Arbor, Mich., friends here
learned this week. The Huntleys
have been touring Michigan
since they left the Valley, and
have enjoyed renewing many
former friendships there. They
plan to return to the Valley in
another month.
Davis Plans
Valley Visit
James P. Davis, director of
insular possessions and territor
ies, is on his way to Alaska and
is expected to arrive here in the
! Matanuska Valley within the
| week, it was learned here today,
j Mr. Davis was last in the terri
tory in 1946.
The Interior Department of
ficial plans an extended visit in
Alaska this time. He will spend
some time in the Matanuska Val
ley, will tour the Railbelt area,
and will visit areas in the south
eastern portion of Alaska. He is
expected to be in Alaska for at
least a month, according to pres
ent reports.
Don Irwin Given
lessen Award
The Valley’s Don Irwin was
honored this week, when he was
chosen one of 49 Alaskans to
receive the Jessen’s Weekly first
annual award for distinguished
service to Alaska. Bronze plaques
go to the 49 Alaskans, who were
picked in a poll of Jesesn’s Week
ly readers.
Nine Anchorage men also
were named in the award list.
They included: Anthony J. Di
mond, Rev. Felton Griffin, Rob
ert Reeve, Rev. R. R. Armstrong,
Robert Atwood, Z. J. Loussac,
Col. John P. Johnson, A. E.
Lathrop and William Wagner.
The plaques will be formally
presented in July. They are made
in the form of Alaskan relief
maps and bear the name of the
recipient.
The men chosen by their fel
low Alaskans, for their service
to the territory, include busi
nessmen, ministers, newspaper
men, college instructors and civic
leaders.
Airport Burning
Is Well Along,
Survey Is Next
The first burning of stump
piles along the north-south and
east-west runways of Palmer air
port was virtually completed at
press-time today. Some of the
piles burned earlier already had
been dozed into new heaps and
lighted again.
Further work at the port was
at a standstill, awaiting the com
pletion of survey work and run
ning of new lines on the re
located east-west runway. Rich
ard Demming, in charge of that
work, is expected to be on the
job at the airport early this week.
As soon as the survey lines
are run, slashing will be begun
along the area of the relocated
airstrip. Further land transac
tions also await this survey, since
exact acreage of needed plots
still be be purchased is unknown.
Preliminary work on the
north-south runway’s surfacing
was completed last week. The
new temporary strip on the east
west runway is now in operation,
and the old runway was flagged
out-of-bounds for small aircraft
yesterday.
Valley Boys
To Have Own
Softball Team
Members of the Palmer Moose
Lodge this week announced their
plans for the sponsorship of a
junior softball league for boys in
the Valley. All boys under 1 i
years of age will be eligible to
play, according to Ralph Moore,
spokesman for the sponsoring
lodge.
All Valley boys interested in
the softball league are asked to
report to the softball diamond
on the fairgrounds at 6 o’clock
next Wednesday evening. Week
ly practice sessions will be sche
duled thereafter on that day.
If enough local boys show in
terest in the game, the Valley
squad will compete with boys’
teams in Anchorage. In that city
both the junior police and the
YMCA are organizing softball
teams for boys under 14 years of
age.
Patrolman Accuses Man
Of Reckless Driving
A reckless driving charge has
been preferred against David
Aim by “Cap” Allen, local mer
chant patrolman. The patrolman
accuses Aim of driving through
Palmer’s streets at a high rate
of speed, which at one time near
ly overturned the vehicle.
The case was to be heard in
commissioner’s court at a late
hour yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Allen pointed out that
new highway regulations impose
a severe penalty for conviction
on a reckless driving charge.
Present Loss
Won’t Exceed
Ten Percent
Last week’s report of a 60 per
cent crop loss in the Matanuska
Valley this season, published in
an Anchorage newspaper, was
grossly exaggerated, Matanuska
farmers protested today. A poll
of a number of representative
producers in the Valley reveals
that the highest estimate of over
all crop damage at this time does
not exceed 10 per cent.
Some farmers place their crop
loss at 5 per cent, others figure
it at 3 per cent, and still others
report that present loss is negli
gible, and that crops appear to be
in no immediate danger. Some
farmers refused to attempt an
estimate of crop loss at this time,
since it is still too early to know
how replanted crops will ma
ture,
Carl Rasmussen, secretary
of the Matanuska Valley
Farmer's Co-operating Asso
ciation, to whom the startling
statement was attributed,
stated that he had reported
that approximately 60 per cent
of the Valley's early vegeta
bles, which represent minor
crops only, was lost here. Glen
Woods of Valley Producers,
Inc., agrees with Mr. Rasmus
sen in that figure.
Mr. Woods said early ship
ments of radishes and green on
ions had been seriously cut be
cause of cutworm loss. However,
farmers are proceeding to re
1 “ (Continued on back page)
SPORTSMEN TO MOVE
TRAP AND CLUBHOUSE
Plans for re-locating the club’s
trap and rifle range, and details
of the coming Fourth of July
trapshoot were discussed at last
week’s meeting of the board of
directors of the Matanuska Val
ley Sportsmen. Because of the
recent break-in at the Sports
men’s clubhouse, considerable at
tention was given to formulat
ing plans to provide better pro
tection for club materials.
Director L. C. Stock reported
that members of the board of
directors of the Matanuska Val
ley Fair Association had in
formed him that the proposed
“Y” to be constructed by The
Alaska Railroad will cut through
fair property at the approximate
location of the present trap
house.
Mr. Stock said the fair board
had promised that the Sports
men might make use of any
suitable fair grounds, as long
as their selection "did not in
terfere with the general
scheme of fair planning."
The board adjourned Friday
to select the new site, which is
located nearer the racetrack. Bill
Roark, in charge of moving the
traphouse and clubhouse, worked
with a crew of helpers to effect
the change Sunday. The job will
be completed at another session
- tonight.
Because of a shortage of ma
terials, club members are asked
not to shoot at the trap this
week. It is feared that the sup
ply of Blue Rock now on hand
is insufficient for the coming
trapshoot. No more is immedi
ately available.
Directors voted to purchase
or make a metal storage cup
board for ammunition, and sup
plies normally kept at the
clubhouse. Only adult club
members will be given the key
to clubhouse and storage cup
board. The member signing
out the key is to be responsi
ble for inventory of materials,
for money collected when
shooting, and for the conduct
of persons using the range.
As a further measure of pro
tection, it was voted to offer a
$25 reward for information giv
en leading to the arrest and con
viction of any person trespassing
on Sportsmen property.
It was decided that members
would be allowed to purchase
shells for $1.85 a box and Blue
Rock for five cents each. Non
members will pay $2 a box for
shells and a nickel for Blue
Rock. Only full boxes of shells
will be sold. Shooters wishing
to purchase less than a box of
shells may get them from others
using the range. All shells pur
chased are to be used at the
range, so far as is possible.