Valley FRONTIERSMAN
Published each Wednesday and Saturday
Palmer, Alaska
Viola Daniels .. ..Editor
Marilyn Rhodes.advertising manager Anchorage area.
No printed material in the Valley Frontiersman may be re
produced except by permission of the editor.
Subscription rates ..1.75c month
Delivered by carrier in Palmer. Mailed io all points in
Alaska and the United States.
Printed in Anchorage plant of Anchorage Daily Times
Daniels —In the Lion’s Den
There has been much discussion and more than a little criti
cism of Valley newspapers recently, because of their treatment
of a news story released at last week’s Chamber of Commerce
meeting relative to a possible Valley hospital.
We editors of the Valley’s two newspapers feel that it is
only fair that we be allowed to present our side. Both of us had
known of pending negotiations for hospital buildings and equip
ment for the Valley. Both understood the matter to be off the
record, but we were promised that the material would be re
leased to us when ready for publication.
The entire report of the matter was presented to the Cham
ber of Commerce, when bo{h editors were present, without a re
quest that it be withheld from publication. Both would have been
only too glad to comply with such a request, had it been made.
The editor of the Valley Settler even took pains to double
check her information, and was told that the story was ready for
print.
Events which transpired proved the Chamber announcement
was premature. Since that time both papers have been criticized
for their manner of handling of the story. Both editors feel that
this criticism is unjust. We expect to hear from you folks when
we are remiss in getting information to you, or when we print
misinformation.
But we hate to be criticized for doing our job in the way
we’ve been trained to do it. Had either of us overlooked that story,
we’d undoubtedly have been severely censured by our readers
for failing to print such important news.
The Valley Frontiersman, at least, has been criticized for
using the material on the front page. Its editor has been told that
had the story been buried on an inside page, no one would have |
protested its publication
The editor of the Frontiersman feels that criticism also is
highly unjust. An article which is released for publication cer
tainly can go anywhere in a paper that the editor chooses to
put it. Page 1 layout is one of an editor’s responsibilities, and
what goes on that front page is his problem and no one else’s.
It’s a mighty weak-kneed newsman who will let anyone dic
tate to him the manner in which a story is to be written or where
it will appear in a paper. That’s our job, readers, and we’re mighty
jealous of it.
We editors just wanted you folks to know our views. We do
enough things that should get us into trouble, without having
you in our hair for doing something right.
The thing for all of us to do now—newspaper editors, news
paper readers, hospital board, Chamber of Commerce and all the
rest—is to go right on working and plugging for the hospital
we need.
After all, there’s nothing changed about the situation. We’re
right where we were before, still needing a hospital Last week’s
wholesale discussions probably pointed up that need, so all in
all it may have done us a little good. Let’s get together and find
cut what our next step is, and {hen let’s make it together.
If all the hospital conversations that have been going on in
this Valley for the past week were laid end to end, surely they’d
.reach a whole lot further than Fort Richardson. Let’s see if they
won’t, at any rate.
I’m getting service now that I have
entrusted my air freight problem to
Dependable
Mt McKinley Airways
All the Way.
FREIGHT AND PASSENGER SERVICE
TO AND FROM SEATTLE
CHARTER TRIPS
Mt McKinley
AIRWAYS
Agent at D & M Freight Lines, Palmer, Phone 4
521 E Street, Anchorage Phone Main 746
f
Chugiak
Comment
Last Monday the first schoo
bus to serve the Chugiak area
made its initial through run.
Matanuska Valley Bus Lines was
awarded the school dontrapt,
and owner Russell Swank made
the first trip.
The bus leaves Palmer each
school morning at 6:30, passing
through the Peters creek, Eagle
river area around 8 and arriv
ing in Anchorage at 9. The re
turn trip leaves Anchorage at
4:30 p.m., reaching Palmer at
6:30 in the evening. This bus
also carrier passengers other
than school children, thus in
creasing Chugiak’s total bus
traffic to five each day, going
either way.
Much of the credit for the so
lution of Chugiak’s school bus
problem goes to Vernon Haik
of Mile 20. Mr. Haik obtained
the order from Juneau after
several months of negotiations.
The regular meeting of the
Community Club will be held
at 8 p m. in the Chugiak coffee
shop, Friday, Dec. 12. C. C.
Caldwell, superintendent of An
chorage schools, will discuss the
problems of setting up a school
district. Everyone living along
the highway between Eagle
river and the Knik bridge and
interested in a school district
should be on hand to hear Mr.
Caldwell.
Mrs. Fred Hasekoester is home
from Providence hospital, feel
ing much improved.
On Dec. 5, ladies of Chugiak
surprised Mrs. Henning John
son with a stork shower at her
home.
Friends and relatives of Mrs.
James McDowell had a birthday
party for her recently, but Mrs.
McDowell didn’t attend. The
reason wasn’t Mrs McDowell’s
lack of knowledge of the rules
of etiquette, though. The party
was down in the states, and Mrs.
McDowell was here in Chugiak
all of the time.
With great ceremony the pres
ents were opened at this honor
guest-less party, then were re
wrapped and mailed to Alaska
where the Chugiak postmistress
had a parcel post party all her
own.
Little Gail Johnson celebrated
her fifth birthday Sunday eve
ning by inviting friends for a
party. Mothers and fathers real
ly had more fun than the wee
folks, for they played all the
children’s games, too.
UNION BANK
of ANCHORAGE
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SATURDAY
10 a.m. to 12 noon
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408 Fourth Avenue
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1
You probably have relatives, Mends or neighbors among
the millions of Maytag owners (over 4 % million Maytags
sold—far more than any other washer). Or ask us for names
of some neerby owners.
Engebreth-Maytag Appliance Co.
329 5th Ava. Anchorage