The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 43 { /
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PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY. JULY" IS. 1953
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PRICE TEN CENTS *
Equipment for New
Valley Hospital to
Arrive in November
Kenneth Paul, Valley Hos
pital administrator, returned
from Seattle this week where
he purchased equipment for the
new Valley Presbyterian hos
pital.
The ten-day trip was very
successful, he said. The hospital
will have the finest equipment
money could buy, with surgical
equipment, furniture for patient’s
rooms, doctor’s lounge, nurse’s
lounge, dishes and silver all pur
chased, along with other equip
ment, through Seattle firms.
While in Seattle Paul visited
all the hospitals in that area, in
cluding the new orthopedic hos
pital and concluded that Palmer s
new hospital will be just as fine
and as well equipped as the
Seattle hospitals. A completely
modern stainless steel kitchen
was also among the purchases.
Shipment of the equipment is
scheduled for November.
Construction on the new hos
pital has come along amazingly
fast, the past two weeks he said.
All floors and all but one wall
have been poured for the rein
forced cement structure.
Traffic Ordinance
Now Ready For City
The third and final reading of
the city traffic ordinance was con
cluded Tuesday night by a vote
of acceptance by the city coun
cil members. That part of the
ordinance calling for sign erec
tion will not benoire effective
until stop and parking signs are
obtained.
From time to time parts of this
lengthy ordinance will appear in
The Frontiersman. It has been
suggested that motorists famil
iarize themselves with the new
traffic regulations, many of which
are common traffic laws, known
to motorists but up until the
creation of this ordinance, not
enforced in the city of Palmer.
Included in the regulations are
established speed limits, limited
parking areas in the business and
conjested areas, angle parking,
stop signs on numerous streets
and no parking regulations for
areas such as the front of the
theater, fire truck garage, hotel
entrance and designated street
areas. There will be limited
parking in front of the post office
and other busy points in the city.
Lake George Spilling
Out In Early Break-Up
Spectacuar Lake George is
spilling its waters into the
Knik River earlier han usu
al this year. Alaska’s famous
self-dumping lake started its
annual break-through this
past week end, sending the
Knik river water out from
bank to bank and causing
it to rise many feet above
the usual level.
Although the road is pass
able, the Alaska Road Com
mission reported this morn
ing that there was water on
the Glenn Highway in the
Mile 32 area for a disance
of about 100 feet, six or more
inches deep. The water ap
pears to be receding from the
area, they said, with no ap
parent damage to the road.
Last year the lake broke
through its barrier on Au
gust 17,
COUNCIL ACCEPTS
1952-53 BUDGET
Members of the Common
Council, City of Palmer, ac
cepted Mayor Alfred V. Ha
gen’s revised budget on July
21 at the regular council meet
ing.
The 1952-53 budget showed
a revenue of $102,691.79. Total
expenditures in the proposed
budget topped this figure by
some $4,000. However, by mak
ing adjustments and cuts in
various departments, the bud
get, as accepted by council
members, was within the rev
enue figure.
ECHO LAKE PLANTED
WITH RAINBOW FRY
Over 6,000 rainbow trout fry
'were planted in Echo Lake, a few
miles south of Palmer, on Tues
; day of last week by Alex McRae
of the Department of Fisheries. :
The fry were shipped by air
I rom the Fairbanks hatchery to
! Anchorage and from there trans
ported to the Valley in a large ’
galvanized can. During shipment ’
from Fairbanks approximately j
j 85 fish died when an aerating
i ine in one section of the ship
ment tank failed to work. McRae
described the four-unit transpor
tation tank as being five feet
ong, and about one foot square.
Each section is aerated by a
notor, run off a battery. This
was the first shipment loss ex
perienced this year.
To illustrate the size of the
fry, the 6,608 rainbow’s total
weight came to but four pounds.
In two years time that weight
will be doubled many times, de
pending on the rate of survival.
Anyway, it would appear that i
there will be lots of good fishing j
in Echo Lake in the future. Ad
ditional fry wil be added to the
lake this year to bring the total
plant to approximately 8,000.
Although the fry were re-!
leased in one area at the lake,
within a few days time they
will have spread out over the
entire lake, McRae said. Spot
checks will be made periodically,
although he said that within a
year it will be difficult to know
what the survval rate will be.
When the fish are full grown and
the lake s opened for fishing, re
sults will be known, he added.
If we get from 50 to 70 per
cent survival, we will consider
it successful. Survival will de
pend more or less on several ef
fects including this particular
plant and survival conditions.
The lake was cleaned about a
month ago and a toxicity test
; conducted before the fish fry
j were planted.
Visitor's Association
Plans Booklet on Alaska
An opportunity to publicize
Palmer and the surounding Val
ley has been offered the Matanu
ska Chamber of Commerce, ac
! ording to a letter of inquiry
nailed by James Chadwick, ex
ecutive director of the Alaska
I Visitors Association.
The offer would include the
financing of individual folders
for cities and communities
hroughout the Territory.
Each locality’s folder would
nclude scenic attractions, things,
to do and see, accomodations,
temperatures and other items of
special interest to travelers. All
folders will be so printed that
they can be bound together in
an attractive booklet for use by
travel agents, transportation com
panies and others interested in
the sale of Alaskan vacations, as
well as being available for indivi
dual distribution by various
chambers and the Alaska Visitors
] Association.
The Paul Nelson farm at the Butte — showing damage done
to crops by grasshoppers.
I
SPRAYING WORK
RELIEVED EFFECTIVE
IN INSECT CONTROL
Early on the morning of July
13, Clyde Snyder, under the di
rection of Jim Wilson, Commis
sioner of Agriculture, completed
the Aldrin spraying, in the Butte
area, planned for the control of
grasshoppers.
The spraying, done by air, has;
apparently controlled the spread
and increase of the grasshoppers,
Wilson said. Ground inspections
showed a high percentage of kill.
“Spraying by air is probably the
best way to control them,’’ Wil
son said. The Aldrin is still ef
fecting the area.
Costs of the spraying work will
be borne jointly by the Depart
ment of Agriculture, ARRC and
several farmers living in the But
te area, including G. L. Dreg
horn, I. M. Sandvik, Dr. Lee Mc
Kinley, C. P. King and Paul Nel
son. Completed results will be
reported at a later date, Wilson
said this week.
Farmer’s Market
Opens For 3rd Season
With no previous announce
ment and in rainy weather, the
local Farmers Market opened for
business Saturday, July 18 and
sellers enjoyed good business that
day and Sunday.
Thomas Moyer will again this
year be market master. Although
the organization is late in start
ing this year, Mr. Moyer said
this week they are looking for
ward to another successful sea
son. Charles Schaefer, made re
pairs on the market roof this
past week.
Anyone is eligible to sell at
the market, he Said, providing
the produce is either raised or
made in the Valley. Membership
in the organization is $2 per year.
Sellers are charged $1 Space rent
if their sales are below $20. If
sales run above this figure a rate
of five percent is charged on
total sales made.
“We would welcome a few
more sellers,” he said and sug
gested anyone interested in sell
ing Valley made or grown pro
duce contact him at the Market
booth this week-end. The booth
is located on the Co-Op property,
opposite from the Co-Op garage.
WATER STiLL SCARCE ,
Rains which nave fallen in j
the Valley this past week have j
helped alliviate the water j
shortage, it was announced to- j
day. However, there is still j
a need for conservation of the \
supply, Fred Zieke, Co-Op j
manager said. Only continued
rains will provide an adequate
amount of water and all users
are urged to continue water
savings wherever possible. The
city street department is still
obtaining their water from
the river for the street water
ing_ program.
Features and Prizes
Added to Fair List
New features and attractive
prizes continue to be added tc
the growing list for the 1953 Ma
tanuska Valley Fair.
This week Alba Brooks, fail
board president, announced there
will be a special attraction, feat
uring original colonists of the
Valley. Pat Hemmer was grantee
permission of the board to erec
a replica of original tent-housinj
used during the early colonizatior
days. This tent will be locatec
just inside the front entrance anc
will serve as a registration center
A designated Fair date will be
announced shortly, Brooks said
to commemorate the colonizatioi
of the Valley. For the first time
in several years, no ^iebratioi
was held this year for Colony oi
Settler’s Day. Instead it was de
cided to concert efforts during the
fair. The tent will help convey the
early Colony day spirit.
Valuable cash and merchandise
awards have been arranged fo:
through the Co-Op and Stateside
companies. The Charles Lillj
company of Seattle will give a $51
cash award to the entrant havinj
the largest variety of vegetable
entries. Goodyear will donate one
boy’s bicycle and one girl’s bicy
cle to the 4-H boy ad girl whe
have the highest number of ex
hibit points.
In the open class (boys ane
girls not 4-H members) the larg
est collection of prize points b:
(Continued on page 3)
Co-Op Plans Formal
Opening For New
| Creamery Addition
} The formal opening of the Ma
jtanuska Valley Farmers Co-oper
jating Association creamery addi
tion will be held Friday, July 24,
Fred Zieke, general manager an
nounced this week.
The $75,000 addition will be
open to the public from 10:30
a.m. throughout the day. An in
spection of the plant, storage
room and the operation of the
new ice cream machines will be
offered to the public. Free sam
ples of ice cream will be given
to all who attend the opening.
The tv/o-story cement building
was completed earlier this month
and will house new ice cream ma
chinery and storage space. The
machines have a 300-gallon an
hour capacity and hardening room
space will handle 15,000 gallons
of ice cream at one time. Storage
space has been tripled by the ad
dition of the new sharp room
from which ice cream will be en
tered and removed by conveyers.
Zieke said the new machines
have been in trial operation for
several days and that ice cream
production will be doubled by
their installation.
Representatives of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, Department
of Health, U. S. Army and Air
Force officials and Palmer and
Anchorage business men will be
guests at a luncheon to be held
at noon.
Street Survey Work
Starts in City
Street survey work was started
in Palmer this week by Charles
Tryk; engineer and Brad Shaw,
party chief, on those streets
where the city water distribution
system will be installed.
The pipe line will be buried
eight feet below the surface. By
establishing grades before the
pipe is installed, filling and cut
ting-down work can be done at
the same time, making it un
necessary to disturb the pipe
line at a future date.
Some discussion was given to
‘ the subject of the city hiring
, a maintenance man for the water
system at the July 21 council
meeting. Don McKechnie of the
water committee pointed out
that work should be started with
' in a short time. Connections from
the city system to the user will
j be made by the city. One appli
cation for the position has been
• received Mayor Hagen announced
■ Work on the distribution
1 system was started last week,
[ according to George Lilly, con
* tractor. The water distribution
• contract covers only the construc
! tion of the supply line, distri
’ bution lines and the required ser
1 vice connections up to the pro
! perty lines. Upon completion of
1 a given section it will be steril
ized and the city allowed to use
it.
! Water user’s lines must meet
! city specifications before tying
| onto the new system. Applica
: tions for tie-ons must be made
at the office of the City Clerk
: the same policy followed upor
’ the installation of any other utili
* ty. Installation fees, not yet es
! tablished, will be charged on the
! first billing, with all billing tc
! be done from the clerk’s office
■ the first of each month.
* Water rates were established
• at six dollars per month foi
home users and $15.75 for busi
l ness establishments. Meter rate:
■ will be established from these
r monthly rates, following metei
installations
NEW HIGH SCHOOL
WORK STARTED BY
J. B. WARRACK CO.
Ground breaking and clearing
work for the new Palmer High
School on Springer Road was
started yesterday by the J. B.
Warrack Co., of Seattle.
The Seattle firm was awarded
the contract for construction of
the “Z” shaped two-story school
building following a bid of $894,
000 early in June. The building
will consist of five classrooms,
kitchen, multi-service room, ad
ministration, boiler and toilet
rooms, shops, band and choral,
home economics, book-keeping,
typing, biology, physics and
chemistry, library, study hall and
other miscellaneous rooms.
Oscar Clay, superintendent on
; the construction job, said this
morning that the clearing work
has been sub-contracted for by
Joe Amsted company of Anchor
age and that it would probably
take about three weeks to com
: plete the initial work. Two eor
penters were to start this morn
ing on temporary building con
\ struction.
—
HEALTH COUNCIL
REQUEST FREE PHONE
Mrs. Minnie Clark, represent
ing the Matanuska Valley Health
Council, appeared before the
city council at the July 21 meet
; ing to request the free use of
; the telephone in the health coun
1 cil office. “We are at present
faced with a $600 shortage in our
budget and have no money to pay
this bill,” she told Mayor Hagen
and council members. In the
past, there had never been any
j charge made for this telephone.
| Mayor Alfred V. Hagen refer
| red the matter to the telephone
committee for a recommendation
j and explained to Mrs. Clark that
| the telephone system had been
running in arrears for quite some
j time. In an effort to plug all loop
; holes, he said, we billed the
| health council along with others
in the same circumstances, in an
attempt to get on a better finan
cial basis. The telephone commit -
i tee will make their recommenda
tion at the next meeting on Julv
| 28.
EMERGENCY FLIGHT
USES PALMER FIELD
John Meier of Glenallen and
| a former Valley resident, was
; brought to Palmer in an emerg
; ency flight on July 18 by pilot
; A1 LaMier, following an accident
j at Glenallen.
Meiers was injured when a
i bullet ricocheted from a steel
’ plate while he was attempting
! a pentra*ion test. The bullet en
tered his left eye. Dr. Snyder at
tended him at Glenallen and or
dered his removal to the Provi
dence hospital in Anchorage,
KIMBALL'S TO MOVE
, TO LARGER QUARTERS
Kimball’s department store
■ will be moving August 1 from
'; their ’ present location in the
! Sevems building to larger
quarters (Unit 3) in the same
; building. Mrs. Clara Hickock,
; I manager, said this week that
; they do not expect to be clos
!; ed during the move.
!; The move has proven neces
sary, Mrs. Hickock explained,
!; to permit a larger range in the
;! varied lines carried by the
store, and the addition of
! mens’ work clothes, childrens’
; school clothes and a larger
; shoe department. Hours in the
new location will remain the
;> same, he said, from 10 a.m.
\ to 6 p.m. daily except Sun
il days.
ELKS JAMBOREE ™«KW Duifc lake, Snn. July 26
■ II liw J X 11111 elks and their famiues only