Vol. 1, No. 39
Palmer, Alaska, February 7,1948
Ten Cents
Sportsmen
Draft Rules,
Elect Board
The Matanuska Valley Sports
men settled right down to busi
ness in their Wednesday evening
meeting, the second called for
organization purposes. They
drafted a complete set of by
laws, based on the laws govern
ing the former association here,
and elected a seven-man board
of directors to conduct club bus
iness.
The Wednesday group made
few changes in the original by
laws. which were reported to be
modelled on rules okayed by the
National Rifle Association, with
which the local club hopes to
become affiliated.
A restricting clause on the
number of members was remov
ed, 25 per cent of the member
ship was named a quorum and
the board of directors was in
creased from five to seven mem
bers in the principal changes of
the former by-laws.
A new section eliminated the
board of directors’ power to levy
assessments without member
ship approval and set member
ship fees for the Valley Sports
men at a flat $5 annually.
The first Wednesday of each
month was selected as the regu
lar club meeting date, with the
first meeting in February of
each year to be the annual meet
ing, when new officers will be
elected.
The men who were chosen to
act as board members were:
Clare Stock, Bruce Graham,
Leo Lucas, F. R. Sims, Bud
Lacher, Walt Cooper and Ralph
Goodrich.
These seven men, who will
elect a president, vice-president
and secretary-treasurer from
their membership, will hold their
first board of director’s meeting
next Sunday evening at 8
o’clock in the Palmer Fountain.
The membership committee
appointed last week reported
that there were 50 paid-up mem
bers present at Wednesday’s
meeting. The committee was in
structed to remain in office in
order that more Valley residents
may be reached and asked to
join.
Some equipment, which was
owned by the former Sports
men’s group at the time of its
disbandment, was accepted as
the property of the new club.
Health Nurse
Coining Monday
Miss Dolores Zeis, newly ap
!_ 'Pointed public health nurse for
the Valley, is expected to ar
rive in Palmer on Monday. She
has been in Anchorage for the
past week, where she is being
orientated in her new assign
ment. She will be accompanied
to the Valley by Miss Florence
Eby, supervisor of nurses for
this area.
Miss Zeis comes to the Valley
from St. Louis, Mo., which is
^rer home. She has been in pub
lie health work since her gradu
ation five years ago. She was af
filiated with the Visiting Nurses
Association in St. Louis, in which
s he has held the position oi
supervisor of nurses,
V-. *
8 Solons Send Lukewarm Replies
Just 10 letters have been re
ceived by the Valley Chamber
of Commerce, in answer to the
recent wires and letters which
went to Congressmen in an at
tempt to name the Matanuska
Valley as the site for a proposed
Alaska Native Service hospital.
The letters varied in their re
sponse to the request, but most
were entirely noncommittal in
their attitude.
Typical responses were
worded in this manner: "I am
bringing these views to the
attention of the Interior De
partment and to the Appropri
ations Committee of the House
of Representatives,"
"I shall be glad to co-operate
with your Delegate. Mr. Bart
leit, on behalf of the interests
of the Matanuska Valley."
"Be assured this matter is
having my attention."
"It (the proposal) will have
full consideration from me
when the bill does get before
us."
"I am passing your letter
along to the subcommittee in
charge and I am sure they
will give every consideration
to your thoughtful presenta
tion."
Delegate E. L. Bartlett ex
plained that the bill still had
not been heard by the appropri
ate House committee. He said the
“big fight will be to get the
members of the subcommittee to
approve the hospital in the first
place. The location of that hos
pital will be decided by the of
ficials of the Interior Depart
ment and most probably by mem
bers of the subcommittee (In
terior Department appropria
tions).”
Two men, James P. Davis, di
rector of the Division of Terri
tories and Island Possessions,
and Joseph T. Flakne. chief of
the Alaska Branch of that de
partment, both were frank in
their statement that the hospital
probably would be located in
Anchorage. They both added
that future planning for a hos
pital for the insane will fully
consider the Matanuska Valley.
One Congressman, Ben Jen
(Continued on Back Page)
Seven Members
Are Appointed
To New Committee
Seven people were announced
as members of the Valley
agricultural committee this
week by Parker Lester of the
Extension Service. There are, in
addition to regular committee
members, three ex-officio mem
bers who will serve in an ad
visory capacity only.
The committeemen named,
each of whom represent a Val
ley organization, include:
Alva Brooks, Chamber of
Commerce: Arvid Johnson, Alas
ka Rural Reconstruction Corp.;
Marvin Allyn, Matanuska Valley
Farmer’s Cooperative Assn.;
Glen Woods, board of education;
Rolancf Snodgrass, Dairyman’s
Assn.; Mrs. Neil Miller, Exten
sion Service; Thomas LePak,
Northland Pioneer Grange.
Ex-officio members of the
committee are C. W. Peters of
the ARRC, Don L. Irwin of the
experiment station and Parker
Lester of the Extension Service.
Mr. Lester said it was possible
that still another committee
member will be named from Wa
silla at a later date.
The agricultural committee
will hold its first meeting on
Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 8 o’clock
in the Extension office.
Theatre Owner Sued
For Lease Violations i
A complaint was filed in Dis- ^
trict Court this week, charging •
Alfred V. and Imogene Hagen of
the Valley Theatre with failure
to live up to provisions of a
lease executed with Cathryn’s
Shop in 1946. The shop, owned!
by Fred and Erline Howard of
Seward, was a women and chil
dren’s apparel shop formerly lo-,
cated in the Valley Theatre Bldg. •
The complaint alleges that
space in the building, promised
for Nov. 1, 1945, was not ready
until January, 1946. Because
goods shipped to Palmer had to
be stored for that period of time,
loss in the amount of $7,590.77
resulted, the complaint sets
forth. Loss was due to pilferage,
water damage from leaky radi
ators, and handling of merchan
dise, which was ransacked. All
merchandise had been stored in
the basement of the Valley The
atre.
The complaint further sets
forth that the heat, which was
to have been furnished by the
landlord, always was inadequate
and the tenants were forced to
supplement the building’s heat
facilities with electric heaters.
A hearing on the complaint,
originally set for last Tuesday,
was postponed indefinitely.
Gaily colored houses in miniature are constructed over the new
graves in the old Russian cemetery where the native dead of
Eklutna are buried. The houses, which are marked with the
Greek cross of the Orthodox Russian church, contain tiny
dishes and personal belongings of the deceased. New bright
blankets often are spread beneath the grave house and over
the raw eai th of the new grave. (Photo by Palmer Photographic
Center).
Farm Dates
Are Fixed
Dates for the Valley’s annual
Farm and Home Institute were
innounced this week by Parker
Lester of the local Extension
affice. The Farm and Home In
stitute will open in Palmer on
Feb. 17 for a three-day session
through Feb. 19. It then moves
m to Wasilla for a one-day pro
gram on Feb. 20.
Mr. Lester said this year’s pro
gram would be the joint re
sponsibility of three agencies:
rhe University of Alaska Ex
tension Service, Territorial De
partment of Health and Palmer’s
Northland Pioneer Grange.
A complete program has not
yet been outlined for the week.
However, speakers have been
scheduled who will discuss Val
ley agriculture, highway safety
rules and regulations, Experi
ment Station findings and proj
scts for future study, potato mar
keting, seed potatoes and variety
recommendations, Four-H club
work, farm financing, fair dis
plays and their preparation,
dairying and sanitation and a
discussion on internal revenue
procedures for farmers.
Speakers will include a repre
sentative from the Anchorage
Chamber of Commerce, repre
sentatives from the Extension
Service headquarters in Fair
aanks, local Four-H club mem
aers and local businessmen.
On two afternoons during the
institute, men and women will
meet in split sessions, in order
;o cover the complete planned
program.
Further program announce
ments will be forthcoming with
n the next few days, Mr. Lester
promised.
Kay Hamby Is
Now in Washington
Mrs. Kay Hamby, assistant to
Don Irwin, head of the Agricul
tural Research Administration in
Alaska, is now in Washington,
D. C., it was learned this week.
Mrs. Hamby expected to remain
there until the end of the week,
in order to complete needed
training for her new job.
She plans to return to Illinois
at the end of her stay in Wash
ington, and then will start back
to Alaska. She is expected back
at her desk here sometime dur
ing the third week in February,
Mr. Irwin stated yesterday.
Valley C of C
To Ask For
Park Sites
Upon the recommendation of
the parks and playground com
mittee, the Chamber of Com
merce last Wednesday voted to
attempt to secure the reserva
tion of six plots of land within
the Valley for use as public pic
nicking grounds and parks.
The sites recommended by the
committee, which was headed by
Harold Thuma and was made up
of members of all Palmer civic
and fraternal organizations, were
these:
(1) The ground lying north
of the present north boundary
of the Co-op holdings and east
to the holdings of The Alaska
Railroad, to be set aside for a
public picnic ground;
(2) About one mile o f
ground, lying on both sides of
Fish creek, and as near its
mouth as possible, for public
fishing use;
(3) An area reaching from
the Eklutna bridge on the Pal
mer-Anchorage highway, up to
and including Thunderbird
creek and falls, for use as a
public park;
(4) An area at the mouth of
King river, bounded on the
north and east by the Glenn
highway and by the right bank
of the King and Malanuska
rivers, for use as a public
park;
(5) Ground along the Glenn
highway between Long lake
and Caribou creek, for use as
a blueberry-picking patch;
(6) An area bounded by the
Matanuska river and Wolver
ine creek and by a line extend
ing due south from the bank
opposite Granite creek bridge
to Wolverine, for public use as
a playground and sports field.
Mr. Thuma further recom
mended that the Chamber take
action to assist the school board
in the repair of existing equip
ment on the school playground,
as well as installation of addi
tional equipment.
He said the school had funds
in the amount of $250, which
may be expended on the play
ground if the community will
match the amount. The Parent
Teacher’s Association has raised
a portion of the added amount,
and it was Mr. Thuma’s recom
(Continued on back page)
Photo Contest
Is Extended
Since the weatherman has re
fused to cooperate with any pho
togenic weather since the open
ing of the photography contest
for students of Palmer school,
the contest closing date has been
moved back one week to Feb.
14, partner Bill Rempel of the
Photographic Center announced
today.
Contest entries now will be
accepted at the Center until 5
p.m. on Feb. 12. Winners will be
announced at 8 o’clock on Feb.
14 at the offices of the Photo
graphic Center.
Judges in the contest will be
James Gray, Jr., Harry Wim
mer and Miss Jean Dickson, all
faculty members of Palmer
school.