HAPPY
EASTER
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 28
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. APRIL 2. 1953
PRICE TEN CENTS
GROUND BREAKING
CEREMONIES SET FOR
NEW HOSPITAL
Ground breaking ceremonies
for the new Valley Presbyterian
Hospital will be held Thursday,
April 9 at 12:30 p.m. Rev. Brian
H. Cleworth, secretary of the hos
pital board and planning chair
man for the ground breaking cere
monies, announced this week.
Ceremonies are being planned
in conjunction with the annual
meeting of the Yukon Presbytery,
which will be meeting in Anch
orage April 8-10, Rev. Cleworth
announce^. Word has been receiv
ed by the Valley Hospital Asso
ciation that the Moderator of the
General Assembly of the Presby
terian Church will be present for
the ceremonies.
The Presbytery will meet in the
United Protestant Church on April
9 for their morning session, to be
followed at 11:30 by a luncheon
to be served by the women of
the church for the delegates to
the Presbytery and the Presby
terial (the women’s organization).
Invitations were sent this week to
the various civic organizations of
the city to send representatives
to the luncheon.
Formal ceremonies will be held
on the new hospital site, located
just behind the present hospital,
at 12:30 and are open to the gen
eral public.
Tentative program for the day
is:
Palmer High School Band
Directer by Mr. Leo Getsgo
Invocation
The Rev. Brian H. Cleworth,
Hospital Chaplain
Greetings and remarks
George E. Smith, President Hos
pital Board.
Alfred V. Hagen, Mayor, City
' of Palmer
U. S. Public Health Service, rep
resentative to be named
Dr. J. Earl Jackman, secretary
work in Alaska, Board of Na
tional Missions of the Presby
terian Church, U.S.A.
Dr. Herman N. Morse, Modera
tor of the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church
Ground Breaking
"God Bless America"
The band and people
SEARCH CONTINUES
FOR LOST FLIERS
Search planes continue to look
for three jet airmen missing
somewhere north of Anchorage.
Military authorities at Elmen-,
dorf Air Force Base expressed
hope that combined rescue teams
will locate the pair of airmen
missing since Tuesday, but in
dicated they feared for the sur
vival of the lone pilot lost Mon
day night.
The two fliers parachuted from
their F-94-B all-weather jet fight
er in the Skwentna area. They
had radioed a distress call indi
cating they were abandoning
ship. Wreckage of the crashed
jet was spotted later. Members
of the 10th Air Rescue Group
landed at the scene and radioed
that the two men definitely had
bailed out.
Meanwhile Air Force author
ities resumed the search for the
overdue jet last heard from Mon
day night when the pilot reported
he was having “a little electrical
difficulty.”
CIVIL DEFENSE MEETING
There will be a meeting of all
Civil Defense personnel Monday
evening, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. .in
Carpenters’ Hall, Edward Imme,
director, announced. This meet
ing will include all wardens.
Attend church this Easter . . . hear hymns of ageless beauty and
magnificence . . . find peace and security in His teachings. And
remember that in these uncertain times, you will find renewed
faith — renewed hope — in regular attendance at your church.
Go to church . . . Easter Sunday
. . . EVERY Sunday.
IAEA, City Council
Discuss Franchise;
Pole Locations
Malanuska Electric Association
board members were present at
the regular City Council meet
ing March 31.
Speaking for the group was
Mrs. Justine Parks, board presi
dent. “We would like to get a lot
of thngs straightened out”, she
said. “Our annual meeting is
coming up and we will have re
ports to make. We have bent over
backward to get along with the
city council. You have not taken
our side at all,” she stated.
“Our hands have been tied by
the city ordinance governing the
erecting of poles. The intallation
of an extra circuit is being held
up. This new circuit was planned
so that Palmer and the mine will
not interfere with one another.
We have permitted the use of
our poles by the city telephone
system in spite of recommenda
tions from REA to straighten out
the situation. Why can’t MEA
have a meeting with the city
council to discuss this ordinance?”
In answer to her question,
Mayor Hagen reminded Mrs.
Parks that before the ordinance
was passed there had been con
siderable discussion and also pub
licity in the newspaper. During |
the discussion that followed, it
was brought out that the ordin
ance was passed as an emergency,
following one reading. .
Specific objections to the ordin
ance result from the inability of
obtained arial easements—some
properties are so placed that no
room remains for poles except on
city property—alley widths vary
from 10 to 20 feet. Easements
are very difficult to obtain once
Continued on page 8
CO-OP GETS GAS
DISTRIBUTORSHIP
Fred Zieke, CoOp general
manager announced this week
that the M. V. F. C. A. has acquir
ed the distributorship of liquid
gas for the entire Valley from
the Liquifide Gas Corporation
of Seattle.
The bottled gas will be handled
by the CoOp Warehouse in 100
pound tanks, and home delivery
will be instituted. Zieke said that
a year’s supply will be in Palmer
within 60 days and that users
may be assured of a constant sup
ply
FINAL NOTICES MAILEI
Final notices were mailed
this week by City Clerk
Mooers to city businesses who
have not purchased their
1953 business licenses.
The notices indicated that
further interest and penalties
will be added if payments
were not forthcoming.
William J. Bouwens
To Work for FWS
William J. Bouwens, deputy
U. S. Marshal in the Third Divi
sion for the past 15 years, resign
ed his position effective March
31 and has accepted a position
with the Fish and Wildlife Ser
vice.
Bouwens had been serving as
deputy marshal in Palmer until
the office was closed early last
month, at which time he was
transferred to the Anchorage of
fice. .
He will work with the enforce
ment department of FWS and
said he expects to be stationed in
the Palmer area.
KIWANIANS DECIDE
AGAINST EGG HUNT
There will be no Easter Egg
hunt in the Valley this year.
The Kiwanis Club, who have in
years past sponsored the annual
event, has decided to discontinue
the practice, for at least this
year, they said this week.
Many youngsters no doubt will
be disappointed to learn of the
decision. However, a number of
factors were considered before
the decision was reached, mem
bers said.
In general, the weather has
not been very favorabe for such
event and public response has
suffered accordingly, they point
ed out. Also, it was felt that the
Easter egg hunt has competed
with, instead of complimenting,
special observances of the day
in the Valley churches.
Considerable criticism devel
oped last year in regards to the
the waste of food through un
found or unused eggs.
An audit of city finances for
interim period ending March 31,
1953 was authorized by the City
Council March 31 and the Mayor
instructed to contact William W.
Head, CPA to perform this service
The report will be submitted to
the city within 30 days.
Hospital Assn.
Plans Annual
Meeting April 17
Members of the Board of Direc
or of the Valley Hospital Associa
ion, Inc. have announced the an
ual association meeting will be
eld Friday evening, April 17 at
p.m. in the cafeteria of the Pal
ler school.
The meeting is open to all paid
p members of the association.
Memberships for this year will be
old at the door for those who
ave not secured their 1953 mem
ership, directors announced.
Memberships are $5 a year.
Due to the reorganization of the
oard last spring and the decision
hat the terms of office should
>egin as of February, 1953, there
/ill be no election of board mem
ers this year.
All questions and problems re
arding the new hospital construc
ion will be fully and carefully at
tended to during the meeting,
they said.
Notice of the meeting will be
sent to those who have already se
cured their 1953 membership.
SALES TAX ISSUES
CLARIFIED FOR
MERCHANTS AND PUBLIC
Local merchants this week re
ceived a clarification of purchases
subject to sales tax within the
City of Palmer from the office of
the Mayor.
Four definite clarifications were
made, one being the statement
that the City of Palmer does not
issue cards entitling the holder
to a sales tax exemption, even
though the party is willing to pay
the $10 maximum to the city
clerk.
Single sales means a purchase
(either sales or service or both)
at one place of business.
Instructions were given to
merchants that any person who
claims he has paid the maximum
tax at a store down the street
is not exempt from also paying
tax at the second or third store.
Also stated was the employees
of government agencies must pay
the sales tax the same as employ
ees of private enterprises.
The clarifications were made
necessary because of several mis
understandings in the past con
cerning the $10 maximum sales
tax payment.
Chamber Members
Hear (ol. Johnson
Valley Folk invited to
Governor's Inauguration
Members of the Juneau Cham
ber of Commerce and the Pion
eers organization are making ar
rangements for public inaugura
tion ceremonies for Governor
Frank Heintzleman to be held
April 10, starting at 10 a.m.
Mayor Alfred Hagen has been
asked to extend an invitation to
•.he people of Palmer surrounding
areas to attend the ceremonies,
planned as a territorial-wide af
fair.
MANY AWARDS TO BE
GIVEN AT MEA MEET
Many attractive gifts will be
awarded a the annual Matanuska
Electric Association annual meet
ing to be held in the school audi
torium Saturday evening, April
11, Cy Brewer, MEA manager
announced this week.
Included will be $25 cash
award; Telechron kitchen plant
er-clock; GE automatic toaster;
electric mantle clock; Toastmast
er automatic toaster; electric
steam iron; one year’s subscrip
tion to The Frontiersman and a
Mirromatic 8-cup electric perco
lator.
They will be donated by the
Oesser Cedar Company, Billing
ham, Wash.; Graybar Electric of
Seattle; General Electric Supply
House; Westinghouse Electric
Supply; Line Company, Anchor
age; Northern Engineering Com
pany, Anchorage Rural Trans
former Electric, Spokane and The
Frontiersman.
To be eligible for the awards,
MEA members must be present
at the meeting. Registration will
start at 6:30 p.m.. followed by
the business meeting at 7:30 p.m.
at which time Brewer announced
there will be a vote by the mem
bership on changes in the articles
of incorporation to permit con
formity with existing by-laws.
Also to be asked will be the
provision for a maximum debt
limit of ten million dollars. Brew
er pointed out that this sum is
not being sought for a loan but
for the authorization to borrow
up to that amount should a feas
ible project be presented some
time in the future.
A relatively short business
meeting is looked for by Brewer.
Speakers for the evening will in
clude a short talk on the Eklutna
project and if Joseph Morgan is
available for the meeting, a talk
on other power development
feasibilities.
A travel-type film supplied by
Standard Oil company will be
shown by Lew Hanks.
Refreshments of ice-cream,
cake and coffee will be served.
ARR HEAD SUGGEST
FOUNDRY IN VALLEY
Col. J. P. Johnson, manager
of the Alaska Railroad was guest
speaker at the regular Chamber
of Commerce meeting held April
1.
A large group of members and
visitors were present to hear Col.
Johnson enlarge on the functions
of railroading in Alaska. .
“Transportation and develop
ment go together,” he said. “With
out development there is not
much use for transportation.”
The Alaska Railroad is here to
serve the people of Alaska, John
son said. It is a government own
ed project in which the people
are all stockholders. Any critic
isms are welcomed—problems
are sometimes hard to find out,
he said, and suggested problems
be directed to him personally.
“Many times I am able to handle
a problem more readily than a
subordinate who might not have
the authority to make a decision.
In speaking of the Matanuska
Valley, Johnson said he felt this
ar -v;ll have many more pos
z— i than Anchorage or
Fairbanks when the military
building program tapers off. He
based his expression on the econ
omical stability of the region
and suggested if the city did not
have a planning committee that
j one be starred.
Among potentials, Johnson
| pointed to the creation of a foun
I dry in this area. “'You are right
in the heart of the coal region.
The Alaska Railroad generates
enough scrap to keep a small *
foundry going. The amount of
brake shoes required by ARR
alone would be enough to keep up
a foundry. Such an industry
would fit' in here in the Valley,
where you are so close to the coal
fields, Johnson said.
Questioned after the meeting.
’ Col. Johnson said that the Alaska
| Railroad has cars and equipment
j in the Territory that could handle
scrap metal shipments from all
over the Territory, into Palmer.
Reporting on the European trip
he made last year, Johnson said
he found the Baltic countries, al
though climatically the same as
ours, do not have the same prob
lems with shipping. There are no
tides, silt or ice conditions to
combat as in Anchorage, he said.
Agriculture in the Matanuska
Valley has the agricultural lands
of Norway and Sweden beaten
two to one. Pulp mills are plenti
ful, he reported, although cuttings
have gotten down to four and
six inch diameters. The time will
come when they will run out of
pulp wood, he added.
Evidences of opposition to the
United States was seen in some
of the countires he visited, es
pecially in France and Italy
where signs reading “Go home
Americans” were evident. French
Continued on Page 8
Automobile Insurance
WE WRITE AUTO INSURANCE FOR ALL RISK—
Life Hospital, Health and Accident
Fire and Casualty
M B MARTIN AND SON
Anchorage Office Mile 45
238 - 5th Ave. Palmer Highway
WASILLA COMMUNITY HALL
SCHAEFERS ORCHESTRA
4 DANCE 4
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
10:00 P.M. -2:00 P.M.
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