CIVIL DEFENSE
FIRST AID COURSE OPENS
MONDAY, JULY 12 — 3 P.M.
Public Invited
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for ihat
item you may have for sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 7. NO. 37
PALMER, ALASKA. THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1954
PRICE TEN CENTB
FAIR BOARD NAMES
SUPERINTENDENTS
FOR 1954 VALLEY FAIR
Preparations for the 1954 Ma
tanuska Valley Fair are well un
der way, members of the Fair
Association board announced this
week. Crews are being readied
for Alaska’s largest fair which
will be held in Palmer September
4, 5, and 6. It is estimated that
well over 25,000 people will at
tend the famous fair this year.
Several new superintendents
have been added to take charge
of various departments. Henning
Blunck will be in charge of all
livestock displays, and Lewis J.
McDonald will head the division
on poultry and rabbits. McDonald
was assistant superintendent in
this department for two years and
is a poultry raiser in the Valley.
Carla Duff will again head the
handicraft division. Mrs. Duff has
been an ardent supporter of the
fair for a number of years and
has acted as superinendent for
the past five years. Dressmaking
will be in charge of Mrs. Ben
Hudgins this year. She has been
assistant superintendent of this
division for three years
Mrs. Lila Newville will, for
her fourth year, be in charge of
Division F, colony.
The Matanuska Valley Garden
Club will supervise the flower
division. The club will appoint
the superintendent for this de
partment from their membership,
with other members assisting in
the woi’k. The flower division is
expected to be one of the high
lights of the fair with well over
1,000 floral displays, of all kinds,
-on hand.
The art division will again be
supervised by Rusty Dow, well
known Alaskan artist. Mrs. Dow
will display a number of her
paintings but will not enter them
in competition. Fred Marchentanz
will again exhibit numerous
original Alaskan scenes, the com
mittee annouced. Mr. Marchent
anz’ exhibits have often been the
outstanding numbers in the art
division.
Tom A. Moyer will supervise
the philately division. Mr. Moyer
is former owner and editor of the
Alaska Record and an ardent
stamp collector. He was formerly
editor of the national stamp
magazine, “Corros”. He was also
a director of a national associa
tion of stamp collectors of which
Cardinal Spellman of New York
was a board member.
Mrs. A1 Kirsch will handle Di
vision O, theis deparment handles
(Continued on page 8)
Seward City Manager
Unexpected Visitor
Raymond O’Hara, city man
ager at Seward, took a bus- s
man’s holiday Tuesday night
when his plane was weathered
down in Palmer, by attending
the regular city council meet
ing being held that night.
O’Hara, with his family, was
headed for Seattle in a Stin
son plane when heavy over
cast caused delay of the trip
over night.
While attending the meet
ing he spoke to council mem
bers of similar city problems,
told of a land-use survey being
conducted in his city, touched
on their street paving and
water system projects. Simil
ar problems were noted be
tween Seward and Palmer,
even though Seward’s popula
tion is approximately three
times that of Palmer.
MIDWAY MARKET
OPENS AT BUTTE
The Midway Market, located at
the corner of Palmer Highway
and Lower Butte Road, will have
a grand opening this week-end, j
July 10 and 11.
This is the first store to locate j
in the Butte area and will be op
erated by Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Lentz, proprieors. The Lentzs’ are
featuring many specials in groc
ery items and will have ires gifts
and prizes for those attending the
opening. They will be open from
10:00 a-m. until 9:00 p.m.
The Lentz’ family are long
time residents of the Valley and
until a short time ago operated
a farm in the Butte area.
-——
HOSPITAL GROUNDS
TO BE SEEDED FOR LAWN
Another step in beautifying the
landscape around the Valley
Presbyterian Hospital will be tak
en tonight when members of the
, Mariners Club of the United Pro
. testant Church hold a work party
, to pick up rocks and clear roots
out of the area in back of the
' hospital. The land will be pre
i pared for seeding later this
, month.
To help make a hard job a little
i easier Max Sherrod has loaned
: his tractor and trailer to the pro
ject. All members, and anyone
- else interested in giving a hand
3 on the project are asked to at
I tend by 7:00 p.m.
Water Users
Because of a shortage of water meters and
the difficulty of installing meters during
the winter months, some water users have
been served for a flat, unmetered rate.
METERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AND ALL
UNMETERED SERVICES MAY BE DISCON
TINUED JULY 20, 1954.
Meters may be obtained by applying at
the office of the City Clerk
INSTALL YOUR METER BEFORE JULY 20,
1954 OR YOUR WATER SERVICE WILL BE
SUBJECT TO DISCONNECTION
E. BARRY
City Clerk
College Students
Help Build New
Church Entryway
Five young college students
have been spending the past two
weeks in Palmer, assisting in
work at the United Protestant
Church. They have constructed
a new entry way at the west end
of the church, using peeled logs
to match those of the church
structure.
The group include students
from Wentworth, Iowa Univer
sity, Wooster College, and one
who is teaching at the Blind
School for Blind at Walhalla,
N. D. They are: Don Johnson
from Estherville, Iowa, William
Chapman, Lansing, Mich., Helen
Goodwin, Walhalla, N. D., Birdie
West, Reubens, Idaho, and Treva
Rudnick, Kennewick, Wash.
Following their work in Pal
mer the group will go to Anchor
age for two weeks where they
will work at the Woodland Park
Church, and from there to the
First Presbyterian Church in
Wasilla. Their work is sponsored
by the Presbyterian Board of Na
tional Missions. Last summer a
similar group of students refin
ished the log exterior of the Un
ited Protestant Church.
EXPERIMENT FARM
PUNS FIELD DAY
The public is invited to attend
annual field day activities to be
held at the Matanuska Experi
ment Station farm Wednesday,
July 21, beginning at 10:30 a m.,
according to Dr. Allan Mick, as
sistant station director.
Conducted tours of the farm
will include subject reviews or
the livestock program, weed con
trol, brome grass management
and horticultural work. The pro
gram, expected to complete bj
4:30 p.m., will conclude with visit:
to two farms in the Valley tc
point up good management prac
tices. Those planning to attenc
field day are invited to take thei:
lunches.
KING MOUNTAIN FIRE
BURNED 206 ACRES
A total of 206 acres were burn
ed in the King Mountain forest
fires, which was first reported
1 June 28 and apparently control
led at midnight, June 30. How
ever, breakouts occurred occa
sionally until 8:30 a.m. on July 3,
according to William Adams, fire
control aid of the Palmer Fire
Guard station. William Harris of
Eska and A1 Saier of Montana are
patrolling the fire area and will
be on for another two or three
days, Adams stated. The fire is
believed to have started from a
lightening strike.
SERVICES FOR
JOHN F. GORSUCH
SET FOR JULY 9
Funeral services for Senator
John F. Gorsuch, who died in his
sleep in his home in Anchorage
Monday night, will be held from
| All Saints Episcopal Church in
Anchorage Friday afternoon at
2:00 p.m. A requiem Mass will be
offered Friday morning at 10:00
a.ha. Friends may pay their last
respect tonight, from 5:00 to 9:00
p.m. at the Anchorage Funeral
Home.
Acting bearers will be E. Wells
Ervin, Everett V. Davis, M. C.
Edmunds, Dr. James E. O’Malley,
Rodney L. Johnston, and James
W. Bretlinger all of Anchorage.
Honorary bearers are Robert
Reeves, Edward L. Arnell, John
E. Manders, Edmond Dimock,
A. W. Morgan, Clark Lethin, J. C.
Morris, H. A. Floyd, William C.
Hufeisen, all of Anchorage. Also
Senator Gerritt Snider of Wasilla,
William T. Zahradnick and Dr.
Lee McKinley of Palmer, Neville
Hadson of Seward, William D.
Burke of Chicago, and James Am
erman of Conton, Ohio. Burial
■ will take place in the Masonic
' plot in the Anchorage City Ceme
: tery.
i Senator Gorsuch was 54 at the
• time of his sudden death. He
l had made his home in Alaska
• since 1945 when he settled in An
(Continued on page 8)
City Council Notes
Negotiations for the purchase
of the Co-Op sewer outfall will
be furthered by discussion by the
City Attorney and members of
the Co-Op board of directors, it
was decided at the July 6 meet
ing of the Common Council. The
City had asked for a purchase
price from the Co-Op. Their of
fer to sell included a purchase
price and a 20-year free-use
clause which will be discussed by
the attorney.
Following a request from the
Matanuska Valley Fair Associa
tion, council members authorized
the use of water from one fire hy
drant for a group of U. S. Army
who plan a bivouac on the fair
grounds this week.
Members of the City budget
and finance committee will meet
with members of the Palmer In
dependent School District board
to discuss assessment work in the
school district at a meeting of the
school board July 7.
Members of the street depart
ment were authorized to pur
chase for the City of Palmer a
jaw-type rock crusher, a diesel
motor and other relative equip
ment from Harry Rice. The pur
chase price authorized was $1,500.
The telephone cable is as far
along as possible, without back
tracking, members of the tele
phone committee reported. Work
will be continued and the cable
will be installed In the Co-Op
section as soon as possible. Ad
ditional work in the North Pal
mer section will also be continu
ed. Committee members report
ed that out of 97 connections on
the new cable, 86 will be private
lines, increasing the revenue as
well as providing better service
to the user.
Approximately 180 feet of wood
stave water pipe in the ARRC
sub-division will have to be re
placed, council members learn
ed Tuesday night. The section is
leaking badly and cannot be re
paired. The six-inch line will be
replaced with the same type pipe
used in the city water distribu
tion system. A water connection
is being run into the Palmer De
pot this week.
A request for water service out
side city limits was received by
the council from Mrs. Ted Mee
han. No immediate action was
taken on her application.
Council members will meet as
(Continued on page 8)
ALASKA RECORD NOW
PRINTED IN ANCHORAGE
'The Frontiersman is still get
ting inquiries concerning The Al
aska Record. The publication is
no longer printed in the Fron
tiersman’s plant and inquiries
should be addressed to either Mr
Tom Moyer, Palmer or the Alaska
Agriculturist, Anchorage.
MUST INSTALL METERS
BY JULY 20 DEADLINE
All water users on the City
of Palmer water system who
have not already done so must
install water meters in their
place of use by July 20, it was
announced this week. Several
water users were unable to in
stall meters last Fall and have
been billed on a monhly rate.
If the meters are not installed
prior to the announced dead
line, water service will be dis
continued.
MUG-UP CAFE
OPENING FRIDAY
A new cafe opens in Palmer
this Friday in the Quonset hut
across from the Valley Theatre.
Known as the Mug-Up Cafe, L
and L, the business is to be con
ducted by two well-known Val- ■
ley women, Elsie Lowe and Pearl
Loberg.
To celebrate the opening the
owners will serve coffee from
1:00 to 3:00 p.m., and their first
dinners Friday evening. From
then on the cafe will be open on
a 24-hour basis, featuring favor
ite dinners and home-made pies.
Mrs. Loberg has lived in the
Valley many years, and is an Al
askan-born resident. Mrs. Lowe
has lived in the Territory over 30
years and just recently became
a member of the Pioneers. She
has been cook in many mining
and -construction camps as well as
restaurants throughout the ter
ritory.
DEL. BARTLETT TO
ACCOMPANY STEVENSON
ON ALASKAN VISIT
Delegate E, L. Bartlett is ex
pected to arrive in Anchorage
July 21 with Adlai Stevenson,
former Democratic presidential
candidate, it was announced this
week. Delegate Bartlett is now
in Hawaii where he will attend
the funeral of Delegate Farrin
ton of that territory.
The territorial democratic cen
tral committee this week com
pleted plans for the scheduled
’ visit which will include stops at
i Ketchikan, Juneau, Fairbanks,
' McKinley Park, and Anchorage.
TOUR OF AREA
PLANNED BY
MATANUSKA G OF C
When Secretary of the Interior
Douglas McKay visits Palmer on
July 20 members of the Matan
iska Valley Chamber of Com
nerce will conduct him and his
aarty on a tour of the Valley area.
Prior to the tour, coffee and
loughnuts will be served at the
Slks Hall at 10:00 a.m. All Cham
ber members and friends who can
ittend the meeting are cordially
nvited to be at the Elks Hall
ay 10 o’clock.
McKay’s expected visit was an
nounced at the July 7 Chamber
of Commerce meeting, at which
time it was also announced that
maps of the valley have been
printed and distributed through
out the area with the compliments
of the local Chamber. The maps,
to be distributed to tourists by
service stations and other local
merchants, show resort roads of
the Valley and Willow areas and
was drawn by Betty Mears who
is at the present time compiling
information and drawings for a
new map of the area.
Harlow Hodgson, agronomist at
the Agriculture Experiment Sta
tion briefly spoke to Chamber
) ! members on the malting abilities
; of Edda barley which is being
j gibwn .with great success in the
- territory. His talk led to a dis
; cussion of trying to interest vari
. | ous industries to locate in. the
Palmer area and brought out a
; need for compiled information on
; potentials the Valley has to offer
industry. Jim Hurley, acting as
chairman of the meeting in the
absence of president, Richard
- Jones, pointed out that the in
j formation is very important to
, any type industry considering
i Palmer as a location for their
s business. The information decided
/ j would embrace water analysis,
i power potentials, transportation
- facilities, labor potential, proxi
mity to coal fields, cleared land,
- and the distribution of land in
- various areas. These and other
d pertinent figures will be compil
t i etl and later printed in a Chamber
5, | of Commerce brochure for public
I distribution.
I
Notice
THERE WILL BE ELECTRICAL OUTAGES IN
THIS AREA TONIGHT (July 8) AT 9:45 P.M.
AND ANOTHER SOMETIME AFTER 4:00 A.M.
TOMORROW MORNING to permit changes
of conductors on the Anchorage line.
MATANUSKA ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION
Roast Beef Dinner
Thursday, July 15
GRANGE HALL
Serving 5:00 - 8:00 P. M.
PUBLIC INVITED
SPONSORED BY
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
BENEFIT BUILDING FUND
DONATION: ADULTS $2.00 — CHILDREN $1.00
RliRSKR’S FAVORITE GRIIIE EVER9 TOES.
PALMER ELKS LODGE HOME
8:00
■ini
EVERYBODY WELCOME
PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES