Palmer, Alaska, May 18, 1948
Vol. 1, No. 66
Ten Cents
, Fire Control
Seeks Pilot
From Valley
A local pilot and plane for
«n-call duty with the Alaska
Fire Control Service is being
sought by the Palmer station of
the AFCS, it was announced this
week by Paul Olson, fire guard.
Fliers interested in the job must
submit their bid, based on the
hourly rate for flying time, to
R. R. Robinson, acting regional
administrtor, by May 21. Mr.
Robinson is headquartered in
Anchorage.
Provisions for the job require
that the pilot holds CAA speci
fications and has a plane based
in Palmer with a cruising range
of five to seven hours. The plane
must be large enough for the
pilot and two passengers.
Pay is returned on an hourly
rate for flying time. The pilot
will be on call at all times for
emergency duty.
For the present, the pilot will
be employed for the period end
ing June 30, 1948, when the pres
ent appropriations expires. How
ever a new appropriation be
comes effective on July 1, and
the pilot will be retained for
the remainder of the summer
season.
Other information concerning
the job may be obtained from
either Mr. Olson or Clyde
Clarke, local fire guards. They
are now in residence in the Pal
mer station. The pair have been
on duty here for the past several
weeks.
Other Valley residents are re
quested to report all range, grass
and forest fires to the station.
Mr. Olson and Mr. Clarke al
ready have assisted in fighting
-Hhe several grass fires which
broke out two weeks ago.
Friendship Train
Exhibits May Be
Shown At Fair
It is possible that the histor
ical displays and exhibits of the
Friendship Train may be brought
to the Matanuska Valley Fair
this year, it was announced this
week by Marshall Selover, fair
manager.
Mr. Selover has written Dele
t gate Bob Bartlett for assistance
in obtaining the material, and
the delegate has promised all
possible help.
If the Friendship Train can
be brought to Alaska, it is prob
able that its materials will be
displayed the length of the Rail
belt. The Declaration of Inde
pendence and many historical
papers and objects are among
♦the materials now gathered on
the Friendship Train.
FLY OUTSIDE
Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Dixon and
baby daughter of Jonesville flew
Outside last week en route to
southern California.
Commissioner Sells Licenses
r With the closing of Lou
f Henke’s office, all car license
sales again are being handled
* at the office of Walter Huntley,
b TJ S commissioner Imre, it was
^announced this week.
Ten new graduates, after next Thursday evening, were just 10 little first-graders wandering
through the doors of the just-finished Palmer school about 12 years ago. Only the ten were 25
then. However the five boys and five girls pictured above on the steps of the schoolhouse where
they began their elementary education are all that have survived the educational hazards of the
years between. They go their separate ways after Thursday night. Some will be married during
the summer and fall months. Others plan to work, either in Palmer or in other Alaskan cities.
One or two of them look forward to a colege education's beginning next fall. The students pic
tured are, back row, left to right, Don Irwin, Nancy Smith, Duane Huntley, Beverly Larsh and
Earl Onkka; front row. left to right. Bob Graham, Evon DeLand, Evelyn Foster, Georgia Small
and Stanley Hoffman. (Photo by Palmer Photographic Center)
Hagens Win
Court Case
After deliberating eight hours
last Thursday, a jury found that
Mr. and Mrs. A1 Hagen of the
Valley Theatre were not guilty
of lease violations, as charged
in a complaint filed by Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Howard of Seward.
The Howards formerly operated
a dress shop in the Valley Thea
tre building.
The Howards’ complaint had
charged that goods for the shop
was damaged to the extent of
$7,590.77 when the shop prem
ises were not ready for occu
pancy on Nov. 1, 1945, as re
quired by lease. The Howards
stated that goods were stored in
the theatre basement and were
damaged by handling, pilferage
and water. They further main
tained that heat for the shop
always was inadequate.
Mr. and Mrs. Hagen had de
manded $1,575 as rent in a coun
ter complaint.
The case ran for several days
in district court in Anchorage,
during which time a number of
Palmer residents appeared on
the stand. Among those testify
ing were Mrs. Rosina Tost, Mrs.
Gladys Cooper, Maynard Sands
and Miss Joan Dragseth.
The jury ruled that no award
be made.
Undergoes Appendectomy
Miss Marilyn Johnson, home
demonstration agent here, was
hospitalized for an emergency
appendectomy last Thursday
evening. She was stricken while
attending a meeting of the North
land Pioneer Grange and was
hospitalized at once. She is now
recovering satisfactorily in the
Valley hospital.
10 PHS Seniors Were
First First - Graders
Post Captain Is
Named Speaker
For Graduation
The program for Thursday
evening’s commencement exer
cises for 1948 graduates of Pal
mer high school was announced
this week by Superintendent
Carl Snelling. The principal
speaker of the evening is to be
Capt. Salvatore Pelle, chief of
public information, Fifty-Sev
enth Fighter Wing of Fort Rich
ardson. The exercises, which
are to be held in the Palmer
gymnasium, will begin at 8
o’clock.
The complete program, as an
nounced by Superintendent Snal
ling, is as follows:
Overture by the Palmer
high school band.
Processional by Larry Stock.
I n v o c a ti o n by an unan
nounced chaplain from Fort
Richardson.
"Eley by the Sea" by the
high school chorus.
"Dante Cantabile" by the
high school chorus.
Presentation of the grad
uates by James Gray, Jr., high
school principal.
Acceptance of the class by
Superintendent Snelling.
Salutatory address of wel
come by Don Irwin.
"Dance Ye Gypsies" by the
high school chorus.
Valedictory address of fare
well by Evelyn Foster.
Introduction of Captain
“ (Continued on back page)
For 10 members of the grad
uating class of Palmer high
school, Thursday’s commence
ment will mean the end of a
common experience which began
12 years ago. The ten entered
the doors of Palmer school one
March morning, in 1936, as mem
bers of the first grade.
Those ten were 25 that first
March. They learned their
first reading, writing and arith
metic under the watchful eye
of Miss Summers, who has long
since left the Valley. Palmer
high school graduated its first
student that next spring; Earl
Barry was the only senior to
rceive a diploma that first year.
In all the years and through
all the eight grades of elemen
tary school and four years of
high school, they have been
classmates. During those years
more than half of the students
of that first grade which began
its work that September, have
gone other ways. Some were
the children of colonists who ear
ly became discouraged and re
turned to the homes they had
left only a few months before.
Others married or dropped
schoolwork before they grad
uated.
But through 12 years of work
and play these ten have stuck
together. During that time they
have seen Palmer’s new school,
expected to take care of all
the Valley’s schoolchildren for
many years to come, grow from
a roomy building with space for
all to an over-crowded plant
already too small to fit the com
munity’s needs.
They have seen 12 winters,
(Continued on Back Page)
Co-op Makes
Lowest Bid
On Army Order
The prospect of possible Army
contracts for Valley produce is
making life brighter for mem
bers of the board of directors of
the Matanuska Valley Farmers’
Cooperating Association this
week. Carl Rasmussen, board
secretary, announced Monday
that the Co-op was low bidder
on a produce order which will
return $150,000 to the success
ful bidder.
However the contract cannot
be considered assured, since bid
ding was on an informal basis
only. The definite contract award
will not be announced before
July 1, Mr. Rasmussen said.
Chief items on the contract
under discussion were 1,000
tons of potatoes and 500 tons
of cabbage. Other vegetables
necessary for Army needs in
cluded carrots, cauliflower,
turnips, rutabagas, radishes
and lettuce.
There were two other bids
submitted for the contract. One
bidder quoted prices on only a
portion of the produce required
by the contract.
In anticipation of a success
ful bid for the Army contract,
vegetable growers of the Co-op
organized last week. They now
are holding meetings to deter
mine crop allotments, while the
Co-op board is working on plans
which will lead to the opening
of the produce department.
On Thursday of last week,
23 growers met to elect offi
cers of the producers* group.
Charles Schaefer was named
chairman and M. D. Snodgrass
was elected secretary.
Questioned again as to wheth
er Co-op by-laws will permit
a man’s membership in the Val
ley Producers, Inc., independent
growers’ organization, while still
retaining membership rights in
the MFVCA, Mr. Rasmussen re
plied that in his opinion an in
dividual could'* not be legally a
member of both groups.
Mr. Rasmussen explained that
contracts bind MVFCA members
to that organization as their sole
marketing agent. He added that
the board has taken no action
on the question of overlapping
membership yet, but the matter
»will be studied in the near fu
ture. It was stated that it prob
ably will take legal action to
work out the answer to the prob
lem.
While the prospect of pro
duce contracts make the fu
ture a bright one for the Co
op, its present is still troubled
by dissension and disagree
ments. Two other resignations
to the membership board of
directors have been received.
One, that of A. R. Carson,
was accepted at last Wednesday’s
board meeting. The other, prof
fered by Pat Hemmer, was not
accepted. However, at his re
quest, Mr. Hemmer was released
from his duty as chairman of
the board of directors. E. R.
Brock was elected new head of
the board.
No replacement has been ap
pointed for Mr. Carson yet. The
board is giving the matter of a
new appointment careful study.
Mr. Rasmussen said.