Thought of the Week:
When people lose confidence
in the leaders of the nation, the
country is threatened with
revolution.
ALASKA HISTORICAL
& >Y J ;
BOX 2051
The Frontiersman
SKA
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
c* a * f r T V <5
^ I c. i I J
MISS ALASKA PAGEANT
Reservations at
Alaska St^te Fair Inc.
Ploreer 5-4688
VOLUME 14. NUMBER 40
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. JUNE 28. 1962
TEN PAGES
PRICE 15 CENTS
Reporters—
AlG-tebaajz
Mr. and Mrs. William Tull
have returned to Palmer, driv
ing over the Alaska Highway.
Mr. Tull has been enrolled in
the law school of the Univer
sity of Montana at Missoula.
They plan to spend the summer
months in the Valley area and
return to Missoula this fall.
* * *
The K. R. Gillow Plumbing
and Heating shop will move
"this weekend to the new loca
tion in the building the Gil
lows have built a short distance
from Wasilla on the Big Lake
road. Mr. and Mrs. Gillow are I
p anning on a grand opening j
day within the next few weeks. :
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Miller I
and Kimberly returned Mon
day from a month’s trip back
East. They spent sometime in
Seattle and saw the World’s
Fair, and Mr. Miller, assistant
cashier at the Matanuska Val
ley Bank, mixed business with
pleasure by attending a bank
ers’ convention.
* * *
Joe Gallant, burned in a
brush fire last week, was re
leased from Providence hospi
tal in Anchorage and returned
to Hope Sunday where he is an
employe of McLaughlin Con
struction Co.
Gurine Nordby is the new
pharmacist at Bert’s Drug
store. A graduate of the Uni
versity of Washington, Miss
Nordby arrived in Palmer from
Seattle last Saturday.
* * *
William J. Boyd, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Sam A. Boyd, Pal
mer. was advanced recently to
the rate of aviation structural
mechanic second class, USN.
He is serving with Heavy At
tack Squadron Eight aboard
the aircraft carrier USS Mid
way, operating as a unit of the
Seventh Fleet in the Western
Pacific.
* * *
Dr. Bob Smith, professor of
philosophy at Bethel College,
St. Paul, Minnesota, with his
family, is visiting at Lazy
Mountain Children’s Home. Dr.
Smith will be speaking in a
special service in the Children’s
Home chapel at 7 o’clock to
night.
Charmaine Sawby of Palmer
was graduated last week from
Oregon State university at
Corvallis. She received a bach
elor degree in education.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Goodman
have returned to Palmer for
summer vacation from Corval
lis, Oregon, where both attend
Oregon State university. Mrs.
Goodman, Roseann, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. C. I. Branton,
finished her junior year. She
was recently tapped for Phi
Kappa Phi, national honorary
society. She will be initiated
this fall when she returns to
complete her studies in home
economics. Roy graduated last
week with a bachelor of science
degree in natural resources. He
will take graduate work in this
field next year.
* * *
Mrs. Verne Stout and dau
ghter Dorothy of Matanuska
road, have completed a nine
day visit to Haifa, Israel and
are visiting friends and seeing
places of historical interest be
fore returning home via New
York City. Mrs. Stout reports
they are having a wonderful
time. While visiting former
Alaskan Rose Perkal in Lor
carne, Switzerland, Janet talk
ed on the Baha’i Faith, and
showed slides of Alaska. Her
English was translated into
French and German, and great
interest was shown in both her
lecture and the pictures. The
Stouts are expected home late
in July.
* * *
Lew E. Hanks of Palmer
called at Senator Bob Bartlett’s
office last week. Mr. Hanks,
who is with the Extension Ser
vice. will be in Washington,
D. C. for a six-weeks’ course at
George Washington university.
Council Elects Maze and
Glacier Break-Up
At Lake George
Started Wednesday
One of Alaska’s most spectu
lar annual shows started this
week as Lake George beean
breaking through its glacier
dam. Pilot Bud Woods, learn
ing of the early breakup yes
terday, announced he is cater
ing flights to view and photo
graph the unique and awesome
event.
Marvin Slaughter, engineer
in charge of the U. S. Geologi
cal Survey Surface Water
branch for this area, has been
recording, measuring and ob
serving Lake George for many
years, often with Woods as his
pilot. He said the break-thro
ugh is much earlier than usual
this year, due to light winter
snowfall. Also, the lake is shal
lower than usual. The water is
eating under the ice. and the
lake will go out much faster
than other years.
During the winter the glacier
spreads across the narrow
gorge, packing solidly against
the mountain shoulders and
damming the lake's outlet. As
the lake melts under the first
sunny spring days, water cas
cades over the huge dams of
blue glacier ice. As the water
and sun cut deeper, great cliffs
of the glacier drop into the
deep gorge and the torrential
floodwaters from the lake.
Knik river is sometimes
swelled by an additional 345,
000 cubic feet per second dur
ing the few days of the Lake
George runoff, but much less
is expected this year.
Slaughter and his hydrogra
phers and technicians take
measurements twice daily at
the Knik bridge. Kevin Carey,
Carl Blanchard, and Steve
Swingle are the men here. At
three cabins in the lake and
gorge area are Jim Meckel,
Tony Trimaur, Clyde King,
Don Fleming, Bill Isherwood
and John Schrleber.
1962 STATE FAIR
PREMIUM BOOKS 60
TO WORLD’S FAIR
The 1962 Alaska State Fair
premium books are off the
press and copies have been
mailed to last year’s exhibitors
and this year’s advertisers, of
ficials of Alaska State Fair Inc.
announced this week.
Copies of the book have been
flown to Century 21 for the
Alaska exhibit where they will
be distributed on July 7, Alas
ka Day at the World's Fair.
Shipment of the books was
made possible by Joe Lentz,
who transported them to Inter
national Airport, and by Mayor
George Sharrock of Anchorage,
who made arrangements to
have them carried free of
charge to Seattle by Pacific
Northern Airlines.
The premium books are
available at ASF office at the
fairgrounds entrance. Office
hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday. The
telephone number, not listed
in the directory. Is PI 5-4688.
Exhibitors are reminded it is
not too early to be planning ex
hibits for the fair Aug. 31, Sept.
1, 2, and 3. Rules for entering
exhibits are printed in the
premium book.
Fair manager Billy Miller is
working on plans for additional
space to accommodate larger
displays and exhibits. Addi
tional ground improvements
and arrangements are being
planned.
SEWER COST
ESTIMATES CUT
Jack Maze was elected to [
fill the vacancy on the Palmer
City Council and Louis Ben- j
| cai dino Jr. was appointedj
J Chief of Police at the City
Council meeting Tuesday.
Councilrnen E. J. Blom, Dick
; Geiwitz, Ralph Moore and
i Loyd Watts and Mayor Billy
j Miller (who votes as a council
man under the new city char
ter) were stalemated in voting
at the first of the meeting for
a replacement for Rex Ehrhart
who resigned last month.
Councilman Jim Pazaruski ar
rived later and another vote re
sulted in the election of Jack
J Maze. Maze has served on the i
' council previously.
Discussion of sending a city
| policeman to attend the police
school in Anchorage was side
! tracked until the decision was
! reached to name Louis Bencar
; dino, Jr. police chief, on a one
year probationary appoint-1
made retroactive to June 1
ment. His salary of $700 was:
when he assumed the chiefs
duties.
With this decision, the coun
cil voted to send Bencardino to
the police school which starts ;
July 5. The school requires 21
days of intensive instruction
with 12 evening sessions. Pos-:
sible need for hiring an extra
patrolman during the absence
of one member of the city force
for the school was avoided by
rearrangement of the hours of
the other patrolman. A'so an
other permanent patrolman
will be hired immediately to
fill the place vacated by Ben
cardino’s promotion to chief.
Further investigations have
been made of ways and means
for improving the city's sewer
system. It is now believed that
the high cost of a sewage treat
ment plant can be avoided.
With federal and state monies
available to assist the city en
large and improve the sewer
system, councilmen estimate,
on basis of Attorney Burton C.
Biss's investigations, that the
city may have to raise no more
than $500,000.
More adequate communica
tions with police and fire em
ergency vehicles is proposed by
installation of two-way radio
systems to replace the signal
light now used to call police
men to the hotel for informa
tion on emergency calls. A
demonstration of the radios,
which will cost $140 for each
installation, will be given the
council July 10. Fire Chief Noel
(Continued on Page 10)
Francis Beils
Critically Burned
In Flash Fire
Mrs. Francis Betts, wife nf
Thurman Betts. Wasillu. sus
tained first, second and third
degree burns of the body in a
flash fire in their home on Wa
silla lake Sunday evening.
Guests in the Betts' home,
Mr. and Mrs. Rex Kibbe,
rushed Mrs. Betts to Valley
Presbyterian hospital. Mr.
Betts put out the fire before
following to the hospital.
Cause of the fire was an ex
plosion of fuel oil which was
put on logs in an open fire
place.
Valley hospital said this mor
ning that Mrs. Betts’ condition
tho still serious has improved.
No visitors are allowed.
A call for donations of her
rare B negative type blood was
issued by the hospital Sunday
night. Through efforts of
friends the request was broad
cast on all Anchorage radio and
TV stations. An adequate sup
ply was donated in a surpris
ingly short time to save Mrs.
Betts' life.
POLICE CITATIONS
Police citations this week
were: No Operator’s License, 2.
Speeding, 2; Improperly Park
ed, 1; Drunk in Public, 1: Juv
i enile Disturbance, 1; Over
! parking, 2.
Alaska Farm Development Act
Debated in Congress This Week
The Alaska Farmland De
velopment Act of 1962 (SB
2805, came up f o r debate in
Congress this week. Darrell L.
Baird, chairman, Alaska State
ASC committee, said action on
this bill is expected within the
next few days and urged indi
viduals concerned with the
passage of the act to express
their views to their congress
man.
The main features of the bill
are as follows:
“The Secretary of Agricul
ture is hereby authorized to
formulate and carry out a land
development program, which
subject to such terms and con
ditions as the Secretary deter
mines will best effectuate the
| policy and purpose expressed
in section 2 of this Act, shall
provide for the making of pay
ments or grants to agricultural
producers in the State of Al
aska for carrying out specified
farmland development or
treatment measures including,
but not limited to, clearing,
draining, shaping and other
wise conditioning land for
the production of crops or for
pasture.
“There is hereby authorized
to be appropriated, without fis
cal year limitations, such sums
as may be necessary to carry
out this Act: Provided, that the
total cost of the program (ex
cluding administrative costs)
shall not exceed $1,250,000 and
for any program year pay
ments shall not exceed $125,
000. The program authorized
by this Act shall be in addition
to, and not in substitution of,
other programs in the State of
Alaska authorized by any
other Act.”
The policy and purpose of
the act as expresed in section
2, referred to above, is “to pro
vide more adequately for the
sound, efficient, and orderly
development and utilization of
agricultural land resources of
the State of Alaska; to facilit
ate and assure the establish
ment of family-type farms as
economic units of production
and to encourage, promote and
strengthen this form of farm
enterprise; to provide for Al
aska's future economic growth
by promoting a sound and sta
ble agriculture, thereby insur
ing a more adequate and de
pendable food supply for the
present and future population
of the State, and in recognition
of the strategic position of the
State of Alaska in relation to
national security and de
fense . ... ”
John Nash. Palmer County
ASC office manager, said if the
bill is passed, money will be
available for assistance in
clearing, draining, and other
development of about 25.000
acres in Alaska in the next ten
years.
OEDP Given Okay
By Local Committee
The Area Development plan’ c
was presented in final form at i
the meeting of the committee
Tuesday evening. Interested
citizns and committee mem
bers discussed the plan while
awaiting the arrival of Tom
Bichsel, state director of the
Area Redevelopment Act.
Mimeographing of the sup
porting documents which must
accompany the plan is not com
plete, but Mason LaZelle.
chairman of the local ADC. |
said it should be finished in a
few days. i r.
Bichsel explained the proce
dure for making applications
for technical assistance under
the AKA. Applications for such
assistance in planning for eco
nomic development have al
ready been received and will
accompany the plan as it pro
n
P
t'i
P
aj
P
tl
si
eeiis through the channels for
pproval.
Alaska Hardwoods Inc.
presented an application for
an ARA loan to get their new
plant near Wasilla into oper
ation. The loan application
was approved by the com
mittee as complying with the
purposes of the OEDP and
it will also be among the
documents submitted with
the plan.
The OEDP goes next for
■view to the U.S.D.A. Tech
ieal Panel for Alaska, cont
used of the government agen
es that loan money under
ovisions of the ARA. With
uproval by the Technical
anel, the plan will be sent to
e State Planning Commis
on in Juneau.
MISS MATANMSKA V
WILL TRY FOR MISS
Erika Kalwies. named Miss j
Matanuska Valley of 19G2 in
the local Fair Queen contest
last fall, is preparing now for
the Miss Alaska pageant. The i
state contest will be July 12.
8 p.m. at the Elks hall in An
chorage.
For Erika, and the other en
trants. the contest actually be
gins July 10. Many activities
and public appearances includ
ing television presentations are
planned for the young ladies
during the three days before
the crowning pageant.
Erika, who was born in Ger
many June 22. 1942, plans a
similar talent skit to that she
presented here last fall. She
has designed and made her
German costume as the appro- ,
priate attire for her soprano
solo and a dance number.
The statuesque, blue-eyed
red-head came with her par
ents to Wasilla in 1952. They
moved to Palmer in 1953. Her
parents, Air and Mrs. Martin
Kalwies, have a dairy farm in
the Springer road area. Erika
UU. X Cl 1 11 It. 1
school in 1961.
Modeling. Erika's chosen car
eer, is to her almost as much
a hobby as a vocation. After
completing the course at the!
Patricia Stevens Modeling1
school in Baltimore. Md., last
October, she worked until April
as a model and as a saleslady.
Her hobbies and other activ
ities include ice skating, danc
ing, sewing and singing. In
school she participated in Pep
club, Girls' Athletic Assn.,
ARMY ENTERTAINS TELEPHONE COMPANY MANAGERS
AT A COMMUNICATORS' LUNCHEON at the
Alaska Chateau, Elmendorf AFB, Col. Har
old L. Hughes, commander of the Alaskan
Communications region, praised the in
dependent telephone companies for their
cooperation with the Army Communica
tions service. The luncheon, hosted by
Col. Hughes, was attended by city, state
and military communications representa
tives, as well as the heads of several in
dependent telephone companies in Alas
ka. Pictured above, left to right, are R. M.
Clements, manager of the Matanuska Val
ley Telephone Association of Palmer; It.
Gen. George W. Mundy, commander-in
chief Alaska; Thomas C. Harris, president
of Tran'.-Alaska Telephone Co.; Maj. Gen.
Wendell W. Bowman, commander, Alas
kan Air Command, James V. Ditto, presi
dent of Tundra Telephone Co., and Col.
Harold L. Hughes.
ALLEY OF 1962
: ALASKA TITLE
Drum Corps, Chorus, Future
Farmers of America and the
school newspaper, Banana
Belt Breezes.
The shapely Miss Kalwies is
busily sewing and practicing
her singing and dancing, but
no extra effort is needed for
the beauty parade part of the
pageant. The 20-year-old is 5
feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 130
pounds, and measures 35-25-37
i'or a lovely figure.
Winning the Miss Alaska
contest will net the young
hopeful considerably more than
a title and a crown. She will
receive a Pepsi-Cola scholar
ship amounting to $1,000, a gift
certificate from Philco Co. val
ued at $500, and a Philco por
table TV’, donated by Con
right’s in Anchorage. Also, the
girl selected as Miss Alaska
will go on to compete for the
Miss America crown bestowed
in Atlantic City, N. J. in Sep
tember.
The pageant is sponsored
again this year by Greater An
chorage Inc. Tickets are avail
able from Bill Miller at the
Palmer office of Alaska State
Fair Inc. Admission is $2.50,
and reservations should be
made at once as seating is
limited.
Japanese Industrialist
Visits in Valley Area
A Japanese industrialist,
Nobushige Kiso, of Kyushu,
Japan visited in the Matanuska
Valley briefly Saturday.
Accompanied by William
Hunt, newspaper publisher of
Los Angeles, Kiso toured the
Valley area and also visited the
Evan Jones coal mine at Sut
ton.
Kiso has coal interests in the
southern island of Japan as
well as numerous other busi
ness interests. He had attend
ed the International Rotary
Club convention in Los An
geles the first part of the
month and then travelled to all
parts of the United States.
From Palmer the men went
on to Ketchikan to view opera
tions of the pulp mill there.
Of all parts of the U. S. he
has visited, the Alaska trip was
considered the high point of his
tour.
Alaska Feed-Base
Program Reviewed
Among the scientists review
ing the Agricultural Experi
mental Station program as it
relates to the Alaska feed-base
are L)r. M. M. Myers, Univer
sity of Minnesota: Dr. J. T.
Reid, Cornell university; Dr.
Dale Smith, University of Wis
consin; Dr. D. G. Hamilton. Ot
tawa. Ontario; Dr. Hugo O.
Graumann, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Beltsville, Md.;
and F. S. Nowosad, Ottawa,
Ontario.
They arrived n Fairbanks
Saturday, came to Palmer Sun
day, and will leave here to
morrow.
BARRY’S RESORT
FINGER LAKE FDFF MUSIC -Sing along
COME ONE I K t L with Lee Rytting
• COME ALL BAR-B-Q CHICKEN Evening off July 3 - 9:30 - ?