Palmer Moose
Defeat Army Team;
Return Game Friday
Members of the Pakner High
School basketball team made a
trip to Anchorage January 2 to
play the Headquarters Company,
Port Richardson on their court
at the Base and returned victors
with a score of 53-50. This is the
second time the Moose have de
feated the Army team with a
much wider margin the first time
when the game was played on the
Palmer court ending in 56 to 36.
A third meeting between the
teams is scheduled for Friday
night, January 8 in the Palmer
School gymnasium.
Palmer’s next Railbelt Confer
ence game is one scheduled be
tween the Anchorage Eagles and
the local hoopsters on January
23 on the Palmer court. This will
be the third of four games be
tween the two cities.
Terr. Grocery Prices
Down; Up in Palmer
Downward adjustments in
prices of meats, eggs, fresh fruits,
potatoes, carrots, canned vege
tables and fats reduced grocery
costs in three of five major Alas
ka cities during the period Sep
tember-December 1953, accord
ing to Hugh A. Johnson, econ
omist at the Alaska Agricultural
Experiment Station.
Grocery costs dropped 2.4 per
cent in Ketchikan, 5.8 percent in
Juneau and 2.9 percent in Fair
banks. They rose 0.5 percent in
Anchorage and 0.7 percent in
Palmer where canned fruits and
juices fresh fruits, bacon and
bread took sharp rises over Sep
tember and offset the effect of
lower prices in other major food
items.
riUUUL liuilb ill JJlILCfc Ui j
and^fats resulted from seasonal j
-surpluses and a record high in ;
beef slaughter in the States and j
probably will carry through most 1
of the winter before rising sea
sonally next spring. The potato
crop in both Alaska and the ,
States was large in 1953. Distress
and panic sales of local potatoes
resulted in extremely low prices j
during the fall. Potato prices are !
firming, but will remain lower
than they were a year ago. The 1
supply of local carrots is larger !
than a year ago and generally of j
better quality.
Although there are indications :
of a slight business recession in
the States, there are few indica
tions *hat this will be reflected in
lower food costs in Alaska during
the months immediately ahead.
The more likelv prospect is for
the firming prices of meats, fats, i
fresh fruits and vegetables to
overcome slight decreases in other
items and for total grocery costs ;
to average greater than shown in
December. There are no sure
signs that costs of living in Alas
ka as indicated by grocery costs
have begun a steady downward
trend.
GAME COMMiSSION
TO MEET FEB. 15
The Alaska Game Commission
will meet in Juneau February 15
to. draw up its recommendations
for the secretary of the interior
pertaining to 1954 game laws in
Alaska. By the end of January
hearings on the regulations are
expected to be completed in the
main cities of Alaska.
Members of the Game Commis
sion are Clarence Rhode regional
director of the Fish and Wildlife: i
Earl N. Ohmer of Petersburg, j
chairman: Andy Simons of Sew
ard; Forbes Baker of Fairbanks,
and Harry Brown of Kobuk.
NEW BABIES
Vasanoja
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Vasan
oja of Palmer recently became
parents of their first child, a son,
Roland Lawrence. The little boy
was born at Providence Hospital
December 14 and weighed eight
pounds, nine ounces at birth.
; Maternal grandparents are Mr.
and Mrs. George Plumley of the
Butte. Paternal grandparents are
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Vasano
ja of Anchorage.
Mr. Vasanoja is employed at
the Union Oil plant in Palmer.
CHARLES WILSON
INSTALLED AS
LOCAL MASONIC HEAD
Charles Wilson of Palmer was
installed worshipful master of
Matanuska Lodge No. 293„ F and
AM in ceremonies held at Carpen
ters’ Hall December 29.
The following persons were also
installed in their new offices: C.
Ivan Branton. senior warden; C.
C. Hoffman, junior warden;
Lloyd Severns, senior deacon;
John Curtis, junior deacon; Alva
Saxton, senior steward; Oliver
Onkka, junior steward: Lew
Hanks, secretary, and Art Madi
son, treasurer.
Eastern Star Installation
Installation ceremonies for new j
officers of the Eastern Star Lodge
will be held at Carpenters’ Hall
Thursday, January 14 in open j
ceremonies. Elected officers are:
Marne Hanks, worthy matron;
Lew Hanks, worthy patron; June
Murphy, assistant matron: Mar- i
ive Laird, conductress; Katherine
Wilson, assistant conductress: ;
Blanche Ryan, secretary, and
Betty Kindler treasurer.
ALASKA DISTRICT
ENGINEERS REVIEW
DEFENSE CONSTRUCTION
As 1953 drew to a close, the j
Alaska District of the U. S. Army '
Corps of Engineers, examined its j
accomplishments during the year
and measured the present status
of its -mission—the Alaskan De
fense Construction Program.
During 1953 a total of 74 con
tracts were awarded for military
construction in Alaska. These
contracts totalled $96,251,727 and
included the largest single mil
itary construction contract in the j
history of the Corps of Engineers
in Alaska. Supply and architect
engineer contracts and adminis- j
trative cost in support of these
contracts, bring the total far in
excess oi $iuu,uuu,uuu.
Established in 1946 to perform
the job of building Alaska defen
sively through construction, the
Alaska District Corps of Engin
eers has performed its job well.
This mission of erecting the
buildings and facilities necessary
to properly defend the most
Northwestern reaches of the
North American continent is not
complete as yet. The over-all plan
of construction-known as the Al
askan Defense Construction Pro
gram is approximately two years
away from a date when it will be
fully in an execution stage.
Thus far, construction complet
ed under this program has reach
ed a S550-million total. Projects
presently under construction for
the Army and Air Force through
out the Territory comprise an ad
ditional $158-million.
Headquarters of the Alaska Dis
trict of the Corps of Engineers
is located at Anchorage. Resi
dent Engineer officers are main
tained throughout the district and
are located at Elmendorf Air
Force Base to supervise construc
tion at Elmendorf and nearby
Port Richardson, at the Port of
Whittier, at Ladd Air Force Base
for construction at Ladd and Eiel
son Air Force Bases, at Big Delta,
and at Fairbanks for construction
of the Haines-Fairbanks pipeline.
HOME EC TO MEET
There will be a regular meet
ing for members of the North
land Pioneer Grange home ec
group at the home of Karla Duff
on Monday, January 11 at 8 p.m. j
FRONTIERSMAN CLASSIFIEDS
ALWAYS BRING RESULTS
ELECTRIC SHOP
General Electric
Sales and Service
All types of electrical
appliances and _
repair.
COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
THURSDAY. JANUARY 7
AMERICAN LEGION & AUXIL
IARY, Legion Bldg., 8 p.m.
MAT. VALLEY HEALTH COUN
CIL, Co-Op club room, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY. JANUARY 8
PALMER vs ARMY BASKET
BALL GAME, School gym
TERR. DEMO CONVENTION
OPENS at Juneau
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9
ALTAR & ROSARY SOCIETY
FOOD SALE, Bert’s Drug 10-3
SUNDAY. JANUARY 10
JUNIOR- WOMENS’ RIFLE
TEAM to compete with Army
womens’ team, at Anchorage
MONDAY. JANUARY 11
KIWANIS CLUB, Co-Op club
room, 12:05 p.m.
GRANGE HOME EC. Home of
Karla Duff, 8 p.m.
PALMER CEMETERY ASSN.,
Moose Hall. 8 p.m.
ALTAR & ROSARY SOCIETY,
home of B. Harrington, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12
WELL BABY CLINIC, Health
Center, 2-4 p.m.
CITY COUNCIL. Clerk’s Office,
7:30 p.m.
MOOSE & WOMEN OF THE
MOOSE, Moose Hall, 8 p.m.
BOY SCOUTS, United Protest
ant Church, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13
CARPENTERS’ LOCAL, Carpen- i
ters’ Hall, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14
NORTHLAND PIONEER GRAN
GE, Grange Hall, 8 p.m.
MATANUSKA AIRMENS’ AS
SOCIATION, Co-Op club room,
8 p.m.
ALSO FLYING CLUB
Surveys conducted for the A.m
erican Cancer Society show that
about two American adults in
every five still do not know that
cancer is curable.
Palmer Riflemen
Take 9th Straight
Win From Fairbanks
Riflemen from the far north
were again defeated by members
of the Matanuska Valley Sports
men Rifle Club in a match sho*
on December 21. Daniel Contini o*.
the Palmer team was high man
for both teams with a 391 total.
Following close was Allen Richie
with 390. This was the ninth
match shot between the Palmer
and Fairbanks rifle teams, all of
them victories for the local
shooters.
PALMER HIGH FIVE
P S K oh tot
D. Contini 100 99 99 93 391
A. Richie 100 100 99 91 390
K. Westenbarger 100 99 96 89 384
P. McRae .. 99 96 96 91 382
J. Dodge 100 99 96 87 382
Total . ..1929
FAIRBANKS HIGH FIVE
P S K oh tot
C. Lohr 100 97 97 92 386
B. Riddle 100 97 96 87 380
L. Shebal 100 100 92 84 376
B. Hayford 99 97 89 91 376
J. Johnson 100 98 93 84 375
Total 1893
Won Lost
Palmer 9 0
Fairbanks ............. 0 9
WASILLA COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
FRIDAY. JANUARY 8
WASILLA P-TA. Wasilla School.
8 p.m.
BOY SCOUTS, Wasilla School,
3:30 p.m.
MONDAY, JANUARY 11
VETERANS OF FOREIGN
WARS, Wasilla School, 8 p.m.
VFW AUXILIARY, Wasilla Road
house, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12
WASILLA GRANGE, Grange
Hut, 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13
GTRL SCOUTS. Wasilla Road
house, 3:30 p.m.
BROWNIES, Mrs. John Polis j
iiome, 3:30 p.m.
1
T. A. MOYER TO HEAD
MINISTERIAL ASSN.
T. A. Moyer, editor of the Al
aska Record, was chosen as presi
dent of the Matanuska Valley
Ministerial Association during the
December business meeting.
Other officers chosen to serve
during the 1954 year were: Har
old Richards, of the Valley Chris
tian Home, vice-president; and
Dale Bryant of Lazy Mountain
Children’s Home who will con
tinue his duties as secretary
treasurer of the organization.
Outgoing officers were A. V.
Richey, president and William
Edwards, vice-president.
During the 1953 season the
M.V.M.A. sponsored joint Easter
and Thanksgiving services. The
Christian film, “King of Kings”
was shown this past spring and
during the summer, a film depict
ing the work of the American
Bible Society was shown.
As part of the regular program,
the association plans monthly
Singspiration services which wiil
be held the last Sunday of each
month, meeting either at the Un
ited Protestant Church, the
Church of God, or the Lazy Moun
tain Children’s Home. When the
new Baptist Church auditorium is
completed, meetings will also be
scheduled there.
The M.V.M.A. holds monthly
business meetings the third Mon
day of each month at the homes
of various members who are eith
er pastors of churches or Chris
tian missionary workers in the
Valley, several of whom serve at
the different childrens’ homes.
ANNUAL SCHOOL TAX
QUc AND PAYABLE
Territorial school tax for 1954
is now due and payable, it was
announced this week.
The school tax becomes due
after the first of January and de
linquent after December 1 of each
year. All male and female per
sons over 21 and under 55 are ob
liged to pay the $5.00 tax with the
following exceptions:
Unemployed dependent femal
es; active military or Naval per
sonnel; insane persons or those
with permanent injuries, unable
to earn a living.
The tax, if not deducted by em
ployer, must be paid at the office
of U. S. Commissioner Dorothy B.
Saxton.
PIONEERS HOLD
INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS
Gerrit Snider, Wasilla and pres
ident of the Grand Lodge of Alas
ka, Pioneers of Alaska was instal
ling officer when Pioneers of Al
aska Igloo 15 and Auxiliary 4
held joint installation of officers
in Anchorage on New Years day.
Odic Strandberg took office as
president of the men's lodge and
Mrs. Josephine Cohen was install
ed as auxiliary president.
Only 15 of Alaska’s young men
are expected to be called for the
February draft which has been
cut by the Defense Department
from 23,000 to 18,000 for that
month, according to John McCor
mick, Alaska director of the Sel
ective Service system.
TOURS
CHARTERS
sWI
REASONABLE RATES
££l;vir;es
Ian Service
Located >n A'\atanuska Hoto1
Telephone 4 Pa mar, A c«5kci
*'
illliil
FAIRBANKS
/
V; , -
■■
:
%
ANCHORAGE
SEWARD
W ith tnc opening ui teletype service to
\ aldez, Alaska Steamship Company’s new
teletype network is complete. Alaska Line
agents at key points in the Territory now
can contact Seattle or other Alaska agents
by teletype in a matter of seconds-obtain
answers to important questions immediately.
Messages travel via a network of radio
beams, cables, land lines (see map)-arrive
at company headquarters in Seattle instantly.
JUNEAU
this C.e w ccir mi . «*
of a number of recent developments
in The Alaska Line's constant
search for new and better
methods of serving the
people of the
Territory.
The teletype net anti the company’s
ship-to-shore radio telephone facilities
result in more efficient operation anti
improved customer service.
With teletype service Alaska Line
agents know in advance what pass
enger accommodations are available
— confirm passenger reservations
without delay. .. Requests for space
for freight shipments are acemded
faster service.
ALASKA STEAMSHIP
t r ■ - • )
COMPANY