The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN TfcE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 4
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. NOV. 17, 1955
PRICE TEN CENTS
uHAMBER TO SPARK
COMMUNITY XMAS
PROGRAM IN VALLEY
Business transacted at the No
vember 16 meeting of the Matan
uxka Valley Chamber of Com
merce included the appointment
M a committee of Richard Jones,
Stewart Durrant, and Ed Smith
lj(> represent the Chamber in
spearheading a Community
Christmas party in which all lo
al organizations would partici
pate. Earlier this week the Pal
mer Kiwanis club named a com
mittee to help corrdinate such a
party. Other organizations in the
vialley will be urged to send re
presentation to a meeting which
will be called in the near future.
Five members of the local
rhamber were nominated to fill
four two-year terms on the board
of directors. They were James
Hurley, Richard Jones, John
Weisenberger, Ed Smith, and
Stewart Durrant. Election will
take place at the December 7
meeting, at which time additional 1
nominations may be made from
the floor.
John Weisenberger was named
Chamber representative to a com
mittee which will meet in regard
to the abandonment of certain val
ley roads. The committe’s purpose
:s to correlate information per
taining to roads in preparation of
a public hearing meeting which
the Alaska Road Commission has I
announced will be held in Pal
mer November 30.
A financial report again brou
ght out the need for all Cham
ber members to pay up their 1955
dues. One member suggested that
to help the Chamber get off to
a good start the first of the year,
that advance payments be made
on memberships if possible.
Communications read at the
meeting included a report from
James Hurley who attended the
.Alaska Chamber of Commerce
convention in Fairbanks the first
part of November.
CHURCHES PLAN
SERVICES NOV. 23-24
Churches and children’s homes
in the valley have joined togeth
er again this year in a union
Thanksgiving Service to be spon
sored by the Matanuska Valley
Ministerial Association. The ser
vice will be held at the United
Protestant Church at 8 p.m., No
vember 23. The Rev. J. Rhinehart
of Anchorage, will be guest
speaker and bring the Thanks
giving message. The program will
include special music. The Min
isterial Association emphasises
that this is a public service and
urges the people of the valley to
join together in thanksgiving to
God.
On Theanksgiving Day, a full
length picture will be shown at
St. John’s Lutheran Church at 10
ejn. The picture to be shown is
“Conquest for Christ.” Five thou
sand churches of the Lutheran
Ghurch Missouri Synod have been
gathering a $5,000,000 offering in
behalf of the Lutheran Univer
sity at Valaparise, Ind.; Bethesda
Home at Waterton, Wise.; Luth
eran World Relief; Lutheran
Deaconess association; and Mill
Neck Manor, New York, a school
for the deaf. The special offering
will not replace the budget of the
various institutions but for ex
pansion purposes. The offering
on Thanksgiving day at St. John’s
has been designated for this
charitable work. Members of the
senior and junior choir will pre
sent special Thanksgiving music.
The Rev. James P. Snead will
offer a special Thanksgiving mass
at 9 a.m. at St, Michael’s Catholic
Church. Special Thanksgiving
music will be presented by mem
bers of the church choir.
A special Thanksgiving day
service will be offered at the First
Baptist Church of Palmer on
Thursday morning at 11 a.m.
In Wasilla a union service is
being planned by the area chur
ches. The service will be held
Thanksgiving morning at 11 a.m.
in the First Presbyterian Church.
Special music will be presented
during the program.
All valley churches have join
ed together in extending an in
vitation to the public to attend
the church of their choice.
Fair Ass'n Meeting
Postponed to Dec. I
The annual membership meet
ing of the Matanuska Valley
Fair Association was postponed
to Thursday night, December 1
at 8 pan. in the Co-Op club room.
The meeting was postponed
because of a quorum lack. Only
12 members of the association
showed up for the November 15
meeting, 15 are required for a
quorum. A suggestion was made
that membership be notified by
cards of the December meeting.
m&fm
SOUTHERN CENTRAL ALASKA DELEGATION—The South Central Alaska delegation, which includes delegates from
the Anchorage and Pal’.ner areas, is the largest at the convention. From left to right, standing are Barrie White,
JAMES HURLEY, PALMER; Victor Fischer, Irwin Metcalf, Seward; John Rosswog, Cordova; John Hellenihal; Herb
Hilscher; Steve McCutcheon; Jack Hinckel, Kodiak; Thomas Harris, Valdez; Chris Poulsen; Edward Vavis; Truman
Emberg, Dillingham; Yule F. Kilcher, Homer. (When not otherwise noted, delegates are from Anchorage*. Sealed are,
left to right. Seaborn Buckalew, William Eagan, Valdez; George McLaughlin, Victor Rivers, Helen Fischer, Dorothy
Awes, and M. R. Marslon.
COLOR SLIDES OF
VALLEY NEEDED
BY TOUR GROUP
The assistance of the Ma
tanuska Valley Chamber of
Commerce has been enlisted by
a group who visited Alaska
this past summer. They plan
a lecture tour this winter and
desire colored slides of the val
ley to include in their present
ation. The group, Travelogue
Productions of the State Uni
versity of Iowa, visited Pal
mer on their trip through Al
aska but desire a more com
plete coverage than they were
able to get while here.
Anyone having colored slid
es, of good quality, which they
would loan the local Chamber
is asked to leave them at the
office of The Frontiersman as
soon as possible. Duplicates of
the slides will be made by the
Chamber and the original re
turned to its owner. Because
the group plans to begin their
tour early next year, time is
of an essence. “This is a won
derful opportunity for the val
ley to get a lot of good public
ity”, Chamber members point
ed out.
Registration Opens
For Christmas
Lighting Contest
Several valley families have
begun plans for their Christmas
lighting this year and have in
dicated they plan to enter the
contest the Palmer Garden club
will sponsor for the second year.
Mrs. Dorothy Anderson is
chairman of this year’s contest,
and is being assisted by Mrs. Isa
belle Woolcock. Persons plann
ing to enter the contest are re
quested to register at Maud’s
Flower Shop in the theatre
building as soon as possible.
Prizes will be awarded for the
most outstanding inside and out
side decorations. Both classes
will have prizes as follows: First,
$$15, second $10 and third, $5.
“We are hoping for even wid
er participation than we had last
year”, Mrs. Woolcock said this
week. Although the areas in
which the contest will be run
have not yet been defined, it is
expected they will be about the
same as last year. A schedule
will be published next week.
Palmar Radio Club
To Elect Officers
The recently formed Palmer
Amateur Radio Club will hold
an organizational meeting Satur
day afternoon, November 19 at
1:00 o’clock in their quarters in
the Co-Op Rec Hall building,
next to the Valley Beauty Shop.
All radio amateurs and inter
ested persons are invited to at
tend. Officers for the club will
be elected and club by-laws set
up.
Co-Op Plans Open House
At New Dairy Plant
Open house is being plannee
at the Matanuska Valley Farm
ers Cooperating Association new
distributing plant in Spenard to
morrow evening between 7 and
9 p.:n.
The 60 by 86-foot distributing
plant will supplant the Matanus
ka Dairy quarters formerly locat
ed on Fourth avenue in Anchora
age. In addition to the business
office, the $125,000 building con
sists of a large sharp room in
which ice cream will be stored;
a refrigerated section for milk
and eggs, a large vegetable re
frigeration section, and space to
house five trucks. Trucks will
load and unload inside the build
ing.
The 15-year lease on former
quarters in Anchorage expired
i this week. Because of several
fold expansion over the past
years, larger and more modern
I quarters were needed by the Ma
tanuska Dairy. The firm of Sand
vik and Roark of Palmer were
contractors on the construction of
the new building.
In addition to the ample stor
age space the new building will
provide, there is a small apart
ment in the building which will
be used by the personnel and a
change, shower and locker room
for employees.
The public is invited to inspect
the new plant which marks anoth
er step forward in the evergrow
ing local business. The plant is lo
cated at 814 Northern Lights
Boulevard in Spenard. Going in
from Palmer, visitors are direct
ed to turn left at the second light
on entering Spenard from An
chorage. The plant is located two
blocks off Spenard Drive. Ice
cream and cake will be served
during the evening.
ANNUAL JUNIOR PLAY
WELL RECEIVED
Participants in the annual Jun
ior play, presented at matainee
and evening performances last
Friday, received acclaim from
those attending. The three-act
comedy-mystery was well pre
sented by a cast of 14 players,
under the direction of Elizabeth
Gaines, high school English tea
cher.
The entire cast, as well as the
supporting managers and Jielp
ers, deserved credit for their
fine presentation. The play was
termed “one of the best yet” by
those attending.
DISTRICT DEPUTY
VJSITS ELKS LODGE
Leon Johnson, Mayor of Ko
diak and district deputy of the
Alaska Elks Association, made
an official visitation to the Pal
mer lodge Wednesday night of
this week. The meeting was an
nual roll call night at the local
lodge and initiation for three new
members: Art Miller, John Wal
den, Jr., and Robert Bettine.
Several members of the Anchor
age Elks lodge were visitors.
From Palmer GER Johnson plans
to continue his tour to Fairbanks,
Seward, and Cordova.
SCHOOL PROGRAM
Don Dafoe, commissioner of
education, has sent a directive to
all superintendents, principals,
and science teachers endorsing a
program of cancer education at
the high school level. The film
“From One Cell” is recommend
ed for all science classes. The
brochure “Youth Looks at Can
cer” is also available for distri
bution in the schools.
Coast Guard
Academy Seeks
Candidates
A vigorous effort is now under
way to obtain qualified candidat
es for the 1956 class at the Coast
Guard Academy, New London,
Connecticut, according to Charles
Wilson, territorial conservationist.
In a letter from James L.
Buckley, acting director of per
sonnel, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, Wilson was notified
that the assistance of the Depart
ment has been requested in get
ting word about the entrance ex
aminations to those interested in
the opportunity to enter on a
highly desirable career.
Competitive examinations for
appointment of cadets will be
held on February 27 and 28, 1956,
in over 100 cities throughout the
nation. The deadline for appli
cations is January 15, 1956. There
are no Congressional appoint
ments or State quotas.
The examination is open to any
unmarried, qualified young man,
military or civilian who will have
reached his 17th but not his 22nd
birthday on July 1, 1956. Appli
cants must be physically fit by
rigid standards, stand not less
than five feet four inches and not
more than six feet six inches, and
be of good moral character.
Requests for information con
cerning the examinations and re
quirements may be addressed to
the Commandant (PTD-2), U. S.
Coast Guard, Washington 25,
D. C.
WILL PRESENT
SCHOOL CONCERT
FOR FUND RAISING
Th* *irst concert of the season
vv-ili be presented at the Central
School gymnasium on Tuesday
evening, November 22 at 8 p.m.
by members of the junior and
senior bands and choruses of the
Palmer schools. Directing the
combined program will be Mrs.
Lois Weldon, chorus, and Lee
Plumbley, band. This concert will
not replace the annual Chiristmas
concert. It is a special concert be
ing sponsored by the groups to
raise money for the music festi
val fund. The annual festival will
be held in Fairbanks this y£ar
and money for travel, music, and
other items will be needed if the
Palmer groups are to attend. A
small admission charge will be
made at the door Tuesday night
with all proceeds to go toward
the festival fund. There will be
no charge made for the Christ
mas concert.
Among numbers to be present
ed by the senior chorus are
“Everytime I Feel the Spirit”,
. “Li Adoramus Te”, and “Battle
Hymn of the Republic”. The jun
ior choir will also present several
selections. The two choruses to
tal 141 voices.
Numbers to be presented by
the junibr band, include: three
short chorales by Bach, Beethov
en, and Shuman as well as a
short concert piece, “Annie
Laurie”.
The Pioneer band will present
three marches by Sousa and Ben
nett; “Magnus Oveture” by Mes
ang and a concert selection, “Am-1
erican Patrol” by Meacheam.
The Majorettes will be featur
ed during the program and two
or three novelty numbers will be
offered by the school’s German
Band, the “Matanuska Milers”.
This is the largest band group
ever presented by the school.
Plumbley has 65 players in the
Junior band and 40 in the Palmer
band.
Public Hearing Set
For Valley Roads
Abandonment Proposal
A public hearing is scheduled
for November 30 at the Palmer
High School in regards to the
Alaska Road Commission’s pro
posed to abandon certain valley |
roads. Several letters have been i
received in the valley in.regards I
to the meeting—all of them cop- j
ies of a letter which A. F. Ghigli- j
one of the ARC had written to |
Del. E. L. Bartlett, Irving Reed, !
and Secretary of v the Interior
Douglas McKay, announcing the
coming meeting.
Considerable interest has been
shown, not only by families who
would be directly effected, but;
by many other valley residents j
and organizations—all opposed to
the abandonment of any valley
roads, and more particular, those
which the ARC have proposed for
abandonment. A large attendance
is anticipated at the meeting.
Lew Hanks
to Attend
D. C. Meet
Lew E. Hanks, member of the
Palmer Independent School
Board, has been invited by Presi
dent Eisenhower to take part in
the White House Conference on
Education in Washington, C. C.»
November 28 - December 1. He is
one of the 10 persons—the quota
for Alaska—to be invited from
his Territory. Hanks said this
week he plans to leave the Val
ley around the 25th or 26th of
November, enroute to Washing
ton.
The invitation entitles him to
participate in the national meet
ing oh schools, first ever called
by a president of the United
States, along with some 2,000
other citizens from 53 states and
territories. The Conference fol
lows similar meetings called by
the governors of the states and
territories during the past year,
in response to the president’s call
for “the most thorough, wide
spread and concerted study the
American people have ever made •
of their ^educational problems.”
Participants in the Conference
will discuss six subjects which
have ben studied previously in
most of the 4,000 community and
53 states and territorial confer
ences on education during 1955.
The topics are:
(1> What should our schools ac
complish? 2) In what ways can
we organize our school systems
more efficiently and economical
ly? (3) What are our school build
ing needs? (4) How can we get
enough good teachers—and keep
them? (5) How can we finance
our schools-—build and operate
them? (6) How can we obtain a
continuing public interest in edu
cation?
The Conference will be held
at the Sheraton-Park Hotel in
Washington, beginning the even
ing of November 28. Conference
Director Clint Pace said discus
sion of the subjects would be by
groups of 11 persons at each of
180 tables.
“Each table will attempt to
reach consensus among its partic
ipants on the six subjects,” he ex
plained. “It is not the purpose
of the Conference to take votes,
but to determine the opinions of
persons from every part of the
country, representing many back
grounds and opinions, in an at
tempt to arrive at what the Am
erican people want from their
schools and how they propose to
obtain it. ;
“The Conference will attempt
to bring together persons who
know the. school problems of
their communities and their stat
es and who,in most instances,
have taken part in their own con
ferences where public attitudes
have; been expressed.
“Participants in the White
House Conference will have full
opportunity to say whatever they
please and to have their opinions
recorded by table chairmen of
their own choosing. It is our in
tention to make possible the full
est discussion on matters which
these citizens believe are of im
portance to the educational wel
fare of their communities, their
country,” Pace said.
Results of the Conference will
be one of the bases on which the
Committee will report to the
President on the “significant and
pressing problems in the field of
education.” Other parts of the re
port will include findings of state
conferences and results of the
Committee’s studies of the six
subjects.
NEW SHIPMENT OF
DISH, GARDEN MATERIALS
AND POTTERY
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MAUD'S FLOWER SHOP
Theatre Building
Make Your Appointments
for
PERMANENTS for the
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LAVONNE JOHNSON