TO
WARD
/'In' Cale-ieay City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Seward*s . ///-//'rather Port is Alaska's Greatest Asset.
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VIII, No. 75
SEWARD. ALASKA. FRIDAY, MAY 0. 1952
Price JO Cents
anes
Gilfilen Chosen To
Promote 4th of July
Show This Year
Hal Gilfilcn was chosen to
promote the 4th of July celebra
tion this year. "It will be a real
show,” he says.
The three-day celebration will
begin at noon on Friday, the
4th, and continue until noon of
the 6th. Fireworks are sched
uled for the night of the 4th to
make it a real, old-time 4th
for the kids.
The Marathon Mountain race
will begin at 1 p.m. July 5. It
is the concensus of opinion that
the mid-day hour is the best for
vision from the street. The en
tire race will be broadcast from
along the line of climb.
Race prizes to runners will
remain the same: $1U00, $500,
and S250, with the addition of
$50 to all participants who com
plete the course within a given
lime.
Seward is to be decorated.
“Every merchant on the main
drag is to decorate his prem
ises,” Gilfilen states. "This is
the year that this show MUST
go over,” and his enthusiasm is
already being felt by townsmen.
Gilfilen was elected to pro
mote the show this year, by the
nine-member Board of Directors
elected Tuesday night. He is
doing it on an entirely volun
tary and unpaid basis, as are
all other members of the com
mittee which is a non-profit cor
poration, full y incorporated
under the Territorial law in
1950.
The Board of Directors in
cludes Vance Hitt, Sol Urie,
Lorena Stolp. Clarence Keating.
Mary Ann Ealmat, Maurice
Curry, Jack Warner. Jim Law
son and Hal Gilfilen. Of these,
two were appointed as finance
committee: Hitt and Urie.
Other townspeople and organ
izations will be call, d upon tor
promotion work. Jack Werner
and Vance Hitt are the conces
sion committee. All b o o t h s,
shows, games, contests and food
will be handled as concessions
on a percentage basis.
Details of all plans are not suf
ficiently formulated for publi
city. but the public will be kept
fully informed as the business
progresses.
Hal Gilfilen is experienced in
promoting public affairs. He
managed the Anchorag. Fur
Rendezvous in 1947, one of the
most successful years of the an
nual Hub City spectacle.
PICNIC WEEK AT SCHOOL
CALLED LOTS OF FUN
Both the grade school and high
school had their annual picnics
this week, although n >t together,
or even on the same day—of
course not!
High school classes drove to
Mile 24 to escape intrusion by
any of the lower crust Wednes
day, and junior high schoolers
also went to Mile 24 on Thurs
day. They had some sunshine, a
little rain and a few flakes of
snow, but arrived home happy,
if tired.
Grade school kiddies only
went to the old Service Club at
Ft. Raymond. They had use of
the club, ate on tables, danced,
and proclaimed their spot as by
far the best choice.
EXPECT AIRFORCE BAND
FOR POLICE BALL
Chief of Police Evans said to
day that they have every reason
to hope that a band from Elmen
dorf Air Force Base will be in
town to play for the Policeman's
Ball next Saturday, May 17.
In any case the boys are prom
ising a dance every bit as good
and as much fun as the first An
nual Policeman’s Ball given last
year.
Proceeds are to be used for
the purchase of an ambulance
for city use. The present private
ly owned ambulance service is
to bo discontinued, which would
leave the city without a much
needed service.
SEWARD-ANCHORAGE ROAD
CLOSED BY SLIDE FRIDAY
Announcement by highway
patrol and Alaska Road Commis
sion shortly after noon Friday
closed the Seward-Anchorage
highway to all traffic until a big
slide could be cleared.
The slide occurred near Gird
wood at about noon when the
sun beams warmly on the moun
tainside.
VACATION DAYS BEGIN
FOR SEWARDITES
Several Seward families and
teachers will begin vacation
leaves in the next few days.
Among these are Rev. and
Mrs. Russell Clapp and family.
The Clapps left Thursday on the
Baranof for their first Outside
leave since coming to St. Peter's
Episcopal Church in Seward
from New Jersey.
Dr. Francis J. Phillips left
this week ahead of his wife and
children to attend a medical con
ference. Mrs. Phillips will join
him in a few days for a family
vacation. The Phillips family
cam. to Seward from Louisiana.
Dr. Phillips is Chief of Staff at
Seward Sanatorium.
Miss Goldie Busko, Territorial
teacher at the Sanatorium, will
begin her vacation next week.
Miss Bessie Estep, nurse at
Seward General Hospital, left
last week on a thr.e months trip.
Miss Estep has been on the local
hospital staff for three years.
She will go to Kansas to see her
n i e c e graduate from nurses
training school.
The Jack W rners arrived
home Saturday after a well
well earned holiday Outside.
They had a little excitement on
the return trip, as he plane de
veloped engine trouble a short
thru out of Ketchikan and had
to return to Seattle without land
ing homewardbound passengers.
The Werners arrived home safe
and sound however and are
happy to be back.
FAMILIAR HELICOPTERS
BUZZING AGAIN
Seward ites were awakened
Wednesday morning with the fa
miliar buzz of helicopters over
head.
Four of the odd looking craft
arrived this week by steamship.
They were assembled and tested
in preparation for flight to the
summer field work of mapping
which will be continued in an
other part of the Territory.
Children and adults stood
craning their neeks all morning
in a renewal of interest after the
winter quiet.
Teachers To Get
$400 Blanket Raise,
Says School Board
At its regular meeting, held
Monday, May 5, the Seward
School Board passed a budget
for the 1952-1953 school year
totaling $214,188.75. This is an
increase of $28,595 over the
1951-1952 budget. Of the total
budget the City will pay $91.
201.75, or $24,206 more than
last year. The Territorial treas
ury will be requested to furnish
$112,987.50, or $14,800 more
than last year.
The increased cost of the
school system is due to a num
ber of factors. Of first impor
tance is the expected increase in
enrollment. An increase of over
10 per cent in enrollment is ex
pected. If housing is available,
the increase will be greater than
that. Then, since the average
resident daily attendance at
Seward is now more than 300
pupils, Territorial rebates to the
school will drop from 80 per
cent to 70 per cent. This means
that the City will have to pay
$7,500 mere than it would have
had to pay if the school had re
mained an 80 per cent system.
The largest item of increase
will be teachers’ salaries.
Schools of the Territory have
found it necessary to increase
teachers’ salaries to hold their
staffs. Recently A n c h o r a g e
raised teachers' salaries for next
year by an additional $300, plac
ing the Anchorage salaries $800
over salaries paid in Seward.
It is also reported that Fairbanks
lias raised salaries by a like
amount.
O t h e r schools are follow
ing 1his trend. In order to pre
vent the tendency for teachers
to transfer to schools wher: sal
aries are better, the Seward
School Loard voted to raise
(7 urn to Tage 4)
APW OFFICIAL DISCUSSES
SCHOOL AND HOSPITAL
WITH CITY COUNCIL
VYi bb Trimble, Financial Ana
lyst. Alaska Public Works. Ju
ncau office, met with the City
Council, members of the hospi
tal board and school board Mon
day in a discussion of plans and
finance program for schools and
hospital in Seward.
No decision was reached at
the meeting. One proposition
made was to cut plans for both
institutions to $750,000 each,
which might make it possible
to finance both projects.
The school board its
plan upon the tobacco tax. This
fund is set asi ie for c instruc
tion and repa ■ of schools i :i
the Territory, ana can be used
for nothing else.
The local sales tax of 2 per
cent has been suggest, d as a
revenue for both projects. The
school board however will pre
sent a budget for 1952-53 which
calls for approximately $90,000
as the city's expenditure. The
unusual increase in school pop
ulation since 1950 has increased
everything in ratio, according
to school authorities.
The hospital board also has a
participation plan, but bases its
local share on sharing the sales
tax. No word has come from the
council on either project.
SEWARD KEGLERS DIVIDE
$500 IN PRIZES
More than $500 in prizes was
divided by Seward B o w ling
Leagues at the bowlers banquet
last Saturday night.
Nine cups furnished by Gor
don Black, owner-manager of
Dreamland Bowl, were awarded
to league winners. Black himself
was all-events winner of the
men's handicap with total pins
of 1721.
Marty Kowalski was top man
in the Longshore League.
Women’s tournament honors
were taken by JoAnn Milroy, a
high school senior. Miss Milroy
took all high scores including
all events.
SEWARD GUARDSMEN ON
PRACTICE MANEUVERS
Twenty National Guardsmen
of the Seward Unit will partici
pate in practice maneuvers with
the 30 men of the Anchorage
unit this weekend.
The two-day field training anti
motor movement and bivouac
will center at Skilak Lake off
the Sterling Highway. The
troops will carry full equipment
and live on rations during the
maneuver.
TEN SEWARD ARMY MEN
HOME OVER WEEKEND
It looked like Old Home Week
in Seward last weekend when
at least ten local boys were
home on leave, all unexpectedly
and none of them knowing that
the others were planning to be
home.
Cpl. Joe Jargisse came in with
his wife, the former J a c k i e
Ilatchiord. and their little son.
Cpl. J'immi Webb and Pvt.
Willard Dunham drove in from
Big Delta to visit their parents.
PFC Hjalmer Hansen came
home, as did PFC Bill Green.
Cpl. Richard Regard, PFC
Earl Moore and PFC Bobby
Weils arrived as part of the per
manent personnel at toe Rec
reation Center.
Sgt. Gene Kirkpatrick helped
his brothers cut brush and tr< es
to build a cabin, and Sgt. Ralph
Erickson was on inspection of
the Army Fire Department.
Bobby Wells brought his ne.\
with, the former i\Iiss Shirley
Bedford. Mrs. Wells is the daugh
ter of Dean Bedford of this city.
She met her future husband in
Seward two years ago, but re
turned to Seattle without any
thought of marriage, she says.
The couple met again in An
chorage hist year and wcr. mar
ried February 17 in Anchorage.
Incidentally, this young couple
■of home folks is in need of a
small house or apai tment. Any
one who can help them locate a
place to live can get in touch
with them at the Hotel Renwald
and help will b. greatly appre
ciated.
Another soldier guest was in
town for the first time. PFC
Carnes Laycock, 175th Signal
Corps, Fort Richardson, was vi
siting his aunt, Miss Sarah May
Garrett, member of the Jesse
Lee staff. PFC Laycock is from
Greenville, Pa. He has been in
Alaska only three months, and
this was his first leave.
Miss Garrett came to J.sse
Lee Home from Pittsburg, Pa.
Two planes were destroyed
and one extensively damaged
when the hangar of Safeway Air
ways was destroyed by fire at
3 a.m. Friday.
Safeway Airways, owned by
Gentry Shuster, is also the own
er of the lost and damaged
planes. A Widgeon and a Stinson
were completely destroyed while
a second Widgeon, just recently
acquired by Safeway Airways,
was dragged out of the hangar,
but suffered extensive damage.
The fire was seen from the
Army dock and an alarm turned
in at 2:55 a.m. At the same time,
Dave Hassenger, driving a taxi
cab from the Wagon Wheel, saw
the fire as he approached the air
port. He roused Mr. and Mrs.
Vern Trakowski who live on the
edge of the airport and also
called in an alarm by radio.
Seward Volunteer Firemen re
sponded with a fire truck and
the Army fire department also
went to the scene, approximately
one and a half miles from the
City Hall. The blaze had reached
such intensity, however, that lit
tle could be done except to save
the adjoining buildings. The fire
fighters were aided by the lack
of the usual wind at the airport.
There is no fire protection at
the airport save for hand fire ex
tinguishers. Water had to be
pumped from streams on either
side of the airstrip.
Mr. Shuster was not in town
at the time of the fire, but is
Pected to arrive some time today,
Everett Skinner, pilot and Sew
ard Manager for Safeway, stated
to observers that he had worked
b>i snort time in the hangar
1 hursday, but had used no fire
and did not smoke. No reason
lor tli cause of fire could be dis
covered early Friday. Damage is
estimated unofficially at ap
proximately 860,000. It is under
stood here that the loss was not
fully insured.
MINISTER GIVES GOLD CUP
FOR OUTSTANDING
SCHOOL ATHLETE
Roy. Charles Malin, minister
oi the Seward Memorial Metho
dist Church in Seward, has fur
nished a gold-chased loving cup
to be presented to the outstand
ing high school athlete this year,
fhe winner will be named by
school authorities.
The cup was presented at the
C hamber of Comnu rce luncheon
Tuesday, and is now on display
in tlu- window at Urbach's.
CITY CAB COMPANY SOLD
TO LEGION CABS
Dick and Peggy Beissncr an
nounced today that they have
purchased the b u s i n e s s and
equipment of City Cab Company
from Les Fink.
This is the second expansion
for the Beissners recently. Two
weeks ago they purchased Far
north Cabs from George Giar
dina.
BOWLING INSTRUCTOR TO
BE AT ALLEYS NEXT WEEK
Gordon Black of Dreamland
Bowl announces that every aft
ernoon next week, Monday thru
Friday, an experienced bowling
instructor will be at the alleys to
give instruction and assistance to
bowlers. The instructor is fur
nished by Dreamland Bowl at no
cost to bowlers for instruction.
SEWARD CIVIC CENTER — MAY 17
Good Music — Good Time — SI
Policeman’s Annual Bal