SPECIAL ELECTION
Tues., Sepi. 13
CO-OP REC HALL
8 A.M. — 8 P.M.
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may have lor sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 45
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. SEPT. 8, 1955
PRICE TEN CENTS
City Council
Proceedings
The accounting firm of Kin
caid and Hedla of Anchorage will
be employed to make the 1954
55 annual audit for the City of
Palmer. The audit period will in
clude October 1, 1954 through
September 30, 1955. Prior to the
audit the budget will be amend
ed and brought up to date to in
clude the sale of the telephone
system.
(Permission for the use of the
city grader and maintenance
man on school grounds at the
high school and Swanson School
was granted, not to exceed one
haLf day in time.
Chairman of the police, fire,
and personnel committees will
wrrk out suggestions for addi
tional work at the city fire hall.
The police committee reported
the cells are complet°d and were
used during the past week-end.
A fire at Valley Machinery
company was reported by the fire
ccjoimittee. The fire occurred
Slept. 6 and completely destroyed
a "awamp buggy” parked outside
the machine shop. Council mem
ber* and the Mayor discussed
various ways in which more in
iercvt can be created in a stand
ing volunteer fire department.
Only three regular firemen re
ported tor the morning fire.
Damage to the Dodge fire truck
was reported on a fire a couple
of weeks ago. Damages have
since been repaired.
Resolution No. 68 was adopted
by motion of the council mem
bers. The resolution authorizes
social security for city employ
ees.
The next meeting is scheduled
for September 13 at the city
clerk’s office.
(Negate Bartlett
Inspects Erosion Area
Aerial and ground inspection
tour of the Maianuska river flood
area in the Butte district was
made by Delegate to Congress
Bob Bartlett last Friday.
Barlett, accompanied by Pub
lisher Bob Atwood of the Anch
orage Times, Mayor Charles Wil
son of the local Soil Conserva
tion office and Vic Falk, well
known Valley dairyman, were
piloted over the area by Dr. Lee
McKinley, prominent Anchorage
Dentist who lives in the Butte
district.
Federal funds should be allo
cated for preventative measures
to stop water erosion, according
to the delegate.
He specified two federal pro
jects as being mainly responsible
for erosion of some of the Val
ley’s most valuable land.
The first project held respon
sible was construction of the
(Continued on page 8)
V>VWVWW^VVVVVVIWWVW^IVV>A^A»V»|A
SOURDOUGH
HOMEMAKER'S CLUB
will hold their next meeting
at the home of Mrs. Harriet
Kepler on Tues., Sept. 13.
FREE MOVIE SHOW
"India" ,
Wasilla Community
Hall
FREE
Sunday, Sept. 11
7:30 p.m.
Change of subject each Sun.
Sponsored by the Reorganized
Church ot Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints
CITIES CONVENTION
SET FOR PALMER
OCT. 31, NOV. I, 2
Governor B. Frank Heintzle
man and Delegate E. L. Bartlett
are scheduled as principal speak
ers at this year’s League of Al
askan Cities Convention, accord
ing to Victor Fisher, executive
secretary. |
The annual convention of the
League will be held in Palmer
on October 31, and November 1
and 2.
Alaska’s Governor is going to
present the keynote address at
the opening session of the Pal
mer meeting. His talk will be on
the subject “Cities in the Pro
gress of Alaska”.
Delegate Bartlett will speak at
the League’s annual dinner and
will discuss the general relation
ship of Alaska municipalities to
the Federal government. The
talk will come at the end of
several sessions on November 1
devoted to review of Federal
programs of benefit to cities.
The Governor and Delegate
will be joined by a number of
other top Territorial and Fed
eral officials as convention speak
ers. A large attendance of city
officials and civic leaders is ex-,
pected at the Palmer meeting.
This year's convention is the
first to be held in Palmer. Past
annual meetings of the League of
Alaskan Cities have been held
in Anchorage, Kodiak, Seward,
Cordova and Fairbanks.
City members of the League
represent approximately two
thirds of Alaska’s urban popu
lation.
TWO COUNC1LMEN;
MAYOR, TO BE
ELECTED OCT. 4
Notice of the general election
to be held on Tuesday, October
4, 1955 in the city of Palmer, Al
aska has been made by Frank H.
Connally, city clerk.
In accordance with laws of Al
aska and the election ordinances
of the City of Palmer, the annual
general election will be held Oc
tober 4 between the hours of 8
a.m. and 7 p.m. The polling place
will be the Co-Op rec hall in the
Co-Op shopping area. The pur
pose of the general election is to
elect two councilmen for three
year terms, to fill the vacancies
which will be created on October
10 when the present terms of
Betty Mears and William Zah
radnicek expire, and the election
of a mayor for a three year term,
to fill the vacancy which will re
sult on October 10 when the term
of the present incumbent, Char
les Wilson, expires. Mayor Wil
son was elected to fill the va
cancy created by the resignation
of elected Mayor Don McKech
nie until the general election.
Registration of voters shall be
done at the polling place at the
time of voting with the registra
tion to be supervised by the elec
tion judges.
Nominations for candidates to
the above positions of councilmen
and mayor shall be by petition
only, in accordance with require
' ments for such nomination as is
I provided in the City of Palmer
(Continued on page 8)
AUXILIARY DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT
IZOLA L SIMS ELECTED NEW
AUXILIARY DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT
Izola Lee Sims of Palmer was
elected Department of Alaska
American Legion Auxiliary presi
dent during the Auxiliary’s an
nual convention held in Sitka
this past week.
Mrs. Sims, who gained mem
bership in the Auxiliary through
her husband, Dr. Foster S. Sims,
has been a member of the Ma
tanuska Valley Unit No. 15 since
1947. Her unit offices have in
cluded president, two years; cor
responding secretary, three years;
membership chairman, poppy
chairman, child welfare chair
man, and legislative chairman.
Her department offices include
first vice-president; second vice
president; sergeant - at - arms,
chaplain, membership chairman
and Americanism chairman. She
has attended seven department
conventions and three national
conventions.
Other organization affiliations
include: Board member of the
Palmer Public Library Associa
tion for six years; treasurer for
three years and association presi
dent. Also a member of the Ma
tanuska Valley Chapter No. 14
Order of Eastern Star; member
of the advisory board of Palmer
Assembly No. 8 Order of Rain
bow for Girls and associate moth
er advisor of the assembly; Aux
iliary representative to the Pal
mer Cemetery Association, and
member of the Matanuska Val
ley Sportsmen association.
Out-going department presi
dent Selma Smith had this to say
about Mrs. Sims in the recent
issue of “The Alaska Legion
(Continued on page 5)
PALMER GIRL NAMED 1955 FAIR QUEEN
-V::- *' -W IF. .. .•' r *■» A '''
I ■—J—«■ 1
Dona McKechnie
Teachers, riurses
To Be Honored in
Public Service Sun.
A recognition service for all
area teachers and nurses is plan
ned for Sunday afternoon, Sep
tember 11 at 4 p.m. at the United
Protestant Church. The service is
being sponsored by the Matanus
ka Valley Ministerial Associa
tion and will be followed by re
freshments in the social hall. All
valley residents are cordially in
vited to attend the service and
social hour for an opportunity
to visit and become better ac
quainted with area teachers and
nurses.
The service program will open
with an organ prelude by Mrs.
Max Sherrod. Following the sing
ing of “God of Our Life, Through
All the Circling Years”, the invo
cation and prayer will be offered
by the Rev. John Dickerson of
the First Baptist Church. The
Rev. Brian Cleworth of the Un
ited Protestant Church will offer
words of greetings, followed by
a Valley Presbyterian Hospital
board director’s talk on the work
of our hospital and nurses. Wil
liam T. Zahradnicek, superin
tendent of schools will speak on
the work of our schools and tea
chers, and the Rev. Einar Bach
of St. John’s Lutheran Church
will speak on the work of our
churches. The Rev. Chandler of
the Church of Christ will say the
benediction.
AREA PERSONS SEEK
DELEGATE POSITIONS
On Tuesday, September 13,
voters will be asked to go to the
polls and name their preference
for delegates to the Alaska Con
stitution Convention to be held
at College in November.
Polls for the special election
will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
with voters in Palmer to cast
their ballots at the Co-Op rec
hall.
Voters in this area come un
der the Falmer-Wasilla-Talkeet
na recording district, classified as
voters of Voting District 16,
from which one Delegate will be
elected. Local candidates for the
office are Ben Hitchcock, Cari
bou Creek, James J. Hurley, Pal
mer, and M. D. Snodgrass, Pal
mer.
Voters also may vote for 12
delegates from the Third Divis
ion at large, among which local
residents seeking office are
James D. Frey, Palmer, Betty
Mears, Palmer, Cloyce Parks,
Chugiak, Frank Sorensen, Wasil
la, and Reese Tatro, Chugiak.
I Seven delegates from the Ter
| ritory at large also will be elect
ed. Although many familiar
names appear on the ballot in
this section, no local persons are
seeking spots in the Territory-at
large section.
No one was as surprised as
Dona McKechnie when she was
named Queen of the 1955 Matan
uska Valley Fair. However, with
the qualities which earned her
the covetted title, Queen Dona
soon was her smiling self and
successfully reigned over the
Coronation Ball and Fair activ
ities the following two days.
Dona, daughter of former May
or and Mrs. Don McKechnie of
Palmer, was named Queen fol
lowing official judging which
was held at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Alva B. Saxton. Judges who
had the very difficult job of nam
ing one of the five contestants as
their Queen choice were: Mrs.
Ruth Briggs of radio station
KENI; Mrs. Audrey Davies of
television station KTVA; and
Mrs. John McLeod, mother of
“Miss Alaska”, all guests of the
Matanuska Valley Fair.
Following the judging the
princesses and their escorts ap
peared at the Coronation Ball
which was already in full swing
in Central School gymnasium.
Official Fair Host James Wilson
introduced Mrs. Wilson, fair hos
tess; the five princesses and
their escorts, the three judges,
and Lorna McLeod, visiting
queen from Fairbanks, following
which he announced Dona Mc
Kechnie as Queen of the 1955
Matanuska Valley Fair.
Fair Manager A1 Hagen stated
the Ball was the most successful
held in recent years. A capacity
crowd filled the dancing area,
with scores more sitting in the
balcony areas. Music for dancing
was furnished by the Jack O’
Toole orchestra from Anchorage.
SPEEDING COSTS
MONEY IN PALMER
Speeders in the city of Palmer
are beginning to realize the ban
on speeding within the city lim
its is being enforced. The follow
ing persons recently paid various
amounts for speeding: Jack Sis
ley, $10, Sept. 6; Carrel Smith,
Ft. Richardson, $10, Sept. 1;
Lewis Steen, $10, Sept. 6; Thomas
Cummings, $27.50, Aug. 21; Dale
Spangole, $12.50, Sept. 5 and
$20.00 Sept. 6. Five juveniles
were released to the custody of
their parents following a hearing
in the City Clerk’s office on
Sept. 7. They were charged with
petty larceny on the fairgrounds.
IDEAL WEATHER
BRINGS RECORD
CROWD TO PALMER
- Matanuska Valley Fair officials
estimated 20,000 people visited
the 15th annual Matanuska Val
ley Fair during the Labor Day
week-end. Visitors registered in
guest books in the Co-Op booth
and in the flower exhibit build
ing from every state in the Union
and many foreign countries. Ki
wanians, operating the parking
lot .reported they parked cars
carrying license tags from just ,
about every State.
The Fair was well received by
the thousands of visitors. Words
of praise for the Fair Board were
heard repeatedly throughout the
three-day celebration. The fair
grounds were well prepared to
handle the large crowds that
came early and stayed late. Ex
hibit buildings had been enlarg
ed, the midway leveled and grav
eled and bright colored paint
put on exhibit buildings. Color
ful banners and flags decorated
the new entrance gate building
and new cyclone fencing around
the grounds added to the attrac
tiveness of the fairgrounds.
A completed list of premium
winners will be published as
soon as available. More entries
were received this year than
had been expected and the com
pletion of the winner’s list will
take a little longer than usual.
Contest winners also will be an
nounced next week.
Among highlights of the Fair
which will long be remembered
by those attending was the ex
hibition dancing staged by the
Copper River Indian tribes. Their
program was presented Monday
afternoon before an over-flow
ing grandstand and hundreds of
others who crowded around the
race track rails. At one point in
the program Fair Host Jim Wil
son had to request the photo
graphers to step back from the
platform so that spectators could
see the dancers. Following an in
termission called especially for
the photographers the dancers
continued' - with their excellent
prograrh by staging another five
minutes of dancing for the pho
tographers.
Another well-attended special
event was held Sunday evening
when thousands of persons wit
nessed a spectacular aerial arid
ground display of fireworks.
Members of the Palmer Moose
Lodge expertly handled the dis
play, sending rocket after rocket
soaring in precision timing. Once
again the photographers had a
hey-day.
Members of the Alaska Frigid
Flyers club and the Dog Obedi
(Continued on page 8)
For Delegate to the
Constitutional
Convention
Vote for Hurley
PERMANENTS
HAIR STYLING
SCALP TREATMENTS
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Phone 3301
LAVONNE JOHNSON
Owner-Operaior
MOOSE LODGE MEMBERS
PARTY
SATURDAY NITE-SEPT. 10-8 P.M.
Gome and Meet Our Visiting
DEPUTY SUPREME AUDITOR ‘BILL’ JOHNS
Moose and Their Ladies