SENIOR CLASS PLAY
MARCH 11—8 P.M.
CENTRAL SCHOOL
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IK THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may ham for sale;
rent or lease.
VOLUME 8. NUMBER 18
PALMER, ALASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1955
PRICK TEN CENTS
City Council
Proceedings
A full quorum and a number
of visitors were present at the
March 1 meeting of the City
Council.
A number of communications
were read by Acting Mayor Betty
Mears and included:
A report from the Alaska De
partment of Health showing that
water analysis made on the city
water supply showed satisfactory
sanitary status. Samples were
taken from three different sec
tions of the city’s system.
_The Matamiska Masonic Lodge
requested they be exempted from
paying taxes on the grounds they
are not an organization in busi
ness for .'^ofit. The matter was
referred to City Attorney John
Shaw for recommendation.
The resignation of Fire Chief
Joseph H. Gallant from that city
position was accepted with regret.
The resignation was effective
March 1 and offered by Fire Chief
Gallant because of necessary ab
sence from the city during day
time hours. Ray Lancaster, for
mer City Fire Chief, was re-ap
pointed to that position with
Council approval.
The annual Public Health ser
vice report was read and referred
to the Health and Safety Com
mittee.
The Valley Presbyterian Hos
pital board of directors approved
temporary dead storage of Civil
Defense equipment in the old
hospital building.
Notice from the Kay Pippel In
surance company indicated that a
total sum of $2,147.68 has been
paid to Clarence Waldron for back
injuries received while in the em
ploy of the City of Palmer. Part
of the amount includes medical
(Continued on page 5)
Moose Take First
Game in Tournament
Palmer High School plays
basketball again tonight in Anch
orage and hopes to repeat their
win of Tuesday night when they
held off a last minute surge by
the Seward Sea hawks in a well
matched game in the current bas
ketball tournament. They will
meet the Fairbanks Malemutes
who defeated the Anchorage
Eagles last night by one point.
The Western Alaska High Sch
ool Basketball Tournament is be
ing played in Anchorage’s new
gymnasium. Opening the tourna
ment were the Class B teams
from Nome and Kodiak Naval
Base and Valdez and Cordova.
Night games saw the Moose and
Seahawks and the Anchorage
Eagles and the Kodiak City teams
in action. The Eagles took the
visiting Kodiak team, 70 - 36.
The Palmer-Seward contest on
Tuesday was closely fought and
decided only in the final seconds
of the game. Hay Winegarner and
Jack Worledge each accounted for
15 points of the final 46-45 win
ning score.
Hare you though of getting ;j
one of the smart short hair;!
styles? We Make Evening <!
Appointments <!
Valley Beauty Shop |j
CO-OP SHOPPING AREA \\\
FWS AGENTS ASK
COOPERATION IN
MOOSE PROBLEM
Holgar Larson, enforcement
agent with the Fish and Wildlife,
and other FWS officials, visited
the valley area yesterday and last
night in regard to the present
moose problem.
“We have found that 95 percent
of the kills in the valley are un
necessary”, Larson said today.
The present situation is being ag
gravated by farmers who have
left feed in their fields, he point
ed out. When such feed as cab
bages, potatoes, carrots, etc. are
left in the field, it is just like
leaving a million dollars laying
around and not expecting anyone
to take a slice. Several moose
kills have been reported by in
dividuals who have felt it neces
sary to shoot moose on their pro
perty.
“We do not feel that this is
necessary,” Larson said. “Only
when a moose is attacking which
is very seldom, do we feel an
individual is justified in shooting
a moose”, he added. Most of *the
time a yell or other noise will
scare them off.
However, Larson did request
that parents caution their chil
dren about being around moose
with a dog which is running loose.
The dog will go after the moose
and when the moose becomes ag
gravated enough, will turn on the
dog. Naturally the dog runs back
to his master or mistress for pro
tection and then you have the
problem, he said.
Larson met with a group of
Matanuska Valley Sportsmen,
Palmer Elks, and school officials
and discused the problem. To the
greatest extent, these people all
understand that because of the
heavy snowfall this year the
moose populace has moved down
into the valley in greater than
usual numbers. It will last only
about two or three weeks longer,
Larson pointed out, and he asked
that all residents of the valley co
operate during this time.
Two FWS men will be working
in the Palmer area each day, he
said. An experimental project is
under way and anyone knowing
of a sick moose or one that has
died is requested to leave the in
formation at the U. S. Commis
sioner’s office or at Bert’s Drug
store. The men are making a
study of existing conditions and
how the moose are being affected
-by this winter’s weather and any
information that residents can
volunteer will aid in this pro
gram, Larson stated.
KIWANIANS HEAR
REVIEW OF
PROPOSED BILLS
Members of Palmer Kiwanis
club at their regular Monday
luncheon meeting, February 28
heard a review of present
legislative bills now being con
sidered. Mrs. Lucille Mick, vice
president of the League of Alas
ka Cities spoke on bills pertain
ing to the Valley, including the
general improvement, agriculture
and school bills now before the
legislators. Jim Hurley, member
of the Palmer School Board, stat
ed the board feels the education
bills are worthy of support.
Another guest at the meeting
was Glen Chambers, manager of
the Anchorage office Yukon
Equipment.
M. D. Snodgrass, long-time val
ley resident, will celebrate his
79th birthday anniversary on
March 14.
WOOD EXPRESS FREIGHT
PALMER ^ DAILY (* ANCHORAGE
3762 38483
Air Freight Agent for NORMAN G* JENSEN
World Freight Forwarders
RED GROSS CAMPAIGN
BEGINS ON MARCH 7
The annual American National
Red Cross campaign will be head
ed in the valley area by Mrs.
Florence Sandel, RN. Mrs. Sandel
this week requested volunteers
for the campaign which will get
under way on March 7 and con
tinue throughout the month. •
Homemaker clubs in the valley
and other organizations have
been asked to attend a kick-off
meeting at the Co-Op dormitory
on March 7 at 10 a-m. when Mrs.
Sandel will outline the local cam
paign plans.
All persons contributing one
dollar or more will be given a
membership card in the Ameri
can Red Cross, plus a small lapel
pin showing they are a Red Cross
contributor. Placards will be dis
tributed in the valley and window
stickers will be given to those
who buy memberships.
Anyone who is able to help in
any way in the campaign is re
quested by Mrs. Sandel to attend
the March 7 meeting and volun
teer their service.
Colony Day Plans
Shaping Up
Committees Report
Progressive plans for the com
ing Colony Day celebration to be
held on Sunday, May 29, were
reported at the Wednesday meet
ing of the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce. Fore
most among the plans is a means
of financing the event.
Jim Wilson, chairman of con
cessions and rides, reported that
it has been estimated that the
one-day event will cost in the
neighborhood of $500-$700. A1
Hagen, who has served on pre
vious Colony Day committees,
speculated that judging from
past figures, the costs could well
exceed that figure.
Wilson suggested that a good
booklet on the Colonization of
the Valley be printed and distrib
uted as one means of raising need
ed funds. The booklet would con
tain a wide range of photographs
of the valley—from the early col
ony days to present time, along
with pertinent information on the
colonization and its present day
status. The suggestion was receiv
ed with approval by those attend
ing the meeting, and further sug
gestions were offered. Costs of
publishing such a booklet could
be financed by advertising, it was
proposed.
Such a booklet could be put
on sale as soon as printed and
carried on the newsstands year
round, offering an educational
souvenir of the valley at a mod
rate cost to tourists.
Further work on the big cele
bration will be continued by the
committees.
Anchorage Day
March 16 has been set by the
Matanuska Valley Chamber of
Commerce as Anchorage Day.
Members of the Anchorage Cham
ber will be invited to attend the
luncheon meeting held on that
date and all local Chamber mem
bers and area business owners are
urged to turn out to offer a wel
come to the neighboring Cham
ber. A program will be presented.
Support New Bills
Chamber members voiced their
approval to legislative bills now
pending, including House Bill No.
92 pertaining to the education
program, and Alaska Department
of Agriculture proposals revising
livestock law—inclusion of agri
culture products other than po
tatoes in, the grading law and
creating a pest control fund.
Chamber members were em
phatic in not approving the pro
posed change in Chapter 86, re
ferring to highway signs. House
Bill 63 would take the teeth out
of the present law, it was pointed
out, and members agreed to con
(Continued on page 8)
POSTPONE FAIR ASS'N.
MEETING TO APRIL 15
|| The annual membership
meeting of the Matanuska Val
ley Fair Association has been
postponed from March 15 to
!| April 15, according to A1
!; Brooks, association president.
!; The delay is necessary, he said,
; because of a delay in getting
!; the finance and secretary re
!; ports.
!; The meeting will be held at
the Co-Op club room at 8 p.m.
!; on April 15, and election of of
; ficers to fill three expiring
;! terms will be held. Out-going
;! board members are Tom Le
;! pak, A1 Brooks, and John King.
;! These are three-year terms.
;! Anyone having a copy of the
;! Fair Association by-laws is
;i requested to contact A1 Brooks
;! at Brooks Equipment, prior to
j! the meeting.
CO-OP ADDS SALES
REPRESENTATIVE
TO WORKING STAFF
Joseph H. Gallant, employee of
the Matanuska Valley Farmers
Cooperating Association the past
five years, has been named sales
representative in the Anchorage
market, Stewart Durrant, Co-Op
general manager announced this
week.
His new duties include assis
tance to Roy Brock, Matanuska
Dairy manager in Anchorage,
building up retail sales, checking
on the reactions of Co-Op pro
ducts in the markets, and promo
tional and advertising work, Dur
rant said. “Our Co-Op business
has grown in proportions to make
this new move necessary, lie
added.”
Funds Coming ill
In Hear! Campaign
Returns in the current Heart
campaign are coming in well, ac
cording to Ed Smith, member of
the campaign committee. About
500 letters with self-addressed re
turn envelopes were mailed out
last week and many of these have
been returned with contributions,
he said.
Appreciation to the students in
Palmer High School typing class
was extended this week by the
committee. The students, under
the direction of Mrs. Margaret
Cope, addressed the 500 envelop
es.
Anyone who did not receive a
letter, who desires to contribute
to the Alaska Heart Association
campaign, is requested to mail it
to “Heart”, care of the local post
office.
Don Irwin, campaign chairman
reported this week that he has
received contributions from per
sons not contacted through the
mail and urged each person to
help support this worthy cam
paign. By doing so, he said, you
may be helping your own heart
—or that of someone you love.
In the near future there will
be a general meeting held in Pal
(Continued on page 8)
A Vole of Confidence
We as members of the 1953-54
Palmer City Council, being assur
ed of her innocence of all charges
made in the recall petition now
before the Third District Court,
do affirm our belief in the in
tegrity of Councilwoman Betty
Mears and in her unceasing efforts
in behalf of the city's best inter
ests. We commend her for nearly
two and one-half years of unpaid
and unselfish service to the City
of Palmer as councilwoman, and
further for faithfully executing
the expressed will of the council
as acting mayor.
DONALD MOORE
WM. T. ZAHRADNICEK
RUSSELL FELZIEN
LUCILLE K. MICK
Pd. Adv.
Follies of 1955
To Be Presented
On March 18,19
The Wasilla Grange No. 2 is
presenting the Follies of 1955 on
Friday and Saturday evenings,
March 18 and 19 at Community
Hall in Wasilla. Curtain time is
8:30 p.m.
The theme of the show will be
from the pages of the past, featur
ing the gay ninties. The audience
will hear the melodious voices of
the barbershop quartet; see the
dances of the beautiful dance girls
and the small fry will entertain
with several numbers.
There will be solos in both
dance and song—skits and the old
fashioned melodrama.
For an evening of fun and
laughs, the Wasilla Grange invites
residents of the entire valley to
join them at Wasilla for an even
ing of fun at the Follies of. 1955.
Merchants Exhibition
Plans Progressing
Valley merchants have respond-,
ed very well and are preparing
to exhibit their stock in the forth
coming Merchants Exhibition and
Motor Preview, according to
Whitey Pullen, show manager.
Pullen announced this week
that dates for the giant exposition
have been changed from March
26 and 27 to April 2 and “We
are making the change because
we did not realize one of our orig
inally proposed dates would con
flict with the Kiwanis’ annual
minstrel snow.
The later date will permit
showing of 1955 trucks that will
arrive in the valley by that time
Kirk’s Sales and Service will be
showing their line of 1955 Chev
rolet trucks; Hartley Motors, Inc.
will show the Ford truck line,
and the Co-Op Garage will dis
play the International models. In
addition, Brook’s Equipment will
be showing their line of Ford
tractors and various equipment
pieces. The Co-Op Garage will
also show their Internation-Har
vester farm equipment pieces.
Home appliances will get a big
play during the twoday exposi
tion. Koslosky’s Department store
will show their line of 1955 Phil
co home appliances, along with
television sets and other items.
Grasser’s Hardware will show
their line of Zenith home appli
ances, television sets and out
board motors.
The Co-Op Warehouse will have
a display of their Westinghouse
and other brands of home appli
ances, along with the new Zen
ith television sets. Other exhib
itors will be showing the latest
makes and models of their stock.
Every merchant and business
owner in the valley is invited to
have an exhibit. Anyone not yet
contacted is asked to call Pullen
at Kirk’s Sales and Service. The
cost to each merchant will be at a
minimum, Pullen said this week.
The show will be held in the
new exposition building at the
fairgrounds and will be high
lighted by several hours of enter
tainment. In addition to the ex
hibitions, there will be food con
cessions. Two local organizations
have inquired about space in the
building, Pullen reported, and
will offer the popular concession
type food, such as hot dogs, cof
fee, pop and popcorn.
Sergeant Leonard Gaston, U. S.
Marine recruiting officer, and
Sergeant A. L. Segar, U. S. Army
recruiting officer were Palmer
visitors this week. The men an
nounced future plans to come to
Palmer once a month on a speci
fic date. Prior to their visits Sgt.
Gaston may be reached at Boom
12 and Sgt Segar Room 6, both
in the Federal Building in Anch
orage.
SAYS MANY SIGNERS
BID NOT KNOW
PETITION’S CONTENT
John Shaw, city attorney, this
week took to task many of the
117 individuals who signed the
petition asking for a recall of Act
ing Mayor and Councilwomaa
Betty Mears. He spoke out at the
regular City Council meeting held
on March 1 and stated that he
did not believe that many of the ,
signers realized just what the pa*
tition charged.
“I do not believe that the pub
lic is aware of what goes on in
the City Council meetings. Few,
if any of those who signed ever
attended the meetings ©r avail
themselves of the minutes of the
meetings and I don’t believe they
realize the gravity of what they
have done.
“I feel it is the duty ©4 the
City Council that when ©ne ©I
your members is challenged ia
this manner to look into the mat*
ter deeply. One thing the Council
may have overlooked is their
power, granted by the Territory,; ,
to investigate, and as such may
have been remiss in their duty t#
'do so. A City Council operates the
same as a State Legislature ©f
Congress. The Council knew ©t 0
none of these charges ©f which
Mrs. Mears is being charged, «#
didn’t look into it.
“These charges are false*, 8hnW
stated. “Mrs. Mears has done
nothing wrong. If there is SPf
foundation of truth to the charge^,
it is the duty of the City Council
to look into it.
in my opinion wnai nas uno
pened to Mrs. Mean shouldn't
happen to a dog. Under the recaH
law there must be specific charg
es—not just because a person
might not like another person
only where there is a bad situ®*
tion with definite, specific charg
es in violation of the law.
“If the recall election comes up,
Mrs. Mears cannot be recalled as
Mayor for she was never elected
Mayor by the voters, but only re
called as councilwoman. She can
not be held responsible for any
thing done as her duties as mayor,
such as signing checks.”
In referring to the specific
charges made in the petition At
torney Shaw said that every or
dinance carries a saving’s-clause.
In the city ordinance governing
purchases above $500 without
calling for bids, there is a clause
that does allow purchases above
that figure in certain exceptions.
“For instance”, Shaw pointed out,
“the switchboard purchased by a
previous council was purchased
without a call for bids. The Coun
cil does have the right to call for
bids, and I think it is good to do
so. This ordinance was adopted to
protect the city from exorbitant
purchases by department heads,
without the approval of the Coun
cil.”
“Purchases made for the fire
hall were done with the whole
(Continued on page 8)
VERY SPECIAL
Potted, In Bloom
HYACINTHS — $1.00
TULIPS — $2.50
MATANUSKA VALLEY
GARDENS
ANNOUNCEMENT
Dr. E. E. Bach, optome
trist from Anchorage
will be in Palmer to cfo
eye examinations on
Thursday, March 24
For an appointment see Mrs.
Maud Hosier at the Flower
Shop in the Co-Op Rec. Bldg,
or call her at 32J11