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JULY 29 & AUG. 1
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may have for sale,
rent or lease
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 40
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY. JULY 28. 1955
PRICE TEN CENTS
MTA STARTS BIG REBUILDING PROGRAM
JAMES WILSON
NAMED TO NEW
SAFETY COUNCIL
James Wilson, Commissioner
of Agriculture, has been request
ed to serve as an ex-officio mem
ber of the Alaska Safety Council.
The request was made last week
by Waino E. Hendrickson, secre
tary of Alaska, and delegated
staff coordinator.
Chapter 109 authorizes the
creation of the new Council. The
legislature provides that the
Governor of Alaska is to form
the Alaska Safety Council by the
appointment of such members as
he may desire from among the
Departments of Territorial and
Federal government and the gen
eral public who are particularly
concerned with safety programs
and accident prevention.
The organizational meeting has
been set for August 8 in Anchor
age to coincide with the Ninth
Annual All Alaska Accident Pre
vention Conference, sponsored by
the Military and Federal agen
cies.
FAIR MAY FEATURE
(HOUR DANGERS
What may be the beginning of
an annual feature attraction at
Matanuska Valley Fairs is being
negotiated by Fair Manager Al
fred V. Hagen for the 1955 Val
ley Fair.
Ancient Indian dances by na
tive dancers from the Copper
River tribes may be presented
for the first time as a feature of
the Fair, if arrangements can be
made, Hagen said this week.
Natives from tribes as far north
as Chistochina and south as Chit
dna, recently delighted visitors
with their performances of an
cient Athabascan Indian dances.
Reports of their ability and tal
ents were related to Hagen by
J. C. Morris of Anchorage who
was among a group who witness
ed the dances. Both Mr .and Mrs.
Morris were so impressed by the
performance they said they were
recommending they be brought
to Palmer for the Matanuska
Valley Fair in September.
Legion Building
Members of the American Le
gion and Auxiliary are busy at
work, building a permanent type
concession booth on the Fair
grounds which, for this year's
Fair, will house a food concession
and two games of skill. Members
of the local Chapters Beta Sig
ma Phi are making plans to op
erate their food concession booth
again this year, selling their pop
ular and now famous Chili-Dogs,
along with other favorite conces
sion "goodies.” Other organiza
tions in Palmer and Anchorage
have contacted the Fair Manag
er to determine available space
and are expected to sign up for
booths very soon.
Queen Candidate
Another queen contestant reg
istered in the Matanuska Valley
Fair queen contest this week. She
is Miss Jean Marie Saulsbury,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert
Saulsbury of Palmer. The latest
queen contestant is employed at
Cobb’s Cafe and is being spon
sored by the Kiwanis Club of
Palmer. Miss Saulsbury was 19
(Continued on page 8)
10 Sundays of
jj ILLUSTRATED LECTURES |
!; Wasilla Community j:
Hall
Starting Sunday Night jj
July 31st — 8 p.m.
> And the 9 following Sundays jj
S Sponsored by the Reorganized j;
| Church of Jesus Christ jj
I of Latter Day Saints {
INLET FISHING
HOURS ANNOUNCED
Hours during which salmon
fishing will be permitted in
the In'et were announced this
week by the Fish and Wild
life. They are as follows
6:00 a.m. July 26 to 6:00 a.m.
July 27
Midnight July 27 to 6:00
p.m. July 30
6:00 a.m. August 1 to 6:00
p.m. August 4
Midnight August 5 to the
end of the salmon run.
The above dates and hours
are the only times when nets
will be permitted in the water
in the Inlet. Any further in
formation should be obtained
by calling the Commercial
Fisheries (Fish and Wildlife),
Anchorage 67781.
Palmer to Host
League of
Alaskan Cities
“Building and Rebuilding Your
Community” will be the major
theme of a series of one-day ses
sions which will be held during
the League of Alaskan Cities
convention to be held in Palmer
October 31, November 1 and 2.
The topic will cover various pro
grams available to Alaskan cit
ies for the improvement of their
community and will include Ad
vance Public Works Planning
Loans, Public Facility Loans,
Slum Clearance and Urban Re
newal, Urban Planning Assistan
ce, Alaska* Public Works and
others. The Housing and Home
Finance Agency will send speak
ers from the States to explain
their various programs.
An interesting and valuable
program is shaping up for the
annual convention. Arrange
ments are beings made to obtain
speakers and participants whose
ability and knowledge will di
rectly benefit the cities and in
dividuals that will participate in
the convention.
“Improving Your Municipal
Operation” is tentatively sched
uled as the title of the efforts of
the other full day of the annual
meeting. Subjects to come under
this general heading will include
municipal finance, property re
valuation, volunteer fire depart
ments, operating a small police
force and similar topics that are
of major concern in the day to
day or annual operations of com
munities.
This being the year of Alaska’s
Constitutional Convention, the
League also hopes to sponsor a
discussion of provisions regard
ing the structure of local govern
ment that may be included in our
future constitution. Arrange
ments are being made to obtain
the participation of highly qual
ified individuals for this session.
The program is being so ar
ranged that those attending who
desire to continue on to Fair
banks after the League conven
tion may do so. The meeting of
the All-Alaska Chamber of Com
merce will convene in that city
on November 3.
ROAD TO WILLOW
NOW PASSABLE
Motorists were notified this
week by the Alaska Road Com
mission that the road to Willow
is now open and passable. How
ever, they added, “fishing’s
poor”. Week-end fishermen in
the Little Susitna area said that
the water is still a bit high for
good fishing but the scenery is
now at its best. A profusion of
wild flowers of every type and
color are visible along the en
tire trip. Little snow remains in
the lower mountains, although
remenants of the many slides ex
perienced in that area this past
winter may be seen along the
road.
One of ihe famous giant-size cabbages that grow in the
Matanuska Valley is being shown by Annie (Havemeisler)
Meehan, Queen of ihe 1954 Matanuska Valley Fair, and
B. F. Carr of Carr's Food Center in Anchorage. A prize of
$50 or more is being offered at this year's Fair for the
entry and display of a cabbage weighing 50 pounds or over.
ALL-STARS TO PLAY
AT ANCHORAGE FRI.
The first All-Star Little Lea
gue ball game will be played in
Anchorage on Friday, July 29
at 5:30 p.m., it was announced
this week. The games will be
played at the ball field at 9th
and C streets, Anchorage.
All players, and parents who
will provide transportation, are
requested to meet at the Palmer
Little League diamond in the Co
Op area no later than 1:30 Fri
day afternoon. Rooters for the
Palmer team are urged to attend
the game and lend their support
to the youngsters and their adult
leaders.
Any merchant or organization
not yet contacted may send do
nations for the support of the
All-Star team to any of the fol
lowing Board members: H. P.
Gazaway, Don Ingalls, Emil
Ganschow, Norman Rousey, Andi
Hofftnan and Mrs. Bertren Curry.
The names of two members of
the All-Star team were inadver
tantly omitted from the list pub
lished last week. They are Ste
phen Durrant and Allen Larson,
both members of the Koslosky
team.
]; New Electric Rates
j Begin on Aug. 1 Billing
j! All Matanuska Electric As
;! sociation members are remind
;! ed of the new rate schedule
i / which goes into effect on the
August 1 billing. New schedul
j! es have been mailed to MEA
!; members. However anyone
!; who has not yet received their
!; copy of the new rates may
I; pick one up at the MEA office.
FIRE DAMAGES
BUTTE LOOP HOME
Damages amounting to several
thousand dollars was caused by
fire at the Butte Loop home of
Mr. and Mrs. Dwight (Whitey)
Pullen on July 23. The log house
was badly damaged and the
young couple lost all their per
sonal effects in the fire. No one
was at home at the time and the
fire was reported by a person
passing by the house.
Members of the Palmer Volun
teer Fire Department responded
to an alarm with two trucks. Fire
fighters from the Butte area
were on the scene and through
the combined efforts of the two
departments and the use of a
pumper from the Fire Guard
(Continued on page 8)
MATANUSKA VALLEY OF PLENTY
THEME OF AUGUST FLOWER SHOW
“Matanuska Valley of Plenty^
will be the theme of the flower
show to be sponsored by the Pal
mer Garden Club on Sunday,
August 7. The show will be stag
ed at a place to be announced, be
ginning at noon and continuing
until 7 p.m.
The public is invited to enter
any or all divisions of the show.
Copies of rules and regulations
may be obtained at Maud’s Flow
er Shop in the theatre building.
Entries will be accepted from
1 p.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday af
ternoon, August 6. Entries made
after that time will be marked
“Not in competition”.
Garden club members are hop
ing for a greater amount of en
tries than at any other flower
show hela in the Valley. Section
“A”, annuals, and Section “B”,
perrenials, carry many classes of
popular plants considered annual
and perrenial in this region.
In Section “C”, arrangements,
there is a wonderful opportunity
for a person’s imagination to
create interesting and attractive
entries. Use of the theme is sug
gested in the following classes:
WELCOME SPRING: Arrange
ment using pastel shades of flow
ers. VALLEY SUNRISE: Using
pastel shades of flowers. PLANT
ING TIME: Arrangement of the
good earth. MATANUSKA
WIND: Using any available ma
terial. GROWING SEASON: Us
ing potato blossoms and growing
things. RIVERS: Using drift
wood, rock and water flowers.
FORESTS: Using trees, lichen,
mushrooms, mosses, etc. MIN
ING: Using minerals and flow
ers.
Also, LOWLANDS: Using ma
terials from swamps. SEE OF
PLENTY: Using anything per
taining to home fishing. MOUN
TAINS: Using rocks, wild flow
ers, lichen, etc. AUTUMN GOLD:
Using gold flowers. HARVEST
TIME: Using vegetables, locally
grown fruits, berries or grasses.
WINTER: Arrangement in white.
WINTER: Christmas arrange
ment. VALLEY SUNSET: Using
sunset flowers.
In addition, in this Section, Dr.
Richard Washburn will have an
insect show and Mrs. Rose John
son will exhibit her wild flower
pictures.
Section “D” is limited to junior
arrangements by children 12
3rears old or younger. These
classes are in PATRIOTIC: Using
red, white and blue flowers. Ar
rangement using toy for contain7
er. Miniature arrangement of
flowers not over three inches.
Circus days, using arrangement
of animals made from vegetables,
cones or dried fruit. Arrange
ment expressing a familitar song.
Breakfast tray for sick doll, must
include a flower arrangement.
Best arrangement of any type by
child under 12. J
1955 VALLEY FAIR
IS SEEKING WORLD’S
LARGEST CABBAGE
The Matanuska Valley Fair As
sociation is seeking the world’s
largest cabbage for display at the
1955 Matanuska Valley Fair
which will be held in Palmer on
September 3, 4, and 5. It must
weigh at least 50 pounds, alth
ough Fair officials are hoping for
an even larger one.
The world’s largest cabbage
will be displayed in a prominent
place of honor at the three-day
Fair—will be photographed by
national magazines and news
papers throughout the States and
Canada—as well as by hundreds
of camera fans. In addition, the
world’s largest cabbage will win
for it’s owner a cash prize of $50
—or $1.00 per pound if heavier.
For those who might scoff at
a cabbage of this size, Max Sher
rod could tell them that it is
possible. His prize-winning cab
bage, displayed at the 1954 Ma
tanuska Valley Far, received na
tional publicity when it weighed
in at an even 40 pounds and took
top prize in the giant-size vege
table competition. His perfect
cabbage was complete with wide,
healthy foliage leaves, was com
pletely free of cracks and re
mained firm throughout the Fair.
Another giant cabbage was pur
chased by one of the Territory’s
largest food centers and display
ed for several additional weeks
before finally winding up as gal
lons of cole slaw. Oldtimers of
the Matanuska Valley tell of see
ing good cabbages up to 48
pounds.
Entries must be in top condi
tion when exhibited—with firm
and solid head, and no cracks.
Foliage leaves will be allowed
but the stock must be no longer
than one inch from the bottom
leaves.
Several organizations and in
dividuals are babying chosen
cabbage plants, shooting them
with secret formula fertilizers
and shading them with screens to
protect them from the direct hot
summer sun.
Anyone interested in entering
the world’s largest cabbage con
test is invited to contact Alfred
V. Hagen, 1955 Valley Fair Man
ager, P. O. Box 1337, Palmer, Al
aska .
Local Scouts Enjoy
Fine Week at Gamp
Seven Boy Scouts of Troop 654
returned home last Saturday
afternoon from a pleasant week
spent at . Camp Gorsuch. The
weather was near perfect, pro
viding excellent opportunities for
swimming and other outdoor ac
tivities.
Camp Gorsuch is operated in
a somewhat different manner
from Kings Lake Camp. For ex
ample, each Troop was respon
sible for its own cooking. This
was a new experience for the
boys and it is rumored that some
of the food was slightly burned
during the first few days of
camp. By the end of the week,
however, some very fine food
was being turned out. The boys
were housed in tents furnished
by the camp and provided their
(Continued on page 8)
WORK PLANNED
NOT PART OF
NEW DIAL SYSTEM
Rehabilitation work on the
present telephone system in Pal
mer will begin as soon as new
cable and materials arrive in
Palmer, according to Robert Par
tridge, Matanuska Telephone As
sociation manager.
"We will string cable in the
city only, then replace the pres
ent subscriber’s drop wires”,
Partridge said. “This will elim
inate the constant outages and
poor service now experienced by
subscribers”. No appreciable
work will be necessary on the
James W. Colberg of Pal
mer was named winner of the
Matanuska Telephone Associ
ation's contest to find a suit
able design to be used as the
MTA seal. His circular design
depicted a modern telephone
instrument with a typical Al
askan background of a log
cabin and mountains. Encir
cling the design was the let
tering; Matanuska Telephone
Association, Inc. Colberg will
be given his choice of a
$75 Saving Bond or $50 in
cash. The design has been sub
mitted to an emblem company
in the Stales and will be in use
on ..compand trucks, . letter
heads, etc. within a short peri
or of time, according to MTA
Manager Robert Patridge who
made the announcemeni._.
inside plant, he added.
With this rehabilitation work
the “spaghetti” strung on the
poles at the present time will be
eliminated, Patridge said.
Although we are not accept
ing new applications at the pres
ent time, along with the plans for
rehabilitation, we will be in a
position when the cable is instal
led to accept applications and in
stall new phone service, he stat
ed.
When the work is completed,
the city will be completely and
newly rewired. Subscribers will
have to get along with their
present instruments, however,
he added, until the new dial sys
tem is installed, at which time
new instruments will be issued to
subscribers.
Wasilla Road subscribers as
well as those on the Sutton and
Matanuska lines, will be pleased
to learn that rehabilitation work
will be done on these lines.
Patridge emphasized that the
rehabilitation work being plan
ned is not part of the new con
struction. “The management feels
that if this rehabilitation work is
not done, the system will not
(Continued on page 8)
HELENE CURTIS AND
DUART'S EZELOK LAN
OLIN PERMANENTS
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
, Phone 3301
FLOWER SHOW
Haeger pottery & frogs for
your flower arrangements
Maud's Flower Shop
Theatre Building
TAX NOTICE
Oily of Palmer
PALMER INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
The first half payment on taxes are due and
payable on or before August 1, 1955
There will be 7Vi% penalty and 1 % per month
interest charged if payment is not made on
due date.
REX EHRHART, Tax Assessor
I
FRIDAY
JULY 29
Free Z. Crab Feed Shamrock Lounge