God offers to every mind its
choice between truth and re
pose. ..Take which you please,
you can never have both.
Emerson
The Seward Seaport Record
Is independent in every re
spect and none shall ever be
denied the right to use its col
umns for any legal purpose or
expression.
VOL. X, NO. 52.
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1954
PRICE 10 CENTS
HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER
LOOMS BIG IN AREA FUTURE
The Seward Chamber of Com
merce met for its regular session
on Tuesday noon in the Diner with
nearly two dozen members and
guests present to enjoy the meal
and hear what was going on at
the Chamber meeting.
GUESTS
Quests at the Tuesday sesion
included Mr. Cumings of the Anch
orage office of the Social Security
Administration. Lary Urbach, who
is taking over his fathers clothing
and shoe store here, and also Miss
Isabel Mason of the firm of Bea
ver-Van Seventer certified public
acountants of Anchorage. Miss
Mason is the only licensed woman
CPA in the Territory.
HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER
City Manager Raymond O’Hara
reported that Mr. Harstad had
left for Homer and could not be
present to report on the plans
of the City and development of
hydro-electric power in this area
by the City .
However, Mr. O'Hara told the
group that progress was being
made and it had been determined
to investigate the possibilities of
developing a second site besides
the Ptarmigan project. ■
The Chamber was told bj» the
City Manager that it had been
determined by the Council and
Utility Board that the way to at
tract industry to the area was
to have available a large supply of
cheap power for home and indust
rial use. In line with this aim the
City Manager and Mr. Harstad
will go to Juneau next week to en
- list the aid of Governor Heintzle
tnan in the City’s efforts to devel
op the area.
TRAVELERS
Chamber president Win Ervin
reported that he and Paul Nelson
had spent the weekend visiting
in Valdez and Cordova. He re
ported an enjoyable trip and visit
especially in Cordova where he at
tended the annual Bazaar of the
Women's orgnizations of the com
munity.
He also met Mr. Smith of Cordova
Airlines and invited him' over for
a visit to Seward and a meeting
with the Chamber of Commerce.
MAIL
A letter from Win Ervin, pres
ident of the “Valdez Chamber of
Commerce”, was pulled out of the
mailbag at Valdez and Win picked
it up while in the sister port city
last weekend. The letter advised
that hearing would be held in
Seattle Monday, October 4, to dis
cuss the problem of passenger
service to Alaska which is to
cease the last of September. The
hearings are being conducted by
Congressman Tollefson.
The Seattle Chamber invited
any interested Seward parties to
be on hand to testify at that time.
As far as was known at the Cham
ber there would not be anyone
from Seward appearing.
Tom Ousdale reported that he
was preparing to send out a week
ly Chamber news-letter to try to
keep local folks advised of the
work being done by the Chamber
of Commerce in its efforts to boost
the area.
RECREATION AND EXERCISE
Jack Jeffrey gave a brief dis
course on the subject of things
not always being as they appear
(Turn to Page 4)
SCHEDULED FLIGHTS
WITH NO CHANGE IN PLANES
DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY
Anchorage-Valdez
Cordova
ON TO
YAKATAGA — ICY BAY
TUESDAY
ON TO
MIDDLETON ISLAND
THURSDAY
THESE ABOVE FLIGHTS DEPART
SEWARD 9:35 A.M.
For Information or Reservations, Call Main 99
3ototoiMi Aiklutel
■fo Serving the Heartland of Alaska Since 1934
►-:
Big Day Monday
For Mrs. Ray James
Word "as received in Seward
this week on Tuesday of the birth
in Palo Alto, California of a daugh
ter. Patricia Ann, to Mrs. Charles
Behlke, the former Jane McMullen
of Seward, daughter of Mrs. Ray
James of this city.
The Behlkes had arrived in Palo
Alto on Monday from College, Al
aska and at 1:10 p.m. the same day
their daughter arived. Mr. Behlke
has a position in Palo Alto and will
study for his Doctorate in Engin
eering.
It was a big day in the McMul
len family as Paul McMullen Jr.
was sworn into the Army on Mon
day of this week at Portland. He
will be assigned to the Public In
formation Office of the Army.
PRESENT SEWER ASSESSMENTS
THROWN OUT BY CITY FATHERS
The regular bi-monthly session
of the City Council convened Mon
day evening to discuss the pro
blems of the City. Main business
of the session was discussion of
the sewer assessments.
After hearing the woes of sev
eral residents of the areas served
or supposedly served by the new
City sewer, it was decided to
start all over again with a re-figur
ing of the assessments, due in part
to the smaller number of persons
actually served by the sewer, thus
the per capita cost to the users
will likely go up when the new
cards are send out. The first as
sessment and notices may be dis
regarded. once the new cards have
been received, it was pointed out
by the Council.
It seems that every place you
go these days, you hear of hydro
electric power and the Monday
Council meeting was no exception.
Mr. Harstad was on hand to re
port on his findings on Ptarmigan
Lake and the possibility of tapping
a second lake for power. It was
his recommendation that the Coun
cil go ahead and file on a second
power site.
Mr. Harstad also agreed to de
velop the preliminary plans on
both lakes for the same fee which
it had originally been agreed upon
for the single project investigation
at Ptarmigan.
Upon the completion of Mr. Har
stad's report, it was agreed to pro
ceed with the second project and
also to send the City Manager to
Juneau with Mr. Harstad to look
into the possibility of getting the
Governor's assistance in bringing
industry into this area.
PLANNING COMMISSION
A report from the Planning and
Zoning Commission was read in
which they recommended that par
allel parking be adopted in the
down-town area. Also they re
(Turn to Page Three)
Summary of Weather
For Month of August
August rainfall was slightly
above normal on the Kenai Pen
insula. below normal in the An
chorage and Matanuska Valley area
and much below normal in the
Tanana Valley with Fairbanks re
porting the driest August on re
cord. Temperatures were near
to slightly above normal through
out the agricultural areas. Light
frost was reported in the Fair
banks area on the 22nd with a
low of 34 observed at Fairbanks.
The temperature dropped to 32 at
Kenai on the 29th but only to
37 at Anchorage and Palmer.
There have been no freezes and
a total precipitation of 1.16" the
first 10 days of September in the
Anchorage area. At Fairbanks,
the temperature dropped to 29 on
the Sth.
The average dates of first occur
ance of 32, 28 and 24 degrees in
the fall at the Matanuska Experi
mental Farm are September 10, 18
and October 4 respectively, and at
Anchorage. September 12,25 and
October 5 with a moderate freeze
(28 or lower) occurring at An
chorage before October 3 in about
3 out of 4 years.
»
Seward Pioneer Igloo
Being Reactivated
At a meeting held on September
19, Igloo No. 9 of the Pioneers of
Alaska was re-activated.
Grand Igloo President Gerit
Hinie Snider with a Staff of Offi
cers from Igloo No. 15 from Anchor
age came down to install the of
ficers and initiate new members.
Thev consisted of: Gerit Snider,
Selma Smith, Lief Straus, Ken
neth I.ohnes and Sidney Raynor.
Past president of the Auxiliary,
Mr. Phillips, also came down.
New members taken into the
Pioneers of Alaska were as follows:
Vance Hitt, William O'Brien, Leon
Urbach, J o it n Matich, Charles
Lechner. Sol Urie. Charles Shel
don. Emanuel Senft, Thomas H.
Jones. Walter Holben, Oscar Christ
enson and Robert A. Hall.
Auxiliary members: Mrs. L. V.
Ray. Patricia Williams. Iva Senft,
Emma Jones, Hilma Urie. Wilna
Lee McAnerney, Stella Urbach,
Helen D. Brosius, Kathryn Hall.
| Francis O'Brien. Margaret Lech
ner and Ann Christenson.
hollowing officers were elected
of Igloo No. 9. Pioneers of Alaska:
President . Leon Urbach
1st Vice President .... Vance Hitt
2nd Vice President .... E. L. Senft
Secretary Treasurer .... Sol Urie
Historian . Charles Sheldon
Chaplain . Charles Lechner
Sgt. at Arms . Thorwold Osbo
Doorkeeper . William O'Brien
Trustees .. Oscar Christenson
Charles Hubbard
Walter Holben
Auxiliary Officers:
President . Amy Hitt
1st Vice President . Wilna Lee
McAnerney
2nd Vice President . Margaret
Lechner
Secretary . Francis O’Brien
Treasurer . Iva Senft
Historian . Katheryn Hall
Chaplain . Helen Brosius
Sgt. at Arms . Mrs. Eley
Trustees . Marie Osbo
Hilrna Uria
Hazel Erwin
The members taken into Igloo
No. 9 waited 30 years to be eligible
for admission. Should there be
anyone in town eligible they can
contact Thor Osbo for Information.
75 Sign Guest Book
At Welcoming Tea
The annual ‘“Welcome Tea’’ for
all new teachers, nurses and other
new residents in the community
was held last aturday at the home
of Mrs. Walter Blue.
The Tea, sponsored by the Sew
ard Senior Women’s Club was well
attended and over 75 newcomers
to the community signed the guest
book and enjoyed the hospitality
which enabled them to get acq
uainted.
Fall flowers from the country
gardens of Mrs. E. L. Senft and
the town garden of Mrs. Hugh
Milroy added a colorful note to
the gala occasion.
Past presidents of the club as
sisted at the beautifully appointed
table.
Among the out of town guests
was Misa Qoldie Busko, of Anchor
age, formerly of Seward, and a
member of the Seward Senior Wo
men’s Club.
Band Instruments
Needed for Students
The Seward Public School is
offering free music instruction on
hand and orchestral intruments.
Many pupils who register for these
classes do not have instruments
of their own. The school has a
limited number o f instruments,
but not enough to supply the needs
of all those who register for the
music lessons. Since classes are
open to all pupils beginning with
the Fourth grade, the enrollment
is usually quite large.
The music department is there
fore anxious to contact people in
the community who may have un
used band or orchesral instruments
which they are willing to sell, rent,
or donate either to the school or
to pupils in the mpsic classes.
Such people are urged to get in
touch with Mr. Claude Berg, music
instructor, at the Seward School,
and every effort will be made to
see that the instruments are put
to good use. Instruments not or
dinarily used in bands (ukeleles,
banjos, guitars, accordians, etc.)
are not desired. There is an es
pecial need for additional trump
ets, trombones, clarinets and vio
lins.
We are interested in providing
all pupils with an opportunity to
learn some musical instrument free
of charge so they may later play
in the band or orchestra. Your
help in providing instruments for
them is solicited.
Women’s Club Meets
At Season Opener
The 1954-55 year of the Senior
Women‘'s Club of Seward opened
September 9th with a meeting in
the Seward Public Library.
Mrs. LaPearl Bie, as program
chairman, gave a very interesting
and informative talk on ‘‘Public
Welfare; its history, its problems
and accomplishments”. This sub
ject was in line with the suggested
theme for all Territorial clubs,
recommended by Mr. William Paul.
Sr. of Juneau, president of the
Alaska Federation of Women's
Clubs.
Mrs. Walter Blue, president of the
Seward Club, apointed representa
tives to the Health Council and
City Council to serve for the month
of October.
Hosstesses for the evening were
Mrs. Arva Carroll and the Misses
Frances Clark and Helen Case.
AIR RESCUE SQUADRON PLANE
MAKES CRASH LANDING HERE
Lions’ Elephant Sale
Should Be Interesting
It could be that the folks of
Seward have a major problem on
their hands if the report that we
have heard is as bad as it seems,
if so then we have some sort of
jungle warfare about to start in
our midst for Lions are going to
sell elephants.
The way we heard about it was
that Don Dalberg called and said.
'‘Say, do you have anything about
the Lion’s White Elephant Sale,
October 2?” We replied, “No.”
The big sale is slated to take
place in the old Bus Depot. Don
also told us that Win Erwin would
pick up any white elephants any
one had around the house, we
hope he gets some, but we never
saw many around. Maybe they
could use dogs instead. Anyway,
you call Win and he’ll picq up
your elephants, he’s real partial
to elephants we guess. Saw him
wearing one the other night. Call
us too because we’d like to get
a picture of Win driving an ele
phant around in that yellow Buick,
guess they must be roomier than
they advertise.
Don also told us that they were
going to sell brooms, guess they
don't expect there’ll be much
left of the Bus Depot after that big
sale.
We were just about to ask if
Don was a’lie’n but he hung up.
We’ll sure be on hand October 2nd
to see what happens and you’d
better plan to be there too, or you
might miss something.
Mr. and Mrs. Harrow returned to
Seward this week after spending
a vacation in Cordova visit i n g
Mr. and Mrs. Karl Barth and fam
ily.
• • • •
Judge J. L. McCarey, accompani
ed by Clerk of Court, William A.
Hilton and other members of the
Court, arrived on Monday of this
week for a special session of the
Court here in Seward.
Paul Nelson Party
Saturday Evening
The friends of Paul Nelson have
put their heads together and come
up with th^ idea that what the
town needs most is a good wild
party, that is, the refreshments
should be wild anyway.
On Saturday evening Paul and
his friends will sit down to a wild
game dinner at the Jesse Lee
Recreation Center. Starting about
6:30 there will he goat, moose, fish
and lots of vegetables of all kinds
to satisfy your wild appetite.
Besides the good food there is
a promise of some good enter
tainment and there will be music
to sooth the savage beast if there
happens to be any savages o r
beasts, or savage beasts present.
Admission to the dinner is by
invitation, so, if you’re a friend of
Paul Nelson’s you’d better drop
him a $5.00 campaign donation
so he’ll be sure and remember.
All donations will go to thet
campaign fund for Paul who is
running for a seat in Territorial
Legislature on the Republican tic
ket.
HEALTH COUNCIL ORGANIZED;
NAME OFFICERS AND BOARD
--4
Fall Season Opened
By Seward B. P. W.
The Seward Business and Pro
fessional Women started the hall
rolling Tuesday, September J4th
when they met for the first time
this fall at The Diner. Mrs. Mil
dred Kirkpatrick, the new Presi
dent of the organization, presided
at the meeting and reviewed the
summer's activities.
Several members met incoming
boats this summer and entertain
ed visitors by showing them points
of interest and scenic views of the
area.
Due to the departure of two of
the Club's commute chairmen, it
was necessary to elect a new Re
cording Secretary and Chairman
of the Legislative Commi 11 e e.
(Turn to Page 4)
► I he attempt or the list Air
Rescue Squadron SA-16 Albatross
to land at Seward airport met with
near disaster this week on Tues
day about noon.
The Riant two-engined aircraft
piloted by First Lt. Disch of the
71st Air Rescue Squadron was ap
parently caught in a downdraft as
the plane came in for a landing.
The plane sheared off its right
landing gear, dumping all its hy
draulic fluid. The pilot apparently
held the right wing of the plane
up until the craft had slowed
down, then the ship skidded along
on one wheel and one wing float.
The float then tore toose, dropping
the plane down on its wing tip.
It continued on for about one hun
dred yards before grinding to a
stop at the extreme right edge of
the landing strip.
The pilot and crewmen would
not even give their names to re
porters, being barred from making
any public statement by military
law, until cleared through Air
Force Headquarters at Elmendorf
Field.
The pilot did say however, that it
was very nice to still be with the
living.
Apparently only superior pilot
skill had saved the ship front
ground-looping and being more
seriously damaged.
At the time of the crash the
plane was on a mission to Seward
where it was to have picked up
the wife of Capt. Tanberg who
was being evacuated to the 5005th
Force Hospital.
A second Albatross was dis
patched to Seward arriving about
1:30 to pick up Mrs. Tanberg from
the Seward Volunteer Ambulance
Corps which had been standing by.
It was necessary for the plane
to land on the old runway and
make a down-win^ takeoff. A
large group of spectators had gath
ered at the airport by the time the
second Albatross taxied to the
runway, tested its engines then
with a earsplitting thunder, lum
bered down the Held slowly labor
(Turn to Page 4)
WATER. LIGHT DEPARTMENTS
GET NEW WORKING MANAGERS
<
Women’s Bake Sale
Acclaimed Success
A bake sale held Saturday, Sept
ember 11th at the Blue Shop net
ted the Senior Women’s Club the
amount necessary to meet their
pledges of a band uniform for
the School Band. A drive is cur
rently being conducted to try and
outfit all members of the band in
uniforms.
BOYS LEAVE FOR SCHOOL
Leslie Brattain and William
Anrig left this week to enter the
University of Washington at Sea
ttle. Brattain will be a Fresh
man in the School of Engineering
and Anrig will be a Junior in Bus
iness Administration, a transfer
from Olympia College at Brener
ton. Both boys are Seward High
School graduates.
• Ail organizational meeting of per
sons interested in the proposal to
form a Health Council was held
in the City Council Chambers on
Wednesday evening, September 15.
with about two dozen representa
tives present from the 60 some
organizations which had been in
vited to send representatives.
The early part of the meeting
under the chairmanship of Geo
rge Green discussed the character
istics, activities, organization, staff
ing and financing problems of a
Health Council.
It was decided that the basis
for membership in the organization
j would be that an individual must
j be a representative of an incorp
orated organization to he a regu
lar member and that the balance
of membership would be made up
of interested individuals who did
not have any organizational affil
iation.
The next order of business was
the election of officers and Mr. E.
W. Hull was chosen as president;
Mrs. Vida Drown, vice president;
and Mrs. Katherine Ling as sec
retary-treasurer.
An executive board of nine mem
bers was also elected at the ses
sion. They are; . Del Zentinire,
Bill Bonser, Mrs. Jesse Woods. Mrs.
Lewis, Mrs. Anderson and Mrs.
Betty Nelson.
The officers and executive board
went to work right away and de
cided to meet Friday and Monday
afternoons to start drafting a con
stitution and by-laws for submis
sion to the full Health Council.
The date for the next regular
Health Council meeting has not
yet been set, but will probably be
announced in next week's paper.
Four-H Club Girls
Display Handiwork
Receive Many Awards
By SANDRA DANGLER
The annual 4-H Achievem e n t
Day Program was held at 7:30,
September 18th at the Seward
Memorial Methodist Church.
Demonstrations which were giv
en, included “Quick Hem," by
Lura Peck, and Bound Butonhole
by Sandra Dangler, chocolate chip
cookies by Laura Sume and Elea
nor Hendrickson: Biscuits, by
Darlene Sorenson, Barbara Vin
cent and Sara McMillan; a pine
apple upside-down cake, by Amelia
Jensen and Gloria Hughes.
The Mixing Bowls Baking II
Club, put on an amusing skit, en
titled “Hairnet,” using the char
acters from Dragnet.
A dress revue was given by the
Never Idle 4-H Club, with Audrey
Horton accompanying on the pi
ano.
During the intermissions, Peggy
Werner, Catherine Werner and
Roberta Hendrickson sang in a
trio; Barbara Vaughn tap danced;
Janis Jeffreys, Patsy Williams, and
Sara Peck furnished a > musical
trio; and Shirley Boe played a
piano solo.
The 4-H pins were presented by
Mrs. Carol J. Winey and Mrs.
Willie Mae Powell, District Home
Demonstration Agents. The sixth
year pin went to Sandra Dangler,
5th to Lura Peck, 4th to Sara
Peck, and 2nd year pins to Shirley
Boe, Laurel Lewis, Patsy Williams,
Amelia Jensen, Gloria Hughes,
Judl Jones, and Janis Jeffreys. 1st
(Turn to Page Three?
► The Seward Utility Board met
for its regular session on Tuesday
evening, September 14 and the
following items of business were
taken up.
UTILITY MANAGERS
City Managers O’Hara reported
that he had appointed Mr. Carroll *
and Mrs. Freeman as foremen of
the Electric and Water Depart
ments. He also told the Board
that in line with their erxtra duties
he recommended that they he giv
en a raise of $50 per month immed
iately and if they proved satis
factory in their new jobs that
they be given another $50 increase
in 90 days. The board agreed to
grant the wage increases in line
with Mr. O’Hara’s recommenda
tions.
Increases for certain other em
ployees who had not been given
raises previously were deferred
until some later date.
ECONOMIES
It was the suggestion of the
City Manager that the Utility
Board advertize for bids for doing
all digging work for the Water De
partment. If a satisfactory bid
was received then the Board could
av'ard a contract for all the dig
ging to be done in a year.
It was also suggested that the
Utilities could save by using the
City “Cat” to do backfilling. The
Board would only have to pay op
erating costs of the “Cat” it was
suggested.
THAW WIRES
The Board voted to place a
notice in the newspaper to the
effect that the City was going out
of the pipe thawing business.
Henceforth all private pipelines
will have to be thawed by the pro
perty owners. Thaw wires should
be located and marked before snow
fall the Board suggested so that
| a minumum of inconvience will be
experienced by property owners
or their tenants. Several private
firms now do electric thawing.
EXCAVATING
It was determined by the Board
that henceforth the City would be
responsible for digging in all
waterlines from the property line
to the waterline and making con
nections. It was reported that
there had been some very bitter
experiences in the past when pri
vate individuals had done their
own digging and in some caes had
burst the water main.
PTARMIGAN PROJECT
Mr. Howard. T. Harstad was
on hand to report to the Board on
his investigation of the local need
for hydro-electric power and the
feasability of developing Ptarmigan
Lake.
Harstad told the group that at
the present rate of increased use
the City would use up all the avail
able power which could be gener
ated by the Ptarmigan and the
present diesel plant by 1963 and
(Turn to Page Three) -j
Catholic Ladies Meet;
Give Thanks to Donors
Discussion of the wool scrap
drive. Rummage Sale, change of
date of their monthly bake sale,
and representation on the Health
I Council, were all items of interest
taken up at the Catholic Ladies
first meeting of the fall season.
An unanimous vote of thanks, to
1 all donors of wool scraps, was
| passed and further donations will
I still be gladly accepted at the
Parish House. Pick up service is
available by phoning Adams 189.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednes
day, September 27, 28 and 29, was
chosen as the time for the Rum
mage Sale which promises to be
one of the biggest and best in
years. The sale will take place
in the old Bus Depot next door to
the Seward Laundry.
Mrs. Katherine Ling was design
ated a representative to the Health
Council, from the Club.
The new date for the monthly
bake sale was set for the second
Saturday of the month. It was
the thought of the ladies that this
date would be more convenient for
most people.
Mrs. Ling volunteered to mon
ogram the Club's newly purchased
dinner service.
Mrs. Augustine Boe represents
the Ladies as Club Sales Chair
man for the Winter Concert tick
ets, wi{h Mrs. Katherine Ryan
assisting.
The balance of the evening was
taken up with pressing, working,
and arranging of clothes and rum
mage following which refreshments
were served by a committee head
ed by Mys. Robert Duffy.