SEWARD
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Record
Seward’s All-Ik'eather Port is Alaska’s Greatest Asset.
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. IX, No. 22
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 28, 1952
Price 10 Cents
FRED & HIS BOYS
BUILD BLEACHERS
IN CIVIC CENTER
City firemen are working like
mad in the Civic Center to build
a balcony around two sides and
the front end of the building.
This will increase seating capa
city by at least 250. making an
easy 500 seats for basketball
fans.
The work is being done on a
volunteer basis by firemen,
under supervision of Fred Kiel
cheski. Although not completed,
enough is done *u show that
d is going to be sturdy and safe
construction.
It is expected to be finished
in time for the game next Sat
urday.
Seward SeaHawks Vs.
Panhandle Fliers
By Don Dalberg
The Seward Sea Hawks have
scheduled a game with the Pan
handle Fliers oi Anchorage, one
of tHe leading teams in the An
chorage City-Military League,
for December ti at 8:30 p.m. in
the Civic Center.
The Panhandle Fliers have an
experienced team and this game
will give the Sea Hawks valuable
experience for the coming Hail
belt campaign. The Fliers have
several former college players
on the team, some of whom are
well known to Seward fans.
Doc Johnson, long shot artist,
who always gives the fans a
real treat.
Doc Romig will accompany
the team and undoubtedly see
some action. Doc claims he is
in shape and will make it tough
for the Sea Hawks.
Bob Deller, former University
of Oregon player and one of the
most versatile players in Alaska.
His ball handling and dribbling
are “uncanny.”
Ben Raykovich, 6 4”, leading
scorer in the Anchorage City
Military League. An outstanding
pivot man.
A1 Perron, good rebounder.
Roger Carmen, former An
chorage High School star. Fast
and a good shot.
Earl Dahlstrom, 64". former
Idaho State star.
Phil Raykovich and Frank
Kordes, coaches.
The new balconies will be
completed in the Civic Center
by that time and there will be
plenty of good seats available.
Also the new score board will
be installed. This game promises
to be a fine exhibition and it is
hoped a capacity crowd turns
out.
A preliminary will be played
at 7:00 p.m. between the Seward
7th and 3th grades and the
Freshmen.
The Fliers will play one of the
local City League teams or an
all-star team from the City
League on Sunday afternoon,
December 7. at 3:00 o’clock.
Dora Michelson
Buried Monday
Dora Michelson, wife of Pete
(The Greek) Michelson. was bur
ied Monday. November 24, with
graveside services by Rev. Chas.
Malin. Jr.. Seward Methodist
Church.
Mrs. Michelson was found
dead November 19 after having
been missing from her home for
33 days. A coroner’s inquest
found her death to have been
from natural causes.
National Guard Unit
Returns From Training
The Seward Detachment of
Headquarters, Headquarters and
Service Company, 207th Infantry
Battalion, Alaska N a t i o n a 1
Guard, returned last Saturday
from their annual two-week en
campment at Fort Richardson.
While at Fort Richardson, the
m< a received training in all
basic infantry weapons and fired
the heavy and light .20 caliber
machi.M gun. Tin \ also fired the
60MM and 81 MM mortars and
oTlvlM recoulless rifle.
The second week of training
was taken no with Company and
Battalion field problems, which
were terminated with the men
of viie 207th Infantry Bn. and
conducted an assault against
their fortified positions on a hill.
Blank am muni-ton was used by
all men to give added realism
to the attack.
Seward men who attended the
training camp were Lt. Ralph
Fuske, SFC John Blidberg, Cpl.
Gai win Smith, Pvt. Lee Weber
and Pvt. John Layton. Pvt. Lay
ton. qualified for expert badge
i i rifle and carbine firing on
the range, for record.
Roth Goes to Hub City
As Union Bank Mgr.
Jacque Roth, manager of the
Seward Branch. First National
Bank of Anchorage, was called
to Anchroage this week to take
over management of the Union
Bank of Anchorage on a tem
porary basis.
Mr. Roth has been manager
of the local bank since it was
purchased by the Anchorage
firm, and previous to that for
Elwyn Swetmann, former owner.
The Union Bank, which was
closed November 20 by order of
the Territorial Banking Board,
was reopened Tuesday, Nov. 25.
under the new president. Dan
Cuddy. Mr. Cuddy is also presi
dent of the First National Bank.
Business is now proceeding as
usual.
Legion Conducts
Kerns Funeral
Funeral services were held
last Sunday at 2 p.m. for Stan
ley L. (Mike) Kerns. Rev. J.
Lloyd Dean, pastor of Faith
Chapel, conducted services at
the Memorial Methodist Church.
Graveside services were con
ducted by Seward Post. No. 5.
Aim rican Legion. The firing
squa I was made up of members
of the National Guard Unit: Lt.
Ralph Fuske. SFC Alexander
Petrovich. Sgt. Ray Quick, Pvt.
John Layton, Pvt. Dean Gallo
way and P\t. Lee Weber.
New A.R.R. Schedule
Beneficial to Seward
The Alaska Railroad will in
stigate a new "visitors special"
fare and schedule on the Tues
day train linking Seward and
Fairbanks, beginning Dec. 2.
The Tuesday train will be
held at Anchorage until 0 p.m.,
instead of the regular .3:30 p.m.
departure time, so that Seward
residents can have more hours
in Anchorage to visit friends and
take in the sights. At the same
time the railroad announced a
special reduced fare for the
Tuesday train of $7 for the
roundtrip.
The Thursday schedule and
fare will be the same as previ
ous.
COASTWISE VESSEL
SCHEDULED TO SAIL
FROM PORTLAND
Coastwise Line’s SS Seaiair
is presently scheduled to sail
from Portland and Longview on
December (>, 1952.
Tire last day lor receiving
cargo at Portland will In' Dec. It;
at Longview, December 5.
Tins improvised schedule has
been put into effect in am effort
to expedite the movement of
cargo betwt on the States and
Seward.
The ah ive sailing will be ef
fective only if the Port of Se
attle remains strikebound.
The above announcement is
authenticated by Mr. V. K. Grif
fith. Coastwise Line agent in
Seward.
Susitna and liiamna
Due Here Next Week
The Alaska Steamship Com
pany freighter Susitna is due
to dock in Seward next Wednes
day, December it, with a lull
cargo. As there was still Alaska
cargo on the docks at Seattle,
a second ship, the lliamna, was
cleared to sail for Seward and
Valdez with the remainder.
The freighters were given spe
cial clearance by the striking
AFL union. The lliamna was
cleared, a company spokesman
in Seattle said, by the AFL
Maritime Trades Department for
the surplus cargo for Seward
and Valdez only* The Susitna,
however, will make all western
Alaska ports including Homer
and Seldovia.
Only the cargo which the Su
sitna was unable to carry will
be loaded, according to union
restrictions. It amounts to about
1.000 tons. The company has
agreed to carry a partial load to
protect shippers
The lliamna was scheduled to
sail Friday, Nov. 28.
The passenger ship Baranof,
scheduled to sail Friday, was
cancelled.
Visitors Association
Seeking New Data
Jl'NEAlJ -Folders, brochures
and descriptive l.terature of fa
cilities offered b\ Alaska's tour
operators, hotels, roadhouses,
transportation companies, other
services for tourists, and local
Chamber of C mmercc pam
phlets are row being sought by
the Alaska Visitors Association.
Juneau, for the 1953 version of
their Travel Agent's portfolio.
An Alaskan sale s promotion
innovation introduced to the
tourist and transportation indus
try last year, the portfolio won
the enthusiastic approval of tra
vel agents and others throughout
the country. A large number of
requests were received citing
the lack of information on Al
aska and urging that the kit be
revised annually, the Associa
tion reports.
“Here is an opportunity for
Alaskans to have their literature
placed directly in the hands of
the key people who are selling
travel,” said Jim Chadwick,
AVA's executive director. “This
convenient reference guide elim
inates the danger of individual
folders being lost or neglected,
and provides the most compre
hensive coverage available on
Alaska.”
LePrells Indicted In
Death of Infant
Samuel W. and Marjorie Le
Piell were arrested this week
after a secret indictment by the
grand jury. They are charged
with killing their infant daugh
ter Nancy by “improper care
and feeding, improper housing,
beating, failure to provide prop
er medical care.”
A coroner's jury in Seward
May 22, investigating the death
of 21 months old Nancy, brought
in a verdict of death from “shock
resulting from a violent blow to
the left side of the abdomen,
causing paralysis of the intes
tines, source unknown, but with
indications of gross parental ne
glect evident.”
The LePrells came to Alaska
during the summer of 1951 from
Florida. They did not live long
in Seward, but moved to the
small cabin at Mile 24 on the
Highway. LePrell worked for a
road construction company.
The couple was arraigned in
Third District Court Tuesday
morning, accompanied by their
attorney Harold Butcher. Each
pleaded innocent to the charge.
Bail of $1,000 each was posted
on the day of arraignment.
Go Ahead and Mail
Your Packages, Etc.
Clarence Larsen, Seward post
master, urges the populace to
get their packages and greeting
cards in the mail just as quickly
as they can. He says not to wait
until there is a boat in before
mailing them. Get them in the
post office now.
Mr. Larsen said there were
supposed to be 8,000 pieces of
mail for Seward discharge on the
barge the first of the week, but
only about half came in. Three
vans of mail went to Anchorage
and that for Seward was in the
hold, which was the reason for
the delay.
Santa Claus to Visit
Jesse Lee, Sara Early
Santa Claus is coming a few
weeks early this year to make
a special visit at Seward Sana
torium and Jesse Lee Home.
He will arrive by airplane at
8:30 in the morning Saturday.
Dec. (i. He will go to the Sana
toi ium to see all the children
there, then he will stop in at
J ' Lee. He will have a radio
recorder with him so that all
the children who talk to him
will be heard that night over
station KENL
Highway Underpaying
Work Progressing
Work on the Seward-Anchor
age Highway is moving along
rapidly. The underpaving of
crushed rock is being laid pre
paratory to the actual black top
which will be applied in the
spring.
Babler and Rogers, contractors
for the paving job, is preparing
the first 15 miles of road out of
Seward. They wail work as long
as weather permits.
EPISCOPAL CARD PARTY
The Women’s Auxiliary of St.
Peter’s Episcopal Church an
nounce a public card party for
Friday, December 12, in the
Parish Hall.
SEWARD "BOMBED"
WITHOUT WARNING
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
At 3:15 p.m. Friday, S< ward
was “bombed,” without warn
ing, by an “aggressor” plane.
The bombs were nothing more
dangerous than leaflets bearing
a i r r a i d instructions, but it
should serve lo wake up the
townspeople as to what it could
have been .
The people of Seward have
been most negligent in regards
to Civil Defense. -The director,
Col. C. K. Johnson, has been
unsuccessful in arousing the
slightest interest anywhere.
Other communities in the
Third Division, including Pal
mer, Anchorage, Kodiak and
Cordova, have been participat
ing in a practice alert all week.
They have well organized and
working civil defense organiza
tions. Has Seward? No! We have
been so sure that nothing would
happen here.
Had the plane that went over
Friday afternoon been an enemy,
it would not be necessary to
think about civil defense—or
anything else!
The leaflets bore the following
message:
“Your city lias just undergone
an "aggressor” aerial bombing
attack as a part of military ma
neuvers designed to train and
test the military forces of Al
aska in their roll as defenders of
the Territory.
“Civil Defense is the passive
means by which civilians can
minimize the effects oi an en
emy attack on civilian communi
ties, thereby freeing the mili
tary to destroy the enemy. Al
askans have an outstanding rep
utation for resourcefulness and
self sufficiency born of necessity.
These qualities will insure the
success of the civil defense or
ganization should Alaska be at
tacked. but teamwork and train
ing are a vital prerequisite to
such success lest an initial, sui"
prise attack be disastrous.
“What would you have done
had each of these leaflets been
a high-explosive or incendiary
bomb? Would you have been
panic stricken? Or do you know
exactly what you should have
done?
“Are all members of your
civil defense organization fully
trained and prepared for an at
tack now? Have you volunteered
your services to your civil de
fense organization?
“The Military is doing its part
for Military defense. Are you
doing your part for civil de
fense?"
The reverse side of the leaflet
gives instructions of what you
should do in case of a bombing
attack with warning or without
warning-—at home, at work, at
school, in the open or in ve
hicles.
WHY do we not have a civil
defense organization? It is not
because the mayor and council
have not tried several times to
organize. The townspeople have
failed to realize or are careless,
or do riot believe in the need.
Now that we can see what could
have happened, is there any use
to try again? We will welcome
your opinion in writing on the
subject.
CHAMBER Or COMMERCE
There will be election of offi
cers at the next Chamber of
Commerce meeting T u e s d a y.
Dec. 2, at Harding's Cafe, 12
noon.
Dec. 5
CHOICE OF CHINESE or SOUTHERN HAM DINNER -$2.00
5:00 to 7:00 P.M. — Methodist Church Baseme nt — Sponsored by W.S.C.S. — Also 25c PARCEL POST SALE