God offer* to every mind Its
choice between truth and re
pose. ..Take which you please,
you can never have both.
Emerson
Seward
The Cateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
$ e <* P o r f
Record
Seward's All-Weather Port is Alosktfs Greatest Asset.
The Seward Seaport Record
it 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. VI, NO. 7.
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1954
PRICE 10 CENTS
SPECIAL CHAMBER SESSION
TO GREET SEATTLE GROUP
A total of 21 Chamber members
were on hand Tuesday to hear re
ports of activity concerning Sew
ard.
One of the first items brought
up was the fact that the Lagoon
area was being sought by the
Alaska Railroad. According to
City Manager Ray O’Hara the Land
office had apparently advertised
a land withdrawal in the Anchorage
papers but no other notice was
given in Seward as far as is
known. It was decided that the
best course of action was to see
the General Manager of the Al
aska Railroad and ask that some
other land be withdrawn for the
railroad's use in as much as the
City has made plans to beautify
the area and turn it into a park.
It is not known what use the rail
road would put the area to but it
is supposed that it would be a
switch yard.
AIRPORT
A letter was received from the
Alaska Department of Aviation
saying that the lighting project
for the Seward Airport would be
held up until money could be ob
tained from the Legislature and
also until a report could be ob
tained from the Air Safety Div
ision of the CAA.
VISITORS
Big news of the session was the
plan to hold a special Chamber
session on Sunday evening at the
Elks Club when it is expected
that a group of a dozen or so
Seattle business and civic leaders
would be visiting in Seward follow
ing the sessions of the Alaska
Chamber of Commerce in Anchor
age on Thursday. Friday and Sat
urday of this week. The visitors
party is to include the Mayor of
Seattle and president of the Sea
ttle Chamber of Commerce.
LEAGUE OF ALASKAN CITIES
A report was heard on the recent
League of Alaskan Cities meeting
just concluded in Fairbanks last
week. The City Manager reported
that the sessions had been very
informative and successful.
He also reported that an An
chorage proposal of a Post Dis
trict bill had been defeated once
again. A General Improvement
district bill was also discussed
but defeated because of the sweep
ing powers it would grant to such
a district if formed. According to
O’Hara it would have a supreme
authority to tax without regard
to existing incorporated Cities or
already existing districts.
Tieing in with the League dis
cussion was the Alaska Chamber
of Commerce sessions held this
week, still to be held at the time
of the meeting, and it was Tommie
Bie’s suggestion that an alternate
be proposed to the Port bill as
he felt that an outright refusa
to negotiate would eventually
lead to approval of the "monster’
port bill which is being pushee:
by Anchorage interest. As pres
ently drawn the Anchorage Pori
Districting bill could sweep the
entire railbelt into the Anchorage
Port District, if one were created
and force the entire area to con
tribute to the support of an An
chorage port. It has aways beer
(Turn to page six)
Seward Democrats
Meeting Tuesday
The Seward Democratic Club
anonunced this week that they had
postponed their November 15th
meeting until the next evening so
that members of the club might at
tend the City Council session on
Monday evening.
The new time and place for the
meeting will be at 8 p.m. Tuesday,
November 16th in the Dockside
Union Hall.
Business of the session will in
clude discussion of legislative pro
blems of the Seward and Kenai
Peninsular area which should be
taken up at the Territorial Legis
lature. Other business of the even
ing will include the election of a
slate of officers for the next year.
Democrats from the entire Kenai
are invited to attend this session
on Tuesday evening at eight.
HEALTH COUNCIL SESSION
REVIEWS HEALTH ORDINANCE
Frank Walunga
Makes Good Recover)
An accident of birth has mad<
«any complications for Frank Wal
unga. a St. Lawence Island native
The entire situation was finally
cleared up last week when Fran!
got his final citizenship papers it
Seward — 36 years after the ac
cident.
It seems that there are two dis
tinet groups of people on St. Law
rence Island, thoe whose ances
tors had come from the Siberia!
Coast and those whose ancestors
were Alaska mainland Eskimos —
all Eskimos and all knowing the
beautiful Island as their home. Il
happened that Frank’s parents were
of the former group and one day
in the early 1900's were sailing
far from home in their uniak hunt
ing for food — possibly walrus
or Ookruk — when Mrs. Walunga
decided it was time that they find
shelter and a place for their baby
to be born. It happened that the
shelter was with far distant re
latives on the Siberian Coast, 4C
miles from their onw home ai
Sevunga on St. Lawrence Island.
And so Frank was born in Sib
eria. An this is where the compli
cation began. He attended school
in Oambell on the Island and there
he learned the Pledge of Allegiance
to the flag of the United States and
the Declaration of Independence
even the Preamble to the Con
stitution in the Civics classes ol
(Continued on page six).
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
GojuQ&ug ■Atolin&i
☆ Serving the Heartland of Alaska Since 1934 -fa
♦ At the regular session of the
Seward Health Council held last
I week on Friday, it was reported
.'that all organizations in town had
| been sent a copy of the Constitu
. lion and By-laws.
A report was also given on the
exis'ing Health Ordinance of the
Town and it was found that the
Ordinance was based on a Health
Officer being employed by the
city. Thus little could now be done
in the way of enforcing good
health practices which the Health
Council desires to see adopted uy
local citizens and businesses. The
Health Council is not an enforce
ing body as defined in its Consti
tution and By-Laws and therefore
I could not be a substitute for the
Health Officer. Territorial Law
also sets forth the Qualifications
of a Health Officer and only a
| licensed physician can act in this
j capacity.
i The Council went on record as
favoring the appointment and em
ployment of a Health Officer and
enforcement of the Health Ordin
ance No. 192.
Andy Zebrel of the Alaska De
partment of Health was on hand
'and told the Council members of
I plans for the x-ray program which
is to be undertaken in Seward.
The Council president, Mrs. E. W.
Hull appointed committee Chair
men to take care of all the work
connected with the x-ray clinic.
j (bee story elsewhere in this issue.)
Water samples and the condition
' and possible contamination of the
i local water supply was discussed
I at some length by the group. As
j there was some belief that per
J haps the City had some plans for
I chlorinating the water supply it
was decided to make inquiries of
the Council and determine what
plans if any the City Council had
in this connection.
A report was also heard on the
sanitary problem at the Bayside
School and it was reported that the
School Board had programed a
project to clear up this problem.
. The next regular meeting of the
Health Council will be held on
December 3. The public is invited
to attend any of these sessions
and participate in the discussion.
Record Want Ads
Get Results
ORDER OF
RAINBOW GIRLS
BAKE SALE
SATURDAY, NOV. 13th
Starting at 10:30 a.m.
at
McMULLEN’S
A wide selection of Bread and
Pastry will be offered for sale
Senior Play Plans,
Cast, Date Announced
December 3 and 4 will mark the
date tor the grand presentation of
"Nine Girls”, sponsored and pre
sented by the senior class, under
the direction of Mrs. Harold Cam
pen, dramatics head.
“The play will be neld In ihe~
School Audltorinm. on Friday and
Saturday, with curtain time at
8:00 p.m. Admission will be 31.00.
The play takes place in California
in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
at a Sorority Clubhouse, and has
an all girl cast which consists of
the following: Mary O’Rien, Mur
lene Trevethan; Eve Van Dine,
Janice Frampton; Jane. Ava Doyle;
Alice, Amy Rutledge; Frieda, Hazel
Brossow; Shotput, Janice Jeffrey;
Sharon, Cindy Coleman; Shirley,
Audney Horton; and Betty (Tennes
see), Patsy Williams. The commen
tator on the radio will be Tucker
Jones, and Sarah Peck will play the
part of Phyllis in the prologue.
The promptors for the play will
be Helen Carpenter, Jeanine Schae
fermeyer, and Sarah Peck. Ava
Doyle and Hazel Brossow will be
in charge of the program, while
Tucker Jones. Murlene Trevethan.
Amy Rutledge, and Janis Jeffrey
will take care of advertising. The
scenery and stage managing will
he done by Pete Wagner. Murlene
Trevethan. Jeff Potter, and Audney
Horton. Burca Lewis will he the
sound effects man.
The senior class will contribute
the proceeds to an "all school fund."
mainly for sending the band and
chorus to the Music Festival.
"Nine Girls" is loaded with action
and suspense and promises to keep
you on the edge of your seat all
evening. So be on hand for “Nine
Girls", won’t you?
Seaport Auto Supply
Has New Owners
Del Hill and Ray McDonald an
nounce this week that they had
bought out the Seaport Auto Sup
ply, local Jeep Dealers. The com
pany was formerly run by John
McPherson.
Del and Ray will be old familiar
faces to any local folks as they
were formerly employed at Win
Ervin Motors.
In addition to the garage and
Jeep agency the fellows will be
having a Grand opening of a new
filling station which has been un
der construction for some time.
Claude Wakefield
Moved to Valdez
Claude E. Wakefield, Jr. has been
appointed assistant agent of the
Alaska Steamship Company at Val
dez, Alaska effective November 10,
W. J. Manahan, General Traffic
manager of the company, announced
recently.
Wakefield succeeds John O.
Burnham, who has resigned.
A native of Seattle, Wakefield
Is a graduate of Garfield High
School and the University of Wash
ington. He has been employed in
the Alaska Line Seward office
since May, 1954.
Darwin A. Dibble is Alaska
Steamship Company agent at Val
dez.
SPECIAL con SESSION
HEARS EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS
The City Council chambers were
the scene Tuesday evening of heat
ed discussion of City policies in
many fields, however, most of the
controversy seemed to center ar
ound the Street Department and
City Manager.
Due to late arrival at the meet
ing your Record reporter is un
able to report in full on the meet
ing. however through the good
offices of Dick White of KIBH, we
have a full report on the meeting.
The meeting was called at the
request of Councilman Anthony
to discuss several problems which
had apparently come to a head
during the absence of the Mayor
and City Manager who were at
tending the League of Alaskan
Cities meeting in Fairbanks. They
had been sent as official represen
tatives of the City with the Coun
cil’s blessing.
According to the Councilman a
meeting had been held at a Mr.
Pelch’s house and at that time
numerous complaints were lodged
by four City Street Department
employees against their Depart
ment head, Mr. Ross.
According to Councilman Petro
vich, spokesman for the employees,
charged among other things that
the department was run by the
department head in a “Hitler-like”
manner. That an unskilled equip
ment operator was used while a
skilled man was used as a truck
driver. It was also charged that
overtime was not paid for work
done on Alaska Day. that there was
a lack of good judgement in the
use of the grader on dry streets
And impractical purchase order
system and that the Quick-Way
crane recently purchased by the
City was a poor buy and would
not run as it was not properly re
built.
Since most of the charges made
seemed to hinge around the oper
ation since Mr. O’Hara took office
as City Manager, he undertook to
answer the complaints.
The City Manager said that Mr.
Ross was his choice for the job
he now holds with the City and
if the charges were true that it
was apparently as much the City
Manager's fault as anyone. In
the matteer of overtime, Mr. O’Hara
Baid that City employees were
given time off in lieu of overtime
pay. As he had informed the
Utility Board a short time ago he
also advised the Council that a
new system of Purchase Orders
was in the process of being inaug
urated. but could not go into effect
until the necessary forms were
received from the printers.
The misuse of the grader was
taken up with a heavy equipment
operator and he said that he did
not feel that scraping the streets
when they are dry was misuse of
the equipment, though it might be
better for it if the streets were
sprinkled first.
As for the Quick-Way, it was
reported by the City mechanic that
apparently the crane had never
been used for back hoe or drag
line before as there were some
parts either missing or improperly
installed when the rig was rebuilt.
Mr. O'Hara reported that the sel
ler of the equipment had been in
town and the machine would be
I
(Continued on page six)
UTILITY BOARD REVIEWS
MEPHONE SURVEY RESULTS
The Seward Public Utility Board
had its preview of plans for a city
owned telephone system, at their
regular meeting Tuesday night.
The Board met in the building
office when they were crowded out
of the Council Chambers, where
the City Council was holding a
special meeting.
J. W. Bauler, of Alaska Engineap
ing Associates, was present to offer
his preliminary report on a city
owned telephone system. The
Board had previously approved the
hiring of Mr. Bauler. a telephone
engineer, in order to conduct a
feasibility survey on the economics
of a city system.
The new plans, if approved by
the tax payers at a bond election to
be held at a later date, will extend
the telephone lines as far north
as the junction of the Seward and
Kenai roads, and will include Moose
Pass and all practical areas on
both sides of the highway.
The new system will expand tel
ephone service in this area nearly
double, and because of a proposed
rate reduction of approximately
20% it is expected that the sub
scriber list may reach over 1000
within five years.
Besides approving the plans in
their present status, the Board also
recommended that the exchange
building be located on the four city
owned lots east of the high school.
The building would be constructed
along the lines of a residential ex
terior. and would in no manner
appear as a strictly commercial
| structure, all trunk lines into the ,
I exchange would be underground, 1
I thus eliminating Unsightly over
head wires and poles.
When the Bauler report is com
plete, both the Utility Board and
Council will examine it carefully,
and a bond issue will be prepared.
The project would be on a revenue
producing basis, and the. bonds
will be sold and retired at no cost
to the property owners.
Seward's credit rating among
bonding houses continues to be
high, since a Seattle firm has al
ready agreed to purchase the rev
enue bonds when offered. One
Alaskan city has had to go as far
east as New York to dispose of its
bonds, and local officials are pleas
ed to find a ready market for the
city’s securities.
NOBILE X-RAY PROGRAM
DTO BY A D. H. MAN
At the recent meeting of the
Seward Public Health Council a
report on the pending visit of the
Mobile X-Ray unit was received
from Mr. A. J. Zebrel who is tour
ing the Territory to make advance
arrangements for the visit of the
unit.
According to Mr. Zebrel no fixed
date has yet been set for the visit
in Seward as the unit has exper
ienced some delay in its travels
around the Kenai Peninsula and
is now about a week behind sched
ule. As it now looks, the unit
should arrive in Seward sometime
Thanksgiving week after spending
a couple of days at Moose Pass.
Due to the ever lessening ap
propriations for this service, it has
been necessary to try and recover
some of the cost of operation of
the unit by accepting a contribu
tion from persons receiving the x
ray service. The $1.00 contribution
is not mandatory and any person
who desires the x-ray can still re
ceive the. service though they feel
that they cannot afford to contri
bute.
The unit has been removed from
its regular Van and it is necesary
to sat up the equipment in some
warm place. In Seward that will
be the Civic Center. The team op
erating the mobile x-ray unit in
cludes Dr. John Wenberg, Radio
logist; Mrs Wenberg, Clerk; and
Ray Kennedy, x-ray technician.
In order to facilitate the speedy
processing of every possible person
in town desiring the x-rays the
Health Council president Mrs. E.
W. Hull appointed a number of
committees to do the advance work
to get the community ready for
the survey. The following are the
committee, heads named: E. W.
Hull, Program; Don Dalberg, Fac
ilities; Mrs. Droun, Services and
Home canvasers, the home canvas
mg will be done by ladies of the
Legion Auxiliary; Mrs. Carl Ling,
Publicity; Mrs. Carl Stoekle, Host
ess; and Mr. William Bonser, Ed
ucation.
It has bedn pointed out that the
purpose of the x-ray program is 3
fold first, the most publicized is
locating persons who may have
either heart trouble or cancer. Any
of these three need not be extreme
ly serious if caught in their early
stages, the x-ray program hopes to
do that in many cases.
Findings of the x-ray will not
be made public record other than
possible statistical data on the
number and types of cases found.
The findings in case you need med
ical attention will be referred to
your doctor and you will be advis
ed of the nature of the findings
and what course of action is rec
ommended.
In addition to the financial aid
received from contributions of per
sons taking the x-ray the mobile
Health Survey is supported by the
Alaska Department of Health, Al
aska TB Association, Alaska Div
ision of the American Cancer Soc
iety, the Heart Associations of
Alaska and the U. S. Public Health
Service.
i
Now on Display
THE TOTALLY NEW
1955 FORD
New Engines — New Trigger-Torque
Transmission — New Inside and Out
The Most Powerful Ford Ever Built
SEE IT NOW
AT
SEWARD MACHINE SHOP
THANKSGIVING
DINNER-DANCE
SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER AT 7:30 P.M.
• MUSIC BY MELODY ACES •
ALL ELKS, THEIR LADIES AND INVITED GUESTS
ELK’S CLUB
November 13
— — — — — — — — — — — — ^jr.
Following Basketball Game Civic Center
Live Music - Refreshments 9:30
, . #