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"News of cAmencd’s Last Frontier
Library & Museum
, Alaska
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VOL. 15, NO. 36
KbblAK,' ALASKA, NOVEMBER 5, 1955
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Governor Will Preside
At Historic Conclave
Gov. B. Frank Heintzleman will
preside at ceremonies Nov. 8 open
ing the Alaska Constitutional Con
vention at the University of Alaska,
President Ernest N. Patty has dis
closed.
Dr. Patty outlined the univer
sity’s role in the historic event
following consultations with
Thomas B. Stewart, executive offi
cer of the Alaska Statehood Com
mittee. Stewart will return to
campus next week to coordinate
all the activities .
The convention officially will
commence at 10 a.m. in the univer
sity gymnasium. After Gov. Heint
zleman opens it, Waino Hendrick
son, secretary of Alaska, will read
the certification of the delegates
and call the roll. The delegates
then will take their oath of office.
Dr. Patty will present a short
welcome address, as will Kenneth
Carson* president of the Asso
ciated Students of the University
of Alaska, and Douglas Preston,
mayor of Fairbanks.
Gov. Heintzleman will deliver
the main address. Others who will
give addreses are Delegate E. L.
“Bob” Bartlett; the Hon. Ernest
Gruening, former governor of
Alaska; and Robert B. Attwood,
chairman of the Alaska Statehood
Committee.
Honor guests will be seated on a
stage, and the delegates in a special
section in front of it. There will
be a reserve section for various
territorial officials, Chamber of
Commerce officers, the Fairbanks
City Council, and the wives of
delegates.
University officials expect large
crowds of interested Alaskans at
the ^opening ceremonies. To en
able the greatest possible number
of the visitors to hear the cere
monies, the university will trans
mit the speeches in room 218 of
the Eielson Memorial Building and
into the Brooks Memorial Mines
Building auditorium. Members of
the Lettemen’s Club and the girls’
cheer leaders will serve as ushers.
The University Band, under di
rection of Prof. Tom Brady, will
provide musical selections during
the morning ceremonies. Prof.
Lorraine Donoghue, head of the
music department, will close the
morning session by playing the
Alaska Flag Song on the James
E. Barrack; Memorial Carillon.
The delegates and honor visitors
will be luncheon guests of the
university at noon. Gov. Heintzle
man will reconvene the meeting
at 2 p. m. in the gymnasium. He
will announce that nominations are
open for a temporary president.
This official then will assume his
duties and proceed with the busi
ness of the convention which may
last 75 days.
Ninety per cent of the confer
ence business will take place in
the new Student Union Building.
In the event there are overflow
conferences, the delegates will
meet in the nearby modern Geo
physical Institute building.
Jack Hinckel Leaves
To Attend Convention
Jack Hinckel, Constitutional Del
egate form this district, plans to
leave this week-end for Fairbanks,
and will arrive in time for the
opening of the Convention Novem
ber 8.
-'“None of the electors in this
district have expressed any opin
ions to me of what they think
should be incorporated in a State
Constitution,” Hinckel stated. “I
accept this as a vote of confidence
in my judgement of the district
and it’s people.”
Hinckel further stated that he did
not think it wise that he commit
or align himself and the district
with any faetion at this time. There
are several controversial aspects in
the framing of a constitution, that
have come to light since the elec
tion of delegates, and it was these
that Hinckel had reference to. He
also remarked: “I beleive that I
can serve the district best by keep
ing an open mind and by accept
ing the wealth of information that
the advisory staff of consultants
is making available before decis
ions, on controversial subjects.”
Jack expects the convention will
go the full time allotted to it, pri
marily because of the fact that
there are so many delegates and
each will have an opinion as to
what should be incorporated into
a constitution.
Jack Hinckel is well known in
this area as a fuel dealer and Un
ion Oil Company consignee. He
has lived here in Kodiak for ten
and a half years continuously. He
came to Alaska in 1922, as an en
gineer for a mining company. He
spent two years in the Copper Ri
ver valley for the company.
Hinckel has been prominent in
civic affairs for many years in this
city. He served as Kodiak’s mayor
for one term in 1953-54. Previous
to that he served on the City Coun
cil for seven years. He has been ac
tive in the Chamber of Commerce,
past president of Rotary, and has
been continuously active in the
Elks and other civic functions and
organizations.
He concluded his remarks by
saying, “I will do the best that I
can to represent you as truly as
I can."
CAB HOLDS UP PROPOSAL
OF NORTHWEST AIRLINES
Washington—(AP). Civil Aero
nautics Board has held up the ap
proval of the Northwest Airlines
proposal to operate a coach or
tourist service in Alaska with as
few as 50 folding or removable
seats. _
CAB spokesman said the Board
usually requires greater seating ca
pacity than that proposed by
Northwest. On 4-engine constella
tion, for examle, they say there
must be seats for at least 76 per
sons in order for the aircraft to
qualify as a reduced fare coach.
CAB said it wanted to investi
gate whether Northwest’s proposal
would be unduly preferential or
discriminatory.
City Council Meet
Has Full Agenda
The City Council session held last
Monday included in its order of
business such subjects for discus
sion as trespass on land not even
owned by complaintant, easement
for sewer pipe laying, illegal park
ing, applications for dock superin
tendent and for City Manager.
To add to such a full slate, the
Council was also “invaded” by
ghosts and goblins, who asked for
“trick or treat,” since it was Hal
loween night.
Fred Solberg appeared before
the Council to make a complaint
against the City. He stated the
City’s cemetary site is in trespass
on his homestead at Monaska Bay.
He said he was granted the land
but has no patent as yet. Solberg
stated he has been in the area 17
years, but that the granting of the
patent was delayed due to the out
break of the war.
Solberg asked that a letter be
sent to the Bureau of Land Man
agement, relinquishing the City’s
lease, and that his claim be grant
ed. He offered to give a quit claim
deed to the city for land necessary
for the cemetery. He said he had
spent at. least $5000 in improve
ments and built 1175 feet of drains.
Five application^ were consider
ed for dock superintendent. These
included H. L. Rochelle, Donald
Brant, Ernie Medima, Jack John
son and George Sonntag. The ap
plications were referred to com
mittee for decision.
Charles Truitt was the lone ap
plicant for City Manager. Further
applications will he considered be
fore a decision is made.
Jim Loan appeared at the re
quest of Council in answer to a
complaint that his bus was parking
on the corner near the Post Office
for long periods of time. Loan
proved his bus line was not guilty
of doing so,
H. F. MacDonald is asking $300
for easement through his property
in the laying of the City’s sewer
line.
Chief Vickery gave a report on
the police association meeting he
recently attended n Anchorage. He
also verified the law stating that
no one under 21 will be permitted
in bars, except where food is serv
ed.
Council woman Anna Mae Voka
cek was absent, as was City Clerk
Dick Berg. Mrs. Vokacek was in at
tendance at Palmer as the City’s
official delegate to the League of
Alaskan Cities Convention. Berg
is attending the National Guard
Encampment at Anchorage. Pat
Cannon was also absent.
SON OF FORMER GOVERNOR
MISSING IN AUSTRALIA
Juneau—(AP). Peter Gruening,
son of the former governor of Al
aska ,and his wife have been miss
ing the last eight days. Gruening
is manager of the United Press
Bureau, Sidney, Australia.
Gruening?s brother, Huntington,
who is operating manager for the
Alaska Coastal Airways, was noti
fied by his parents in Washington,
D. C. He left for Australia Wed
nesday to aid in the search.
Vets Sponsor Parade
In City Next Friday
Veterans’ Day on November 11,
formerly known as Armistice Day,
will be celebrated this year by a
grand parade and flag-raising cere
mony in the City of Kodiak, spon
sored by Katmai Post 7056, Veter
ans of Foreign Wars of the United
States.
The parade will form in front of
Kraft’s Hardware Store at 10:30,
march off at 10:45; proceed
through the City, past a reviewing
stand under the Bank of Kodiak
marquee, to the school grounds,
where Mayor Ole Johnson will of
ficiate as Master of Ceremonies.
Chaplain Herbert W. Buckingham,
USN, will offer the opening pray
er. The principal speaker of the
day will be Lieutenant Commander
Normal L. Miley, USCG, followed
by other officers of all branches of
the Armed Forces. Rev. John Mol
letti will offer the closing prayer.
The parade will consist of First
Lieutenant Louis S. Swenson, US
MC, Parade Marshal, Marine Color
Guard, the Navy Band, one platoon
each of Marines and Sailors from
the Naval Station, VFW, including
the VFW Ladies’ Auxiliary, Girl
Scouts, Brownies. Boy Scouts and
other patriotic marching units.
Pinpoint Efforts
Heintzleman Urges
Fairbanks—(AP). Gov. Heintzl
man urged Alaskans to prepare
and pinpoint their efforts to en
courage economic development and
to get “satisfactory share” of
growth in the United State’s popu
lation as predicted by the Census
Bureau.
Speaking before hte conference
of the Alaska Chamber of Com
merce, the Governor outined a
course of coodinated action by Al
askans that he felt was necessary
to stimulate growth of the terri
tory. eH discussed the necessity of
extending and improving Alaska’s
road system, and urged that Alas
ka be included in the Federal Aid
Road Act. He advocated the need
for adequate cheap water trans
portation for southeastern Alaska,
relaxation of Federal regulations
on municipal bonded indebtedness.
He also urged the active support
of the Sen. Magnuson bill provid
ing for an international rail .and
highway commision.
A. Vokacek
Is Trustee
Anna Mae Vokacek was elected
a trustee of the League of Alaskan
Cities at the convention of that
body just concluded in Palmer.
She was the delegate from the City
of Kodiak.
Mayor Douglas of Fairbanks is
the new president. He succeeds
Russell Painter of Seward. Mayor
J. H. Goding of Ketchikan was
named vice-president. Four other
trustees were elected. They were:
Mayor Stefan Anderson of Nome,
City Manager E. G. Rash of Cor
dova, Mayor Charles E. Wilson of
Palmer, and Mayor Hinchey of
Anchorage.
The convention, which lasted
three days, was addressed by many
speakers of national and territori
al fame. Among them was Del.
Bartlett, who stressed importance
of the part the municipalities must
play in striving for good govern
ment. He also stressed the role
which municipalities should have
in discussions at the Constitutional
Convention, pointing out that lea
gue influence also should be felt
at that gathering as a force for
good government.
An Alaskan Cities Workshop
was held during the convention,
and presided over by City Mana
ger George Shannon of Anchorage.
A discussion was held on subjects
including property revaluation, vol
unteer £ire department operation,
street maintenance and municipal
public relations.
“Opportunities for Alaska win
be offered at the Constitutional!
Convention to recognize the choice
of units of local self government,”
the League was told by John Di
Corcoran, field supervisor, Public
Administrative Service, Seattle
“The question facing Alaska,” he:
pointed out, “is not how the forma
tion of local units should take
place in a! procedural sense, but it
is rather one of what kind or kinds
of local units should be recogniz
ed.”
Corcoran concluded his remarks
by saying, “By recognizing that all
local legislative authority and aH
local executive and administrative
functions can and should be vested
in one unified local government,
Alaskans will be reaching at one
stride a goal that local government
reformers and specialists have
been striving to attain in many
states over a period of several
generations.”
ects ^ourd
Discovery of the bodies of in
sects, some 60 million years old,
embedded in samples of Alaskan
amber, was announced today by
The Arctic Institute of North Am
erica. Although fossil impressions
of older insects exist, the mummi
fied Alaskan animalcules are be
lieved to be many million years
older than any other actual insect
specimans extant.
The Arctic Institute was sponsor
of the successful search for the
ancient Alaskan insect relics con
ducted by Dr. Robert Usinger and
Dr. R. F. Smith professors of ento
mology of the University of Cali
fornia. Bedrock sources of Alaskan
amber were discovered within the
past few’ years by the U. S. Geoli
gical Survey, but it was notuntiJ.
last summer that Drs. Usinger and
Smith, acting on information pro
vided by the Survey, extracted
piceces of amber for study and ex
animation. The amber was found
in the Colville River valley fr-1 aF
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