Published every Saturday at Kodiak, Alaska
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Entered in the Postoffice at Kodiak, Alaska as Second
Class matter under act of Congress of March 3,1878
! THE ISLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY
•• , _ Sig J. Digree, Editor and Publisher
. y' Betha Digree, Executive Secretary
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tiotrof all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also the local news published herein.
Where Is Alaska Anyway?
by Roderick M. Moore
(Editor’s Note: The following edi
ferial by Roderick M. Moore
civil engineering sophomore al
the University of Alaska, was
written as a basic newswriting
alignment, accordng to the Uni
versity’s Polar Star, from which if
is reprinted.)
Alaska made news all over the
world when three University of Al
aska Geophysical institute scien
tists were the first men in North
America to view Russia’s earth
aielTte cn Oct. 6, 1957.
there ire probably few people
m the United States who do not
know at least the basic facts about
this satellite. And yet even today,
three and a half months later,
there are a great many people in
the states who do not know even
the basic facts about Alaska.
How ignorant are people in the
United S4-"4-^ the truth about
Alaska? That: they are ignorant
about the Territory, even today,
is shown emphatically by such
questions as:
“What language do you speak
tip there?”
“Is it part of the United States?”
“What is it really like up
there’”
These questions were asked of
University of Aaska faculty mem
bers who journeyed stateside after
Russia launched her first satel
lite.
This widespread ignorance is
further demonstrated by questions
in recent letters to the Registrar’s
Office and other departments at
the University.
Prom these and other questions
one is forced to realize that the
American neople still believe Al
aska is a land of perpetual ice and
snow with a half-year of total
1 darkness and a half of total day
light. Outsiders fail, however to
associate any warmth with the
daylight.
These letters reveal the miscon
ceptions and false ideas statesiders
have about Alaska even now
We wear mukluks and parkas
the year around and have a terri
ble time keeping warm in the be
low zero temperatures. Seldom do
we venture outside our homes for
fear of the wolves, moose and
other ‘ wild animals” that are con
stantly roaming about our yards.
Alaska is a “small Territory”
and it is but a short distance from
Anchorage to Fairbanks. Other
towns and villages are “somewhere
close by.” We travel wholly by dog
tern for these “short distances.”
Ketchikan must be terribly cold.
It couldn’t possiby be only slightly
cooler than Seattle—for Ketchikan
is “in Alaska.”
Alaskans can’t possibly have
“radio” and “even television” in
“tnat primitive country.”
Some outsiders even believe Al
aska is a part of Canada, or “some
where north of the United States.”
Prospective faculty members. in
the states expressed their surprise,
in December 1957, to 'find that
such an institution as the Univer
sity exists in central Alaska. *
That this ignorance existed 10
years ago, is perhaps understand
able and forgiveable. That this ig
norance still exists today, demands
the attention and concern of all
Alaskans.
If Alaska fails to attain state
Here There Everywhere
* * * STIR THE p;r\ I r.m
slid to see that people in Kodiak
can be stirred up alter all. I ques
tioned this for some time. We go
about living here in much the
j
same groove most of the time, and
our interests are sparked fronr
time to time by some happening
a little out of the ordinary—ther
the inevitable rumors that go along
Hear the
“Kodiak Swingbillies”
at the
SINO
February 21- February 22
_ V- v **■*:*.
hood in the present session of Con
gress, this ignorance of Alaska
might be one of the major factors
contributing to that failure.
How can the American public
sincerely urge their Congressmen
to grant Alaska statehood when
they have neither the knowledge,
nor understanding of the problems,
hopes, fears and joys we in Alaska
find so vital to our very existence?
with most happenings, the clear
ing up by forthcoming details—
then we settle back to the same
old routine.
The recent decision of the City
Council to give assent to the tear
ing down of some old buildings al
Fort Abercrombie, stirred up ar
interest that long lay dormant
The good City fathers found the
people didn’t want these buildings
torn down. Despite their unsight
liness (we mean the buildings, no1
the City fathers) they seemed tc
have a usefulness after all.
The area in which these build
ings are located is certainly one oi
the most beautiful nearby. With
out a doubt it should be put tc
better use than it is now. But the
same criticism can be put to it as
can be said about a lot of other
projects and plans in Kodiak. They
never come to fruition. We have
heard of plans to make this a park
area, a recreational site for the
benefit of residentts—grown ups
and children. But, of course, per
mission must be obtained. Therein
lies the rub. We are then up again
st a seemingly adamant govern
ment agency—the Bureau of Land
Management. The request, il
seems, is filed in “drawer 13,” or
whatever drawer unanswered and
unacted upon letters are put
There is complete silence, and we
go our way as if the request was
never made. You can’t help but
ask the question, “Why the de
lay?”
We who lived here in 1942 and
who live here in 1958 apoarently
are not going to enjoy this "-'a
developed recreational spot—un
less there are some radical
changes in the near future.
The same applies to other pro
jects. The municipal airport diec
aborning for want of land title
The playground at 6th and Mil
Bay Road was never realized be
cause a lot of work had to be don<
and some financing. Mainly its be
cause these projects take spear
heading—agitation stirred up b:
one or two individuals, fired ii
the belief they are needed.
We mentioned last week anothe:
idea for a playground. Where it i
to be located is important but th<
most important thing is the play
ground itself—a playground wher
i the cry of “play ball”, is heard
where football is played, or tennis
badminton, etc. Or are the childre
here going to come down with
severe case of “spectoritis” b<
fore they grow up? Are they goin
to be denied the pleasure of paj
ticipating in sports simply becaus
we failed to provide a place fo
them?
* * * TEMERITY. Now tha
the Armory is an assured projec
there are whispered feelings e>
pressed that we will not be abl
to maintain the building eve
after it is built. No one denies- th
armory is needed and will ad
much to our community life. That’
good enough for me. Let’s get o;
with its construction.
* * * IS THE TIDE TURNING
John Doe and associates are spenc
ing these days. According t
NEWSWEEK “Despite unemploj
ment, the U.S. consumer was bu}
ing at a rate higher than ever be
fore in the nation’s history.” Maj
be Nixon’s observation was a gooi
one, even if it has a political in:
plication. He said recently: “Ther
: is mothing wrong with’the econom;
that a good dose of confidence
won’t cure.”
In this election year, which will
win—the GOP elephant’s “spray”
of confidence or the Democrat
Donkey’s “bray” of recession.
* * * AND THEY THINK ITS
COLD IN ALASKA. Attendants at
the Buffalo, N. Y. Zoo set fire to
kerosene-soaked straw to melt a
bridge of ice that offered a pos
sible escape route for two 1,200
pound polar bears.
* * • According to Gen. Carl
Spaatz, U.S.A.F., Ret, scientists
forsee in the not to far distant
future, when a manned plane, op
erating in the twilightzone be
tween the earth’s atmosphere and
outer space, will be capable of
making six trips around the world
in less than 24 hours.
ARC Nurses Aide
Capping Shown
Last Monday evening, February
17, Mr. J. Neal Anderson, ARC
Field Director on the Naval Sta
tion, turned over his AFRSTV
program, “The American Red
Cross Presents”, to the Kodiak
Chapter for the purpose of pre
senting a graduating class of nine
Volunteer Nurse’s Aides.
The ladies who received their
caps, pins and certificates were
introduced by Mrs. Peggy Sutliff,
Vice Chairman of Volunteer Ser
vices. Graduates were the Mes
dames Eric Blankenburg, Donald
Burgey, Charles Christofferson,
R.H. Mample, William C. Morgan,
Russell Welborn, J.A. Werner,
C.W. Whitcomb and Mrs. Albert
Wood.
The ceremony, which was one
culmination of sixty hours of in
tensive training, wr<5 onened with
an invocation by Lt. E.J. McDonald,
Chaplain Corps, USN.
Reverend John Molletti, Chair
man of the Kodiak Chapter, ARC,
acted as Master of Ceremonies
and presented the. certificates.
The ladies were led in their pledge
of service by Mrs. Wesley Rhoades,
Chairman of the Nurse’s Aide
■ Committee, and given the pins,
l symbolic of that pledge, by Mrs.
C.G. Smith, Chapter Chairman of
L Volunteer Nurse’s Aides.
“Of course the really high point
1 of the evening for the graduates
was their acceptance by the pro
fessional men and women with
whom they will work, as these are
1 truly qualified to judge compet
ence,” commented Mrs. Sutliff.
Captain F. Kirk Smith, MC
USN, Senior Medical Officer on
the Naval Station, spoke in ap
preciaton of Nurse’s Aides, and Dr.
A. Holmes Johnson, from the city
of Kodiak, brought them a very
complimentary congratulatory mes
sage.
Lt. Cmdr. Marie A. Pongratz,
Chief Nurse at the Naval Station
Hospital, explained the significan
ce of the caps, which were placed
on the heads of the graduates by
Mrs. G.W. Huntley, RN. The cap
is the visible symbol that the
ladies have completed their train
ing and are ready to give service.
The lecture and demonstration
portion of the course was taught
by Mrs. Huntley, while Miss
Pongratz supervised the practice
work at the Naval Station Hospital.
Miss Dorothy Runyon, RN, who
supervised the practice work at
the Griffin Memorial Hospital, was
not able to be present.
“This gift comes from the Chap
ter in grateful appreciation for
the many hours that you have
given, and will give, to Red Cross
work,” Mrs. L.W. Pew, Naval Sta
tion Unit Chairman of Nurse’s
Aides told the new graduates as
she presented each one with a
pair of bandage scissors.
Policy Pointers
By Art Brooks
One of the finest Life In
surance policies that has been
developed recently is the Fami
ly Group Plan. This policy in
sures the entire family under
one policy for one low pre
mium.
Let me give you an example
of this coverage:
For father, age 27 — $5,000
Life Insurance, plus $5,000 if
death is accidental before age
65.
For mother, age 25 — $1,150
For Son, under 21 — 1,000
For Daughter under 21 1,000
For new babies, auto
matic coverage — 15
days to 1 year — $250.00
After first year $1,000
Total monthly cost for $8,150
only $10.24. Also, after 20
years there is a cash or loan
value of $1,486.29.
Qualified Counsel
Kodiak Insurance &
Building Corp.
Phone 3401 or 2561
1
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7
You Could Win
$18.00 by making the best guess as to the
amount of money in the glass jar in the
bank’s front window.
The contest will close on March 4th which
is the bank’s Anniversary.
Ak °ld timer is one who remembers when
a babysitter was called Mother.”
Rank of Kodiak
KODIAK, ALASKA “