TH
rrNews of cAmerica’s Last Frontier
VOL 12 NO 24
KODIAK, ALASKA
AUGUST 16, 1952
PRICE 10 6BNTSJ
Housing Project Hinges
On Special Election
Kodiak voters will be called
upon September 2, to decide
whether they approve an ordi
nance which provides for the
vacation of certain streets and
alleys on the east addition plat
which are in the area where
the proposed housing project
is to be built.
The entire housing project
hinges on this election. 50% or
more of the ballots cast must
be marked “yes” by those
voting in the election.
The present streets and al
leys do not conform to a prac
tical or economic plan for con
struction of houses or the lay
ing of sewers and water
mains.
A new plat has been prepar
ed by Aleutian Homes’ Inc.,
sponsors of the housing pro
ject, which has streets and
alleys laid out that conform to
the natural contours of the
land.
Voters will be asked to vote
yes or no on the proposition.
The city council has an ordin
ance prepared for the vacation
of the old plat.
The polling place will be at
the city hall. Hours for voting
are 8 am to 7 pm. Persons
wishing to vote must possess
the qualifications of a voter.
The registration book is now
open at the city hall. The no
tice of election with a detailed
description of the streets and
alleys appears on page 7 of to
day’s MIRROR.
General Bradley |
Coming Here
General of the Army Omar
N. Bradley, ehairman of the
joint chiefs of staff, will ar
rive in Kodiak early this
week.
He is on an eight day tour
of inspection of Alaskan de
fenses. General Nathan F.
Twining, acting chief of staff
USAF; General Walter B.
Smith, director Central In
telligence Agency and Lt.
Gen. Thomas White, deputy
chief of staff operations US
AF, and other officers are in
the party.
They will confer with Rear
Adm. Perry, Commander A
laska Sea Frontier, while at
the Naval Station.
The Planning and Zoning1
Commission approved the site j
plans for the housing project
in the east addition during a
meeting at the city hall ;
Wednesday evening.
A recommendation that the
city accept the plans will bel
sent to the city council, j
Ike Spurns Offer
By Truman
By Associated Press
General Eisenhower de
clined President Truman’s in
vitation for a White House
“briefing” on the world
danger spots with a tart re
minder he’s lived with such
problems for years.
He told the President he
wants to steer clear of direct
contact with the present ad
ministration, thus remaining
free to criticize policies.
In answering the Presi
dent’s invitation Ike said, “I
believe our communications
should be only those which
are to all American people.”
A few hours later at a news
conference President Truman
said Eisenhower was free to
publicize any of his state
ments.
The President added that
Eisenhower has “garbled”
some of the things already
told him. He wouldn’t enlarge
on the “garbling” charges.
He said the idea of briefing
both Gov. Stevenson and
Eisenhower originated 10 days
ago. Gen. Omar Bradley, who
had been asked to invite
Eisenhower to briefing, said
he failed to do so believing
there was “no hurry.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Stevenson
cut loose with a volley of
barbed quips on the GOP at a
Democratic rally. He called
for a halt in the “tidal wave
of centralized power sweep
ing toward Washington,”
Vice President Barkley
charged Eisenhower with be
ing the “captive candidate”
rather than Stevenson.
The Kodiak Community
Library will open Friday
evening, August 29, Mrs.
Marshall Crutcher, who has
headed the committee to get
it in order, announced yester
day.
The library is in the skid
shack next to the Legion Hall
(former community center.)
It will be open, Mrs.
Crutcher said, Monday, Wed
nesday and Friday evenings,
from 7 to 8:30.
Mrs. Crutcher, with several
assistants, has spent the past
two years getting the library
ready for this re-opening.
The Kodiak Grandmother’s
Club held a beach picnic at
Mrs. Bea Nachtweih’s country
home last week.
Mrs. Ben Kraft and Mrs.
Nachtweih were hostesses.
Chamber Protests
PNA Service
The secretary of the Kodiak
Chamber of Commerce was
instructed to send a letter to
Pacific Northern Airlines pro
testing the plane service ex
tended Kodiak.
It was pointed out that
many hours are lost by pas
sengers because of variations
in the arrival and departure of
planes.
Carbons of the letter were
sent to the CAB.
The group approved a mo
tion to write Paul Warber,
superintendent of postal trans
portation in Anchorage, a
letter requesting that direct
mail service be inaugurated
between Kodiak and Homer.
Elliott Hyman, director of
the Kodiak U. S. 0. spoke
briefly on the work done by
the local organization. He told
ot the organization of the
unit and how it has been suc
cessful for the past decade.
Kraft Pickup Slides
Over Bluff
Alexis Popoff, 17-year old
'son of Father and Mrs. Alex
ander Popoff, was injured
when the delivery truck he
was driving went over the
cliff on South Brooklyn Mon
day.
The new International pick
up is owned by Ben Kraft.
Popoff was driving toward
town and pulled out to avoid
some holes in the road. A
wheel slid over the bank and
when he gave the engine more
gas the vehicle skidded over
the 30 foot bluff.
Alexis was taken to Griffin
Memorial hospital for treat
ment and was held several
days for Observation.
Order Stands On
City Prisnners
City prisoners will not be
lodged in the U. S. Federal
Jail for the time being, U. S. j
Deputy Marshal Clarence
Dizney said yesterday morn
ing.
Marshal Dizney returned to
Kodiak Thursday night from
a trip to Anchorage and the
states.
The orders regarding city
prisoners came from the U. S.
Marshal of the Third Divi
sion’s office, Dizney said.
Earlier, D. S. Deputy Marshall
Ivan Blood had closed the fed-,
eral jail to city prisoners, (seej
earlier story page 3).
The decision to not hold city j
prisoners in the federal jail
followed the alleged slugging
of a city prisoner by a U. S.
Jail guard.
Two persons were killed
Sunday in auto accidents that
occured beyond the city
limits.
Mrs. Peter Ponchene, 24,
mother of two small children,
died instantly around 2:15 am
when the car in which she,
her husband and Billie An
derson were riding went out
of control, struck a telephone
pole and overturned near the
Beachcombers. She was
thrown from the car.
Edward W. Bannister, 30,
USJN, SH 2, died late Sunday
night shortly after a 1947
Ford convertible, carrying six
other enlisted sailors, shot off
Mill Bay road, hit a stack of
logs and crashed into a large
tree.
The six sailors are now in
hospitals at Kodiak Naval Sta
tion and Elmendorf hospital at
Anchorage.
An inquest in the cause of
death of Mrs. Ponchene was
held Monday by U. S. Com
missioner A. M. Vokacek.
Testimony given by Pon
chene and Anderson showed
that the 1948 Plymouth was
traveling on Mission road to
ward the Beachcombers at a
high rate of speed with Pon
chene driving. ’
“I looked at the speedo
meter once and it read 551
mph. As we neared the Beach-1
combers I saw a car backing J
out of the driveway, I hit the
brakes and the car swerved. 1
think I hit a rock or something
too. The next thing I saw was
the telephone pole,” Ponchene
testified.
I Anderson’s testimony was
similar to Ponchenes regard
ing the crash.
A coroner’s jury of six
found. . .‘‘the cause of death
being an automobile accident
in which said automobile was
traveling at an excessive rate
of speed caused by the driver’s
negligence. The jury recom
mends that Peter Ponchene,
the driver of said automobile
shall forever be prohibited
from driving an automobile.”
The findings of the jury and
the recommendation were sent
to the U. S. Attorney’s office
in Anchorage by the commis
sioner.
Shortly before 11 pm Sunday
the city police received a re
port that a 1947 Ford convert
ible was speeding and being
driven in a reckless condition
A few minutes before the tra
gic crash the Ford passed
Shore Patrol headquarters on <
Brooklyn headed toward the
Montmartre Inn. A patrol car|
was dispatched to pick up the
speeder.
By the time the SF^ car
caugtit sight of the Ford it hit
the pile of logs and crashed
into the tree. Chief Bruce
Cole, USN, arrived at the
scene soon after the crash and
directed the removal of the
injured to Griffin Memorial
hospital. Three could not be
moved and were made as com
fortable as possible until arri
val of Navy ambulances from
Kodiak Naval Station.
Cliff Mowry, city patrolman,
one of the first arrivals on the
scene, described the wreck
age as “terrible”. “Legs,
arms and bodies were all en-^
tangled. The men were cut
and covered with blood and
the cries -were pitiful,” Mowry
saiu.
The engine of the Ford was
shoved toward the front seat
and the steering column was
bent stright up. All the glass
was shattered and the body
and frame of the car twisted.
The six injured men are
James T. Branham, Jr., AK1;
William A. Deinzer, SK 2,
both at Elmendorf hospital;
Carl A. Potter, SN; Harold L.
Olson, SN; George L. Peter
son, BM1; Edward J. Woods,
Jr., DR2, are at Kodiak Naval
Station hospital.
One of the sailor’s condi
tion is described as critical,
two as very serious and others
as serious. Their next of kin
have been notified.
Robert A. Hedloff, terri
torial highway representative,
U. S. Deputy Marshal Ivan
Blood of Anchorage and Chief
of police Ovid McKinley made
investigations of both acci
dents.
Members of the coroner’s
jury on the Ponchene acci
dent were Emmet Jennings,
Leonard Campbell, Mrs.
Henry Haag, Mrs. Ed Cum
mings, Mrs. Helen Wright and
Jack McCord.
Funeral services for Hilda
Oliva Ponchene were held
early this week at Afognak.
Burial was in the Afognak
eemetery. She is survived by
tier husband, Peter, two
children, Sandra Marie and
Peter John, Jr., her father
and mother, Mr. and Mrs.
Alexis Chichenoff of Afognak,
i brother and two sisters,
Alexis. Jr., Susane Chichenoff
;nd Phyllis Sholl.
Services for Edward Ban
nister were held at the Star
of the Sea Char el at Kodiak
Naval Station. He is survived
by his wife and two children.
I