News of oAmencd s Last frontier
VOL 13 NO 21
KODIAK, ALASKA AUGUST 1, 1953
PRICE 10 CENTS
Council Considers Hiring
A City Manager
Kodiak voters will decide if
they wish to hire a city mana
ger for the City of Kodiak
when they go to the polls in
the general city election in
October.
Mayor Lee C. Bettinger sug
gested to the city council Mon
day that a citv manager be
hired. After a discussion the
council agreed to putting the
proposition on the ballot in
October.
A salary of ‘ ‘around $10,000’ ’
per year will be offered to the
manager. The city clerk |ias
heen instructed to locate a
competent man for the job.
The hiring of a city manager
for Kodiak has been considered
in the past by the council but
this is the first time any defi
nite action has been taken.
The majority of the voters
must favor hiring a city mana
ger before one can be hired.
Robert Hedloff, city clerk, |
told the council that a city i
manager was “badly needed.” '
He said that the business at |
the city hall had increased [
considerably during the past
two years.
In the October election a
mayor and two councilmen
will be elected.
The council also decided that
the mayor and city councilmen
should receive a salary. They
indicated that they did not
feel that the salary should be,
a large one. An ordinance]
must be enacted to provide |
salaries. However, none of the
present council will be eligible
to receive compensation for
their services.
According to an existing
ordinance councilmen in office
cannot vote themselves sala
ries. Only newly elected or in
coming councilmen will be eli
gible to receive money.
The amount of the salaries
was not decided during the
meeting. Paul Dupler, city at
torney, will draw up the new
ordinance.
Mrs. Vokacek Resigns
City Magistrate Post J
Mrs. A. M. Vokacek has,
submitted her resignation to j
the city council as City Magis
trate
Her resignation is effective
as of today. However, she in
dicated she would serve until
another appointment was
made. Mrs. Vokacek has been
acting in a temporary capacity
since February 16, following
the resignation of City Clerk
Robert Hedloff as City Magis
trate.
Senator Taft
Died Yesterday
New York (i?5) — Senatoi
Taft died at 11:30 am yester
day in a hospital. The hospital
issued this bulletin: “The Sen
ator’s life came to an end
quietly and without pain al
11:30 am, EST. His death was
the result of a widespread
highly malignant, rapidly
growing tumors, first symp
toms of which were pain in
his legs, later localized in his
left hio.”
His four sons were at his
bedside. His wife, Martha,
who suffered a stroke thre<
years ago and since has be er
in a wheelchair, was flowr
here Tuesday but later re
turned to New York.
Children’s Picnic
1 PM Tomorrow
Tomorrow will be children’s
day at the Elks annual Picnic
which will be held on the play
ground on Mission Road.
The picnic will begin at one
pm and is sponsored by the
local Elks Lodge. It will run
throughout the afternoon.
Races and games will be feat
ured and many prizes will be
given away, Walt Muller,
games chairman announced.
Alvin Miller is chairman of
the food committee and guar,
antees there will be plenty of
hot dogs and ice cream foi
everyone.
This is the fourth year the
Kodiak Elks Lodge has spon
sored this event. John Gibbons
is general chairman of the
picnic.
The Elks Club will be closed
during the month of Augusf
except for game night every
Wednesday. The lounge room
of the club will be redecorated
while the lodge is closed.
Fish Lure Inventor
Leaves Navy Base
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Munson
and daughter left on the USS
Funston recently. Munson,
navy serviceman, was a "fam
ous” fisherman. He invented
a salmon fly called the "Bus
kin Spinner” that is both pop
ular and effective with local
and KNSibhirmjn.
Mr. and Mrs. Basil Clark
and son Gerald returned home
after spending a few days in
the interior of Alaska. During
their absence Donald Clark,
another son, ran the garage.
Truce Ends Korean War
Howland Gets
30 Year Term
Pleads Guilty
To 2nd Degree Murder
Roger B. Howland, 38, was
sentenced to 30 years in the
penitentiary on a charge of
second degree murder in the
fatal shooting last October of
Raymond Cruz, 18, U. 3.
Marine.
Cruz was shot down in the
Civilian Cafeteria at Kodiak'
Naval Station over an alleged
debt a few hours before he
was scheduled to board a
plane for the states.
Howland was indicted for
first degree murder and was
held in custody at the U. S.
Federal Jail here for several
months. ,
Assistant U. S. Attorney
Lynn Kirkland recommended
the lesser offense to which
Howland pleaded guilty be
fore Judge J. Earl Cooper.
Howland was once in a mental
institution in Maine but was
released within six months af
ter he showed improvement.
At the time of the shooting he
was employed at /vNS as a
laborer.
A psychiatric examination
recently showed Howland was
sane to the extent he knows
the difference in right from
wrong. However, the psychi
atrist did not think he killed
maliciously or with premedita
tion.
Peter Kalamardies, attorney
for Howland, stated that the
man was mentally unbalanced
but not to the extent required
by law for a defense on that
point.
Howland still insisted in
court Wednesday that Cruz
owed him five dollars and was
the cause for shooting the ma
! rine. Before his death Cruz
denied knowing Howland or
owdng him money. Howland
bought the 7.65 automatic only
a few hours before the shoot
ing for “hunting and self-pro
tection.’’
Howland’s attorney agreed
with the 30 year recommenda
j tion in the hope the prisoner j
; would receive mental treat-!
ment while in custody. ]
i
[ Mrs. Margaret Wilson is the
house guest of Mr. and Mrs.
j Roy Coble. She arrived here
| last week on the Denali.
| Mrs. Marie Slingerland,
J mother of Mrs. Neal Warwick,
Heft r^c after a 10 day
j v: - t witn her daughter, and
j on-in-law and granddaughter,
iier home is in Los Angeles.
To
sorier
£*C/|
stan 0ue
Fog Moves In;
Causes Mishaps
The fog that blanneted the
north end of Kodiak Island
Sunday caused many mishaps
and delayed arrivals in town
by boats and planes.
Vince Daly was returning
from Kulik and Brooks lake
with a fishing party and was
unable to land here because of
the fog. He flew to Afognak
Lake where it was clear and
stayed at Burl Clymer’s camp.
The (SAA boat ran aground
near the beachcombers on one
of its regular trips from
Woody Island to town. It was
towed off by another boat and
no damage was done.
Alf Madsen’s Polaris was
out with a sightseeing party
but turned back for port when
the fog began to move down
the channel.
Bob von Sheele’s boat was
out with a party of 10 and was
forced to drop anchor and
spend the night until the fog
lifted, (see story page 3)
Bob Acheson hit a rock with
his speedboat while running in
the fog and bent or broke the
shaft on the outboard.
Plan To Hold
Show Extra Day
Plans to extend the Kodiak
and Naval Station Garden
Clubs flower exhibit until
Monday so that it may be
viewed by Denali round trip
passengers was announced
yesterday.
The date for the show has
been set for August 16,,at the
LISO. The show is non-com
petitive and anyone may enter
displays.
Flower exhibits, drift wood
arrangements and other ex
hibits will be accepted. Per
sons wishing to submit entries
may call Mrs. Bob Hall at
3282 or see Mrs. Sig Digree at
29 DA, KNS.
There is no entry fee.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rey
nolds are expected to arrive
in town this week after driv
ing from Burbank, Calif.,
where they have lived for the
past several months. Mr. and
Mrs. Reynolds left Kodiak a
year ago, going to California
after a short stay in Hawaii.
Mrs. Reynolds will return to
work at the Kodiak MIRROR.
ranmunjom (Jr) —The truce
has been signed at Panmun
jom ending three years and
one month of undeclared war
in Korea.
The armistice agreement
ending the bitter war was
signed at 10 am Monday in.
the truce village of Panmun»~
jom. Twelve hours later offi
cial orders for a cease-fire
were broadcast to troops o*.
both sides of the lines. Firing
continued and casualties were
suffered on both sides up till
the last minute.
A political conference is
scheduled to start within 90
days.
The signing was carried on
in a stony silence. Lt. Gen.
William K. Harrison signed
for the United Nations and
North Korean Gen. Nam II
signed for the Communists.
The war has cost the lives
of 24,965 Americans and has
resulted in the wounding of
301,378 and more than 10,OOCs
| missing.
, Three hours after the armis
tice papers were signed by
Gen. Harrison at the specially
built pagoda-like hut built by
the Reds, Gen. Mark Clark af
fixed his signature to 18 copies
i of the Armistice documents.
* An exchange of Allied pris
oners, including Gen. William
Dean, is expected to begin
shortly.
Seoul (A5)—President Syng
man Rhee agreed to abide by
I the truce but' expressed doubt:
i that it would stop Commu
nistic advances in Korea.
After the signing of the ar
mistice troops on both sides-',
i pulled back one mile and a
quarter leaving a two and half,
mile “no mans land.”
i
Fishing Season
Resumed Friday
Commercial salmon fishing
was resumed yesterday at 6
am in the Kodiak-Afognak
; Island area with the exception
j of the Karluk District. The
; season has been closed since
' July 15.
FWS agents have anxiously
| awaited rain in the Kodiak.
| area as the spawning stream?
are low an 1 the salmon wilt
: have difficulty going up -
stream.
The run of pinks around the
island has been encouraging
in seme areas for a large
catch.