Visit the
Twelfth Annual
Malanuska Valley Fair
August 30. 31. Sept. 1
THE FRONTIERSMAN
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may hare for sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 45, NUMBER 48
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. AUGUST 14, 1952
PRICE TEN CENTS
Search Continues For Missing Fisherman
World Around Us
IN KODIAK where there are
only 30 miles of roads, there were
two fatalaties from two automo
bile accidents last week end and
several injuries. Mrs. Peter Pon
chene. mother of two small chil
dren was killed instantly after a
vehicle driven by her husband
turned over three times and
sheared off a telephone pole and a
spruce tree. Two others were in
juried in this accident.
One sailor was killed and six
other Navy men seriously injured
in a crash that occurred only a
few minutes after the Kodiak
city police received a complaint
of reckless driving and speeding
and had set off to look for the
men. • * •
IN FAIRBANKS last week ef
forts of thoughtful citizens were
directed toward the peaceful set
tlement of a rut xus o\eV the re
cent abrupt firing and resignation
of the Fairbanks City Manager by
the City Council. It was felt that
the charges and countercharges
of irate citizens and on-the —*
councilmen were bringing th»
north city unfavorable publicity.
Meanwhile, work on the new
50-byl00-foot concrete block pa
villion on the Tanana Valley Fair
Grounds has been proceeding ac
cording to schedule. In all proba
bility it will be ready for use next
week when the three-day Tanana
Fair will be in progress.
* * *
IN KOTZEBUE recently fast
action by a bucket brigade saved
a good portion of that arctic
comunity from destruction when
the old Magids Store building
caught fire. Kotzebue men, wom
en and visitors formed a bucket
line from Kotzebue sound to the
roof of the burning building.
* * *
IX BRISTOL BAY resident
fishermen recently voted by an
8-to-l margin to be represented
by the Bering Sea Fishermen’s
Union (AFL) in collective bar
gaining with the Alaska Salmon
Industry. The independent Alas
ka Fishermen’s Union polled only
101 votes out of 878. The election
terminated more than 18 months
of rivalry begun when resident
fishermen broke with AFU and
formed the Bering Sea Union. The
break came when AFU was about
to merge with the International
Longshoremen and Warehouse
men’s Union headed by Harry
Bridges.
• * *
IN CHICKEN, the little mining
town in the Forty Mile, a cowi
moose rules the roost with her I
two calves. According to report of
visitors, ladies of Chicken are
staying indoors this summer to
avoid encounters with the Queen,
■who considers herself mistress of
all she surveys.
* * *
IN VALDEZ it was reported re
cently that the port city had col
lected $18,500 in sales taxes for
the first half-year operation,
January—July, 1952. Already
part of the money is going into
work on new sewer installations.
CO-OP MEMBERS
HEAR REPORT ON
$3 MILLION YEAR
Members of the Matanuska
Valley Cooperating Association
| learned with pride at their an
nual meeting Saturday that their
association had had its best year
| ever in the fiscal year ending May
! 31, 1952.
Gross sales on all MVFCA oper
! ations, including rentals and ser
vices amounted to a tidy S3,035,
081.99. This total for the single
fiscal year recently ended, Co
Op Accountant Clayton Esslinger
1 pointed out, equals the total gross
sales for the four previous years,
1948-1951.
The Co-Op’s Army contract to
provide recombined milk was an
important factor in the yearly
sales picture, especially since it
served to decrease the percentage
of overhead. But the healthiest
part of the overall total had been
produced by the farmer-members
themselves and through the facil
ities they operate. For them their
Co-Op had handled 1,784 tons of
potatoes worth $175,849-69 in gross
sales; 134.5 tons of green vege
tables—mostly cabbage, lettuce,
celery, and carrots—bringing $38,
1943.30 in gross sales; 3.412,545
I pounds of Grade A milk grossing
$514,334.19; and 45,201 dozens of
eggs at $43,397.76. The creamery
produced 281,228 gallons of ice
cream for people living in Alaska,
“the land of ice and rno^**',.
Reports on the several Co-Op
departments revealed that all had
operated in the black during the
fiscal year. On the basis of the
successful year’s operations the
i-d of Directors declared a
dividend on patronage at the gar
age, trading post and warehouse
which will be in excess of 10
percent. A total of $185,000 will
be distributed to the past year’s
patrons in 10-year cerificates. Div
idends in previous years have
been for five percent, also dis-:
tributed in 10-year certificates.
This announcement served notice
to Co-Op customers that it was
indeed worthwhile to keep their |
purchase coupons and turn them ;
in at the end of each fiscal year.1
Election of new Co-Op directors ;
followed the reports on the de
partments. John Nash, who had |
been appointed to fill a vacancy
early this year, was elected for a
three-year term. Three new direc
tors elected were Lloyd Short,
three-year term; Joe Gislason,
two-year term; and Clifton Grov
er, 1-year term.
At their meeting Tuesday night,
members of the new board elect
ed officers for the coming year.
Rex Kibbe was again elected
president. John Nash was elected
vice-president, and Harold Wine
garner, secretary-treasurer.
Drawings for door prizes at in
Continued on page 4
RAIN INSURANCE
SOUGHT FOR
VALLEY FAIR
The unusually high incidence
of rainy days this summer has
got the Fair Board worried.
This week Fair Board Presi
dent A1 Hagen contacted Pal
mer Realty regarding the pos
sibility of taking out rain in- !
surance for the three days of
the Fair, August 30 and 31 and
September 1. If the rates quot
ed are satisfactory the Matan
uska Valley Fair will be in
sured against rain for the first
time. Board members reason
that this should assure three
sunny days for this year’s Fair
goers.
PALMER SCHOOL
REGISTRATION
DATES ANNOUNCED
Superintendent William T
Zahradnicek this week announcec
registration dates for all new
elementary school students and
all high school students entering
Palmer School this fall
All first graders and new stud
ents in grades two through eight
should register during the three
day period August 20 through
August 22. The Palmer School of
fice will be open from 9-12 a.m.
and from 1-4 p.m. to accept these
registrations.
All high school students, grades
nine through 12, will register
I August 27 ana 28 during the same
j hours. They will make out their
school programs and pick up their
books at the time of registration.
Two Fair Queen
Contestants Qualify
With 16 Days to Go
Two Fair Queen contestants
have already qualified, Fair Man
ager Parker Lester reported at
the Tuesday night meeting of the
Fair Board.
They are Wanda Lindsey of
Palmer and Rose Marie Vickary
ous of Wasilla. Both girls have
! 250 Queen Contest tickets to date
and turned in the money last
Monday. Except to announce
qualification (revealing that at
least 250 tickets have been sold)
individual ticket sales will be held
confidential until the close of the
contest. Ticket stubs and money
for tickets sold are to be turned in
to the Fair manager each Tues
day for the remainder of the con
test.
The winner of the contest will
be crowned at the Coronation Ball
to be held Saturday, August 20, in
the school gymnasum. The queen
will be chosen by judges, yet to
be announced, on a point system
based on ticket sales, poise, grace,
and beauty.
Two Baseball Games
Special Fair attractions an
nounced this week are two base
ball games. On Sunday, August
31 the Palmer Little Leaguers will
play the Anchorage all-star team
of Little Leaguers. Monday, Sep
tember 1, will be the ladies’ day
on the diamond. Palmer Women
of the Moose have challenged the
Wasilla women’s team to a soft
ball game. A grudge fight is ex
pected.
More and better exhibits are
promised for this year’s fair. Ad
ded to the Valley Sportsmen’s in
teresting exhibit of trophies will
be a few live bears and a lynx—
and possibly a young and gentle
moose. Assurances have been re
ceived from the army that there
will again be a fine display of
military weapons. Tundra potter
ies will have a complete display
of its beautiful Alaska pottery.
The Division of Forestry and the
Territorial Department of Agri
culture will add to their inter
esting displays of last year. Two
large tents, have been procured on
loan to house industrial displays.
The MVFCA is planning a dis
play of Matanuska Valley pro
duce.
Manufacturers' Prizes
Through the efforts of Co-Op
Manager Fred Zieke $350 in mer
chandise awards have been pro
cured from Co-Op suppliers. The
Goodyear Rubber Co. is contribut
ing prizes worth $150; Glen Car
rington, $100; and the Albers Mil
ling Co. and Lilly’s (seeds and
fertilizer) are each contributihg
prizes worth $50.
Continued on Page 4
VALLEY’S FIRST
CANCER CRUSADE
STARTS NEXT WEEK
The Valley’s first full scale
| Cancer Crusade for funds to help
i fight the most deadly scourge of
: the disease war front starts next
I week.
Through their contributions—
great or small—Valley residents
for the first time will have an op
portunity to get behind medical
research to probe the mysteries
of the disease and to help combat
| it through public and professional
| education, clinics for early diag
nosis. and through expensive
| treatments now available but be
yond the means of most cancer
j victims.
Letters will go out early next!
! week in this first Valley-wide’
| appeal for funds. There will be j
| no house-to-house canvas. Mem- j
j bers of the local Cancer Commit
I tee will be assisted by the Chee
! chako Homemakers in compiling
the mailing list and addressing
’ envelopes. The mailing list will!
■ consist of Wasilla, Jonesville. and !
j Palmer addresses. On the local;
: Cancer Committee are Mrs. Char- j
les W. Wilson, chairman; Mrs.
I Stanley Laird, and Mrs. Howard
j Estelle. This local committee serv
es throughout the year as an edu
cational committee, distributing
cancer literature, giving informa
tion to local people interested re
garding cancer clinics and special
treatments available in the Terri
tory, and helping to provide nec
essary assistance for such treat
ments.
The local Cancer Crusade is a
Continued on page 4
Chamber of Commerce
Road Planning
Committee Appointed
Chamber of Commerce Presi
dent William T. Zahradnicek this
week announced appointment of
a C of C road planning committee
as the first step in a long-range j
Chamber program for road de- j
velopment and maintenance in
the Matanuska Valley area.
Appointed to the committee |
were Louise Kellogg and Charles,
W. Wilson of Palmer and Walter j
Teeland of Wasilla. Oliver Onkka
was also asked to serve in the!
capacity of consultant.
Representing different areas of I
the Valley, committee members j
were also selected on the basis of
particular needs — agriculture,!
business, and recreation.
It is the purpose of the commit- ,
tee to help in the planning of!
road development rather than to J
criticise present operations. In a j
recent special meeting of the,
Chamber, it was pointed out that i
there are still large areas of the
Matanuska Valley left unsettled ;
because of the absence of access |
roads leading into them. Cultivat-j
able lands, lands suitable for graz- j
ing and forest developments, and
lands well located for recreational
opportunities remain in a verit
able wilderness stage only be
cause of the lack of funds to
develop roads into the areas. The
job of the Chamber committee
will be as certain Valley road
needs in total, assign priorities,
and then go about the job of get
ting appropriations.
As soon as the job has been
outlined sufficiently, the Alaska
Road Commission district en
gineer, E. J. White, will be con
sulted either by the committee or
through an open Chamber of
Commerce meeting. Here the pur
pose will be to find out what ARC
plans are for immediate and long
range Valley road improvements.
LOCAL VOLUNTEERS. RESCUE PLANES COMB
BIG LAKE AREA FOR FRED HASEKOESTER
I A search party today, for thi
j fourth day in a row, is combini
: the Big Lake area betweei
Lucille and Meadow Creeks foi
FAIR PRIZES
TO BE OFFERED FOR
OUTSIZE VEGETABLES
Local vegetable grower's
were advised by the Matanus
ka Valley Fair Board to save
their out-size products for ex
hibits at the Fair.
Additional prizes and awards
are being made for the biggest
cabbages, rutabagas, carrots,
and other vegetables. The
Matanuska Valley is famous
for the size of its vegetable
produce. Out-size specimens
have been popular exhibits at
past fairs, particularly for Val
ley visitors. Among Valley
people competition is keen for
the honor of growing the big
gest in any vegetable category.
Two Women Plead
Guilty to Charges
Of Unlawful Conduct
Two young women, giving theii
names as Pam Grayson and Pat
Flint, pleaded guilty yesterday in
City Magistrate’s Court to charges
of unlawful conduct and were
fined $100 each.
The charge was a lesser one
that originally filed by Acting
Police Chief Don DeFolo follow
ing an early Sunday morning raid
on a downtown residence. The
city officer was assisted by repre
sentatives of the U. S. Marshal’s
office and the Highway Patrol.
Arest.of the two women follow
ed three or four weeks of sur
veillance by law enforcement
authorities in order to secure suf
ficient evidence for conviction.
Scene of the arrest was a resi
dence located on Wasilla Road,
about 30 y^rds from its inter
section with Valley Street. Four
local men found on the premises
at the time of the arrest were re
leased by DeFolo following ques
tioning. Two other women, be
lieved to be occupants of the resi
dence, were in Anchorage at the
time of the arrest.
Following their arrest, the two
young women—both in their early
twenties—were released on bond
of 100 each and were ordered to
appear before the City Magistrate
Monday morning, August 11. Well
groomed and well dressed, they
appeared in Court Monday morn
ing and asked for a continuance
in order to seek legal counsel.
City Magistrate John Shaw
hereupon granted a delay of one
week, setting the hearing for Mon
day, August 18.
Returning to the Court yester
day afternoon, Miss Flint and
Miss Grayson pleaded guilty to
the charge of unlawful conduct.
City Ordinance Number 12,
section 5 provides for a maximum
penalty of 30 days in jail and
>100 fine for correction on charges
Df unlawful conduct.
Mrs. A. U. Hassman Dies
Word has been received of the
death of Mrs. A. U. (Frances)
Hassman in Anchorage, about
eight o’clock this morning.
Mrs. Hassman, vice-president
Df the Union Bank of Anchorage
and formerly a principal stock
holder in the Matanuska Valley
Bank, had many personal and
business friends in the Palmer
area.
: a trace of Fred Hasekoester, 53.
; who has been missing since Sun
l day evening.
A Tenth Rescue helicopter join
■ ed in the search yesterday and
today. Early in the week a Tenth
Rescue float plane and a number
of private planes criss-crossed the
area under adverse weather con
ditions but found no trace of the
missing man.
Pat Carter, alternate U. S. Com
missioner for the Wasilla pre
cinct. has been directing the land
search of the area with about li>
or 20 volunteers from Palmer and
Wasilla. Members of the search
party describe the hunt “like look
ing for a needle in a haystack.”
The dense growth of trees and
brush in that area would screen
i from view a man lying uncon
j scious only a few feet away.
The missing man and his wife
i have a homestead at Mile 20.5 on
the Anchorage-Palmer Highway
1 where they operate a Sour Dog
: stand. They were spending the
I week-end at a cabin erected on the
roadside near Lucile Creek. About
five o’clock Sunday evening Fred
Hasekoester departed with his
two springer spaniels on a fish
ing trip. He was bound for a spot
on Meadow Creek where he often
had fished before. His wife, Doro
thy, reported that he knew the
area well. By ten o’clock Sunday
evening, when the couple had
planned to return to their home,
Mrs. Hasekoester became worried.
One of the dogs had returned, but
her husband and the other dog
had not. The missing man’s wife
waited in the cabin alone until
Monday morning. Then she re
ported to Ken Luse of Big Lake
Lodge, and the search was put
Into motion.
Mrs. Hasekoester was certain
that something had happened to
her Jiusband. As the searching
continued for the fourth straight
day, opinion became general that
she was right. Although bears are
said to frequent the area, the
missing man carried no gun. His
wife knew of no illness that might
have attacked him suddenly.
Yesterday Mrs. Hasekoester
made a plea for more volunteers
to join in the search for her hus
band. A1 Klump of the local fire
I control station returned from yes
I terday’s search with the opinion
that a minimum of 200 men would
be needed to search the area
closely. Among others from Pal
mer, Jim Hurley and O. K. Kin
caid have also joined in the hunt.
Hopes for the safety of the
missing man grew dimmer with
each passing hour.
PHONE COMPANY
PROPERTY UP FOR
AUCTION MONDAY
Property of the Matanuska Val
ley Telephone Company, Inc. will
be offered at public auction Mon
day, August 18, at 2 p.m. by the
U. S. Department of Internal
Revenue. The auction will take
place at the MVTC office in the
Valley Theater building, Palmer.
Property of the local telephone
company was seized for assessed
taxes owed the United States
Government on July 30 by A.
Verle Collar, assistant chief field
deputy in charge of Alaska, act
ing for Collector of Internal Rev
enue Clark Squire. Unpaid taxes
listed in five liens, copies of
which are attached to the seizure
order, amount to $11,959.58. Pen
alties boost the total owed the
government to nearly $13,000.
If no acceptable bid is made
next Monday, there will be a
second auction 30 days later.