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FATHER'S DAY
Sunday, June 15
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOL V. NO 40
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY JUNE 12. 1952
PRICE TEN CENTS
20-Acre ARRC Site Acquired for High School
World Around Us
IN ANCHORAGE registered
voters of the city and the Anch
orage School District once again
turned down a twin sales tax pro
position—one percent for the city
and one percent for the school
district—in a special election held
Tuesday. Similar propositions had
teen rejected by very slim mar
gins in the election held April 29.
Belief that a considerable num
ber of unqualified voters had suc
ceeded in defeating the school
district proposition had resulted
in requirement that school dis
trict electors be registered for this
week’s election. Nevertheless,
when the votes were counted the
city sales tax proposition lacked
27 votes of the 55 percent neces
sary to carry—only nine votes
were lacking in the April 29 bal
loting; the Anchorage School
District proposition lacked 113
votes of the 55 percent majority
necessary in this week’s election
—141 were lacking in the April
29 tallies.
* * ■*
IN WRANGELL, where storage
facilities are limited because of
the recent $1 million fire, an ap
peal was made to the striking
AFL Sailors Union asking permis
sion for the freighter Coastal
Monarch to pick up frozen fish
cargoes to avoid danger of spoil
age.
* * *
« IN LOST RIVER, 97 miles
northwest of Nome, milling will
Start almost immediately on the
output of a tin mine operated by
the U. S. Tin Corp. Daily output
of concentrate is expected to be
2.000 tons, of which an estimated
65 percent is metal. According to
V. S. Bureau of Mines Regional
Director, S. H. Dorain, at least
4.151.000 measured and indicated
tons of ore, containing 28 mil
lion tons of tin and five million
tons of tungsten, are available for
mining in this area. The only
known commercial deposit of lode
tin under the American flag is
on the Seward Peninsula.
Kenneth Kadow is president of
the Tin Corporation and two pro
minent Alaskans are on the
board. They are Michael Walsh of
Nome and Frederick Dunn of
1 Juneau.
* * •
IN CORDOVA last week-end
almost every able-bodied citizer
was busy either catching salmor
or processing it as the city had
its biggest salmon run in years
Simultaneously, the city was hosl
' to the Territorial GOP Conven
ion. According to M. D. Snod
grass, harmony reigned at th€
convention and party solidarity
» Was established through the adop
tion of procedures that woulc
eliminate so-called "boss rule’
and give the power of appoint
ment to rank and file GOPs
through their convention.
Bureau of Reclamation
Will Operate
CEA-ARR Steam Plant
According to information re
ceived from Joseph Morgan
Bureau of Reclamation head fo:
Alaska, the Chugach, Electrii
Association — Alaska Railroac
steam plant, now in the proces
of construction, will be operatec
by the Bureau of Reclamation.
It is also hinted that the 9,
500 kilowatts of power to b<
RUMOR APU TO
CUT OFF MEA NOV. 1
Although it hasn’t been con
firmed by the MEA Board or
MEA Manager C. A. Brewer,
reports of a notice of termina
tion of power to the local as
sociation by the Anchorage
Public Utilities grow too
strong to be ignored.
Under the terms of the con
tract by which APU furnishes
power from the old Eklutna
plant to MEA, six months’
notice must be given before
the power service can be ter
minated. According to repeat
ed reports, notice of such ter
mination effective November
1, was received in a communi
cation from APU on May 1.
Delay of the announcement
by the MEA Board is under
standable in view of the un
certainty surrounding many of
the factors involved in the
marketing of power in this
area.
produced by the plant upon com
pletion will be marketed by th
Bureau also. Already the Bureai
has a 15-year option to purchas
the new plant.
This information is of specia
Continued on page 10 ,
School Board Grants
Paltry Increases
The Palmer Independent Scho<
District Board last week responc
ed to a request for an increase i
i Palmer’s Luck
Runs Out; All Water
System Bids Rejected
Palmer’s luck ran down the
, drain with all the bids received
• for construction of its new water
; supply and distribution system
[ Tuesday as the Alaska Public
; Works in Juneau rejected all bids,
i including the very favorable low
bid of $352,147 from the Johnson
■ Construction and Maintenance
: Company of Anchorage.
I A telegram from Don R. Wilson
of Alaska Public Works was re
ceived by Mayor Carl Meier
Wednesday morning informed
him of the rejection of all bids.
The same communication reveal
ed that the Palmer water project
was being rebid with exactly the
same plans and specification and
opening date scheduled for July
2.
x
l
>1
L
i
No explanation was given for 1
the decision to reject all bids.
One possible reason was the wide
gap of $200,000 between the low
bid and the next low bid receiv
ed. C. R. Lewis Construction
Company of Anchorage submitted 1
the second low bid of $549,212.64. 1
Palmer contractors Sandvik and
Roark were third with $636,255.
Morrison-Knudsen of Anchorage
bid $678,797.80, and the Birch
Lytle-Green of Seattle bid of 1
$771,586.42 was nearly double the '
low bid.
Another possible reason for re
jection of all bids might have
been a fear on the part of APW
that the low bidder would be un- i
able to fulfill his contract. Bids
for five projects were opened at
Juneau APW headquarters or*
June 4. Of these, the Johnson
Construction and Maintenance
Company was low bidder on four
of them, including the Palmer
project.
With a month’s delay in the
contract award for construction
of the water project, it is feared
that the completion date will
have to be advanced even more,
since even an early August start
on construction would permit no
(Continued on page 16)
LOCAL FARM
AREAS MENACED
BY FOREST FIRES
Two forest fires, both believed
caused by stump-row burning
without proper care, kept nearly
70 men. four dozers and a Div. of
Forestry airplane busy for several
hours before the conflagrations
were brought under control Tues
day, June 10. According to John
2. McCormick, pilot of the air
plane, a third fire was prevented
anly when an east wind changed
direction. This also was a stump
row fire.
The first fire reported was on
:he property of Walter LaRose
where an estimated 20 acres were
Durned over before being brought
jnder control around eight o’
:lock Tuesday night. The other
:ire started on the property of
Just Schreibl on Lazy Mountain.
3urning simultaneously, the two
'ires necessitated a call for as
sistance by the local Div. of
Forestry fire control team. Tarry
Fieldhouse, and Clarence Tieslen
)f the Anchorage Fire Guard Sta
ion worked with Palmer volun
;eers at the Farm Rd. fire while
^almer Wardens A1 Klump and
:>aul Turner and volunteers work
id on the Lazy Mt. fire. By early
ivening it was apparent that ad
ditional help was necessary. Forty
nen were hurriedly procured
through the U. S. Employment
Bureau in Anchorage and sent
here by bus. Mayor Carl Meier
md a Div. of Forestry truck trans
ported ten of the men to the
Farm Road fire and 30 to the fire
at Lazy Mountain. The latter fire
was not brought under control
until nearly ten o’clock that
night.
Burning stump rows on a nice
day can prove hazardous, A1
Klump of the local station point
ed out. A warm day, a puff of
wind and the fjre is out of con
trol, he added. During the so-call
ed fire season, the public is re
quested to do only what burning
is necessary and then with ex
treme caution. .
months ago through the Teachers’
Association by adopting a scale
of increases that added $4,300 to
the 1952-53 school budget.
Although the request for in
creases in teachers’ salaries was
based on cost of living in the
local area, the increases granted
are not, in effect, cost-of -living
increases, but rewards for con
tinuity of service up to four
years.
The new increases, which are
over and above the Territory
scale and therefore not refund
able by the Territory, range from
$100 a year to a maximum of $300.
First year in Palmer schools,
The new teacher, teaching his
would not profit by the increase
at all. His salary would be based
entirely on the Territorial scale.
A teacher teaching his second
year in Palmer schools would re
ceive a $100 increase; the third
year of service would bring a
$200 increase; the fourth, $300.
The $300 -is the maximum in
crease; there would be no further
premiums for extra years of ser
vice.
Compared to increases offered
by other school districts, the
Palmer increases are small. Sew
ard offered its teachers a blanket
increase of $400 above the Terri
torial scale. Anchorage teachers
next year will get a blanket $800
above scale and Fairbanks teach
ers, a blanket $1,000 above scale.
The Territorial scale of teach
ers’ salaries begins at $4,020. For
(Continued on page 10)
$22,419 Deficit Looms os Palmer
School Board Adopts 1952-53 Budget
The Palmer Independent
School District Board at its meet
ing last week adopted a budget
for the 1952-53 school year
amounting to a total of $486,894.
12, representing an increase of
$294,784.92.
Well over five-sixths of this
budget increase goes for the bud
get item “outlays” which includes
$197,460 for the construction of
the new elementary school (this
amount being entirely covered by
a federal grant under Bill 815),
$20,000 for school sites and clear
ing, $20,000 for the purchase of
the gymnasium, and a little over
$30,00 for equipment and archit
ects’ fees for new buildings and
alterations on old buildings.
Other budget items showed in
creases as follows: general con
trol from $19,325 to $21,175; in
struction—$123,347.50 to $146,777.
50; operation of plant—$15,025 to
$20,500; maintenance and repair
—from $5,550 to $7,300; fixed
charges from $5,500 to $6,486.62;
auxiliary agencies (cafeteria,
health)—$2,065 to $3,015; and debt
service—$1,500 to $2,000.
On many of the above budget
items, the Territory assumes a
sizable percentage of the cost. If
the Territorial scale for salaries
were strictly adhered to, this
would represent 75 percent of the
cost of instruction, for instance,
and operation of the plant. Al
together, the Territorial portion
of the 1952-53 school budget
amounts to $131,471.25. The school
district portion, swollen by the
partially covered total for out
lays, amounts to $355,422.87. Sub
tracting the federal aid to be re
ceived for outlays ($197,460) and
for maintenance and operation
($3,568.82, estimated), a total of
$154,394.05 remains to be raised
through the school district’s
sources of income. Estimated Ter
ritorial recepts for tuition, special
grant and the tobacco tax amount
to $37,153.85. Estimated local re
ceipts, including $23,000 balance
brought forward, property taxes
amounting to $28,960.23 from the
city of Palmer and $38,360.57 for
the rest of the school district,
$4,000 in delinquent taxes and
$500 for rents, total $94,820.80. Al
together the School Board esti
mates that $131,974.65 can be
raised from its sources of income
exclusive of Territorial refunds
and federal grants. This repre
sents an estimated deficit of $22,
419.40, which the School Board
must raise from some source of
sources in order to balance its
budget
Included in the list of estimated
(Continued on Page 10)
School Board Decides on Swanson Site
For Grade School Now Near Bid Stage
Plans for construction of two
schools in the Palmer School Dis
trict took a huge step forward
last week when the School Board
purchased from the Alaska Rural
Rehabiliation Corporation a site
for the new high school and de
cided definitely to locate the new
elementary school on the recent
ly purchased A. J. Swanson land
in North Palmer.
The ARRC accepted the School
Board offer to purchase 20 acres
of ARRC land fronting on Spring
er Road, just north of the Jack
Cope farm, for the sum of $400.
Superintendent William T. Zan
ELKS' SMOKER
POSTPONED
;! The Elks’ Smoker original
; ly scheduled for Friday, June
; 13, in the Palmer School gym
! nasium has been postponed,
John Reed, committee chair
: man, reported regretfully
!; early this week.
■ ; Announcement of a new date
j; for the boxing and wrestling
: event will bp made on posters
\ set up in store windows and
! through The Frontiersman.
Reason given for the post
; ponement is that the Army
and Air Force boxers who
! were to furnish the main at
traction of the Smoker are
; finable to fight in exhibition
; oAlr'r; this time.
; The Elks confidently hope
! that the Smoker, as planned,
will take place in the very
I near future.
Crop Improvement
Program Jeopardized
Irving Abbott’s recent resigna
tion from the University of Alas
ka Extension Service is viewed
in this area of the Territory’s
greatest agricultural develop
ment as a severe blow to the
Alaska crop improvement pro
gram.
Organized only last year, the
Alaska Certified Seed Growers
Association may have its much
needed work sharply curtailed,
according to local chairman Lloyd
Short, unless immediate steps are
;aken by the Extension Service,
rhis program intolves the produc
;ion of cerifiad grain and potato
►eed in Alaska; as well as the
orderly increase of three new
varieties recently released by the
Experiment Station—potato 57.
and Golden
14-3-46. Edda
Ftain oats.
Last week Leonard Kyger, sec
retary of the -local Alaska Certi
fied Seed Growers, received the
following letter from Abbott,
whose tiretees organization work
as executive aecretary of the
rerritorial e#»ct«tion established
the program™ one short year as
one of the meet effective forward
steps in the orderly development
of Alaskan ngriculture:
“Effective June 6, 1952, my ser
vices as Marketing Specialist and
Executive Secretary of the Seed
Association with the University
of Alaska Extension Service will
etad. ' - >* .
“I deeply regret having to make
this mc*ve. as I have thoroughly
enjoyed nay work with the Alaska
Certified Seed Growers Associa
ion> ft has been both a privilege
isure to work with such
„ ip of men, earnestly en
_creating an organization
ritSy needed in the Territory.
tmm Sjugh I will no longer be
> Continued on page 10
radnicek announced yesterday
that the deed had already been,
received. The property is bound
ed on the north by the site of the
Bureau of Reclamation’s housing
project, and on the east by the
airport. On one acre of the plot
is located the new Palmer sub
station. The huge site will permit
construction of the entire school
as planned by Architect William
Arild Johnson of Everett, Wash
ington. It will also provide for
plenty of parking space and for
athletic and recreation areas. Al
though the plans as approved by
APW do not include the gymnas
ium or the auditorium, which are
prominent features of the com
plete plans, it is hoped that con
struction of these two additions
will follow that of the classroom
space approved at a later date.
Plans for the $1,200,00 construc
tion of the school sans auditorium
and gymnasium were approved
several months ago, but only $50,
000 in planning money has been
allotted so far. Although it has
been hoped confidently that the
allotment would come out of
APWs’ 1953 budget (some time
after July 1, 1952), APW’s funds
may be limited this year. A 1953
budget request of $20 million was
slashed to $7 million by the House
appropriations committee, al
though final action on the appro
priation is yet to come.
North fl-ihool
The School Board s decision to
locate the new six-room elemen
tary school on the recently pur
chased A. J. Swanson property in
North Palmer followed swiftly
upon receipt of 10 percent of the
construction funds allocated un
der federal Bill 815. A little over
10 acres of the Swanson property
was purchased recently for $3,
135. The property is located just
outside the eastern boundary of
the city and adjoins some of Max
Sherrod’s cultivated fields. En
trance to the property is present
ly gained from Sherrod Avenue.
Although the purchase price
for the ARRC site is very low, the
land will have to be cleared. The
Swanson property also must be
cleared, but it is possible that
timber felled in the clearing pro
cess will pay for part of the
clearing.
YOUTH DIES AFTER
TRUCK PLUNGES
OVER KNK BRIDGE
David Allen Davis, age 23, died
shortly after admission to Valley
Hospital early yesterday after
noon, June 11, from injuries re
ceived after the truck he was
driving plunged off Knik Bridge
near the west approach and
landed upside down on the river
sands below.
Cause of death was given as
internal hemorrhage and possible
ruptured liver or spleen due to
external blow to abodmen.
The young man, whose home is
in Juneau, was the son of Allen
Davis, head of the Territorial
Bureau of Public Ro ads. The
father was notified of his son’s
death by the local Highway Pa- '
trol through ACS telephone ser
vice. The deceased had a twin
brother, Wayne; and it is believed
that both boys graduated only
this year from Massachusetts In
| stitute of Technology.
Exact cause of the accident,
which occurred about noon yes
terday, is not known immediate
ly. It is possible that he was
(Continued on page 16)