VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN
PRINTED AT PALMER, ALASKA, EACH THURSDAY
By the Matanuska Press, Inc._
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the? post office at
Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879._
A1 J. DeJulio Publisher, Manager
Editor . Lucille Kennedy Mick
Associate Editor . Virginia Gallant
Subscription Rates 50c a month, $5 a year
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
Anti-Administration Forces Score
Touchdown in Palmer Airport Tussle
Anti-administration forces fin
ally scored a touchdown last
week in the long, drawn out
political tussle on the Palmer
Airport. The decision of the um
pire, Comptroller General Lind
say Warren, resulted in a loss to
the Territory of S148.922. repre
senting the federal share of the
cost of improving the airport.
The political game was marked i
by many muddy skirmishes from j
the fourth estates in Fairbanks,
Juneau, Anchorage, and Ketchi
kan to the floors of Congress and
the rooms of its committees. It
, started way back in 1950. Even
before the formal dedication of
the Airport in September of that
year catcalls from the opposition
screamed of collusion and infla
tionary tactics. Strange gridiron
signals such as statehood. Anti
Gruening, and population center
were the scarecly audible evid
ence of even stranger formation
that were screened by the dirt.
A long play by play ac
count leading up to the,
Comptroller General’s decision |
would start back in 1941
when the Northland Pioneer
Grange first started to plan for
an airport near Palmer. In 1946
co-operation of the local Grange,
American Legion, Moose Lodge,
MVFCA, and Alaska Rural Re
habilitation Corporation resulted
in the incorporation of a commit
tee composed of representatives
of these organizations and called
the Palmer Airport Association.
Through benefits and local con
tributions of money and labor,
construction on the new airport
was started in the spring of 1946.
The following year the Lee Bill
was amended to allow federal aid
to airports in Alaska amounting
to 75 percent of construction and
25 percent of land acquision costs.
Incorporated in the Federal Air
ports Act. this amendment was
designed to encourage the con
struction of airports in the Terri
tory as a necessary prerequisite
to its development. Because the
people of Palmer on their own
initiative had already started an
airport on their own, the newly
formed Territorial Commission of
Aeronautics decided to start in
Palmer with its Airport program.
Application for funds for im
proving the airport was made, but
the 1949 Territorial legislature
failed to pass enabling legislation
making matching Territorial
funds available. Thus federal ap
proval of the project was defer
red.
Meanwhile, progress on im
provement of the 112-acre air
port site continued through the
Airport Association and the Ter
ritory. By the end of 1948 most
of the clearing and grading had
been done. There were two run
ways larger than tkat at Merrill
Field. An estimated $4,000 worth
of labor even more money haa
been contributed by local people
The Territory had spent $56,000)
for construction at the then low,
labor rates. By the time the air
port was completed construction j
costs had zoomed and rates for ■
the same type of labor had al-'
most doubled. The delayed feder- j
al approval of the project found j
also a changed picture as far a?
land values were concerned. Pri-!
vate construction around the air-,
port quickly boosted the lana
values to those commensurate
with the changes in land use.
These normal economic changes
were reflected in the appraisal of
the airport for the purpose of
determing the amount of federal
aid due. Estimates of the land
values varied from the $160,000
appraisal made by three local
men, James Hurley, M. D. Snod
gras and Jack Maze to the $120,
000 appraisal made by the Dis
trict Engineers and the $31,925
appraisal by a Portland engineer
based on the value of an equal
lumber of acres of farm land in
carious sections of the Valley, re
gardless of location.
The Territory paid the Airport
Association $150.00(1 for the im
proved land. After paying out $5,
500 for uncleared land acquired
by the Assocation from local own
ers, the Association gave the bal
ance of the money back to the
Territory. The Territory itself ne
gotiated payment for other tracts
of land, so that the total going to
owners of land occupied by the
airport amounted to approximate-!
[v $12,500.
The original application had es
timated the land cost toward j
which the federal government
would contribute 25 percent at
$5,500—the early value given to
uncleared land then in use. Esti
mated construction costs of ap
proximately $124,565 were based
on labor rates at the time of this
application was made, the feder
al share of these construction
costs being approximately $93,425.
The total federal participating
amount was estimated at slightly
under $95,000. The second appli
cation, following the necessary
Territorial enabling legislation,
was different. Construction costs
lad risen, more land was needed
for the airport, and the Territory
had learned that the federal act
permitted the Territory to place
a reasonable value on the land.
The Territory valued the land at
the $150,000 acquisition price it
had paid the Palmer Airport Asso
ciation. This upping of the land
cost increased the federal share to
$37,500 under the second applica
tion. Fast rising wages had in
creased the construction estimates
so that the federal share was ap
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THREE DAY HOLIDAY
All departments of the* MATANUSKA VALLEY
FARMERS COOPERATING ASSOCIATION with
the exception of the SERVICE STATION, will be
closed for the 4th of July week end, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday.
Toil's Service Station
We have the New...
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GATES BATTERIES
In Down Town Palmer, Alaska
proximately $107,625, making the
total federal share of the project
cost over $145,000.
The difference between the es
timates on the first and second j
applications thus boosted the fed-1
eral participating amount by ap- j
proximately $>50,000, most of the
increase having stemmed from in
crease in land costs. Territorial
administration critics siezed on
this increase to embarrass the ad
ministration by charges of collu
sion between administration of
ficials and CAA administrators
of the federal act of Alaska. The
charges were heard way down in :
Washington, where they were re
peated on the floors of Congress.j
thus precipitating the Palmer |
Airport investigation in January j
of 1951, four months after the
airport had been dedicated.
Roland Snodgrass, secretary of
the Palmer Airport Association, j
represented the association and
gave testimony that showed
clearly that the Territorial evalu
ation was just and fair, tjiat the
Portland engineer’s low land |
evaluation was unrealistic with its j
complete disregard of the incon
testable facts and figures under- j
lying a true valuation.
It has been pointed out that a
similar case in Ohio was promptly
settled by the government and
payment made. Yet in the case
of Alaska, a Territory repeatedly
denied statehood, is being penal
ized by being cut off from the full
amount of the federal subsidy it
is entitled to under the law.
Whether or not the game is
over was not apparent this week.
Already Commissioner of Avia
tion Tony Schwamm has demand
ed a complete investigation by
the Federal Bureau of Investiga
tion if one scrap of evidence of
fraud or collusion was suspected.
While there is still a spark of
fight left in administration forces,
it is doubtful that the game will
be called—football games are
rarely called, even political ones.
City Auto Service
• Quality Lube
• Car Washing and
Polishing
• Tire Repairs
FREE PICK UP AND
DELIVERY SERVICE
Pioneer Peak Ave.—1 block
from Theatre
„ Phone 105
k
Police Chief Starts
30-Day Leave Sunday;
Deputy Appointed
Police Chief Bernie Bouwens
leaves Sunday for a trip Outside
—his first in 12 years. The City
Council two months ago okayed
his request for a 30-day leave on
condition that a competent per
son could be found and trained
to take his place.
Last night Bouwens announced
that he had sworn in his relief
policeman and was training him
this week in his duties. His ap
pointment of Donald DeFolio for
the 30-dav assignment was ap
proved in the Council meeting
last night. Recording to Bouwens.
DeFolio has been a resident of
Palmer for the past two years and
has had previous police experi
ence of one year.
Bouwens also relayed to the
City Council two complaints from
the people of North Palmer and
added one of his own. As a re
sult of these complaints he recom
mended that the Council request
the Alaska Road Commission and
Highway Patrol to change the
speed sign on the highway’s east
city limits from 35 miles per hour
to 25 miles per hour, the statu
tory speed for a residential dis
trict; and to change the broken
center line on the highway (in
dicating passing zone) to a solid
line (indicating no passing) from
Ed Christenson’s to Hartley’s
garage, where a solid line already
starts and continues up Bailey
Hill. Bouwens also asked that the
stop sign on Wasilla Road be
moved up closer to the intersec
tion of the road with Valley
Street. The Council authorized
letters to the ARC and Highway
Patrol requesting these changes.
Meanwhile, the people of Palmer
have their airport and there's
nothing smelly about it.
M
Sorority Members Enjoy
Formal Dinner and
Initiation Ceremony
Eileen Branton, sorority presi
dent, presided at the initiation
ceremony held July 1 for seven
Beta Sigma Phi pledgees. Assist
ing her were Past Presidents,
Dorothy Saxton and Blanche
Ryan, also Marylou Rideout and
Virginia Gallant.
Pledges were given their sor
ority pins, gifts of identification
pins and yellow rose corsages.
Proceeding the formal cere
mony, a turkey dinner was served
in the Co-Op club room. Windows
and walls were beautifully decor-1
ated with ferns and roses. Eacfi |
table had woodland potted ar- j
rangements, with a fragrant bou-j
quet of lilacs at the head table, j
In charge of decorations were |
Marive Laird, Clarabelle Kopper
ud and Blanche Ryan.
Invited guests at the dinner and
initiation were four members ot
Anchorage Beta Sigma Phi chap
ters, two of whom were installing
officers at the local' chapter’s
first initiation ceremony.
BEN L HUDGINS
Electrical
Construction Co.
Palmer, Alaska
Box 794 Phone 15-J3
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Insurance
Wright Building—Palmer
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and
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Announce the opening of an office for the
general practice of law in the Severns building
in the City of Palmer, Alaska.
OFFICE HOURS: 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M. MONDAY
THROUGH SATURDAY
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MORE COLORS'MORE DECORATING HELP
NEXT DOOR TO THE FRONTIERSMAN
Palmer Paint Co.
I