VALLEY HEALTH COUNCIL’S FIRST PURPOSE IS
SUPPORT OF PURLIC HEALTH NURSING PLAN
(The second in a series of
articles explaining the func
tions of the various agencies
benefiting from Community
Chest funds in the Matanuska
Valley.)
The principal function of the
Matanuska Valley Health Council
is to unite members of all other
organizations of the Valley in sup
port of the public health nursing
program here, Irwin Plitt, pub
licity chairman of the current
Community Chest drive, ex
plained today. This year there
are 22 local organizations repre
sented on the Health Council.
Funds which the Health Coun
cil receives from the Community
Chest are applied toward the $600
share of the nurse’s salary, which
the community must bear, and
$300 annual rent for the quarters
of the Health Center. It is the
Council’s hope that in the future
it can be increased to include the
operating expense of the nurse’s
car, but to date this has been
financially impossible.
Local organizations provide
telephone service and laundry
service without cost. Medical
needs, serums, x-rays, office fur
niture and equipment are sup
plied by the Territorial Depart
ment of Health.
The public health program, as
-carried out through the public
health nurse, is preventive rather
than curative, Mr. Plitt explained.
The nurse’s work includes giving
Immunizations against whooping
cough, diphtheria, smallpox, tet
anus and typhoid; conducting
school physical examinations;
making pre-natal visits to homes
and conducting classes for expect
ant mothers; giving home demon
strations in the care of babies;
holding well baby conferences;
and carrying out the territorial
department of health program for
control of tuberculosis, care of
crippled children and prevention
of epidemics.
During last summer’s typhoid
epidemic at Anchorage, Miss
Marjorie Myren, public health
1
nurse for the Valley, gave innocu
lations to 1363 Valley residents
Miss Myren’s work takes her tc
Eklutna, Jonesville, Knik, Chick
aloon and Independence Mine
but she is headquartered in Pal
mer at the Health Center here
In addition to support of the
public health nursing program
the Valley Health Council is in
terested in all phases of commun
ity health. The Council keeps z
small lending library of medical
books and magazines in the
Health Center. In addition its
members hope soon to re-establish
the medical loan closet, where
crutches, a wheelchair or sick
room supplies may be borrowed
Last year’s activities of the
Health Council included the spon
sorship of a three-day school foi
food handlers, held here last Feb
ruary. More than 50 foodhandlers
from 10 Valley businesses attend
ed the school. Out of that school
arose requests for the location oi
a full-time sanitarian in the Val
ley. However funds are not avail
able for that position at this time.
Clean-up week in Palmer, held
last May, was co-sponsored by
the Health Council and the Pal
mer Kiwanis Club. Held just be
fore Colony Day, the clean-up
campaign did succeed in polish
ing Palmer’s face a bit before the
holiday influx of visitors.
The Health Council also was in
strumental in bringing the Rail
belt unit to Palmer to give fluor
ine treatment and dental care tc
126 wards of the territory in the
Valley.
The Council sponsored the
presentation of two lectures dur
ing the past year. Dr. Vernon
Cates spoke to the organization on
Cancer and Dr. C. C. Bailey lec
tured on the RH factor.
A petition asking for help in
the alleged pollution of a Valley
stream was referred to the proper
investigating source and a request
for inspection of public lavatories
in Palmer was referred to the
sanitarian of the territorial de
partment of health.
This year’s Health Council of
ficers were listed by Mr. Plitt a:
Tires - Tires - Tires
U. S. Army Surplus Tires for Sale
9.00x16, 7.50x20, 9.00x20 — Also Larger Sizes
Crankshaft Grinding
General Automotive Repair
1 Mile South of Palmer on Maianuska Road Phone 81-Y-l
MOORE'S GARAGE
ATTENTION!
Homesteaders, Farmers, Tavern and Lodge
Owners
Made-to-Order Metal Safeties,
Special Roof Jacks and Chimney Flashings,
Now Are Manufactured Right Here in Palmer!
Also Good Line of Coal or Oil Furnaces
FREE ESTIMATES ON INSTALLATION!
Arctic Metal Works
Box 1791, Palmer Phone 62J3
SEWARD SCHOOL ALSO
1 HAS RECORD ENROLLMENT
Just to be keeping up with the
Joneses of Alaskan schools, Sew
ard, too, has a record enrollment
in its school this year, it was an
nounced recently. Seward’s stu
1 dent population totals 348 this
year, the greatest it has ever been
in the Gateway city.
Juneau C. of C. Planning
Summer "Potlatch" in 1951
Alaskans soon may have the •
opportunity to enjoy still another
of the territory’s several “city”
festivals, if tentative plans of the
Juneau Chamber of Commerce
are pushed to fruitation. The
Juneau-ites are considering the
sponsorship of a summer “pot
latch” during the 1951 season. Its
purpose, of course, would be to
attract more visitors to Juneau.
follows:
Miss Louise Kellogg, president;
Mrs. Matt Perkins, vice-president;
Mrs. Richard Demming, secretary;
Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Branton, treas
urer.
Health Council meetings are
scheduled at seven o’clock on the
third Thursday of each month.
They are held in the former li
brary at the Rec Hall. Everyone
is always welcome to attend, Mr.
Plitt invited.
Let Us Help in the Time
of Your Bereavement
A
SERVICe
tfn&pfainQ
AND
beautiful
Arnojd Funeral Chapel
627 H Street Phone 20095
Anchorage
1
^SYSTEM
Doesn’t
Cost a
CENT
I nstead
IT PAYS
A PROFIT
The cows give more milk—the hogs
and beef put on weight faster—the
chickens lay more eggs when running
water is always before them. In the
home, mother gets her washing done
quicker—her dishes washed—floors
scrubbed and meals prepared with less
fatigue—the health features of indoor
toilets—the comforts of bath rooms—
' all these blessings actually make more
money for you than you pay for a
BURKS
You’ll want a BURKS
because it gives more
water per minute—is
completely automatic
self priming—trouble
free. Runs years
longer because of
“Life-Lok” fea
ture. Get prices
and details on
BURKS SUPER TURBINES
TOR SHALLOW WELLS
— OR —
BURKS EDUCER SYSTEMS
POR DEEP WELLS
YUKON EQUIP. CO.
Corner 6th 8r G St.
Box 1639 Dial 2-5101
14,000 School Children
Will Need $5,000,000
For Education This Year
There are more than 14,000
children enrolled in Alaska’s
schools this year, Dr. James Ryan,
territorial commissioner of edu
cation, announced in Juneau re
cently. It will take 667 teachers
to give the 14,000 the necessary
quotas of reading, writing and
arithmetic ,and it will take five
million dollars to finance the
operation.
There are 93 public schools in
operation in the territory this
year, the commissioner of educa
tion continued.
Dr. Ryan said the greatest prob
lem for schools at present is
housing. He estimated it would
r
STREAM GUARD JAILED
FOR ACCEPTING BRIBE
John Lamb, who was a stream
guard for the Alaska Department
of Fisheries in southeastern Alas
ka during the 1950 fishing season,
has been jailed at Juneau on
charges of bribery. The complaint
against Lamb states that he ac
cepted bribes and then allowed
salmon to be fished from pro
hibited areas.
take 20 million dollars to build
the school plants necessary to
house adequately those children
already enrolled in schools this
year, and school populations are
growing steadily every year.
Coffey Insures Everything! *
Remember?
Williwaw Lodge
On Beautiful Lake Wasilla
Delicious Steaks and Chicken Dinners
We cater to private parties.
Reservations required for special parties.
(Your Choice of Dinners)
Closed Every Tuesday
Kirk's Sales & Service
(Located corner Valley Street and Glenn Highway)
Authorized Chevrolet and Oldsmobile Dealer
in the Matanuska Valley *
We Still Have Chevrolets for Sale
GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS
Using Only Genuine Replacement Paris
TIRE REPAIRS
LUBRICATION • WASHING
HENRY F. WOLLF, INC.
TERMINAL YARDS, ANCHORAGE
Dimension Lumber .$117.50 per M.
Firtex Interior (over 600’)_ 79.50 per M.
Firtex Panels, 16"x32" 16"xl6" 110.00 per M.
PLYWOOD (all sizes) SHEET ROCK Vz"
MASONITE INSULATION
REINFORCING STEEL
CONTACT CARL MEIER FOR DELIVERY
We Solicit Mail Orders From the Matanuska Valley
Phene 37141 Phone 20392
Pn&pxvie JjOJi
% State Batteries
Written Guarantee
• McKay Chains
t Ha-Dees Heaters
# Dale Thermostats
Wholesale and Retail
DAHLQUIST AUTO SUPPLY
Quality Merchandise at Reasonable Prices
539 C Street Anchorage, Alaska