THE FRONTIERSMAN
Bnterm! u wcond du matter on Oct. U. 1*47. at Uu part atfiea
at Palmer. Maaka. under the Act of March 3. lt»
T. O. SCMMIOTKE
Publlahtr
MILDRED JOHNSON
Newa Editor
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 3*50 a year In Matanuika Vallay Area
Mailed to all points In Alaska and the United States 37.50 per year
National Advertising Rep.—WEEKLY NEWSPAPER REPRESENTATIVES
404 Fifth Avenue. New York 13. New York
INSURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY
Self.determination—the right of a people to decide
for themselves how they shall be governed—was impor
tant enough to a small group of colonists along the
eastern seaboard back in 1 775, to fight for.
Many thought they were wrong—that they ought
to stay within the sheltering, if dictatorial, arms of an
older, more established community.
But they fought, and they won, and the right of
self-determination remained important enough to them
to be written into their Constitution.
Here in the state of Alaska, the question of how
we shall be governed locally has become a paramount
issue, with the last session of the state legislature making
borough incorporation mandatory by January, 1964.
If a community has not incorporated voluntarily by Oct.
1, 1963, the state will step in and incorporate under the
provisions of HB 90.
Two local option petitions, which grew out of many
months of committee planning and public meetings,
have been presented to the Local Affairs Agency—The
Captain Cook Borough petition and the Matanuska-Su
sitna Borough petition. It was generally agreed a year
ago that these two petitions represented workable units
of local government.
The Captain Cook petition was submitted last
February. The Matanuska-Susitna petition was revised as
to boundaries and borough seat, and a new petition was
circulated early in May. Within one week 600 signatures
were obtained, and the petition was forwarded to the
Local Affairs Agency.
Publicity began to appear in Anchorage papers
concerning a Palmer group which had requested the
Boundary Commission to enlarge the boundaries of the
Captain Cook borough to include District 7. The numbers
in this group have remained nebulous. It is known that
six persons (one of them an Anchorage woman) drafted
an eight-page letter to the Boundary Commission, out
lining their position. It would be presumptuous to say
that these six have no followers, but no statement of
the number of supporters has been made public.
As a result of this letter, the Boundary Commission
held hearings on the Captain Cook petition in Palmer and
Wasilla, as well as in Anchorage. At the hearings in
Palmer and Wasilla, seven testified as opponents of
the Captain Cook borough (that is, in favor of extending
the boundaries to include District 7) and 21 testified
as proponents (the Captain Cook boundaries as now set
up include, roughly. District 8 only). This testimony was
tape-recorded by a member of the commission.
Thus far, the procedure has followed a democratic
pattern. But the next step may sharply deviate.
Those who favor a combination District 7-8 borough
argue that the only way they can be heard is through a
recommendation from the Boundary Commission to ex
tend the boundaries of the Captain Cook borough to
include District 7. Then a general election will be called,
giving the voters of the two election districts the right
to accept or reject the revised petition.
This sounds like a valid argument—that is, until
you consider that 18,900 District 8 residents voted in
the last general election, and about 2,100 District 7 voters
went to the polls.
There is no way to know whether the people of Dis
trict 8 see in District 7 a vast potential of natural resources
which will one day add wealth to their borough govern
ment, or whether they have no desire to add a large and
thinly populated area to their boundaries.
But this is not the basic issue.
If such an election is called, the people of District
8 will decide, by a vote of nine to one, what kind of
government the people of District 7 will have.
Our right of self-determination is threatened. If it is
taken from us, we have one constitutional right remain
ing. We can appeal to the courts.
Don’t let the
“big ones” in
life get away
from you. For
anything
from a new
home to a
business of
your own,
start saving
systemati
cally now!
In fishing, the "big catch" is often a
matter of luck. In the more serious pur
suits of life, this is seldom so. Usually
the best things come to the fellow who
SAVES for them. Savings here grow fast.
MATANUS KA
PALMER, ALASKA
Open Daily 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday Evenings 6 to 8 p.m.
It goes without saying that
Alaska is the wonderland of
the world. No country has such
a variety of attractions for
tourists as “The Great Land.”
From all indications, thou
sands of visitors will come to
“The Last Frontier” by lux
urious ferries through the beau
tiful inside passage, reached by
auto or rail, to visit Juneau,
the capital of Alaska. There
they will find the Alaska
Museum or Wrangell’s totem
poles. Perhaps they will in
clude in their tour the great
Matanuska Valley where the
farmers, with a combination of
climate and soil, raise cab
bages weighing 60 pounds and
over. Alaska is a paradise for
hunters and fishermen alike.
The glaciers are legion, and
the Northland can boast of the
largest mountain on the Am
erican continent, Mt. McKinley
(Denali).
One spot which could be of
great interest, but which has
been visited by only a few Al
askans. is the “Valley of the
Ten Thousand Smokes.”
Personally I have met only
one man. Capt. N. G. (Nick)
Gaikema of the launch “Sea
Lion”, who, with two ladies,
Arlee Berthoff and Thelma
Hunt, completed a trip to the
very heart of the valley.
The route led to the head of
the Katmai River onto Katmai
Lake and around the base of
Mt. Katmai. Ascending a hill
to an elevation above the great
crater, the party received a
series of thrills in the awe-in
spiring sight of its maw, three
miles long, in which they be
held dense smoke and streams
of super-heated steam that
hissed and roared like the ex
haust of many locomotives.
From the crater, the party
penetrated the valley, where
they spent three weeks explor
r
ing it from end to end. Captain
Gaikema said that a number of
the fumeroles spoken of earlier
by Dr. Robert G. Griggs were
now almost quiescent, emitting
only warm air instead of super
heated steam as at the time of
the doctor's visit, although
many other fumeroles were
still belching forth the scalding
clouds. Of these, the party
found one fully 40 feet in dia
meter, in which two cones
about eight feet in diameter
were emitting great jets of
steam with a deafening roar.
The parti' came across an old
eruptive volcano which offered
added thrills. Mt. Megiak, one
of the satellites of Katmai, was
belching smoke to a height of
200 feet, and Mt. Navarupka
was in a very active state.
Among the difficulties en
countered was the absence of
drinking water.
“I was very thirsty,” said
Capt. Gaikema, ‘‘and approach
ed a beautiful crystal stream
for a drink. I found the water
not only warm but filled with
sulphurous and other chemical
elements. Many of these
streams emerge from beneath
glaciers and the contact of the
warm water with the ice pro
duces vapor effects and sends
up filmy clouds. At night we
experienced difficulty in sleep
ing, having light covering and
finding the earth too warm al
times and the cold above neces
sitating constant turning over
and baking first one side and
then the other.”
The party was almost bare
foot on the return to the
launch after the long hike ovei
the pumice stone. One of the
ladies had to abandon her shoes
and return in her rubber boots
Today, airlines or chartered
planes fly tourists to one ol
the great wonders of the world
‘The Valley of Ten Thousand
Smokes.”
mm mm
IN THE
mm
Thursday, June 9, 1949
concrete structure will be
erected on the foundation of
the Bert’s Drug Store building
destroyed by fire last week,
owner Neal Wright said today.
It will house the drug store,
fountain cocktail bar, and
dance hall on the ground floor
with the entire second story to
be given over to office suites.
Construction on the new build
ing is to begin immediately,
Mr. Wright said. In the mean
time he plans to erect tempor- j
ary quarters on or near the
site of the burned building, j
where drugs and other neces
sities will be sold.
The Valley Producers, Inc.,
ing school be held in the
Valley, Parker Lester, Exten
sion agent, reported this
week. Mr. Lester asked Dean
Gasser, territorial commis
sioner of agriculture, to plan
for the school, but has receiv
ed no reply.
* * *
A new 50x70-fool building,
to be a one-story frame and
stucco structure erected on a
concrete basement, will be
begun on the lot next to the
Shamrock Bakery within the
next few days, it was reveal
ed by owner Matt Perkins.
Basement excavation will
commence as soon as frost is
out of the ground.
H % 3% B s^ l
OVER 35
OF
Y
A RI E TI E S
RH AO
'•LtVEnSD FRESH DAILY TO YOUR FAVORITE GROCTT
4 F STS FRESHER THAN SUNR’SE
HASN'T BEEN l MvED"
CEDiCATlD to VDUII gddd eeaith
* V;
When good
health depends
on your diet...
If you'r under doctor's
instructions to follow a
special regime, or re
quire dietetic supple
ments, we have every
thing you need.
Health is oar d a si ness, and we are
fully prepared to serve the every
PI 5-4515-PI 5-4500
rittaa udvf uccu wiu(;icvcu n
for the laying of a floor in the I
community building, which is a
about a half mile from the Big c
Lake Y on the Houston road.
The sub-flooring has been paid
for, and now the officers of the c
Community Club are looking r
for plywood at a reasonable a
price. t
* * c
Mrs. Beda Anderson left i
last Tuesday to fly to Califor
nia for her granddaughter’s
wedding. From there, she will
go to Sweden to finish her
month-long vacation with her
relatives.
* * *
Living at the Heaths are Mr.
and Mrs. Hartman and their
nine-year old daughter. The
Hartmans will attempt to es
tablish a Church of Christ in
the area.
* * *
The next Community Club
VOTE YES for Ciiy Sewer
Bond Issue, Wed., June 12!
j
i
BROWNS
CLEANERS
WILL BE
CLOSED
SATURDAYS
FROM
JUNE 15
THRU
SEPTEMBER 7
Bim if • clown—that la hi* bust
Mas. He can alwaya do tha wronj
thine at the right time.
But Bim ia no fool. Out of th<
circus ring h« always triaa to do th<
right thing at the right tima. ThoM
winter Sundays in Florida, baton
the show goes on the road, you mighi
sit next to Bim in church, and nevei
know he is a clown.
Ami even though on the road
when Sunday is moving day, Bin
gets out his old worn Bible and hit
teacher’s guide, and with his owr
kids, and with all the other “show’
kids gathered ’round him, there is
Sunday School on the circus train.
You see, Bim is a Christian, liv
ing his faith through all the compli
cations of a strange occupation. He
is not a mask—he is Bim. He is the
Churchman of a circus train—the
Sunday School teacher of show busi
nes. He knows when to put fun and
frolic a.-ule, awl turn to the Truth
i bu which ice live.'
|
The Church invites you and your
family to worship next Sunday and
every Sunday.
St. Bartholomew's
Episcopal Church
Morning Prayer_10 A.M.
Church School
11 A.M.
PI 5-4341
I Copyright 1953
I . ier Advertising Service, Ine.
ounaay
Acts
4:13-20
Monday
Acts
4:|1-31
Tuesday
Acts
8:26-38
Wednesday
1 Timothy
4:1-7
Thursday
I Timothy
4:8-16
Friday
Titus
1:5-9
Saturday
Titus
2:1-8
The Following Business Establishments Are Contributing This Series of Advertisement
To The Churches of The Matanuska Valley
MATANUSKA TELEPHONE ASSN. ^ ..
MATANUSKA VALLEY BANK THE FRONTIERSMAN
A LOCAL CITIZEN
PALMER BOWLING CENTER
ake, Houston and surrounding
rea will be at Pat Byrd’s home
n June 12.
• • •
A meeting was held at the
ivic center in Willow last
ight to discuss the possibility
nd feasibility of the location ol
he pea and other vegetable
annery and processing planl
a the W>llow area.
ST. JOHN
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
Hey. R. H. Fritz, pastor
Palmer, Alaska
-5-254!
Divine Services HsOO A.M.
Sunday School 9:45 A.M.
Here’s help
la farmer can
depend on
I Protect your farm property and profits with
[adequate insurance against fire and storms,
Icrop and livestock damage, and accidents.
|See us soon for all types of farm insurance]
I coverage at low cost.
PIPPEL
INSURANCE AGENCY
PI 5-3260
PI 5-4800
- V a '
IE
A meeting of the Alpine
Breeze* 4-K Club was held at
the Alpine Community hall
Thursday, May 23. Parliamen
tary procedure was discussed.
On June 10 at 10 a.m. we
will all meet at the community
hall and will clean the highway
from Mile 61 to Mile 62. We
will have a picnic lunch.
Each of the members told
about their projects and how
they are progressing. The next
meeting will be held June 20.
■‘********************-so
... ...
I Assembly of God *
* *
♦ Even. Serv. 7:30 p.m. *
♦ Prayer and Bible |
4 Study, Wednesday 7:30 pun.*
♦ Phone FH-8-3161 >
».-*********************
. 14 ■ VV VtAAAA tAAAJLAA ■ WtAA a
Karen Mrak, reporter
*
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♦
Wasilla
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