The Kenai Peninsula
HISTORICAL MUSEUM A LIBRARY
no* 205
JUNEAU ALASKA
TfftfUJ YRAU
II —
APRIL 19,
PRICE 10 CENTS
NUMBER 123
Oil Field
Strike
Continues
Picketing of two Standard Oil
Co. exploratory wells being drill
ed by Reading and Bates Drilling
Co. near the Swanson River Field
on the Kenai Peninsula was re
ported as still underway Thursday
morning.
Workers on the two wells walk
ed off the job early Easter Sun
day morning in a strike that was
called at midnight Saturday by
the Alaska Petroleum Crafts
Council.
The strike involves two Read
ing and Bates rigs and affects 15
men on each rig. The wells in
volved are the Soldotna Creek
Unit 22A-32 and the Swanson
River Unit 14-9, drilling of which
was hoped to expand the present
large oil field by several miles.
Although Standard has been
faced with a costly delay as a re
sult of the strike, problems of
protecting the deep holes have
been taken care of by the drilling
contractor’s supervisory person
nel.
According to Harold Groothuis,
secretary of the Alaska Petroleum
Crafts Council, negotiating with
Reading and Bates has been going
on since last fall but talks stale
mated over safety and discrimin
ation provisions and- a work
agreement could not be reached.
The council spokesman said
that a federal mediator is expect
ed in the area within the next
few days to conduct a hearing on
the dispute.
The Rowan Drilling Co. rig, al
so operating in the Swanson River
Field area, reportedly has not
been involved in labor disputes
and is not being picketed.
ACCA TO MEET THURSDAY
KENAI — The regular meeting
of the Kenai Area Chapter of the
Alaska Crippled Children’s As
sociation will be held at 7:30 p.
m. next Thursday, April 25, in
the home economics room of Ke
nai Central High School. The pub
lic is invited to attend.
The Weather
Apr. 11
Apr. 12
Apr. 13
Apr. 14
Apr. 15
Apr. 16
Apr. 17
Apr. 11
Apr. 12
Apr. 13
Apr. 14
Apr. 15
Apr. 16
Apr. 17
Max. Min. Precip.
KENAI
32 12 None
33 21 .02
32 23 .05
29 22 1.8
34 22 .08
30 9 .03
29 5 None
SOLDOTNA
33 10
35
34
32
34
32
28
11
18
26
None
None
Trace
1.04
(Snow)
22 2.00
(Snow)
9 Trace
-2 None
Snow began falling Saturday
night and continued all day East
er Sunday, April 14, and the
greater part of Monday, with
snow on the ground measuring
about 4 inches at Soldotna Air
port. Highways and roadways
were slippery in spots and several
vehicles slid into ditches, includ
ing the school bus off Kalifonsky
Beach Road. No injuries report
ed.
Sunday will mark the third and final day upon which the Sabin
oral polio vaccine will be administered in the Soldotna and Kenai
areas. Shown here are Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hines and children,
Soldotna, receiving their vaccine when it was last given.
Action on Borough
Organization Expected
To Begin Saturday
Lusuussiun ana explanation ot
the borough bill, HB No. 90, which
was signed into law by Gov. Wil
liam A. Egan last Wednesday,
will take place Saturday when the
Kenai Peninsula Borough Study
Group meets at 1 p.m. in River
side House, Soldotna.
Committee chairmen and all
committee members are asked to
arrive at noon so that points to
be brought up at the meeting may
be outlined prior to the luncheon,
scheduled for 1 p.m. Reservations
for the luncheon may be made
by calling’ Riverside House or
Mrs. Larry Lancashire, Borough
Study Group secretary. Those un
able to come to the luncheon are
asked to be present by 1:45 p.m.
“The time for study is about
over. It is now time for action,”
Charley Griffin, Soldotna School
On Honor Roll
At University
Two students from the Kenai
Peninsula now attending the Uni
versity of Alaska were among
the 48 earning positions on the
honor roll for the fall semester,
as recently released by Dr. How
ard A. Cutler, academic vice-pres
ident at U. of A. Minimum re
quirements were a 3.5 grade av
erage with at least 12 semester
credits.
Peninsula students so honored
were Margaret Needham, a senior
in education from Homer, and
Dennis Pullar, a junior from Hope
enrolled in civil engineering.
EASTER VISITORS
RIDGEWAY — Bill Hemmel
gam and daughter, Carol Ann,
were visited over the Easter
weekend by Mrs. Hemmelgam
and younger daughter, Harriet
Lee, of Anchorage.
superintendent and vice chairman
of the study organization, said
this week. Griffin was referring
to the fact that the borough law
is mandatory and that incorpora
tion “will take place whether or
not we want it, or whether or
not we are ready for it” prior to
Jan. 1, 1964.
The way the bill reads, areas
which have not incorporated of
their own free will prior to Oct.
1, 1963 will be organized by the
state between Oct. 1 and Dec. 15
this year in special elections call
ed by the secretary of state.
The sftse of the borough and its
boundaries are still matters of
major concern for Peninsula re
sidents. Other matters such as
borough seat, taxation, school dis
tricts, roads, selection of borough
assemblymen and school board
members and kindred problems
are expected to be discussed Sat
urday.
All persons in the Kenai Penin
sula interested in the borough
question and its relation to the
governmental, educational and ec
onomic structui-e of the entire
area are urged to be present.
Citizen Meeting
Called Tonight
SOLDOTNA — A meeting of
citizens of Soldotna and immedi
ate area has been set for 8 p.m.
tonight (Friday) in the Soldotna
Community Hall.
Purpose of the meeting is for
discussion of the antlerless moose
season, questions concerning bor
ough organization prior to the
general borough meeting schedul
ed Saturday, taxation, and vari
ous other city and area problems.
Everyone is urged to attend and
to express his opinions in the
pro and con discussion.
Post Medical Facilities Available
To Civilians Only in Emergencies
“In view of the adequacy of
present medical treatment facil
ities in the Kenai-Soldotna area,
the dispensary at Wildwood Sta
tion will accept civilian patients
only in case of extreme emer
gency," Capt. John V. Vore, post
surgeon, announced Wednesday.
Army regulations do not per
mit the care of unauthorized ci
vilian personnel except in case
of such emergency.
In emergency situations an at
tempt should be made to contact
one of the local physicians prior
to seeking medical attention at
Wildwood Station, the post sur
geon added. Following ti’eatment
at Wildwood Station, the patient
will be referred to a private phy
scician.
Seattle Firm is Low Bidder
On High School Construction
Bids for construction of the pro
posed Kenai Central High School
were opened by the Kenai City
Council Wednesday night with
the apparent low bidder being
Lease Co., Inc., of Seattle, Wash.
The Lease Co. bid of $1,052,900
was one of six considered by the
Council.
No contracts have been signed
as yet. Further developments de
pend upon the outcome of a tele
phone call placed by the City
Thursday afternoon to Marshall
and Meyer, bond brokers in Seat
tle, in regard to the sale of bonds,
issuance of which was approved
by voters in a recent election.
The bid opening attracted a
crowd which packed the Council
ARA Grants
Funds to Aid
Seldovia Work
The Area Redevelopment Ad
ministration has approved a $164,
000 30-year public facility loan
to Seldovia at 3Vac/c interest and
a $108,000 grant for expansion of
water facilities, it has been an
nounced by Rep. Ralph J. Rivers,
D-Alaska.
Rivers, in a telegram Monday
to the Cheechako News from
Washington, D.C., said the work
at Seldovia is expected to create
25 new jobs in each of two new
fish canneries and in another
cannery, which is to be expanded.
It will also mean 75 new jobs
for privately employed fishermen
and will save 100 jobs in existing
canneries, which have had to cur
tail operations due to inadequate
water facilities, Rivers said.
chambers and was attended by
representatives of some of the
contractors and by several sub
contractors.
Other contractors submitting
bids on the high school construc
tion and the amount of their bid
offers were:
Sam Bergesen, Tacoma, W ash.,
$1,108,000; J. B. Warrack, Co.,
Seattle, $1,127,000; C and R
Builders, Seattle, $1,139,800; B-E
C-K Constructors, Seattle, $1.
431,000, and Fairbanks Westerly
$1,192,000.
Cohoe Girl
Best Speller
Phyllis Hines of Cohoe won the
high school spelling bee held ati
Tustumena School on April 10.
Phyllis was representing Ninil
chik High School. She is a sopho
more and graduated from Tustu
mena School in 1961.
Stephen Webb, 13, a seventk
orade student at Tustumena had
been chosen to represent the
school in the State Spelling Bee
to be held at Anchorage on April
25.
Stephen, however, is now m
Providence Hospital at Anchorage
suffering from a broken leg. He
fell while playing at the school
and was flown to Anchorage from
Soldotna.
SOLDOTNA — James E. Fish
er, Kenai attorney, was &n Anch
orage commuter from the Soldot
na Airport last Friday.
NOW every mile you drive, new
ROYAL 76 gasoline gives your
engine a
Chemical Tune-Up
Change to new Royal 76 today, by
driving in to.
• Parker’s Union Service
SOLDOTNA
• E and E Union Service
STERLING
• Alaska Machine & Engine
Rebuild
KEXAI
• Clam Shell Lodge
CLAM GULCH
★
DON BAILEY
• UNION OIL CONSIGNEE •