'V
Valley FxvnYiwEsarhaft
VALLEY FROIltVERSMAN
PRINTED AT PALMER, ALA$*LA, EACH THURSDAY
By the Matarntfika Press, Inc.
Entered as second class master *>n 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
City CouncB Must
Face Two Important
Problems Next Week
The City Council will take up
two important problems at its
regular session next week Wed
nesday in the Co-Op Club Room.
One of these concerns the con
tinued operation of the Matanus
ka Telephone Company; the
other, a decision regarding the
office of City Clerk.
Time is running out on the
decision as to whether or not
the city will take up its option to
purchase the telephone company
from Maynard Sands. The city
has been operating the company
under a temporary three-month
agreament that expired June I.
Although the agreement provided
for the extension of this tempor
ary management, a fast-approach
ing crisis will necessitate a rather
large outlay of money for equip
ment. The present telephone
switchboard has become danger
ous to operate; several times it
has caught fire in the past week.
Service is slow and often has to
be interrupted because of the con
dition of the cords or lack of
them. Already in the depot, but
still unclaimed, is a shipment of
100 telephones for which the city
must pay over $2,000. Weeks ago
the city authorized the Anchor
age Telephone Co. to go ahead
and put into operation a two
position manual board which was
almost new when Anchorage con
verted to automatic telephone
service. The city was to pay the
cost of renovation—estimated at
over $2,000, and pay Anchorage
a modest rental fee. At that time
it was believed that the board
would be ready for operation in
Palmer in three weeks.
Asked about progress on the
renovation of the board in last
week’s Council meeting, none of
the members of the telephone
committee seemed to know. City
Attorney Harold Butcher said he
had talked recently to Bill Con
nally, manager of the Anchorage
Telephone Co., and he had re
ported that nothing had been done
Butcher reported Connally as
saying that he had a better idea:
Why couldn’t the city of Palmer
make use of the Anchorage dial
telephone service? With the in
stallation of dial phones in Pal
mer and the construction of two
or three more lines, Connally be
lieved Anchorage might be able
to handle the Valley’s telephone
service for perhaps $20 monthly
besides a charge (possibly whole
sale) for each customer, Butcher :
reported. To Council members,
who have been authorizing '
monthly $300 more in telephone
expenses than has been reecived ;
in revenue, this seemed like a 1
proposition to be considered. A1 ■
Hagan was designated as chair- l
man of the telephone committee <
and was authorized to get details 1
of such a plan from Connally 1
this week.
®A more discouraging note was
introduced by Attorney Butchei 1
regarding the settlement ol
MVTC liabilities with the Collec- ;
tor of Internal Revenue. Settle- ;
ment of these liabilities by the ;
city at a considerable discount ;
was one of the factors on which !
eventual purchase of the company ;
was contingent. Butcher had talk
ed to a representative of the Col
lector of Internal Revenue. Ac- I
cording to him, chances of such j
a settlement were slim. Early in- ;
formation regarding such settle- !
ment is expected, since the fed
eral agents are in the Anchorage
area and are expected in Palmei
this week. ;
Regarding the office of City
Clerk, William Head still appear
ed adamant in his determination
to stick by his resignation of May
21, although he has been continu
ing to handle city business pend- j
wig the appointment of his sue- '■
Local G of G Invited
To Butte Barbecue for
World Premiere Cast
The Anchorage Chamber of
Commerce has invited the Matan
uska Valley Chamber to partici
pate in a barbecue to be held at
the Butte farm home of Dr. Lee
McKinley next week Friday noon,
June 20, in connection with the
Anchorage world premiere of the
motion picture ‘'World in His
Arms.”
The movie, which will be shown
in Anchorage for the first time
Thursday, June 19, is a Univer
sal-International film based on
the Rex Beach story of sealing
days in early Alaska on the Prib
ilof Islands.
Although the male star, Greg
ory Peck, will not be a member
of the Hollywood troupe which
will perfom at the premiere, Ann
Blythe and Anthony Quinn, also
stars of the movie cast, top the
list of the all-star troupe. They
will be present at the barbecue
along with other Hollywood dig
nitaries and press and radio rep
resentatives. Tickets for the affair
can be purchased for $3, C of C
President William T. Zahradnicek
announced.
cessor. With the appointment oi
a new Clerk it will be necessary
for the city to provide office
space. The Council will also have
to decide whether or not the Job
vill be set up on a full time basis.
The Council met in executive ses
sion yesterday to consider this
problem. Any decisions will be
given official sanction at the regu
lar meeting next week.
REWARD OFFERED
$50 REWARD for information
leading to recovery of 13' Alu
minum canoe stolen from Jim
Creek around May 21. One
gunwhale worn thru. Contact
P. Munsey, Co-Op Creamery
C-65-tf.
LEGAL NOTICE
UNITED STATES DEPART
MENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management.
Land Office
Anchorage, Alaska
March 4, 1952
Notice for Publication
Notice is hereby girven that
John St-ump, has made applica
tion for a homesite, under the Act
Df May 2, 1934 (48 Stat. 809) An
;horage Serial 016170, for the N!£
ME Vi NE !4NE *4, sec. 9. T 17 N.R.
I W. S.M. containing 5 acres, and
t is now in the files of the Land
Dffice, Anchorage, Alaska.
Any and all' persons claiming
idversely any of the above men
ioned land should file their ad
verse claim in the local land of
ice, Anchorage, within the period
>f publication or thirty days
hereafter, or they will be barred
>y the provisions of the statutes.
CHESTER W. McNALLY,
Acting Manager
Published: May 15, 22, 29 and
June 5, 12, 1952.
INSURANCE
of All Kinds
FIRE — THEFT
LIFE — ACCIDENT
ETC.
MAGAZINE
SUBSCRIPTIONS
KAY PIPPEL
Insurance
Wright Building—Palmer
Reporter
Notebook.
Belly Blunk -was in PalrncT
io allend the Stock-Steavall
wedding Saturday night, and
expected to tarry in the Valley
this week before returning to
her job in Fairbanks.
Coach Robert Crites expects to
leave next week for Columbus,
Ohio, where he will visit his
family and attend summer school
at Ohio State. Mrs. Crites and the
children will join him at Colum
bus next month.
Kirk Stone who was seen in
the Machetanz movie Tuesday
night has returned to his home
in Madison, Wisconsin, after at
tending an international con
vention of geographers in Paris.
His Alaska travels this summer,
it is reported, will take him to
Barrow.
H. J. Hodgson and Allan Mick,
enroute to Homer last week,
spotted the George Crowther car
parked near a cottage. Deciding
to pay their respects to the honey -
mooners, they advanced only a
few yards before catching sight
of the groom in the river. With
all his strength he was trying to
land a giant king salmon. With
out hesitation, Hodgson jumped
into the water with his shoes on
and helped Crowther land his 35
pound prize.
Extension Service Agricul
tural Agent Richard Blue and
his wife and small son returned
to the Valley last Thursday
after a several weeks in the
Stales, where Mrs. Blue recup
erated from a serious illness.
Early this week the agricultur
al agent left the Valley again
for a short trip to Fairbanks.
Mrs. Owen Butcher of Seward
was a visitor for a few days last
week. Her husband is building
the Seward airport.
The road connecting the Mat
anuska Experiment Station with
Four Corners is experiencing a
sudden spurt of building activity. |
Houses are being put up by Bill |
Edwards and a Mr. McDaniels,'
and a rather large tract of land i
is being cleared.
Week-end motorists reported
that the beautiful pink shooting j
stars are in full bloom on the |
Eklutna flats.
Leon Pettit of North Dakota, j
father of Robert Pettit of the!
Lazy Mountain area, is here in
the Valley on a two-week baby
sitting mission while Mrs. Robert
Pettit makes a quick trip to the
States. With him came another
son, Richard, who also owns land
on Lazy Mountain. Richard Pet
tit plans to spend the summer
here.
It’s old home week at the A. A.
Rempel house with their two
daughters and their families visit
ing from California. From Dinu
ba are Mr. and Mrs. Henry Berg
man and their three sons—Rudy,
Ernest, and Walter. Henry and
Rudy are working at the Experi
ment Station in town. From
Berkeley are Mr. and Mrs. Le
land Wolfenden and son, Allan.
Mother and son are here for an
indefinite visit, but Mr. Wolfen
den has to get back to his con
struction business in Berkeley.
John Wisenberger returned
this week from a business trip
to the States.
Ann (Mrs. Vance) Shepherd
Plenty
of Hot Water
Automatically...
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FRIGIDAIRE
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WATER HEATER
...and a 10-Year
PROTECTION PLAN I
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Radiantube Heating
Unit heats water fast—
keeps it hot. Wonder
working magnesium
rod guards the tank
against "pitting" and
red water. 30-80
gallon sizes.
I
KOSLOSKY'S
NO CHARGE FOR CASHING PAY CHECKS
Proposed Military Withdrawal of
Neighboring Area Unpopular in Valley
Just how the proposed military
withdrawal of 86,000 acres in the
Susitna area would affect the
westward expansion of agricul
ture from the Matanuska Valley
and interests of sportsmen in the
Valley and Anchorage areas has
reached a climax of interest with
in the past few weeks.
This climax followed military
announcement that the land
should be withdrawn immediate
ly without further hearings, an
announcement that highlighted a
growing resentment against fur
ther large-scale land withdrawals
in Alaska by the military, parti
cularly without giving Alaskans
an opportunity to be heard in a
public hearing held in the area
most affected.
Last week Lowell Puckett, re
gional administrator of the Bur
eau of Land Management, assur
ed the Anchorage Chamber of
Commerce that such a public
hearing would be held. BLM of
ficials noted that hearings of this
nature must be preceded by
notices advertised in the Federal
Register preceding the hearing
by at least 30 days. Puckett said
announcement concerning time
and place of the hearing could be
expected within a few days. Ap
parently the military itself is now
in complete agreement with the
need for a hearing to clarify its
.need for the land in view of op
position of the part of the local
population.
It is very possible that a clarifi
POTATO GROWERS
NOTICE
Potato Growers who plan to >
weed their potatoes with!;
chemicals should be watching j;
their fields closely this week,;!
according to Dr. Curtis Dear- ;!
born of the Experiment Sta-;!
tion horticulture department. ;!
A dinitro spray shotild be;!,
applied just before the potato ;j
sprouts break through the ; J!
ground. Chick weed, lamb’s >|
quarter and mustard are usual- !; I
ly controlled with two gallons !;
of premerge per acre mixed!;
in sufficient water (20-100 gal-!;j
Ions, depending on size of
spraying nozzle) applied to \
each acre, the horticulturist ;!
said.
is the new clerk in the Eklutna
Project personnel office. Her
husband has been working for
Palmer Constructors since Feb
ruary. Since she arrived in
Alaska in late April, the couple
has been living in North Pal
mer.
Charles W. Wilson, Territorial
Soil Conservationist, returns to
night after two days in Fair
banks and leaves Saturday for
a two-week trip to the SCS
regional office in Portland.
Like any proud father, Bob ;
Peterson was passing out cigars
ast week-end to celebrate the -
irrival of four boys and two girls,
canine offspring of the Peterson’s
slack cocker, Smokey.
Better still. SEE BILL!!
Insure today, see Ray.
Exact Area Unknown
cation of the exact area that this
86,000 acres would encompass
would eliminate—with reserva
tions—some of the objections to
a limited withdrawal. In none of
the publicity concerning the
withdrawal area, have the geo
graphical limits of the 86,000 acres
been described. The area has
described loosely as the Susitna
area west of Anchorage. Presum
ably the acreage would be located
in a triangular area fanning
out from the point of the firing
range at Fort Richardson. If the
range were directly west or west
—northwest, the segment encom
passing the 86,000 acres or 134
square miles would miss Goose
Bay by at least five or six miles,
and would also by-pass Big Lake
entirely. A more northwest range
might not do so.
Agricultural Potentialities
The above information was
gained from a perusal of maps
in the Soil Conservation Service
headquarters in Palmer. The
charge has been made that the
withdrawal would remove from
possible settlement some of the
best agricultural land in the Ter
ritory, land which represents the
only possible extension of the
rich Matanuska Valley agricul
tural area. Actually the only
available detailed land-use infor
mation concerning the area is
limited to an area that starts
about six miles south of Goose
Bay and extends north to the
westward limits of Big Lake. This
detailed land-use survey was |
made by SCS in 1939. A map
showing the extent of the dif
ferent types of land is in the
SCS office. It reveals, particular
ly around the Goose Bay-Knik
area, several rather large areas
suitable for cultivation. Charles
Wilson, Soil Conservationist for
Alaska, believed that in the un
surveyed area between the Little
Susitna River and Cook Inlet ex
clusive of the surveyed area de
scribed above, there could easily
be 20,000 acres of land suitable
for cultivation and another 20.000
acres suitable for grazing. Wilson
has been asked by the city man
ager of Anchorage to make an
estimate of the land in the with
drawal area which would be suit
able for agricultural and forest
expansion.
The military has stated that
the range would be used only .
part of the year—after freeze-up I
and before break-up. Whether or
not the area would be open to
sportsmen when the range were
not in use has not been indicated. |
Last fall when the proposed .
withdrawal was first aired, the |
Matanuska Valley Sportsmen and
:he local Chamber of Commerce
sent protests to the Department
)f Interior. Protests have been re
ceived from almost all interested
groups in the Anchorage-Matan
rska Valley area. Last week the j
sportsmen appointed Bruce Gra- |
ham, Clair Stock, and Glenn
-
Woods to represent them in any 1
hearing regarding the withdraw- 1
al.
Limited Withdrawal
Asked what he thought about
the proposed withdrawal, SCS’s
Wilson stated that if such with
drawal is found necessary
through a hearing, he would
favor it’s being granted for a
five-year period with the stipu
lation that any extension of this
period would be allowed only
after another hearing held local
ly. His letter tp Robert Sharp,
Anchorage City manager is re
produced in letters to the Editor.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to thank the many
friends and neighbors for their
assistance, kind expressions of
sympathy and floral offerings
during our breavement in the
loss of our beloved husband and
brother.
Mrs. Grant Kenser
Mr. and Mrs. George Meacham
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Kenser
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Schultz
Insure today, see Ray.
Better still, SEE BILL!!
D6n't forget ....
Annual VFW 4th of July
celebration
REE ICE CREAM AND PO!
FOR THE CHILDREN
Wasilla, Alaska
lift a v***
This 3-hp McCulloch
chain saw weighs only 25 lb.
complete.' Cuts sawlogs, pulp,
cordwood. posts, etc. Trims,
limbs and fells trees. Saws in any
position without adjustment!
Has automatic clutch, kickproof
rewind starter, many other
features!
-SBB IT TODAY!
MACHINERY DIVISION
Box 1500 — Phone 35051
Sales and Service in
Anchorage, 733 5th Ave.
MACHINERY BRANCHES
Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau
Ketchikan, Nome, Whitehorse,
Dawson
—:-A
FREE!
Spaghetti Dinner
Inaugurating Our Remodeled and Sanitary
Quarters
little Susitna Lodge
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
from 4:00 p.m. to 12 midnight