Valdez News
VOL. 1. NO. 19
VALDEZ. ALASKA. FRIDAY. JULY 21. 1950
PRICE 10c
Dayville Cannery Begins Operation This Week
Oily Council Talks
And Talks, but Not
Of Anything New
The Valdez City Council spent
most of last week’s meeting time
re-hashing the warmed-over busi
ness of previous meetings. Aside
from a discussion of the proposal
of Mayor Z. J. Loussac of An
chorage, for a meeting of Alaskan
city heads to discuss means of
improving municipal government,
almost no new business was dis
cussed.
The council took no action on
Mayor Loussac’s proposal. Mem
bers agreed that the suggestion
was worthwhile, and that if con
venient, a Valdez representative
should attend the meeting. They
tabled any definite action until a
later date, since Mayor Loussac
suggested the meeting should be
scheduled for late August.
Council members heard the
wired report of James Brown, of
the divisional office of the Bu
reau of the Census, stating that
the Third Division’s unofficial
population was 58,358.
Two building permits were is
sued to Mr. Segerquist of the El
Nathan Home. One will allow
him to construct a garage and the
other okays the construction of a
covered hallway between two
buildings and the erection of a>
chimney.
GLACIER GIRLS MAKE
$13 ON BAKE SALE
The Glacier Club Girls, who
arfe sponsored by Miss Mable An
derson, realized $13 as proceeds
of their second bake sale, on July
11, it was announced this week.
The money goes into the club
treasury.
Club members are now com
pleting work on their wastebas
ket-making project. They’re pre
paring for a new project, in which
they will sew the skirts that will
be a part of the club uniform.
Girls will wear skirts of faded
red denim and plain white
blouses.
THREE COUPLES MARRY
IN PAST THREE WEEKS
Late June and early July are
the favored weeks of cupid in
Valdez, records at the office of
U.S. Commissioner Margaret Har
rais show. There have been three
weddings of interest to Valdez
residents since last June 21.
On that date, George Wafford
of this city was married to Miss
Lorene Duckett of Marietta, Ga.,
at Cordova. Miss Duckett flew
from her Georgia home for the
wedding.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Henderson
were attendants at the wedding
ceremony.
The newlyweds will make their
home in Valdez, where Mr, Waf
ford has owned his home for sev
eral years. Although the couple
has known each other for many
years, this is Mrs. Wafford’s first
visit to Alaska.
On July 10, Frank Dennison
and Irene Tucker of Fairbanks
were united in marriage in Val
dez. U. S. Commissioner Margaret
Harrais performed the service.
Attendants at the wedding were
George Raich and Louis Ander
son.
On July 15, Wayne Martin of
Valdez and Miss Helen Ann Ploy
har of Heppner, Ore., were mar
ried by Mrs. Harrais. The cere
mony was performed at 8:30 that
evening, in the presence of Mrs.
Lucille Weeks and Gordon M.
Jurgens, the couple’s only at
tendants.
Mr. Martin has purchased a
new home’ in Valdez. He is an
employe of the Gilson Mercantile
Co., here.
KNIK HOMEMAKERS WORK
ON HANDICRAFT FOR FAIR
KNIK — The Sunny Knik
Homemakers’ Club held a special
meeting on Tuesday of this week,
in order to complete handicraft
articles of birchbark and other
special project work. The club
members plan to exhibit their
handiwork at the coming Mata
nuska Valley fair.
Visit at Henderson Home
Mrs. Alex Binek and children
were guests of the Tom Hender
sons at Mile 47 last week.
Navy Asks Reserve Officers, Enlisted
Men and Women to Volunteer for Dutv
The Navy last week, in a re
lease from Seventeenth Naval
District Headquarters at Kodiak,
invited all naval reserve officers
and enlis ed men and women to
apply voluntarily for active duty.
Assignments will be for sea and
foreign duty for a period of not
■ ess than six months, the release
stated.
Openings for officers include
unrestricted line officers (both
aviation and non-aviation), sup
ply corps, dental corps and civil
engineer corps, in the rank of
Lieutenant Commander and be
low. Openings in the grade of
Commander and below include
medical corps officers and officers
who are specialists in electronics,
communications and intelligence.
All naval reserve officers should
submit applications direct to the
Bureau of Naval Personnel at
Washington, 25, D. C. Aviation
officers should indicate flight
time and type of aircraft flown
during the past year.
Enlisted men may apply for
openings in classes V-l, V-2, V-3,
V-6, 0-1, and 0-2, pay rates E3,
E4, E5, and E6, plus general and
emergency service rates of sonar
man, radarman, firecontrolman,
firecontrol technician, electronics
technician, aviation electronics
technician, air controlman, mine
man, communications technician,
yeoman and photographer.
Applicants must be physically
qualified for unlimited active
duty and have at least one year
of service.
Qualified enlisted men should
submit their applications direct
to the Commandant of the Sev
enteenth Naval District at Kodiak.
Applicants will be ordered for
Kodiak for physical examinations,
and if found qualified, then will
be ordered to active duty.
Portland Tour, Market Analyst
Expected In Valdez Next Tuesday
At least several of the 20 mem
bers of the Portland Chamber of
Commerce group now touring in
Alaska are expected in Valdez
next Tuesday, it was announced
here this week. A definite report
of the visitors’ itinerary has not
been received in Valdez, so no of
ficial plans are being made to en
tertain the visitors.
With the group will come Al
fred L. Lomex of Eugene, Ore.,
according to a prior announce
ment from George M. Henderson,
chairman of the Portland Cham
ber’s Alaska committee. Mr. Lo
max will accompany tour mem
bers on their 12-day dash about
the territory, and then will re
main for an added month to make
a market survey for the Portland
Chamber.
Mr. Lomax will concentrate his
study in the Railbelt area and in
this portion of southwest Alaska,
it was announced. He expects to
get in touch with all local Cham
bers of Commerce and to meet
with all businessmen of the area
now doing business with Port
land firms. Before coming to Alas
ka, Mr. Lomax held a similar
meeting with Oregon firms now
doing business in the territory,
as well as with representatives of
firms who wish to extend their
business contacts to Alaska.
Mrs. Lomax will accompany her
husband on his survey of the
southwest Alaska area.
A Watch, 11 Spankings
Mark Seventh Birthday
For Peter Germain
Mrs. Jack Thatcher entertained
at a birthday party for her young
houseguest, Peter Germain, on
his seventh birthday last July 14.
Peter and his guests spent the
afternoon playing games and en
joying contests.
The young guest of honor re
ceived many lovely gifts for his
birthday. Of particular interest
to him was the wristwatch which
arrived from an aunt and uncle
at International Falls, Minn. Peter
was given his watch because he
learned to tell time at the age of
Highlight of the birthday cele
bration for honor guest and his
birthday well - wishers was the
ceremony each guest performed
upon arrival. As each new party
goer arrived, Peter handed the
newcomer a paddle and then
draped himself over a cushioned
stool while the guest administered
the conventional seven spanks.
Peter enjoyed that part of his
party most, but bemoaned the
fact that no one hit him hard
enough.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, birth
day cake and ice cream was
served. Having a long experience
in small-boy birthday parties,
Mrs. Thatcher amply prepared for
Peter and his 11 guests by baking
two three-layer birthday cakes.
Peter’s party guests included:
Pat Sweet, Mac Teeter, Darrell
Blakesley, Dennis Jennings, Jim
mie Erickson, Paul Johnston, Bob,
Dean, Frank and Lee Ann Thatch
er and Mrs. Deane Jennings.
ALFRED L. LOMAX
Roller R nk
Reopens Here
Valdez’ roller skating rink in
the gymnasium re-opened on
Tuesday of this week, with skat
ers trying out the new masonite
floor installed as the rink sur
face. The committee in charge
has announced that the rink will
be open for skating every Tues
day night. An additional skating
night is planned for later in the
week, but the committee hasn’t
yet selected the night.
Afternoon skating sessions at
the rink are planned for Satur
day and Sunday afternoons.
The management committee of
the Women’s Civic Club is faced
with the problem of obtaining
proper adult supervision of the
! rink. They dislike placing the re
sponsibility of the rink on the
shoulders of only a few persons,
but they are finding there is a
definite shortage of volunteer
supervisors.
The Club has purchased an ad
ditional 56 pairs of skates, in or
der to insure adequate equipment
for all who wish to use the rink.
The skates are rented to pre
school and grade school children
for 10 cents, to junior high school
and high school students for 25
cents, and to adults for 75 cents.
VISITS BROTHER HERE
Lane Wise of Sacramento, Cal.,
sister of Herman Sontag of Val
dez, is visiting in the city and at
Dayville with the Andrew Days.
She expects to remain in this
area until fall.
MOVE OUT NEAR JOB
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Seagraves
have moved to the McCrary cabin
near the Lytel and Green job site.
Mr. Seagraves is employed by
that company. In the fall, the
couple plan to move to Chitina,
where they ahve rented a home.
PLANT EXPECTED
TO EMPLOY ABOUT
SIXTY WORKERS
The Dayville Cannery was
scheduled to open this week, of
fering employment to an estimat
ed crew of 60 workers, according
to owner Andy Day. Mr. Day
said a not overly-large run of
salmon wa santicipated in this,
the cannery’s nineteenth year of
operation under his management.
The cannery head deplored the
fact that the promised road to the
Dayville cannery still is not com
pleted this year. Because of his
efforts to offer cannery employ
ment to resident Alaskans only,
Mr. Day said he was told, last
year, that the Alaska Road Com
mission. would rehabilitate the
present wagon road into a regular
highway. As his share of the
bargain, he was to drive the nec
essary piling, which he did.
Mr. Day pointed out that the
road between Dayville and Val
dez would materially assist the
economy of Valdez, during the
summer canning season.
Five cannery - owned fishing
boats will supply the Dayville
plant this year. The company
owned fleet is expected to be aug
mented by several independent
fishing boats from Cordova, as
well.
Speaking of the operations of
past years, Mr. Day recalled that
last year’s cannery crew was
hired in Anchorage. Every work
er was either a student or a col
lege graduate, and Mr. Day rec
ommends them as the most satis
factory crew he ever hired.
The Anchorage-recruited crew
chartered a special bus to trans
port them from that city to Day
ville.
NURSE, TEACHER
VISIT IN VALDEZ
Mrs. Beatrice Math, a nurse,
and Miss Ahlida Ballagh, a re
tired schoolteacher, this week are
the guests of Mrs. Mary Welcn
of Valdez. The pair came to the
territory from Bakersfield, Calif.
After concluding their Valdez
visit, the lady tourists motored to
Fairbanks. From there, they plan
to fly to Kotzebue. Upon their re
turn'to Fairbanks, they expect to
make a rail trip to McKinley and
Anchorage, and then will turn
their steps toward home by way
of Palmer and the Glenn High
way.
Mrs. Math will come back to
Valdez for a longer visit. Miss
Ballagh will return to the states,
travelling by way of the Tok
Cut-off to the Alaska Highway,
down that highway to White
horse, and then across to Skag
way where she will depart for the
states.
VISIT DAUGHTER HERE
Mr. and Mrs. William G. Long
of Geneva, N. Y., parents of Miss
Helen Long of Valdez, are spend
ing a two-weeks’ visit here with
their daughter. They are accom
panied by Miss Agnes Clohessy
of Brooklvn, N. Y., and Chicago,
111., who' plans to stay for a
couple of months as Miss Long 9
guest.