Thought of the Week:
We are continually amazed
that most people take them
selves seriously.
The frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE AAATANUSKA VALLEY
WELCOME
KIWANIANS
VOLUME 15, NUMBER 47
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15. 1963
TEN PAGES
PRICE 15 CENTS
Reporters—
Not&boaJz
Mrs. Cora Hemmer, Valley
pioneer who underwent major
surgery at Providence hospital
last Thursday, is reported to be
recovering well. Friends may
address notes to her in care of
Providence Hospital, Anchor
age.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Ross
,, (Betty Jo Wilson) are now
making their home in Anchor
age, where B. J. is a public
health nurse with the Greater
Anchorage Heatlh District, and
Doyle is a materials engineer
with the State Highway De
partment.
* * *
Esther Brager and Tony
Stepich, partners at the 49
Club, returned last Thursday
from a six weeks’ tour of Eur
ope. including Tony’s home
land. Yugoslavia. Preceding
their departure last June 30,
they were given a farewell
party and buffet dinner at the
club by a group of their
friends.
Miriam Johnanson writes
from Midvale, Utah, that hus
band Dee is recovering from
surgery and would like to hear
from Palmer friends. Mail
should be addressed to 90 E.
6790 So., Midvale, Utah.
July visitors to Palmer from
Pinole. Calif, after a ten-year
absence were Mr. and Mrs.
Orin Tess and family. Mrs. Tess
is the former Barbara Hecker,
1950 graduate from Palmer
high school. While here, they
were entertained by old friends
with a reunion at the Wendell
Lewis home in the Finger Lake
area and visited the Ron Hayes
family in Anchorage, Barbara's
sisters Mrs. Chet Burden of
Knik and Mrs. Jack Leek, and
and her brother Bill Hecker of
; Palmer.
Leaving here Aug. 5, they
met the Bill Cox family at Tes
iin Lake in Yukon Territory
(Mrs. Burden’s son). Bill went
to school in Wasilla. Palmer,
and Anchorage. He and his
family now make their home in
Modesto, Calif.
* * *
Seaman First Class Larry
Cox of the U. S. Navy passed
through Anchorage Aug. 2 on
his way to Japan for a two
year tour aboard the U.S.S.
Herbert Thomas.
• • •
Mrs. Carl O’Brien is making
her annual summer visit in
Palmer. Arriving last June 1,
she says she plans to stay un
til the “termination dust”
drives her away.
Council Approves Purchase
Of Co-op Line For $55,000
Purchase of the Matanuska
Maid, Inc. sewer lines for $55,
00# was approved last Tuesday
by Palmer city councilmen
with one negative vote, that
of'"William Hermann. Accord
ing to the agreement with the
Co-op, assessments will not be
made for sewers on Co-op pro
perty. Sewerage charges will
be levied, however.
The council also approved
purchase of 27 acres of land
from Martin and Anna Kalwies
at $400 an acre as a site for the
sewer lagoon.
The city’s offer of $15,000 for
the Alaska Rural Rehabilita
tion Corporation’s sewer lines
has been accepted by the
ARRC.
Project engineer Ralph Stef
ano has set Aug. 26 as the date
for competion of engineering
plans, city manaager Winston
Gilchrist said. Bids will be ad
vertised on Sept. 6, with the
bid opening to be Oct. 6. This
schedule is in keeping with
the time requirements in get
ting APW grants for funds.
Gilchrist said he would get
in touch with Marshall and
Meyers, fiscal agents, to make (
arrangements for the sale of
enough bonds to pay current
sewer project bills.
After some discussion of the
urgency of improving the sew
er lines serving Central school,
councilmen decided to specify
in the construction bid that this
section of line be installed first.
Street Improvements
The appearance of Ben Dan
sie, North Palmer resident, at
the council to request a gravel
base for North Valley Street
touched off considerable dis
: cussion on need for street im
j provements in several areas
! and resulted in the passage of
l several motions. The motions
provided that sufficient gravel
be used to make Valley Street
passable north as far as the end
of the water line; that gravel
be added to the street running
past the Palmer library to
Bailey Hill Street; and that the
street behind West Side Ser
vice which may be used as a
cutoff to Bailey Hill Street
during the sports car races, be
graded and improved. The trail
running north of the Goode
home will be barricaded .
Some consideration was giv
en to the suggestion that con
tractors on future subdivisions
take the responsibility of
bringing the streets in the sub
division up to standard.
Parking on Colony Street
The city manager was auth
orized to sign a lease agree
ment with the Alaska Railroad
which will permit paving of a
portion of the railroad right
of-way to provide a parking
strip on the east side of Col
ony Street
Dog Control
The city manager was in
structed to terminate the con
tract with Joe Curtis as dog
control officer and to attempt
to find a replacement. Com
plaints from city residents
were reported on the manner
in which dogs picked up on
the streets have been impound
ed; also, police interpretation
of the ordinance, which states
that dogs must be under super
vision on the owner’s property,
was questioned. Council mem
bers agreed that “under super
(Continued on Pago 10)
Raceway Construction To Begin Monday
Economic Factor Likely
To Decide Plant Location
ALASKA STATE FAIR
TITLE IS OFFICIAL
Gov. William Egan has of
ficially proclaimed the fair
to be held in Palmer Aug. 30
Sept. 3 as the 1963 Alaska
State Fair, manager Curly
Sutton reported this week.
The original proclamation,
with official seal, has been
received at the local fair of
fice and is on display there,
j Legislative action in 1961
designated the Palmer fair
as the official slate fair in
1961 and the Tanana Valley
fair as the state fair in 1962.
The legislature did not act
on a bill introduced by Eug
ene Reid, state representative
from District 7, during the
1963 session, which would
make Palmer the permanent
location for the stale fair.
COLD SUMMER?
HERE’S PROOF
Net solar radiation retained
at Palmer in June and July
1 this year was down 22 per
cent from a comparable period
last year, and is 12 per cent
I below 1961, Ivan Branton of
the Experiment Station re
ported this week.
He cited continuous record
| ings from a heat-measuring
study started in 1961 to prove
that this summer has favored
fuel dealers rather than resort'
businesses.
The amount of solar heat
received by each square foot
in June was enough to warm
1.000 gallons of water 28 de
grees F. “This isn’t sufficient
to grow green corn or tomatoes
outdoors, as every sourdough
knows,” Branton said. He ad
ded that lettuce, cabbage, and
grass grow very well even
with a fairly limited heat bud
get.
By Oct. 20, soil in the Mat
anuska Valley begins to lose
more heat than is gained. ,
Co-Op Application
Appears Competitive
The determining factor in
REA’s decision as to location
of a power generating plant to
serve southcentral Alaska will
no doubt be area economy. Ma
son LaZelle, MEA manager,
said this week.
The MEA application for
REA funds to build the Sutton
Electrical Center will be high
ly competitive with CEA’s ap
plication for an addition to the
Knik Arm plant, according to
LaZelle—if power costs from
the two proposed plants appear
to be about equal, the final
decision is likely to be influ
enced by the economic need of
the community.
The need for a coal-fired
steam plant which would not
only add needed generation but
would stimulate the local min
ing industry is being stressed
by the Power Development
Committee, a group formed
early this summer to study
and promote the installation of
the Sutton plant.
With this need in mind, the
committee has written to all
members of MEA, urging them
to write a note to the Alaska
Congressional Delegation to
tell its members why the Sut
ton Electrical Center should be
built. The MEA members were
asked to mail their notes to
the Power Development Com
mittee. Box 52, Palmer, so that
all the letters might be mailed
to Senators Gruening and Bart
lett and Representative Rivers
in one packet.
“The huge electrical genera
tion plant at Sutton will put
an economic foundation under
the Matanuska and Susitna
valleys,” Wilson said. "It will
give year-round employment
to more than 100 persons and
will establish a location for
an industrial complex that will
attract other industries to the
valley.”
The chairman urged that all
area residents who have not
yet written their letters do so
immediately.
When a delegation of REA
officials visited Anchorage and
the Valley in mid-July, local
power cooperatives were told
that the final decision on lo
cation of the plant would be
i made by Sept. 1, Wilson point
ed out in stressing the urgency
: of getting the letters written
and on their way.
Palmer Grade, High School Students
To Enroll for 1963-64 Term Next Week
Enrollment of all pupils in
the Palmer public schools for
the 1963-64 term will begin
Aug. 21 and continue through
Aug. 22, superintendent of
schools R. C. Carter announc
ed this week.
Hours for enrollment will be
from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and
from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Elemen
tary pupils, grades 1-8, will
register at Central school and
pupils in grades 9-12 will reg- I
ister at the high school.
Carter reminded parents
that state law requires that a
child be six years of age on or
before Nov. 1 before he is eli
gible to enroll in the first
grade. The parent must verify
this age by presenting the
child's birth certificate.
Elementary children need
not attend registration with
their parents. However, high
school students may register
themselves.
The fee schedule for high
school pupils include a 25c li
brary fee, required of all stu
(Continued on page 10)
MATANUSKA MAID
ANNUAL MEETING
IS SATURDAY
Meeting at Central School at
10 a.m.. members of Matanuska
Maid, Inc. will elect three di
rectors to their board this Sat
urday, Aug. 17. Also to be con
sidered at the meeting is the
un-dating of certificates of
equity, a move to ease the fin
ancial burden of the construc
tion of the new creamery by
deferring equity payments un
til a future date.
The terms of James Cottrell,
Bob McCombs, and Ray De
Priest, all of three years, are
expiring. Nominations for
these posts will be made from
the floor at the meeting.
Other members of the board
of directors are Ray Rebarchek,
Earl Ray, Ralph Gadbury of
Fairbanks, John Nash. William
Hecker, and Harlan Hamilton.
Asociation officers and gen
eral manager Stewart Durrant
will make their annual reports.
The day-long session will re
cess for lunch, with the after
noon meeting continuing until i
association business is com- j
pleted.
Several door prizes will be
awarded during the meeting.
CHAMBER PLANS
FARM TOUR
City people and farm folks
will get together tomorrow
morning (Aug. 16) with an eye
to becoming better acquainted.
All persons who work in
agriculture or allied indus
tries are invited to take part in
a field tour and luncheon hon
oring guests from the Anchor
age Chamber of Commerce,
Stewart A. Durrant. Palmer
chamber member and general
manager of Matanuska Maid,
Inc. said today.
The tour will begin at 11
a.m. in front of the Matanuska
Hotel, with the party to go
first to the farming area south
of Palmer. After a stop at the
Ray DePriest farm, the tour
will continue to the Experi
mental Farm. Here the visit
ors and hosts will get a pre
view of a potential new indus
try. growing peas for commer
cial canning and freezing. The
vinery will be at work and
pea grading and quality test
ing methods will be shown.
Various varieties of potatoes
will also be on display.
The guests will then be tak
en to the Gene Reid farm,
where a luncheon will be serv
ed at no charge to all who
take the tour.
“This is a real opportunity
for the farm people to get bet
ter acquainted with their An
chorage friends." Durrant said.
MILES FRANCE
INJURED MONDAY
i Still hospitalized after a Mon
day evening collision with a
moose is Miles France of Pal
mer.
The accident occurred about
9:30 p.m. near the weighing
station a few miles out of An
chorage. when France, blinded
by oncoming headlights, did
not see the moose cross in front
of the car.
France suffered numerous
cuts from flying glass, but is
reported to be getting along
well. Also injured was Barbara
Buzby, 15, a passenger in the
car. A gash on her leg requir
ed 15 stitches. In the car
but uninjured except for min
or cuts were Mrs. France and
their three daughters, Pamela,
Sandy, and Kathy.
STATE JUNIOR BOWLING CHAMPIONS
THESE FIVE GIRLS won tho 1963 state bowling champion
ship in the national Mail-o-Graphic tournament, spon
sored annually by the American Junior Bowling Congress*
The girls, who bowled in the senior division of the tour
nament, are, back row, left to right,Susie Marple, Holly
Schroeder, and Carol Weisenberger; and front row,
Donna Edmiston and Cindy Schroeder. Bowling against
teams from all 50 states and 14 foreign countries (16,000
teams participating) the girls placed 32nd nationally.
Their local sponsor was Pioneer Texaco.
Jim Jones Named
Project Manager
Jim Jones. Anchorage busi
nessman and owner of the Al
aska Speedway, has been en
gaged as project manager of >
the new Palmer Raceway, and
Tex Noey. Anchorage sports
man and commentator, has
been named promotional man
ager.
Engineering. design. and
soils investigation will begin
Monday for the first portion of
the project, a 3.650-foot drag
strip, Jones said yesterday.
The Raceway will also in
clude a two-mile racing course
for sports cars, a half-mile
horse race track, facilities for
stock car racing, and a track
for Go-Kart racing. It will be
located on a 175-acre tract on
the Glen Woods property
south of Palmer.
The project, which will be
financed by a stock corpora
tion. is sponsored by local busi
nessmen. It will lie an all-mod
ern facility, and will include
parking area and picnic ground.
Excavating and backfill for
the drag strip will be complet
ed this fall.and drag racing
could begin late this year.
Jones said. All auto racing
tracks will be paved, and fac
CONNOLLY TO BE
CHAMBER SPEAKER
John Connolly. Anchorage
attorney, will be guest speak
er at the Palmer Chamber of
Commerce noon luncheon
meeting on Wednesday, Aug.
21. at the Frontier Cafe.
Connolly’s topic will be
“World Peace through Law,"
the speaker drawing his mater
ial from a conference on this
subject held last month in Ath
ens. Greece.
The committee is sponsored
by the American Bar Associa
tion.
ilities are expected to be com
plete by July, 1964, he added.
Designed to be one of the
most modern racing plants in
the United States, the planners
expect that races held their
will attract European entrants
as well as from the South 48
The accessibility of this area
by over-the-pole flights was
pointed out.
“The Palmer Raceway should
be a real boost for the Palmer
area, bringing racing enthusi
asts and spectators from con
siderable. distances,” Jones
said. He stated that the seat
ing capacity for spectators will
be 5.000.
Sutton Child to
Have Heart Surgery
Wesley Bannon. son of Mr.
and Mrs. Albert Bannon. Sut
ton potato farmers, will under
go open heart surgery on Tues
day. Aug. 27, at the Presbyteri
an Medical Center in San Fran
cisco, Dr. Vincent Hume, local
physician and surgeon, said
this week.
The operation, a fairly re
cent surgical advance, is done
with the aid of a heart-lung
machine, which keeps a con
tinuous flow- of blood through
the patient’s body while sur
gery is being performed.
’The Alaska Blood Bank at
207 East Northern Lights Blvd.
has already contributed the
necessary 16 pints of blood for
the operation. Hume said. He
asked that local residents who
will be in Anchorage any time
within the next month stop at
the blood bank and donate a
pint of blood to replenish the
reserve supply. Persons wish
ing to give blood are asked to
refrain from taking food for
four hours beforehand.
Kiwanians to Host
Wild Game Dinner
The Palmer Kiwanis Club
will be hosts at a wild game
diner for visiting Kiwanians
and wives Monday evening.
Aug. 19. at Central school
gym, according to A. Q. Stine,
president of the Palmer club.
Attending will be an estimat
ed 750 Kiwanians who will
attend the Pacific Northwest
district convention in Anch
orage Aug. 18. 19 and 20. The
Pacific Northwest district in
cludes Washington, Oregon.
Idaho, British Columbia, Yu
kon Territory and Alaska
The convention is being
sponsored by the Anchor
age Kiwanis clubs with other
clubs in the Alaska-Yukon
Division participating in vari
ous events. This marks the
first time a Kiwanis conven
tion has been held in Alaska
and this will also be the larg
est membership of a service
club to attend a meeting in
Palmer. Several very promin
ent speakers will address the
Anchorage meetings.
The group will travel to Pal
mer in a special train via The
Alaska Railroad, leaving An
chorage at 4:30 p.m. and arriv
ing in Palmer about 6:30 p.m.
A buffet type dinner will be
served, featuring moose, cari
bou, salmon, and halibut do
nated by Kiwanians, parsleyed
new potatoes and a tossed
green salad made from vege
tables obtained from local
growers, also Matanuska Maid
milk, cottage cheese and ice
cream.
The meal is being prepared
by the school lunch staff, with
Thelma Cope and Vivian Good
rich as head chefs.
It is anticipated that serv
ing this large a crowd will
take several hours, Stine said,
and visiting Kivanians will be
spending some time observing
displays presented by local
Kiwanians and visiting about
Palmer. It is anticipated that
the special train will depart
for Anchorage about 10:30 p.m.
Noose Birthday Dance Sri*