(put out that
CAMPFIRE
Malley IErnntiergman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
U PAGES
TODAY
VOL. 4. NO. 39.
PALMER. ALASKA. FRIDAY. JUNE 8, 1951.
PRICE lie
PALMER CITIZENS TO VOTE ON SALES TAX
CITY - CO-OP
WATER CONTRACT
BEING DRAFTED
•
Still unsigned—despite a ver
bal agreement between Palmer’s
new city council and the board of
the Matanuska Valley Farmers’
Cooperating association—is the
contract which will bring water
to the rationed sections of this
town.
While homes and business con
cerns on non-Co-Op owned prop
erty suffer from daily water shut
offs, the contract which was to
‘have been rushed through “im
mediately” for signatures by Co
Op and council, remained in at
torney’s hands in Anchorage.
Work for laying the extension
of pipe and flume to tap a creek
and connect with the Co-Op’s
present line, apparently had
ceased temporarily. Delay in ob
taining the pipe, and delay in
signing the city-Co-Op agreement
were reputedly the cause.
Meanwhile, more than half the
city goes “dry” and fire menace
mounts.
At the last meeting, the Co-Op
was represented by E. R. Brock,
chairman; Pat Hemmer, board
member; Carl R. Rasmussen, act
ing general manager, and their
attorney, Edward Davis. The en
tire council and the mayor, with
their attorney, Harold Butcher, of
Anchorage, represented the city.
- “The question is whether the
Co-Op board enters into a con
tract to furnish water to the city
generally—if the city gets the wa
ter system before the Co-Op is
reimbursed for our costs on build
ing the extension—will the city
pay us what we have not collect
ed?”, Hemmer questioned.
Brock and Rasmussen both said
the Co-Op has no funds to build
the line, but with city coopera
(Continued on Page 11)
NEWSPAPER EDITORS
FROM STATES DUE
IN PALMER FRIDAY
Touring newspaper editors
from all parts of the United
States are due in Palmer next
Friday afternoon, June 15, as part
of their sight-seeing trip of the
Matanuska valley.
Between 150 and 200 editors
and publishers, among the thou
sands attending the national con
vention of the National Editorial
association in Seattle this week,
are making the Alaska side trip.
For many it is their first journey
to the Territory.
Their schedule calls for Seward,
Anchorage and McKinley park,
June 12. Anchorage, planning a
bang-up welcome, invited the
Palmer Chamber of Commerce to
join in the celebration. Matanus
ka fruits and vegetables will be
(Continued on page 14)
. Fairbanks High School art and home economics contest winners,
Miss Lois Hanson and Miss Lenaya Traxler, both 17, arrived in
Seattle, May 30, aboard the Alaska Steamship Company steamer
Baranof on all-expense-paid tours, the top prizes in their school
competition, sponsored by Radio station KFAR.
Picture, left to right: Miss Lois Hanson and Miss Lenaya Trax
ler. arriving in Seattle.
Building Bee Called To Construct
Farmers Market, First in Alaska;
Materials Donated, Labor Needed
A building bee to construct the Farmers' Market in record time is called for 7 o'clock Tuesday
night, June 12, in Palmer.
Invited are all volunteers who will bring hammer and saw, or shovel to dig post holes, to build
the first market of its kind in Alaska.
, Twenty booths must be built on the site for the market, donated by the Matanuska Valley Farm
■» Cooperating Association, opposite the Co-Op garage. Lumber has been donated by Sam Johnson,
the Slim Hayes Lumber Co.# the Goat Creek Lumber Co., and the McKechnie saw mill. Other don
ors have contributed materials and some funds. Now it's up to who will do the work!
"We know pioneers in ihis dis
trict built homes and barns in an
evening, when all the neighbors
got in and pitched and the deed
was done in no time", one of the
farmers who will have a booth,
said. "We read in the paper the
other day about a house where
uprights were set in five minutes
and the whole place, even to the
landscaping, finished in a few
hours. We can do what anyone
else can do—and probably beat
the record—if we get this old
Matanuska valley spirit workin'."
Miss Florence Eby, R.N., who
mously chosen as market master,
started the idea and was unani
said the marketing booths will be
5x8 feet. Grand opening for the
market is planned for July 14.
The market will be open Sat
urdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Signs on the highway
will direct prospective buyers
seeking the famous produce of
the Matanuska valley to the mar
ket. Herman Turner and the
Valley grocery donated the letter
ing and material for the signs.
Booth space already is reserved
by farmers and other sellers who
have paid up the membership fee
of $2 in the organization. Among
them are Mrs. Harold Thuma,
Mrs. Karla Duff and Mrs. Vera
Rorrison, who will share a booth;
Robert A. Lincoln, Max Sherrod,
Howard Estelle, Mrs. Lana T.
Short, Alva D. Saxton, Alfred A.
Kirsch and others. The original
group who signed up as members
when by-laws were adopted and
site chosen included Mrs. Mary
K. Washburn, Mrs. Irene Benson,
Lincoln, Saxton, Mrs. Short, Es
telle, idrsch, Walter D. Callison,
Bob Busby, Lyn Wright, W. Ben
bow, J. K. Dunlap, George Plunck
and Mrs. Archie Moffitt.
Others who want space should
make reservations immediately,
Miss Eby said.
Minimum charge for booth
space is $1 per market day, or 5
weekly sellers, and $1 or 10
percent of gross sales for regular
cent of gross sales for occasional
sellers.
In true community spirit, the
market is offering a free booth
for public service groups. Already
signed up are the Ladies’ Aid of
the United Protestant church,
the Homemakers council of Pal
mer, Palmasilla and Riverbend
Homemakers clubs. Other or
ganizations should make reserva
tions fast, Miss Eby said.
Plans for the market are at
tracting wide attention. Intensive
promotion of the market will
start through newspapers and ra
dio the week before its opening,
to attract patronage from Anchor
age and other points and draw a
tourist trade.
Palmer citizens, in special election, Tuesday, July 10, will vote
on the levy of a 2 percent city sales tax.
The tax will be on all retail sales and services. The resolution
to put the measure up to the people was voted unanimously by the
new city council as the fairest means of raising funds for the so-far
moneyless city.
Election was set at the earliest dale possible under the law.
following publication of the special election. Polling place was
voted as the Severns Cabinet shop, the "little city hall". Election
hours will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and portable voting booths will be
installed.
Same eligibility rules apply as in the voting for incorporation;
30 days within the corporate limits, one year in the Territory.
MAN INJURED,
OTHERS ESCAPE
WHEN FIRE HITS
TRAIN BUNK CAR
One man was injured and sev
eral narrowly escaped when fire
totally destroyed a bunk car
parked on Matanuska siding of
the Alaska Railroad, this morn
ing, Friday.
In Valley hospital, Palmer, is
Herman C. Baker, employe of
Smith, Brown & Root, who frac
tured an arm when he leaped
from the burning car to escape
the fire.
Several men sleeping in the car,
escaped with few clothes but no
injuries as the flames licked thru
(Continued on page 11)
Civic Affairs
In Spotlight At
C of C Meeting
Site of the famous old trad
ing post at the end of the Matan
uska bridge—reputedly one of
the first buildings in this area
carved out of logs by a white man
—has been donated to the City
of Palmer as a public park and
camping site.
The report that C.C. Brix had
given the land was made at the
meeting of the Matanuska Valley
Chamber of Commerce Wednes
day.
CIVIC AFFAIRS
Jack Maze, acting chairman
of the meeting, ran through other
matters of civic interest in a
heavy business session of the
Chamber.
Reappointed as Health Council
representative from the Chamber
^vas Louise Kellogg, with com
mendations on her work over the
past year.
Palmer Day at Anchorage was
discussed. Palmer has been invi
ted to set the date, with a view
as to when the two Chambers of
Commerce could meet with guests
of Chambers from Outside. Pal
mer was invited to co-sponsor
with Anchorage the visit of more
than 100 editors who are touring
this area as a sidetrip from the
national convention of the Nat
continued on Page 14)
“MILLION DOLLAR
RAIN” BREAKS
VALLEY DRY SPELL
Farmers throughout the Mata
nuska valley were happy today as
“a million dollar rain” brought
relief to near-drought conditions.
Soil conservationists, agricul
tural researchists as well as the
solid-dirt farmers estimated the
longed-for rain which poured
Thursday night and was continu
ing Friday, literally will be worth
hundreds of thousands of dollars
in crop returns “if it keeps on
raining”.
Weather forecast was for more
“light” rain.
Rainfall for Thursday night and
up to noon today, Friday, meas
ured one-half inch. Rainfall ear
lier in the week measured one
third inch.
Firefighters also placed unlim
ited value on the rain in wetting
down blazes endangering valu
able timber and farms.