Basketball game at
Palmer gym tonight
at 8:30 p. m. Moose
play 68th AAA.
Kalley Mrontiergman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANl/SKA VALLEY
\L PAGES
10 TODAY
VOL. 4. NO. 16
PALMER. ALASKA. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29. 1950
PRICE 10c
I
Civilian Defense Committee Chosen
Palmer Youth, Soldier
Lose Lives in Tragic
Weekend Accidents
Tragedy struck twice here over
rthe Christmas week end when
lives of young men were snuffed
out in highway accidents in al
most less than twenty-four hours’
time.
Darrell McKechnie, 23, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Loren McKechnie
who make their home near Butte,
died instantly in an automobile
accident at Mile 57 at about 3
a.m. Sunday.
A soldier, whose name has been
withheld pending notification of
next of kin, lost his life in a fatal
accident that occurred about 2:50
a.m. Christmas day when the car
in which he was riding plunged
over the embankment at the
Matanuska bridge.
McKechme was crushed be
neath the ir in which he was
riding. Je**y Yohn, 23, driver of
the car, told highway patrolman
following the accident that he fell
asleep at the wheel. A cry of
“look out” awakened him, he said.
He tried to get the car back on the
road but it skidded to the oppo
site direction with McKechnie
either being thrown or jumping'
Jrom the car, which overturned
Continued on Back Page
FUNERAL RITES FOR
DARREL McKECHNIE
HELD HERE TODAY
Funeral services for Darrel Mc
Kechnie, who lost his life here in
a tragic Christmas week end
automobile accident, were held
this afternoon at 1 o’clock at the
Church of God. The Rev. George
Geiwitz officiated with the Elks’
lodge in charge of the services at
tfte church. Interment followed
at the Palmer cemetery with the
American Legion in charge of
graveside services.
Darrel is survived by his wife,
Georgina, his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Loren McKechnie, four
brothers, Harry, Angus, Ray, and
Don; and one sister, Mrs. Paul
Aklestad. He was born May 30,
1927, at Iverson, Minn., but lived
most of his life here in the Val
ley as his parents came here as
one of the original Colonists when
*he was only nine years old. He
attended school here, graduating
from the Palmer High School as
a member of the Class of 1945.
Following graduation here he
enlisted in the Navy and was sta
tioned for two years at Kodiak.
After being discharged he went
to Burbank, Calif., where he at
tended the Cal-Aero School of
Aviation, studying to become an
aviation mechanic. He was a fly
ing enthusiast ind held a private
pilot’s license He was married a
little more th i two years ago.
On Decern r 10, he escaped
Continue on Back Page
The installation of a new Pure-Pak machine at the Matanu
Association creamery makes it one of the most modern establishnv
ern as any stateside dairy. The huge machine, in one unit, packag
human hands almost faster than it can be told. Clarence Bell, mai
here holding the very first carton of milk to be packaged by the ma
Watching with interest the new machine are (left to right) Thomas
Overton and Charles M. Lindsey. Mr. Lindsey is the company repres
night from Menomine, Wis., to supervise installation of the machini
Palmer School Blood Typing Program
Is First of Its Kind in All of U. S.
ine raimer scnooi Diooa typ
ing program was the first one o1
its kind in the United States,’
according to a letter received here
this week by Superintendent Wil
liam T. Zahradnicek from Frank
P. Pauls. Mr. Pauls, assistant di
rector of the division of public
health laboratories with offices
at Anchorage made the statemenl
in acknowledging $101 sent by
the superintendent to cover blood
typing fees collected from the
Palmer students in the recent
blood typing program held here
The remainder of the letter tc
Mr. Zahradnicek from Mr. Pauls
reads as follows:
“At this time we wish to thank
you and your staff for your excel
lent cooperation in this program
as it was only through their ef
forts and patience that the pro
gram was able to operate sc
smoothly and efficiently. You
may be interested in knowing tha1
the Palmer School blood typing
program was the first one of its
kind, so far as we can determine.
I in tne united btates. mere nave
been mass blood typing programs,
but none of them, so far as we can
determine, were confined to the
school and operated as a part of
the school program. We hope to
have an article on the Palmer
School blood typing program in
“Lab World,” which is a publica
tion with national circulation to
members of the laboratory and
medical profession.”
The blood typing program in
Palmer first gained impetus here
under the supervision of Dr. C. C.
Bailey about a year ago. Dr. Bail
ey interested the Palmer Kiwanis
Club in the blood typing program,
with the club sponsoring the pro
gram under the supervision of
Dr. Bailey. The program was
held in the gym at that time with
more than 500 adults and children
typed. Local nurses and women
of the community volunteered
their services to assist with the
program. The records obtained at
that time are now on file at Val
ley hospital.
ska Valley Farmers Cooperating
mis in the territory and as mod
es the milk without the aid of
lager of the creamery, is shown
chine on Wednesday of this week.
Nail, Pat Hemmer, Mr. Bell, Nile
entalive who arrived here Friday
i.—(Palmer Studio photo.)
We're Surprised!
The announcement appearing
in an Anchorage daily paper
yesterday that Marshall Selover
has joined the staff of the Mala
nuska Press came as a com
plete surprise to owners of the
Press, publishers of the Valley
Frontiersman.
Harold Bonser, publisher of
the Cordova Times, is alleged
to have made the announce
ment. Mr. Bonser is a fine man
with whom the publisher and
editor of the Valley Frontiers
man have been acquainted for
many years. But Mr. Bonser
has absolutely no connection
with the Malanuska Press and
has no right to make any an
nouncemnls concerning it.
The story is unfounded and
untrue. It serves but one pur
pose. It is a glaring example
in itself of how the Valley Fron
tiersman in the past has suf
fered in prestige because of gul
lible reporting and neglect of
journalism's prime ethics, check'
ing statements for accuracy and
truth before publication.
Civilian Defense of
Valley Worked Out Here
With Air Force Officers
Members of the Civilian De
fense committee of Palmer met
with Air Force officers Maj. J. B.
Griffith and Lt. Robert L. Taylor
Wednesday evening to work out
plans for a comprehensive civil
ian defense plan for the Valley
and to coordinate it with the mil
itary’s program. Major Griffith
is the civilian defense officer of
the Tenth Air Division. Lieuten
ant Taylor is attached to radio
logical defense at Elmendorf Air
Force Base.
Special emphasis were laid by
the Palmer Civilian Defense com
mittee on the problems of pro
viding food, clothing and medical
care for civilians and military de
j pendents who might be evacuated
I from Anchorage, Elmendorf AFB
and Ft. Richardson in case of an
attack in the Anchorage area. Dr.
C. C. Bailey said that he felt the
military should locate depots in
the Valley for the supply of med
ical equipment, food and clothing.
The Air Force officers slated
that they did not believe mili
tary dependents would add to
the civilian defense problem as
plans for evacuation of the de
pendents in the event of attack
here have been made. However,
they agreed with the Palmer
Civilian Defense committee
members that caring for evac
uees from Anchorage might be
come a problem in the Valley.
The Palmer committee voted to
request a meeting with the An
chorage Civilian Defense com
mittee and Director Robert
Sharp to coordinate plans for
Palmer and Anchorage.
Major Griffith said that the
establishment of an emergency
casualty center to be used by both
Valley and Anchorage people and
to coordinate plans with Anchor
age was the main action that
should be taken here now. An
immediate need for reserves of
medical equipment and supplies,
communications equipment and a
rations supply was stressed by
Jack Maze as Palmer’s immediate
need.
Major Griffith outlined a mas
Conlinued on Back Page
Parcells Welcome Son
As Best Xmas Present
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Parcells
welcomed a new son as their best
Christmas present. The little boj
was born at Valley hospital at
7:48 a. m., December 24, weighing
eight pounds, twelve ounces.
Patrick Louis is the name chosen
for the new arrival by his par
ents. The Parcells have one child,
a son, Michael . Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Hemmer of Palmer are the mat
ernal grandparents.
Mr. Parcells is a printer on the
Valley Frontiersman.