Library Benefit Auc
tion sponsored by Ki
wanis Club at Palmer
Gym on Aug. 12.
Kalltsy Wrontiergman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
Carpenter's benefit
dance in gymnasium
on Aug. 5.
VOL. 3. UQ. 47
PALMER. ALASKA. FRIDAY. AUGUST 4. 1950
PRICE 10C
HONE MUR DELIVERY PLANNED FOB PALMER
_____•DAIITC CCBlflflE
Auction Planned
To Provide Funds
For Local Library
Plans for an evening-long auc
tion on Aug. 12, with all pro
ceeds earmarked for the Palmer
Library, were announced this
week by Bill Rempel, committee
chairman. The Library Benefit
Auction, scheduled for the Palmer
Gymnasium, is sponsored by the
Kiwanis Club of Palmer.
Mr. Rempel said doors of the
Gym would open at seven o’clock
to allow interested buyers to in
spect the auction merchandise.
■•Auctioneer James Wilson will
start his evening’s duties at eight
o’clock.
Auction wares will include both
new and old merchandise. At
press-time the list included re
frigerators, stoves, household fur
niture, livestock, farm equipment,
and kitchen equipment.
Chairman Rempel said the club
would welcome additional contri
butions. Kiwanis will accept any
donation, from farm produce to
the usable white elephants that
everyone stores in his basement
or attic. Heavy articles will be
transported to the auction by
truck by the Kiwanis Club. Small
‘action items may be left at Pal
mer Drug Store.
Anyone who wishes to contrib
ute articles for the sale should
phone Kiwanians Joe Hudock at
Palmer 123, James Hurley at Pal
mer 95 or Mr. Rempel at Palmer
12Q.
During the evening’s auction
on August 12, the planning
■committee will give away two
merchandise door prizes of $10
and $15 in value. They also ex
pect to have band music to pro
vide between-sales entertainment.
Refreshments will be on sale at
the auction hall, too.
Th Kiwanians who are in
charge of auction arrangements
include:
Mr. Rempel, Joe Hudock, Hugh
(Continued on Back Page)
Field-Day Program
Includes Inspection
Of Barley Collection
Although a complete program of
next Friday’s field day at the
Matanuska Station was not avail
able at press-time today, Exten
sion Service agent Parker Lester
sketched these highlights in the
day’s program:
Dr. S. C. Litzenberger will
start the day’s demonstrations at
10 a.m., when he leads farmers
on an inspection of the world’s
collection of barley at the station.
This planting includes more than
5,000 varieties.
Dr. Allan Mick will lecture on
thfe results of an investigation of
the influence of nitrogen on po
tato quality.
In the field of agronomy, Dr.
Litzenberger will discuss rates
and dates of seeding for cereals
and forage.
Dr. M. O. Babb, station horti
culturist, will report on the re
sults of varieties tests of lettuce
and will discuss potato breeding.
All farmers are invited to at
tend the field day. All who come
will share a potluck luncheon at
the station at noon. Everyone is
asked to bring one luncheon dish
for this meal.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE APPOINTED
BY FAIR'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
An executive committee of
three will share between-board
meeting headaches of the Valley
Fair Association, it was decided
at Tuesday’s regular meeting this
week. The executive committee is
made up of Clair Stock, Tom
Lepak and A1 Hagen. The com
mittee was given power to make
decisions for the total board,
when it is judged such decisions
cannot await board action.
The fair’s fence problem was
re-solved at Tuesday’s meeting.
It had been voted last week to
purchase lumber offered at Goat
Creek Mill for the planned fence.
Howrever, the lumber was not
available when the board at
tempted to complete the transac
tion this week. Because board
members considered the erection
of the fence of first priority, they
voted to buy 1x6 and 1x8 sizes
in seven and 14-foot lengths from
Ketchikan Spruce Mills.
Cost of the fence will be some
what higher, because of the better
quality lumber to be used, but
board members feel it will be
more than returned to the fair
in the savings on admissions.
Board president Stock an
nounced that interest in the queen
contest is decidedly sluggish. He
instructed manager Robert Crites
to plan some publicity for all con
testants, and to call a meeting of
queen contest managers, in an
effort to revitalize the queen race.
Civil Defense
Fails to Interest
Valley Folks
Since only four committee
heads were present at last Mon
day’s scheduled civilian defense
meeting at Palmer School, little
more than general planning was
accomplished, chairman Walter
Huntley reported this week. The
four present again surveyed the
assignment list and discovered
that some of the required chores
already are ably handled by units
now’’ in existence.
It was decided that the Valley
Volunteer Fire‘Association needs
no further organization for its de
fense job of fire-fighting. How
ever there is need for more vol
unteers in the department, for
duties would be greatly increased
if Palmer became subject to air
attacks in the event of war.
It was the opinion of the four
committee members that single
men, without family responsibili
ties, should volunteer to swell the
roster of the Fire Association.
Fire warnings will continue to
be signalled through the town’s
two sirens. An air-raid warning
will be signalled by the special
air-raid siren installed at the Co
|Op.
system of alert warnir
a practice drill have not ye .-n
worked out. That job has ^rst
priority on the committee’s list
and further announcement may
be expected within the next week
or two.
A power failure will be most
effectively handled by trained
MEA crews, it was decided. The
defense committee will make no
(Continued on Back Page)
All merchants from whom
prizes are being purchased also
are to be urged to put prize mer
chandise, suitably labelled, on
display at once.
It was decided that the coro
nation ball will be postponed un
til Saturday, Sept. 2, and that
queen contestants will be allowed
to sell tickets until early evening
of that day.
A superintendents’ meeting was
discussed, and it was agreed that
they would be called to confer
with the fair manager on Aug.
10. That meeting will be held in
the former library at the Rec
Hall, and will begin at eight
o’clock.
Mr. Crites announced that all
Bingo concessions for the fair are
closed, since organizations al
ready have reserved all available
Bingo space.
Fair posters and the fair’s pre
mium book for 1950 were present
ed at Tuesday’s meeting. Book
lets now are being prepared for
mailing to advertisers. Anyone
interested in scanning this year’s
list may secure a book from Mr.
Crites.
It was decided that there would
be no board meeting next Tues
day. The next regular meeting
of the fair’s directors is scheduled
for Aug. 15. That meeting will
begin at eight o’clock in the ad
ministration building on the fair
grounds.
Bid Award Due Today
On ARRC's Water,
Sewer Line Extension
Informal invitations to bid
on the extension of sewer and
water lines to the western half
of ARRC Sub-Division No. 1
went out to Valley contractors
on Wednesday of this week,
James Hurley, Corporation
manager, said today. The seal
ed bids will be opened in the
ARRC office today, and a con
tract award will be made.
These lines will serve the 25
houses to be constructed in
Palmer by the Alaska Housing
Authority, in addition to all
other lots in the sub-division.
Seven Firms Hope
To Build Annex
To Palmer School
Seven contractors from Palmer
and Anchorage at press-time to
day had expressed interest in
submitting bids on the construc
tion of the annex to Palmer
School, superintendent William
T. Zahradnicek announced. Three
of the seven are Valley contrac
tors. Bids will be opened ct the
school at five p.m. next Wednes
day.
The seven interested contrac
tors include:
Huntley & Son, Chek Sandvik,
and John Hern of Palmer Con
struction Co., all of Palmer: Cup
pies Construction Co., George
Bachner, Clyde Lewis and An
drew Ohles, all of Anchorage.
Mr. Zahradnicek and school
(Continued on Back Page)
STAR MAIL ROUTES
SPEED AIRMAIL LETTERS
TO THE OUTSIDE
Mrs. Beatrice Huntley, Palmer
postmistress, today pointed to the
improvement in mail service that
the month-old Star routes have
brought to the Matanuska Valley.
Of principal importance is the
quickened transportation of air
mail between Palmer and An
chorage.
Letters airmailed at Palmer,
before 11 a.m., reach Anchorage
in time to catch evening plane
flights to the states, the post
misti'ess explained. Airmail which
goes to Anchorage on the after
noon train does not leave for its
state-side destination until the
following day.
Mrs. Huntley announced the
following mailing deadlines from
the Palmer postoffice:
To Anchorage and waypoints
—before 11 a.m. daily.
To Chitina—before 10 a.m.
each Wednesday.
To Wasilla—before nine a.m.
each Monday, Wednesday and
Friday.
The new service has not speed
ed mail delivery for Valley letter
writers beyond Chitina and Cop
per Center. All mail routed up the
highway beyond those points still
must go to Anchorage for dis
patch to proper destination.
Mrs. Huntley added one other
word of reminder to those who
make use of airmail postcards
These cards need only a four-cenl
stamp. Pre-stamped airmail post
cards may be purchased from the
postoffice. Picture postcards alsc
need only a four-cent stamp
rather than the regular six-cen1
airmail stamp.
COOL CARS TO CARRY
VALLEY PRODUCE
NORTH TO FAIRBANKS
Through the efforts of H. J.
Middleton, who has been acting
as substitute agent at the Palmer
depot of The Alaska Railroad this
summer, ventilated “cool” cars
soon will carry Matanuska Val
ley produce to Fairbanks. The
service is expected to begin about
Aug. 16.
Specially constructed and ven
tilated cars will arrive in Palmer
each Wednesday noon. They will
be spotted at the foot of the ramp
(Continued on Back Page)
HIGHWAY, MINE ACCIDENTS INJURE
EIGHT PEOPLE IN VALLEY THIS WEEK
A series of four disastrous ac
cidents on Valley highways and
at the Evans Jones coal mine
filled every bed at Valley Hospital
earlier this week, and sent five
patients by Army ambulance to
the Fort Richardson Hospital. At
least three of tho accident victims
were injured seriously.
The first accident occurred
Tuesday, when Thomas McGov
ern, crane operator, was hospital
ized for cuts and bruises. Mr. Mc
Govern, an employe of the Alaska
Road Commission, was injured
when his crane overturned. He
suffered numerous cuts and
bruises, lacerations of the scalp
and of one knee, according to at
tending physician Dr. C. C. Bailey.
In the early morning hours last
Wednesday, two vehicles hurtled
off the Palmer-Anchorage High
way at exactly the same spot near
the Valley Concrete Products
plant. The accidents occurred
within 40 minutes of each other.
In the first, Pvt. Jesse Warren
w Fort Richardson received in
iuries to his right elbow and to
his head. He was hospitalized for
medical attention, and while Dr.
Bailey still was attending to his
hurts, five more patients were
brought in for treatment of in
juries received in a highway ac
cident, which occurred at the
same spot as the first. There
was no relation between the two
accidents.
Hospitalized in this second ac
(Continued on Back Page)
HVWIk Wkll f IWb
IS INITIATED HERE
BY CO-OP CREAMERY
Door-step delivery of milk and
other dairy products began in
Palmer this week. The service is
free. The milk route is operated
by the Matanuska Valley Farm
ers’ Co - Operating Association,
and serves only downtown Pal
mer at present.
The plan has been inaugurated
because retail sales of milk at the
Co-Op Creamery will halt on
Aug. 15, manager Clarence Bell
said. After that date, all milk
must be purchased from grocery
stores or from the Co-Op’s milk
route.
The daily delivery service is
scheduled for the early afternoon
hours. Driver Bob Kohoutek will
deliver milk, cream, '•uttermilk
or cottage cheese every day ex
cept Sundays and holidays.
The business is operated on a
daily cash basis. The housewife is
asked to leave the money for her
dairy products orders in the milk
bottle. Collection must be made
daily, Mr. Bell emphasized.
Palmer residents interested in
availing themselves of the deliv
ery service may have their names
added to driver Kohoutek’s list
by calling the creamery, or by
getting in touch with him.
For the present, regular milk
bottles will be used on the route.
However the Creamery is plan
ning to convert to paper bottles in
the future, Mr. Bell said. Equip
ment is on order and should ar
rive here in time for a switchover
in early winter.
Use of paper bottles will permit
the Co-Op to serve a greatly ex
panded milk market, the cream
ery manager explained. Isolated
communities can purchase air
borne milk without the headache
of bottle return. It is the freight
on empty bottles, returned either
by truck or by plane, which has
made shipment of milk to other
towns impractical heretofore.
Mr. Bell said the conversion to
paper bottles is expected to elim
inate the Valley’s summer prob
lem of surplus milk. The nc •
containers also are expected u
lead to greater sales in the An
j ehorage market. Lack of milk
bottles has limited sales there in
past years. The paper bottles also
will be more easily handled in
winter temperatures.