Don’t Forget
CITY SEWER BOND
ELECTION
NOVEMBER 18
Voting 8:00 A~M. — 7:00 P.M.
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 8
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, NOV. 13, 1952
PRICE TEN CENTS
Anchorage Mayor andj
City Clerk Guests at
Informal Council Meet
Guests at an informal city
council meeting held November 6
•were Mayor Maynard Taylor and
City Clerk Ben Boelke, both of
Anchorage.
Mayor Taylor, who was recent
ly elected president of the Lea
gue of Alaskan Cities spoke on
the highlights of the convention;
the past accomplishments of the
league and their future plans for
expansion.
Pointing to advantages gained
through league efforts this past
year. Taylor told that the league
had prepared 15 bills they wish
ed to see passed by the Territori
al legislature. Of these, 12 were
drafted and presented to legisla
ture excessive bonding formerly
required of cky clerks.
Inquiries from the Palmer
Council as to the expense of join
ing the League of Alaskan Cities
placed the cost on a population
basis. With the new budget not
yet completed, Taylor explained,
exact costs could not be given but
be estimated between ten and
fifteen cents per capita. Present
population of Palmer is 827.
Lee Bettinger mayor of Kodiak
bas been hired by the league,
Taylor announced, to act as lob
byist when legislature convenes.
He has been granted full author
ity, even on matters not pervious
ly discussed, providing he can
not contact members of the league
Tor discussion .
Each member municipality has
a member on the league board,
Taylor explained! One or more
representatives may be sent to the
annual convention, with each city
carrying one vote.
“We have been faced with the
came organizational problems in
Anchorage as you are experienc
ing here in Palmer,” City Clerk
Boelke told the group. ‘‘Our city
is not new but we grew so fast
that our problems overtook every
one.” Only recently, he added,
Anchorage had a $30,000 book
beeping system set up. Comptrol
lers and other business machines
now cut to four or five hours,
-work that previously took several
girls many days to complete.
Other subjects brought up for
discussion included mutual mu
nicipal problems including util
ities, health districts, bonding and
police methods.
Further assistance to the city
of Palmer was offered by both
visitors. “We will be happy to
help the people of Palmer in any
way we can,” Mayor Taylor told
the group.
Accompaning the Anchorage
city officials were Mrs. Boelke
and Palmer City Attorney and
Mrs. Harold Bu.tcher, all of whom
were dinner guests of Mayor
Hagen, previous to the meeting.
Residents to Vote
On Sewer Proposal
Judges for the special sewer
proposal election to be held Tues
day, November 18 will be Hal
een Ingalls, Katherine Moore and
Gertrude Larsh, it was announced
this week.
Polls will be open from 8:00
a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Co-Op
Club Room. All qualified voters
whose names appear on the last
tax assessment roll who own real
or personal property are entitled
to vote.
Voters will be asked to decide
whether or not the city of Pal
mer shall incur indebtedness in
the sum of $250,000 for the pur
pose of acquiring an extension
to the sewerage collection system
If approved, this amount will paj
for the city’s one-half share o:
the proposed, sewer project. APW
funds will pay for the other one
half. A 65 percent affirmative
vote will be required to carry the
election.
Snow Slide Blocks
Highway Four Hours
Travelers from Anchorage to
Palmer Sunday night were for
tunate in reaching their homes!
only if they passed Mile 38 be- |
fore 11:30 that night.
City Magistrate John Shaw,
traveling with another car, was!
cut off from Palmer when the:
slide come down across the road
and on into the Knik River. The;
car he was following had just
passed the area. Shaw was com- j
pelled to return to Anchorage for j
the night. (
Eugene White district engineer;
for the Alaska Road Commission,
said crews were working on the
slide shortly after midnight j
: opening a one-way traffic lane
some four hours later.
Icy road conditions in othet
sections of this area were hazard- j
j ous but no serious accidents were
reported.
BREAK-THROUGH
AT EKLUTHA TUHHEL
CREATES WATERFALL
Travelers on the highway be
tween Palmer and Anchorage j
look with amazement at a beau
tiful, cascading waterfall located
at the Eklutna hydroelectric pro
ject. The waterfall was not in
tentional and may not last very
long. Workers at the project
struck a water pocket on the
seventh of November but the
flow was not severe enough to
stop work, according to Charles
Inman, acting engineer of the
Bureau of - Reclamation. By No
vember 10 the flow had increased
to the extent that workers were
forced to leave their flooded
work area. Drains, located in the
mountain, were not adequate to
accomodate the heavy overflow
and the water cascaded down the
! mountain side.
Palmer Constructors have tak
i en their crew off this section of
the tunnel and have started work
at the south heading near the
lake. Dredging operations will
continue from there for the time
being, according to Inmann.
About two feet of water is
running through the tunnel now,
Inman said, and in places mud
and silt are piled three feet deep.
Engineers have not ventured any
guesses as to when the flow of
water will cease, although it has
shown evidence of dropping.
None of the tunnel supports
damaged. A small amount of
equipment being used in the tun
nel at the time of the break
through was covered by water
but it is believed that it will suf
fer very little damage.
To prevent the 700 foot water
fall from undermining or wash
ing out the highway enroute to
the Knik River, the contractor cut
an opening through the road and
laid a 36 inch culvert to handle
the runoff. A wooden trestle was
thrown across the opening as a
temporary measure. Alaska Road
Commission crews have been
working this week to establish
two way traffic through the
area.
“It is the prettiest waterfall be
! tween here and Valdez.” Inman
admitted and added that the
break is definitely not connected
with the lake as many persons
seem to think. It is located ap
proximately four miles from the
lake and may be just a pocket of
water, he said. A break of this
type is not unusual, he added.
There have been other break
throughs during present digging
. operations, but in smaller size.
Pilings in the bulkheaded pit
used for access to the penstock
. gave way and will have to be
n repaired, Inman said.
' FISHERIES BOARD TO MEET
E IN JUNEAU NOVEMBER 17-22
r The Alaska Fisheries Board
; will hold its fourth annual fall
; meeting November 17-22, C. L.
; Anderson, executive director an
nounced this week.
"Fish Unlimited/' the Anchorage Sportsmen's Association project to finance a local hatchery
for stocking game fish, gets a boost from the military .Shown above is Cpl. Carl F. Duftner.
commanding officer. Fort Richardson, buying his ticket for the sportsmen s show. Jo Ann
HamUton, Anchorage Really employe, negotiatis the sale while Northwest Airline hostesses
Helen Norman, Skip Kropp and Marion Alquist look on. Surveying the entire scene is Alex
McRae, senior biologist of the Alaska Department of Fisheries. __
Late Flash!!
Possibly 3.300 members ofihe
503rd Airborne Regimental
Combat team, commanded by
Col. L. A. Walsh will be sta
tioned in Palmer during the
period of November 18-21. Air
lifted from Ladd Airforce Base
to Elmendorf. the men will be
transported over the highway
to Palmer in vehicles, starting
the 18th. Headquarters will be
set up in the Fairgrounds.
The men are participating in
the mock warfare of training
exercise warmwind.
Officers from Ft. Richardson
and the 503rd ARC team were
in Palmer today making ar
rangements. Mayor A1 V. Hag
an accompanied them on their
tour.
Dr. C. E. Albrecht
Reappointed by
Board ot Health
Dr. C. Earl Albrecht was un
animously re-appointed commis
1 sioner of health for the coming
four-year term by the Alaska
Board of Health at its annual
board meeting held last week at
Juneau.
Health protection methods to
be proposed for legislature action
were studied by the board. They
recommended that “legislature be
developed to improve the local
legal structure for local health
services to establish a more defin
ite entity around which a com
munity or local health district
I could be established.”
HOSPITAL PLANS BEING
REVIEWED; NEW BOARD
MEMBERS APPOINTED
O. K- Kincaid, Valley Hospital
manager, announced this week
that plans for the new Presbyteri
an Hospital are in Juneau and
San Francisco for final reviews
for re-bids. Approval of plans
should be received by the first
part of next week, he said. Bid
openings will be held December
19 at the Valley Hospital at 2 p.m.
New Board Members
Mrs. Dexter Bacon, RN, and
Hugh Johnson were appointed to
the board of directors of the
Valley Hospital Association at the
regular meeting held October 17.
The new members are replacing
Mrs. Jessie DeVries and Mrs.
Julia Graves who recently re
signed. The next regular meeting
will be held November 21.
I
Valley Sportsmen,
Merchants Backing
“Fish Unlimited”
Many local persons are partici
pating in the "Fish Unlimited” |
program being sponsored by the
Anchorage Sportsmen Association
by selling tickets for the Sports
men’s Show to be held November j
24 in Elks Hall in the city.
A 1952 Cadillac four-door sedan
will be awarded at the show.
Record trophies, sports equip
ment, continuous movies and lots
of fun have been promised to
those attending by the sponsors.1
Admission tickets are $1.00
Proceeds from ticket sales will
go toward "Fish Unlimited,” who
plan to build a fish hatchery in
the Palmer-Anchorage area. T6
obtain the necessary funds for the [
hatchery and equipment, the An-;
chorage Sportsmen have enlisted
the co-operation of several organ
izations, including the Matanuska
Valley Sportsmen’s Club.
Claris oi risn uruimuea were
outlined to the Palmer Kiwanis
Club at a recent meeting and re- j
ceived their vote of support. On
November 5 Paul Kerker, Jr.,
chairman of the game fish com
mittee of the Anchorage Sports
men’s Assn, presented the inten
tions of “Fish Unlimited” to mem
bers of the Valley Sportsmen club
at their regular meeting. Kerker j
pointed out that whether a per
son is a fisherman or not, the
depletion of local waters is well
known and these efforts to do
something about the matter is
appreciated and endorsed. He said
he had had persons endorse the
campaign and purchase a single
ticket, only to buy additional
ones when they learned the
money received was going into
j the “Fish Unlimited” acount.
Also present at the meeting was
j Alex McRae, senior biologist and
Ed Marvidge both from the Alas
ka Department of Fisheries.
McRae, who will be in charge
j of the hatchery when completed,
spoke to the group about restock
ing and planting work that was
started in this area during the
past season. Fish fry for plant
ing in selected waters were pro
duced in a hatchery in the Fair
banks area and brought here for
replanting, he said. To enable the
department to do an efficient job
to the many suitable waters in
this area, a local hatchery is more
than desireable, he stated.
Tickets to the Sportsmen’s
Continued on page 8
Regular Council Meet
Set for Thurs. Night
A regular meeting of the Pal
mer City Council will be held at
7:30 p.m. tonight (Thursday) in
the Co-Op Club Room. During
the meeting, a replacement for
Robert L. Bettine, who was elect
ed to a one-year council term,
will be made.
Bettine was injured five weeks
ago in a fall at Goat Mountain
and since that time has been re
ceiving medical treatment here
and at Portland, Oregon.
Although late word received
this week revealed his condition
is much improved, no indication
of when he could assume his dut
ies can be ascertained. According
to Territorial and City regula
tions, any person elected to city
office must qualify within 30 days
following his election.
Mayor Hagen has been serving
on committees pending Bettine’s
ability to serve or his replace
ment.
Messiah Chorus
Forming in Valley
The largest aggregate of voices
ever heard in Palmer is planned
by a new community chorus, now
forming in the Valley. To be
known as the Messiah Chorus, the
group plan to do the majority of
“The Messiah,” famed oratorio
by G. F. Handel, during the com
ing Easter season. Two practices
sessions a month have been plan
ned.
Anyone who has done the Mes
siah in whole; in part or who is
interested in joining the chorus
is asked to contact Bill Remple
at the Palmer Realty or leave their
name at The Frontiersman.
Copies of G. Schermer’s Edition
of Oratorios and Cantatas have
arrived and are available at $1.50
apiece for those interested.
There are many solos for all
voices; chorus singing, and sec
tional parts. Among the many
numbers for spring presentation
are: ‘‘Comfort Ye My People,”
“And The Glory Of The Lord,”
“But mo May Abide the Day Of
His Coming?” the ever popular
‘Hallelujah” and many more.
Practice sessions will be held
' in the Church of God.
Those planning to participate
are urged to register as soon as
possible so an early start can be
made and parts assigned.
GRAVELING STARTS
ON VALLEY STREET
FOLLOWING APPEALS
Because November 11 was a
legal holiday, no legal business
could be transacted at the regular
city council meeting held that
night.
However, in' view of the fact
many Valley Street residents
were present to voice objections
to the condition of that street.
Mayor A1 Hagen suggested an
informal meeting to be held for
discussions.
In a brief resume Hagen re
ported reasons for the condition
of Valley Street: The contractor
(Arctic Plumbing and Heating)
agreed to pay for one day’s work
on repairing the street, he said.
The city, in cooperation, hauled
gravel and the street was packed
at the expense of the contractor.
This is as far as the city has
gone, Hagen explained. “We hop
ed it would freeze,” he added.
“It hasn’t and is quite a problem
and will be a bigger one in the
spring,” he concluded.
Jan Koslosky of Koslosky’s De
partment store, was the first of
the visitors to approach the coun
cil. He said he felt if the city ex
pects him to act in the capacity
of tax payer and collector (sales
tax) he felt the city should repair
the street now, not next year.
“People just won’t stop when
they see the condition of the
street,” he said. It is important to
city businesses the street be made
passable now, he added. We just
can’t wait for a freeze—we’ve
fooled around like this for 60
days and gained nothing.
John L. Sullivan, manager of
the Matanuska Hotel agreed with
Koslosky and told the council the
hotel business had fallen off 40
percent because of the condition
of Valley Street.
City Engineer Richard Dem
ming reported a few days pre
vious to the meeting APW In
spector Tweet announced the 10
inch water line on Valley street
was complete, was tested and
passed all inspection. Two por
tions of the 14 inch line on In
dependence Avenue were found
to have leaks and will have to be
dug up in the Spring. Valley
Street will not be dug up again,
he reported, except for three lat
eral lines running to fire hydrants
and one section of the street
where an outcrop of rock pre
vented completion this fall.
In answer to a question of
Councilman Kincaid’s, Mayor
Hagen said dirt was picked up
from the ditches along Valley
Street to help build up the road
crown before graveling. Mild
weather and rain have combined
in turning the dirt into mud.
Larry Bixby, owner of the Val
ley Grocery suggested as long as
it had been made clear that the
street would not be re-dug in
the spring that it be put in prop
er condition immediately.
Following Engineer Demming’s
suggestions as to how the street
could be repaired, the council
agreed to follow a decision made
at a previous council meeting and
| put Valley Street in usuable con
: dition.
Early Wednesday morning Jack
Zemowski moved his shovel to
the gravel bar in the Matanuska
River and trucks started hauling
! gravel to Valley Street.
SALES TAX RETURNS
HIGHER THIS MONTH
Income from the city sales tax
during the month of October was
$6,94(1.83, bringing the total rev
I enue for the past ten month peri
od to $58,260.05. On a monthly
average, this amount is slightly
lower than the first three months
period when the sales tax was
first adopted by the city of Pal
mqr.
However, October receipts were
j $765.73 above the amount receiv
, ed during the corresponding
month in 1951.