Thought of the Week:
The main trouble with the
human race is human beings.
VOLUME 16. NUMBER 9
THE FRONTIERSMAN
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PALMER, ALASKA, THURSDAY, NOV. 21, 1963
TWELVE PAGES
Alaska State Fair
Annual Meeting
Grange Hall
Nov. 26 8 p.m.
PRICE 15 CENTS
Wood Questioned on Implications of Transfer
~ ----_-irr-_ m in l%
VALLEY PEOPLE
PLEDGE $35,000
FOR RACETRACK
Valley residents have thus
far pledged $35,000 toward con
struction of the proposed Pal
mer raceway and dragstrip,
Lloyd Severns, chairman of the
raceway committee, said this
week.
Severns said the committee
feels that if between $50,000
and $60,000 can be pledged in
this community, the balance
can be raised in the Anchorage
area, where there is consider
able interest in the project.
Purchase of shares at $100
apiece have run from the min
imum purchase of one share to
50 shares ($5,000), taken by the
directors of Koslosky’s Depart
ment Store, Inc., the commit
tee reported.
Severns emphasized that the
purchase of shares is an invest
ment and not a donation. He
said that the committee anti-i
cipates that dividends will be
forthcoming to investors.
“This project will bring a
substantial number of people I
to the Matanuska Valley for
the races and will improve the
economy of the area,” he stat
ed. “If you are interested in
making a sound investment in
an enterprise that is under a
subscription agreement where
by the total sum must be sub
scribed before any monies are
used, contact one of the com
mittee members for an expla
nation of the project."
Slate Fair Annual
Meeting Is Tuesday
New directors will be elected
at the annual meeting of the
Alaska State Fair, Inc., on
Tuesday. Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. in
the Palmer Grange hall.
The financial statement for
the fiscal year, as well as re
ports of the officers of the
board of directors, will be made
available to members.
Persons wishing to become
members of Alaska State Fair,
Inc., may purchase member
ships from Marne Hanks, fair
board secretary, at the MTA
office in Palmer. The cost is $1
per person.
Those interested in the prog
ress of the local fair associa
tion are urged to become mem
bers and to take an active part
in annual meeting business.
Farmers Advised
To Burn Grass Now
The Bureau of Land Manage
ment this week advised farm
ers to take advantage of pres
ent weather conditions to com
plete burning and clean-up
tasks usually undertaken in
the spring.
The cold, dry weather is
ideal for grass burning, BLM
representatives pointed out. As
the grass will burn more slow
ly now, more control is pos
sible, and with reduced temp
eratures at night the fires will
go out. During the long spring
days they will continue to
bum, increasing the hazard of
spreading and making contiol
more difficult.
TO COMPLIMENT
HER NEW DRESS
A CORSAGE
—from—
Maud's Flowers
for rhe
Purple Bubble Ball
745-3913
Martin to Appeal Dismissal;
Hits Superiors’ Statements
Lorenzo r. (Joe) Martin, who
was discharged as superinten
dent of the Wasilla Youth
Camp on Friday, Nov. 15, this
week said he would appeal his
dismissal. He also took excep
tion to several statements at
tributed to his superiors in An
chorage newspapers.
Martin said Monday that he
feels the correctional program
in the state of Alaska can be
seriously impaired by publica
tion of allegations not founded
on fact. He referred to a state
ment attributed to Charles
Pfeiffer, director of the Youth
and Adult Authority, which
appeared in an Anchorage pa
per, stating that Dave Reaves,
assistant superintendent at the
camp, had left his letter of res
ignation on his desk and walk
ed off the job without notice
last Saturday.
"I take violent exception to
this statement," Martin said.
"Mr. Reaves had discussed his
plans four days prior to Sat
urday with Mr. Severson (chief
of correctional services with
the YAA. now in charge of the
camp), and had disclosed his
intention to resign."
Martin also questioned a
statement attributed to Dr.
Levi Browning, commissioner
of health and welfare, which
appeared in Monday’s Anchor
age Times.
“Why did Dr. Browning im
ply on Nov. 18 that I had not
yet been fired, when he signed
the letter of dismissal on Nov.
14 and caused it to be deliv
ered to me on the effective
date, Nov. 15?”
Martin also took issue with
the publication of statements
in Anchorage papers several
weeks ago concerning the pos
sibility of his removal, when
he had not yet been informed
that his performance at the
camp might warrant his re
placement.
“Although I believe t h e
public should be informed of
PUBLIC MAY
VIEW BIATHLON
The pubic will have an op
portunity to witness the skiing
and shooting skill of the U.S.
Army biathlon trainees when
elimination tryouts for the
Olympic team are held at the
Independence Mine ski area on
Saturday, Nov. 23, beginning
at 1 p.m.
Members of the biathlon
team must learn to combine
cross-country skiing and skill
in marksmanship. The trainees,
all of whom are already skilled
skiers, have been at the Inde
pendence Mine training area
since early in September.
Awards to the team members
will be made at a dinner at the
No. 1 bunkhouse at (1:30 p.m.
There will be dancing from 8
p.m. to 12 midnight to the
music of the Kagee Combo, and
an ad appearing elsewhere in
The Frontiersman says some
thing about an early morning
Sauna—is this the old Finnish
custom of a steam bath finish
ed off with a dip in the near
est snowdrift? What a way to
“Finnish” an evening!
CUBS TO MEET TOMORROW
The Palmer area cub scout
monthly pack meeting will be
held tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in
the multi-purpose room at
Swanson school.
ANOTHER BIG
Turkey Shoot
Sunday, November 24—1 p.m.
-AT
Alpine Civic Club
Events for all Classes of Shooters
state and other public office
actions, I believe the true facts
should be ascertained through
proper investigative methods
prior to publishing allegations.
There is a possibility that our
youth correctional program
could be seriously impaired by
allegations not founded on
fact,” Martin said.
"However, since my immed
i iate supervisor, the person in
I charge of the entire correction
! al program in the state of Al
I aska. saw fit to resort to the
! press and publish or cause to
be published matter that could j
only have been expected to
seriously hamper orderly op
eration of the youth camp, I
feel completely justified at this
time in presenting my side of
the story.
“About three weeks ago I
read in the Anchorage papers
articles indicating that I was j
to be in some manner removed
as administrator of the youth
camp.
"Prior to reading these art
icles. I had at no time had
correspondence indicating that
my performance had been such
that it might be necessary to,
replace me.
“Since that time, the o n 1 y !
Bids Asked for New
Palmer Post Office
I ne L. S. Post Office De
partment issued an invitation
| to bid yesterday for furnish
ing post office quarters at Pal
| mer, according to a wire re
j ceived here from U. S. Rep.
Ralph J. Rivers.
Bids may be made in one of
three ways: the building may
be erected on a 100 by 121 foot
lot on which the U. S. govern
ment has an option, located on
’he east side of Matanuska St.
between Eklutna and Susitna;
or it may be provided in an
existing building or built on a
lot provided by the successful
bidder if the lot is in a suit
able downtown Palmer loca
tion.
The post office requires
League Sponsors
Widow Meeting
The Palmer League of Wo
men Voters will sponsor a Dis
trict 7 borough candidates’
meeting at the Willow com
munity hall on Saturday, Nov.
30. at 8 p.m., Mrs. Max Clem
ents. president, announced this
week.
The public is urged to take
the opportunity to meet and
talk with the borough candi
dates personally.
A similar meeting was held
in Palmer on Friday, Nov. 15.
Bad weather and conflicting
community affairs contributed
to a poor voter turnout, al
though most of the 24 candi
dates for office made an ap
pearance.
The Palmer meeting was set
up on an informal basis, al
lowing both candidates and
voters to circulate and talk
with each other.
; 3.298 square feet of interior
space, 405 foot platform, and
7.333 square feet of open or
parking area.
The original lease period will
be ten years with two renew
able five-year options.
Bids will be opened Dec. 23
in Seattle. Further information
is available from E. Charles En
nett. Assistant Chief. Real Es
tate Branch. Post Office De
partment. Box 3900, Seattle.
Absentee Ballots
At Local Office
j Absentee ballots are n o w
| available for the Dec. 3 Dis
I trict 7 borough election. Mrs.
Dorothy Saxton, deputy dis
trict magistrate, said this week.
They may be obtained in her
office in the Legion Building in
Palmer.
People who will be away
from their voting precinct on
election day or who are un
able to go to the polls because
of illness or disability may
vote through the use of an ab
sentee ballot .
A qualified voter may ap
ply and vote absentee through
the deputy magistrate's office
in three ways—in person, thru
personal representatives, and
by mail.
Those voting in person may
apply through Dec. 2 and may
vote through Dec. 3, as may
those voting through a per
sonal representative. Those
voting by mail may apply
through Nov. 29 and may vote
through Dec. 3. Ballots post
marked later than Dec. 3 will
be rejected.
BOWLS PALMER’S 300 GAME
DAVE FRAME, Palmer's first and Alaska's second bowler to
achieve a “300" game, is shown here at the Palmer Bowl
ing Center. On the same evening, Nov. 11, he bowled a
712 series, another record for the Palmer alley. This was
18-year-old Dave's first 300 game, although he has bowl
ed 700 series previously. He has been a serious bowler
since childhood.
discussion that I have had with
thy .mmediate supervisor was
an offer of transfer to an un
designated spot in the program,
which I refused,
“On Nov. 15. I received a let
ter from Dr. Levi Browning,
effecting my dismissal on that
date. This letter gave four
broad reasons for dismissal,
not one of which can be based
on fact.
"This letter was from the
commissioner of the depart
ment of health and welfare. At
no time, to my knowledge, has
the commissioner made any
constructive effort to deter
mine conditions at t h e youth
camp.
“Since the allegations in Mr.
Browning's letter are not based
on fact. I find that I have no al
ternative but to appeal this
matter as provided by law and
the rules governing state civil
service personnel. On Nov. 18.
I forwarded a letter to Mr.
Pfeiffer, with copies to the
commissioner and the director
of personnel, requesting that I
be afforded an open hearing
before the state personnel
board.
“I sincerely hope that I am
not denied this hearing, as I be
lieve it is necessary to correct
unwanted practices within the
division of Youth and Adult
Authority.”
Martin said he does not wish
to disclose the nature of t h e
four reasons for dismissal list
ed in Browning’s letter before
the hearing.
Palmer Displaced In
Radioactive Counl
No longer fodder tor national
headlines, the radioactive count
in Palmer milk and other foods
has declined enough to put the
local area far down the list in
Public Health Service reports,
Dr. Allan Mick of the Alaska
Agricultural Experiment Sta
tion pointed out this week.
Portland. Ore., San Francis
co. and Dallas show higher
strontium-89 concentrations in
milk than does Palmer; Port
land. New York. Chicago. De
troit. San Francisco, and Dallas,
more strontium-90 than Palm
er: and all these cities, more
cesium-137 than Palmer. Stron
tium-89, strontium-90, and ces
ium-137 have a long half-life
and can linger for years before
radiation diminishes appre
ciably.
Iodine-131, the villain in the
September. 1962 readings
which put Palmer at the top;
of the list, has a very short l
half-life, with the result that
its potential danger had redu
ced to negligible amounts with
in weeks after the much-publi
cized figures were released.
Dr. Mick said.
"Unless someone explodes a
new bomb, we have nothing
JOHNSON BUYS
CO-OP PROPERTY
LeRoy Johnson of Johnson’s
Fuel Service this week announ
ced the purchase of the garage
and bulk plant property form
erly owned by Matanuska
Maid, Inc.
Johnson said the bulk plant
will be remodeled during the
coming year, and that Gene
Webb and Bert Duff will con
tinue to lease and to operate
the garage.
FRONTIERSMAN WILL
PUBLISH WEDNESDAY
Because of the Thanksgiv
ing holiday on Thursday.
Nov. 28. The Frontiersman
will go to press next week on
Wednesday, Nov. 27. Adver
tisers and those who wish to
insert news items in next
week's issue are asked to
bring their material in be
fore Tuesday noon, Nov. 26.
1
much to tear from lodine-lal.
he stated. Unfortunately, the
cumulative method of report- c
ing monthly radiation concen- c
trations kept Palmer high on 1
the list throughout the year, i
since the normal readings fol- i
lowing the massive one in Sep- s
tember. 1962 were simply add- t
ed, and a number of months, t
went by before the figures av-1 s
eraged to acceptable levels.
Institutional daily dietary in- a
take samples taken in seven's
U. S. cities last March placed i'
Palmer low in radioactive
readings. With t h e intake ! 1
measured in picocuries (the, P
term which has replaced “mic-1 c
romicrocurie" to represent the | s
equivalent of one millionth of i t
one millionth of the radiation \ h
(Continued on page 7)
ecrease
in Here _
William Sweetman, who said
ie is a 20-year employee of
he USDA. also expressed the
ear that once the funds are
ropped from the USDA pro
ram they will not come back
o the experiment station.
Dr. Wood said he has wnt
en statements from govern
aent officials that the grant of
hese funds to the experiment
tation will continue.
Asked by John Shaw, local
ttorney. if the change in re
ponsibility could be construed
a have an adverse effect on
he economy of this commun
ty. Wood said that on the
ontrary the economy should
mprove. Pressed about t h e
lossibility of transfer of per
onnel. Wood said this was
[uite possible; that teachers
nd researchers are often shift
d about the state where the
iced for their talents is the
;reatest.
Asked to explain what effect
h e shift in responsibility
could have on federal civil
ervice workers who have been
milding up their ratings and
etirement benefits for the
>ast 15 or 20 years, the Uni
versity president said that
hose now being paid from
ederal funds will continue to
ae paid by these funds, with
he University of Alaska as
vollaborator, but with the
employe retained on the fed
eral payroll. Those now be
ing paid by joint funds will be
paid by the University.
“We have a fine retirement
program,” he said. Details of
any relationship will be work
ed out to give every person
fair treatment.”
Superintendent of Palmer
schools R. C. Carter said school
officials are concerned because
he district stands to lose im
pact funds under the federal
chool support law if the
iroperty now owned by the
ederal government is trans
erred to University ownership.
Dr. Wood said that the board
f regents has adopted a policy
f local payments to the pub
c schools for the children liv
ag on campus which is almost
ientical to that of the school
upport law’, and implied that
ae same policy would be adop
?d for the Palmer experiment
tation.
Asked by Robert Vroman
nd Betty Mears about the pos
ibility of a daytime commun
y college in t h e Matanuska
alley. Dr. Wood said that
ie state must do everything
ossible to develop two-year
ammunity colleges so that
tudents may live at home for
ae first portion of their col
?ge training, cutting down on
(Continued on page 7)
FUNERAL SERVICES FOR AL METZ
TO RE IN CURRIE, MINNESOTA
Funeral services for Albert
John Metz, 34. will be held late
this week in Currie, Minn.
Metz was killed about 10:45 1
p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16.
when his northbound car went
out of control on a curve ap
proaching the Eklutna River
bridge and crashed into t h e i
abutment.
Metz, an employee of the:
Matanuska Maid creamery for
the past eleven years, was a j'
past exalted ruler of the Elks
Lodge, and a member of the
Moose Lodge, Knights of Co
lumbus, and St. Michael’s
Men's Club.
He was born in Adrian.
Minn, on March 6. 1929, and ,
lived in that state until the
family came to Palmer in 1952.
He is survived by his widow,
Joyce Evelyn, and four chil
dren, Steven, 13, Jeffrey, 10,
Bruce, 9, and Mary 4.
Also surviving are his par
ents Mr. and Mrs. Peter Metz
of Hadley, Minn., and five sis
ters and six brothers. Sisters
are Mrs. Mary Ann Conway
and Mrs. Sally Voss of Hadley:
Mrs. Jane Wagner and Mrs.
Dorothy Randal of Slayton.
Minn.; and Mrs. Irene Stevens!
of Excelsior, Minn.
surviving nrotners are •
n. Marshall, Minn.; Mathias.
Wabasha, Minn.; Wilfred, Win
iom, Minn.; Raphael, Hadley;
.Valter, Slayton; and Joseph,
fruman, Minn.
Memorial services were con
lucted here Tuesday by Moose
L.odge members at the Palmer
VIoose Lodge.
There will be a requiem high
nass at the Immaculate Heart
if Mary Catholic Church in
Jurrie. The family has request
id that, in lieu of floral offer
ngs. contributions be made to
.he American Cancer Society.
Mrs. Metz left Wednesday
'or Currie. She will return to
Palmer next week.
Don't Forget A
Flower Arrangement
or
A Corsage
FOR YOUR HOSTESS
FOR THANKSGIVING
MAUD'S FLOWERS
Phone 745-3913
Says No u
in Operatic
Concern of Matanuska Val
ley residents over various im- 1
plications of the suggested shift t
in responsibility for the Alas- f
ka Agricultural Experiment c
Station from the federal gov- f
ernment to the University of t
Alaska w a s expressed by
members of the capacity aud- t
ience who listened to Dr. Wil- r
liam R. Wood's address before t
the Chamber of Commerce s
luncheon meeting yesterday.
Dr. Wood, president of the £
University of Alaska, assured s
the group that there would he t
no lessening in federal support, t
either here or at College, fori
the agricultural research pro- c
gram if the transfer of re- ■ i
sponsibility is effected. i I
Specific areas for concern, s
however, were expressed by c
questions put to Dr. Wood from i
the audience. V. Louise Kellogg e
said she feared that once the r
federal funds now supporting ;
the station (about $330,000) are
dropped from the U. S. depart- t
ment of agriculture program.,
it will be difficult to funnel
them, back to the University. 1
Wood said he saw no reason i
to mistrust the federal govern- ;
ment and said that the agricul- 1
tural research program in t h e i
state under the present setup :
has reached its peak and now 1
faces only deterioration be
cause it is extremely difficult <
to get support except through 1
USD A; that the federal gov
ernment does not make grants
from one agency to another,
and that the only way to get i
grants for research now is to I
channel them through the uni
versity.