P-TA Hears Timely
Discussion From
Teachers’ Roundtable
Mrs. James Kindler opened the i
regular P-TA meeting November
20 with the announcement that
Mr. Edward Ueeck had made and
presented to the Palmer P-TA, a
native-wood gavel. Previous ;o
the presentation, the president
tapped her pencil or wrapped her
knuckles; and she expressed her
appreciation and that of the
membership to Mr. Ueeck for his
gift.
A “Hard Times” dance was an
nounced by the entertainment
committee. It will be held at the
Palmer school gym December 15.
Proceeds from the dance will go
toward the Hospital Benefit
Fund. A door prize will be of
fered during the evening. Price of
admission will be two dollars for
each man; women will be admit
ted free.
A $152.35 budget was presented
to the membership by Mrs. Kind
ler. A surplus balance of approxi
mately eighty dollars will be used
in part, to co-sponsor with the
Beta Sigma Phi sorority, the pur
chase of a refrigerator for the
Palmer Health Center. The re
frigerator was considered a very
important project by both local
groups. Vaccines, so necessary in
public health, must at the present
time be kept in private homes, or,
when space allows, at the Valley
Hospital. This necessitates a trip
to whatever spot the vaccine hap
pens to be each time there is a
demand for its use. When the new
hospital is completed, this new
refrigerator will go along in the
Health Center section.
A teachers’ round-table discus
sion, “Who Are Attacking Our
Schools?” was presented by Wil
liam Elliott, Mildred Schneider- j
Barbara Smart and Harry Wim
mer. Research for the program
was under the direction of Doro
thy Lorscheter.- It was in line
with the theme for National Edu
cation Week, namely, “The Home,
School and Community.” Follow
ing a general discussion on infil
tration of communism in schools,
with surprising illustrations of
such cases in various parts of the
States, the group summed up its
presentation with reference to
suggestions made by Anna B.
Hayes, president of the National
Congress of Parents and Teachers
Association in a recent issue of
the N. E. A. magazine. Mrs. Hayes
suggested that it would be wise
to examine with utmost care, all
materials for their worth and mo
tives.
She warned against repeating
statements from unvarified sour
ces without first investigating
and pointed out what dangerous
weapons rumors are when em
ployed by subversive interests.
The next regular meeting of
P-TA will be held December 18
and will feature a Christmas
carol contest by P-TA families.
Grade five mothers will furnish
cakes for the evening’s refresh
ments.
Several members of Beta Sig
ma Phi surprised Marylou Lash
brook with a send-off party at
her home last Sunday afternoon.
Miss Lashbrook left Monday to
attend the National 4-H Club
Congress in Chicago. While Out
side, she will take an accumulated
two month’s leave of absence.
She will spend Christmas in
Southport, Indiana.
Thanksgiving—
(Continued from Page 1)
What they lacked in fancy
trimmings was made up for in
hospitality. Guests of the Snod
grasses that Thanksgiving were
a bachelor named Mr. Fosket:
William Larsen, who used to live
where the Melvin Sanders live
now; Charlie Morino, who died
this past year; Captain and Mrs
Axel Olsen; and Paul and Betty
Krueger and their two children.
Nov/ when the Snodgrasses get
together for Thanksgiving, they
have no difficulty in getting to
gether a big party. The Reeds
have three children—Margaret
Ann. Johnny-Bob, and Sally; the
McCartneys have four—twins
Karen and Sharon. “Bugs”, and
Jacqueline; the Hales have five—
Gary. Bert, Kristie, Roberta, and
David Verrall; and the Rolan!
Snodgrasses have their Jackie.
Back in Omaha there is also a
young Billie.
Colonists' First Thanksgiving
In 1935 their first Thanksgiv
ing in Alaska meant very little
to the Colonists. They were all
too busy to take much notice of
it, as Mrs. Neil Miller recalls.
Most of them had just moved in
to their houses a few days before,
when a terrific wind drove them
from their tent homes to seek
shelter in their permanent ones
even though they were not fin
ished inside. Water had to be
carried from near-by creeks;
wood had to be cut for the hun
gry fires; and most of the Col
onists were busy improvising
make-shift furniture out of
boards and boxes.
There was a turkey shoot, how
ever, and Bruno Ueeck got the
big one with a 30.06 wired up
with bailing wire. The big social
event of the season took place on
the Saturday preceding Thanks
giving instead of the one after
as in 1951. The American Legion
Auxiliary had just been organ
ized in the Valley, and a big
dance at the Matanuska Commu
nity Hall marked the institution
ceremonies. A special train
brought in a bevy of Anchorage
Auxiliary and Legion members.
ARRC buses went thru the Val
ley rounding up the Colonists for
he dance. It was extremely cold,
as Mrs. Miller remembers it. and
the break down of one bus made
it necessary for a number of the
revellers to wait at the hall until
another bus had discharged all its
passengers. And there were a lot
of passengers—about 45 of them
crowded into each bus meant for
30. It was 5:30 Sunday morning
when the Millers got home.
Plans for the first Christmas
already were in the making and
these overshadowed most Thanks
giving day observances. On the
Tuesday afternoon preceding
Thanksgiving, the council had a
committee meeting on Christmas
plans', and Mrs. Miller notes from
her diary that she didn’t get home
until 7:30 p.m.
“We walked when we went to
committee meetings in those
days”, she observed. And she
should know because the Millers
lived way out by the Cather home
then.
Spruce and Yellow Candles
But even in the flurry of work,
there was an attempt to main
tain the Thanksgiving tradition.
“Neil worked on something in
the cellar all morning”, Mrs. Mil
ler recalled, “but when we sat
down to our improvised table, it
was decorated with spruce boughs
with cones and yellow candles.”
The girls—Mardi, Priscilla, and
Janell—had their first chicken in
Gas Flame Ignites—
(Continued from Page 1)
might be exploited in year around
underground operations. Even if
one bed the depth of the present
ones could be found, production
could be increased by 60 percent.
That's the reason behind all Bu
reau drilling operations in Alas
ka—seeking new sources of coal
which will increase the Terri
tory’s vital coal production. Al
aska is the Bureau of Mines Re
gion Number 1. S. H. Lorain is
regional director with headquar
ters in Juneau. Bob May is the
mining engineer in charge of the
Palmer project operations. For
the past two years, he has direct
ed drilling of likely localities
throughout the Matanuska Val
ley coal bed area. Drilling of sev
eral locations in the Jonesville
mining area were completed this
summer. The Houston project,
under mining engineer Bob War
field. was tackled just before the
weather closed down drilling op
erations for the winter.
The drillers had cut into one
bed of coal better than the pres
ent bed before the artesian water
was struck. Now the mining en
gineers will have to wait until
next May before they can learn
how many more beds can be
found underneath. The nature of
the gas bubbling up through the
Alaska. It was cold storage chic
ken. They had some greens, also
Mrs. Miller recalls how “expen
sive” they were in 1935. She had
sent to Anchorage for celery and
lettuce to be brought in by train.
The celery cost 25 cents and the
lettuce 20 cents. Transportation
charges were 80 cents.
It was worth it, though. A lot
of families had already given up
and gone back to their homes.
Others were still thankful for
their new chance in Alaska. For
most of them. Thanksgiving
brought no homesickness; thev
were too busy making their Al
askan dreams come true.
Child Killed—
(Continued from Page 1)
ments in a driver faced with a
problem such as this, said that A
takes approximately two seconds
to look and realize what is con
fronting him. During that two
second interval, the vehicle con
tinues to travel. Improper un
loading of the school bus, icy
road conditions and the fact that
a car happened to be parked in
the only turn-out area available
at that spot, all contributed to
the tragic accident, the Patrol
: said. i
Gale Johnson was removed to |
the AFB Hospital by ambulance. J
The extent of her injuries was
not known.
The Alaska Highway Patrol re
peated the warning issued so
many times in the past; all ve
hicle drivers must use undue
caution when approaching a
school bus, traveling in either di
rection. Children are unpredict
able; what they may do is hard to j
know. All drivers must come to
a complete stop when approach
ing from either direction, a school
bus not in motion.
water indicated that it was com
ing from a lower coal series.
“While gas is inflammably
there is no indication that there
is any commercial quantity as far
as the present exploration shows’’
May observed this week.
He explained that the Houston
area beds belong in the same gen
eral formation as the other local
mines. The Duck Flat Mining
Company has a lease on most of
the area for coal deposits. This
lease does not extend, however
to any gas or oil deposits which
i might be found. The Bureau of
Mines’ interest is not in the in
dividual producer—that is only
incidental. The Bureau’s interest
is only in finding more coal, and
the Houston coal mines are stra
tegically located close to the main
line of the Alaska Railroad.
According to the Territorial
--—— C\
HAVE FUN THIS WINTER!
Be a good skate — wsar a good skate.
We Have Skates
all the. lamilu.
SLEDS for the kids.
Dress them warm! SNOW SUITS
We have plenty of PRESTONE Anti-Freeze
for your car.
Visit our store . . . you can do ALL your
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING HERE!
Department of Education rul* s
and regulations manual, page 1.
section 22. pupils who must cross
a road after alighting from th ?
bus should pass in front of the
bus and not behind it. The driver
should see that the way is clear
before the child is permitted to
cross the road.
The Johnson sisters were stu
dents at the new Chugiak school
and were returning to their home
near the Chugiak Coffee Shop
when the accident occurred.
Their father, a surveyor, is presi
dent of the Chugiak School P-TA.
LEGAL NOTICE
UNITED STATES DEPART
MENT OF THE INTERIOR.
BUREAU OF LAND MAN
AGEMENT.
Land Office.
Anchorage, Alaska,
October 23, 1951.
Notice for Publication
Notice is hereby given that
John Charles Zak. entryman, of
Pittman, Alaska, together with
his witnesses Kenneth Roy Atkins
and William Frank Davis, both
of Wasilla, Alaska, has made final
proof on his homestead. Anchor
age Serial 016257, for Lots 1, 3,
4, and the NW % SE1A sec. 11. and
lot 1, sec. 14, T. 17 N. R. 3 W
5. M. containing 171.17 acres, and
it is now in the files of the Land
Office, Anchorage, Alaska, and
if no protest is filed in the local
Land Office, Anchorage, within
the period of publication or thirty
days thereafter- said final £vooi
will be accepted and final cer
tificate issued.
GEORGE A. LINGO. Manager
Published: Nov. 8, 15. 21. 29, and
Dec. 6. 1951.
ALASKA
STEAMSHIP
COMPANY
PASSENGER LINERS
From Seward
S.S. ALASKA S.S. BARANOF
Thurs.. Nov. 29. Thurs.. Dec. 6.
Cordova
Juneau
Petersburg
Wrangell
Ketchikan
Seattle
Sitka
Juneau*
Ketchikan
Seattle
FREIGHTER SERVICE
From Seattle
FREIGHTERS
M. V. COASTAL MONARCH
Leaving Seattle November 28
calling at Sitka, Yakatak.
Seward, Valdez, Seldovia and
Homer.
M.V. SUSITNA
Leaving Seattle December 5,
calling at Seward. Valdez and
Cordova.
FOR INFORMATION
T. J. MALONEY, Agent
Phone 22001
Office: Westward Hotel
Anchorage, Alaska
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