Valdez News
VOL. 1. NO. 24
P1
VALDEZ. ALASKA. FRIDAY. AUGUST 25. 1950
PRICE 10c
All Year Maintenance Of Richardson Probable
Hospital Board
Vetoes Suggestion
To Move Building
The possibility of attaching the
former Alaska Native Service
school to the Valdez Community
Hospital for use as a tuberculosis
ward was discussed at the Aug.
16 joint meeting of present and
retiring hospital board members.
Board members agreed that the
expense involved would not war
rant the removal of the building
to the hospital site..
George Gilson, president of the
1949 board, transferred hospital
‘business affairs to Stuart Star
buck, new chairman, after giving
a resume of the work of the for
mer board which instigated the
move to build a new hospital in
Valdez. Mr. Gilson emphasized
that full community co-operation
is necessary now, if hospital
building plans are to be carried
through.
Plans for a new structure al
ready have been submitted to the
Juneau office of the General
Services Administration for con
sideration.
Minor problems of hospital ad
ministration were received for
discussion. They will be further
considered at the next hospital
meeting, scheduled for August 28.
The new board plans to meet on
the second and fourth Mondays of
each month, until members be
come more familiar with the prob
lems of hospital management.
Newly-elected members of the
hospital board include, in addi
tion to Mr. Starbuck, Mrs. Bob
Kelsey, Sr., Mrs. David Johnson,
A1 Carlin and Harold North.
BULLETIN
The "Busy Igloo" is the name
that won a gold nugget for
Frank Thatcher, top contestant
in the race to name the local
crafts shop provided for the
recreation of Valdes young
sters. Honorable mention in
the name contest went t<
Charlene Baker and Carol Mat
thews.
NURSE TO VACATION
AT HOME NEXT MONTH
Miss Rita Dingman, public
health nurse here, expects to leave
at the end of August for a month’s
vacation with her family. Miss
Dingman’s home is in Fort Madi
son, Iowa.
Doctor Works Overtime
To Fix Tillicum Club
For Fall Fun Season
In order to have the recrea
tional facilities at the Tillicum
Club ready'this fall, Dr. Kenneth
Ham of the Valdez Community
Hospital, has pushed aside his
other duties and is devoting his
full daytime hours to completing
the renovation work at the club.
Dr. Ham is keeping office hours
at night, in order to spend his
days at the Tillicum Club.
Work on the upstairs at the
club already is nearly complete.
Walls have been chemtoned, a
ping pong table and a shuffle
board game have been set up.
The kitchen is equipped with an
electric stove and there is a snack
bar ready for installation.
There is also a piano in the
building, as well as a large num
ber of tables for games. When
completed, the Tillicum Club will
offer recreational facilities for
a large number of people.
Work in the basement is not
yet nearing completion. When
finished, there will be two rest
rooms and a small office there.
One section of the basement will
be converted into a tiny movie
theatre. At the other end, there
will be sandboxes and black
boards for use of smaller children.
FLYING STEEL
| INJURES TRUCKER I
Clarence Dixon, a Valdez
trucker, suffered an eye injury
on Sunday, Aug. 20, which ne
cessitated a flight to Anchorage
for treatment by specialist Dr.
Milo Fritz. Mr. Dixon was work
ing on his truck that evening,
when a piece of steel ricocheted
from the job he was working on
and struck his right eye.
The trucker was hospitalized
here until Monday, when he was
flown to Anchorage for further
treatment by Dr. Fritz.
BABY GIRL BORN HERE
Latest arrival at the Valdez
Community Hospital is baby Ruth
George. She was born to Mrs.
Adena George of Kenney Lake
at 6:20 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20.
The little girl weighed six pounds,
three ounces at birth.
FORMER PALMER BAKER
WORKING IN VALDEZ
Del Rothgeb, formerly an em
ploye of the Shamrock Bakery in
Palmer, is now working in the
Valdez Bakery and Cafe.
WOULD-BE GUNMAN LANDS
IN CORDOVA JAIL FOR YEAR'S STAY
^ Assault with a dangerous weap
on brought John Snacker of
Lansing, Mich., a one-year term
in Federal jail last week. The
maximum sentence was imposed
by U. S. Commissioner Margaret
Harrais, who is conducting a de
termined compaign to remove the
“wide-open town’’ label from the
name of Valdez.
Mr. Snacker, a former tavern
owner in Lansing, has been tour
ing Alaska for the past several
weeks. He had been in Valdez
for several days prior to his at
tempted assault on the morning
of Aug. 21. The man had been
chinking heavily earlier in his
stay, but was sober when he pub
licly stated he was “looking for”
a man in Valdez and was prepared
to shoot him on sight.
The Valdez man who was the
object of Snacker’s search walked
into a local business establish
ment while the man was still
voicing threats. Snacker drew a
gun, but the Valdez resident
knocked it from his fingers, and
administered a severe beating.
Deputy Marshall William Allen
was called. He brought Snacker
before Commissioner Harrais,
where the would - be assailant
pleaded guilty to the charge of
assault with a dangerous weapon.
Council Deals With
Dogs, Homework
Since dogs can’t be fined or im
prisoned, the city council decided
at its last meeting that penalties
would be imposed on the owners
of animals which behave in an
inhospitable manner toward vis
itors and small children.
The council has listened to sev
eral complaints recently concern
ing dogs which snap at passers-by
and which chase small children.
City clerk Halley Gates was in
structed to post notices of the
council’s decision in several pub
lic places. Owners of all dogs
which misbehave will be asked
to appear in court and nay a fine.
The recent meeting was con
cerned principally with details of
city housekeeping. Records of
the city of Valdez, which have
been scattered in several storage
spots in the city, now have been
brought together in the council
chambers. Funds have been al
lotted for the construction of
shelves there, so that all material
may be filed in an orderly man
ner.
With the aid of extra clerical
help employed for the purpose,
the city clerk has unearthed some
interesting documents of Valdez
early history, he reported. Re
cently the original seal of the city
of Valdez, an all-copper stamp
made in 1898, was discovered.
At that time the area was known
as the Valdez District of Alaska.
Early land ownership records
and the first 50 ordinances ever
passed in Valdez also were
brought to light. The ordinances,
all covering conduct, have been
missing for some time. The coun
cil’s ordinance committee is bring
ing the laws up to date, so that
misdemeanors, formerly covered
only by territorial law, now may
be handled in city court.
Action was taken, at the re
quest of the city treasurer, to
bond the city clerk.
Three Road Crews Look
For Best Road Route
Between Cordova, Hiway
Not one, but three survey par
ties are searching for the most
logical route to link Cordova with
the Richardson Highway. Al
though no funds for the road con
struction are available yet, the
survey parties hope to have
enough information by the sum
mer’s end to know which will be
the best route, when construction
is possible.
One party is working from Cop
per Center toward Chitina
through the Copper River canyon.
A second is surveying from Tiekel
toward the canyon. The third
party began at Cordova and is
working toward a junction with
the other two parties.
Anchorage C of C Secretary
Weekends in Valdez
Mr. and Mrs. Hilton Mantle of
Anchorage, accompanied by Miss
Nelson, visited in Valdez last
week with the A. D. Thompsons.
Mrs. Mantle is secretary of the
Anchorage Chamber of Com
merce. Miss Nelson, an instructor
at the University of Minnesota,
is spending her summer vacation
in the territory.
TEMPO PICKS UP
IN HOSPITAL TRAFFIC
Last week was a very busy
week at Valdez Community Hos
pital, Dr. Kenneth Ham reports.
The following patients were hos
pitalized for several days during
the week:
Mrs. George Wafford, Mrs. Lulu
Schmidt, Mrs. Babe King and
Mrs. Josephine Johnson.
Mrs. Minnie Whitley, who was
hospitalized last week with a
broken hip, is recovering nicely,
Dr. Ham said.
FORMER VALDEZ GIRL
TO MARRY IN SEATTLE
Word reached here from Seattle
recently of the forthcoming mar
riage of a former Valdez girl.
The announcement was made
by Mr. and Mrs. James J. Eckles
that their daughter, Jewell Lee,
will be married to Roland Mar
shall Holsinger, tomorrow, Aug.
26, at the University Church in
Seattle.
Prize-Winners Named
In Glacier Girls
Basketry Project
The Glacier Club Girls con
cluded their basket-making proj
ect last week. Their work was
judged by Mrs. Jim Dolan and
Mrs. William Egan. The three
prize winners were Maxine Weav
er, Duane White and Janet
Weaver.
The basket project ended the
Glacier Club Girls’ work for the
summer. They will have no more
meetings until school starts again.
RICHARDSON BRIDGE
IS REPAIRED NOW
The bridge which recently
washed out at Mile Seventeen on
the Richardson Highway has been
repaired, Alaska Road Commis
sion officials announced this
week. Traffic again is routed over
the regular highway. While bridge
repairs were in progress, vehicles
travelling the Richardson de
toured over the former road, con
structed in 1925 and abandoned in
1946, when the present highway
was opened.
BARTLETT SAYS
$600,000 FUND
IS AVAILABLE
At press-time, it appeared like
ly that all-winter operation of the
Richardson Highway over Thomp
son’s Pass is a certainty. How
ever Ben Stewart of the local
Alaska Road Commission office
said he had not yet been in
formed definitely that the road
will be maintained on a year
round basis.
A hearing scheduled for next
week, to determine the advis
ability of maintaining the road
for winter traffic, was cancelled
early this week. The reason giv
en for the cancellation was that
sufficient funds are available for
the maintenance of the road.
Earlier, Delegate E. L. “Bob”
Bartlett had advised that an al
lotment of $600,000 is available
for use for Thompson’s Pass main
tenance during the winter. Ear
lier estimates had placed the cost
of road maintenance this winter
at a minimum $400,000.
Col. John Noyes, head of the
Alaska Road Commission, had
reported in mid-June that he con
sidered the year-round mainten
ance of the Richardson Highway
a practical project. Studies of
last winter’s operation led him
to conclude that most of the pres
ent maintenance equipment would
do, but that shelter cabins which
housed crews last winter would
have to be of sturdier construc
tion. Last winter’s test operation
met comparatively-mild weather
conditions.
Colonel Noyes found that ap
proximately 30,000 tons of freight
moved from Valdez over the Rich
ardson Highway to interior points
and to the Anchorage area, dur
ing last winter’s operations.
ARC Highway Employes
Plan a Wedding
A marriage license was issued
on Aug. 19 to LaRue V. Greenw.
and Barbara Jo Quillan, both c
rently employed at Mile 47 on 1.
Richardson Highway. Miss Quil
lan is a cook’s helper there and
Mr. Greenway is an air hammer
operator for the Alaska Road
Commission. The couple will be
married by Rev. Vincent Joy.
GLACIER GIRLS PLAY TO PACKED HOUSE
IN CULMINATING PROGRAM OF CANCER DRIVE
There wasn’t even standing
room at the Glacier Club Girls
program held on Thursday, Aug.
17. Club members conducted the
cancer drive in Valdez, and they
gave a free ticket to their enter
tainment to everyone who con
tributed to the drive. In addition
to Valdez folk, there were many
visitors from the boat in port that
day.
The cancer drive in Valdez net
ted $140.
Assisting Miss Mable Anderson,
club sponsor, with costuming and
rehearsing of the actors and ac
tresses for the club production in
the Little Theatre, was Mrs. Ray
mond Huddleston.
Program numbers and enter
tainers on the evening of Aug. 17
included:
Piano duel—JLorene tiuddies
lon and Duane While.
Wedding of Ihe Painted Doll
(dance and playlel) — Alice
Huddleston, Mac Teeter. Eddie
Sievers, Shirley White, Jerry
Shaw. Chuck Parker. Freddie
O'Dell, Beulah Dieringer, Pat
Mcllroy. Karen Archer. Bonette
Harrison, Jerry Lannon and
Sharon Anderson.
Piano duet—Mrs. Huddleston
and Earl George.
Killing of Aaron Kale (play)
—Janet Weaver, Ruth O'Con
ner, Maxine Weaver. Lorene
Huddleston. Duane While. Ber
nice Teeter and Sharlene Baker.
Duel—Mrs. Huddleston and
Earl George.
Song—"Alaska's Flag" by all
the Glacier Club Girls.