Matanuska Valley Fair Grounds
by M D. Snodgrskk
In view of the fact that the
facilities transportation cheaper
power, and markets are no*;
available, or rapidly becoming so. I
for thi’ fuller development of thoi
natural resources of the Valley. (
there is sufficient evidence that !
the growth of Palmer will con-1
fiderably exceed that indicated
by the pattern of its development:
• luring its first 15 years.
In order to meet this situation, j
the city government, among its |
first acts, appointed a City Plan-1
ning Commission, a very capable 1
group of men- to plan for the
orderly growth of the city, and
who, with our support, can make
this a community to be proud of.
(In defence of the dangling pre
position. the editor is reminded
of Churchill’s penciled notation
to a secretary who had corrected
a draft of a speech in typing:
This is the type ol arrant non
sence up with which I will not
put.”)
As it must, the commission has
considered the location of the
fair grounds, which apparently
will be rather centrally located
in an expanded community.
There are two alternatives: the
fair may be left where it is. or
it may be moved, and the space
filled with some other form of,
development. There* is room for
considerable difference of opinion
as to which of the alternatives
should prevail, but it would aid
the planning commission to know
at this stage.
In support of continuing the de-1
velopment of the fair where it |
is, the* following thoughts are i
presented for your consideration: j
The fair is a non-profit organ-.
ization. Its earnings plus funds I
granted by the Territory are in
vested in improvements which
benefit the people of the area as
a whole. Its primary functions
are recreational and educational.
Tt is the best advertising medium
we have for the products of this
area upon the sale of which the
community is ultimately depend- i
ent. Its operations are accom-1
panied by a great boost in local
business. All these will suffer if
it is moved to a less accessible
location.
The major part of the grounds
lie under the approach area to j
the airport. This renders most of j
the area unsuitable for large
buildings. At the risk of an un
intentional oversight, this means
that an alternative use of the
grounds is largely restricted to
the construction of residences.
Now. it does not seem unreason
able to contend that aside from
WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY
February 20 and 21
Shows: 7:15 and 9:00 p.m.
DOUBLE FEATURE
“STOP THAT CAB"
and
“CHIPS FLYING U“
FRIDAY k SATURDAY
February 22 and 23
Shows: 7:15 and 9:00 p.m.
Sat. Mat: 2:00 p.m.
SUNDAY & MONDAY
February 24 and 25
Shows: 7:15 and 9:00 p.m.
Sun. Mat: 2:00 p.m.
SCOOP!! SCOOP!!!
'Death of a Salesman'
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY
February 27 and 26
IIh* general dc.-irability ol a com
pact town from the standpoint
of economy in furnishing utilities
tin pressure wlii«'H would neces
sitate moving of the Fair would
Ik* the absolute necessity for
space to build more houses for
which there was. in turn, no
other suitable alternative space.
It would seem unlikely tlvit
Palmer might become a large in
dustrial town It would seem even
more unikel.v that it might in
crease greatly (some, of course)
because of federal development in
the manner of Anchorage and
Fairbanks. It will gain some resi
dent population by furnishing
good educational facilities, and
iome in the nature of itimmuters
who v.ork elsewhere if it pro
vides desirable living conditions.
But its maximum size must be
determined largely by the natural
resources upon which it is de
jendent. If these surmises are to
my great extent correct, and
considering the growth room sur
rounding the existing town, it is
not probable that such an abso
lute need for building space will
occur.
Now. if the above is reasonably
MATANUSKA MILK
FATTENS MINNESOTA HOGS
Mi." Louise K* llogg, loc^l
Jaiivwoman and ow ner of Spring
Creek Farm, submitted the fol
^ I low ing excerpt front a letter re
ceiver! by her. The letter con
cern* a farm near Minneapolis
|j "We use it for a dump ground]
. for our gui bage business. We!
raise hogs - have 8.r> now. One of
, jthe stops on our garbage route is i
Northwest Airline and from there
we get refrigerated milk front all
. i over. Planes come in here front
the East, West and from the Or
jient. Enroute, they pick up sup
plies tor their passengers, who
are often sick and never touch the
food. Each time NWA lands they*
] Jean out all food and replace :t
, with fresh food. Therefore our
! taul here at the airport is tre- ]
. j nendous We get a whole tubful 1
| tf fresh, sweet milk and cream
each day front all parts of the
world, and your herd is contri
j buting to the pounds on our hogs,
j I am enclosing one of the cartoons
, from Alaska - "Matanuska Val
ley", it says. Unbelievable, isn’t
so, it would seem proper for the
planning commission to wrork on
the assumption that, like Eng
land, there will always be a fair
grounds.
Seaman Larry Cox
Reports from Outside
Remember Larry Cox. who
v.orked m Knslosky'* last sum
mer ?
Larry’s aunt. Mr*. Jack Leek
has just received a letter from
him that should bring his local
friend* up to date on his move
ments since leaving the Valiev
last OcIoIkt
According to the letter, Sea
man Cox has already finished his
boot training in San Diego 11c
has advanced from seaman re
cruit to seaman apprentice, and
in that capacity has gone out on
a destroyer. Planning against the
day when he’ll get back to Alas- j
ka. he has signed up for a Sea- .
Bee construction course.
The former Wasilla High School
boy from out Sunny Knik way
left the Valley last October to
visit his grandparents in Oregon.
It was there that he signed up for
the Navy. His mother. Mrs. Chet
Burden is living in Mountain
View this winter while the other
children attend school, bui they
will all be back at the^homstead
next summer.
it. that we here in Minnesota use
feed shipped in by plane from
Alaska.
Narylou Lashbrook Rideout Honored
by Homemakers at Valentine Tea
Membm *»! the Homemakers
Clubs of the Matanuska Valk .
honors* i Mrs. Marvlou Lashbrook
Hideout Home demonstration
•\gent. v. ith a lovely tea on Va
lentines Day at the United Pro
testant Church upon the occasion
»f her recent marriage in Olmpi 1.
Washington, to Mr Larry Ride
<ut of Glen Allen Mr Rideout is
in electrician with the Alaska
Road Commission
The tables were attractively
set with iace cloths and featured
a valentine tree of red hearts and
white lace hearts. These center
pieces were flanked with white
tapers to which red cupid doll-;
were attached. Tea sondwiches,
dainty cookies, and miniature
baskets of valentine candies were
served Mrs. Amy# Irwin, first
president of the Homemakers'
Council, and Mrs. Loretta Tal
cott, present Council president,
presided at the coffee and tea
tables.
Mrs. Rideout, who entered to
the tune of “Here Comes the
Bride’’- was attractively dressed
in hei wedding div.-v < ! mink
brown taffeta The fitted bodice
was adorned with tiny pctaU and
beads, and the very full skirt
featured a double front panel
She told the ladies present that
she was wearing the corsage pre
sentt-d her at Wasilla during the
first Achievement Day program
she had attended in the Matanu.<
ka Valley The corsage, made jf
yellow and brown strawflowers
and gold ribbon, had been kept
in excellent condition. Prizing it
| very much, Mrs. Rideout had
I chosen to wear it instead of her
Wedding orchid
After the guests had been serv
; ed. Mrs. Rideout told of her trip
and vacation Outside, telling of
j her wedding and trip home, then
j of the 4-H Congress which she
; attended in Chicago, and finally
j of her trip East where she spent
; Christmas with her mother and
relatives.
During the afternoon. Home
makers’ Clubs joined in present
ing the bride with three pieces of
Revere Wear
A REPORT TO ALASKA
ON OUR OPERATIONS
At the present time there is considerable discussion about the rising costs of doing business.
In order to give our Alaska friends a realistic understanding of the problems of the Alaska
Steamship Company in this respect, we are submitting our revenue and expense statement for
the past three years.
These are The Alaska Line’s only years of strictly private operation since 1941. The govern
ment managed Alaska shipping from 1942 until May, 1947, and the trade was under the Interim
Plan from that time through more than half of 1948.
These figures represent a loss to the company despite our most sincere efforts to operate
with utmost economy and efficiency.
D. E. SKINNER
Vice'President and General Manager
Revenue and Expenses—Alaska Operations 1949
1950
1951
TOTAL REVENUE . . .
OPERATING EXPENSE:
Wages (Inc. Overtime & Vacations)
& Payroll Taxes ....
Subsistence, Board & Lodging
Stores, Supplies, Equipment .
Maintenance & Repairs . .
Fuel..
Insurance—Hull, P & I, Other
Charter Hire.
Other Vessel & Voyage Expense
Stevedoring..
Wharfage & Dockage . . .
Brokerage—Freight & Passenger
Other Port A Cargo Expense
Depreciation & Overhead* «
TOTAL EXPENSE . .
TOTAL REVENUE . .
TOTAL EXPENSE . .
NET REVENUE (8efore Taxes)
*( Includes cdl expense* of company offices In
United State* and Alaska.)
$14,687,441 $13,737,456 $16,972,435
$ 4,072,929
969,122
473,383
665,402
967,788
1,127,354
777,381
119,565
3,714,596
215,581
58,395
315,960
1,258,797
$ 3,696,674
850,475
452,181
525,379
778,422
1,063,721
526,412
172,865
3,540,044
211,105
55,846
328,481
1,436,961
$ 4,911,254
998,571
667,698
534,939
1,024,480
1,004,817
714,303
185,283
4,658,917
242,300
100,091
460,224
1,523,234
$14,736,253 $13,638,566 $17,026,111
$14,687,441 $13,737,456 $16,972,435
$14,736,253 $13,638,566 $17,026,111
$ (48,812) $ 98,890 $ (53,676)
ALASKA STEAMSHIP COMPANY
v.