THE FR9HTIERSMAH
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the post office
at Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of Biarch 3, 1979
T. O. ftCHMIDTKE
Publisher
MILDRED JOHNSON
News Editor
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 16.50 a year In Matanuska Valley Area
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States $7.50 per year
National Advertising Rep.—WEEKLY NEWSPAPER REPRESENTATIVES
404 Fifth Avenue, New York 16. New York
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
How much is too much, aptly describes the forth
coming bond issue election for the Palmer Independent
School District.
With overcrowding of classrooms already in exist
ence in local schools and double shifting the next step,
something has to be done. Double shifting will not come
in the immediate future, however, it will within the next
few years if additional capacity is not obtained
The last bond issue was voted down more or less
because it was a package deal rather than allowing the
taxpayer to vote on what was thought to be most needed
in our school system. This year our elected officials have
separated the bond issue into four parts and one may
vote for one or all.
If the entire four propositions are passed the total
raise in school taxes would be in the area of from 30 to
40 per cent. At present the mill rate is 14 mills based on
80 per cent valuation and another 5 mill approximate
raise would be necessary to finance the entire bond issue.
Each mill brings into the school system $17,000 per year.
A raise of five mills would total $85,000 a year, which
the taxpayers of the area would have to cough up.
Tidy sum.
Proposition No. 1 is to add six classrooms to Swan
son school and is definitely needed. Approximately one
mill would be needed to fund this issue.
Proposition No. 2, if passed, will add six classrooms
to the high school. Funding this portion of the bond
issue would entail one mill.
Proposition No. 3 is a new gymnasium addition to
the high school costing about $380,000. Mill raise for
this portion of the package would be about IV2 mills.
The final proposition, No. 4, is for a new auditorium
for the high school costing approximately $430,000 and
would raise the mill rate about ]3A mills.
A definite need is apparent for each of the propo
sitions, but can we afford all of them?
Raising the school taxes to 19 mills is not overly
conducive to easy salesmanship in trying to bring busi
ness and people to settle in our area. This area at present
has the dubious honor of having the second highest
school taxes in the state of Alaska and the passage of
the entire package will give us first place, hands down.
By eliminating the auditorium portion of the bond
issue the total raise in taxes should not be over 20 per
cent, which is a great deal more palatable.
In our humble opinion it would be a great deal
wiser to build a new grade school to replace Central
school than it would be to build an auditorium.
'llw&esi 21
> By Dan Halligan
DEAR DAN: I am in the eighth grade and have a wardrobe
problem. It’s not that I mind that my wardrobe is from last
year, actually three years old and more, but my clothing is
completely out of style.
I don’t want to seem selfish but my mother won’t buy me
anything new except two blouses and a suit. I am willing and
want to add a few stylish things to my wardrobe with my own
money which I have earned. I try to make her see that but
I can’t. She says I can’t buy myself new clothing because I
already have enough of a wardrobe. Really!
Please tell me who is right because this problem is getting
serious. Remember, Dan, I’ll buy the clothing with my own
money.—CONCERNED OF L. I.
Dear Concerned: I don't know anything about
styles for an eighth grade girl but I do know that what
you wore in the sixth, fifth and fourth grades cannot
possibly fit you now and therefore, you're not really too
badly off.
I sympathize with you and I'll even say you should
be allowed to buy an occasional skirt or sweater with
money you've earned but I know mothers and if your
mother says your wardrobe is sufficient, believe her.
Don't get too hepped on current 'styles" because
they may change by Christmas and what you now buy
could be "old-fashioned" by then. Mothers seldom are
wrong.
* * *
DEAR TEEN-AGERS: Now that school is well along, per
haps you won’t mind a lesson from me. Many of you take strong
exception when I say don’t go steady too soon, don’t date too
soon and, where girls are concerned, don’t wear make-up too
soon.
When I tell you to act your ages, I’m not trying to spoil
your fun. What I am trying to do is to keep you in your child
hood a little longer than you may want to stay. You’ve heard
others say it time and again and one of these years you’ll say it
too—the teen years are the greatest of your life.
I don’t care whom you eventually marry, how great your
success in life, how many children you help bring into the
world or what you do—the years after your teen years will
never be quite as wonderful. In particular, your high school
years are the most wonderful of the teens.
So, in telling you kids not to date and go steady too soon,
I’m actually telling you not to cheat yourselves out of your
childhood and out of the best years of your lives.
Be a teen-ager for as long as you can—a teen-ager whose
greatest problem, if you’re a boy, can be, “What’s for supper?”
and, if you’re a girl, making that crucial decision as to which
one of two Bobby Rydell records you should buy with this
week’s allowance. You won’t be sorry.
* * *
PEN PALS: Bonnie Lenderman, Route 6, Box 886, Lufkin,
Texas, would like girl pen pals. Her hobbies are the piano!
stamps and training dogs.
Sandra Harp, 415 Cleveland Avenue, Morristown, Tenn.,
wants pen pals of 17 or older.
Charlene Cheloha, Box 63. Route 4. Columbus, Neb., wants
pen pals of 11 and 12 and those interested in horses, swimming
and baking.
Sue Cronin is 12 and says she likes to knit, ride horses and
school. Her address is 3217 17th Street, Columbus, Neb.
Nora Moorehouse is 11 and says she likes records and
boys. Her address is 109 Grove Street, Maryville, Tenn.
Mari Shoemaker, 16. is a farm girl and her address is
Box 426, Route 2, Carmel, Ind.
NOW
THEY
TELL
ME/
Lne People ^
What it first I
takes away J?
from the®. #
in »■ ■ — mm ■ ■ ■i„i— — *
THE AMERICAN WAY
Soon There’s Nothing Left To Take!
Hi-School Hi-Liles
By LINDA SHELTON
Last week the freshmen of
Palmer High were initiated A
■ court held on Friday. Sept. 20.
punished all the offenders just
: ly. The offenders had to do
everything from smearing cold
cream on each other to having
eggs smashed on their heads
i to brushing their teeth with a
paint brush. All the freshmen
participated very nicely. The
whole week proved to be quite
interesting and a lot of fun.
A dance was held for the
freshmen on Sept. 20. The sen
ior class sponsored the dance.
There was a very good turnout.
* * *
On Sept. 20. 1963, the dedica
tion to the 1963 Polaris was
made. Carol Wilson, a 1963
graduate of Palmer High and
editor of the yearbook, made
the dedication. This year it
was dedicated to Mr. John De
Vries. There was a thunder of
applause as his name was call
ed out. He threaded his way to
the front of the room. He mum
bled a brief “Thank you” and
said something to the effect
that he felt like like an old
man. His face showed how
shocked and very pleased he
was to get this honor. Follow
ing the dedication, the year
books were handed out to t h e
students.
* * *
Palmer will be the host of
the cross-country track meet.
We hope that there will be a
large turnout like last year.
October 12 is the date for the
meet
* * *
The basketball schedule was
finalized and it will be printed
in the very near future.
* * *
As the population increases
at the high school, the prob
lems of room increase. English
I is being held in the study
hall, which was not designed
as a classroom. There is a lack
of chalk boards. The only other
place would be the cafeteria,
which is no better. Chorus was
held in the cafeteria and had
to be cut short each day so the
cafeteria could be used for
lunch. Since some of the Cen
tral students are eating at the i
high school, chorus had to be j
moved to room 72. There are
64 students in a room designed
for 30. There are also some
classes being held in the band
room, which was not designed
for classroom work. Vocational
agriculture and Spanish are
being held in a room 9x18. Two
PE. study halls are being held
in the cafeteria. Also in the
cafeteria, classes of drivers’
education are being held. Stu
dents have to take the bus to
P.E. This takes 10 minutes each
way and cuts the period short.
The bus has to be stored in the
shop. This requires the mov
ing of agriculture machinery,
cars, and the shop projects, and
cuts class time. A new gym
would improve P.E. clasess
since there would be better
control of the students. Span
ish and Latin are taught in four
different rooms. This makes it
difficult to use tape recorders
which are used in teaching a
foreign language. There is no
place to store the teaching ma
terials. An auditorium and
gym are a very important part
of school, really just as im
portant as classes and books.
The cafeteria is filled to ca
pacity and the only other place
to hold assemblies is Central
School. Here the transportation
problem arises again. The Cen
tral School gym is in great de
mand during the winter. There
are several activities going on
at that time which require
the use of the gym such as
drum corps, G.A.A., basketball
practice, etc. A new gym would
be very helpful.
SINGSPIRATION TO BE
AT CHURCH OF GOD
The Palmer Church of God
will be host church for the
monthly Singspiration, on Sun
day, Sept. 29, at 3 p.m.
The Singspirations, sponsor
ed by the Ministers’ and Chris
tian Laymen’s Association, give
Christians of all denominations
the privilege of meeting and
singing together.
Moore's
Garage
Automotive and traotor repair and
rebuild
Tire truing and balancing
Cankshafft grinding
Precision pin fitting
PHONE 745-3180
Palmer, Alaska
FORMER PRINCIPAL HERE TAKES
POSITION M LICHFIELD, ILUNQIS
Keith A. Smith, former prin
cipal of Palmer high school
(1957-1963), has accepted a po
sition in Litchfield. Illinois as
assistant superintendent of
schools and business manager
for the Litchfield Community
School District.
The school system has a sen
ior high school with 560 stu
dents. also a junior high school
Garcia-Dragseth
Riles To Be Oct. 5
Mr. and Mrs. Eloy E. Garcia
of Wasilla this week announced
the engagement and forthcom
ing marriage of their daughter,
Judith Marie, to Mr. Jack L.
Dragseth. the son of Mrs. Fred
Butler of Anchorage and the
late Joe Dragseth.
The wedding will take place
in St. Michael’s Catholic
Church in Palmer on Saturday,
Oct. 5 at eight o’clock in the
evening.
All friends of both families
are invited to attend the wed
ding and the reception which
will follow ommediately at
Barry's Finger Lake Resort.
FULLER PAINT
GETS AIRPORT BID
In a bid opening September
16t Fuller Paint and Glass
Corporation of Anchorage was
1 the low bidder for the repairs
i to the Anchorage International
| Airport and was awarded the
! contract by the Division of
Buildings of the Alaska De
partment of public works. Full
er had a basic bid of $9,368.
ST. JO.HN
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
Rev. R. H. Fritz, pastor
Palmer, Alaska /^Bj.5.254a
Divine Services 11)00 A. M.
Sunday School 9:49 A.M.
and four elementary schools
with a total school population
of 2,087, Smith reported in a
recent letter to The Frontiers
man. Litchfield has a popula
tion of about 8,000 and is lo
cated about midway between
Springfield, 111. and St. Louis,
Mo., which is 60 miles away.
After leaving Palmer last
June, Smith attended Stanford
University where he took ad
ditional courses in school ad
ministration. The family made
their home in Sunnyvale, about
30 minutes’ drive from the
campus. During the summer
friends from Palmer and vicin
ity visited them, also Mrs.
Smith’s parents from Roanoke,
Va.
The Smiths invited friends
here to write or to visit them
in Litchfield.
St. Bartholomew's
Episcopal Church
Morning Prayer_10 A.M.
Church School_11 A.M.
745-3163
THOUGHTS
OF A
LAYMAN
What Think Ye of the Christ?
The world has woefully
underestimated Jesus Christ.
To many He is still the help
less Babe at Bethlehem. To
others He is an image nailed
to a crucifix. To some He is
a fearful judge, and they
seek for another mediator.
To the Moslem and the Uni
tarian He is a noble human
being and nothing more.
Some disdainfully refer to
Him as the carpenter’s son
of Nazareth. The Bible gives
us a clear picture of b u r
Saviour. “The fullness of the
Godhead dwelleth in H i m.”
There is salvation in none
other.’’ “All things were cre
ated by Him, and without
Him was nothing made that
is made.” There is salvation
in none other. Christ Him
self says, “No one cometh
unto the Father, but by Me.”
Vancouver’s Chinatown is
largest in Canada and third
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2 YEAR GUARANTEE. Look for the
name FLEX-O-GLASS on the edge.
Get Genuine FLEX-O-GLASS At Your Local Hdwr, or Lmbr. Dealer
Only from the carefree heart of a child could com® such Joy.
Or could it? Is it necessary to lose childhood’s happy laughter? Most
we feel depressed and burdened with the yoke of adult cares?
Certainly not! The God-given gifts of joy and happiness ar* posses
sions we can and must retain throughout all our years. But how can we
keep this wonderful spirit?
Here is a formula that Is very simple: attend the church of your choice
regularly. In God’s house you will learn to accept life’s burdens _ and
soon they will be ever so much lighter. His Peace will fill your heart Here,
in fellowship with others, you will receive the needed peace and under
standing to reclaim and sustain the merry heart
TH* CHURCH FOR AL1_ • ALL FOR THE CHURCH
In* Church it th* greatest factor
on earth for the building of ch*ne>
ter and good citizenship. It i* ■ store
houaa of opiritual valuta. Without a
strong Church, neither democracy
nor civilization can survive. Thera
are four aound reason* why ovary
Person ahould attend services regu
Urly and support th* Church. Tha?
an: (1) For hia own art*. (2) For
hi* childrai'* aaka. (3) Forth*ah*
of hi* community and nation. (4)
For tbo aaka of tho Church iMf.
which need* hi* moral and matariai
oupprat «an to |o to church laau
Inrly and raad your Bibl* daily.
copyright 1868, Keister Adyirtiilng Service, Ine., Strasburg, Vi.
Sunday
Nehemiah
8:9-12
Monday
Psalms
30:1-12
Tuesday
Isaiah
52:7-10
Wednesday
Zephaniah
3:14-20
Thursday
Matthew
11:25-30
Friday
Luke
12:22-31
Saturday
Lpke
15:1-7
The Following Business Establishments Are Contributing This Series of Advertisements
To The Churches of The Matanuska Valley
MATANUSKA TELEPHONE ASSN.
MATANUSKA VALLEY BANK
PALMER BOWLING CENTER
THE FRONTIERSMAN
A LOCAL CITIZEN