Thought of the Week:
It is a neat pastime to read
editorials for the purpose of
seeing how foolish the editor
can be.
The Frontiersman
Ay I
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
ATTEND
KNOW YOUR CANDIDATES
MEETINGS
V UL.UWL ID, n UrnotH 50
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. SEPT. 5, 1963
TEN PAGES
PRICE 15 CENTS
1963 Fair Breaks Attendance, Gate Records
Durrant Resigns Co-op Post;
Ed Smith to Take Position
ARRESTS RESULT
HI CONVICTIONS
The long holiday weekend
brought a rash of arrests by
c.ty police and a number of
convictions in magistrate’s
court, most of them the result
of liquor violations.
Richard Perry Rice, 21, of
‘he Eagle Hotel in Anchorage,
was fined $200 for procuring
liquor for minors, and Gerald
W. Hogan, 21, of Elmendorf,
forfeited $50 bail for being
drunk in public.
Thomas B. Dobbs. 25. of Fort
Richardson, was fined $1501
(suspended), and his driver’s
license was revoked. He was
charged with driving while un
der the influence of alcohol.
Herbert J. Burrus, 35. of An
chorage. was fined $30 and re
ceived a suspended 5-day jail
sentence for being drunk in
public. A previous suspended
sentence of five days in jail
was revoked for Ivan Stick
man, 32, of Sutton, and he was i
fined $30 for being drunk in
public. Alex Henry Sinyon.
34. of Fairbanks, was fined $25
for being d runk in public. ,
Frank D. Tyone. 26, of Palm-!
er, was fined $20 for the same
offense.
The case of Wayne Wallace
Campbell, 19, of Fishhook Road
will be heard on Sept. 10. A
minor, he is charged with ille
gal possession of alcohol.
Manager Accepts
LDS Missionary Call
Stewart A. Durrant, general
manager of Matanuska Maid.
Inc., since Dec. 15, 1961, today
announced his resignation.
Durrant made the move in
order to accept a missionary
call from his church, the
Church of Jesus Christ of Lat
ter Day Saints.
The board of directors last
night appointed George Ed
Smith. Palmer resident for the
past 13 years, to succeed Dur
rant as general manager. Smith
will assume the managership
on Sept. 16. although his asso
ciation with Ketchikan Spruce
Mills in Palmer will not term
inate until Oct. 1.
In a letter to members of the
farm co-op informing them of
his resignation. Durrant point
EMBLEM CLUB STYLE
SHOW TO BE SEPT. 13
Palmer Emblem Club mem
bers will present their annual
fashion show on Friday, Sept.
13. at 8 p.m. in the Palmer Elks
hall.
Clothes will be shown from
Lea’s, Koslosky’s, and Benson's
Department Store.
Petitioners' Case
Still To Be Heard
The Matanuska-Susitna peti- j
tioners' case against state agen-1
cies based on the handling of
the Matanuska-Susitna peti
tion is anything but dead, and
the Sept. 17 election may still
be stopped, attorneys for the
petitioners said this morning.
Attorneys Wendell Kay and
Burton Biss filed several sep
arate actions against the office
of the Secretary of State, the
Local Affairs Agency, and the
Local Boundary Commission.
Refused on Aug. 26 was a re
quest for an injunction to stop
the election based on the con
stitutionality of the borough
law.
However, still to be heard is
the petitioners’ appeal to Su
perior Court from the decision
of the Local Boundary Com
mission to combine the Captain
Cook and Matanuska-Susitna
areas into one large borough.
Kay and Biss requested the
transcript of the hearings held
in Anchorage, Palmer and
Wasilla on the Captain Cook
petition some days ago, but
have not yet received it from
Juneau, Biss said this morning.
When it is received, it will
be reviewed by the attorneys,
and if it proves to be accurate
and complete, a hearing will be
requested on the appeal. If the
transcript is not considered
complete, a trial will be called,
with witnesses testifying to
supply additional information,
Biss said.
The hearing (or trial) will be ]
called sometime next week, the 1
attorney said. If the court de- j
cision is in favor of the peti- j
tioners, there will be no Sept, j
17 election.
ed out that when he accepted
the position he had asked for
complete religious freedom to
participate in church activi
ties.
"Many of you who are not
acquainted with our mission
ary system may not under
stand why I would give up my
job to spend this . . . time (two
to five years) working solely
for the church. To members
. this is a real privilege, and
we are grateful that we have
been considered to receive such
a call."
Durrant has been called to
preside over the Alaskan-Ca
nadian Mission of the church,
with headquarters in Vancou
ver. B.C. He was informed of
the call last Friday.
The family will leave in mid
September. driving out over
the Alaska Highway with son
Stephen, who has also accepted
a missionary call to serve the
Southern Far East Mission,
which includes Hong Kong and
Formosa.
Smith, who has lived in Al
aska over 16 years, makes his
home at the Butte with h i s
wife, Elouise, and their three
children. Stanley, 17, Ronald,
1*1. and Barbara. 11.
A successor to Smith’s posi
tion as manager at Ketchikan
Spruce Mills has not yet been
named. Smith will divide his
time between the farm co-op i
and the lumber company until '
a new manager has been in
stalled.
TOTAL ENROLLMENT
IS UP 44 PUPILS
With enrollments still com
ing in at all three schools of the
Palmer Independent School
District, present total enroll
ment has increased by 44 pu
pils over 1962 total figures,
school officials said today.
Enrollment thus far this year
is 1.102. compared to last year’s
1.058. Enrollment figures at
Central this morning stood at
521; at Swanson, 288; and at
the high school, 293.
Classes opened in all three
Palmer schools yesterday, with
pupils attending a full day of
school.
Lake Ida Resident
Dies In Midwest
Nels Gronvold, 81, a resident
of Alaska for 55 years and of
the Lake Ida area for 15 years,
died on Aug. 15 at the home of
his brother in Fargo, North
Dakota.
Gronvold was an early-day
miner in the Talkeetna and
Chatanika country, and help
ed to build the section of the
Alaska Railroad which runs
along Turnagain Arm.
A member of the small Lake
Ida community on the Glenn
Highway, he built all the cab
ins there. In 1959 he left Alas
ka for his first trip Outside
since he came here 55 years
ago, hoping at that time to re
turn to the Matanuska Valley.
Mrs. Ida Foley, the original
owner of the Lake Ida proper
ty. left here in mid-August for
a trip Outside and went to vis
it Gronvold in Fargo, but ar
rived the day after his funeral.
Gronvold was born Dec. 9,
1881. in southern Minnesota.
Open House to Mark
25th Anniversary
Honoring Mr. and Mrs. How
ard Estelle’s 25th wedding an
niversary, there will be ar
open house at their home on
Sunday. Sept. 8, from 2 to E
p.m.
Hostess for the affair will b«
the Estelles’ eldest daughter
Beth, who said that all friends
of her parents are invited tc
drop in and share in the an
niversary celebration.
“Murder” Victim
Found at Bridge
State and city police were
startled early Tuesday morn
ing when Don Panciewitz ol
Palmer rushed into the state
police office to report that the
body of a man was lying be
side the railing on the south
side of the Matanuska Bridge.
Trooper Luther and Officer
! Connoliy hurried to the spot.
: where sure enough, there was
' a body, dressed in slacks, shirt,
i tie. and hat, lying face down
in the gravel.
It was dark along the Mata
| nuska at 1 a.m. on Sept. 3. The
two police officers gingerly
i turned the body over, and the
first impression they got, by
flashlight beam, was of tre
mendous teeth grinning up at
them. The victim of a gangland
slaying in outer space, dumped
on a remote planet'’
Closer examination proved
the “body” to be that of a bear,
completely skinned out, and
| dressed in the outfit described
| above.
The officers brought the
; “victim" back to Palmer,
where they removed its cloth
ing before carrying it to the
Palmer city dump as an insur
| ance against reports of a dead
i body lying on the dump.
Police are examining the
clothing in an attempt to learn
the identity of the pranksters
with the macabre sense of hu
mor.
The identity of the bear?
: John Doe Bruin, probably one
of the Blackie mob currently
terrorizing Alaskans.
—
DOBBS GETS JAIL TERM
Sentenced to a three-yea
; jail term on Aug. 30 was Bob
! bv Eugene Dobbs, 27. who wa
1 arrested last June 22 in Palm
cr by police Chief Louis Ben
I cardino minutes after he stage'
. a holdup at the Palmer Pain
Co.
The case was heard in Su
; perior Court in Anchorage.
City Voters to Elect
Mayor, (ouncilmen
Qualified voters in the city,
of Palmer will elect a mayor ;
and three councilmen to t h e
Palmer city council on Tues-1
day, Oct. 1. Persons wishing to ;
file for these positions may!
pick up their petitions on Sept.
10 or any day following until
Sept. 20, when all petitions
must be back in the city clerk's
office by 5 p.m.
The terms of mayor Ralph
Moore and councilmen Darrell
Frank, Merritt Long, and Jack
Maze are expiring. The may
or’s job will be for a two-year
term, two councilmen’s terms
are for three years, and one is
for one year.
Councilmen serving contin
uing terms are Dick Geiwitz,
William Hermann, and Willard
Johnson.
Petitions for the office of
mayor or councilman, which
may be obtained in the Palm
er city clerk's office, must be
signed by at least 25 qualified
voters who live within the
Palmer city limits.
Candidates must be qualified
voters who have been resi
dents of Alaska for at least
two years and of the city of
Palmer for at least one year.
The polling place for t h e
election will be the council
chambers in the Palmer city
hall. Palmer residents will also
vote in the school board elec
tion here. Polls will be open
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Susan Moffitt Is State Fair O
ueen
Susan Ray Moffitt, 19,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Owen
Moffitt of Palmer, was crown
ed Miss Alaska State Fair at
the close of the 1963 queen pa
geant in Central school on Sat
urday, Aug. 31, before a ca
pacity crowd. Phil O’Neill was
master of ceremonies.
Susan, who was sponsored
by Kirk’s Sales and Service
and Walt Briggs Fuel, won a
$500 scholarship and will com
pete in the 1964 Miss Alaska
contest. She gave a roller-skat
ing exhibition during the tal
ent portion of the contest.
The new Miss Alaska State
Fair is a 1962 graduate of Pal
mer high school and is employ
ed at the Matanuska Valley
Bank. She is an active member
of the Valley Theatre Guild.
Born in Anchorage, she has
lived in the Valley all her
life.
She will utilize her scholar
ship at Alaska Methodist Uni
versity, where she plans to en
roll for the spring semester.
Bonita Louise Bernath, 18,
the first runner-up in the con
test, is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. John Bernath of An
chorage. Her prize was a $250
scholarship. Miss Bernath, who
lived in Hawaii for a time, did
a hula in the talent portion of
the contest. Her sponsor was
Bert’s Drug of Anchorage.
Second runner-up was Carol
Jean Wilson, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. James Wilson of Pal
mer. The 18-year old 1963
graduate of Palmer high school
amused the audience with her
monologue interpretation of
“The Waltz.” Her prize was a
$100 scholarship. She was spon
sored by the Matanuska Tele
phone Association.
Chosen by the girls them
selves for her ability to get
along well with the group was
Caralee Mona Kammermeyer
of Palmer, whose parents are
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Kammer
meyer. As Miss Congeniality,
she received a trophy and a
$25 cash award.
The girls were chosen by a
panel of six judges, chosen by
Beverly Powers of Anchorage,
chairman of the judges. Mrs.
Powers has worked actively
with the Miss Alaska pageant.
The judges, none of whom had
previous acquaintance with
the girls, were Pierre Duclert,
sales manager, Air France Air
lines; Maurice Werther, journ
alist and news analyst with
French T. V.; Serge Leroy, di
rector with Belgian television;
Dan Moore, Anchorage lawyer;
Evelyn Landon, on vacation
from Van Nqys, Calif.; and
Michele Moliera, stewardess
with Air France. Duclert and
Werther are in Alaska making
a documentary film ■ for tele
vision. Auditors were Miss Ed
na Wehking and Mrs. Pearl
Trowbridge.
Visiting royalty at the pa
geant included Susan Koslosky,
Miss Fur Rendezvous of 1963;
Judy Fahlgren of Anehorage,
Miss Liberty Bond of 1963; and
Nancy Mitchell, Miss Big Lake
Regatta of 1963.
Erika Kalwies, Miss Mata
nuska Valley of 1961, crowned
the new queen in the absence
of Colleen Kendall, now Miss
Alaska, who is in Atlantic City,
New Jersey preparing for the
Mis America pageant. Also
present was Sara Moffitt, Miss
Matanuska Valley of 1960 and
cousin of the reigning queen.
Four other girls qualified
for the 1963 Miss Alaska State
Fair finals by selling 350 raf
fle tickets apiece, and Leslie
June Whitt, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. James Whitt of Palm
er, received a $75 cash award
for selling the greatest number
of tickets. Other qualified can
didates were Mary Boothby,
Terri Granger, and Melody
Toomey.
Besides those named above,
sponsors of the girls were B &
H Supply, Mrak Coal Co., Evan
Jones Coal Co., Johnson’s Fuel
Service, Benson’s Department
Store, Matanuska Maid, Inc.,
Bert’s Drug in Palmer, Tee
land's Country Store, Cottle’s
Corner in Wasilla and Rexall
Drugs in Anchorage.
Bouquets for the queen and
for each contestant were the
gift of Matanuska Electric As
sociation.
Organizations and individ
uals noted by the queen com
mittee for their assistance in
making the pageant a success
were the Matanuska Valley
Bank. MEA, Ketchikan Spruce
Mills, Bernard E. Locke, Trop
ical Gardens, Koslosky’s De
partment Store, Sears, Roe
buck and Co., Mary K Sales,
Standard Oil, Mary Williams,
Bill Hermann, Allan H. Mick,
Beverly Powers, Colleen Ken
dall, Frances Hulbert, Farrel
Ingram, Bonita’s Beauty Salon,
Sara Moffitt, Barbara Lacher.
Arlone Bell, Lea’s Dress Shop,
Matanuska Maid, Inc., Elks
lodge members, C. E. Logsdon,
Jackie Snodgrass, Jim Ehrhart,
Steve Cook, Ella Gearhart, Ann
Fowler, Linda LaRose, Linda
Prewitt, and Janie Hanks.
Fine Weather Lures
Crowds All 4 Days
with the miraculous blessing'
I of good weather all four days
of the 1963 Alaska State Fair.
Inc., fair officials have report
ed records both in gate receipts
| and attendance. Figures are
j not yet complete, but officials
j estimate well over the 30,000
I record set for attendance in
! 1961 Also still to be completed
! is the financial statement,
j Honor guest on Saturday
j was Gov. William Egan, who !
joined the crowds pouring in.
j not only from Alaska but from !
| all over the United States, to.
| view the mammoth vegetables,!
Matanuska Valley livestock.
! industrial exhibits, and 4-H
displays.
They swamped the midway
booths serving food and offer
ing chances to win souvenirs;;
they squealed their way
through the shivery attractions i
of the Spook House: they were
| charmed b ’he antics of Ole,,
the pet seal belonging to Mr.
and Mrs Howard Taplin of
1 Diamond H Ranch on O'Malley
Road in Anchorage. They pho
tographed the pretty girls of
the queen's court: they lined
j the streets to watch the pa
1 rade which featured marching
units, bands, queen contest
i ants. Antique Auto Mushers.
horsemen, ana marching cub
scouts with a reindeer mascot.
And they jammed the grand
stand to watch the gigantic and
colorful fireworks exhibit, the
first of its kind to be seen
here. fllrworks were eas
ily all over town, with
some reports coming in of their
being seen several miles out in
the country.
The art exhibit attracted con
siderable attention and favor
able comment, particularly
Rusty Dow's "black light” ex
hibit.
The Apache camper was won
by Claude Harter of Palmer,
and Mrs. Ray McCartney, also
of Palmer, won the freezer.
Mrs. Pat Carter of Wasilla won
the cake raffled by the Mata
nuska Valley Chapter of
ACCA. The cake, large enough
to serve 100, will be baked and
decorated by Mrs. Bill Hoskins
on order any time during the
next year.
“Money Tree” w.nners were
mostly from out of town.
Parade results have n o t
been completely finalized, and
an announcement will be made
next w'eek as to winners and
awards, parade marshall Ed
Smith said tljis morning.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS NOW READY;
VOTE IN PERSON OR BY MAIL
.! Absentee ballots for the pro
.j posed Captain Cook borough
3! election on Sept. IT are nov
. available ;:i the office of Mrs
_ i Dorothy Saxton, deputy dis
\ \ trict magistrate. Palmer,
t I Those who will be a w a ;
from their voting precinct ot
• I election day may vote in per
son in Mrs. Saxton’s office un
1 til the day before election, or
may apply by mail for an ab
I sentee ballot up to four days
before the election. Bailots re
| turned by mail must be post
marked no later than election
day, Sept. 17.
If necessary to vote by per
sonal representative — i.e., if
j you are hospitalized or cannot
obtain your ballot yourself —
you must send a signed request
i for your ballot with your per
: sonal representative. You may
either return your ballot by
mail or send it back to the
magistrate’s office with your
representative. In either case,
it must be postmarked or de
livered on election day.
Talkeetna residents who
wish to vote by absentee ballot
must write to Mrs. Saxton’s
Associate Joins
Skille Staff
Dr. Walter D. Cunningham
of Sturgeon Lake, Minn., is
now an asosciate in Dr. Boyd
Skille’s office in Palmer.
Dr. Cunningham, who join
ed Dr. Skille's staff this w'eek,
was a classmate of the Palmer
physician at the University of
Minesota. He interned at St.
Luke’s Methodist Hospital in
Cedar Rapids. Ia., and has been
in general practice for a year
at Onamia, Minn.
Dr. Cunningham, his wife,
Nancy, and their four children,
Mark, 8, David. 6, Patrick, 5,
and Mary 3, are making their
home on Bailey Hill.
The offices of Dr. Skille and
Dr. Cunningham will be open
five full days a week, and a
half day on Saturdays.
office in Palmer to obtain their
! ballots.
Two different ballots will be
. j issued. One is for residents of
Palmer and Anchorage, who
; will vote yes or no on the
r t Captain Cook proposition, and
! on the question of borough
j chairman or borough manager
I form of government. They will
I also vote for a borough chair
! man and for borough school
board members.
Voters outside incorporated
city limits will in addition
vote for borough assemblymen
who are running from their
own borough section but who
: will be elected at large.
Information on polling
places will be published next
week in The Frontiersman.
SNIDERS FLY
TO EUROPE
Mr. and Mrs. Heinie Snider,
local pioneers and particular
ly skillful salesmen for Alas
ka's attractions, left Wednes
day via Air France for a visit
to their homeland. Holland.
The trip came right on t h e
heels of their assignment as
official host and hostess at the
1963 Alaska State Fair, where
they dispensed charming hos
pitality to visiting dignitaries,
including Gov. William Egan.
The two will visit Hamburg.
Berlin, Frankfurt. Munchen.
Paris, London, Rotterdam, and
Amsterdam, and will have a
Christmas family reunion in
Heinie’s home town, Monnic
kendam, Holland. They will re
turn to the United States in
February, Heinie going to Ju
neau to make arrangements
for the Alaska exhibit at t h e
New York World's Fair, and
Alice going to Bellingham,
Wash, to visit their daughter,
Ann T. Short.
Although Heinie’s column.
“Strange Things,” will not ap
pear in The Frontiersman dur
ing his absence, the Sniders
have promised to report from
time to time on their trip.
PIED PIPER PRE SCHOOL
ANNOUNCES
Registration amt Open House
For Interested Parents and Students
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th-1-3 p.m.
Phone PI 5-4131