Thought of the Week
Most people could get over
that tired feeling if they could
get a vacation from them
selves.
VOLUME 15. NUMBER 51
THE FRONTIERSMAN
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PALMER, ALASKA, THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 1963
TWELVE PAGES
Captain Cook
Borough Election
Tuesday. Sept. 17
Vole Vole Vole
PRICE 15 CENTS
Voters to Accept, Reject Big Borough Sept. 17
Telephone Cutover
Begins on Sept. 23
At 10 p.m. on Sept. 23, the
new telephone exchange ai
Palmer will go into service
Max Clements, manager of tht
Matanuska Telephone Associa
tion, said this week. AY.
Pioneer exchange subscriber;
will begin to use their new
numbers on Sept. 24, he added
The new Big Lake exchange
will he placed in service at 1C
p.m. on Sept. 30, Clements sta
ted. Until this date. Big Lake
subscribers will continue to use
their old FRontier numbers.
There will be no change in
dialing Wasilla or Sutton, the
manager said. The letter pre
fix will be dropped and all
numbers will be used—Wasilla
will be 376 instead of FR 6. and
Sutton will be 258 instead of
AL 8. These numbers are at the
same position on the dial, as
the letters, and no difference
will be noted by the equip
ment.
Directories with the new
numbers w'ill be mailed to all
subscribers before the change
over; and each subscriber will
also receive a card with his
PALMER COLLEGE
REGISTRATION
BEGINS MONDAY
Registration for fall semes
ter Palmer Community College
classes wTill open on Monday,
Sept. 16. and will continue
through Friday, Sept. 20. Alvin
Okeson, director, announced
this week.
Prospective students may
register at the Palmer high
school office from 7 p.m. to
9:30 p.m., Okeson said.
Courses offered which carry
degree credit include anthro
pology, sociology, accounting,
typing, educational psychology,
English, music, and Spanish.
Vocational and interest
courses include co-recreational
physical education, fencing,
welding, and photography. The
physical education course will
start the first Tuesday in No
vember and will continue until
April 1.
Monday classes will start
Sept. 23. Tuesday - Thursday
classes Sept. 24, and Wednes
day classes Sept. 25, the direc
tor said.
Groups desiring special
courses are asked to get in
touch with Mr. Okeson, who
said there is a possibility that
such classes could be arranged.
i new telephone number printed
on it, with instructions for
placing it over the old number
on the dial.
“Due to the up-grading and
I re-grouping of many of our
party lines, it will be necess
! ary for us to visit many loca
tions to change services and
ringers,” Clements said. “This
will take several days to com
| plete. and during this time a
few party line users will be
| without inward service (others
can not reach them by dialing
their number, although they
will be able to make calls from
their phone). We are making '
every effort to keep this time
to a minimum, and we plan to
have all customers using their
new numbers by Wednesday.
Aug. 25.”
I This inconvenience will af
fect only a small per cent of:
party line subscribers, the
manager stated, for the major
j ity of phones will be cut over
a few minutes after 10 p.m. on
Sept. 23. MTA members who
have difficulties are asked to
dial the operator, who will as- !
sist them in reaching their
party.
“There will no doubt be
some inconvenience and diffi
culty for a day or two,” Clem
I ents concluded. “Every effort
will be made to keep this to a
minimum, however. If you
have any question either be
fore or after the changeover,
please call our office.”
PALMER PUPILS
TOTAL 1,113
Pupil enrollment in the
three Palmer Independent
: School District schools totalled
1.113 on Monday, Sept. 9, ac
| cording to superintendent R.
C. Carter.
Of these children, 815 are in
grades 1-8 and the remaining
298 are enrolled in high school,
grades 9-12.
The special education class
has five pupils at present, with
j several more soon to be as
signed to it.
At this time last year, the
Palmer schools had an enroll
ment of 1,058, the superinten
dent said. The growth of 55 is
an even 5 per cent over last
‘ year. The population forecast
for 1963-64 at last year's bond
election was 1,092, which
would have been a three per
cent increase.
MEA BUYS TALKEETNA POWER COMPARY
PHIL O'NEILL, left, hands Myron Stevens of
Talkeetna a check for $115,000 in pay
ment for the Talkeetna Power and Fuel
Company. The transaction took place in
the Mafanuska Valley Bank in Palmer.
Matanuska Electric Associa
tion completed the purchase
last Friday of the Talkeetna
Power and Fuel Company, Phil
O'Neill, president of the MEA
board of directors, said this
week.
The Talkeetna power system,
which wras purchased f r o m
owner Myron A. Stevens for
$115,000, consists of a diesel
electric generation plant and
distribution lines serving the
Talkeetna community.
Stevens will remain in Tal
keetna as MEA's representa
tive and will continue to run
the plant. The management,
accounting, and engineering
wil be transferred to MEA's
Palmer office, O’Neill said.
The president stated that the
LOSE ANYTHING
AT THE FAIR?
Curly Sutton. Alaska State
Fair, Inc., manager, reported
this week that a number of
items are being held at the
ticket office on the fair grounds
waiting for identification by
the owners. Articles include
parkas, sweaters, cameras, and
purses. Also being held for j
their owners are a number of!
flower show ribbons.
The fair office is open from :
9 a m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. 1
acquisition was made possible
through a loan from the Rural
Electrification Administration.
“MEA will develqp plans for
extending lines into the rural
areas surrounding Talkeetna so
that people on homesteads may
enjoy the benefits o? central
station electric power.” he said.
“This is another step forward
in MEA’s goal to apply the
REA principle of area cover
age to the Matanuska and Sus
itna valleys.”
Experiment Farm Herd
Sets New Milk Record
The Holstein-Friesian Asso
ciation of America has announ
ced a new lactation average
for the registered Holstein herd
of the Alaska Agricultural Ex
periment Station. P a 1 m,e r
which has five completed pro
duction records average 15.502
lbs. of milk and 557 lbs, of but
terfat.
Lactation averages are calc
ulated on the generaly accept
ed two-milkings a day. 305 day,
mature equivalent basis. It
provides a uniform means for
comparison and selection in the
Registered Holstein herd own
er's breeding programs, an offi
cial for the association said.
Voters to Meet Candidates
Voters of the Matanuska
Susitna area will have an op
portunity to meet and talk with
candidates for office in the
Sept. 17 Captain Cook bor
ough election this Saturday,
Sept. 14. A caravan of An
chorage candidates will join
those from this area at three
meetings set up by the Bor
ough Information Committee.
The first of the meetings will
be at 1 p.m. in the Palmer.Elks
hall, the second at 4 p.m. at
the Willow Civic Center, and
the third at.8 p.m. at the Wasil
la Community Club.
The Palmer meeting, spon
sored by the Palmer League of
Women Voters, will give each
candidate a brief period, no
longer than two minutes, to in
troduce himself and outline his
views. Local residents will
have an opportunity to talk
personally with the candidates
at the coffee hour following the
introductions.
Candidates running for bor
ough chairman are John M.
Asplund, George H. B y e r,
Larry Carmichael, Joe Gra
ham, Grover Daryl Hanes, and
Robert L. (Bobby) Taylor. All
are from the Anchorage area.
Four persons from District
7 are candidates for the bor
ough school board, which will
be made up seven members if
the election passes. They are
Lew E. Hanks, Barbara Kalm
bach, Joyce Kerttula, and Geo
rge E. (Ed) Smith. Running
from the Eagle River area are
Ralph M. Mills and Dale Pier
son.
Other school board candidates
are Willis B. Avery, Adelaide
Blomfield, John C. Hughes,
Keith M. Lesh, Frank M. Reed,
Joseph E. Stenstrom, Paul L.
Weatherman, Donald E. (Don)
White, Marilyn Wilkins, and
Walter Wood..
Persons living within the
city limits of Palmer and An
chorage will vote only on the
question of incorporation, the
question of borough chairman
versus borough manager form
of government, and for bor
ough chairman and seven
school board members.
Those living outside the in
corporated city limits will vote
at large for borough assembly
men, one from each of seven
borough sections. The setup of
the ballot insures a candidate
from each section.
Candidates for assemblyman
in section 1 (Talkeetna, Willow,
Big Lake, Wasilla, Matanuska,
and Sutton precincts) are Rob
ert L. Burner, Willow; K. R.
Gillow, Wasilla; William P. Or
zechowski, Talkeetna; Rose
Palmquist, Houston; and Rob
ert H. Vroman, Houston.
Candidates from Section 2
(which includes the Butte pre
cinct and the Eklutna, Goat
Creek, Birchwood, Chugiak
and Eagle River areas) are Dan
C. Bell and Edward C. (Ed)
Willis, both of Eagle River.
Thomas S. Adams, D.L. Bray,
Harry Chapman. Stanley Z.
Conway, Walter E. Jerde, Dick
Reed Lyon, and Joseph S. Sen
strom are running for assem
blyman from section 3.
Candidates from Section 4
are John M. Asplund, Joe Gra
ham, Jerry J. McCutcheon, and
A. D. (Hess) Powell.
Section 5 candidates are John
G. Gill. L.. H. Norene, and Dave
Ring.
Mable H. Crawford, James
M. Garrigues, Vernon E. Haik.
Terry A. Klingel, Kris Walter
Klingel, Maxine McDaniel, and
Vern N. Smith are running for
office from Section 6.
Section 7 has the heaviest
concentration of candidates,
with Harold N. Aldrich, James
R. Branch, Larry Carmichael.
P. J. Doyle, C. J. Fenwick,
Grover Daryl Hanes, William
M. (Bill) Shear, Rodney Spend
love, and Lawrence W. Stralev
seeking the job of assembly
man.
SIX CIRCULATE
PETITIONS FOR
CITY OFFICES
1 Considerable interest has al
ready been shown in the Oct. 1
Palmer city election, with six
petitions circulating, for the
four offices to be filled on the
city council.
Ralph Moore, who was ap
pointed to fill the unexpired
j term of Billy R. Miller as
mayor a year ago, will run for
the mayor's two-year term.
Darrell Frank. Jack Maze, and
Earl Goodrich are circulating
! petitions for the two three
vear terms as councilman, and
Wait Briggs and Lee Plumbley
will run for the one-year term
on the council.
Petitions for any of these of
fice- ma.v be ticked up at the
city clerk's office during regu
lar hours until Sept. 20, wh -n
ail petitions must be returned
by 5 p.m.
Sisters Seek
Former Newsman
Early Palmer residents were
asked this week for informa
tion on the whereabouts of
David Garrett Markham, who
was connected with the print
ing of Palmer’s first newspaper
in the lute 1930’s.
The request came from his
two youngest sisters, Jean and
Sara, who said they have not
seen their brother in nearly
half a century and would wel
come any information leading
to their reunion.
Anyone with information
about Markham is asked to
write to Mrs. Raymond C.
Kelly, P.O. Box 1393, Bristol,
Conn.
Bond Issue to be
Chamber Topic
R. C. Carter, superintendent
of the Palmer Independent
School District, will be prin
cipal speaker at the noon
luncheon meeting of the Mat
anuska Valley Chamber of
Commerce on Wednesday,
Sept. 18, in the Frontier Cafe.
He will discuss the need for
passage of the school bond
issues on Oct. 1, emphasizing
present overcrowding and the
desirability of improving exist
ing facilities, Chamber presi
dent Earney Fish said.
Attorneys lontinue
Try For Hearing
Unless attorneys are success
I ful in a last-ditch try for a
i hearing on the Matanuska-Su
i sitna petitioners’ appeal, vot
ers of District 7 and 8 will go
to the polls on Tuesday. Sept.
17, to accept or reject the pro
posed Captain Cook borough.
Burton Biss, who is working
with Wendell Kay on the Mat
anuska-Susitna petitioners’ ap
peal from the decision of the
Local Boundary Commission
in enlarging the boundaries of
the proposed Captain Cook
borough to include District 7,
said this morning that they
have as yet been unsuccessful
in getting a spot on the crowd
ed Superior Court docket to
present their arguments for the
petitioners. However, there is
a possibility that Judge Gil
bert may hear the case tomor
row afternon. Judge Moody
has disqualified himself from
hearing the case. Fitzgerald is
on vacation, and Davis has re
fused to hear the case, saying
that he is too busy.
The Boundary Commission
made the boundary changes af
ter hearings on the oi iginai
Captain Cook petition were
held in Anchorage, Palmer and
Wasilla. A petition submitted
by the Matanuska-Susitna peti
tioners for a borough roughly
approximating District 7 was
never processed by the Local
Affairs agency or considered
by the Boundary Commission.
The petit ;oners have alleged
' that both these actions are con
i trary to the .Kirough law.
Matanuska - Susitna propo
nents argue that the large bor
ough set-up will deprive them
of an opportunity for local gov
ernment, will give them insuf
j ficient representation on the
I borough assembly and school
board and will make it difficult
for local residents to take an
active part in borough govern
ment because of the distances
| and travel time involved in at
tending borough meetings; that
outcome of the Sept. 17 election
will be decided by the Anchor
age vote; and that the election.
, if it takes place, will be an
1 illegal one.
Proponents of the big bor
ough aver that the election is J
the only way their wishes can J
be made known: that the Dis
trict 7 arc a is not yet capable
of governing itself; that is ec
onomically. socially, and poli-,
ticaliy inter-, eiated with An
chorage: and that the big bor
ough will have a broader tax
base.
A borough-wide sales tax as!
opposed to a property tax is i
another issue being argued ho* -
ly by borough candidates.
People living within the in
corporated limits of Anchorage
and Palmer will vote only on
the borough issues, and on
managership versus borough
chairmanship; selection of a
borough chairman: and selec
tion of seven school board
members.
Voters outside incorporated
areas will also vote for a bor
ough assemblyman from each
of seven sections.
If the Captain Cook election
is successful. District 7 will be
represented by one candidate,
from section 1 and one repre
sentative chosen from the Pal
mer city council. School board
members will be elected at
large.
Voters Register For
3ond Election Qnly
With four separate election
facing Palmer voters within
*he next few weeks, some con
fusion abou regi.- ration is evi
dent, John Marshall, tax as
sessor, said this week.
He pointed out that it is nec
essary to register only for the
school bond election. Qualified
voters need not register for the
Captain Cool borough election,
the Palmer city election, or the
election for school director.
; To vote in the school bond ei
I ection, your name must appear
on the last tax assessment roil
i of the Palmer Independent
School District. Marshall em
phasized. Registration book
j will be open at the Palmer tax
office until Sept. 28. The office
is open weekdays from 8:30
| a.m. to 5 p.m., and will remain
: open on Saturday, Sept. 23.
i from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"Bear Country" Has
Nothing on Willow
Willow people are walk
ing softly and carrying a big
stick these days, with the un
easy feeling that a shaggy
monster is lurking behind
every stump or hummock.
Cards and letters to The
Frontiersman report three
bears shot and killed near
Willow, including a huge
ten-fool brown bear, bagged
by Herbert Foster.
Robert Zubor, a Wasilla
high school student who lives
at Willow, killed a seven
foot grizzly Sept. 4 on the
Willow Creek Road, and Lar
ry John Rhea shot a six-foot
blackie recently.
POLLING PLACES NAMED FOR BOROUGH
ELECTION; SAMPLE BALLOTS READY
Election officials this week
announced polling places in
District 7 for the Captain Cook
borough election, to be held
Sept. 17. Election hours will be
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Big Lake precinct voters will
cast their ballots at the Big Y
Grocery; the polling place for
Matanuska precinct is B & H
Supply, just south of Ketchi
kan Spruce Mills; Butte voters
will go to the Butte Fire Hall;
Sutton p>olling place is the Sut
ton community hall; polling
place for Wasilla precinct is the
Wasilla public library; Willow
precinct, Willow Civic Club;
Talkeetna, the magistrate’s of
fice: and Palmer, the council
chambers at the Palmer city
hall.
Sample ballots are now
available at the deputy magis
trate’s office in Palmer, and
absentee voters may still apply
for ballots by mail through to
morrow. Ballots returned by
mail must be postmarked no
i later than Sept. IT. If you will
be away from your voting pre
cinct on election day, you may
vote in person through Sept. 16
\ in the office of the magistrate.
If you are voting through a
personal representative, your
ballot may be picked up and
returned as late as Sept. 17.
To vote in the Sept. 17 elec
tion, you must be a citizen of
the United States, at least 19
years of age, a resident of the
state of Alaska for at least one
year preceding the eletion, and
a resident of the election dis
trict from which you seek to
vote at least 30 days before the
election.
Packets of borough informa
tion, published by the borough
information committee and dis
tributed by the Anchorage Lea
gue of Women Voters are avail
able locally at the Matanuska
Valley Bank in Palmer, at Tee
land’s in Wasilla, and at the
Alpine Inn at Sutton. They will
also be made available in Wil
low’ shortly.
UATF FAD Joyce Kerttula
W ■■ JEl mk mm school board
Captain Cook
Borough Election
September !7