Thought of the Week:
Remember the time when
everybody rushed out of doors
to see a lone airplane flying
overhead?
VOLUME 15. NUMBER 39
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PALMER, ALASKA, THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1963
FOURTEEN PAGES
9
. i
■ v
PIONEERS PICNIC
Heinie Snider Home
Lake Lucille
Sunday, June 23
PRICE 15 CENTS
No Matanuska - Susitna Hearing, Cease Says
I Reporters—
Notebook
Louis Burcher left Palmer on
June 13 for Chicago, where
they received their College of
Regents degree at the Nation
al Convention of Women of
the Moose. Mrs. Lucas will re
turn here on June 23 after vis
iting her parents in Denver,
while Mrs. Burcher plans to be
away about six weeks.
* * •
Three Palmer high school
students, Judi Marshall, Col
leen Pettit, and Ruth Phillips,
will attend the summer science
training program at the Uni
versity of Alaska from June 23
through Aug. 2. The program
is designed to further the stu
dent’s knowledge of the sci
ences and to give more advan
ced students a fuller under
standing of science.
The girls are among 42 high
school students nominated to
participate in the course. Can
didates were required to write
a 1,000 word essay on a scien
tific subject and to submit ref
erences from their teachers.
The girls will leave for the
campus on Saturday.
★ * *
J. R. Roush, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Fay Roush of Star Route,
Palmer, recently completed
nine weeks’ of basic training at
the Naval Training Center, San
Diego, Calif., graduating in the
weekly Recruit Brigade review
involving some 3,000 recruits.
Upon graduating, recruits are
assigned to service schools for
technical instruction or to ships
or shore stations for on-the-job
training.
4c * *
Mrs. Charles Carney, who
went to Massachusetts recently
to see her son Dominick grad
uate from Dartmouth, has re
joined her family in Wasilla.
Accompanying her was the
Rev. Father Thomas Carney,
who will officiate at the wed
ding of his cousin, Douglas
Carney, and Miss Florene Neal
on June 29.
Marine Private Frederick E.
Dundas, son of Mr. and Mrs.
H. C. Dundas of Star Route,
Palmer, was in one of the re
cruit platoons inspected by
President John F. Kennedy on
June 6 during his visit to the
Marine Corps Recruit Depot,;
San Diego, Calif.
The President observed re
cruits in different stages of
training from the time they ar
rive at Receiving Barracks for
their initial indoctrination to
final inspection before gradua
tion.
The President's interest cen
tered on physical fitness and
the 29 individual hurdles that
make up the conditioning, con
fidence. and endurance courses.
♦ * *
Mr. and Mrs. Verne Stout
and children, Dorothy a n d
Richard, made an auto trip to
Big Delta and Fairbanks last
weekend, where they visited
various Baha’i friends and des
cribed their trips to Europe and
the Baha’i World Congress in
London.
Palmer Eligible
For 75% Grant
The City of Palmer is eligible
for a 75 per cent grant (rather
than 50 per cent) of the cost of
collector sewers under the
Accelerated Public Works Pro
gram, city manager Winston
Gilchrist was notified early this
week.
Palmer is listed as one of
those areas eligible for the
larger grant, the Seattle office
of the Public Works program
informed the manager.
Based on preliminary engi
neering estimates, the grant
would amount to $531,000 and
the city’s contribution would
be $178,000, Gilchrist said.
1964 Coal Contracts
! I
l
Surpass $2 Million
Four contracts to two local
coal companies to supply coal
requirements to Elmendorf Air
Force Base and Fort Richard
son were awarded last week,
according to announcements
from the offices of U. S. Sen
ators Bartlett and Gruening. :
Total worth of the contracts
was listed as $2,016,896.
Two contracts totaling 180,- |
000 tons and worth $1,422,000
were awarded to the Evan
Jones Coal Company, and two
contracts totaling 74,362 tons
and worth $594,896 went to the
Mrak Coal Co.
Grand Opening
Planned For
Farm Store
On Saturday, June 22, and
Monday, June 24, the Matanus
ka Maid Warehouse and Farm
Supply Store will have a grand
opening in a new location,
Stewart A. Durrant, general
manager, announced today.
The present inventory, along
with new inventories will be
housed in the area formerly oc
cupied by the Trading Post, the
manager said, thus giving the
warehouse more than twice the
floor space of its old location.
The present move was made
necessary by the increased
business in the warehouse de
partment, Durrant stated.
Prizes and refreshments will
be given away during the two
day Grand Opening. “We in
vite all our friends and patrons
to participate with us,” Dur
rant said.
The hardware department
features a complete line of
hardware, paints, electric sup
plies, and plumbing supplies
for the farm and home.
Hallea Plans
Grand Opening
A grand opening at Hallea
Lodge, now under the manage
ment of Kitty and Keith John
son, is planned for tomorrow
evening, June 21, it was an
nounced this week.
Your favorite foods and cock
tails will be served, the new
managers promised. Entertain
ment will be supplied by Keith
on his accordion, with an or
gan accompaniment.
Attractions at Hallea Lodge
include boating, fishing, water
skiing, horseshoes, badminton,
croquet, and softball. Picnic
grounds and barbecue pit are
available for rental to clubs
and other organizations. Also
available are cabins and over
night camping facilities.
Post Office Dept.
To Call For Bids
A wire received from U. S.
Rep. Ralph J. Rivers just be
fore press time stated that the
northwest corner of the block
bounded by Matanuska St. and
Eklutna Ave. has been option
ed by the Post Office Depart
ment as a possible site for a
new postal facility for Palmer.
The property referred to
appears to be the area behind
the bowling alley, fronting on
Eklutna Street, which is owned
by Dr. Foster Sims.
Bids will be called for in the
near future for construction of
a new post office on the pro
posed site or other sites in the
City.
Dr. Sims is out of town and
not available for comment.
Elmendorf will receive 141,
506 tons of coal and Fort Rich
ardson 112,856 tons. The four
contracts cover total military
requirements in the Anchorage
area for the coming fiscal year
beginning July 1.
This year’s total tonnage of
254,362 surpasses last year’s
contracts by over 23,000 tons.
The total figure in 1962 was
231.000 tons. 1961 contracts,
following a warm winter which
left coal reserves, were for
175.000 tons, while the 1960
figure was 228,000 tons.
Announcement of the awards
came from the Defense Petrol
eum Supply Center. This is the
first year that miltary coal
purchases have been made by
DPSC, former coal buying hav
ing been done by the Navy.
A bill to allow the coal in
dustry to bid on a ten-year bas
is for government contracts,
along with the gas industry,
j has been passed unanimously
■ by the U. S. Senate but has
| not yet been acted upon in the
j House of Representatives. The
bill was introduced by Sen.
: Gruening and co-sponsored by
| Sen. Bartlett.
FOUR MATANUSKA VALLEY BANK
OFFICERS RECEIVE PROMOTIONS
Four men at the Matanuska
Valley Bank were elected for
promotion at the last meeting
of the board of directors. Rob
ert A. Baker, president, an
nounced today.
Richard M. Jones, formerly
vice president and cashier and
manager of the Palmer office,
has been advanced to the posi
tion of executive vice presi
dent. Jones has been with the
bank since the opening of the
Palmer office. He came to Alas
ka from Lynden, Wash., where
he had been cashier of the
CABINET SHOP
OPENS IN WASILLAj
Moldings and cabinet work
of native Alaskan kiln-dried
lumber—birch, cottonwood and
spruce—will be made available
to Matanuska Valley residents
through Poppert Milling, a new
Wasilla business which opened
this week.
The cabinet shop is located j
about 800 feet west of Lemon's i
block plant. Virgil Poppert, j
proprietor, emphasized that
without the kiln facilities at
the Alaska Hardwoods Mill,
this type of venture would not
be possible.
An example of Poppert's
work may be seen at Betty’s
Dress Shop in Palmer, where a
chest of drawers he constructed
and finished is on display. The
chest is made of solid Alaska
birch.
Poppert, originally from
Denver, has lived in this area
about four years. He has had
fifteen years of experience in
cabinet work.
He and his wife make their
home in Palmer.
Bureau Honors
Eklutna Employee
Cyril B. Wood was recently
honored by the Bureau of Re
clamation, according to Tauno
Lappi, project superintendent
at the Eklutna power plant.
Wood was presented with a
service emblem recognizing the
completion of 20 years of gov
ernment service as of April
14, 1963. Seventeen of these
years have been with the Bur
eau of Reclamation, of which
12 were spent at the Eklutna.
Project.
Wood is currently serving as
an operator in the 30,000 kilo-1
watt power plant.
He and his wife, Lillian, I
make their home on a Lazy |
Mountain homestead near Pal- j
mer.
WINS TITLE
Shorty Templeman of Seat
| tie was first driver to win Na
tional, Midwest and Pacific
i Coast Midget Titles in one year
! —1957.
People’s State Bank. Both he!
and his wife have been active
in civic affairs in Palmer. They
have a son in the navy, a
married daughter, and a son in
grade school.
T. A. McKeever was advan-!
ced from assistant vice presi
dent to vice president. McKee
ver heads the real estate loan
department at the Anchorage
branch, where he has been em
ployed since October, 1960. He
is married, has four children
and has lived in Alaska five
years. He was employed at Ac
tion Realty before he joined
the staff at the Matanuska
Valley Bank.
Rodney W. Cottrell, who has
been with the Anchorage
branch as head of the FHA de
partment, was promoted from
assistant vice president to cash
ier. He and his family will
move to Palmer in the near
future, where he will assume
his new duties at the head off
ice. A veteran of 16 years in
banking, Cottrell wras president
of the first chapter of the
American Institute of Banking
to be established in Alaska and
is at present associate council
man for the state in that or
ganization.
Vernon C. Risch. a native of
Palmer and an employee of the
Anchorage branch since it was
established in 1960, has been
promoted to assistant cashier
in the real estate loan depart
ment. Risch attended Anchor
age schools, is married and has
a son, 2. and' a daughter. 7
months. He is active in the
Junior Chamber of Commerce
and the American Institute of
Banking.
Other officers of the bank are
Robert A. Baker, president;
William D. Renfro, executive
vice-president; Robert A. Shef
field, vice president and An
chorage branch manager;
Frank M. Reed, vice president;
Kyle I. Turner, assistant vice
president: James W. Wilson,
assistant vice president; Rich
ard J. Miller. Jr., assistant
cashier; D. J. Schooley, assist
ant vice president; J. A.
Brooks, assistant cashier; Ed
ward Dolan, assistant cashier;
and Pauline Sharrock. assistant
cashier.
REX KIBBE INJURED
IN PLANE CRASH
Hospitalized at Valley Pres
byterian Hospital in Palmer on
Sunday evening was Rex
Kibbe, Wasilla pilot, following
the crash of his light plane at
the end of the Wasilla air strip.
Kibbe suffered a broken hip
and face cuts in the crash,
which occurred immediately
after takeoff. Friends who wit-,
nessed the accident helped him J
from the wreckage and trans
ported him to the hospital in
Palmer.
ARA Subcommittee
Sets Report On
Steam Plant
Progress of the proposed 22
negawatt mine mouth steam
slant at Sutton was outlined in
i report to the Area Redevel
>pment Power Needs Subcom
nittee at a Palmer meeting on
Monday, June 17, according to
lames Wilson, subcommittee
chairman.
A loan application for funds
o build the plant was submit
:ed to REA by the Matanuska
Slectric Association on June
11, committee members were
old. The application is now
jnder consideration, and the
3arsons Co. is engaged in com
pletion of further data which
FtEA has requested to be in
cluded in the application, it
.vas reported.
One of the necessary sup
porting factors is the recently
completed letter of intent be
tween the city of Anchorage
and MEA in which the City
agrees to buy pow’er and to
furnish reserve from its gas
turbines, and MEA agrees to
buy power from the City dur
ing the plant construction
period. According to the letter
of intent, MEA also agrees to
furnish the City of Anchorage
with space at Sutton for any
installation the city might wish
to make, either for another unit
in the proposed plant, or for
a separate plant.
(No statement has yet been
issued from MEA as to what
effect the failure of the city’s
bond issue to construct a sec
ond gas turbine will have on
the power pooling arrange
ment. An MEA official stated,
however, that he letter of in
tent still stands.)
Both the City and MEA have
agreed, under the provision?
of the letter of intent, that all
other area power agencies will
be invited to participate in
power pooling arangements in
the interest of promoting an
area approach.
ESTEP RITES
HELD TODAY
Funeral services for Harve D.
Estep were held this afternoon
at the Palmer Elks Lodge, with
interment following in the
Palmer cemetery.
Estep, 45, died Monday at
Providence Hospital. Born Oct.
21, 1917, in Othello, Wash., he
came to Alaska in 1947 and had
lived in Palmer since 1958. He
was employed by the M r a k
Coal Co. of Eska as a welder
mechanic.
His widow, Mary, and one
daughter, Carolyn Ann. sur
vive. Other survivors include
his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Mar
tin Schelle of Tacoma, Wash.;
two brothers, Thomas and Fred
Estep; and a sister, Mrs. Ruby
Sargent, all Tacomans. Thomas
Estep and Mrs. Sargent have
arrived here for the funeral
services.
Active pallbearers were Har
vey Hiber, John Leppanen,
Phil O’Neill, James Harris, Er
nest Harris, and Art Miller.
Bruce Murray, Harold Dunn,
Robert Peterson, Eino Kuop
pala, Joe Gallant, Webb Goller,
and A1 Mallett were honorary
pallbearers.
Funeral arrangements were
handled by the Anchorage
Funeral Chapel.
ST. MICHAEL'S PLAN
BAKE SALE SUNDAY
A bake sale is planned at St.
Michael’s Church this Sunday.
June 23, between masses, it
was announced this week.
Parishioners are asked to
bring baked goods, preferably
sweet rolls and doughnuts, to
the church on Sunday morn
ing. Coffee will be served.
Director Reverses
Tuesday Statement
Ronald Cease, director of the
state Local Affairs Agency,
agreed Tuesday to make ar-!
rangements with the Boundary
Commission for a public hear
ing on the Matanuska-Susitna
borough petition before issuing
a formal statement on the
Boundary Commission’s deci
sion to extend the boundaries
of the proposed Captain Cook
borough to include the Mata
nuska and Susitna Valley area.
The commission announce
ment was made last Monday.
The decision to hold the
hearing was made following
meetings of a Matanuska Val
ely delegation with Governor
In a wire to the Anchorage
Times this afternoon, Ronald
Cease, Director of the Local
Affairs Agency, stated that
there will be no hearing on
the Matanuska-Susitna peti
tion—that under the borough
law, all petitions, if found in
order, are entitled to a public
hearing, except when the
area involved is incorporated
in another borough, as was
the case with the Matanuska
Susitna petition.
Mentioned in Cease's
message was that members
of the Boundary Commission
are scattered and that a re
placement for Paul Cho
quette, who resigned to take
another post, has not been
found; also that the Nome
member of the commission is
not available at present.
Egan, Secretary of State Wade
i Attorney General Hayes, and
l Cease.
Robert Vroman, chairman oi
the Matanuska-Susitna bor
ough committee; R. C. Carter,
Palmer Independent School
District supe rintendentof
schools; and Ralph Moore,
mayor of the city of Palmer,
i comprised the local delegation.
The hearing will be held
within the next few weeks,
probably shortly after July 1,
Vroman reported.
After an opening statement
Tuesday by Carter dealing with
the delegation’s opinion that
predisposition toward a combi
nation borough seemed evident
on the part of Boundary Com
mission members at the Cap
tain Cook borough petition
hearings, Vroman presented
the delegation’s arguments for
a Matanuska-Susitna hearing.
He said that the local option
petition had been initiated by
the people and signed by a re
quired percentage of voters,
and that it had been sent to
the Local Affairs Agency by
registered mail. The only indi
cation that this petition was
received by the agency was a
news article which appeared on
an inside page of the Anchor
age Times.
It was pointed out that under
Alaskan Pioneers
To Picnic Sunday
Pioneers from Seward. Fair
banks, Cordova, and other
Alaskan cities are expected to
attend the annual Pioneers of
Alaska picnic, which will be
, held at the Heinie Snider
home on Lake Lucille next
j Sunday, June 23.
Hosts for the picnic will be
Igloo No. 15 and Auxiliary No.
4 of Anchorage, and Igloo No.
31 and Auxiliary No. 11 of the
Matanuska Valley.
Pioneers who need trans
portation are asked to call Emil
LaWalter, with whom arrange
ments will be made for rides.
Cars will leave Palmer be
tween the hours of 8 a.m. and
11 a m. on Sunday.
the borough law the Local
Affairs Agency is obligated to
review the petition to establish
that it is in proper form and
that it carries the required
number of signatures. If it is
not in proper form, it should
be returned to the committee
for correction or to add signa
tures. Since the Matanuska
Susitna petition was not re
turned. the assumption is that
it was correct in all aspects, and
that the Local Affairs Agency
is therefore required by law
to accept it for investigation
to determine whether or not it
meets the standards for bor
ough incorporation. (It was
suggested that the intent of the
provision in the law for combi
ning petitions from the same
(Continued on page 10)
CO-OP APPLIES
FOR LOAN TO
BUILD CREAMERY
Formal application for a $1,
100,000 loan to construct the
| new Matanuska Maid creamery
! in Spenard was made on Tues
day, June 18, to the State De
velopment Bank, Stewart Dur
rant, general manager of Mata
i nuska Maid. Inc,, said yester
I day.
Durrant and James Wilson.
! state manager of the Alaska
Dairy Association and assistant
| vice-president at the Matanus
| ka Valley Bank, met with the
State Development board of
directors on Tuesday.
This is the first loan appli
cation to be considered by the
State Development Bank, a
! new fiscal institution in Alas
ka, DurraPt said. He added that
the Matanuska Valley Bank
| will be a participating agency
l in the loan.
i “If the loan application is
approved and certain legal
matters cleared up, we hope
the project can be started this
summer," Durrant said.
Plans for the new creamery
have been completed by the D.
C. Hamilton architectural firm
of Anchorage, the general
manager stated. Included
among buildings designed by
this firm are the J. C. Penney
and Hill buildings in Anchor
age.
YEAR-ROUND
RAGE TRACK
USE OUTLINED
Three major sports car races
a year and three major drag
races a year (not counting club
events) would probably be run
on the projected race track and
drag strip on the Palmer Drag
way, Sports, and Recreation
Center site south of the city,
William Woodward of the Al
aska Sports Car Association
said this week.
He also suggested the addi
tion of NASCAR events, races
in which the vehicles entered
are popular late model passen
ger sedans, with no class diff
erentials. These would be en
durance races, 150 to 200 miles
in length. The series of races
would keep the track in use
the year round, he pointed out.
Woodward said that if per
mission is granted to run races
on the Palmer streets in Au
gust, a Lotus Super-7 will
probably be entered, which he
described as a very low-slung,
four cylinder. 95 HP sports
car weighing only 1400 pounds.
This little vehicle can compete
with Jaguars and Corvettes at
• speeds of over 100 miles per
| hour, he stated.