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’• PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
Palmer High School
▼s. Seward Seahawlcs
also io play Railbelt
Conference basketball
game Saturday night
at gym.
VOL. 4. NO. 19
PALMER, ALASKA. FRIDAY. JANUARY 19. 1951
PRICE 10c
Local Man to Testify Today in Airport Hearing
First Graduate Nurses
Association for Valley
Is Formed Here Friday
Sixteen graduate nurses in the
Valley met Friday, Jan. 12, in the
Health Center to form the first
Matanuska Valley Nurses’ Asso
ciation. Palmer, Wasilla and Sut
ton were represented at the meet
ing with the following nurses
present:
Miss Florence Eby, Mrs. Claire
* Kopperud, Mrs. Phyllis Long, Mrs.
Carmen Johnson, Mrs. Marion
Laird, Mrs. Grace Reid, Mrs.
Gladys Burrell, Mrs. June Leib
ing, Mrs. Lillian Phillips, Mrs.
Alice Wever, Mrs. Mary L. Barnes,
Miss Marporie Myren, Mrs. Ruth
Callison, Mrs. Ann Demming,
Mrs. Jessie DeVries and Mrs.
Julia Graves.
Officers were elected with Miss
Eby named as president, Mrs.
Kopperud, vice president; Mrs.
Long, secretary, and Mrs. John
son, treasurer.
A committee appointed to draw
up a constitution and by-laws is
comprised of Mrs. Graves, chair
man, Mrs. Laird and Miss Myren.
The proposed constitution and
by-laws will be presented to the
group at its next meeting, Friday,
January 26, 8 p.m., in the Health
Center.
Participation by the Valley
Nurses in the Civilian Defnse pro
gram was discussed and all nurses
present volunteered to help in an
emergency. One of the first steps
in this direction is to conduct a
refresher course in medical and
surgical nursing for the group,
many of whom have not been ac
tive in nursing for some time.
Topics requested were “The Use
of the Newer Drugs in the Treat
ment of Disease and Patheological
Conditions,” “The Set-up of a
Mayo Table in the Operating
Room,” and “The Technique of
Intravenous Injections.”
Mrs. Burrell, manager of the
Valley Hospital, will discuss “The
Newer Drugs” at the January 26th
meeting.
In the Civilian Defense program
it was brought out that many
nurses’ aids would be needed to
assist the doctors and graduate
nurses. The Graduate Nurses’ As
sociation decided to sponsor a
series of classes for nurses’ aids
for both men and women, and
Mrs. Liebing and Mrs. Kopperud
were appointed to work out the
details of this project. They will
give their report at the next meet
ing
Many nurses not able to be
present at the organizational
meeting, wrote in that they were
interested in the association and
would give their support to it.
All graduate nurses are again
invited to the second meeting to
be held Friday, January 26, at
8 p.m.
TO GO TO STATES
I. Paul Cronin plans to drive to
Pullman, Washington, arriving
, there by the 5th of February
where he will resume studies at
Washington State University. Mrs.
Cronin plans to follow her hus
* band in about two months, and
until that time will continue her
duties at Koslosky’s Dept. Store.
Mr. Cronin has been associated
with the Mutual Life Insurance
Co. of New York during his stay
here in Palmer.
Emergency Foodf Clothing, Shelter
Plans Made In Event of Attack Here
Temporary Safeguards
For Hazardous Roads
Urged at P-TA Meeting
Hazardous road conditions
where it is felt that present safe
guards are entirely inadequate
should be brought to the atten
tion of the Alaska Road Commis
sion in an effort to prevent fur
ther disastrous accidents and loss
of lives, the P-TA voted at its
regular meeting here Tuesday
night in the school library.
ASKS FOR PROTEST
The P-TA voted to send a letter
advising the ARC that the road
conditions had been brought to
its attention, following a talk
made by Robert Klem. Mr. Klem
asked the P-TA as a body, and
individuals, to protest safeguards
which he believed were entirely
inadequate. He cited the Mata
nuska bridge where a soldier lost
his life at Christmas time, Bailey
hill, and Knik bridge in particu
lar. He asked that the P-TA re
quest that some kind of a tempo
rary safeguard be placed at Mata
nuska bridge until such time as
guard rails are installed there.
Attention was again focused on
Palmer’s water supply when a
letter was read at the meeting
from James A. Westbrook, dis
trict engineer of the Territorial
Department of Health, Division of
(Continued on Back Page)
A comprehensive plan for feed
ing, clothing and sheltering Val
ley residents in case of an emer
gency here was presented by Mrs.
Allan Mick at a Civilian Defense
meeting Monday night. Mrs. Mick
heads the Emergency Welfare
Service unit of the Civilian De
fense committee for Palmer. Un
der Mrs. Mick’s plan registration
of all Valley residents would give
the committee a workable system
with complete records on how
many members there are in each
family, and how they might be
fed, sheltered and clothed in case
of attack here.
The tentative diagram present
ed by Mrs. Mick showing the
Emergency Welfare Service’s
functions and its integration with
other units of the Civilian De
fense program, was broken down
into four divisions:
(1) Registration, information
and clearing.
(2) Mass feeding and shelter.
(3) Emergency clothing and
other essentials.
(4) Services foe individuals
and families.
The overall plans are predicted
on neighborly reciprocity, Mrs.
Mick pointed out. In order to pre
vent serious dislocation, mass
hysteria and delay, it is hoped
that individual families will make
immediate plans about where
they would go if disaster should
strike their homes, Mrs. Mick said.
In most cases there are
friends, neighbors or relatives
who would take in families who
(Continued on Back Page)
SUB-ZERO WEATHER
HITS RECORD LOW
Record sub-zero tempera
tures were reported for the
Valley this week when, after a
comparatively mild winter, the
thermometer skidded to 27 be
low last Saturday. Max Sher
rod, weather observer here, re
ported that 35 below at his
place Wednesday night set a
record for low temperatures
there in the 10 years that he
has been recording tempera
tures as a weather observer.
On Thursday morning at 9 a.m.
Mr. Sherrod reported 31 be
low. No immediate relief from
the cold wave appeared to be
in sight as temperatures re
mained at 29 below last night
and a minus 26 this morning.
Irving Newville, weather
observer at the Butte reported
a low this year of 42 below on
Wednesday night. The read
ing was not a record for that
part of the Valley as one other
year the temperature went to
43 below there, he said.
Mrs. Oscar Beylund, official
weather observer here, report
ed milder temperatures at her
place. The lowest reading she
has recorded this week has
been 29 blow. Other unofficial
readings throughout the Valley
have been reported as low as
50 below.
OPENS WASILLA GARAGE
Carl Onkka announced the
opening of a new garage in Wa
silla. The location is to be where
Blackie Wilson had his garage
and the name is to be “Onkka’s
Auto Service.”
"Buy In Palmer” Campaign Sponsored by
Chamber of Commerce In Big 1951 Program
A “Buy in Palmer” campaign,
to be sponsored by the’ Chamber
of Commerce, was launched at
the board of directors meeting
held Wednesday evening at the
[Rec hall. President James Hur
ley named a committee to work
out plans for the campaign which
is to get under way here next
month. Committee members are
Opal Lu Smith, chairman, Jack
Maze, Ed Johns and Carl Rasmus
sen. The campaign will be put on
primarily to keep Palmer dollars
circulating in Palmer, which will
also provide means of giving more
employment here, but will also
acquaint many newcomers with
the stores here.
The board also discussed sev
eral projects outlined for tlje
Chamber which had been taken
up at the rgular noon luncheon
meeting also held on Wednes
day. One of the important goals
of the Chamber is a member
ship of 100 for 1951. Mat Per
kins, membership chairman, re
ported that in his personal cam
paign for new members he had
met with "few out and out re
fusals" but in several instances
had been asked to "come back
in a month or six weeks." Mr.
Perkins also said that many
potential members were inter
ested in "where their $12 mem
bership fee went." It was
pointed out that Colony day
alone, sponsored by the Cham
ber. has brought thousands of
dollars to the Valley. A pam
phlet sponsored by the Cham
ber that is now being set up for
publication will go all over the
country, setting forth attrac
tions and opportunities offered
by the Valley. It was also
pointed out that the "Buy in
Palmer" campaign will help to
keep Palmer dollars in Palmer
and was cited as but one of the
projects whereby the Chamber
proposes to disprove the idea
that "the Chamber of Com
merce doesn't do anything."
Bob Klem, a guest at the lunch
eon meeting, suggested using
four-line” jingles to be used in
conjunction with advertising in
the pamphlet. Mr. Klem read
several of his proposed ads, which
were highly enjoyed by those at
tending' the Chamber meeting.
With the pamphlet in its ad
vanced stage President Hurley
said that space would not permit
the use of the clever jingles, but
suggested that perhaps they could
be advantageously used in “Buy
in Palmer” advertising.
Clair Stock said that with bas
ketball shaping up for the sea
son women and men teams may
be coming here from Valdez, Cor
dova and Fairbanks. He suggest
ed that if present plans do ma
terialize that the Chamber help
with publicity for the events.
An attorney is needed here in
Palmer, members of the Chamber
also pointed out at the meeting
Wednesday, and it was suggested
that the Chamber take steps to
ward getting a lawyer to locate
here. No definite action was tak
en on the suggestion as it was
also reported that two lawyers
are now considering locating here.
An employment office is also
needed here. President Hurley
pointed out, as well as a cen
tral place where bids called for
in this area may be referred to
by contractors. Mr. Hurley
pointed out that in this way
plans for local construction
would be available to Valley
contralcors or other interested
parties. At the board meeting
Wednesday night President
Hurley directed Mrs. Betty
Mears, secretary, to contact the
proper agencies about setting
up an employment service here.
Other Chamber plans include a
site for winter sports at Lazy
Mountain, a sign on the highway
directing traffic to Palmer’s busi
ness district and a clean-up week
here.
Snodgrass, Secretary,
Two Anchorage Men to
Be Called as Witnesses
Roland Snodgrass, secretary of
the Palmer Airport Association,
together with Tony Schwamm,
| director of the Alaska Aeronaut
I ics Commission, and Stanley Mc
Cutcheon, counsel for the Com
mission, both of Anchorage, were
to be called as witnesses in the
| Senate investigation now being
conducted at Washington, D. C.,
on the Palmer airport, the Fron
tiersman learned from reliable
sources today.
The investigation which opened
at Washington Thursday dealt
yesterday with CAA procedures
in handling the applications for
funds for the airport.
The Senate investigation is
headed by Senator Clyde H. Hoey,
who is opposed to Alaska state
hood. On January 12, the North
land Pioneer Grange No. 1 sent
a telegram to Senator Hoey as
follows:
“As one of the original sponsor
ing organizations of Palmer Air
port Association and who are in
terested in air transportation for
j the future expansion of Mata
nuska Valley agriculture, we
protest the apparent biased in
formation so far furnished your
committee. We request that all
appraisers and investigators to
gether with all their records be
subpoenaed so the true facts can
be presented.”
The telegram was sent by the
Executive committee of the
grange and was signed by George
Small, chairman; Herb Holstein
and Eugene Kirsch.
Senator Hoey’s reply to the
telegram is given as follows:
“Retel subcommittee appreciates
your interest in hearings to be
conducted. Every consideration
will be given your request at
later hearings.”
M. D. Snodgrass, Jack Maze and
James Hurley, referred to in a
previous Senate investigation as
“friendly appraisers” of the air
port land, also sent a telegram to
Washington, D. C. They recom
mended that appraisals made by
CAA men from Anchorage also
be admitted to the testimony. Mr.
Snodgrass also sent a letter out
lining the history and his part in
the appraisal to Frances D. Flan
agan, counsel, Senate subcom
mittee for the Committee on In
vestiagtion Expenditures in the
Executive Department.
Edgar W. Miller
Injured in Accident
Edgar W. Miller of Chitina, who
was injured in a highway accident
Wednesday night when the car
he was driving plunged over a
500-foot embankment, is a pa
tient at the Valley hospital. Mr.
Miller is suffering from severe
lacerations of the scalp and a
broken right arm.
The accident occured at ap
proximately 9 p.m. Wednesday on
Caribou hill, which is the vicinity
of Sheep Mountain. Ivan Stick
man, a passenger in the car,
escaped without injury. The two
men were driving toward Palmer
when the car went off the road
and over the steep embankment.
Miller was brought to the Valley
hospital for medical treatment.