Second moose season
of the year starts
today to be in effect
from December 1 to
10.
Malley Mrontiergman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PAGES
TODAY
VOL. 4, NO. 12
PALMER. ALASKA, FRIDAY. bECEMBER 1. 1950
jt.
PRICE 10c
Businessmen Push incorporatinn
Hospital Takes Extra Precautions
To Keep Palmer Free of Epidemics
Over - crowded conditions and
the danger of epidemics such as
polio, typhoid and influenza
which have struck all around Pal
mer, have forced extra precau
tionary measures to be taken at
Valley hospital, which include
re-scheduling of visiting hours
and the enforcement of the rule
that no contagious cases can be
taken there, it was announced by
jthe hospital board this week. Un
der the present conditions at the
hospital, even cases suspected of
being contagious cannot be admit
ted, according to the board.
“Everyone in the community
realizes and is grateful for Pal
mer’s good fortune in being by
passed by epidemics that have
struck all throughout the terri
tory,” members of the board
pointed out. “The hospital’s part
in keeping Palmer clear of these
epidemics is to take every pos
sible precaution.”
As a protection for new moth
ers and new babies and to facili
tate their proper care, visitors
will be limited in the maternity
ward and visiting hours have
been rearranged. The hours will
be from 1 to 2 and from 3 to 4 in
the afternoon and from 7 to 8:30
in the evening. Maternity ward
patients will be limited to two
guests per day, including the hus
band. Babies may be seen by the
visitors through the nursery win
dow but not in the mother’s room.
Regular visiting hours for all
other patients will be as before.
They are from 1 to 3 in the after
noon and from 7 to 8:30 in the
evening. Hospital board mem
‘Russian A-Bomb’
First Reaction Here
To Falling Meteor
An eerie flash of greenish light
that illumined the whole sky, ac
companied by a lo\y rumbling
noise early last night, struck ter
ror to the hearts of many here
who could not help but think that
the Russians had attacked Alaska
and dropped an A-bomb here.
One North Palmer „ resident,
who gave an eyewitness account
of the phenomenon, said that she
and her young son had just hap
pened to step outside of the house
when they heard a low rumbling
noise and saw the strange green
light that shot the whole sky. The
mountains were silhouetted as
plain as day in the light that
lasted for only seconds. It seemed
4o come from the vicinity of An
chorage. It seemed to be a huge
explosion.
“You couldn’t think of anything
else but that the Russians had
come,” the eye-witness said, add
ing that she rushed to the radio
for any news on the awesome
sight.
“I couldn’t help but be re
lieved,” she admitted, “to hear
the assuring news that it was be
lieved to be only a meteor.”
Many residents of the Valley
saw the meteor and some have
insisted that they actually heard
the report of firing of the ack-ack
guns at Fort Richardson.
bers also requested the public
not to bring children to the
hospital as visitors. Because of
the crowded conditions there is no
ehildren’s ward and children by
necessity are hospitalized in the
same rooms with adults. Visiting
hours will be strictly adhered to
except in special instances when
permission must be obtained from
the nurse in charge.
“As the community is well
| aware, Valley hospital is operat
ing under terrific obstacles with
a staff of only two doctor^ and
five nurses and a very inadequate
building,” the board members
stated. “It is hoped that in time
the hospital will have facilities
to care for contagious cases but
with the present set up there is
no way that any patient can be
isolated. When contagious cases
cannot be isolated there is the
Continued on Back Page
TWO FAMILIES LOSE
POSSESSIONS AS
FIRES SWEEP VALLEY
Two families that suffered
tragic losses here in fires that
plagued the Valley last week end
were the Norman Wallises and
L. M. DePriests.
Mr. and Mrs. Wallis and their
two children left here Wednesday
moi'ning on their way by plane
to Oakland, California, where
they plan to work toward another
stake to bring them back to Alas
ka for another try. The family,
recent newcomers here, lost their
possessions Sunday when flames
swept through their cabin at
about 9 p.m. They were making
their home in one of Lee Hartley’s
cabins at Finger lake. Mr. Wallis
was also employed by Mr. Hartley
at his garage here.
The family said prior to their
departure that they are not giving
up. They love Alaska and they
are going Outside to replenish
their winter clothing and get re
organized for a second try. They
plan to stay with Mr. Wallis’ par
ents this winter and return here
in the spring. They extended
their appreciation to the commun
ity for the generous aid and as
sistance offered to them after the
fire.
Raging up to 50 miles per hour,
winds that swept the Valley from
early Thanksgiving morning un
til early Monday morning of this
week whipped brush fires out of
control to threaten many homes
here and at Wasilla. The Air
Force at Elmendorf sent crews of
firefighters here by truck who
battled in 2 below zero weather
to get the fires under control
late Monday.
On Saturday afternoon around
4 p.m. silos and the barn were
burned to the ground at the dairy
farm of L. M. DePriest. The dairy
herd was saved with the excep
tion of two calves that were in
the barn.
Other destruction included a
shed destroyed by fire at the
home of L. W. Bixby at Mile 45
on the Palmer Highway. Flames
also threatened the homes of Alva
Brooks and H. A. Harrington.
Artists to Appear Here in Concert
Desire Ligeti
For the second time this season
renowned artists will bring the
finfct 0f music to the Valley when
Desire "Ligeti and Marcus Gordon
are presented here Wednesday,
December 6, in a joint concert
sponsored by the local Beta Sigma
Phi sorority. Desire Ligeti, a
leading bass with the San Fran
cisco Opera has thrilled audiences
all over the United States and
Europe with his voice. Marcus
Gordon is heralded by critics as
Marcus Gordon
one of the most brilliant of the
young American pianists today.
They will appear in Anchorage
on December 5 under the auspices
of the Alaskan Music Trails.
Ihe artists will be presented at
the high schcci auditorium at
8:30 p.m. Immediately following
the concert members of Beta
Sigma Phi sorority will be host
esses at a reception in honor of
Continued on Back Page
PATROLMAN LAIRD
SHOWS FILMS HERE
The pitfalls of careless driving
were depicted for high school stu
dents attending the showing of a
training film at the Palmer school
Tuesday of this week. Highway
patrolman Stanley Laird showed
the pictures, which consisted of
three training films on learning
how to drive and driving safely.
The Alaska Highway Patrol
training films were shown here
through the courtesy of Chief
Frank A. Metcalfe, who has his
headquarters at Anchorage. The
pictures designed for both adults
and teen-agers learning how to
drive, were found intensely inter
esting by the students here, they
said.
Valley Dairymen to
Nominate Officers
Officers to serve for the coming
year will be nominated at the
regular meeting of the Matanuska
Valley Breeders Association, Tues
day, December 5, Parker Lester,
agricultural agent, announced
here this week. The nominations
will be made to comply with the
association’s by-laws, Mr. Lester
said, which must precede the elec
tion by one month. Election of
the officers will be held at the
January meeting, he added.
The meeting Tuesday night will
be held in the Co-Op Club room
(old library) at 8 p.m. All mem
bers are invited to be in attend
ance by Mr. Lester.
To Present Nativity Story at
Annual School Christmas Program
Day-long Yuletide lestivities
will mark the annual Palmer
school Christmas program this
year, starting with caroling Fri
day morning, December 22, and
ending that afternoon with a
beautiful presentation of the Na
tivity story. From 10 a.m. to noon
time children from the different
elementary grade home rooms
will sing carols in the halls of the
school.
At 2 o’clock that afternoon a
program in three parts will be
presented in the scho®l auditori
um with parents and friends in
vited to attend. A program given
by the primary grades will be
presented as the first part; a play
by the eighth grade will be the
second part, me tmra part win
be devoted to the Nativity story,
to be portrayed by colored slides
shown by the Reverend Geiwitz
and accompanied by Christmas
carols sung by the entire school.
There will also be appropriate
Bible reading. The slides are from
the collection of the Reverend
Geiwitz, pastor of the Church of
God here.
The Christmas program is be
ing planned by a special faculty
committee comprised of Mrs.
Henning Blunck, Mrs. Moyer and
William W. Elliott. Paul Bushong
is coaching a special choir of ele
mentary school children to lead
in the singing of the Christmas
carols.
Local Supporters to
Start Circulation of
Petitions Tomorrow
As the first step toward the in
; corporation of Palmer as a city
' of the first-class, petitions will
be circulated here by leading
businessmen starting early tomor
row morning to get the move un
der way with a minimum of de
lay, it was announced here today.
The decision to urge the in
corporation of Palmer was the
outcome of several meetings
held here recently to study
problems presented by the
rapid growth of the community,
a spokesman for the group of
businessmen said. Proper fire
protection and police protec
tion to meet the city's needs as
it grows and the urgent need
now of adequate public utili
ties. were deciding factors for
incorporation, the spokesman
said. The ultimate decision on
incorporation will be up to the
people of Palmer, when an elec
tion will be held and the vital
| question will be put to a vote.
I he stressed.
A steering committee of five
was named by local businessmen
at a special meeting called by
them on Wednesday morning.
The steering committee will fol
low through on the entire pro
ceedings to bring about an elec
j tion where the people of Palmer
I may have their individual say on
j incorporation of the town. Work
] ing on the committee are Matt
j Perkins, John L. Sullivan, Steve
(Continued on Back Page)
VARIETY OF FRIZES
CONTRIBUTED FOR
HOSPITAL BENEFIT
Plans for the big community
wide Valley hospital benefit
party that is to be held a week
from tonight gives every indica
tion of a very successful project
with a wonderful assortment of
prizes already contributed by
local merchants.
The party is set for 8 p.m. at
the gymnasium and “Alaska’s
Favorite Game” will be the at
traction for the evening. Spon
sor of the benefit is the local
Moose Lodge. Brand new beds
for Valley hospital are to be
bought with the proceeds.
Among prizes contributed this
week to add to the growing va
riety are turkevs, barrel stove
oil, electric appliances and meal
tickets at most of the leading
restaurants. In addition to the
contributors here of prizes for the
hospital " benefit party, which
were listed in the Frontiersman
last week, are the following mer
chants and business men, who
added their support this week.
They include Shamrock Bakery,
Dee Jay’s shop, Charlie’s Bar-B-Q,
Betty* Mears, Shamrock lounge,
Valley grocery, Dr. Foster Sims,
Dr. C. C. Bailey, Ketchikan
Spruce Mills, Loberg’s variety,
Mac’s plumbing shop, Brown’s
cleaners, Highway Service, Kut
’n Kurl beauty shop, Wirtanen
tanker service, Palmer bar, Tost’s
service, Ron-Da-Voo, Sourdough
bar, Parker Lester, Frontier bar,
Pete Lucy, Frontier Cafe, Sunset
Mining company. A1 King’s taxi,
and Matanuska Press.