Valdez News
VOL. 1. NO. 45
VALDEZ. ALASKA. FRIDAY. JANUARY 19. 1951
PRICE 10c
Several Civic Matters
Discussed at Meeting
Of City Councilmen
Important civic matters dis
cussed at the meeting of the City
Council held January 8 included
the purchase of a truck, issuance
of a building permit and the pur
chase of stop signs and warning
signals for the city.
The purchase of a new Chev
rolet one and one-half ton truck
has been made for city purposes,
which includes mostly the collec
tion of rubbish, was reported by
the councilmen.
A building permit has been is
sued to John Baker for three log
cabins. The cabins will consist
of three rooms and a bath each
and are to be approximately 20
♦feet by 30 feet.
The City of Valdez is also pur
chasing stop signs and necessary
warning signals. Other reports at
the meeting were that auditors
Baulqt and Khaler, public ac
countants of Fairbanks, recently
went over the city’s books for an
annual review.
It was also announced at the
Council meeting that applications
for the position of a merchant pa
trolman will be received at the
office of the city clerk up to Feb
ruary 19. The job pays a monthly
salary of $500 with hours of em
ployment from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.,
seven days a week on an hourly
beat. Applicants should state
qualifications, experience and ref
erences.
All members of the City Coun
cil were in attendance at the
meeting except George Waff or d
who was unable to be present.
Basketball Teams
Wait for Boat That
‘ Never Arrives at Port
Basketball teams comprised of
men and women of Valdez sched
uled to play Cordova waited at
the dock with their suitcases for
hours January 11 for a boat that
never came and which they
learned at midnight had struck a
rock on its way to pick them up.
The teams were eager to go to
Cordova for the games and also
to see the famous Globetrotters,
scheduled to play there last week
end. After waiting for hours,
word came that the “Lady Jane”
sent to transport them had hit a
rock.
The team refused to lose hope
and continued to wait all day Sat
urday and Sunday for a plane
that was dispatched for them
from Cordova. The plane couldn’t
get through either because of the
weather.
TWO BOATS ARRIVE
HERE THIS WEEK
iSoats arriving here this week
include the S.S. Nadina and the
Chena. The Nadina came into
port January 15 with longshore
men working in way below zero
weather unloading freight and
cargo.
The Chena arrived on January
16 with Valdezans eagerly an
ticipating packages and mail.
Mail by boat has had special in
terest for Valdez since airplane
service has been curtailed because
of weather conditions.
MISS FAUDSKAR RETURNS
Miss Linda Faudskar has re
turned to Valdez after spending
Jthe holidays and the first two
weeks in January at Fairbanks.
»Miss Faudskar visited the Oliver
Morris family at the northern
city. .
"Operation Bob-Sled"
Popular Winter Sport
For Teen-Agers Here
One of the most popular winter
activities at Valdez is “Operation
Bob-Sled” which takes place ev
ery Friday night immediately
following the basketball game.
Teen-agers gather at the Rome of
the Reverend and Mrs. R. J.
Teeter for the sled ride with Mile
13 “up the trail” as the destina
tion. That spot was chosen as it
is the only place where the sled
can be turned around for the re
turn trip.
Accompanying the group as
sponsors are the Reverend and
Mrs. Teeter and Miss Ruth Foy,
superintendent of the school. The
Reverend Teeter is pastor of Val
dez Chapel.
Refreshments are served fol
lowing the sleigh ride, consisting
of hot chocolate and doughnuts
or pop and popcorn, depending
upon the state of the weather.
Over 30 teen-agers participate in
the weekly event.
78-Inch Snowfall
Valdez, famous for its snow
fall records, measures 78 inches
so far this year. According to
Mrs. Kathryn Fawcett, weather
observer for Valdez, there has
been a snowfall of 78 inches to
date. The lowest temperature
to date has been the 17 degrees
below zero reading of January
15, Mrs. Fawcett said.
FINDS SNOWPLOW
IS SNOWBOUND
Shoveling his way around a
snowbound snow plow was a
unique experience for Dale Mc
Clintic recently. Mr. McClintic,
who drives for Alaska Freight
Lines, said that he had to shovel
his way around an Alaska Road
Commission snow plow which he
found snowbound on one of his
recent trips.
V’ith the wind blowing such a
gale it was almost impossible to
stand upright, it was only after1
an hour’s shoveling that McClintic
was able to proceed on to Valdez.
Snowdrifts reached such heights
at Mile 13 on the Richardson
highway that the road was block
aded and was closed to traffic on
January 14.
DRIVE TO PALMER
LAST WEEK END
Mr. and Mrs. Wentworth Pike
and son, Sjteven, drove to Palmer
last week end. The Pikes were
accompanied on their trip by Mr.
and Mrs. Wilson Stein and Miss
Esther Van Arsdalen. They stayed
over night with Mr. and Mrs.
Kenneth Hughes of Lazy Moun
tain home. En route to Palmer
the party reported they saw eight
moose on one occasion and at an
other time, seven in one group.
MRS. KELSEY. DAUGHTER
RETURN FROM LONG TRIP
Mrs. John Kelsey and young
daughter, Bonnette, arrived here
January 12 after an extended
stay in the states. Mr. Kelsey,
who'had gone Outside to spend
some time with his wife and
daughter, preceded them on their
return to Valdez. Bonnette who
has been attending school in Long
Beach, Calif., at the Robert Lee
school, is now enrolled here. She
is in Mrs. Lura Hayden’s fourth
grade class.
Community
Calendar
January 22
TEEN-AGE DANCE, Eagles hall,
8 p.m.
January 23
ROLLER SKATING, school gym,
8 p.m.
January 25
WOMEN’S CLUB, 8 p.m.
January 26
BASKETBALL, school gym, 7:30
p.m.
Three Teams Play on
Week End Basketball
Card Held Last Friday
The High School team against
the Junior High School quintet
was the feature of a basketball
card held last Friday when three
games were played at the gym.
The high school team was the
winner with a final score of 59 to
'.28. Dean Thatcher led with 31
points with John Shultz also
chalking up 24 and Jimmy Seger
quist 6 points toward the final
score. Shultz also had two fouls,
Segerquist four, John Streigel
one and Lloyd Weeks two.
Thatcher was the only player on
the squadron who had no fouls
against him.
On the Junior team Walter
Shultz and Frank Thatcher led
with 12 points each. Shultz had
two fouls and Thatcher four.
“Butch” Jurgens had four fouls;
Franklin Messix scored two points
and made one foul; Jerry Zook
also scored two points and had
one foul against him.
Referee for the game was
“Buck” Stout with Lee Ann
Thatcher acting as time and score
keeper.
The first game of the evening
was played between the Whites
and the Blues, fifth and sixth
grade girls, with a score of 20 to
6 in favor of the Blues. Referees
were Jean Campbell and Frieda
Gregorieff. Score and time keeper
was Mr. Stout.
Lara Segerquist of the Whites
made all six points that her team
chalked up. Lorene Huddleston
had two fouls against her. Other
players on the team were Duane
White, Nancy McClintic, Marsha
Alexander, Bernice Teeter.
On the Blues, Ellen Striegel
made eight points, Roberta Pers
inger led with 12 and there were
no fouls for the team. Other
players are Marva Alexander,
Nancy Beals, Christine George
and Agrafina Andrewvitch.
The third game of the evening
was between boys of the third,
fourth, fifth and sixth grades
comprising the Blues and the
Whites. Referees for the game
were John Schultz and Dudley
Vanderpool with Mr. Stout as
score and time keeper. The Blues
took the game for a win of 20 to 3.
Players on the Blues were Del
bert Ferrier with 2 points; An
drew Levshakoff, 9 points and 2
fouls; Paul Johnson, one foul;
Larry Seivers, 9 points and one
foul; Robert Thatcher, one foul.
Whites players were John
Faudskar with 2 points and 2
fouls; David Handcock, one foul
and one point; Eddie Seivers, one
foul; Nicoli Stephan, no points
and no fouls; Russell Shaw, one
foul.
Women's Civic Club
Hears Proposed Plan
For Junior Riflemen
A Junior Rifleman’s club for
Valdez was discussed by Jack
Antritter, speaker for the evening
at the regular monthly meeting
of the Valdez Women’s Civic Club
held January 9 at 8 p.m. at the
home of Mrs. Kathryn Fawcett.
Mr. Antritter asked the cooper
ation of all parents of boys from
fourteen to eighteen years of age,
in explaining the need of teach
ing youths the proper use of fire
arms.
Further organization of a rifle
club will be discussed at a future
school assembly program when
either Ed Alexander or R. J.
Teeter will appear as speakers, it
was annnounced. Anyone inter
ested in the club may contact
either Mr. Alexander or Mr.
Teeter.
ROBERT SHEPARD
DIES AT SALEM
Robert Shepard, former resi
dent and Alaska Road Commis
sion superintendent, recently died
at his home in Salem, Oregon, ac
cording to word received at Val
dez.
Mr. Shepard was well known
here as he and Mrs. Shepard
were long-time residents of Alas
ka. He was head of the Chitina
district of ARC for many years.
When the Chitina and Valdez dis
tricts were consolidated he be
came superintendent following
the retirement of T. H. Huddles
ton.
Due to ill health, Mr. Shepard
was forced to retire from the
service here after serving a short
while. The family then moved to
Haines where they lived foi; a
short time before going on to
Salem and residing there for the
past few years.
Mrs. Shepard was a leader of
the Civic Club and an energetic
community worker during the
time the family lived here. She
gave a gift subscription of Read
ers Digest to the Public School
library for many years.
Choral Society Holds
First Meeting of Year
The first meeting for the new
year of the Valdez Choral So
ciety was held January 16 at the
home of Mrs. Jeanette Huddles
ton. A concert is now being
planned by the choral group,
which this year is to be composed
entirely of women’s voices.
Four Lose Lives in
Tragic Disaster When
Small Plane Crashes
A tragic airplane disaster here
claimed the lives of four this
week end when a twin-motored
Cordova Air Service plane bound
for Valdez crash-landed soon after
take off and its passengers froze
to death before help could reach
them.
j The plane, piloted by Bob Rich
ardson, left the Cordova airfield
Saturday morning with Mr. and
Mrs. William Dyson, Mrs. Fina
Egemo and Ernie Cruz aboard.
The plane was traveling the Cop
per river route when it went
down about 32 miles from Cor
, dova.
j The pilot left the passengers
with sleeping bags and a fire pot
and started out on foot to find
help. He found his way to a cabin
about five miles from the scene
i of the crash after he had fallen
through ice in a lake. Smoke from
a fire he built in the cabin at
tracted a rescue plane, which Mr.
Richardson signaled to the crash.
Stewart Starbuck, Valdez pilot,
made a heroic landing at the
scene of the tragedy but his plane
also crashed due to high winds as
he tried to take off again. Star
buck was not injured but was
forced to stay in the plane until
help arrived the next morning.
Both Starbuck and Richardson
were flowm to the Cordova hos
pital.
Mr. and Mrs. Dyson, aboard the
plane, were former residents of
Cordova where they owned a
haberdashery shop, now known as
Flynn’s. They had been making
their home in Albany, Oregon,
and were here visiting their
daughter, Mrs. Howard Burch and
granddaughter, Mrs. Angus White
of Valdez.
Mrs. Ekemo, a resident both of
Valdez and Cordova, was on her
way to Valdez to visit her two
daughters, Mrs. Elmer White and
Mrs. Peter Loveseth, and her son,
John Ekemo. At the time of the
crash, another son, Bill, who re
sides at Cordova, was visiting at
Valdez.
Ernie Cruz, fourth passenger
aboard the ill-fated plane, has
made his home at Dayville where
he has been an assistant to Mr.
Day for many years.
MRS. SEARLES TAKES TRIP
Mrs. Lydia Searles, who has
been visiting in Palmer and An
chorage since before the holidays,
returned here January 12. Mrs.
Searles is a nurse at the Valdez
Community hospital.
Small Children Have Sleigh Party
As Special Award for School Honors
School children whose names
appeared on the honor roll and
those who had perfect attendance
records received a special award
for their efforts when the Rev.
Richard Teeter played host to ap
proximately 40 young pupils for
a sleigh ride up the “trail.”
The sleigh party was held Sat
urday and was restricted to the
“small fry.” Although a stiff
breeze blowing off beautiful Val
dez glacier, added considerably to
the cold, the guests declared it
“only added to the fun.” Movies
of the event were taken by Mrs.
Teeter.
Included among the school chil
dren on the sleigh ride were
Helen Manthy, Jerry Zook, Pat
Sweet, Johnnie Bruce, Arvid
Dulak, Jimmie Erickson, Donald
Soward, Frances Burk, Maria
Carp, Donna Look, Helen Nageak,
Winifred O’Dell, Annie Stephan.
Idetta Vietti, Shirley White, Gary
Mazur, Arthur Mayo, Nicoli
Stephan, Mac Teeter, Katherine
Burk, Carol Matthews, Mary Jane
Schmidt, Josephine Jacobs, Alice
Huddleston, Cecilia Mayo, Karen
Mary Archer, Dianne Matthews,
Sharon Jurgens, Willie Hansen,
Diana Soward, Douglas Soward,
Velma Soward, Myra Carp, Kath
erine Mayo, David Hancock, Lor
ene Huddleston, Marsha Alex
ander, Duane White, Ellen Strie
gel, Andrew Levshakoff and Flor
ence Levshakoff.