VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN
PRINTED AT PALMER, ALASKA, EACH FRIDAY
By the Matanuska Press, Inc.
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the post office at
Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Viola Daniels .Editor
Barbara Carter .Wasilla Correspondent
Mrs. Jack Thatcher .Valdez Correspondent
Subscription Rates.50c a month, $5 a year
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
No printed material in the Valley Frontiersman may
be reproduced except by permission of the publishers.
DANIELS—In the Lion’s Den
After watching four annual Matanuska Valley
Fairs come and go here, we're almost ready to an
nounce that we're in favor of abandoning the Fair. We
just don't think that Valley folk are getting enough
real pleasure from the event to warrant the hard work
and headaches that must be borne by a few of the
local businessmen and farmers.
Neither do we think Valley folks are ready for a
Fair of any proportions here. They're simply not Fair
minded, and we see no evidence, on the basis of four
years' study, that they're improving in this respect.
We think there ought to be fun in a Fair. We see
* a Fair as something where we can bring the best of our
home, garden and farm products to compete against
the best of our neighbor's. And we think there'd be
a lot of fun in having our exhibit judged best of the
lot. We'd try just for the fun, and not for the money
we might win—not that we wouldn't accept a check
for our best. But we'd accept it with gratitude and the
feeling that we'd had a lot of fun in winning, and the
check was just so much whipped cream on our very
nice dessert.
We think there ought to be confidence in the dele
gates we choose to plan our Fair, and a whole-hearted
support of all their efforts to give us the best Fair pos
sible. When the time comes to choose Farr board
members in early spring, the job is so unappealing
that only the most civic-minded of our Valley residents
can be drafted for seats on the board.
And in the spring we recognize the fact that it
usually is only our most community-minded citizens
who will take a Fair board job. But by fall, those fore
jriost citizens seem to have shrunk, in Valley estima
tion, to membership in the ranks of professional shys
ters and skin-game specialists, whose one objective is
to fleece Valley folk of as much cold cash as possible.
Yet the one objective of the Fair board is to plan
the best possible show, with funds available. The
reason for that show is to attract visitors from all this
section of Alaska to the Matanuska Valley, in order
that we may better advertise our Valley and our farms
and farm products. Merchants admit that past Fair
boards have succeeded so well in bringing those visitors
to the Matanuska Valley, that the Fair weekend always
is the biggest single weekend of the year.
All Valley merchants and businesses benefit by
the influx of Fair visitors. As George Armitcge told
the Chamber of Commerce recently, "The tourist (or
visitor) dollar is a rolling dollar. It rolls around to all
of our doorsteps before it stops." That certainly is
true of the Fair dollars which come to Palmer. And
the only individuals directly responsible for the im
. portation of those dollars are members of the Fair
board. The more successfully their plans are carried
through, the more dollars there are rolling through
the Valley.
Yet today, the name of fair board directors are
anathema on too many tongues. There are some who
aren't satisfied with concession plans and lay-outs.
Others don't care for exhibit space allotted to them.
Still more object when the Fair board asks for a per
centage of returns from money-making Fair activi
ties—money reaped from the Fair crowds brought to
Palmer as the direct result of advertising dollars spent
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KNOW YOUR
fyniue/uMtif'
*************
Four feminine professors from
the far corners of the United
States were members of the 1950
summer session faculty at the
University of Alaska. As they
prepared to return to their re
spective schools, they pronounced
themselves as “goodwill ambas
sadors” for Alaska and for the
Territory’s University at College.
One of the most popular sum
mer courses was the elementary
workshop directed by Jessie
Wardlaw Williams, assistant pro
! fessor of education, Chico State
College, California. This course,
designed for teachers, gave the
very latest instruction in direct
ing education for the small fry.
Finger painting, mural paint
ing, and picture teaching were
part of the work of Mrs. Williams’
class. Highly enthusiastic about
the Territory Mrs. Williams saw
as much of Alaska as possible be
fore departing for the States. “I
have fallen in love with Alaska
and your sourdoughs,” Mrs. Wil
liams stated. “If anyone even as
much as smiles in my direction,
I’ll be back next year.”
Dr. Minnie J. Merrells, assist
ant professor of education at the
University of West Virginia,
taught the philosophy of educa
tion, and was much in demand as
a woman’s club speaker. “It is a
long way from West Virginia to
Alaska,, but the trip has been
very much worthwhile,” Dr. Mer
rells said. “Too many persons in
the States think you live in igloos
the year around. I shall make it
a point to help correct much of
the misinformation which exists
about Alaska.”
Frances Jensen will be remem
bered by many Alaskans as a
member of the faculty of the Uni
versity of Alaska in 1946-47. Mfss
Jensen is now a research fellow
at Cornell University and re
turned to Alaska to teach weav
ing and clothes construction at
the summer session. One of the
novelties of her class was the
weaving of shawls of hand-spun
muskox wool. Miss Jensen re
marked that “Community Clubs
and women’s organizations, par
ticularly in the smaller settle
ments, can accomplish much in
home beautification and commu
nity achievement by learning to
weave rugs, shawls skirts, dress
material and other useful items.”
The fourth member of the visit
ing staff was Christine Heller, of
the Territorial Department of
Health in Juneau, now en route
to Cornell University to complete
her doctorate. Miss Heller taught
classes in botany and lectured on
“The Edible Plants of Alaska.”
She explained that it isn’t neces
sary for anyone to starve to death
anywhere in Alaska during the
growing season if one can recog
nize just a few of Alaska’s many
edible plants. Miss Heller is now
preparing a booklet on these
plants. Much of her original re
search on nutrition in wild plants
of Alaska is currently being used
by the Armed Forces.
Professor William Cashen, di
rector of the summer session, has
already recommended plans for
doubling the enrollment of next
year’s summer school. “If the
success we have had with the cur
rent summer session is any in
dication, we can double the at
tendance next year,” he stated.
by the Fair board in its promotional work.
And the reason for that percentage isn't personal
and selfish, as so many sharp-tongued criticizers imply.
The Fair board members do not profit personally from
Fair-spent dollars. In order to have another Fair, at
this time next year, there must be some money left in
the Fair treasury on Sept. 5. The time is rapidly ap
proaching when a new Fair cannot be built on borrowed
funds. Working capital is essential for incoming Fair
boards, if they are to do the best job possible.
Some improvements have been added to the Fair
grounds this year. Others are needed and must be
planned for in the years just ahead.
What we're trying to point out is that the Fair's
needs are reasonable and immediate. Board members
aren't dirty dogs because they're trying to find means
of paying Fair bills. We think that's a pretty healthy
attitude from a set of solid citizens.
Therefore, we say that if we're not adult enough
in the Matanuska Valley to volunteer a nickle's worth
of time, or even several nickles worth, without a per
sonal guarantee from the Fair board of seven cents
return on our investment, then we'd better abandon
the Fair. If we can't back up our Fair board members
with offers of co-operation, with every bit of personal
help that we can give, and with our wholehearted and
outspoken support, let's let other more grown-up com
munities assume the responsibility and the honor of
planning to be the community home of the State Fair
of Alaska.
Slay Still Another Week
WASILLA—Leticia and Larry
Bryant are enjoying an extra
week’s stay in Wasilla, before
moving to Anchorage. Leticia is
the guest of Mrs. Thurman Betts
and Larry is staying with Don
Carter.
ACREAGE
HOUSES
DAIRY FARMS
☆
PIONEER
Insurance and
Really
Wright Building
PALMER
CLUB
MUSIC
***********************
Emmett Bags
Wear-Right
Gloves
Echo
Scarves
Schiaparelli
Hosiery
HATS
Directly From
New York and
California
Including
Meadowbrook
of California
THE HAT BOX
Lorene Harrison, Prop.
429 G Street
Anchorage
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