Palmer High School
play* Railbell confer
ence basketball game
at Anchorage tomor
row night.
Halley Frontiergman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
Graduate Nurses of
Malanuska V a 11 e j
meet tonight. Health
Center, 8 P.M.
VOL. 4. NO. 18
PALMER, ALASKA. FRIDAY. JANUARY 12. 1951
PRICE 10c
IiOCMi HlhJDBT inUESUGRTIOn REOPEDED
To Transmit Air Raid
Warning to Palmer
Through AGS Facilities
The installation of a direct line
from Elmendorf Air Force Base
to Palmer for the transmission of
air raid warning information is
not possible, Maj. James B. Grif
fin, Civil Defense ofifcer for the
10th Air Division informed Di
rector Walter E. Huntley in a let
ter received here this week. The
* letter was in answer to Mr. Hunt
ley’s recent request for the direct
line.
Air raid warning will be
transmitted, however, over ACS
on a priority basis, according
to tentatively approved plans.
Major Griffin added. This
would result in the warning
reaching the telephone ex
change in Palmer rapidly and
in the best means present avail -
* able, the major explained. The
suggestion that one of the An
chorage radio stations be mon
itored constantly as secondary
means of receiving air raid
warning information is also
considered sound by the mili
tary, Major Griffin added.
At a meeting called last Mon
day by the local Civilian Defense
committee, at which six people
were present, a carefully set up
proposed rationing plan for this
vicinity was submitted by Mrs.
Barbara Smart. The plan was
worked out by Mrs. Smart and
Elmer Leduc heading the supply
service committee of the local
Civilian Defense.
Miss Marjorie Myren, public
health nurse here who has been
named head of special weapons
defense, reported that Frank
Pauls has volunteered to carry
on an additional blood typing
program here. The program is
one suggested by Dr. C. C.
Bailey at a previous meeting
of the Civilian Defense commit
tee, when he said that adults of
the community should also be
typed. Mr. Pauls, assistant di
rector of the Division of Public,
Health Laboratories, had also
indicated willingness to arrange
for metal "dog tags" for the
program. The dog tags similar
to those issued to soldiers in the
Army are now on hand in An
chorage and would be used as
the official blood type card to
be carried by all men. women
and children who have been
typed. It was also indicated
that the tags would be provided
here without charge upon prop
er request being made.
William T. Zahradnicek, deputy
director of the civilian defense
committee here, announced that
Mrs. Allen Mick will be in charge
of the, emergency welfare divi
sion. Mrs. Mick will be assisted
Continued on Back Page
MEA HAS 30 NEW
CHUGIAK LINE USERS
Matanuska Electric Association
announced this week that there
are now 30 new consumers on the
Chugiak line which runs from
Eklutna power plant to Peter’s
creek. Work on the new line to
Evan-Jones coal mine is also pro
gressing, Mrs. Ruth Pierson, man
ager announced, although MEA is
still short of strategic materials
to make the final hook up, she
said.
ORDERS POSTED HERE
SET INCORPORATION
HEARING FOR FEB. 16
An order from the Third Dis
| trict Court signed by Judge An
thony Dimond setting February
16, 1951, as the time of hearing
at Anchorage on the proposed in
corporation of Palmer, was posted
in six different public locations
in Palmer this week. The loca
tions include the post office, Kos
losky’s store, Matanuska Valley
bank, Matanuska hotel, Hartley
Brothers garage, and the Palmer
fountain in the Co-Op building.
The petition which was pre
sented by Attorney Harold J.
Butcher to the Third District
Court on January 5, was signed
by 228 residents of the proposed
area for incorporation. Of these
signers more than 90 are prop
erty owners here, business men
behind the incorporation move
pointed out today.
The petition presented last Fri
day is the second bid that Palmer
has made for incorporation within
the past few months. A previous
petition for an election on incor
poration was denied by Judge
Dimond on September 29, 1950,
following a court hearing.
Eight "facts and needs" are
listed in the present petition to
show grounds for incorporation.
A financial statement listing
estimated revenues and expen
ditures, both totaling $46,750.
is attached to the petition.
Failure to present “any finan
cial statement showing sufficient
funds can be found to maintain
such a city” was one of the three
counts on which Judge Dimond
based his denial last September.
Another was that “considerable
area of farm lands” was included
in the proposed incorporation lim
its. Some of the farm land has
been eliminated from the area
cited for incorporation in the
present petition. ,
In the present petition it is also
declared that farm land operated
as a farm unit will not be taxed
at a higher rate than farm land
outside of the city limits. How
ever, any land subdivided from
original farm land will be taxed
at regular city rates.
The “pressing need” in the area
for fire, police and health pro
jection, utility services, surfaced
streets, etc., are cited as well as
the petitioners’ declaration that
further growth of the community,
which now numbers more than
800, will be handicapped without
the benefits of municipal gov
ernment following the commence
ment of work on the Eklutna
project.
PALMER SCHOOL CHILDREN
GIVE $18.67 FOR SYMBOL
Palmer’s grade school students
joined the children of the United
States and its territories in con
tributing pennies and nickles this
week for a world peace symbol as
a gift to the United Nations. A
contribution by the school chil
dren here of $18.67 will be used
toward the erection of a fountain
at UN headquarters in New York
as the symbol of peace from the
children of the United States to
the children of the United Na
tions. A donation of $4.72 from
Mrs. Barbara Cross’ seventh grade
children led the Palmer school
list. Mrs. Ernest Gruening, wife
of the governor, is head of the
drive in Alaska.
Pretty and Talented Valley Girls
Eligible for Queen of Rendezvous
Announce New Library
To Be Opened to Public
Here Monday Afternoon
The Palmer Library will ‘open
for business’ Monday at 2 p.m.,
Mrs. Earl F. Graves, president of
the Palmer Library Association,
announced today. Women of Pal
mer have volunteered to act as
librarians and hours will be main
tained regularly daily and in the
evenings, Mrs. Graves said.
Monday will not be the official
opening day of the newly con
structed building but it will also
mark the annual meeting of the
Palmer Library Association, which
is set for 8 p.m. at the new li
brary. An election of officers and
one trustee will be held. The
meeting is open to the public and
everyone is invited to be in at
tendance.
Evening hours for the library
will be from T p.m. to 9 p.m.,
Monday through Friday. Daily
hours will alternate with hours
from 1 to 5 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.
The following schedule was an
nounced by Mrs. Graves:
Monday—Open 2 to 4 p.m., with
Mrs. Ivan Branton in charge; Mrs.
Don Ingalls in the evening.
Tuesday—Open 1 to 5 p.m., Miss
Florence O. Eby; Mrs. Foster Sims
in the evening.
Wednesday—Open 2 to 4 p.m.,
Mrs. A. D. Burr; Mrs. Graves in
the evening.
Thursday—Open 2 to 4 p.m.,
Mrs. Mary Steelman; Mrs. Harry
Ryan in the evening.
Friday—Open 1 to 5 p.m., Mrs.
George Geiwitz; Mrs. Clarence
Bell in the evening.
Mrs. Graves also announced
that the Palmasilla Club had con
tributed $77 to the library for the
purchase of metal storage cab
inets, Venetian blinds or other
needed equipment. She added
that book cases and a desk are
also badly needed.
Membership may be had in the
library with the privilege of
checking out books for a fee of $2
for adults and $1 for children.
New Year's Baby for
Valley Born Jan. 9
To Lowell Simpsons
The 1951 New Year baby for
Matanuska Valley arrived here
January 9 on the birth of a
daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Lowell
Simpson. The little girl arrived
at 10:22 p. m., weighing six
pounds, seven ounces. Irene Ree
is the name chosen for the little
girl by her parents. She is the
couple’s first child.
The Simpsons arrived in Pal
mer in March from Oakesdale,
Wn., where the paternal grand
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Simpson, make their home. The
maternal grandparent is Mr. Al
and Mrs. Alfred Lund of Baker,
fred Lund of Baker, No. Dakota.
Mr. Simpson is employed here by
the Ray James Construction com
pany.
Good wishes and gifts for the
little girl as the first baby here
in 1951 included a gift from
Betty’s shop.
Palmer’s attractive and talented
young ladies will be interested in
learning that they are also eligible
this year to become the Queen of
the Fur Rendezvous. The contest
went into full swing in Anchor
age last week with the announce
ment that it is a wide open race
with any local bona fide organiza
tion or outlying community or
city allowed to be represented by
candidates.
Entries are now being accepted |
for the Rendezvous Queen which
this year will be selected under
prevailing Miss America contest
rules with the local winner going
to complete in the Miss Alaska
contest. The winner of that con
test will then take part in the
Miss America event at Atlantic
City next summer, according to
Hal Bockoven, manager of the
1951 Fur Rendezvous.
To enter as a Queen Candidate
the Rendezvous committee must
be satisfied that the young wom
an can meet all the requirements,
which are as follows:
1. Contestant must be resi
dent of city or territory for six
months prior to contest. This
rule is waived for contestants
whose residence is out of city
or territory, but who is a col
lege or university student in
city or territory where contest
is held at the time contest is
held. She may not compete in
more than one official prelim
inary contest each year.
2. Contestant must be single
and never have been married,
divorced, or had marriage an
nulled.
3. Contestant must be high
school graduate or a senior at
tending high school at time of
contest.
4. Contestant’s age on Septem
ber 1, 1951, shall be not less than
eighteen, nor more than twenty
eight years of age.
5. Contestant must be of good
character and possess poise, per
sonality, intelligence, charm and
beauty of face and figure.
6. Contestant must possess
and display in a three-minute
(Continued on Back Page)
CHAMBER SETS GOAL
FOR 100 MEMBERSHIP
One hundred active members
this year is the goal set by the
Chamber of Commerce here,
President James Hurley an
nounced this week. Plans for the
membership drive and other proj
ects to be sponsored by the Cham
ber were discussed at a board
meeting held Wednesday night.
A tentative date of May 26 was
also set for the annual Colony
Day here which will again be
sponsored by the Chamber this
year. Preliminary plans were
also made for a “Buy in Palmer”
campaign which will also be
sponsored by the Chamber. Lazy
Mountain as a site for winter
sports was also discussed with a
committee named to investigate
its possibilities.
uan Koiano onoflgrass
From Palmer to Senate
Hearing Set January 18
Roland Snodgrass, secretary of
the Palmer Airport Association,
summoned to Washington, D. C.,
to attend a Senate investigating
committee hearing on the “Pal
mer Airport deal,” is to leave here
Sunday for the capital. Mr. Snod
grass has been called as a witness
for a hearing set for next Thurs
day, January 18, together with
Tony Schwamm, director of the
Alaska Aeronautics Commission,
and Stanley McCutcheon of An
chorage, counsel for the Commis
sion. According to word received
at Anchorage by Mr. McCutcheon
from Senator Clyde H. Hoey,
David Duncan and Joseph Hatton,
District Engineer employes, will
also be called to the capital as
witnesses at the hearing.
“We welcome any kind of an
investigation they want to make,”
Clair Stock, vice president of the
Palmer Airport Association, said
here this week. “All the informa
tion in our possession has been
available and our books have al
ways been open to anyone con
cerned with these investigations,”
Mr. Stock added. Mr. Stock is
acting president in the absence of
Rex Monoghan, president of the
association, who has been Outside
for the past year. Leo Lucas is
treasurer and Ralph Goodrich a
board member of the Association.
'Too bad they don't take the
$100,000 it will take to make
this investigation and use it to
put a hard surface on the air
port and some kind of facilities
to mark the runways for pilots
landing here," Mr. Stock said.
Right now discarded Christmas
trees have been placed by resi
dents of Palmer to indicate the
runways on the snow covered
field.
In giving a short resume of the
history of the Palmer Airport As
sociation, Mr. Stock pointed out
that when residents here got to
gether to try and get some kind
of an airstrip, Palmer was “actu
ally about the only community in
Alaska that didn’t have some
kind of a landing strip where air
planes could land.”
In 1939 four local organiza
tions got together to try and
remedy the lack of an air strip
here. Those organizations were
Continued on Back Page
FEB. 1 IS DEADLINE
FOR SCHOOL TAXES
Palmer school district tax col
lections are “very slow” with the
amount paid to date totaling only
i5 per cent of assessments, Wil
liam W. Head, school district tax
collector, said here today. Tht
deadline is February 1, Mr. Heac
warned taxpayers in making tht
statement. After that date tht
law specifies a 15 per cent delin
quency penalty be paid with th<
tax, Mr. Head explained.
There will be no blanket ex
tension of time granted for pay
ment of taxes this year, the ta:
collector said. Last spring, tinr
for payment of school distric
taxes was advanced to April
due to delays in getting out ta
notices. All notices for curren
taxes were mailed by Novembe
1, and each tax bill noted the fin.
date for payment, which is Febrt
ary 1, Mr. Head stated.