THREE ELECTION DATES
rues., Sept. 23—Special City
Tues., Oct. 7 General City
Tuej., Oct. 14—Territorial
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The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
. CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may have for sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 45, NUMBER 52
PALMER, ALASKA, THURSDAY, SEPT. 18, 1952
PRICE TEN CENTS
CITY PURCHASES TELEPHONE COMPANY
60V„ MRS. GRUENING
STOP IN PALMER ON
ALASKA HI-WAY TOUR
Governor and Mrs. Ernest
Gruening were brief visitors in
Palmer yesterday as they stopped
for a few minutes during the noon
hour in their tour of the Alaska
Highway system.
The governor said this was the
first opportunity he had had for
some time to inspect the fast
growing communications web in
Alaska. The trip received its in
itial impetus from the scheduled
dedication of airfields at Valdez
and Seward this past week end.
To reach Valdez for the Valdez
dedication Saturday, he and Mrs.
Gruening traveled to Haines via
the fern,’ and motored to Valdez
via the Haines Cut-Off, the Alas
ka Highway, the Tok- Cut-Off,
and the Richardson Highway.
From Valdez, they were flown to
Seward for the dedication cere
monies there. From Seward, the
Gruenings traveled with mem
bers of the Highway Patrol to
Homer, Anchorage, and Palmer.
Sergeant Stanley Laird of the
Highway Patrol drove them from
Palmer to Glen Allen, where a
Highway Patrolman covering the
Richardson Highway area north
to Fairbanks was to take them'
on to the Tanana Valley city.
Next week Governor and Mrs.
Gruening plan to attend the Alas
ka Science Conference at McKin
ley Park. Before returning to
Juneau, they hope to drive over
the new Taylor Highway.
Regarding the purpose of his
tour of the Alaskan road system,
he said he was getting first hand
information to determine whether
or not the expansion of the road
net work is keeping aberast with
the fast-growing development of
Alaska. If there’s need for more
roads, he said, we’ll have to ask
for more money to construct,
them.
Asked what he thought about
the prospects in the coming elec- j
tion, he was confident that there
would be a Democratic victory
both in the country and in the
Territory. He said he was cer
tain that Stevenson would be
elected president, and he was sure
that Alaskan voters would return
“Bob” Bartlett as Delegate to
Congress, that they would cast
their votes for him on the basis
of his experience ar.„ his record
of service to Alaska.
Harold Nickle Found
Guilty of Assault
Charge; Will Appeal
Harold A. Nickle of Was ilia
was found guilty of a charge of j:
assault with intent to do bodily j
injury in a decision handed down i
by U. S. Comissioner Dorothy
Saxton Monday.
Decision on the case had been i
deferred since August 21, when;
testimony was heard from the 1
plaintiff, K. Westenbarger; the 1
defendant and his wife Dorothy1
and A1 Dickow.
Upon being found guilty, Nickle . ■
was fined S50, at w’hich time he
made an oral appeal to have the ;
case tried in U. S. District Court.!
PRESTONE -
Good Supply on hand
Only 83.50 Gal. OOe <|t.
... KOSLOSKY'SDEPARTMENT STORE
No Link Found In
2 Local Break-Ins
Early Monday Morn
Shortly before two o’clock Mon
day morning a 14-year-old girl’s
attempts to gain entry to the
liquor store at Koslosky’s were
frustrated by the appearance of
the night watchman. Sigurd Haa
land. She had already broken the
window to the door by throwing
a rock through it.
This attempted entry followed
by only a few minutes a success
ful break-in at the Co-Op garage
by two servicemen from Fort
Richardson. The soldiers made a
hurried get-away as C. O. Huntlev
approached but not before Hunt
ley had ascertained the license
number on the escape car. In
vestigation proved that the ser
civemen had carried away a case
and four quarts of oil as loot.
Chief of Police Bernie Bouwens
was quickly notified by Jan Kos
losky of the attempted break-in
at the liquor store. Proceeding
immediately to the scene. Bou-'
wens soon located the girl hiding
in the tall grass between the Pal
mer Realty building and the
Eklutna Project headquarters.
Identified by the night watchman,
the girl was questioned briefly by
Bouwens and Koslosky until U.S.
Commissioner Dorothy Saxton ar
rived. There followed at the Com,
missioner’s office four hours of
questioning in which only a jum
ble of conflicting statements was
obtained from the young culprit.
Finally the case was referred to
Anchorage jurisdiction because
there was no place to hold a min
or in custody here in Palmer. One
of the girl’s tales implicating four
servicemen in the Koslosky
break-in attempt was enough to
... in • r being held in the
Anchorage Federal Jail in order
to protect her from possible bodi
ly harm. This story implicating
the servicemen, however, wras dis
proved yesterday after repeated
questioning and subsequent in
Continued on page 8
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SCHOOL BD. EXPLORES
POSSIBILITY OF MORE
FUNDS UNDER PL 815
No contract award has been
made yet for construction of the
North Palmer elementary school,
Superintendent William T. Zah
radnicek announced this week.
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Taking advantage of the 30-day !
period allowed betewen the bid
apening date and the contract
award, the School Board of the
Palmer Independent School Dis
trict will explore the one possibil
ty of obtaining extra funds neces
sary to build the six-room school
without asking the taxpayers to
approve or disapprove the extra
noney from tax funds. A request
aas been made for an amendatory
application to obtain more funds
under Public Law 815 on the j
)asis of increased enrollment due
o defense building and instalja
;ions. The formal request has
jeen made through the Federal
security Agency in Seattle. An
answer is expected within the
aeriod allowed. The Palmer
Continued on page 8
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KIWANIANS PLAN
BIG DAY FOR KIDS
SATURDAY, SEPT. 27
Saturday. September 27. will be
a big day for kids in Palmer for
that the day Kiwanis Interna
tional celebrates National Kids
Day.
This year the local Kiwanis
Club is planning to let the Kids
af Palmer and vicinity really
iemonstrate their talents. Kid tal
ent, it is hoped, will form a large
part of the entertainment, and
all children are urged to plan on
entering some phase of the activ
ty.
Kids Day will begin at 1:30
a.m. with a Kids and Pet Parade,
'ollowed by a Talent and Hobby
Show at the school gymnasium.
Here are the three Kids Day
activities: •
First, Kids 'n Pets Parade, with
awards given in each of the fol
owing entry groups:
1. Kids in costumes
2. Bicycle entries. Bikes may
>e decorated.
3 Miscellaneous entries.
Second, Talent Show at school
[ym. Three awards will be given
n each of the following entry
iroups:
1. Singing, individual.
2. Group singing.
3. Dancing, individual.
4. Group dance routine.
5. Musical instrumentals.
b. Skits*.
J. Readings.
8. Stunts or variety acts.
Third. Hobby and Handicraft
)isplay at school gym. Tables for
isplay will be provided and en
Continued on page 8
New 27-Mile Loop
Added to Star Route
Rural Mail Delivery
A new 27-mile loop taking in
the northwest corner of the Val
ley will be added to the Star
Route beginning October 1, ac
cording to G. A. Lindsey who has
the federal contract for rural de
livery in the Palmer-Wasilla area.
The new loop will go northwest
out of Wasilla on the Little Susit
na Road until it Ys with the Fish
Hook Road. It follows the Fish
Hook road back toward Palmer
until it reaches the Four Corners
Road intersection. It goes south
on the Four Corners Road to
Barry’s Lake Road, takes the Wil
lowaw Lodge turn off the Barry’s
Lake Road, and from there it
returns southwest to Wasilla.
With the addition of this loop,
rural mail delivery will cover
almost the entire Valley. Only
major areas still unserved are
the Knik Road area beyond the
Fairview intersection, the Pitt
man Road from three miles out
side Wasilla, and the King’s Lake
area. The Anchorage-Palmer;
Highway area is served by the
rural mail delivery service out of
Anchorage, and this route does not
include the loop around the Butte.
The new loop in the Palmer
Vasilla Star Route is the fourth
loop in a system begun about two
Years ago. Loop A is the one from
Palmer to Wasilla, via Wasilla
Road, and back to Palmer via
Knik Road, Fairview Road, and
Watanuska Road, past the Matan
uska Experiment Station. Loop B
goes around the Farm Loop Road.
Continued on page 8
IRMY COMES TO RESCUE IN FINAL LAP
IF VALLEY COW AIRLIFT OPERATION
The United States Army was
ailed to the rescue last night
’hen Mayor Carl Meier’s truck
roke down at Fort Richardson in
ie final lap of the Co-Op’s three
hase, cow-airlift operation. Stal
;d for two-and one-half hours
n the highway was the truck
>ad of 11 bossies, all of them
reary from a seven-hour flight
•om Seattle. Most of them need
1 milking. Only by constant
ij oiling and keeping her on her
set was one cow dissuaded from
aving her calf during the dis
juraging wait and the subse
uent journey via army trans
ort to her new home at the Cecil
iurtz farm. The unhappy cow
ras the last to be delivered at 4
m. this morning.
The cows were met at the An
tiorage Airport by Meier, Co-Op
Manager Fred Zieke, and Trad
ost Manager Tom Reiss at ap
roximately 4:45 pjn. Reloading
le cows took a long time, and it j
as after dark when the truck;
roke down while passing
irough Fort Richardson.!
rmy MPs immediately sprang i
to action to direct traffic past
ie stalled truck while arrange
ents were being made for the
iws’ transfer to another vehicle,
hrough the assistance of Colon
Werner, executive officer at
Jrt Richardson, and a Captain
Davis of the Post motor supply
depot, the Co-Op manager made
arrangements for Army transport
to continue the homeward jour
ney for this third and final group
of airlift cows.
Ten cows had been delivered at i
the airport last week Wednesday.!
Another nine cows arrived at 4:45
Sunday afternoon after their trip
had been delayed at Seattle be
cause of milking schedules. Zieke, ■
Reiss, and Meier, who had expect-1
ed an early Sunday morning de
livery hour, had to mark time all
that day in Anchorage waiting for
the flight. It was near midnight
by the time the last cow had
been delivered to her owner.:
M. D. Snodgrass returned with j
this second load of cows- The air-!
lift transportation was provided '
by Consolidated Airlines. Vance
Roberts, the owner, went along
on two of the flights. Included in
the crew on each of the trips was
a dairy farm owner who would
know what to do if a crisis de
veloped enroute. However, all of
the cows arrived in good condition
and most of the dairymen receiv
ing them expressed satisfaction J
with the selections made for them.
All of the cattle were tested Hol
steins, most of them purchased in
the Snohomish, Washington area.
Sailing September 24 from
Seattle are 23 more cows bound
Continued on Page 8
MAYOR MEIER’S LONE BID AT GOV’T
SALE BUYS MVTC PROPERTY FOR $7,500
2 FILE FOR CITY
OFFICE ON 1ST DAY
OF FILING PERIOD
Two nominating petitions for
city offices were filed yesterday
on the opening day of the 10-day
filing period that ends Satuurday,
September 27.
Filing for Mayor with a qualify
ing petition signed by 30 residents
was William Rempel. Filing for a
three-year term on the City Coun
cil was Raymond A. Nelson. His
petition carried 31 signatures.
The two men ,both of them prom
inent in community activities,
are associated in the Palmer Real
ty, Inc.
City Election Oct. 7
Depends on Tuesday’s
Special Election
Palmer voters will go to the
polls Tuesday, September 23, to
approve or disapprove of an elec
ion ordinance. Ordinance 22, re
cently adopted by the City Coun
cil. Enabling legislation passed at
the last session of the Territorial
Legislature provides for the elec
tion and terms of office for city
officials as set up in the ordin
ance. but it also stipulates voter’s
approval. -
Specifically, qualified electors
of Palmer will be asked to vote
yes or no on a proposition that
provides for (1) an annual elec
lion to be held each and every
year in the City of Palmer on
the first Tuesday of Oct. for the
election of city officers; (2) elec
tion Oc. 7, 1952, of two Councili
members for one-year terms, two
for two-year terms, and two for
:hree-year terms, with two coun
cilmen to be elected every year
thereafter; and (3) election of a
mayor on October 7, 1952, for a
one-year term, and thereafter, on
odd-numbered years, election of
a mayor for a two-year term.
The provision for overlapping
terms of office for members of
the Council aims at continuity of:
city government through reten- !
tion of a core of experienced!
councilmen in each new Council.
It guards againt waste of time
and bungling that might be ex
pected in an entirely inexperienc- ,
sd Council. Ordinance 22 provides ,
for a mayor elected directly by
the people instead of an elected \
seventh councilman subsequently ]
sleeted mayor by his follow coun- 1
:ilmen. Because the ordinance as ,
adopted provides for election of j
the mayor on odd-numbered ]
fears, the first elected mayor will i
aave only a one-year term. Noth- •
ng in the ordinance, however, ex- (
dudes the possibility of re-elec- <
;ion to city office.
The Co-Op Club Room in Rec- (
reation Hall has been designated ,
as the polling place. The polls ,
will be opened at 8 a.m. and will -
remain open until 7 p.m. At 8 (
a.m. the appointed judges will re- <
peat their oaths of office before j ]
City Clerk John Shaw. Judges t
appointed are: Mrs. Chet Sand- i
Continued on page 8
ine City of Palmer purchased
all the property of the Matanuska
Valley Telephone Company, Inc.
for $7,500 in a public auction held
by the United States Department
of Internal Revenue Tuesday
afternoon in the MVTC office.
The auction was conducted by
A. Verle Collar, assistant chief
collector for the Washington-Al
aska district in charge of Alaska,
Sale of the property was author
ized by virtue of warrants of re
strain issued against the tele
phone company for assessed taxes
amounting to more than $11,500.
still unpaid to the United States
Government. With penalties add
ed. the total amount owed to the
government amounted to almost
$13,000. As authorized by law.
Collar set a minimum bid figure
before opening the bidding. After
Collar had announced the mini
mum bid figure of $7,500. Mayor
Carl Meier entered a bid for that
amount in the name of the City.
There were no other bidders.
Within 45 minutes of the sched
uled beginning of the auction at
2 p.m.. Mr. Collar and Mr. R. W.
Algeo, another assistant chief dep
uty collector of the Washington
Alaska district working out of
Tacoma, had received the city’s
check for the amount of the bid
and the city had become owner of
the following property: one West
ern Electric switch board, one
wood desk, one hand-operated
Smith Corona cash drawer, three
six-volt wet batteries. #;ae metal
folding chair, one six-drawer
wood filing cabinet, one Reming
ton typewriter, one wood shelf,
one hand-operated mageto ringer,
one electric ringer, a four-drawer
wood filing cabinet, approximate
ly six Western Electric terminal
boxes (new), eight cross arms
with approximately 33 insulators
attached, approximately 60 steel
wire spools, one 1950 model In
ternational pick-up truck (one
half ton), approximately 200 tele
phones in use, approximately 20
to 25 miles of telephone line, ap
proximately 200 telephone poles,
and miscellaneous jacks, cords,
plugs, used telephones and parts,
and guy wire cable with clamps.
Sabotage Discovered
Meanwhile the job of getting
all the telephones served by the
company in efficient operation
aas been a slow and often dis
couraging process. The job was
ielayed by at least one day this
veek-end by what appeared to be
a second act of deliberate sabo
age. Sunday morning Melvin
laugen. the new telephone main
enance man, found wires severed
>n top of the Neal Wright build
ng and behind the Matanuska
dotel. The severed wire on the
Vright building served the Mat
inuska Valley Bank. The other
utting was a more difficult job.
Jomeone had climbed a telephone
>ole, located five telephone wires
>ut of a series of 15 or 20 wires
>n the pole, cut the telephone
vires there and at the next pole,
ind had carried away the section
if the five wires thus severed.
)ne of these wires served the
lighway Patrol, and the need for
his line early Sunday morning
et to discovery of the sabotage.
Continued on page 8
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