THREE ELECTION DATES
Tues., Sept. 23—Special City
Tues., Oct.
Tues.^Oct.
7 General City
14—Territorial
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.
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY- SEPT. 11; 1952
PRICE TEN CENTS
VOLUME 45; NUMBER 51
Electors May Decide Size of New Elementary School
CITY COUNCIL ASKS
VOTERS FOR $350,000
FOR WATER & SEWER
Palmer’s City Council acted last
night to insure early completion
of the city’s new water system
and approval by Alaska Public
Works of a request for a loan to
modernize the sewer system.
Last January’s bond election,
held at the direction of the Jun
eau ofice of APW, enabled the
city to incur a bonded indebted
ness of $250,000 to pay half the
cost of the new water system. The
low bid of the Arctic Plumbing
and Heating Company of Fair
banks in the July opening was
for $591,365. Engineering and ad
ministrative costs added to the
construction figure brought the
total cost of the project up to
$675,00. APW immediately asked
Congress for an extra $175,000,
which represented the increased
cost over the original $500,000
grant. The extra $175,000 was im
mediately made available to Pal
mer so that the system as origin
aly planned can now be built—
providing the voters will approve
an additional bonded indebted
ness of $100,000 for the water sys
tem. This issue will be placed be
fore the people at the October 7
election when a new Council is
also to be elected.
To obtain funds from APW for
extending the present sewer sys
tem, the city must also vote to
incur a bonded indebtedness of
$250,000, which is estimated at
this time to be about half the cost
of the new sewer system. Unless!
this measure carries at tha Octo
ber 7 election, there is little |
chance of Palmer receiving feder- j
al assistance in improving the j
city’s sewer system.
One-half of the extra $175,000
alloted to Palmer for the water j
system must be matched. In view
of steadily rising costs and diffi
culties as yet unforseen, the
Council decided to ask for an ad
ditional $12,500 over and above
the $87,500 which would be the
city’s share of the extra allotment.
Althouhg APW requires that
voters approve such a project by
authorizing bonded indebtedness
for the city’s share, the water pro
ject cost is self liquidating. Rev
enues from the city water system
will be applied against the city’s
indebtedness for the system.
Army Gels Susitna
Anti-Aircraft Target
Site for Three Years
The U. S. Army Alaska won its
case for withdrawal of 86,000
acres in the Little Susitna area
west of Anchorage, but an arous
ed Alaskan public won a moral
victory—with the support of the
Army.
The 86,000 acres were with
drawn from the public domain in
an order signed last week by
Secretary of Interior Oscar L.
Chapman. Under the order the
withdrawn area, which skirts
both the Goose Bay and Big Lake
areas, will be made available to
the Army for a three-year period
for use as an anti-aircraft firing
range. The Army will be per
mitted to use the wedge-shaped
area for two six-week periods
each year beginning October 16
and April 15.
•_Continued on page 3
PRESTONEf
Good Supply on hand..
■ Only $ 4»45 a Gallon
. KOSLOSKY'S DEPARTMENT STORE
Architect’s Sketch erf North Palmer School
The above sketch pictures only one corner of the school. It shows one of the waiting shelters, which are placed at each end
of the school. The clasrooms face east and west. The basic design of the building provides for six classrooms of 24x36 feel.
One of these rooms shortened to 24x24 to provide room for a tiny office. Each classroom has built in cabinets and wardrobes
on the corridor walls each is provided with sink and drinking "bubbler." The overall building is 144x55 feet and provides
8.350 square feet of floor space.
Specifications call for concrete and steel construction and steel sash windows, extended to the ceiling to eliminate shadow.
A special feature of the building is the unusual roof construction, utilizing corrugated steel called "Cofar," which is a
combination form and reinforcement. The corrugated roof breaks up sound and diffuses light; it also provides a finished
ceiling with a sprayed coat of paint. It allows for a very thin concrete slab on steel beams. "Cofar" is unique in Alaska,
Architect Edwin Crittenden believes. Although it has been used on huge apartment buildings Outside, it has been used
only on two Army units in Alaska.
Provisions for needed additions, would permit future construction of four rooms on a second floor and rooms at each
end. The boiler room is set up to allow additional boilers to serve a maximum of 12 classrooms and a multi-purpose room
and cafeteria.
SANDS REPLACED
AS TELEPHONE
MAINTENANCE MAN
Maynard Sands was replaced as
telephone maintenance man by
Melvin Haugen on Friday of las1
week by order of Maydr Can
Meier.
The Mayor’s action last Thurs
day followed failure of the Coun
cil to remove Sands at the Citj
Council meeting the previou:
night. There was one vote agains
removal without notice anc
Councilman A1 Hagen challeng
ed the legality of any action takei
under authority of less than fou
affirmative votes. Although the;
constituted a quorum only fou
councilmen were present.
The motion for Sands’ firini
and the hiring of Haugen follow
ed reports of Sands’ neglect o
duty since the MVTC propert;
was seized by the governmen
last month. The report on Sand
followed discussion of the increas
ingly poor telephone service t
customers.
Haugen’s appointment is
temporary one extending only thr
ough the period of city custodian
ship still remaining. Sale of th
telephone property is schedule!
for next Tuesday September 16
at 2 p.m. It was hoped that Hau
gen might be able to repair thi
present board sufficiently to pu
more cords in operation and t<
elimate some of the noise. Haugei
had been hired by the Council ti
make a telephone survey regard
ing needs in the Palmer area las
July. Only three-weeks’ employ
ment was provided but Haugei
has been continuing the survey oi
his own. So far he has made onl;
preliminary reports and action oi
his recommendations has bee;
held up pending completion o
1 government sale of MVTC tele
phone facilities. The city ha
Continued on page 8
Advance Guard of
Co-Op’s Imported
Caws Arrives by Air
Thirty-two will come by air
and 16 by water, Co-Op Manager
Fred Zieke reported early this
week on the travel orders for 49
Holsteins that are migrating to.
Lhe Matanuska Valley from farms i
all over the Pacific Northwest.
[
L
r
:
f
T
t
)
1
1
A Transocean Lines C-46 ar
rived in Anchorage yesterday
with the first contingent of fall
fresheners. They were accompan
ied by Jack Cope, who, with M.
D. Snodgrass, left the Valley over
two weeks ago on the cow-buy
ing trip. Two more contingents of
the air-traveling bossies will ar
rive as soon as the C-46 can shut
tle back and forth between Anch
orage and Seattle. Manager Zieke
planned to go back with the pilot
on his return flight today. After
making a couple of hurried busi
ness calls in Seattle, he will chap
eron the second group of cows on
their northward flight. M. D.
Snodgrass will keep an eye on the
cows scheduled for the third
flight. The 16 cows that come by
boat will be on their own. They
sail from Seattle September 24
and are due to arrive in Palmer
the first week in October.
! Clarence Bell to
t Represent Co-Op At
1 Dairy Industries Meet
, Alaska will be represented for
the first time at the annual Dairy
|. Industries Exposition to be held
this month in Chicago,
i Clarence Bell, Manager of the
i Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
r operating Association will be on
i hand to represent the Co-Op on
i the opening day of the exposition,
f September 21.
During tne last fiscal year
s MVFCA grossed more than $1,
591,297.42 from dairy & creamery.
BUTTE PROPRIETOR
CHARGED WITH
ASSAULT ON COOK
Charges of assault with dan
gerous weapons as a result of an
argument over a cold steak at
the Butte roadhouse Sunday
night were brought against Pro
prietor Alfred Huffman by Leo
Orrin, cook, in a preliminary hear
ing heard by U. S. Commission
er Dorothy Saxton this morning.
The defendant was arraigned
Tuesday morning on complaint
of the plaintiff, but the hearing
was postponed until Thursday on
Huffman’s request to enable him
to secure legal counsel. Repre
senting Huffman as the hearing
continued this morning was An
chorage Attorney Stanley Mc
Cutcheon.
Testimony of the plaintiff was
followed by long detailed cross
examination by the attorney re
vealing details of the argument
and the alleged assault as well
as an account of Orrin’s actions
both before and after. According
to Orrin’s testimony, Huffman
was intoxicated at the time of the
incident; he said that the defend
ent had been intoxicated on the
premises before but not frequent
ly. Orrin said that he himself had
not had a drink all day and that
he was only an occasional drink
er. He said that the argument
over the steak led to his ordering
Huffman out of the kitchen.
Whereupon, the testimony con
tinued, Huffman picked up a
heavy meat-cutting board with
both hands and started hitting
Orrin on head and shoulders, the
cook lifting his arms to protect
himself. Huffman dropped the
board and an exchange of blows
ensued, Orrin’s partner, Ray Hor
ton, finally restraining Huffman
from behind. Huffman broke
away, grabbed a meat fork. With
Continued on page 8_
UMW Union Members
Win Fight to Organize
Usibelli Coal Mine
A suit recently filed in Fourth
District Court by the Usibelli
Coal Mine, Inc., asking damages
of more than $21 million from
the United Mine Workers of Am
erica was dismissed last Thurs
day. Simultaneously the Usibelli
miners announced that they had
formed their own local of UMW
of A. They negotiated a contract
with the mine management that
became effective September 1.
U. S. Attorney Robert J. Mc
Nealy joined with the company
and union attorneys in request
ing dismissal of contempt pro
ceedings involving 17 union of
ficials and members, including
five from the Jonesville mine. On
the basis of the motions signed
by the attorneys, Judge Harry E.
Pratt dismissed all of the pend
ing litigation.
Usibelli filed for an injunction
and restraining order April 15,
asking that union members be
enjoined from trespassing on com
pany property. The union mem
bers charged that Usibelli had
welshed on an agreement • to
grant a union shop after an elec
tion held according to the Taft
Hartley Law. A flare-up of vio
lence at the mine was followed
on June 21 by filing of the $21
million damage suit and on June
23 by filing of contempt charges
against the 17 union officers and
members.
MVTC PROPERTY UP
FOR AUCTION TUESDAY
Property of the Matanuska Val
ley Telephone Company, Inc. will
be offered at public auction Tues
day, September 16 at 2 p.m. by
the U. S. Department of Internal
Revenue. The auction will take
place at the MVTC office in the
Valley Theater building, Palmer.
LOW BIO FOR 6-ROOM
SCHOOL IS $24,000
OVER FEDERAL GRANT
By Lucille Kennedy Mick
The Palmer Independent School
District Board, meeting in special
session last night to consider
awarding the contract for con
struction of the new elementary
school in North Palmer, decided
to confer at an early date with
low bidders Stock and Grove of
Anchorage before making the
award. It is the opinion of this re
porter that the low bidders will
be asked to accept the contract
with an option providing for con
struction of either the six-class
room building of the base bid or
a four-classroom unit at a reduc
tion of $24,000, pending expression
of the district electors’ will in a
forthcoming election.
A petition requesting such ac
tion was presented to the school
Board last night. It was signed
by 37 residents, representing 36
families. It petitioned for a pro
posal to the electors that the
property tax be raised three mills
for the 1953 tax year only or one
mill for tax year 1953, 1954, and
| 1955 to raise the $24,000 necessary
; to include the two rooms in the
! construction contract. It was ob
j served that the rooms would cost
much more to build under separ
; ate contract.
Six bids were received at the
opening in the Palmer School
library at 4:30 p.m. Monday. Base
bids were for a six-classroom unit.
Stock and Grove Construction Co.
of Anchorage was apparent low
bidder with $216,795. Highest
base bid was $288,000 by Fackler
and Hamacher. Other bids were
| as follows: Wright Construction
Co., $234,020: Doughty Construc
tion Co. of Spenard. $242,500:
Kincaid and King Construction
: Co„ Inc. and Anchorage Builders,
$232,700; and the A. C. Swalling
: Construction Co., $259,812.
Considerable variation appear
ed in the deductions allowed un
der five alternates which would
have eliminated from the base
plans the following: a fire alarm
system, a telephone conduit, a
.'locked program, two classrooms,
cabinets and wardrobes. Deduc
tions for deletion of the two class
rooms ranged from $18,364 to
$35,000. Subtracting each bidder’s
deduction from his base bid, the
bids for a four-classroom school
stood at $192,444 for for Stock and
Grove, $205,288 for Wright, $207,
500 for Doughty, $210,000 for Kin
caid and King and Anchorage
Builders, $240,448 for Swalling,
and $256,562 for Fackler and
Hamacher.
Anchorage Architect Edwin
Crittenden’s estimate for the six
classroom school was $193,000.
Available for construction and
planning from the federal allo
cation under Public Act 815 was
$197,000.
School Board President Harold
Thuma presided at the opening,
_Continued on page 8
$100 REWARD
I, A1 King will give $100 re
ward for informalion leading
lo arrest and conviction on
charges of past or future pil
fering, vandalism, or sabotage
of my taxis.