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Thought of the Week:
To really know a man. ob
serve his behavior with a
woman, a child and a flat
tire.
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLET
Malanuska Valley
LIONS CLUB
CHARTER NIGHT
Elks Hall—Jan. 12, 8 p.m.
VOLUME 15, NUMBER 16
llllilll l m
PALMER. ALASKA THURSDAY. JAN. 10. 1963
EIGHT PAGES
PRICE 15 CENTS
WASILLA PLANS
MARCH OF DIMES
BENEFIT DANCE
WASILLA — Hosts for a
March of Dimes benefit dance
on Saturday, Jan. 19, are the
V eterans of Foreign Wars Aux
iliary to Post 9365 of Wasilla,
the sponsors of the 25th An
niversary March of Dimes
campaign in that area. The
dance will be at the Wasilla
community hall from 10 p.m.
to 2 a.m.
The Wasilla Grange No. 2
has donated the rental of the
hall for this event. Coffee and
a special twenty-fifth anni
versary cake will be on sale
throughout the evening.
Everyone in the valley area
is invited to attend this dance.
Mrs. L. J. (Christine) Smith,
president of the VFW Auxil
iary and chairman of the
March of Dimes campaign for
the Wasilla-Willow area, has
reported a very good response
to the "mailers,” contribution
envelopes sent through the
mail to local residents. Stu
dents in the Wasilla schools
received their contribution en
velopes last Friday.
Return Date For
Tax Forms Is Feb. I
John W. Marshall, local dis
trict-city assessor, announced
here today that his office has
mailed personal property tax
forms to property owners re
siding within the City of Pal
mer and the Palmer Independ
ent School District.
Marshall stated that his off
ice mails these forms to each
property owner for whom it
has an address. Those living
in the district who do not
receive forms should visit the
tax office to secure them, Mar
shall explained, as the state
law requires each property
owner to make this report.
“Those missed now may be j
picked up any time during the
year, and penalty and interest
will be charged as applicable,”
he said. “Quick, courteous help
will be given to anyone who
desires it.”
Deadline for returning these
forms is Feb. 1, 1963, Marshall
said, appealing to each proper
ty owner to get them in on
time.
June Wedding Planned
For Palmer Couple
The engagement of Patricia
Ann Scheibl, daughter of Mrs.
Gust Scheibl of Palmer and
the late Mr. Scheibl, to James
H. Whitt, Jr., son of Mr. and
Mrs. James Whitt, Sr., has
been announced by Mrs.
Scheibl.
A June wedding is planned.
Both young people attended
Palmer high school, and both
are employed in the Valley
area.
City Ownership of Airport Proposed
Look Research Man
Visits Local Teacher
W. J. Burke, director of edi
torial research for Look Mag
azine, spent Saturday, Sunday,
and Monday in Palmer, inter
viewing and observing the
teaching methods of Mrs. Alma
J. Blunck, who has been se
lected as one of 10 finalists in
the ‘National Teacher of the
Year" awards program.
The national awards project
is sponsored jointly by the
Council of Chief State School
Officers, the United States
Office of Education, and Look
Magazine.
Burke came here after visit
ing the classrooms of Miss Hel
en J. Estes of Manchester High
School, Manchester. Connecti
cut, and Daniel D. Radakovich,
Glasgow’ High School, Glasgow,
Montana. After leaving Palm
er, he went on to Bellevue,
Washington, and Albany, Ore
gon. Other teacher candidates
will be visited in Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Texas, Salt Lake
City, and Miami, Florida.
Burke, a member of the staff
of Look for 20 years, said he
enjoyed his first trip to Alaska
immensely, and was delighted
to find old friends, Fred and
Sara Machetanz, living in the
valley. He and the local artist
and author had become ac
quainted some years ago when
Burke wras on the editorial
staff of Scribner's, who pub
lished the early Machetanz
books.
Mrs. Blunck, who for the
past five years has taught the
progressive first grade in Pal
mer, a special class for imma
ture learners, is president of
the Palmer Education Associa
tion and a member of the Al
aska Education Association and
the National Education Asso
ciation. She and her husband
make their home on a 580 acre
farm south of Palmer.
Awards to the ‘National
Teacher of the Year” will in
clude a gold lapel pin hand
crafted by Cartier’s and a
framed award certificate. The
winner will also be featured
MOOSE PUT UP STRONG FIGHTS IN
WEEKEND GAMES HERE, ANCHORAGE
By Butch McKenzie
and Gene Rumpel
Friday night, Jan. 4, the
Palmer Moose put up a great
display of ball here against
the invaders, the West Anchor
age Eagles.
Although the Moose team
lost the game. 64-50, during the
first three quarters the Moose
stole the show by slapping
down West passes, by offensive
play making, and by using a
tight defense. At the first
quarter and at the half the
Moose led the West side team
with time clock scores of 14-11
and 23-22 x-espectively.
The third quarter showed the
superior depth, that enabled
the Eagles to use a constant
fast-break offense, wearing
down the Moose with a high of
38 to the Moose 34 points.
In the fourth quarter the
Eagles ran away with the of
fense, and their gunners got
the range on the hoop, boosting
the Eagles to their best quar
ter of the season.
J.V. fans watched a heart
breaker as the J.V. Moose came
from 6 points behind at t h e
first of the last quarter to run
out of time, with a score of 51
50 favoring West at the buzzer.
Team scoring was as follows
for the Moose Varsity: Eckert,
4; DeVries, 12; Smith, 5; Me
Kenzie, 14; Ingalls, 4; Felzien 6.
High point man for the
Moose J.V.’s was Richard
Smith with 17 points.
Leading Anchorage scorers
for the Varsity game were
Mike Gronewald with 20
points, Doug Anderson with 10
points, and Roger Sorenson
with 13 points.
Saturday night t h e Moose
traveled to Anchorage to re
turn the Eagles’ visit. The
scrappy Moose gave the West
High team a fight to the end
ing buzzer, when a score of
65-60 favoring Anchorage stop
ped them short. The game
turned into an offensive scram
ble as gunners on both sides
found the mark.
Mike Gronewald was top
man again for the West team
with 21 points. Andy DeVries
of Palmer picked up 16 points.
In another close scramble,
the West High teamsters held
off the Junior Moose with a
41-35 score.
East Anchorage will meet
the Palmer Moose here Friday
night, Jan. 11, to see if they
can stop the Palmer axe from
chopping them off of their top
place on the totem pole.
The preliminary game will
start as usual at 7 p.m. with
the Varsity game commencing
at 8 p.m.
in an article in Lock He or
she will be honored at official
Washingtonu, D. C. functions
and the award will be present
ed by President Kennedy.
PTA TO DISCUSS
TESTING PROGRAM
A discussion of the scholar
ship program and standardized
tests in the Palmer schools will
be featured at the January
general meeting of the Palmer
PTA. The discussion of pur
poses and results of the pro
gram will be led by a panel
composed of the superinten
dent of schools, Mr. Zahradni
cek; the principals of each of
the three schools, Mr. Smith,
Mr. Rousey, and Mr. Bryant;
and the high school guidance
counsellor, Mr. Okeson. The
meeting will start at 7:30 p.m.,
Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the high
school cafeteria.
Total membership in the
Palmer PTA is now 313, ac
cording to Mrs. Howard Luth
er, the Membership Chairman.
Ten rooms exceeded 50 per
cent of their potential sign-up.
Mr. Burnette’s room (5C) led
in the PTA membership con
test, and Mrs. Davis’ room (6D)
was in second place. Mrs. Lu
ther reminded all parents that,
though the contest is over, it is
still possible to join the PTA
and to support its activities.
The annual membership fee is
one dollar.
The PTA-sponsored ski bus
to Independence Mine leaves
Central School every Saturday
at 9 a.m. Beginning skiers are
welcome. Parents are invited
to act as supervisors on the
trip.
Theatre Guild Meets;
Tryouts To Follow
The Matanuska Valley The
atre Guild will meet Friday,
Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the
Palmer high school. This is a
regular meeting of the group,
at which persons interested in
acting or theatre production
are always welcome.
Following the business meet
ing, tryouts will continue for
the mystery-drama, “Speaking
of Murder,” which will be the
next production of the theatre
group.
The first rehearsal is sched
uled for Tuesday, Jan. 15. Pro
duction dates are March 1 and
2.
PALMER CHURCH
MAY RELOCATE
REFUGEES HERE
Members of the United Prot
estant Church in Palmer dis
cussed the possibility of reset
tling a Cuban refugee or refu
gee family in t h e Matanuska
Valley at their annual meeting
on Sunday, Jan. 6.
For the first time in history,
the United States has become a
place of first asylum for a
large number of refugees, with
thousands of Cubans pouring
into Florida in their flight
from Castro’s communism, it
was pointed out.
A committee of church mem
bers found that the U.S. gov
ernment would provide the
transportation costs as an ini
tial subsistence payment for a
Cuban refugee or family who
might wish to resettle here. In
turn, the community or organ
ization must arrange employ
ment, housing, clothing and an
initial food supply. When em
ployment opportunities have
been inventoried, refugee lists
are checked to determine whe
ther or not any could fill the
job description.
At the annual meeting, the
church voted to sponsor the
resettlement of a refugee or
family if the necessary ar
rangements can be made. The
committee would welcome em
ployment suggestions, and
those knowing of job oppor
tunities are asked to call Mrs.
John DeVries.
Monitor Course
To Begin Jan. 22
One of the most important
tasks in a nuclear attack situa
tion is radiological monitoring,
l according to James Schubin,
radiological defense officer for
the Matanuska Valley region.
To fill the need for trained
monitors, he will conduct a ten
hour course in monitoring,
starting Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at
the Palmer high school.
To protect the population
and agricultural potential of
the Matanuska Valley, many
monitoring sets are needed,
Schubin said. To obtain each
set, the local civil defetvie or
ganization must train three
monitors.
The only requirements for
monitoring training are an in
terest in the subject, a willing
ness to attend all six class
sessions, and a willingness to
act as a radiological monitor in
a nuclear fallout situation, the
radiological defense officer
said.
All who are interested are
asked to contact James Schu
bin or Ed Smith by Jan. 17.
The most convenient evening
and time for class sessions will
be determined at the first
meeting.
Council Studies Bids for Remodeling
Disposition of radio, city hall
basement remodeling, and in
surance bids occupied a consid
erable portion of the Jan. 8
meeting of the Palmer city
council, with the radio bid go
ing to Valley Peoples Store
and the Pippel Insurance
Agency being awarded the in
surance bid. A committee was
appointed to study the appar
ent low bid and the second low
bid on the basement remodel
ing job.
All councilmen were present
with the exception of Mayor
Ralph Moore, who is vacation
ing in Missouri, Arizona, and
California.
A motion to accept the Val
ley Peoples Store bid for John
son radios and equipment in
the amount of $1,242, less a
five per cent discount if paid
for in 60 days, was approved,
with Councilman Long casting
a negative vote. In discussion
preceding the vote, the major
ity of council members ex
pressed the opinion that the
Johnson radios are a reputable
line with repair parts and ser
vice available in the area.
A motion to accept the bid
of Pippel Insurance Agency in
the amount of $1,651.69 for
comprehensive general liabil
ity insurance on city operations
was approved unanimously. No
other bids were received.
Five bids on the city hall
basement remodeling job were
opened and read as follows:
Palmer Paint Company, $8,730;
Corbin and Sons, $7,999.50;
Haire Construction Company,
$10,403.65; Loyer and Sons,
$8,638; Bernard E. Locke,
$9,349.90.
A committee of three, coun
cilmen Maze, Frank, and Gei
witz, was appointed to meet
with the city manager and the
apparent low bidder, Corbin
and Sons, also the second low
bidder, Loyer and Sons, to dis
cus their interpretations of
what constitutes adequate
heating for the areas to be re
modeled. The bidders were al
so asked to bring samples of
the acoustical tile and asphalt
tile described in their bids.
The committee will report
back to the city council at a
special meeting, the date to be
set at a later time.
City attorney Burton Biss
recommended that in the fu
ture bids be opened at a speci
fied time a few days preceding
the council meeting, giving the
city manager an opportunity to
analyze them and to make rec
ommendations to t h e council
for action on them.
* * *
A letter was read from the
Department of Highways, re
questing that a representative
of the city be present at a joint
utility state session to be held
Jan. 30 in Anchorage, bringing
estimates of city planning for
the next five years. City man
ager Winston Gilchrist said
that he plans to attend the
meeting, and councilman John
son said that he would also at
tend in another capacity.
* * *
The city manager reported
that with about 25 per cent of
the fiscal year gone, about 24
per cent of the budget has been
expended, with a little over 21
per cent of these funds now in
receipt. He pointed out, how
ever, that there are a number
of outlying collections which
will more than balance the in
coming revenue with the out
going payments.
• • •
A motion to call for bids for
installation of the police car
and base station radios was
approved, with councilmen
Long and Maze voting against
the measure.
• * *
City manager Gilchrist poin
ted out in a discussion of indus
trial rates for city water that
the city at present has no pro
vision for a large user of wa
ter, and that some thought
should be given to setting up
a rate for commercial users.
Council members recommend
ed that the manager and wa
ter superintendent Busby study
the costs of supplying water
and try to arrive at a suitable
figure for industrial use.
* * •
Council approved a permit
for games of chance for the
Emblem Club of Palmer.
* * •
A letter from Donald Lowell
of the state Civil Defense
agency stated that the civil
defense generator, located in
the Matanuska Maid, Inc.
plant, has been turned over to
the city of Palmer for dispo
sition as they see fit. The pos
sibility of repairing the gen
erator for local emergency use
was discussed.
* • •
City attorney Burton Biss
recommended that the present
ordinance dealing with grant
ing business licenses be re
placed by one patterned after
the state business license law,
on a purely revenue basis; that
if a protection ordinance is
needed, it should be set up
separately.
• • •
Councilman Maze brought
(Continued on page 8)
Airmen Would Lease
For Maintenance
Matanuska Valley airmen
last night agreed to present a
; proposal to the Palmer City
i Council, recommending that
the city take over ownership
I of the Palmer airport, with air
i men subleasing for mainte
nance.
The decision came as a re
sult of a meeting of the air
men with Eugene Roguszka,
state director of the division of
aviation, and two members of
his staff. Glenn Clark, real es
tate officer, and Paul Dixon,
supervisor of operations.
Local airmen, who have
been greatly concerned over
the n e w leasing arrangement
for use of state-owned airports,
asked for the meeting to try to
find a solution to the problems,
which, it was pointed out by
Roguszka, are unique to the
! Palmer airport. At no other
airport in the state is there so
1 much privately owned proper
1 ty adjacent to the airport
which is used for airport pur
: poses, he said, adding t h a 1
1 many of the owners have beer
in business there for years and
; have homes located on theii
property. Also, there are mort
users at this airport than ai
| other state-owned airports.
: The leasing arrangement, ir
I effect since Nov. 11, woulc
■ charge airport users three cent:
, per square foot per year f o
1 tiedown space, on or adjacen
! to airport land, and the sam
1 fee for commercial installation
! on or adjacent to airport land
! Local airport businessmen fee
1 that the resultant yearly leasi
rate would be exorbitant to tin
extent that they would be for
ced out of business here
The division of aviation rep
resentatives presented as ar
alternative plan the idea o;
turning ownership of the air
port over to the city of Palm
1 er, which in turn could lease
| the airport to the local airmen
who would act as administra
tive agents.
Roguszka stated that since
federal funds have been ex
pended to improve the Palmer
: airport, present legislation for
: bids turning the airport over
I to private individuals or groups
—that ownership can be taken
over by a municipality only.
I Airmen at the meeting ex
I pressed interest in the 60 per
| cent return to the operating
I agency on the three per cent
per gallon airplane fuel tax.
They estimate that about 40.
| 000 gallons of fuel are sold at
the Palmer airport in a year,
which would amount to a $720
return to the city of Palmer.
The state budget for the 1963
fiscal year amounted to $4,500,
while $1,500 has been budgeted,
for operation and maintenance
for the; 1964 fiscal year. Asked
about the difference, Roguszka
said that this year’s budget al
lowed foV basic improvements
I as well 'is Operation and main
tenance. ’■
; Under a leasing arrangement,
I although operation and mainte
: nance would be handled by
i the airmen as agents of the
I city, the primary responsibil
1 ity of .ownership would remain
1 in the hands of the city, Ro
guszka said.
A committee of airmen,
Floyd Spickerman, Buddy
Woods, Dick Hamilton, and
Dick Geiwitz, were appointed
to meet with division of avia
tion officials to draw up the
proposal to be presented to the
city.
Several councilmen. inform
ed of the airmen’s plan, ex
pressed the opinion that con
siderable study would be nec
essary before the city of Palm
er ciuld undertake such a
movei
' ■ i —
LIONS observe
CHARTER NIGHT
!
. j The newly organized Mata
t; nusk4 YaUey Lions Club is
planning its Charter Night
; banquet for Saturday, Jan. 12,
5 at 8 p.m. in the Elks hall in
I Palmer, The dinner will be
preceded by a no-host cocktail
| hour from 7 to 8 p.m.
Master, of ceremonies will be
Jim Dodson, member of the
I staff at KENI. He is a member
I of thp Spenard Lions Club,
; which is sponsoring the Mata
nuslta Valley group,
j Guests will include Mayor
, George Sharrock of Anc horage
, and Melvin G. Harris, of Fair
banks, district governor of
Lions Club International.
Anyone who is interested in
becoming a Lion as a member
of the charter group is invited
to attend the affair.
Reservations for the dinner
may be made with, and tickets
may be purchased from Louis
Bencardino or Henry Corbin.
HOSPITAL PATIENTS
Patients at Valley Presbyter
ian Hospital during the week of
Jan. 2-9 were Mrs. James
Smyth and infant son, Bobby
Rin,' Suzanne Hermon, Ray
DePriest, John Lindberg, Har
very Hiber, Charles Chiritree,
Vera Rorrison, and George
McFeeley.
Aurora Dog Mushers Start Active
Season of Races on Echo Lake Trail
The Aurora Dog Mushers
| held their first race of the sea
| son on Sunday, Dec. 6, over
, their trail at Echo Lake, on the
road to the Yacht Club near
Big Lake.
Four mushers participated,
with A1 Hibbard coming in
first off the 12-mile trail in a
time of one hour and 28 min
utes. Second was Ed Carney
with the time of one hour and
28 minutes. Second was Ed
Carney with the time of o n e
hour and 32 minutes; Barney
Anderson came in third with
one hour and 54 minutes; and
fourth was Homer Carney with
two hours and 12 minutes.
A trophy to the first place
winner was donated by K. R.
Gillow’s Plumbing and Heating
of Wasilla. Knik Drilling Co.
and the Knik Bar donated the
second place trophy, and Mata
nuska Maid, Inc. donated the
trophy going to the third place
winner.
Three mushers from the Au
rora Club placed high in t h e
David Diehl Memorial race in
Anchorage Sunday, with Dick
Kopsak taking first place,
Ramey Redington coming in
second, and Mud Smyth pla
cing fifth.
The Aurora mushers will
welcome juniors to next Sun
day’s race (Jan. 13) with junior
races planned for one dog,
three dogs, and five dogs. All
juniors between the ages of
five and 18 may participate,
and are asked to get in touch
with Ed Carney of Wasilla or
Leo Kammermeyer of Palmer.
Trophies will be awarded to
the winning juniors.
The club also plans races for
Jan.' 20 and 27, and Feb. 10 and
17. The Aurora Dog Mushers*
championship races for both
juniors and seniors will be run.
on the Echo Lake trail on Mar.
9 and 10.
Club members will partici
pate in the Winter Carnival
races at Willow on Feb. 2 and
3, and will also be represented
at the Fur Rendezvous World
Championship races in Anchor
age on Feb. 22, 23, and 24. Au
rora mushers will also go to
Soldotna on March 2 and 3 for
the Alaska State Championship
races, and to Fairbanks on Mar.
23 and 24 to take part in the
North American Championship
Sled Dog Derby. Final races of
the year will be at Tok, March
29, 30, and 31.