Valdez News
City Council To Buy Skating Floor For Gym
City Council Names
Health Officer,
Approves Rink Cost
A health officer was appointed
for Valdez, at the request of Miss
Rita Dingman, public health
nurse, at the recent city council
meeting. Miss Dingman pointed
out that the officer was needed to
inspect and control eating estab
lishments and food handlers in
Valdez, to immunize in the event
of an epidemic of contagious dis
ease in Valdez and to control
other conditions which menace
the public health.
The council voted to pay a sal
ary of $25 monthly to the health
oiiicer and appointed Dr. Ken
neth Ham. It was not known, at
press-time, whether Dr. Ham ac
cepted the appointment.
Mrs. Deane Jennings, president
of the Women’s Civic Club, asked
the council to purchase a suitable
floor for roller skating in the
gymnasium. She pointed out that
the club had purchased skates for
this purpose, but that future
skating would have to be indefi
nitely postponed, if they were re
quired to carry the full financial
burden of a floor, .estimated to
cost $1,500 installed.
The council voted to purchase a
Recommended masonite flooring
and to install it. Mayor Guy
Stith promised to order the ma
terials at once.
The school board, Mrs. William
Egan, Mrs. Jennings and Leo
Soward, presented the 1950-’51
school budget for council consid
eration and approval. The total
budget exceeds this year’s ex
penditures, it was explained, be
cause another teacher must be
added, and because an increased
enrollment in Valdez School is
(Continued on Back Page)
Rowena Redmond Is
honored on Birthday
Mrs. Larry Herman entertained
a host of friends of her young
niece, Rowena Redmond, on Ro
v.ena’s recent eighth birthday.
The party was held April 28. The
event was also a farewell party
for Rowena, who since has re
turned to New York.
Party guests enjoyed games and
contests at which many of the
children won prizes. The door
prize was won by Dianne Mat
thews.
Refreshments included birthday
cakes frosted to resemble merry
go-rounds. Following the lunch,
Rowena opened many lovely gifts.
Party guests included:
Duane White, Shirley White,
Larry and Eddie Severs, Dianne
and Carol Matthews, Robert
Thatcher, Sharon Anderson, Bon
ette Harrison, Alice Huddleston,
Freddie O’Dell, Pat Mcllroy,
Idetta Vietti, Dennis Jennings,
Marilyn Simpson and Mary Jane
Schmidt.
Lee Ann Thatcher planned the
games and contests for the chil
dren.
Mother's Day Assembly
Planned at School Mon.
A special Mother’s Day pro
gram and assembly will be held
at the Valdez School on Monday,
May 15, superintendent Harold
French announced today. #The
program is planned by students
of the lower grades of Valdez
School, but the entire student
body will participate in the pro
gram.
Mothers of school students will
be special guests for the program.
All Teachers Are
Asked to Return
All of the six teachers on this
year’s staff at Valdez School have
been re-elected by the board of
trustees, it was announced this
week by Superintendent Harold
French. Mr. French said the
board at first considered some
changes, but after further delib
eration decided to ask the entire
staff to return.
The teachers who have been of
fered contracts for next year’s
term are:
Buck G. and Winona Stout,
Mrs. Ruth Dolan, Mrs. Mabel An
derson and Mr. and Mrs. Harold
French.
It is not known if all of the
six intend to return. The Frenchs
are considering submitting their
resignation, in order that Mr.
French may take advantage of
the G.I Bill for further study. The
couple also has been offered a
teaching position in the states,
and they are giving that post
some thought.
Historic Pinzon
Reopens in Valdez
On April 27
Many Valdez residents thronged
to the Pinzon Bar on the evening
of April 27, to wish owner C. J.
“Truck” Egan prosperity and suc
cess on the eve of the reopening
of this popular recreation center
in Valdez. Mr. Egan closed the
Pinzon four months ago,, because
of illness, and to do some redec
orating. It was the first time in 21
years the Pinzon had been closed.
The establishment has long
been a landmark in Valdez. It
was built in 1917, on what was
then known as the A1 White Cor
ner. In its early days it was a
gambling hall, saloon and dance
hall. It is furnished with two
large mahogany bars, one of
which is a vei’y ornate fixture,
manufactured in 1903 and shipped
to Valdez for the Pinzon’s open
ing in 1917.
Mr. Egan has been a Valdez
; resident since 1906. He boughts
I an interest in his present business ;
j in 1927 and became sole owner in
i 1940.
Since its earliest days, the Pin
zon has been a Valdez center for
recreation and entertainment.
In addition to the bar, the pres
ent establishment includes a cafe,
where meals are served by Joann
Berry and Sue Souers. There are
also pool and billiard tables in
the rear of the establishment, and j
a number of Valdez women gath- |
er there in the afternoons to play j
pool.
VALDEZ GRADUATION
TO BE MAY 17. 2 P.M.
Valdez School’s eight gradu
ates, one from high school and
seven from the eighth grade, will
receive their diplomas at a spe
cial commencement assembly on
May 17, superintendent Harold
French announced today. The
commencement exercises will be
held in the school auditorium at
two o’clock. Friends and rela
tives are invited to attend.
Only one high school student,
Fred Hobson, will be graduated
from Valdez High School this
year. Fred has received a schol
arship from the University of
Alaska, and he plans to enroll
there next year.
The seven graduates of the
eighth grade at Valdez School in
clude:
Wayne Schmidt, Andy Day, Jr.,
Earl George, Thelma Fleury,
Jacky Hobson, Larry Anderson
and Johnny Schultz.
Talkeetna Teacher Will Spend
Summer at Home in Valdez
Mrs. Helen Smith of Valdez,
who has been teaching at Tal
keetna this term, will spend her
summer vacation at home, she
said this week. Mrs. Smith plans
to return to the Talkeetna School
next fall.
Frenchs Visit Palmer Last Week
Mr. and Mrs. Harold French,
Valdez high school teacher and
school superintendent, spent last
Friday and Saturday in Palmer.
They were here for emergency
dental treatment.
Valdez Ice Worms Work On Model Aircraft,
Photography, Radio And Hamburger Stand
There are ice worms in Alaska.
They’re right in Valdez today.
The much - debated clammy
crawlers came to light at a teen
agers’ meeting here on May 6.
The Valdez teeners were plan
ning a social club, and the ques
tion of name arose. The answer
was easy. “We’ll be Valdez ice
worms,” the youngsters agreed.
And so ice worms it is.
The teeners were organized
through the efforts of M. L.
“Brownie” Brown, who called
them together last Saturday. Mr.
Brown sees the organization,
which has the complete backing
of Valdez businessmen, as a “club
for young people, operated by
young people—but with adult
supervision.”
Entertainment plans cover the
craft fields as well as social ac
tivities. It is planned to include
model aircraft construction, build
ing of boats and racers, photog
raphy, music, radio and dancing.
The teeners will operate their
own coke bar and hamburger
stand in their club rooms, when
they get club rooms. To date they
are a club without club rooms,
but they’re investigating possi
bilities and they expect to have a
base of operations soon.
An initial set of officers and
by-laws was selected at last
week’s meeting. There will be no
club dues, but the treasury will
be stoked through profits from
the sale of cokes and hamburger
and through fines. When a month
ly audit shows a profit, the ex
cess cash will be plowed back
into the club rooms in the way
of improvements. However no
money can be spent without the
approval of the board of trustees.
Officers elected include:
Dean Thatcher, president; Lar
ry Anderson, vice-president; Har
vey Wieler, treasurer; Lee Ann
Thatcher, secretary; Larry Severs.
Wayne Schmidt, Nancy Beals and
Roberta Persinger, members of
the board of trustees.
It was decided that officers
would hold their seats for only a
month, before a new group is
elected. Teeners liked the idea
of every club member having the
opportunity to hold office. Any
officer not present at a regular
Monday meeting will be fined,
unless he has a legitimate excuse
for his absence.
Clubrooms, when they become
available, will be open nightly
so that members can work on
their projects.
As adult supervisors for the
club, members voted to ask for
Jess O’Dell, Marvin Beals, Owen
Johnson and Mr. Anderson.
Businessmen who already have
promised active sponsorship of
the Ice Worms include:
C. J. Egan, William Egan, Guy
Stith, men of the ACS station at
Valdez, Owen Johnson, John Kel
sey, Bob Kelsey, Mr. Jarvi, Mr.
Starbuck and the proprietors ot
the Club Valdez.
Still other businessmen are ex
pected to be added to the list in
the near future, Mr. Brown said.
Not all of them have been
l’eached yet.
The club will meet again at the
call of Mr. Brown. As soon as
organization is complete, Monday
will be the regular business meet
ing night of the Ice Worms.
WOMEN’S CLUB
PLEADS, CITY DIGS UP
$1,500 FOR FLOOR
In answer to a plea for help in
the problem of a roller skating
floor, the Valdez city council has
agreed to purchase and install the
proper floor in the school gym
nasium, it was announced at the
last meeting of the Women’s Civic
Club. Mrs. Deane Jennings and
Mrs. Bob Jeris met with the
council early in May to press the
club’s plea.
The council will purchase a
tempered masonite floor at an
estimated cost of $1,500, installed.
The floor material already is or
dered, and it is expected that the
! roller rink again will be in opera
| tion in another month.
Dr. Kenneth Ham asked the
club to sponsor an open house at.
the Valdez Community Hospital
Date for the event still is uncer
tain, but Dr. Ham felt the hospital
staff would be ready for the event
by May 21. Mrs. Minnie Thomp
son was named to chairmanship >
of a committee which will help'
plan the open house.
Miss Helen Long reported that
plans for a buffet supper for the
entertainment of visiting dele
gates from the Seattle Chamber
of Commerce cannot be fulfilled",,
because the visitors have only a:
short stay in Valdez.
At the conclusion of the busi
ness meeting for this, the last
meeting of the club year, a spe
cial program was presented.
Mrs. Katheryn Fawcett and
Mrs. Margaret Harrais were pre
sented life memberships in the
Women’s Civic Club, in recogni
tion of their outstanding contribu
tions toward civic betterment
oyer a period of years. Miss Rita
Dingman made the presentation.
Mrs. Harrais was ill and unable
to be present to accept her mem
bership.
Mrs. Dean Jennings, retiring
president of the club, was given
a pen and pencil set in tribute
to her excellent and untiring
work as club president during the
past year.
New officers were seated in an
installation ceremony. Mrs. Jack
Thatcher installed these women
as club officers:
Mrs. Bill Mcllroy, president;
Mrs. Jess O’Dell, vice-president;
Mrs. Florence Ingraham, secre
tary; Mrs. Sid Moore, treasurer;
Mrs. Lou Taylor, public relations
officer.
Mrs. Mcllroy then appointed
Mrs. William Blakesley as chair
j man of the local chapter of the
- Alaska Crippled Children’s Asso
ciation. Mrs. Kenneth Ham was
asked to head the Valdez chapter
of the Alaska Tuberculosis Asso
! ciation.
It was suggested that Mrs. Tay
lor, the newly-appointed public
• information officer, set up an in
formation booth at Valdez Dock
for the convenience of tourists
and boat travellers.