Thought of the Week:
Vital statistics for the past
yaar show that a lot of people
went stork mad.
VOLUME 15. NUMBER 28
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PALMER. ALASXA, THURSDAY. APRIL 4. 1963
TEN PAGES
EASTER ART FESTIVAL
Entries Received
April 12. 7 - 9:30 p.m.
April 13, 9 - 10:30 a.m.
PALMER HIGH SCHOOL
CAFETERIA
PRICE 15 CENTS
Springer System Improvement Plans Aired
New School Supt.
Assumes Duties
Richard C. Carter, newly ap
pointed Palmer Schools super
intendent, arrived in the city
and assumed his new duties
Monday—April 1.
This is no “April Fool”, but
Carter reported that his form
er boss, Fairbanks Schools
Supt. C. W. Lafferty, made an
amused reference to this first
and April 1st day on the new
job when he released Carter
t:om his Fairbanks duties as
assistant superintendent late
last week.
The new superintendent ar
rived just in time to receive the
keys to the school from the
now former Supt. William T.
Zahradnicek, recently appoint
ed State Commissioner of Edu
cation. Before leaving for Jun
eau early Tuesday morning,
Zahradnicek also was able to
take his successor on a tour
of the schools and the city to
meet some of the people with
whom he will be associated.
Tne former superintendent
plans to be back in Palmer this
week-end and at frequent in
tervals until the close of the
current school year in order to
be of help to Carter and the
school district during this
transition period.
Referring to the 1957-59 peri
od when he was superintendent
oi schools at Fort Richardson,
the new superintendent observ
ed that he has lived near Pal
mer in the past and has been
in and out of the community a
r amber of times. “I like it,” he
s -.id. “I’m very pleased with
t .is appointment.
“The schools seem happy
; aces,” he added, "and this is
an indication of a stable com
munity.”
Carter’s wife, Nancy, remain
ed behind in Fairbanks to com
plete her studies at the Univer
sity of Alaska. She will gradute
in May, The couple has no
children.
ITEMS SOUGHT
FOH MVCCA-LIONS
BENEFIT AUCTION
The Matanuska Valley Crip
pled Children’s Assn, and the
Palmer Lions Club will co
sponsor a public auction to be
held on Valley street Saturday.
April 27, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Proceeds will benefit the MVC
CA speech and hearing clinic.
Anything of value that any
one wishes to donate for the
auction may be dropped off in
the former barber shop locat
ed in the Ehrhart building from
12 to 4 p.m. each Saturday be
fore the event. Pickup for such
donations is available by phon
ing Mrs. Doris Simpson,
PI 5-4021. or Mrs. Ralph Kos
losky, PI 5-3944. Items also
may be dropped off at the
Thrifty Variety.
Wasilla and Sutton residents,
also benefited by the clinic,
are urged to participate.
RYAN’S LYNES
By Jack Ryan
I don’t understand this rock
and roll music the kids like.
First the musicians blow up a
storm, then lightning strikes
the saxophone player.
* * *
I am going to record a case
of empty beer bottles churn
ing in our electric dryer. That
record will sell 2.000,000 cop
ies!
* * *
A rock and roll aggregation
consists of three steel guitars
and a sax. Each musician plays
a different tune. If that doesn’1
send you, you need mor«
stamps.
* * *
I told my son if he wants
to play that kind of music,
he should take up the French
tuba. I won't hare to wrap
that around his neck.
Progress Marked On (ily Sewer
Project, Zoning Ordinance
The city of Palmer's long
proposed sewer project and
| zoning ordinance took big steps
j forward Tuesday night when
: the council met in special ses
| sion.
By motion the council auth
orized City Manager Winston
; Gilchrist to sign a memoran
dum of intent to retain as the
city’s fiscal agent in matters
concerned with the financing
of the sewer system Donald A.
Meyer of the well known Seut
! tie firm. Marshall and Meyer.
Meyer, who has performed
! such services for most of Al
\ aska's larger cities, was pres
; ent at the meeting. Among oth
I er responsibilities as the city’s
fiscal agent he will draw up
! the prospectus for marketing
j the city's sewer facility bonds
1 as well as the proposal for the
boi d election.
The council also look action
| in reading for the second time
the proposed zoning ordinance,
approved by the City Planning
Commission following changes
proposed by the council in the
first reading last August. The
unanimous decision following
motion by Jack Maze reflects
the urgency attached to the
measure because of its rela
tionship to the preliminary de
sign for the sewer system. The
engineer’s report on the pro
posed sewer system mentions
specifically the necessity for
the design to provide adequate
sewer facilities for all uses, the
need for a zoning ordinance to
Professional Land Surveyors
To Hold Annual Moot Here Saturday
The Alaska Society of Pro- j
fessional Land Surveyors will
hold its fourth annual meeting
in Palmer Saturday, April 6,
Richard C. Demming, society
president, announced this
week.
An all day meeting is plan
ned for the many engineers and
land surveyors expected here
from all parts of the state. Reg
istration, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
in the Swanson school multi
purpose room, will be followed
by a two-hour talk and demon
stration on the “Electrotape”
by Mr. Charles B. Hemple of
Alternate Site Considered lor
Local Drag Strip Proposal
Plans for the proposed drag j
strip are shifting from the j
Palmer Airport to an area close 1
to but beyond the present in
corporated limits of the city of
Palmer, Police Chief Louis
Bencardino told the city coun
cil special session Tuesday
night.
Some 20 visitors interested in
the proposal were present from
the local and Anchorage areas.
Reason for the drag strip
group’s consideration of alter
nate plans, the police chief
1 said, were the controversy over
the use of the airport, the ex
ceedingly high price asked for
adjoining land considered nec
essary for the development, and
an offer of a tract of land large
enough to permit construction
of other facilities, such as a
circle track and a tilt cart
track, in addition to the regula
tion 400 foot drag strip.
“It’s large enough so that we
can also build our state fair
with a colliseum and adequate
parking provisions in the same
area,” he added. He also said
that the Alaska Railroad had
indicated that a spur could be
constructed so that racing ve
hicles, livestock and even visi
tors from all over the state
could be unloaded right in the
area.
This change in plans would
add to the cost of the drag j
strip—about $55,000 more than |
the airport plan. “But our fin
ancial advisor feels that this
amount can be absorbed with
out too much trouble,” Ben
cardino said.
After he had mentioned the
support and assistance the drag
strippers had received from a
group of local businessmen led
by E. V. Fish, that chamber of
commerce president rose to his
feet and announced with as
surance, “We’re going to have
a dragstrip!
“Not down by Knik Bridge
where an independent develop
er would construct motels, a
grocery and other commercial
facilities,” Fish added. “This—
our—proposal will bring money
into Palmer beyond our expec
tations.”
He then read a magazine arti- j
cle about the social and civic j
projects accomplished and fin
anced through their drag strip
operation surpluses by an Ev
anston, Indiana, group known
as the “Knights of the Road.”
Fish indicated that the local
group also might become a civ
ic and social asset to the com
munity.
Asked what the council
could do for the group, Fish re
plied, “We need your moral
support.” The council thereup
on passed a motion indicating
intent to support the project in
any way possible.
The Anchorage Timing As
sociation’s financial agent, Er
nst Brown, spoke about the
need for support from all the
people of Palmer, He said he
would talk to the council about
the financial aspects of the
dragstrip—the impact on busi
ness and the community — at
some future time.
In conclusion, Chief Bencar
dino also indicated need for
support from all the people—
not just a few. He mentioned
the Palmer Lions Club, which
has set up a committee to help
The drag strippers and busi
nessmen feel, he said, that they
can benefit the community
much more with the change in
site, where activities will not
be limited to Sundays and
special events difficult to co
ordinate. Expression of appre
ciation to those airmen who
had given their assistance in
the airport drag strip proposal
were followed by Bencardino’s
hope that the drag strippers
soon would be able to help the
city and the airmen with funds
for the city’s 19 percent share
of the cost of paving the air
strip under the Federal Airport
program.
control the location of speci
fier use areas and to control '
future subdivisions of the area ;
to be served, and finally to j
make provisions for enforcing j
the zoning ordinance.
Remarked Councilman Maze!
before making his second read-;
ing motion, "This is the third ;
council I've sat on in which i
we’ve had the zoning ordin-1
ance, and I finally want it |
passed.”
The proposed zoning ordin-!
ance first was presented to the I
council over three years ago.
It had been drafted by the j
planning commission with the
assistance of William Walker I
of the Alaska State Housing J
Authority following some three
years of study which included
preparation of a comprehensive
plan for development of the*
city. Although a number of
change, were made following
extensive review by the plan
ning commission between read
ings in this earlier considera
tion-of the ordinance, it failed
to win the majority approval
of the council in the third read
ing.
For the third reading of the
proposed ordinance in its pres
ent form at the regular coun
cil meeting April 9. City Clerk
Emilie St. Pierre told the coun
cil new copies will be prepared
incorporating all the changes.
And City Manager Winston
Gilchrist assured the council
that the proposed zoning map
with all use areas and subdivi
sions brought up to date also
would be ready.
THREE MVCCA BENEFIT EVENTS
SCHEDULED THIS WEEK END
Three fund-raising events are
planned this week-end for the
benefit of the Matanuska Val
ley Crippled Children's Assn,
speech and hearing clinic.
On Saturday, April 6, at
Teeland’s store, ladies of the
Wasilla Grunge are sponsoring
a bake sale. They ask anyone
who can help out on baked
items please to leave them at
Koslosky’s store anytime Fri
day or Saturday morning until
10:30 a.m. The baked goods
will be picked up and deliver
ed to Teeland’s Saturday morn
Cubic Corporation, San Diego,
California.
Following a no-host lunch
eon period, the professional
land surveyors will convene at
the Elks Lodge. There the an
nual business meeting will fol-,
lowr a talk on “Title Surveys in
Alaska” by Hal Lightle of Al
aska Title Guaranty Company.
New 1963-64 officers of the
A.S.P.L.S. will be elected at
the business meeting.
Final event of the one-day !
meeting will be a banquet slat- i
ed for 6:30 p.m. at Elks Lodge. I
ing. Need for baked items is
great, the Grange ladies say. as
they usually run out early in
the day.
Also on Saturday. April 6.
the Center Theater is sopnsor
ing a special midnight movie
with proceeds to go to MVCCA.
The film, "The Bob Mathias
Story" features the famous
athlete, and his wife, Melba.
Friday, Saturday and Sun
day garden fresh daffodils will
be offered for sale by the Pal
mer Garden Club, with pro
ceeds to go to MVCCA. The
daffodils have been ordered by
Koslosky's for the chapter, and
members of the Garden Club
have volunteered their time to
to sell them. "Buy them, enjoy
them, and you’ll be helping
some local child or adult." said
Betty Mears, club president.
"AFFAIRS OF STATE"
FINAL TRYOUTS FRI.
Final tryouts for the Valley
Theater Guild production "Af
fairs of State” have been sch
eduled by Mrs. Joyce Kerttula,
director, for Friday. April 5 at
8 p.m. in the high school. Two
male lead parts, one for a past
Secretary of State and the
other newly appointed, remain
to be filled.
Chamber Hears of
State Forestry,
Parks Activity
Three men interested in for
estry and recreational park de
velopment in the state were
guests of the Matanuska Val
ley Chamber of Commerce at
the regular Frontier Cafe
luncheon meeting Wednesday.
They were A. J. Daley, man
ager of the wood products divi
sion of the Weyerhaeuser Com
pany of Tacoma; Earl Plourde. i
, state forester, and Ted Smith.
Doth of the Forestry, Parks and
! Recreation section of the state
Division of Lands.
Plourde, the featured speak- (
er. was enthusiastic about the!
potential of the Matanuska- Su
i sitna area. "Our cottonwood is
among the finest in the world,"
he said, "And other species
such as spruce, birch and aspen
compare favorably with the.
Great Lakes region, Canada
, and the Scandinavian coun
tries."
He described as a step in tHe
I right direction a Senate bill
now before the Alaska Legis
I lature which would provide for
an inventory of state forestry |
resources. Because there has
been no such inventry, specific
information relating to Alas
ka's timber stands could not be !
j given to industries which might |
i otherwise have been interested
in development of these resour
ces. Money appropriated in a
I companion bill would make
possible such inventories in
six major areas as well as a i
determination of quantity and i
i quality in each area, Plourde
j said. In addition, other resour- I
ces will be inventoried along j
' with the timber—agriculture,
recreation—in an over-all land
use plan.
I He observed that winter log
: ging is entirely feasible in this
| area and much cheaper, since i
the general lack of roads in
■ forest areas make for difficult
logging in summer.
(Continued on page 10)
Many Prizes For
Art Festival
Entry blanks and detailed in
structions for the Easter Art
Festival are now available in
Wasilla at Teeland’s in addition
to Bert's Drug and Kitty’s Kof
fee Mill in Palmer as announc
ed last week.
Mrs. Vernon Van Auken,
the festival chairman observed
that many children in
I served that many children in
the area have the idea that
I only oil paintings will be ac
cepted for the children’s show
I for those 12 years of age and
under. This is not true. Any
medium is acceptable, she said
—drawings, water colors and
, particularly crayon. If there are
enough entries in the children's
! class, she said, there will be
! subdivisions within this class
according to age-group. Local
merchants have donated many
i exciting gifts to be used as
i prizes for the children's show.
The special bus to bring An
I chorage area art patrons to the
j festival, as announced last
week, will leave Anchorage at
1 p.m. and return at 6 p.m.
I Tickets can be obtained from
! the Color Center at Firth and
j B streets. They should be pur
; chased in advance in order to
reserve a place on the 44-Pas- |
senger bus. Cost of the round !
I trip ticket is $3.
Mrs. Van Auken emphasized
i this week that the transfer ser
| vice for artists’ supplies report
j ed in last week’s Frontiersman
' is at no charge to the artist
Lions Plan Easter Egg
Hunt at City Park
The Matanuska Valley Lions
Club will sponsor an Easter
Egg Hunt for children of the
Valley under 10 years of age,
in the City Park on Walker
Street, on Easter Sunday, April
14, at 3 p.m.
Said Preston Williams and
Les Maynard, the committee in
charge of the event, “Bring
your children to join the fun.”
5.49 Miles Bituminous
Cover in Highways
Project for 1963
State Department of High
ways plans for improving the
springer Loop System this
iummer were revealed to
nembers of the Palmer city
,-ouncil meeting in special ses
sion Tuesday night,
Robert Gray, pre-construc- i
ion engineer on the project,
lescribed the planned improve
ment after introducing Walter
Lewis and Carl Malby, project
iesign engineers, and David
lames, project right-of-way
igent.
The approved project. Gray
laid, calls for a 30-foot wide
;ubgrade and a 30-foot finished '
width of bituminous treatment
—“a three-shot application."
I’his improvement would cover
a total of 0.491 miles of the
Loop system, including that
part within the city from the
city limits at the high school
to the Springer Road intersec
tion with Fairview Avenue,
thence west past the Fair
Grounds and over the railroad
crossing to a junction with the
Matanuska highway.
That part within the city —
2,825 feet—was the subject of
the discussion between the
Department of Highways engi
neers and the council. Although
the improvement is being fi
nanced through the Federal-aid
Highway program, the 5.11
per cent of the total cost with
in the city not covered by fed
eral funds will be the city's
responsibility a c c o r d i n g to
state law. Gray explained. Ac
cording to pre-construction es
timates this would amount to
about $2,000, Gray estimated,
but a better figure would be
known after bids on the pro
ject are opened. It will be then
that the city will be asked to
sign an agreement with the
state.
Possible problems presented
by the proposed 80-foot right
of-way (40 feet on either side
of the center line of the exist
ing road) and the height of the
finished grade (30 inches above
present grade) were discussed.
Gray explained that the pro
posed grade for the road is
necessary for proper founda
tion and for proper drainage
for the area—a most important
area in the city’s drainage sys
tem. "Our designers have tra
ced the drainage so that none
of the water will he pocketed.
thus impeding natural drain
off," he indicated.
Answers to questions reveal
ed that the grade will provide
for a flat approach to the rail
road tracks at the Fairview
crossing and that a perhaps
three percent approach will be
necessary from 10 ARA homes
to Springer road. None of the
fair buildings will have to be
moved because of right-of-way
width. but the high school will
lose its parking space in front
—dangerous, anyway. Gray
said. The right-of-way would
extend to the west end of the
sidewalks in front of the
Church of Latter Day Saints.
A five-foot easement for utility
poles has been worked out with
MEA. Gray said. He also indi
cated that a similar easement
could be worked out for pro
posed city sewer lines if plans
are given immediately to the
project design engineers.
The state highway officials,
while taking on the responsi
bility for obtaining right-of
way easements both within
and outside the city, would
appreciate the cooperation of
the people in expediting this
process, Gray told the council.
No Change In
ARRC Activities
As Hurley Resigns
There will be no change ' t
the activ ities of the Alaska
; Rural Rehabilitation Cerp. —
' just a change in face, said Cor
; poration Manager James H .r
1 ley this week in confirming a
report that he would resign the
position he has held for the
past 14 years.
May 1 is Hurley’s target date
for relinquishing the ARRC job
and concentrating his full time
efforts on operations of the Al
aska Hardwood Company in
Wasilla where he is acting
manager.
No successor was named by
members of the ARRC board
who met in the corporation of
fice last week Tuesday. Named
to a committee to interview ap
plicants for the manager posi
tion vacated by Hurley’s resig
nation include Louis Odsather
of Anchorage. Don Irwin and
Hurley.
"We’re interested in talking
to anyone who wants to apply."
Hurley added.
END OF ’63 LEGISLATIVE
SESSION NEARS, REP. REID REPORTS
In his telephoned report to
tiie Frontiersman Wednesday,
Rep. Eugene Reid indicated
that the first session of the
Third State Legislature would
adjourn this week-end — late
Saturday or Sunday.
He said that the appropria- j
tion for legislative expenses
beyond 60 days would run out
Saturday. And there’s a sub
stantial group in the House
which has indicated that no
further appropriations for this
purpose would be approved.
Reid made the following
comments on bills of interest
to people of the Seventh Elec
tion District:
The Rader borough bill.
CSI1B90 as amended, passed
the Senate Wednesday on a re
consideration vote. The Senate
later approved a House rejec
tion of a Senate amendment so
that the January 1. 1964 date
for final incorporation of eight
boroughs, including this elec
tion district, remains in the
bill as it goes to the governor.
Public Service Commission
bills: A new Commerce Com
mittee bill, HB228 which pro
vides for certification of exist
ing public utility services, pass
ed the House Wednesday. Reid
described this bill as a “toe in
door”, and his misgivings about
the effect of the bill in practice
prompted him to vote against
(Copies of this bill had not
been received in Palmer this
morning because extensive
snow in the Juneau area has
prevented planes from landing
or taking off.) Reid advised
those who would oppose pas
sage of this legislation in this
session should wire members
of the Senate immediately.
HB144. appropriating state
funds to match federal funds
for Accelerated Public Works
Program construction of for
est management facilities, pass
ed the House with the inclusion
of Big Lake facility. Reid said
that those who believe, as he
does, that this forest facility
will benefit the district should
wire their approval to their
Senators. The item still might
be taken out.
The state budget bill is ex
pected to be brought down to
the House this afternoon about
4 p.m. If it does, Reid said, the
House will probably work into
the night in order to gain an
extra day.
Commenting on the continu
ing snow in the area, Reid,
concluded, “No planes, no mail
—only telephone and telegraph.
Hope to see you the first of the
week.”