VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN
Owned and Published by Anchorage Shopping Guide, Inc.
PRINTED AT PALMER, ALASKA, EACH FRIDAY
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the post office at
Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Viola Daniels ...Editor
Barbara Carter ...Wasilla Correspondent
Mrs. Jack Thatcher ....Valdez Correspondent
Subscription Rates..^....SOc a month, $5 a year
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
No printed material in the Valley Frontiersman may
be reproduced except by permission of the publishers.
DANIELS—In The Lion’s Den
This week, we'd like to extend a word of greeting
and congratulations to Harry Hegdahl, owner ana
publisher of the Homer News. The first copy of Ho
mer's new mimeographed sheet reached our desk
just this week. •
And right along with our words of congratulation,!
we'd like to reach deep down into our five-year back
ground of country newspaper editor-ing, and stick in
some condolences—we know he's going to need our
expression of sympathy a good deal more than he'll
ever feel the need for a congratulatory word from us.
We'd like to forewarn Mr. Hegdahl, in the hope
that maybe he can either skirt or hurdle the pitfalls
that we've ploughed right through (and sometimes
mired right down in, clear up to our outstuck neck).
For instance, we'd like to let Mr. Hegdahl know j
about this matter of names in the news. It won't be
long before he's annoyed some of the good Homer-ites
by putting their names in a news story; and then it
won't be much longer before he's annoyed some more
of them by not putting their names in a news story.
As far as we know, there's not much to do in a
situation like that, but let nature take its course. In
either event the end result will be the same—cancel
lations in the subscription list.
Then there'll be the day that Mr. Hegdahl, con
vinced he's uncovered a newsworthy item that will
appeal to Homer folks, will go to some lengths to de
velop a story that he feels will have interest and appeal
to his readers. That's the day the heavens will descend
about his ears, for as sure as taxes, there'll be some
thing in that story that, inoffensive as it may seem,
will annoy his biggest advertiser, and there'll go his:
primary source of newspaper revenue.
The consolation here, though, Mr. Hegdahl, is f
that the chief advertiser's chief competitor will be so
happy at the annoyance that hereafter he will come
in with more than enough advertising to replace the
lost space.
Then there'll be two schools of thought on the
type of news that ought to appear in the Homer News.
There'll be those staunch Homer-ites who will feel that
even a casual mention of the weather must reflect
nothing but good. Therefore, if Mr. Hegdahl says it's
raining, representatives of that school will pin his ears
back. However, if he decides to temporize and admit
that the sun always shines in Homer, then proponents
of the other school of thought will blast him for making j
the country sound so attractive that hordes of cash-less j
new settlers will bend tneir tootst.eps toward Homer,!
there to take all the good land from the pioneering!
residents and remain to eke out a living through the
gracious handouts of those self-same pioneers.
Finally, there will be the matter of editorials. If
Mr. Hegdahl is a true newspaperman, he probably wili
feel the editorial is an essential of his paper. Now
here's where his readers really will get in their innings.
If his editorials are rose-colored, he'll be criticized for
lack of policy ana evasion of truth. If his editorials on
occasion find it necessary to name a spade a spade,
u n be condemned by his readers either as (a) a con
servative, (b) a communist, (c) an outsider who is try
ing to run the town of Homer to suit himself.
If, on the other hand, Mr. Hegdahl is wise beyond
the point of newspaper ideals, he may decide that the
Homer News can get along without an editorial. But
once he's embarked upon that course, there'll be a
great hue and cry about the lily-livered editor who's
trying to gouge a living from the town, without ever
doing anything to help that town get ahead. : |
All in all, Mr. Hegdahl can be sure of only one
! thing-—there are two sides to every question and the
newspaper is bound to be backing the wrong side 90
jper cent of the time. But aside from losing paid read
ers (and they'll still read your paper, Mr. Hegdahl,
| even if they stop paying for it—the more outspoken
lyour opponents, the more fingermarked and worn the
News copies will be that are returned unsold from
! Homer's newsstands) and paid advertising, the Homer
iNews won't suffer many substantial setbacks.
LOCAL C. OF C.—
(Continued from page 1)
j member suggested that a petition
I be circulated to see if publii opin
■ ion favored municipal incorpora
tion at this time.
After a somewhat protracted
\
j liscussion, all suggestions were
j dropped in favor of a motion of
j idjournment.
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember?
I
YOU'LL FIND
HOME COOKING
AWAY FROM HOME
at the
RON-DA-VOO CAFE
HOME-MADE CAKES and PIES
MEALS SERVED AT ALL TIMES — OPEN 24 HOURS
Grapefruit Juice51.00
Hunt's
Tomato Juice “r 51°
Holly Hill 46-oz. con
Graoetruit Juice 59e
Del Monte
Blended Juice 60'
Tea Garden
Grape Juice ,„.rt 75'
Sunsweet
Prune Juice 65'
5 & W
Vegetable Jce. 22'
Libby's
Pear Juice t"' 23'
SUGAR „t. *13.251
(ALL ITEMS LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND)
Valley Grocery
- Cash and Carry
Ooen Dailv From 9 A. M» to, 9 P. M.
TRUCK TRAVEL BAN—
(Continued From Page 1)
riods of time, as during the early
morning hours when the temper
ature is coldest, for any truly
emergency hauls. It also may be
possible to permit movements of
light loads of a ton or two. He
said the milk delivery would be
given careful consideration, when
the request for an emergency per
mit is received in Juneau.
The road commissioner empha
sized the point that paving is new
to Alaskan highways, and this
year’s closing order was issued,
■;o that frost action under the
pavement could be tested. If
remedial measures are necessary,
they can be best undertaken
while the paving is still in its ex
perimental stage.
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