Valdez News
VOL. 1, NUMBER 36
VALDEZ. ALASKA. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 17. 1950
PRICE 10c
Work On Tunnel To Be Continued This Winter
Valdez is ‘Life’
Magazine Subject
According lo Report
The fabulous beauty of Valdez
scenery is slated to be depicted in
Life magazine for all the world
to see, according to a report from
the city this week. An Army
photographer was a recent visitor
at the port city.
During his three-day stay he
took a multitude of pictures of the
city, its streets, barges lying at
anchor and the scenery in all its
* splendor. A great part of those
pictures were said to be for Life
magazine with a number of them
to go to an Army publication. The
photographer was accompanied
on his trip here by Lyle John
ston.
John H. Bakers
Celebrate Silver
Wedding Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Baker of
Valdez, married for 25 years,
iielebrated their Silver Wedding
anniversary on November 9. They
received many lovely gifts which
included a sewing machine. Mr.
Baker is employed at the Alaska
Freight Lines garage here.
Parents Are Guests
At Open House Tea
Held at School
An open house tea and special
program held at the Valdez
school in observance of National
Education Week was well attend
ed with 50 parents registering as
guests, and several others attend
ing, who failed to get their names
on the register.
The young ladies of the High
School Economics Class acted as
hostesses at the tea which was
held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, No
vember 6, at the school. A skat
ing party was arranged for the
students during the afternoon.
The entire school, both students
and teachers, spent the preceding
Monday making preparations for
the open house and tea.
ANNOUNCE SCHOOL
HOLIDAY VACATIONS
Holiday plans are already be
ginning to take shape at Valdez
with the announcement of school
vacations. The Thanksgiving hol
iday will include Thursday and
Friday, November 23 and 24.
A ten - day Christmas school
vacation is scheduled. Students
will not return to school until
January 2 after classes are dis
missed on Friday, December 22. I
MOVES GIFT SHOP
TO LARGER QUARTERS
Mrs. Margarite Matson recently
moved her gift shop to larger
quarters although it is still locat
ed in the building owned by Wil
liam Whalen. Her shop is now
located next to the post office,
in the space formerly occupied by
the Bell Streeter’s dress shop.
Community
Calendar
November 21
ROLLER SKATING, school gym,
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
November 23
BASKETBALL, schooLgyitt, 7:30
p.m.
THURSDAY Club meets at 8 p.m.
November 24
ROLLER SKATING, 7:30 p.m. to
9:30 p.m.
November 27
CHORAL singing 7:30 p.m., Miss
Long’s.
November 28
ROLLER SKATING, 7:30 p.m. to
9:30 p.m.
T. B. Seat Sale
Held by Civic Club
Gaily designed in Yuletide col
ors of red and green, the Tuber
culosis seals this year will make
most attractive decorations for
Christmas mail and packages, of
ficers of the Valdez Women’s Club
pointed out this week in announc
ing that the club is now conduct
ing the annual T.B. Seal sale as
its current project. So that every
one here may get his supply of
the attractive seals for Christmas
mail and wrapping, the sale was
started here in ample time, the
officers stated.
Plans for the seal sale were
completed at the regular meeting
of the club on November 7 at the
home of Mrs. Katherine Fawcett.
A note of thanks extended by the
Valdez high school students was
also read at the meeting. The
students expressed the school’s
appreciation for a successful Hal
lowe’en party sponsored by the
Valdez Women’s Civic Club.
At the conclusion of the busi
ness meeting, refreshments were
served by the hostess.
Entertain at Card
Party November 10
Mrs. George Fawcett and Mrs.
William Mclllroy of Valdez en
tertained as co - hostesses at a
bridge and canasta party last
week. The card party was held
Friday, November 10, at the home
of Mrs. Fawcett.
Guests in attendance included
the Mesdames Jack Antritter,
Harold Jorgenson, James Dolan,
Raymond Huddleston, Owen
Meals, Charles Wilcox, R. D.
Thompson, B. D. Stewart, Jr.,
William Egan, R. D. Kelsey, Jr.,
Guy Hayden, John Ekemo, Peter
Lovseth, Elmer White, Larry
Parker, Jess Odell, Lou Taylor
and the Misses Rita Dingman and
Helen Long.
At the conclusion of the games,
refreshments were served by the
co-hostesses.
Roddy Beals Elected Student Body
Association President for 1950-51
Roddy Beals is the new presi-i
dent of the Valdez School Student
Body Association, it was an
nounced this week. He was named
president in an election of officers
to serve for the year 1950-51.
Loretta Hibner is the new vice
president; Shirley Campbell, sec
retary; Darlene Baker, treasurer,
and Bonnie Kaser, public rela
tions. A Student Body Associa
tion advisor is yet to be elected,
according to the announcement.
Class officers were also an
nounced with Lee Ann Thatcher
honored as senior class president.
Other officers who will serve with
Miss Thatcher are Loretta Hib
ner secretary; Roddy Beals, treas
urer Bonnie Kaser, public rela
tions. Sponsor for the senior
class is Mrs. James Dolan.
Jimmy Segerquist, heads the
Junior-Sophomore class officers
as president. Other class officers
are Darlene Baker, secretary;
Shirley Campbell, treasurer, and
Marlene Baker, public relations.
Miss Ruth N. Foy is sponsor of
the class.
Miss Elaine Alexander was
elected freshman class president.
With her, Jean Campbell will
serve as secretary and Larry An
derson as treasurer. Mrs. James
Dolan is fseshman class sponsor.
Both the junior-senior and the
freshman classes are now engaged
in money - raising projects. On
Thursdays the juniors and sopho
mores sell candy at the games at
the high school gymnasium and
also at the movies. Members of
the freshman class sell popcorn
at the shows as their project to
raise money.
Passenger Ships,
Freighters, keep
Valdez Port Busy
The arrival of ships, both pas
senger and freighter, and an al
most continuous movement of
freight shipments keeps the Port
of Valdez humming with activ
ity.
More freight was brought into
the port on November 9 with the
arrival of the Square Knot and
the tug boat, Maclowfay, also
towing a barge loaded with
freight. Included in the freight
arriving here on the barge were
trailers for the Alaska Freight
Line.
The Alaska Steamship Company
has started its fall and winter
passenger ship schedule for both
this and next year. The S.S. Den
ali is due to arrive tonight, on its
usual passenger run.
Win Oil Co. Scholarships
For the second consecutive year
Mrs. Patricia O’Keefe Skoog, sen
ior, and Helen L. Oswalt, junior,
at the University of Alaska, have
received $500 scholarships from
the Standard Oil Company of
California.
BASKETBALL SEASON
OPENS HERE TONIGHT
Local fans at Valdez are en
thusastically commenting that
they “are glad that the season is
finally here” as the official open
ing of the Basketball season nears.
The opening game of the season
is set for tonight at the high
school gymnasium.
The high school has more team
members this year than last, ac
cording to the announcement.
Three letter men v. ho are return
ing to the team include Roddy
Beals, Dean Thatcher, and Jimmy
Segerquist.
MILD WINTER
Reports on the weather at
Valdez are that so far winter
has been very mild. The
strongest wind was on Novem
ber 5 when the weather man
reported a velocity of 28 miles
per hour.
STORK BRINGS ONLY
BOY BABIES FOR NEW
PARENTS AT VALDEZ
The stork has overlooked girl
babies entirely on recent arrivals
at Valdez and has delivered only
little boys to new parents here.
Three of the little boys were all
born on November 7.
Among the new sons arriving
for families here was Thomas
Daniel, born November 7 to Mr.
and Mrs. John Gilson. The little
boy weighed eight pounds, eight
and one-half ounces at birth.
Also arriving on November 7
was a son for Mr. and Mrs. John
Sweeney. The little boy was born
at Providence Hospital at An
chorage. He weighed six pounds,
eleven ounces on arrival.
Mr. and Mrs. John Hanson also
welcomed a son on November 7.
The new arrival weighed five
pounds, fourteen ounces at birth.
On November 12, a son for Mr.
and Mrs. Steve Tottemoff arrived,
weighing seven pounds, thirteen
ounces at birth. *
Mr. and Mrs. Vern Whitmarsh
of Anchorage and former resi
dents of Valdez have been noti
fied that there is a brand new
baby girl waiting for them in Se
attle. The couple have had their
names on an adoption list with an
agency there for some time.
2 CHURCH SERVICES
TO BE HELD SUNDAY
Two worship services will be
held at the Church of the Epiph
any this week-end. The first
service will be Holy Communion
at 8:30 a.m., with prayer service
to follow at 11 a.m. Father War
ner will officiate.
Keystone Canyon,
Tunnel, Opened for
Night Driving Only
The tunnel and Keystone Can
yon will be closed to ail day traf
fic, The Alaska Road Commis
sion at Valdez warned motorists
this week in announcing that con
struction work on the tunnel will
be continued through the winter
months. As soon as the work gets
under way, the tunnel will be
closed daily between the hours of
6 a.m. and 6 p.m., ARC officials
said. All trucks and cars driving
to or from Valdez will have to
plan their trip so as to pass
through the tunnel and Keystone
Canyon at night, they stated,
when traffic may be safely routed
through.
Contractors for the work at the
tunnel which is expected to con
tinue for the next six months, are
McLaughlin Company. Sub-con
tractors are the Fox & Gates Com
pany. From 12 to 15 men will be
employed on the tunnel job, Mr.
Fox said.
Several of the engineers and
employes of the contracting firms
have brought their families to
Valdez. Among the recent arriv
als are Bob Comstock, engineer
ing foreman and Mrs. Comstock
from Denver, Colorado. Mr. Com
stock and George Gilson of Val
dez are alumni of the same col
lege.
Also here to make their home
are Mr. and Mrs. R. Severe and
their two children. They are
from Idaho. Mr. Severe has been
with the contracting firm for the
past year. The family is living at
the Golden North Hotel until a
house is available for them.
Mr. and Mrs. William Tyson
and their daughter, Linda, are
also among the new-comers here.
They are also from Idaho with
their home at Boise. Before com
ing here, Mr. Tyson worked on
the tunnel and dam project at
Mooncraft, Wyoming.
Kirk Fox, mining engineer who
received his degree from Poly
technic at Oakland, Calif., comes
here from. Salt Lake City, Utah.
His family remained at Salt Lake
City but may join him here later.
Mrs. Larry Parker Is
Hostess at Meeting
Of Thursday Club
Mrs. Larry Parker was hostess
at the regular meeting of the
Thursday Club held at her home
on November 9. Games of bridge,
canasta and pinochle provided en
tertainment for members in at
tendance.
They included the Mesdames
Lewis Clark, Harold Jorgenson,
Howard Bowhen, Elmer White,
Peter Lovseth, Lyle Johnston, Ed
win Alexander, Owen Johnson,
Lou Taylor and B. D. Stuart Jr.
The next meeting is scheduled
to be held at the home of Mrs.
Lou Taylor.
Thanksgiving Program In High School Gym Tuesday Nov. 21