Valdez News
Valdez Kids To Be Busy Having Fun This Summer
Haines Mayor
Visits in Valdez
Leonard King, mayor of Haines,
Ed Koenig, dock owner in Haines,
and Joe Werner of Juneau, were
visitors in Valdez recently. The
trio was returning from the grand
jury anti-trust investigation at
Anchorage, where they had been
called to appear as witnesses.
Mr. King visited old friends
here, recalling with them the
highlights of his 30 years resi
dence as an Alaskan. He first
came to the Territory at the age
of 19, when he entered the Uni
versity of Alaska to major in min
ing geology.
After graduation from the Uni
versity, the young mining special
ist worked for many years for the
Fairbanks Exploration Company.
Later he was with the Division
of Forestry.
In recent years, Mr. King has
been a Haines resident and busi
nessman. He has lived in that
city for six years and has been its
mayor for three terms. Friends
there credit him with the respon
sibility for much of the progress
Haines has made in the last few
years.
Mr. King’s business enterprises
there include a general merchan
dise store, and more recently a
partnership in a newly opened
cocktail bar, the Grandview.
Poppy Poster
Contest Winners
Are Announced
Valdez winners in the Ameri
can Legion poppy contest were
announced recently by the judg
ing committee. In Class A, first
prize was awarded to Dean
Thatcher. Earl George took sec
ond place, and Wayne Schmidt
was third. In Class B, first prize
went to Duane White. Agrafina
Androvich was second and Betty
Lee Soward was third.
Members of the Legion Auxil
iary who served as judges were:
Mrs. A. D. Thompson, Mrs.
John Kelsey and Mrs. Guy Hay
den.
JMOVE TO 19-MILE CAMP
Mr. and Mrs. John Wieler and
family, who have been living in
their trailer house on Jennings
lot here in Valdez, have rented
the Dieringer house at 19-mile.
They moved to their new home
last Friday. Mr. Wieler is em
ployed by the Alaska Road Com
mission in maintenance, at the
19-mile camp.
STALKERS LEAVE VALDEZ
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Stalker and
■hildren, Gail and Roddy, left on
he^May 4th Baranof. They were
■n their way to their home in
..avonia, N. Y.
Fred Hobson, Only Valdez High School
Graduate, Honored at Senior Banquet
i
Valdez Organizes
P-TA Chapter
As one outgrowth of the May 8
parents’ meeting here, a Valdez
chapter of the Parent-Teacher’s
Association was formed. At the
suggestion of Mrs. Moore, who
commended the P-TA as foster
ing better understanding between
homes and the school, the orga
nization of the chapter was com
pleted at that meeting.
Mrs. Moore pointed out, in dis
cussing the youth recreation pro
gram, that “there are no delin
quent children — there are only
delinquent parents.” She sug
gested that parents should stay
home with children more, and
also pointed to the three Valdez
churches, too often virtually
empty on Sunday, as another
means of cementing parent-child
relationships. Mrs. Moore was
heartily applauded for her sug
gestions, by parents attending the
meeting.
Officers elected for the new
Valdez chapter of the P-TA were:
Jess O’Dell, president; Arnold
Persinger, vice - president; Miss
Mabel Anderson, secretary-treas
urer.
i
Mrs. Sweeney and Son
Are House Guests of Thatchers
Mrs. John Sweeney and son,
Mike, visited with Mrs. Jack
Thatcher an dfamily for several
days last week. While they were
guests of the Thathcers, the
Sweeney trailer was being moved
from Mile Nineteen to Mile
Forty-Seven on the Richardson
Highway, where Mr. Sweeney is
Alaska Road Commission fore
man. The Sweeney family will
spend the summer at their new
location.
IS BACK IN VALDEZ
Mrs. “Doc” Welch, a nurse, re
turned to Valdez last week on the
Baranof. She has been employed
Outside fo rthe past three months.
CONFINED TO HOSPITAL j
Mrs. Mayme Snyder has been j
confined to the Valdez Commu- j
nity Hospital recently with a bad ;
case of flu.
FORMER RESIDENT VISITS I
Fred Colclough, for many years
a Valdez resident, accompanied
by Mrs. Colclough, visited here
last week for a few days. Mr.
Colclough still owns his Valdez
home, but the couple spent the
past winter at Chitina.
RETURNS TO VALDEZ
Mrs. Sullivan returned to Val
dez recently. She arrived on the
S.S. Alaska, after spending a five
weeks’ vacation in the states.
i Fred Hobson, only graduate of
Valdez High School this year,
was honored at a banquet given
by his fellow students on May 10.
The banquet was held at Club
Valdez, where tablecloths and
placecards carried out a decorat
ing plan in red and white, colors
of Valdez High School.
Fred was given a set of hunt
ing knives by his fellow high
school students. Students also
presented him with a memory
book, containing an outline of all
high school events of the past
year.
Supei'intendent and Mrs. Har
old French, also guests of honor
at the banquet, were presented
with a box of candy by Valdez
high-schoolers. ,
Guests at the dinner included:
Honor guests Fred Hobson and
Mr. and Mrs. French, and Roger
Schmidt, Roddy Meals, Lee Ann
Thatcher, Freida Gregorieff, Jim
my Segarquist and Dean Thatch
er.
Safely Inspector
Visits Valdez
H. R. Bates, safety inspector for
the Alaska Road Commission, was
in Valdez for two days last week
on an inspection trip. Valdez
residents are always very happy
to see Mr. Bates, for each time
he comes he brings news of
friends and relatives from along
the Trail.
This time, Mr. Bates reported
that he recently visited Bob East
erday at Providence Hospital in
Anchorage. He reports Mr. East
erday is improving, and is up in
a wheel chair now. However he
must have an operation later. Mr.
Easterday v.as injured in an ac
cident, while working on his sur
vey job.
While in Valdez, Mr. Bates de
livered the sermon at Valdez Gos
pel Church last Sunday morning.
Comes Home on Alaska
Mrs. Wilcox of Valdez also re
turned on the Alaska recently.
She, too, has been vacationing
Outside.
Back From Clam Beaches
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Henderson
have returned to Valdez from
Cordova. The clam-digging sea
son there has ended now.
BACK FROM VACATION
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kelsey,
Sr., returned on the S.S. Alaska
recently, after a four months’ va
cation in the states.
PAIR CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS
WASILLA — Joint birthdays
were celebrated this week • by
Charmaine Sawby and Jimmy
Hilbvrn. They had a party on
Monday, May 15.
BIRTHDAY DINNER
HONORS MRS. SEARLES
Mrs. Kenneth Ham entertained
at a surprise birthday dinner on
Saturday, May 6, at high noon
in honor of Mrs. Lydia Searles,
head nurs^ at the Valdez Com
munity Hospital. Those present
included:
Mrs. Searles, the honoree, Mrs.
Clayton Newkirk, Mrs. Dale Mc
Clintic, Mrs. Earl Moore, Mrs. J.
Fairbanks, Mrs. Richard Teeter,
Mrs. Frank Bollinger, Mrs. D.
Schmidt, and the hostess, Mrs.
Ham.
Mrs. Searles received many
lovely birthday gifts.
FLU BUGS FLIT
THROUGH VALDEZ
Flu has been laying low a num
ber of Valdez residents recently.
U. S. Commissioner Margaret
Harrais is still on the sick list.
Ill last week were Owen John
son and Robert Thatcher: also
Bob Turner, who has been taking
George Gilson’s place behind' the
meat counter at Gilson’s Mercan
tile Co. Mr. Turner, in turn, had
to be replaced by Frank Harris.
Seward Pilot Eyes Valdez
As Possible Future Base
j Mrs. M. L. Brown recently
i spent 10 days in Seward, where
she took her infant son for his
six-weeks check-up. The baby
was born in Seward. Mrs. Brown
flew to Seward with “Tiny” Tra
kowski in his new Seabee, which
he recently brought back to Alas
ka. Mr. Trakowski at present is
operating charter flights out of
Seward, but he said if business
there is not of sufficient volume,
he will move his headquarters to
Valdez.
The Trakowskis recently re
turned from the states after a
prolonged stay Outside. The pilot
was formerly owner and operator'
of Alaska Scenic Airlines at Sew
ard. His wife formerly was a re
porter on the staff of the Anchor
age Daily Times.
CENSUS COMPLETED
IN VALDEZ, CORDOVA
Census-taking in the Third Di
vision areas of Cordova and Val
dez, including the Tok Cut-Off
and along the Railbelt north of
Caswell, is complete, James
Brown of the divisional office an
nounced today.
The work is continuing along
the Richardson Highway and in
the Copper Center area.
Mr. Brown asks anyone in the
first mentioned area, who was
not counted, to go to his post of
fice and ask for a self-enumera
tion blank. One of these blanks
should be filled out for each
member of the family, he said.
The completed blank should be
mailed to the divisional office,
Box 1043, Anchorage.
THRU MAJUK CLUB
ACTIVITIES ARE
PUNNED FOR TOWN
If the outline of summer activi
ties for Valdez young folks, dis
cussed at the May 8 meeting at
the Valdez Gymnasium, is car
ried out, the normal teen plaint
heard around town this summer
is going to be, “There’s so much
to do, I can’t decide what to do.”
The meeting, called and pre
sided over by Harry Marlowe,
territorial highway patrolman
stationed in Valdez, brought out
the fact that there were no less
than three major activities plan
ned for the summer, as well as
several minor ones.
When Mr. Marlowe asked for
suggestions for summer activities
for Valdez youngsters, M. L.
Brown outlined plans for the Val
dez Ice Worms, teen club recently
formed. His plan was heartily ap
proved by the 70 parents who at
tended the Monday meeting, and
he had an additional $150 work
ing fund and the promise of a
club building, before the meeting
ended.
Dr. Kenneth Ham explained his
plans for the re-opening of the
Tillicum Club as a recreation cen
ter. Dr. Ham said painting and
decorating at the club is now in
progress. Ping-pong and shuffle
board equipment are now ready
for use, and the piano has been
tuned in preparation for the club’s
opening. The need for funds for
this work has set back opening
plans somewhat, but Dr. Ham
said the club would soon be ready
to use.
Rev. Richard Teeter explained
his plans for a proposed hobby
and craft shop. He said he ex
pected to have a building, donat
ed recently by the Valdez Wom
en’s Civic Club, moved to a cen
tral downtown location this w<r
Frozen ground jind sncr: h
prevented the structure's being
moved earlier.
Reverend Teeter said there
would not be many alterations
required on the building, and it
should be ready to open in the
near future. He plans to go to
Anchorage in early June, to take
a 10-day course in lapidary and
gold work. These courses are to
be included in the crafts work
offered at the recreation center.
Miss Mable Anderson was re
quested to tell about the work
she has been doing with a group
of young girls. She plans a sum
mer’s fun for them that will in
clude cooking, sewing, photog
raphy and allied fields. Her rec
reation calendar includes outdoor
excursions and camping trips.
Since Miss Anderson is a veter
an mountain climber, since her
college days at the University of
Colorado, her girls are hoping
that they’ll learn what lies on the
other side of some of Valdez’
mountains this summer.
Mrs. Raymond Huddleston, who
has been an instructor in music
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