VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN_
Owned and Published by Anchorage Shopping Guid*
PRINTED AT PALMER, ALASKA, EACH THURSDAY
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the post office a
Palmer. Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Viola Daniels ___Edito
Subscription rates *>0c month, $5 a year
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States _
no priiueu material in the Valley Frontiersman may be
reprouuceu except by permission of the publishers._
DANIELS-ln The Lion’s Den
We're departing trom an established policy in the
Den this weeK. We once promised, when we were new
to newspapering in general and eaitorials in particular,
that we d never write an eaitorial on a subject, unless
we had some constructive suggestions to otfer on how
to go about changing the thing we wanted changed.
We can't do that this week. We want Palmer to have a
larger and better airport, but we frankly don't know
what the next step is in getting that airport.
All we can do this week is sum up and evaluate our
reasons for wanting an airport. If our readers, often
reading the facts and figures we've compiled, with the
assistance of-the Palmer Airport Association, can think
of Palmer's next move in the territorial game of "Get
An:Airport", we'd appreciate a discussion of the step
with the Palmer Airport Association. The directors, as
wefl as your Frontiersman editor, are standing in the
need of help.
We'd like to first point out that Palmer's bid for
an airport isn'J based soleJy on our own selfish need for
that port. Certainly/ we want and need an airport for
our own commercial ends, but we also want and need
that airport to help our neighbor cities in their time of
We're not trying to snatch port revenue and busi
nesses that rightfully belong to those cities. We'd just
like to have an auxiliary airport, large enough to serve
our own commercial needs and large enough to meet
the*weather emergncies of Merrill Field.
Palmer is fortunate in its location in the Matanus
ka Valley, tucked away as it is, behind a screen of pro
tecting mountains that shut out the fogs which some
times blanket the Inlet-located city and close its air
port. Weather Bureau records compiled at Merrill
Field and released by Chief Roy Fox, show this about
flying conditions there for the past three years:
In 1947 there was a total of 225 hours when the
ceiling was below 500 feet and visibility less than one.
mile, or a monthly average of just under 19 hours. In
November of 1947, the field was closed for a total of
42 hours, the worst flying month of the year. For
pfanes and pilots requiring a ceiling of 1,000 feet and
48 hours closed. 1948's limited closure figures total
of 521 hours in 1947. That average is just slightly und
er 44 hours a month. November closure hours for that
standard reached 124.
In 1948, Merrill Field was totally closed in for 164
hours, or an average of less than 14 hours a month.
December was the worst flying month that year, with
148 hours closed. 1948's limited closure figures total
led 417 hours, or an average of just under 35 hours a
month. December's total hours reached 98.
For 1949, total closed hours reached 271, or a
monthly averqge of about 22 and three-quarter hours.
December of '49, Merrill Field was closed for 81 hours.
In 1949, under restricted flying conditions the field,
was closed for 582 hours, or an average of almost 50
hours a month. January of last year was the worst fly
ing month of the three years recorded, with 133 hours
closed.
Unfortunately, official weather figures on Palm
er's field are not available. However Pilot Les Green re
ports that the local field was closed for less than eight
hours during the entire year last year. He estimates
that the port, on an average, is closed to flying for only
sdme part of eight days each year.
We present these figures to show that on a good
many days each year pilots who plan to use landing
facilities at Merrill Field need an alternate landing
field, when weather closes that field. -We think Seldo
via is too far, and the city too small, to provide that al
ternate side. We think development of the Palmer
field would be of great help to the Anchorage airport
and to Anchorage businesses, since planes landed here
could easily transfer their passengers to Anchorage,
either by rail or highway. That's not possible in Seldo
via, which can be reached only by air.
We believe that development of the Palmer field
would be a service to all of Alaska. Last week's mercy
flight from Talkeetna might not have been in vain, had
the plane's pilot been able to determine weather con
ditions here before leaving Willow. Merrill Field was
closed that night, and the flight eventually landed at
Palmer, but too late to save a life. A Palmer port,
properly developed, can do much to save the lives of
many Alaskans living in the area.
In conclusion, we'd like to submit our belief that
tax revenues from the Valley's motQr fuel sales, which
are divided between road construction and aviation,
have more than helped pay our share of the bill for an
airport. Figures released by one local oil company last
week showed that $34,000 in Territorial motor fuel
taxes and $25,500 in Federal fuel taxes, were paia in
the Valley last year. We're certain that comparable
figures would have been revealed by the other firm,
had they been available here.
Of that figure spent for motor fuel taxes, it is esti
mated that about half of the tax was derived from sale
of fuel for agricultural and construction equipment,
which never uses.the public highway. Tractors, doz
ers, farming equipment-^-all use gasoline. Vet that
tax rponey might be used equally as well for construct
ing an airport here as it is for building and improving
roads.
In conclusion, we know that Palmer desperately
needs an airport, both for self-improvement and to be
able to be of help to other Alaskan cities and to all
Alaskans living in this area in their time of need.
Perhaps the step which immediately lies ahead of
us, then, is to point out that fact to our neighboring
cities and enlist their help in our struggle for improved
and lengthened runways at Palmer airport.
FLAMING CLOTHES
SEAR CHILD'S LEG
Russell Wilkinson was hospital
ized this week with a seriously
burned leg. The child spilled an
inflamable fluid on his trous
ers. Later, standing near a stove,
his clothing ignited and seriously
burned his leg. He is responding
satisfactorily to treatment.
Partial Report To Be Given
By C of C Committee Wednesday
A progress report, based on in
formation secured to date, will be
presented by the Chamber of
Commerce incorporation study
committee at next week’s regular
Chamber meeting. Chamber pres
ident Clair Stock urges that
everyone with questions to ask
be sure to be present at this
meeting, in order to guide the
committee in their further study
The committee’s final report will
be presented at the Feb. 15 meet
ing.
Remember?
Coffey Insures Everything—
Walk On Air-Cushioned
Vmivt-Cf SAosd. 4
Thousands of
Stay Air Babbits
(Its your fsst
a rest through
long hoars of
walhiny or
William Edwards
Box 918
Bailey's Move To Albrecht Home
Dr. and Mrs. C. C. Bailey have
moved into the C. E. Albrecht
residence, recently vacated by the
departure for the states of the H.
G. Bryan family.
WORLD’S MOST POPULAR
INVESTMENT...a bank account
Always Available
Always Worth Par
OPEN ONE!
MATANUSKA VALLEY BANK
Palmer, Alaska
Open Friday Evenings—5 to 7 P. M.
2 PER CENT ON SAVINGS
MERCY FLIGHT
FAILS
An emergency flight from Tal
keetna arrived at Palmer too late
last Saturday morning to save the
life of Arthur Moore, pilot con
ductor on the piledriver of the
B & B gang located at Talkeetna.
Mr. Moore failed to respond to
medical treatment and died
j shortly after admittance to the
: Valley Hospital.
Dr. Vernon Cates, attending
j physician, said the man succumb
ed to a heart attack. He had
j been ill for several days, but did
1 not seek hospitalization until he
j developed severe chest pains late
j Friday evening. He at first was
j believed to be suffering from
pneumonia.
Mr. Moore was extremely pop
ular among his fellow workers
along the Railroad. Considerate
of others, even during his last ill
ness, Mr. Moore’s dying wish was
that someone make certain that
pilot Glenn Hudson be paid for
the flight from Talkeetna- , Mr.
Hudson chanced a hazardous
landing bn the unlighted Palmer
runway when fog blanketed Mer
rill Field and prevented his land
ing there. . .
Mr. Moore was 54 years of age,
and a veteran of World War I.
His home in the states Was iri
Streator, 111. The dead man is
survived by a sister, Mrs. Rose
Cullen of Bakersfield, Calif. His
body was sent to California for
burial.
CAPPS HAVE SON
A so nwas born to Mr. and Mrs.
William Capp at Valley Hospital
last evening. The little boy
weighed eight pounds, three
ounces at birth.
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