Malanuska Valley Fair
al Palmer fairgrounds
on Sepl. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Halley IHrnntiergmnn
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
Municipal incorpora
tion hearing in district
court at 2:00 p.m. on
Sept. 22.
VOL. 3. NO. 49
PALMER. ALASKA. FRIDAY. AUGUST 18. 1950
PRICE 10c
Board Plans Horse Races For Coming Fair
Two more candidates for the queen's crown at the coming Mata
nuska Valley Fair are pictured above. At the top is Miss Jean Smith,
sponsored by the Malanuska Valley Sportsmen, who is currently
in second place in point of tickets sold. Pictured below is Miss
Barbara Hecker, entrant sponsored by the Palmer chapter of the
Loyal Order of Moose.—(Photo by Palmer Studios.)
CO-OP BUSINESS UP 11 PERCENT,
MEMBERS TOLD AT ANNUAL MEETING
Business still is on the upgrade
for the Matanuska Valley Farm
ers Co - Operating Association,
members were told at last Tues
day’s annual meeting. Manager
James Wilson reported that the
gross business for this year shows
an 11 percent increase over the
corresponding period for 1949.
Figures were based on Co-Op
business done in the months be
tween Dec. 1, 1947, and June 1,
1950.
No one department of the Co
Op has shown a marked increase
of business over any other, it was
stated. The increase has been
universal through all departments
of the co-operative.
Best estimates for the year’s
business predict a two and a half
million dollar gross for the
MVFCA for 1950.
Five board members were elect
VALLEY DAIRYMEN
EYE GRAZING LANDS
AT LITTLE SUSITNA
Grazing rights on the Little
Susitna will be requested by
members of the Valley Dairymen
and Breeder’s Association, it was
decided at last Monday’s regular
meeting. The action was suggest
ed so that all members might
have equal opportunity to use the
public grazing lands.
Dairymen also discussed their
plans for the dairy fair exhibit.
Treasurer Chet Liebing said that
some members already had paid
the assessment of one percent of
one milk check, to go toward
covering the cost of publicity and
operation. He would appreciate
the remaining contributions from
other Association members. The
check can be left at the Extension
Service office for Mr. Liebing.
Dairymen throughout the Val
ley were invited to participate in
the planned dairy and stock ex
hibits. Support is solicited from
all, whether or not members of
the Dairymen and Breeder’s As
sociation.
All dairymen who wish to ex
hibit cattle should get in touch
with William Hoskins, superin
tendent of the livestock depart
ment. Others who wish to bring
entries for the daily exhibit are
asked to get in touch with H. S.
Bauer, superintendent of that de
partment.
ed at last Tuesday’s meeting.
Three were re-elected from the
membership of the former board
and two are new to the Co-Op
board. The elected members
were:
Roy Brock (re-elected for a
three-year term); Pat Hemmer
re - elected for a three - year
term); Rex Kibber (three-year
term); A. R. Carson (two-year
term); and Carl Rasmussen (re
elected for a one-year term).
The board will organize and
name its officers in the very near
future, manager Wilson said.
Little other business than rou
tine reports and discussions con
cerning the various Co-Op ac
tivities took place at Tuesday’s
meeting. There were 44 voting
members present out of the 100
eligible Co-Op voters.
Water, Water—
At the Reservoir
But Not in City Lines
The most serious water
shortage of the present spring
and summer is threatening
Palmer residents with line cut
offs at any moment, James
Wilson of the Matanuska Val
ley Farmers’ Co-Operating As
sociation said today. Mr. Wil
son strongly urged that water
be used for domestic purposes
only, and that all householders
conserve in every way pos
sible.
Mr. Wilson was unable to ac
I count for the existing shortage,
I which he said might necessi
tate cut-offs without further
notice. There still is an ample
supply of water at the source,
but the water is not reaching
Palmer mains in good supply,
possibly because the recent hot
weather has caused an unusual
demand. Mr. Wilson said it
also is possible there is an ob
struction in the lines. Co-Op
work crews are checking the
lines to trace the difficulty.
The Co-Op manager said ev
ery effort would be made to
notify business establishments
which are dependent upon
water before a line cut-off is
made. However it could be
come necessary to make a cut
off immediately, and without
further notice to anyone, he
warned.
Alaskan Tourist Industry, Properly Developed
Can Bring Millions of Dollars To Territory
How to parlay the present $25,
' 000,000 tourist industry in Alaska
into figures of astronomical pro
portions was the subject discussed
at last Wednesday’s Chamber of
Commerce luncheon, attended by
George Sundborg, Herb Hilscher
and Fred Axford of the Alaska
Development Board and George
Armitage, former executive sec
retary of the Hawaii Tourist As
sociation.
* Mr. Sundborg said that tourists
I already spend $16,000,000 a year
i for transportation tickets to Alas
ka and they leave another $9,000,
000 annually on their stay here.
“And that’s with almost no Alas
ka advertising at all,” he con
cluded. “What we need is ‘the
truth well-told’ throughout the
states, if we are to build our tour
ist industry to its proper propor
tions.”
Mr. Armitage, explained the
history of tourist development in
Hawaii, where the industry now
brings $40,000,000 annually. He
said Hawaii has been promoting
its tourist industry for almost 50
years. The Hawaii Tourist As
sociation was formed in 1920.
when Islands businessmen sub
scribed a fund of $18,000 for tour
ist promotion. The territorial leg
islature matched that fund. This
year Association members sub
scribed $500,000 and the terri
(Continued on Back Page)
i nu uATo ur KAuco,
AIRPORT CEREMONIES
ARE ON PROGRAM
A two-day program of horse
races will be presented at the
Matanuska Valley Fair this year,,
the fair board decided in its* reg
ular meeting last Monday eve
ning. The board planned for an
afternoon event on Sunday, Sept
3, and Monday, Sept. 4. An en
try fee of $5 will be charged for
each horse, and a prize purse of
$100 will be offered each day.
Board president Clair Stock
reported that preliminary plans
for dedication of the new Palmer
airport already were in the mak
ing. The airport will be dedicated
at two p.m. on Sept. 2. Several
DC-3s and possibly an Army B-17
will land on the new runway as
a part of the ceremonies. Many
small planes from all over Alaska
also are expected to land on Pal
mer airport that day.
As a part of the dedicatory
ceremonies, the four organizations
which initiated the move for an
airport here, will be given rec
ognition. Palmer’s new airport
has been constructed, Mr. Stock
pointed out, because of the early
efforts of the Northland Pioneer
Grange, the Palmer chapter of
the Loyal Order of Moose, the
Palmer branch of the American
Legion, and the Matanuska Val
ley Farmers Co-Operating Asso
ciation.
Fair manager Robert Crites an
nounced that the Army is plan
ning an extensive display of new.
and some heretofore secret, equip
ment for this year’s fair. Their
exhibit will range from Arctic
clothing to the new types of
weapons. It is possible that a
field kitchen may be put on dis
play also.
Details of the erection of the
planned board fence across the
face of the fair grounds were dis
cussed. Haste was urged, since
fair dates are only two weeks
away. Mr. Crites was authorize
to hire the personnel needed r
build the fence.
The fair board w^l meet ag^.
next Monday in the administra
tion building on the fair grounds
at eight p.m.
SCHOOLTEACHER VISITS
Mrs. Josephine Rasch, former
schoolteacher here, was the house
guest of Miss Mary Lou Lash
brook last weekend. Mrs. Rasch
is an Anchorage resident now.
She will teach in the Anchorage
public schools this year.