Don't forget the ham an«J
cherry pie dinner in the
Lutheran Church Base
ment tonight’
UnbLEU FRONTIERSHIRN
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
VOLUME & NUMBER 24
PALMER ALASKA THURSDAY EEB. 21. I*S2
PRICE TEN CENTS
PALMER DISTRICT OFFERED *203,310 FOR NEW SCHOOL
World Around Us
IN NOME filming of a nev
Alaska movie “Arctic Flight’ i;
scheduled to get under way thi;
month. Tommy Richards, Eskirr.:
pilot for Wien Airways and cap
tain in the Alaska National Guarc
at Kotzebue will play a part
Other members of the cast in
' elude Wayne Morris. Allen Hale
Jr., and * Peggie Castle. Ewint
Scott, who has filmed three othe:
movies in Alaska, will again be ir
charge. In 1931 he filmed “Igloo;’
a whaling picture “Harpoon” v. a;
filmed in Skagway in 1947; and
in 1950 “Arctic Man Hunt” was
filmed at Point Hope.
e * «
IN NENANA residents already
are eagerly' anticipating the an
nual spring ice break-up. The
clock has been sent to An
chorage for an overhaul, and
Manager Don Clark is hard a.
work on details connected ui.a
the event.
Guessing this year on Nature s
event might be complicated by
extra-natural activities on the
banks of the Nenana. It seems
that a construction concern is
going to drive a new 154-foot pile
facing along the river. Steel piles
40-feet long will be driven
through the ice 100 feet offshore
All this is to improve railroad
docking facilities at Nenana. but
railroad engineers say the work
may have a definite effect on the
ice * break this year, since it will
be going on in April, before the
ice has gone out. Vibrations of the
pile drivers could sever the an
chor-pack shore ice and the main
floating ice. Also, the pile driv
ing might flood the ice with water
or crack it. and either of these
two occurrences would cause a
very early' ice break.
The earliest ice break at Ne
nana was in 1940, when the ice
went out on April 20.
* * *
IN SEWARD an eleven-year
old boy, Bobby Kramer, met
death Sunday evening on Mara
thon Mountain after he and a
chum had reached the top of the
3,022 peak. Coming down the
mountain, they were 800-1000 feet
from the base when Bobby fell
and struck his head. When the
boy was unable to continue down
the mountain, Charles Kekoni
his companion, went down the
mountain in search of help.
INTERNAL REVENUE
DEPUTY AT LOCAL
HOTEL NEXT WEEK
Valley residents needing
help filling out their income
tax returns may receive help
from Don Laursen, deputy col
lector of Internal Revenue who
will be in Palmer at the Mat
anuska Hotel from Monday,
February 25, through Thurs
day. February 28.
The deputy expects to spend
one of these days up the high
way in the Jonesville area, but
it could not be ascertained this
week which day it would be.
help
MOOSE INVASION BRINGS THRILLS and HAZARDS
—Pintos by Gyuriak. Palmer Studio
The annual invasion of moose
into the Valley from the snow
covered hills surrounding it has
made this area a place of thrills
and hazards during the past four
or five weeks.
The influx has been unusually
noticeable this year following the
heavy snowfall of late January.
Old timers say that more and
more moose are finding the Val
ley a lucrative winter vacation
• spot. Hay. grain, and frozen cab
bage heads left in the fields make
an interesting and satisfying diet
ary change after the moose’s own
feeding grounds have been strip
ped to the wood.
‘ Their presence in the Valley
has occasioned many thrilling
tales of narrow escapes and has
been a boon to amateur photogra
phers for miles around.
And therein lies one hazard.
The Highway Patrol served notice
this week that drivers who block
traffic to look at or take pictures
of moose will be hailed into court
Actually the highway has been
a greater hazard to the moose.
Unfamiliar with the implications
of this phase of civilization, more
than a dozen moose have lost
their lives in collisions with motor
' vehicles. Many more deaths have
been reported along the railroad.
Greatest is the two-for-one trag
edy when a cow with calf is
, struck. Several of the cows kill
ed along the railroad, it is report
ed were carving twin calves
One huffy bull was almost
| spewed out over the roadside in
the form of moosemeat while |
mow-clearing operations were
going on. following the •big;
blow”. The moose got angry at
the ARC snowblower for follow
ing him down the road. He turned
around and started charging the i
i blower, changing his mind just!
, in the nick of time.
Civilian casualties have been
very few although there have
I been many close calls according
to the stories going around. Three
weeks ago a moose who resented
having Mrs. Henning Benson
sneak up on him with a camera
(Continued on Page 4)
Republicans Display
Fighting Spirit at
Lincoln Day Dinner
The Republicans who gathered
100-strong for the Lincoln Day
dinner last Thursday night at
Moose Hall were in a fighting
mood.
John Gorsuch, Anchorage can
didate for nomination to the Ter
ritorial Senate and guest speaker
at the local dinner addressed his
“friends in the future capitol of
Alaska” on the subject of “Ameri
canism.” Under that heading, he
recalled many of the lesser
known facts about Lincoln’s life
that contributed to his greatness.
These exemplified his courage to
speak out even at the risk of per
sonal failure, his skill as a milit
ary strategist, and his forensic
ability as characterized by sim
i plicity, clarity and nobility of
| sentiment.
“America's strength and secur
ty is built on the power to pro
duce. That power is the result of
a system of shared free enter
prise and open opportunity
created by the framers of the
Continued on page 4
“Brownout” Lifted
The Matanuska Valley “Brown- !
out” has been lifted!
In a newsletter that goes out to
MEA consumers this week, C. A.
Brewer says, “We are happy to
be able to tell our consumers that
they no longer need to watch
consumption during peak hours.
You can use all the electricity you
need at any time of the day or
night from now on.
“It is only due to the fine co
operation of both business houses
and householders that a break
down in service was avoided dur
ing the past few weeks. If the
generators at the hydro plant had
become overloaded, the system
operator might have been forced
to cut us off completely. However,
onci the people of Palmer and
outlying districts were informed
of the situation, the power con
sumption between five and seven
was lowered, and from that time
on, we were never again in the
danger zone.
“Your Association Manager, Cy
Brewer, wishes again to express
his appreciation to all those who
co-operated in the emergency.”
FELKNER TO ADDRESS
G OF G AT SPECIAL
MEETING WEDNESDAY
Byron G. Felkner will speak on
the impact of the Eklutna Project
on Palmer at a special luncheon
meeting of the Chamber of Com
merce called for next week Wed
nesday, February 27, in the Co-Op
Club Room.
The special meeting was called
for the specific purpose of voting
on two important proposals sug
gested by the board of directors.
These proposals would change the
by-laws and were supposed to
have been voted on at yesterday’s
meeting. A quorum was not pres
ent, however.
President O K. Kincaid ex
plained the two proposed changes
as follows: Change number one
would boost the yearly dues to'
$15 for individual memberships j
and $35 for business memberships
Change two would allow for
weekly meetings instead of the
present bi-monthly meetings. The
first change was suggested in or
Jer that the Chamber might fi
nance its own sponsored activi
ies without requesting extra do
Continued on page 5
Outright Grant Thru Public Act 815
Makes New Primary School Possible
ARMY BAND PRESENTS
HOSPITAL BENEFIT
CONCERT HERE SUNDAY
Everyone loves a band, but
young Valley hopefuls who dream
someday of playing in one will
have an excellent opportunity to
observe the techniques of a really
good one when the 43rd Army
Band comes to aPlmer Sunday,
February 26. at 2:30 p. m.
The versatile army band, led
by CWO Wiliam B. Splichal. has
an excellent dance band section
and two vocalists, one of whom
was a singer with a big name
band in the East before he ans
v. ered Uncle Sam's call.
The tentative program set up
for the Palmer concert includes
one-third martial music, one-third
semi-classical, and one-third pop
ular music.
The performance will mark the ,
fii’st_ full-scale military band con
cert in the Valley, according to'
its sponsors, the local intelligence j
units of the Organized Military;
Reserve of Alaska.
Jae\ Newcomb, who is in
charge of local arrangements, ex-.
pressed the hope this week that j
there will be a huge attendance.1
“These m<?h are giving up their I
Sunday afternoon to bring this
concert to Palmer”, he said. "We
of the local reserve units hope
that people of the Valley will be
just as generous with their at
tendance.”
There will be no charge for ad- j
mission to the concert, but a vol- ;
untary collection will be taken.
All proceeds will go toward the
fund for Palmer’s new Valley:
Presbyterian Hospital.
Following the concert, refresh
ments will be served the bands
men through the courtesy of the
local American Legion Auxiliary.
MAYOR APPOINTS
STAN LAIRD CIVIL
DEFENSE DIRECTOR
Stanley Laird- officer in the lo-1
cal Highway Patrol, was appoint
ed Civil Defense Director by
Mayor Carl Meier at the City
Council meeting last night. The
choice was unanimously approved
by the Council.
The Civil Defense appointment,
which has been gathering dust
since it was tossed in the Coun
cil’s lap early last December, was;
hastened by a letter from Ed For
tier, Anchorage-area co-ordinator
for Civil Defense He said the
immediate appointment of a lo
cal director was necessary if he
was to verify that the Palmer
Civil Defense organization is a
vital cog in the Territorial de
fense plan and that A-l priority
should be given materials for the
new Valley Presbyterian Hospi
tal, an urgent necessity in the
Anchorage-area Civil Defense
plan. Fortier had received a let
ter from Washington asking him
to vouch for the need of A-l pri
>rity for the Palmer hospital.
A complete blueprint of Civil
Defense organization and plan
ning for this area, as taken from
the master Territorial plan, will
be forthcoming within the next
few weeks, Fortier promised.
Building Code?
“Is the city Building Code in
effect?” Charlie Eldon asked the
city fathers last night. His simple
question threw the whole meeting
into a quandry of confusion. Who
is going to understand the words
Continued on page 4
T Si «■ Pal m i r Independent
School District has been offered
5203,310 v. ith very few strings at
tached by the United States Gov
eminent through Public Law 815
This whole unexpected an
nouncement was made by school
board member James Hurley and
Superintendent William T Zah
radnicek at the P-TA meeting
held Tuesday night in the Palm
ar School cafeteria.
The money must be used for
minimum” school construction,
which includes space for class
rooms but no fancy attachments
like gymnasiums. It does not have
to be matched by the local school
district, but it cannot be used for
matching funds such as those the
district will pay Alaska Public
Works for its half share of the
new high school Therefore the
money cannot be used for the
new high school, Superintendent
Zahradnicek said.
What it can be used for, ac
cording to Hurley and Zahradni
cek, is a new primary school of
perhaps three or four classrooms
and possibly a multi-purpose
room. Zahradnicek pointed out
that it costs approximately $60,
000 to build a classroom in Alaska
at this time. The federal offer
carries with it a stipulation that
the application far funds accom
panied by plans for the construc
tion must be submitted within 45
days for approval by the U. S. Of
fice of Education. Washington D.
C.
This means, of course, that the
Palmer School Board must work
fast. It also means that construc
tion might be started this spring.
North Palmer School
For some time the board has
been considering the future nec
essity of locating an additional
(Continued on Page 4)
First Financial
Statement Shows City
$14,000 in the Black
The first financial statement of
the city of Palmer as presented
at tiie City Council meeting last
night revealed the accumulation
of a $14,041.06 surplus during the
five-month period covered.
The period began September
20 which was the first date the
city had any money; a small
amount was received from the
Territory on that day.
The total of cash received from
Sept. 20. 1951 to February 20.
1952. was $30,232.72. Of this $27,
402.51 has been received from the
city tax on sales and services
Business licenses have netted the
city $1,087; Territorial license re
funds accounts for $677.75; $542
has been received from amuse
ment device licenses; taxi and
chauffeur licenses have brought
in $315: and $150 has been taken
in for dog licenses. The remaining
$58.46 came from fines, penalties,
and forfeitures and one building
permit.
Disbursements included totals
of $3.179.56 for the Police Depart
ment, $356.12 for the Fire De
partment, $1.937.04 for the Street
Department, which amount is ex
clusive of the $5 734.95 capital ex
penditures for street equipment.
A total of $1,100 had been spent
for legal fees, and the salary of
the City Clerk amounted to $1,
682.12. Disbursements for station
ery, printing and supplies, elec
tion expense and legal advertis
ing, rental, maps and survey, and
a petty cash fund brought the to
tal disbursements during the five
month period up to $16,190.76.
(Continued tr.\ Page 4)