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ALASKA HISTORICAL
LIBRARY & MUSEUM
•HjrSAU
Annual Catholic Ba
. zaar at High School
night, 7:30 o'clock.
Auditorium, Saturday
Halley IHrnntieersm
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
n PAGES
IL TODAY
VOL. 4, NO. 10
PALMER, ALASKA, FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 17. 1950
PRICE 10c
$270,000 Building Assured Palmer
Basketball Season
Opens Here Tonight
With Triple Header
Harvey Hiber, all-state star of
last year, will not be benched but
will be on the maple when the
season is officially opened here to
night, is the good news for local
basketball fans, the Valley Fron
tiersman was told early this
morning. It was feared that Hiber
would not be able to play this
^ear due to an illness this fall
when he was hospitalized for ap
proximately three weeks. Hiber,
together with Edison Thuma, will
put two experienced men on the
team which will meet 54th Troop
Carrier Squadron players from
Ft. Richardson for the opening
game of the season.
Jim Caulkins, center last year,
whose height and skill helped
bring many a victory for Palmer
High School basketball team, will
not be able to play. He has de
veloped varicose veins and doc
tor’s orders will not permit him
to play.
On the card tonight are three
games which, in addition to fea
turing the Palmer High School
team, will include the Junior Var
sity team playing Wasilla at 7:30
p.m. and the Matanuska Hotel
team playing the 68th AAA team
from Ft. Richardson at 9:30 p.m.
The Palmer High School game is
set for 8.30 p.m., with the line-up
to be taken from the following
squad. Hiber and Thuma, Gus
Klem, Bob Lacher, Bob Harris,
Richard Geiwitz, Monte Larsh,
Jack McKechnie and Charles
Milles.
Most of the team is very green,
Coach Robert Crites said, and al
though Gus Klem, a junior, let
tered last year he is still compar
atively green. He is the only
“height” on the team, as he stands
six foot. The rest of the team
has had no varsity experience at
Palmer, although Chuch Milles,
junior, lettered last year at Doug
las. He is 5 feet 10 inches and
16 years of age. Sophomore Dick
(Continued on Back Page)
Fire Association
Membership Reaches
All-Time High Here
An all-time high for member
ships in the Fire Association here
was reported by President A1
Hagen this week. Approximately
90 per cent of the Palmer mer
chants are members of the Asso
ciation with many residents of the
town and outlying areas also hold
ing paid-up memberships, Mr.
Hagen said.
Memberships in the Palmer
Fire Association entitles the sub
scriber to on-call service of the
trucks and fire-fighting equip
ment maintained by the Associa
tion.
The Fire Association assumes
no responsibility for answering
emergency calls from non-mem
bers, officials of the Association
pointed out.
“The board asks that everyone
join the Association so as not to
be put in the predicament of hav
ing a home on fire with no truck
Answering a distress call,”
Children's Annual Christmas Party
Given Go-Ahead by Palmer Merchants
With the Yuletide Holidays
only a little more^than a -month'
away a big go-ahead signal was
given here this week by Palmer
merchants for the fourth annual
Christmas party for all Valley
children. The party has been
set for Sunday, December 24, at
2:30 p.m. at the Valley theatre
and will be held under the co
sponsorship of Palmer merchants,
A1 V. Hagen, manager of the Val
ley theatre, announced this week.
Elaborate plans are already un
der way for the annual event. A
telegram has been dispatched to
Santa CFaus, especially inviting
him to be in attendance and his
acceptance is expected here
hourly.
Last year he arrived just in
time for the Christmas party with
Palmer children getting their
first glimpse of him as he waved
to them from the roof of a Candy
house. Santa entered the candy
house, which had been built in
side the theatre, through the
chimney. The children watched
as the walls of the candy house
swung wide to give them a good
view of Santa coming down the
chimney. He stepped through a
large glowing fireplace and came
out in the audience to mingle with
all the good little boys and girls.
This year’s program will again
include the candy house for Santa
Claus’ visit. Plans also call for
650 bags of goodies to be distrib
uted as Christmas presents, each
to contain an apple, orange, pea
nuts, candy and a gift for the
child. The Women of the Moose
will again do the honors of sack
ing all the goodies for the chil
dren. The Moose Lodge of Palmer
2 ALASKA HIGHWAY
PATROL OFFICERS
ASSIGNED TO PALMER
Palmer now has two highway
patrolmen with the arrival here
this week of Tommy Roberts of
the Alaska Highway Patrol, who
was recently assigned to this pre
cinct. He and Mrs. Roberts and
their two children moved here
from Anchorage and are now re
siding south of Palmer.
Mr. Roberts started his work
here 'November 15 and will be
stationed in Palmer. Prior to his
assignment here, Stanley Laird
was the only patrolman for Pal
mer. Mr. Laird, who has been
with the Alaska Highway Patrol
for the past several years, has
been stationed here since 1949.
The patrolmen’s “beat” here
extends from Knik bridge to Mile
128 on the Glen highway. The
two officers travel in opposite di
rections for coverage of the high
way.
DR. BAILEYS HAVE
NEW BABY DAUGHTER
Dr. and Mrs. Clarence C. Bailey
welcomed their first child when
a baby daughter was born to
them early this morning at Val
ley Hospital. The little girl ar
rived at 2:10 a.m., weighing eight
pounds, eight ounces. The name
chosen for the new arrival by her
parents is Jewell Dean.
has tentatively agreed to act as
ushers for the big party and also
to take charge of the lost and
found department.
A special Santa Claus box will
be set up in the lobby of the the
atre so that each child may post
his letter to Santa. Again this
year, Santa will have an extra
special present for the children
that write him the best letters.
The program this year will be
an all-comedy show at 2:30 p.m.
for the children, followed by a
showing at 4 p.m. for adults, Mr.
Hagen said in telling of plans
for the party. There will be no
show at the theatre on Christmas
Eve, he said.
Mr. Hagen reported a carry
over of $74.30 from last year’s
Christmas party. The annual
party has been running well over
$400 per year with an average
cost of 55 cents for each of the
bag of goodies for the children.
Chamber Votes te Pay
Palmer Airport Light
Bills to Aid Traffic
Payment of the local airport’s
light bill, nomination of officers
to be elected for the coming year;
and action on the Valley’s Chap
ter in the territorial Good Roads
Association were included in busi
ness matters that occupied the
Chamber of Commerce at its reg
ular noon luncheon meeting Wed
nesday of this week.
The Chamber voted to pay
light bills not to exceed $6
monthly for the airport until
such time as some other local
group might assume the re
sponsibility. Payment of the
light bill by the Chamber will
make possible the installation
of landing lights along the
north-south runway. Small
planes will then be able to land
after dark. Shorter daylight
hours and no lights at the port
prohibited the landing of sev
eral craft here this week. Clair
Stock, president of the Cham
ber said. The landing lights
will be installed by volunteer
workmen.
Further action on the Good
Roads Association was postponed
by the Chpmber until Herb Hils
cher, chairman of the Association
for the territory, forwards more
information. Mr. Stock proposed
that an evening meeting be called
for the Valley after information
has been received from Mr. Hils
cher on the next step to be taken
by the Chapter here.
Nominations for officers were
made from the floor. For presi
dent, officers nominated were
A1 V. Hagen, Ralph Dye, Wil
liam Head. For vice-president,
Clair Stock and Clayton Es
slinger; recording secretary
treasurer, Mrs. Betty Mears;
corresponding secretary. D. T.
McMahon; board members,
Charles Wilson, A1 V. Hagen
and William Head. The officers
will be elected at the December
(Continued on Classified Page)
By Proclamation of the
President of the United States
next Thursday, November 23,
will be observed throughout
the Nation as the day of na
tional Thanksgiving. Mr. Tru
man calls upon every citizen to
offer thanks to God for His
gracious guidance and help.
“Again I ask all my country
men to appeal to the Most
High, that the God of our Fa
thers who has blessed this land
beyond all others will in His
infinite mercy grant to all na
tions that peace which the
world cannot give. I entreat
them, in church, chapel and
synagogue, in their homes and
in the busy walks of life, every
day and everywhere, to pray
for peace,” the President stat
ed in making the Proclamation.
“Contemplating our blessings
with humility, we have a deep
ened sense of our responsibil
ity to serve unselfishly, and we
pray to Almight God for wis
dom in our relations with our
fellow men,” the leader of the
Nation also said in his message.
North Palmer Water
Supply From MVFCA
Main Line Cut Off
Water supplied the Smith sub
division of North Palmer from
the main lines of the Matanuska
Valley Farmers Cooperating As
sociation was cut off Wednesday
by the Co-Op, Carl Rasmussen,
acting manager, confirmed yester
day.
"There were two reasons why i
the water was shut off," Mr.
Rasmussen said, "and they are
that we are short of water as |
there is no surplus, and further
that was the only line that we
have any record of that shows
any contamination. Health au
thorities tell us that if a line
like that is contaminated, the
rest of the line can become con
taminated."
The line, which Mr. Rasmussen
referred to as the Parker Lester
line, serves four houses and a
trailer park, where three families
reside.
"The Co-Op is studying plans
for an increased water supply,"
Mr. Rasmussen continued," but
that is something that cannot be
done overnight. These plans
were even under consideration
last year and some work was
done."
"If that work had not been
done, which amounted to an
outlay by Co-Op of $5500, we
probably would not have any
water today as another spring
was tapped which more than
doubled the supply."
At the Chamber of Commerce
meeting Wednesday, Mr. Rasmus
sen also spoke on the water sit
uation here.
He reiterated his statement that
the shortage of water here is seri
ous and added that the condition
will probably prevail for the next
several months. He explained that
the Co-Op plans ?t the present
(Continued on Back Page)
Apartment House
Planned for Early
Spring Construction
A completely modern, two
story apartment building with 24
one, two and three - bedroom
units is to be constructed in Pal
mer next year at a cost of over a
quarter million dollars, C. A.
Sandvik of the firm of Sandvik &
Roark announced here this week.
Construction on the new apart
ment building is scheduled to
start just as early this spring as
possible so that it may be com
pleted and ready for occupancy
by fall, Mr. Sandvik said. The
building will be owned by a cor
poration to be formed by Mr.
Sandvik, his brother, I. M. Sand
vik and William Roark. The firm
of Sandvik & Roark will be the
contractors for the construction
of the building.
The nev.' apartment building
will be located on Matanuska
street, between the new library
building and the Church of God.
Pioneer Apartments is the name
selected i^r the building, which
will cost approximately $270,000
and will have eight one-bedroom,
eight two - bedroom and eight
three-bedroom apartments. It will
be built to FHA specifications,
Mr. Sandvik said. Manley &
Mayer at Anchorage are the ar
chitects.
Therma - pane windows, steel
sashes and steam heat are includ
ed in the plans for the apartment
building which will be ultra
modern in every detail.
The contracting company of
Sandvik & Roark is now con
structing two new buildings in
Palmer for the Agricultural Re
search Administration. The build
ings, a root storage building and
a greenhouse, are located near the
laboratory building.
Both men have resided in Pal
mer for several years. Mr. Sand
vik has been here for the past
seven years. Mr. Roark has re
sided here for approximately the
past five years.
Clifford McKenzies
LOSE HOME IN FIRE
For the second time in a little
over a week tragedy struck here
in the Valley when families lost
their possessions in fires that
burned their homes to the ground.
Last Saturday night Mr. and
Mrs. Clifford E. McKenzie of Fish
Hook road attending an Elk’s
dance in Anchorage were notified
that their home had burned. They
rushed here to arrive “just in
time to see the last ember flicker
out.” The couple had recently re
built their house, putting in a
basement. They had just com
pleted redecorating it with all
new furnishings. Faulty wiring
was believed to be the cause of
the fire.
Mr. McKinzie is employed in
Anchorage at the Anchorage
Sheet Metal Shop. He was for
merly employed here by the Co
Op Garage.
On Friday, November 3, the
Wayne Gibsons lost everything
they had in a fire that completely
demolished their home on the
Palmer highway.