64th Year No. 132
NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1963
Per Copy 15c
GVEA EXEC ASKS WHO
SNAFU’D BARROW?
FAIRBANKS (AP) — Tanana Valley residents who are mem
bers of the Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) are
presently footing the bill for the GVEA’s troubled Barrow power
project.
There are about 4,000 members of the association.
The GVEA’s expenditures on the Eskimo village project have
affected the financial status of the f
Fairbanks area power co-operativo
— at least for the present.
To date all expenses — nearly
$100,000 — have been borne by
the GVEA.
These expenses include genera
tors, poles, distribution system,
meters and uninsured losses suf
fered during the fierce Oct. 3 storm
at Barrow.
It appears all the GVEA wants
now is to get its money back and
get out of Barrow.
Static hit the lines last week
when it was learned the Bureau
of Indian Affairs is entering the
Barrow picture and plans to gen
erate power itself. The BIA said
it intends to use the GVEA’s dis
tribution system.
The BIA claimed GVEA sus
tained a killing blow from the Oct.
3 storm and indicated this was at
least one reason why it was going
into the power business.
GVEA later declared this was
untrue, that it had recouped from
the damage wrought by the storm.
The association had counted on
power sales to BIA and the U.S.
Public Health Service to make the
Barrow project financially feas
ible. Both federal agencies are
now to be served from a BIA gen
erator.
The GVEA was also counting on
financial backing from the Rural
Electrification Administration and
to date has received none.
In fact, says GVEA board pres
ident Joe Lawlor, it was the REA’s
office in Washington, D.C., whicn
urged Golden Valley to service
Barrow.
“Who put the snafu on the REA
loan and why the Bureau of In
dian Affairs suddenly decided to
go into the generating business are
two buestions the board is trying
to get answers to,” according to
Lawlor.
The GVEA board plans to meet
with officials from the BIA and
Public Health Service, Lawlor
Nome Jobless . . .
Insured unemployment increased
to 48 from 42 last week in the
Nome area, according to the Em
ployment Security Dept. The fig
ure for the same week in 1962 was
51. The insured unemployment
rate was 11.6 for this week com
pared to 10.2 the week before and
10.5 last year. New unemployment
totaled 28, up 12 from last week.
Highways Dept. Requests
Nenana Bridge O-K
The Alaska State Department of
Highways has applied for permis
sion to construct a 1.500 foot
bridge across the Tanana River
at Nenana, Alaska. The bridge will
be a link in the new Fairbanks
Anchorage highway.
says. The meeting may be held
in Fairbanks on Nov. 18.
Lawlor outlined the history of
the Barrow project:
1. The Barrow Chamber of
Commerce and other individuals
approached the REA in Washing
ton seeking financing for a REA
backed co-operative.
2. The REA was not interested
in the small project, apparently,
and suggested the Barrow people
contact the Golden Valley co
operative.
3. Washington officials of REA
urged the Golden Valley board
to take on the Barrow project.
4. At a GVEA directors meeting
in early March, 1963, the decision
to go to Barrow was approved by
a four-to-three vote and the pro
ject was instigated.
5. In order to get GVEA sup
plies to Barrow during the 1963
shipping year it was necessary to
order with haste so the supplies
could be shipped north on the once
a year ship that calls at Barrow in
early September.
(Continued on Page 2)
Greeley-Bound Chopper
Sets Long Flight Record
WASHINGTON UP) — A new Ar
my helicopter called the Chinook
has completed a record 3,900-mile
flight from Pennsylvania to Alas
ka. The flight from the Boeing
Company’s plant at Morton, Pa.,
to Fort Greeley in Alaska was
timed in 33 hours and 50 minutes.
The Army says it was the long
est flight ever without escort by
a helicopter of this type. The tur
bine-powered aircraft can carry
32 fully-equipped soldiers.
The long flight was a prelimi
nary to intensive cold weather
testing by the U.S. Army Evalua
tion Command. The plane carried
six auxiliary fuel tanks which al
most filled the huge cabin.
Merry Christmas—1980?
NORTH POLE UP) — When
Merry Christmas is old enough
there may be another Miller in
North Pole politics.
Terrence B. Miller, 20-year-old
son of North Pole Mayor Con Mil
ler, was elected Tuesday to the
city council here.
The mayor’s son, who’ll be 21
Saturday, will take office Monday.
He won by one vote.
The mayor’s wife is a North Pole
school board member.
Merry Christmas is the mayor’s
2-year-old daughter.
CORRECTION — It has been j
learned that KNOM-TV, and not i
the Nomerama Theater, loaned
film to the Lions for their Hal
loween party.
General Reeves
City Fathers
On Defense
The Chamber of Commerce met
Monday at the same time and
place. Bob Harwood reported on
the conference with General
Reeves and his staff which took
place in the City Hall on Friday.
General Reeves answered ques
tions posed by the audience re
garding the defenses of Alaska.
Mr. Harwood stated that General
Reeves countered many questions
but did come forth with several
points and comments which were
most satisfying to the Nome
group. Friday night a no-host din
ner in the honor of the General
and his party was held at the
North Star and the military group
left on Saturday.
The Chamber is now engaged in
a membership drive and billing is
in the mail. A chart is being man
tained which will show the prog
ress of the drive and the names of
the paid members.
Bob Smith reported on the suc
cess of the Lions Club Halloween
party and commented that after
such favorable response, he is sure
that the Lions will want to engage
in this activity again.
Sen. Bronson stated that he and
Sen. Walsh and Sen. Foster met
with the General again on Satur
day morning with a discussion on
airfield planning, and that the
meetings were very constructive.
Ex-BLM Smoke Jumper
Held Captive in Laos
FAIRBANKS OP) — A former
Fairbanks smoke jumper is a pris
oner of the Laotian Communists,
the Daily News-Miner learned to
day.
He was identified as Eugene
Debruin, in his 20s, who worked
here as a smoke jumper for the
Bureau of Land Management for
five summer seasons, beginning
in 1959.
He left here in July, 1963, pre
sumably for the Far East.
BLM officials in Fairbanks said
they learned Debruin was cap
tured Sept. 5 when an unarmed
transport plane was shot down by
the Laotian Commnunists.
The Communists have reported
ly told the U.S. it must deal direct
ly with them in bargaining for Deb
ruin’s freedom.
Debruin’s home was listed as
Kaukauna. Wis., in a news story
Sept. 11 telling of the shooting
down of the plane.
There were two other Amer
icans, Joseph Cheney 2d, Ellens
burg, Wash., and Charles Herrick,
Antonio. Tex., also aboard, along
with four Asian crewmen.
The United States Ambassador
asked later for the release of the
American survivors of the inci
dent.
PLAN FLYING CLUB
The Nome Squadron of the Air
Force Assocition will hold a busi
ness meeting Thursday evening at
7:30 at the Polaris.
A topic of discussion at this
meeting will be the formation of
a flying club. All members are
urged to attend.
Alaska Flag Designer Puts
Watch Prize in Museum
JUNEAU — Benny Benson, the 1
designer of Alaska’s official flag, j
has presented the white gold j
watch he won for designing the l
Alaska standard to the state mu
seum. Curator Feithahn said to
day.
Benson, an orphaned schoolboy
of the Jesse Lee Mission home at
Seward, was only 13 when his
design, gold stars symbolizing the
Big Dipper and North Star on a
field of blue, was entered in an
American Legion contest.
The Alaska Territorial Legisla
ture adopted young Benson’s de
sign as Alaska’s official flag in
May of 1927.
Accompanying his design, Ben
son, who now lives at Kodiak,
wrote:
“The blue field is for the Alas
ka sky and the forget-me-not, an
Alaska flower. The North Star
is for the future State of Alaska,
the most northerly of the Union.
The dipper is for the great bear—
symbolizing strength.”
The inscription on the watch
itself reads:
“Awarded in 1927 to Benny Ben
son, Seward, Alaska, as first prize
in American Legion Alaska Flag
contest, whose design was adopted
by Alaska as its official flag.”
Jobless Fund Up
JUNEAU UPt — The state’s un
employment compensation fund had
a balance of $7,175,000 on Oct. 31,
the Employment Security Division
said today.
The Oct. 31 balance represented
an increase of $1,175,000 over the
balance on the same date a year
ago. The division sait it paid out
$240,000 in current benefits during
October.
The Oct. 31 balance as an
nounced by the division does not
reflect debts to the federal govern
ment in excess of $8 million.
Nome Schools Will
Observe American
Education Week
American Education Week, an
annual event held throughout the
United States, will be observed
this year from November 10
through November 16. The Nome
Schools will observe the week by
having an open house Thursday
evening, November 14, from 7 to
9 p.m.
All parents, patrons and friends
are extended a cordial invitation
to visit the schools the individual
rooms, meet the teachers and staff,
and have refreshments. Displays
will be exhibited throughout the I
school.
Stephen McPhetn \ Music Di
rector, is chairman of the commit
tee planning the open house. The
theme this year is: “Education
Strengthens America.”
School Dismisses Early Thursday
The regular monthly meeting of
the Nome Education Association
will meet after school is dismissed!
at 3:15 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 7.
All students in all grades will1
leave the school for this once per
month general faculty meeting.
Gruening Bugs
White House for
Destroyer Patrol
WASHINGTON <JT) — Sen. Er
nest Gruening reportedly has asked
President Kennedy to send “one
or two” destroyers to Alaska to
help protect the crab resources
from Russian trawler operations.
Gruening says the Coast Guard
vessels now in Alaska waters
aren’t fast enough to overtake the
modern Russian ships.
The Alaska Democrat says the
Alaska King Crab industry has
been painstakingly developed and
now is endangered by Russian
fishermen who don’t follow proper
conservation practices.
One Alaska fisherman reports
seeing 10,000 crabs on the deck of
a Russian trawler, including im
mature crabs.
Gruening charges the Russians
with constant violation of the
three-mile territorial limit.
Dan Rockney Is Youngest
Petty Officer in Section
Daniel Rockney, former Nome
lad, has moved up the ladder in
his Navy career. Daniel, grandson
of Mabel Ramsey, has just achieved
the rank of petty officer according
j to word received from one of his
■ friends. This is an honor in itself,
j but the fact that he is the voung
1 est petty officer in the radar sec
tion of his ship makes it outstand
i ing. Dan has been in the Navy
about two years and is serving
| aboard the USS HALEAKALA,
j somewhere in the Orient.
OAMPELL TO VOTE
ON INCORPORATION
The Village of Gambell will hold
an election on November 30 for
the purpose of determining if it
is the majority’s wishes that they
incorporate and become a fourth
class city.
The election judges are Leonard
Apangalook, Leonard Newpokohok
and Winfred James. Five council
men will be elected on November
30 from the following slate of nom
inees: John Aningayou, Merlin
Koonooka. Conrod Oozeva, Roger
Silook, Wilbur Booshu, Franklin
Kaningok, Leroy Kulukhon, Es
telle Oozeva and Bernard Irrigoo.
It is interesting to note that
there is one woman seeking one
of the five council seats.
Weather Report
Partly cloudy with occasional
light snow showers. Little change
in temperature.
Nome data last 24 hours as of 7
a m. today: Temperatures: highest
16, lowest 02. Maximum wind 20
miles an hour from the Northeast.
Sunrise at 8 a m., sunset at 3:26
p.m.
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% Powerless — Barrow
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