“FARTHEST WEST NEWSPAPER IN THE 50 STATES”
64th Year No. 107
NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1963
Per Copy 151
Army Veterinarian Serves Dog Owners
In One-Man (Campaign Against Rabies
W\R. F. ERICH HEMPHILL, Captain in the United States Air
” Force, and base veterinarian at Elmendorf AFB, visited the
offices of the Nome Nugget Friday. Dr. Hemphill is known as
the "man who gives shots to dogs.” The doctor described his work
as a Rabies vaccination program which he started in 1962, in fact,
kicked off at Nome. In that year he vaccinated 3,000 pet animals,
and the term “pet animals” is used
as there were some house cats in
cluded in the lot. In this second
year of the program he has vac
cinated just over 8,000 animals —
in just three months.
The program is one of military
assistance whereby the Army as
sists the State in an immuniza
tion drive. The State division of
Agriculture, with offices at Pal
mer, supplies the vaccine and the
Army supplies the field labor.
Vaccinations are usually admin
istered by Dr. Hemphill person
ally and he generally uses an as
sistant while traveling through the
villages. The vaccinations given
are protective to the animal for
a period of one year — thus they
must be repeated annually. A
strong point brought out by the
doctor was that RABIES IS 100
PER CENT FATAL TO MAN IF
NOT TREATED.
Interesting information is the
number of dogs in the various vil
lages. Following are some of the
counts: Nome, over TOO; Bethel,
900; Unalakleet, including St. Mi
chael and Stebbins, 600, and Kot
zebue is way out in front with
a total of 1,100 dogs. The doctor
remarked that most of the size
able villages have from 425 to 500
dogs and he finds that — statis
tically — 300 people will have 400
to 500 dogs. Dr. Hemphill’s goal is
to vaccinate between ten and
twelve thousand dogs; this will
barely satisfy him, however, as he
figures that there are about 15,000
dogs in Northwest Alaska. His job
has taken him into all of the vil
lages from Bethel to Barrow, and
this presents a problem in trans
portation.
Much credit, asserts the doctor,
should go to the State Fish and
Game Department, the CAP and
the National Guard, as these agen
Murder in Yukon
River Fish Camp
Lee Tony, 42 years old, has been
arrested in the fatal shooting of
another Eskimo at a fish camp
across the river and near Alaka
nuk — close by the mouth of the
Yukon.
State Police said the shooting
occurred on Sept. 1, and that the
victim was shot in the chest with
a 12 gauge shotgun.
Leo Tony has been charged with
first degree murder, and is being
held with bail set at $5,000. He
has waived a preliminary hearing
and the case has been bound over
to the grand jury at Nome.
Court records show that Tony
was found guilty of murder once
before. On April 26, 1950, he was
convicted of murder in the sec
ond degree and sentenced to 18
years. He served 12 years on that
charge, which involved the death
of a Nome girl.
cies have assisted him greatly by
providing transportation in and
out of various remote areas.
In recognition of his efforts, Dr.
Hemphill stated, he has received
a letter of commendation from
Governor Egan as a result of his
last year’s program, and a plaque
from the Jaycees at their annual
convention in Fairbanks last year.
Dog owners at Wales and Shish
maref saw the good doctor on Fri
day and from there he returns to
Elmendorf. Later he will return
to the village of Point Hope, and
from there he heads south to Ko
diak. His season must necessarily
be of short duration as with the
onset of freezing temperatures his
vaccine congeals. Thus we find our
“dog doctor’’ wrapping up his tour
about the end of September.
Kotzebue Landing Strip
Permit Requested
The Division of Aviation has
requested a Department of the Ar
my permit to widen the existing
landing strip at Kotzebue, Alaska,
to approximately 220 feet and ex
tend it to 1,300 feet easterly into
the adjacent lagoon.
Objections, if any, to the pro
posed work from the standpoint
of navigation or for any other rea
son, should be sent by registered
mail to the U. S. Army Engineer
District, Alaska, P. O. Box 7002,
Anchorage, Alaska, to be received
no later than September 13.
Don Hoover Receives
Banking School Diploma
SEATTLE (Special) — Mr. Don
ald M. Hoover, of M&M Bank,
has completed a three-year course
at the Pacific Coast Banking School
in Seattle, and received a diploma
at formal graduation ceremonies
held Friday afternoon.
The school, organized in 1938,
is one of five regional banking
schools in the U.S., and is held
annually at the University of
Washington for two weeks during
the summer months.
Bankers from Alaska. Arizona,
California, Hawaii, Idaho, Mon
tana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ore
gon, Utah and Washington com
prised this year’s entire student
body of over 400, with 125 in the
graduating class, of which three
were from Alaska.
ALASKA TRAFFIC TOLL 28
JUNEAU M — The state’s traf
fic accident death toll for 1963
stood at 28 on Sept. 5, one less
than the toll on the same date a
year ago, Public Safety Commis
sioner Martin B. Underwood said
today.
Fires claimed 21 lives during
the same period this year, com
pared with 13 deaths through
Sept. 5 of 1962.
Russian Helicopter Scans
Icebreaker Northwind
SEATTLE UP> — A Russian heli
copter flew within 500 yards of the
Coast Guard icebreaker North
wind in the Laptev/ Sea north of
Siberia over the weekend, the
Northwind reported to headquar
ters here today.
The helicopter was one of three
Russian aircraft which observed
the icebreaker, the first American
vessel to make an oceanographic
study of these remote northern
waters.
Two Ilyushin transport type
aircraft also flew close but there
were no incidents, the Coast
Guard reported.
The Seattle-based Northwind
was operating at a position 75 de
grees north, 115 degrees east, which
is northeast of the Siberian town
of Nordvik.
CONTRACTORS VIEW
TELLER-NOME PROJECT
It is reported that Jimmy Dex
ter has been putting some mile
age on Tommy Johnson’s weasel
between here and Teller. Last
week representatives of Green
Construction Company made a re
connaissance of the proposed road
section yet to be completed be
tween Nome and Teller. Sunday
MK made the trip through to Tel
ler for the same purpose.
GOLD DIGGERS NOTE—
Faye Lienard, Secretary of the
Gold Diggers Bowling League, an
nounced today that a meeting
will be held at Aukruk Lanes at
8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
This meeting is open to all per
sons interested in bowling in the
couples league. A good turnout is
requested in order that the league
may begin functioning as soon as
possible.
FWS AGENT REPORTS BIG
GAME ON THE INCREASE
Joe Brantley, law enforcement
agent for the Fish and Wildlife
reports that moose seem to be on
the increase in this area as well
as bear, with several moose taken
at Shishmaref this year, and bear
seen for the first time at Wales
where a female with two yearling
cubs was seen this year.
KICY CASE SETTLED
JUDGE HUBERT A. GILBERT, from the bench of the State
Superior Court in Anchorage, handed down an opinion on
the 6th of September in favor of the City of Nome.
The Court found that Radio Station KICY is not used ex
clusively for religious purposes, and receives income for approxi
mately half of its expenses from commercial sales. Consequently,
it is liable for payment of taxes paid under protest for the years
of 1959, I960 and for taxes of subsequent years.
The Covenant Church had claimed that it owns the land in
question and leases said land to its affiliate, the Arctic Broad
casting Company, for the purpose of broadcasting to residents of
Nome and the surrounding area, programs of a religious and edu
cational nature. Therefore, alleged the church, it should be en
titled to an exemption from real and personal taxes in this case
under state and city laws.
Evidence disclosed that the plaintiff earned from the opera
tion in excess of S 16,000 toward operating costs of $27,000. The
balance of the cost of operation being borne bv gifts and grants
from the Covenant Church, according to Judge Gilbert’s findings.
This, found the Court, precludes classification of Lot 5 — which
is used for the building and equipment of the radio studio as
"exclusively for religious purpose's," and is therefore not exempt
from taxation.
The Court made the same finding in regard to Lot 6, resi
dence of Ernest L. Hanson, Station Manager of KICY; Lot 3, resi
dence of Fred Savok, Associate Pastor, and Lot 9, residence of
Raiph Fondell, Chief Engineer of KICY. The Station Manager
and Chief Engineer are designated by the Church as missionaries.
KICY is licensed by the FCC as a Commercial Radio Station.
The judgment was handed down as the result of a complaint
lodged against the City of Nome by the Evangelical Covenant
Church of America, and the Arctic Broadcasting Assoc., on
September 24, 1962, at which time they asserted that their sale of
commercial radio time constituted approximately two-sevenths of
their revenue. The remainder, read the complaint, was derived
from gifts, free will offerings and grants.
Judge Gilbert found in favor of the City of Nome as per
their answer and counter claim regarding city sales tax, filed with
the Superior Court on October 11, 1962, and stipulated that both
parties shall bear their own costs and attorney fees and that the
defendant — the City of Nome — shall submit findings of fact,
conclusions of law and the judgment.
Mr. Eben H. Lewis was attorney for the Arctic Broadcasting
Company, and Thomas J. Balone represented the City of Nome.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
Mostly cloudy tonight and to
morrow. Occasional rain showers,
some fog and late drizzle. Little
change in temperature.
In the last 24 hours: High of
51, low of 48. Sunrise at 5:09 a.m.,
sunset at 6:50 p.m. Max. wind 21
mph from the east.
Commies Winning Kodiak Cold War
JUNEAU (AP) — A fleet of about 14 Russian fishing vessels
left an area off Kodiak Island yesterday when a Coast Guard
cutter appeared to investigate complaints of Alaskan fishermen.
Alaskans aboard five king crab boats told the 17th Coast Guard
District in Juneau that the Russians were deliberately” damaging
and destroying gear used by the<
Americans.
A spokesman for the Coast
Guard said, “From the reports we
received the Russians seemed to
be very blatant about it and
seemed completely undisturbed bv
the presence of a Coast Guard pa
trol aircraft which was taking pic
tures.”
The cutter Winona was dis
patched from Bering Sea patrol to
the scene, arriving at 7 a.m. yes
terday. It found American and
Russian ships intermingling, and
as it steamed into the area, the
Russian vessels left.
The area is in international wa
ters about 50 miles west of Cape
Low, on the south end of Kodiak
Island.
Gov. William Egan said he
talked by radiotelephone Saturday
to skippers of two American king
crab fishing boats — Vic Hansen oi
the Mercator and Anton Isaksen
of the Eileen.
Egan said, “They claimed that
the Russians are making it so mis
erable for them, not observing
courtesies of the sea, that they are
just going to have to get out of
there.’’
The Governor said the two fish
ermen asked, “What would hap
pen if we took rifles and shot the
windows out of those Russian
boats?”
Egan said he advised them to
avoid violence.
Col. Taylor Named
FAA Deputy Director
Colonel Ralph T. Taylor, Jr.,
has been named Deputy Director
of the FAA’s Alaskan Region by
Federal Aviation Agency Admin
istrator N. E. Halaby.
A career Air Force officer, Col.
Taylor will assume duties in Alas
ka on September 24. He succeds
Col. Wm. E. Geyser who has been
reassigned by the Air Force. Col.
Taylor has been serving since
June, 1962, as Commander of the
1st Fighter Wing of the Air De
fense Command, Selfridge Air
Force Base, Michigan. He is a
combat ready 106 jet interceptor
pilot.
Col. Taylor’s assignment to FAA
conforms to the Federal Aviation
Act which provides for military
participation in the Agency pro
gram in order to insure the in
terest of national defense. He will
serve as Deputy to James Rogers,
an 18-year FAA veteran who was
recently appointed as Director,
Alaskan Region.
IN THE ROADSTEAD . . .
The Standard Oil Tanker J. L.
Hanna is currently discharging
gasoline and oils to the Lomen
Commercial Company barges. She
has sailed in from Kotzebue and
is expected to depart about Wed
nesday noon.