THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Norue, Alaska
Telephone 443-2381 §1.50 Per Month
P.O. Box 66 $16.00 a Year
James F. O Sullivan, Publisher & Editor
Ed JociUS, Foreman
Entered at second class matter October 14. 1943, at the
post office at Nome. Alaska, under Act of March 3, 1879.
L.
BUT WHO SIGNS THOSE CHECKS, ANYWAY?
youve„T
TO STOP 5PcJVD/N(?
50 MUCH/
MEET THE TEACHER . . .
Today we introduce Jesse May- ,
nard, who is teaching the fifth ;
grade. He has two years of exper
ience with a BA. from the Uni
versity of California. Mr. Maynard j
hails from Pasadena, California.
His hobbies are photography and
traveling, and he has traveled
throughout most of the U.S., Can
ada and Mexico.
If you see a man light up a ci
gar in his own home, you don’t
have to ask who's the real boss
in that household.
t
I
^ ICE CREAM
~V~ SHORT ORDERS -
BEST COFFEE IN TOWN
Qc a
B
Stands for
Cab in Nome
PHONE
250 1
Flying with Wiens
From Fairbanks — L. E. Hough,
Ken Allen, Clyde Chevrette, Nels
Swanberg, Boyd Harwood, Joe
Brantly.
From Kotzebue — Father Jones,
| Mrs. Jones.
For Kotzebue — Tommy Carter,
Lei a Oman, Aaria Burroughs.
For Fairbanks — H. E. Bridges,
Floyd Bush, Larry' Galvin, Paul
O’Laughlin, Patrick Carter, Don
ald Paddock, Myrtle Johnson,
John Herman.
It’s a good bet that a man who
habitually wears only -pinstriped
suits is a con man, a junior diplo
mat, or suffers from a superiority
| complex.
Foremost Milk Products—Trade in
your coupons at U. S. MERC.
Arctic Sanitary
Service
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Dial 2280 - After 5 & Weekends
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Runioritis — Its Causes and Cure
RUMORS ARE TRAVELING the streets of Nome, up and
down the bars, and through the homes. 4 ou can hear am
thing and everything relative to the sewer and water project Some
are based on personal dislikes, some hinge on fragments of act.
some are pure fantasy. Some are true. These should be explores
and made public. . . .
The newest rumor is that v.e cannot now obtain the sewer
and water grant from the HHFA until the city holds another
election. This is true . . . and the story is basically that:
When the sewer and water proposition was put before the
voters the ballot called for an indebtedness of $475,000, and to
cover this revenue bonds were to be sold at an interest rate not
to exceed 41*a per cent.
This was predicated on the bond market at the time. A firm
which had indicated interest in purchasing the sewer and water
bonds were at that time talking 4Vs per cent, as was the case v ith
the recentlv sold Utility bonds. The bond market has changed and
this same bonding firm indicates that the interest rate to toe city
will be more nearly 5 per cent. Thus there is no choice but to pat
the proposition before the voters once more. It will not be neces
sary, however, to vote on the project — the voter will act merely on
the issue of raising the interest limit from 41e per cent to something
higher in order to insure that our bonds will be marketable. I he
city was advised of this only in the last week following an
opinion rendered by the bonding company's legal department.
Now another problem becomes apparent. In order to pat
this to a \ote under the new election laws covering absentee bed!
ing, the public must he given 20 days from the date of the :*rst
notice to voting daw This bareh fits into the 50 da extetv ton that
has been requested of the HHFA as of yesterday. II the Hill A
grants the additional 50 days in order that the issue miy be \ >ted
upon, and 11 the balloting is done immediately, and 11 the propo
sition passes, and IF the bonding company then accepts the rev
enue bonds at a rate favorable to both parties — we have our
project financially guaranteed — perhaps.
Next rumor — The city still has no contract with the engineers
who have submitted the feasibility report to the bonding company.
To date there has been only meeting of the minds although they
have been here and the Mayor has been there. ITiis is basically
because the citv, anxious to know exactly the cost of the engineer
ing expense, is making best attempts to have it in black and white.
It is reported that agreement will be reached shortly — perhaps.
Next rumor That Alaska Steamship Company will not re
linquish the property adjacent to the bowling alley which is the
proposed site of the sewage disposal plant. This can he termed
partly true. Their contention is that the property is of extreme
value to not only Lomens but to the city for the purpose of cargo
staging. But Alaska Steam has tentatively offered 84 feet of frontage
in that area. Waterfront property is scarce and cannot be expanded.
The property has long been used for cargo handling and one can
only presume that — if Nome grows, so grows waterfront activity.
Consequently, which is more important, the plant site or an ade
quate waterfront facility. The city can, if they need more room,
force the issue by condemnation proceedings — perhaps.
Rumor continued — The Corps of Engineers has not
given permission to the city to penetrate the revetment for the
purpose of discharging waste from the sewage plant into Snake
River. The Corps of Engineers has given such permission — as long
as the outfall complies with existing public health regulations.
This newspaper does not feel that its duty', or responsibility,
is merely to expose, or heckle public officials. More often readers
want this rather than something sincere, yet the sincere, thought
provoking study, may bring about more good in the long pull.
It is obvious to most that our city government lacks manv
things. At this point we nearly lack a city government. Our city'
clerk — tax assessor, treasurer (voted in against his wishes) is in the
hospital, the Mayor is on a two-week vacation in the lower 48;
one of the Councilmen assigned to a new sewer and water commit
tee, is North. Another Councilman, generally named Mayor pro
tem in the absence of the Mayor, is out of tow n. Other Councilmen
are busy trying to make a buck in their various businesses.
According to many, some Councilmen know' very little of what
the others are thinking and planning. There was lack of continuity
when the new Mayor and Council member moved into seats vacated
three weeks ago. Some Councilmen are accused of being ves men
and of having less than one original idea. Obviously the Nome
City government is not the ultimate in the eyes of more than a few.
On the other hand only a few really give a damn at all.
This newspaper advocates exploration of a city-manager type
of government. Nome is becoming too complex to be governed
by well-meaning, but busy, part-time administrators. Too many
dollars are involved and too much is at stake. Taxes are not col
lected, the sewer and water project, for which a few have worked
hard and long, is in jeopardy, and the few' who have ambition to
better Nome are being submerged in details for which they are not
qualified. How can a progressive city be managed by a handful
of men meeting twice monthly? The City of Nome is hig business
— What successful business does not have a manager?
A city manager can be hired as result of a petition of the
voters. This could be circulated tomorrow.
letter to the editor
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Readers
Catherine Davis has been handed
a 180 day sentence on a charge
of being drunk in public.
Percy Outvvatcr was found guil
ty on two counts of giving liquor
to minors. He will serve five
months on one and three months
on the second. The sentences will
run consecutively. He was also
hit with a revoked 45 day sus
pended sentence, and this will be
served concurrently to the other
eight months.
Clifford Attatayuk, pleading not
guilty to a drunk charge, was found
guilty and fined $25.
FAIRBANKS — Incumbent
Sylvia Ringstad won re-election
Tuesday to the Fairbanks City
Council by defeating challenger
Halford Kelly, a service station
operator.
Mrs. Ringstad’s unofficial tally
was 714 to Kelly’s 531.
Tuesday’s runoff election was
scheduled after the councilwoman
failed to gain a majority by only
13 votes in a three-way race
Oct. 8.
Eligibility for G.I. loans does rot
extend beyond July 25, 1967 for
any veterans of World War II, nor
beyond January 31, 1975, for any
Korean veteran, the VA cautions.
Take your Foremost Coupons
to U. S. MERC.
WELCOME TO
Board of Trade
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Good Food . . .
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SAY HELLO TO
Cook