THE
NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—-MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 150
NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1963
Per Copy 15c
Governor Egan Orders Freeze on
New Hiring for Alaska Slate Jobs
JUNEAU (fl) — Gov. William A.
Egan disclosed today he has or
dered a freeze on state employ
ment “because of the critical bud
jet situation confronting this
state.”
The freeze on new hires, as well
as a reassessment of the need for
classified service positions added
to the state’s payroll during the
past year, came in two directives
issued by Egan.
In a directive to Commissioner
Floyd Gucrtin of the State De
partment of Administration, Egan
clamped the lid on the issuance
of any state recruitment bulletin
without Egan’s specific, prior ap
proval.
“This directive will be complied
with until further notice,” Egan
told Gucrtin in the terse, four line
order.
In a second directive, addressed
to all department and division
heads, Egan said no vacancy or
previously authorized, unmanned
new position will be filled except
through his direct approval.
Egan also ordered department
and division heads to review all
classified service positions cur
rently filled on probationary sta
tus and to make a written report
to him on the need and impor
tance of each such position.
The reports will be required on
State Insurance Director
Quits to Take New Job
JUNEAU UP) — The resignation
of Joseph B. Loonam as director
of the State Division of Insurance,
effective Dec. 31, was announced
late Tuesday by Commerce Com
missioner A. H. Romick.
In resigning the state position,
Loonam said he had received an
opportunity “that I have looked
forward to for some time and sim
ply can’t turn down.”
Loonam would say only that his
new job will be in the state of
Washington. He is a former resi
dent of Tacoma, Wash.
Loonam took over as director of
the insurance division in Romick’s
department on May 1, 1962.
Nome School Christmas
Program Features
Band and Choruses
The Nome Public School Christ
mas Program to be held Thursday
evening, December 19, at 7:30 p.m.
in the Multipurpose Room, will
feature the High School Band,
High School, Junior High and Ele
mentary Choruses.
Our 120 students will partici
pate in the Christmas treat. Ele
mentary students will hear the
program at 10:45 a.m., and an
other performance will be given
for Junior and Senior High School
students at 2:45 p.m. The evening
program is scheduled for adults.
NOTICE
As both Christmas and New
Years fall on Wednesday, there
will be no publication on these
holidays. The Nugget will be pub
ished on Tuesday and Friday of
both weeks.
positions filled through transfer
^f a state employe from another
date job as well as positions filled
by new state employes.
Under the state’s personnel
rules, a person entering the classi
fied service in pay ranges 13 and
jnder remains in probationary
status for six months, those enter
ing in pay ranges 14 and above
for one year.
Probationary employes, under
the personnel rules, may be ter
minated at any time with no right
if appeal.
Les Bronson Undergoes
Surgery In Seattle
Senator Lester Bronson is in the
Virginia Mason Hospital in Se
attle, where he is recuperating
from surgery.
It is reported that his illness
came upon him suddenly. He was
returning home from the last Leg
islative Council session which ter
minated in Juneau. In Anchorage
he suddenly became ill, and upon
consultation with a doctor there he
flew immediately to Seattle, ar
riving on Friday.
He was operated on yesterday
for an internal ailment — pos
sibly bladder trouble.
Weather Report
Continued fair today and to
night, becoming partly cloudy to
morrow. North to Northeast winds
15 to 25 miles per hour, with oc
casional stronger gusts. Little
change in temperature. Low to
night 12, high tomorrow 27.
Nome data last 24 hours as of 7
p.m. today: Temperatures — high
est 28, lowest 10. Marimum wind
46 miles an hour from the North
east. Sunrise at 10 a.m., sunset at
1:56 p.m.
Comparative Data: Tempera
tures year ago today — High 10,
low -12. Extremes on this date
since 1907 — Highest 36 in 1932,
lowest -36 in 1946.
Senate Youth Contest
Winners Announced
JUNEAU (Special) — Theron F.
Borden, Assistant Commissioner of
Education in charge of instruc
tional services, announces that
Phillip Wallona, son of Sacally
and Sassa Wallona of Dillingham,
Alaska, and Ann Butcher, daught
er of Mrs. Helen Butcher of An
chorage, are Alaska’s winners in
the U. S. Senate Youth Program
contest.
Sponsored by the William Ran
dolph Hearst Foundation in co
operation with the U.S. Senate, the
Program provides an opportunity
for two students from each state
to participate in a one-week, ex
pense-paid trip to Washington,
D.C., to observe the United States
government in action.
Selection of students is based
upon a competitive examination.
To be eligible, students must
serve in elective offices in their
local schools and have the recom
mendation of their local school
administrators.
SELDOVIA COMMITTEE
PLANS HISTORY OF AREA
One of the projects adopted for
action by the recently formed Sel
dovia Centennial Committee is
that of writing a history of the
Seldovia area.
Mrs. Elsa Pedersen, chairman
of the Seldovia group, said the his
tory would be printed in booklet
or pamphlet form and offered
for sale.
Other projects being planned by
the Seldovia Committee are tour
maps of the area and a Russian
Church trail.
Midwest Blizzard
Muskegon, Michigan, is wallow
ing in new snow and broken rec
ords — its share of a storm that
generally stretches from the Mid
west to the Atlantic Coast.
One record broken in Muskegon
today was for a 24-hour snowfall;
nearly 18 inches, in contrast to
just over 12 and a half inches, the
old mark.
The outlook for Muskegon: more
blizzards.
Chamber Meeting News . . .
The Northwestern A1 a s k a
Chamber of Commerce met in the
North Star Seavievv Room with an
exceptionally good percentage of
members in attendance. Bob Har
wood reported on the 1964 Junior
Miss contest which is not far off.
January 18 will see that contest
held in Nome. The winner of the
contest will attend the state
finals in Anchorage, and that win
ner will go for the top honor in
the nationwide contest scheduled
for Mobile, Alabama.
It was reported that 36 persons
availed themselves of the blood
typing service provided free of
charge by the M-M-M Hospital
and aided by the JayCee group.
The Chamber had four new
members as of this meeting. They
are Dr. Robert Packard, Alaska
Steamship Company, Molitor and
Doremus, and Anseth Electric.
Sen. Pearse Walsh brought two
guests to the luncheon — Tex
Zeigler and Haskell “Pete” Wax
ler. Tex Zeigler, who calls Igloo
home, is known to many here as
a bush pilot and ex-trader from
Mary’s Igloo. He is currently do
ing camera work with “Pete”
Waxier, a film producer. The
pair are shooting scenes to be
used in the movie, “The Ameri
canization of Emily.” The movie,
based on World War II story ma
terial, has nothing to do with
the Arctic except in the last scene.
This is the scene being filmed
here.
Wexler spoke to the Chamber
members relative to his work. He
advised that Alaska has much to
offer the film industry insofar as
natural beauty, but that the state
is doing very little — public rela
tions-wise — to encourage the
producers and entice them north.
He related that movie producers
are of the opinion that costs are
too high in Alaska and that film
production here would be pro
hibitive. This, he added, is not
necessarily the case.
Jaycee Blood Buggies
Haul Six-and-Thirty {
A total of 36 Nomeites responded j
to the plea for blood-typing at , 1
the M-M-M Hospital Saturday j <
morning. While it was an encour- j <
aging beginning, it was certainly :
not, they are convinced, a complete :
tally of the citizens in this area
who do not have their blood type
on record locally.
Despite the prospects of a com- <
fortable ride in the Blanning Blue :
Bus, there was practically no re- <
sponse in the early hours of the <
drive, which prompted them to
believe that later in the morning
or early afternoon would be more
convenient for this late rising
population. The opportunity to
prove this supposition will be
offered immediately following the
holiday season when the Nome
Jaycees will again cooperate with
the M-M-M Hospital staff in a re
peat effort to give area residents
a chance to contribute to their
own welfare.
Watch for future news about j
this program, and plan now to j
participate, suggest Jaycee offi
cials.
President Tags Foreign Aid
Cut as False Savings
WASHINGTON UP> — President
Johnson said today it would be
false economy for Congress to cut
foreign aid below the three bil
lion, 600 million dollars previous
ly authorized for it.
Democratic Senator John Pas
tore of Rhode Island, read John
son’s letter to the Senate. The j
chamber was considering a com- •
mittee-approved measure to sup
ply three billion, 300 million dol
lars for the program.
Berliners Queue
Up for Holiday
Pass to East Zone j
WEST BERLIN UP> — Thousands !
of West Berliners are lining up j
today to apply for permits that j
will allow them to go through the j
Red wall at Christmas for visits |
with relatives.
Hours before the permits were
to be issued, West Berliners waited
in heavy snow and freezing wea
ther. Agreement on the one-dav 1
visit had been reached by West
Berlin and East German author
ities.
CITY LEAGUE
GAMES POSTPONED c
A power failure forced postpone- c
ment of Tuesday’s City League I
basketball games at the local high c
school gym. Nome Insurance and c
ANB tried to get their game in, I
but repeated light failure caused 1
the school officials to call it off.
The games will be re-scheduled
for Friday, Dec. 20. ANB will play
Nome Insurance at 7 p.m. and the
Polar Hornets will tangle with the
Nome High School Nanooks at
about 8:30 p.m.
City League will also play
games on Saturday of this week.
The Nanooks will play the ANB
five at 7, and Nome Insurance will
play the Merchants at about
8:30 pjn.
i
f
West Coast Movements
j»rind to Halt in Fog
PORTLAND <JP> — Fog is con
inuing to hamper travel and
:ommerce on all of the Pacific
:oast. Blankets of varying inten
;ity have covered some areas for
;everal days.
In the delta country above San
Francisco Bay the Danish motor
;hip Pasadena slammed into the
irawbridge at Antioch. Both the
;hip and the bridge were dam
iged. The bridge was closed for
iight hours, then one lane was
opened for busy Highway 24
traffic.
The Los Angeles and Long
Beach International Airports were
closed twice this morning, and
sea and land traffic in the Los
Angeles area was hampered. A
fishing boat and a tug collided
in Los Angeles harbor, and free
way traffic was jammed at the
rush hour this morning.
The fog was so thick at Med
ford, Oregon, that an air ambu
lance could not take off with two
patients until the airport blanket
was seeded with dry ice. The dry
ice made a hole large enough to
allow the plane to get into the
air — to take the patients to Port
land and Yakima, Wash.
Throughout southern Oregon
motorists had difficuty staying on
highways. And the fog was so
thick that many wrecking cars
couldn’t find motorists who ended
up in ditches.
Navy Board Will Study
Need for Shipyards
WASHINGTON M — The other
day Defense Secretary McNamara
suggested that some of the Navy’s
eleven shipyards throughout the
country be shut down as an econ
omy move. There were immediate
loud protests by Congressmen and
others in affected areas and the
Pentagon indicated that the clo
sure would not be pressed. How
ever, today the Pentagon said a
board has been set up to make a
comprehensive study of the capa
city and needs of the Navy’s
eleven yards. Important yards are
at Bremerton, Washington; Val
ejo, San Francisco, and Long
3each, California.
jihana Students Riot
MOSCOW iTi — Order has been
estored in Moscow’s Red Square
fter a battle between police and
everal hundred students from the
African nation of Ghana. The stu
lents stormed into Red Square
nd even tried to break into the
Gremlin in what they said was a
emonstration against the killing
»f a student from Ghana by a
lussian last Friday. Finally, po
ice were able to clear the square.
The riotous outburst continued
n the square for some time be
ore police restored order.
» The Harpoon «
Wilke not convinced "No
news is good news." while
he sweats out 475 grand.