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OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 142
NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1963
Per Copy 15c
Meeting Meld at Fort Yukon
Hits at Rampart Dam Project
(From The Tundra Times)
The recent meeting of Yukon
Flat village leaders, held Oct. 25
28 at Fort Yukon, revealed that
the majority of leaders in that area
are against the Rampart Dam
project.
One of the purposes of the Fort
Yukon meeting was to discuss the
proposed multi-billion dollar dam
and resultant 11,000 square mile
lake that woud inundate the upper
stretches of the Yukon River in
Aaska.
With one exception the delegates
at the conference spoke out against
Rampart. This attitude is in ap- |
parent contradiction to published
reports of native feelings, as re
leased in recent months by pro
Rampart politicians who have trav
eled in the Yukon region.
In addition, other Yukon villages
not directly affected by the pro
ject, but which will sustain side
effects from the altering of Alas
ka’s mightiest river, have begun
to voice opinions concerning the
project.
So far four village councils and
several individuals have expressed
that they are not in favor of Ram
part Dam.
Following are the comments
concerning Rampart from the Fort
Yukon meeting:
Mardow Solomon, Fort Yukon:
“I am against Rampart Dam, be
cause I do not want to relocate
somewhere else. They claim there
will be a lot of work, but not for
the natives.”
Rev. David Salmon, Venetie: ‘‘I
am against it because there would
be no suitable place to move to.
Further, that should the dam be
built, all the young people would
move to the dam site, and the
old people and villages would
fade away.”
Percy Herbert, Fort Yukon: “I
am against it because I don’t want
to see Alaska experimented on.
How do they know the lake will
stay open. We might have one big
glacier on our hands.”
Steven Peter, Fort Yukon: “A
way of life will be changed. How
will our children make a living ”
Thomas Williams, Chalkyitsik:
"What will happen to people like
me who haven’t had any school
ing?”
Ambrose Williams, Arctic Vil
lage: “I won’t know how to make
a living if the land is flooded.”
Birch Creek James, Birch Creek:
“I do not want to lose the land,
nor relocate somewhere else. The
land will never be the same.”
Frank John, Fort Yukon: “I
am against it, because the native
people will be left out.”
TH/W£ r
William Fredson, Chalkyitsik:
“Rampart Dam is a ‘white ele
phant.’ It is a hand in the pork
barrel on the part of the people
who advocate the dam. I would
stand for an alternate proposal,
such as a series of nuclear plants
strategically placed about Alaska,
which woud lead to a firm founda
tion towards developing Alaska.
“There is no absolute certainty
that all the power from Rampart
will be sold. But there is one cer
tainty, if nuclear war broke out
it would only take one bomb to lay
the whole site to waste, and re
turn the land back through the '
ages where it will surely be “Sew
ard’s Icebox.”
“The native people are now
trapped between two cultures.
Hunting, trapping and fishing is
at a point of no return. Therefore,
the need to encourage the young
people to grasp every opportunity
for a higher education should be
stressed by community leaders, or
ganizations and parents. This goal
and others, aided by a few highly
motivated persons can bring about
a real improvement in the lives
of the native people, with or with
out the Rampart Dam.”
Arthur James, Fort Yukon: “I
am against it, because a way of life
would be changed. Should the dam
be built, how will we make a liv
ing if all the fish and game are
destroyed. I do not want to re
locate.
“I have traveled all down the
Yukon River, as far as Galena, and
talked to many of the people along
the way. The majority of the
people are against Rampart Dam.
“How will I make a living?
What will happen to my family?
Many promises have been made in
the past, and few have been kept.”
Peter Simple, Fort Yukon:
“There was a recent dam disaster
in Italy that killed many people.
There will be many people living
below Rampart Dam.
(Continued on Page 2)
U.S. Will Join
()thers To Stop
Cuba Anns Export
WASHINGTON — The United
States has agreed to a suggestion
by Venezuela to go along with
other governments in this hemis
phere in stepping up surveillance
to thwart any more attempts by
Cuba to export arms.
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, in
making the suggestion yesterday,
said an arms cache found on a
Venezuelan beach head come from
Cuba. This was confirmed today by
the U.S. State Department.
The U.S. offer was announced
by State Department News Officer
Richard Phillips in the wake of a
Venezuelan charge against Cuba
of aggression by smuggling arms.
The Venezuelan government an
nounced at the same time that its
accusations against Cuba will be
taken before the Organization of
American States.
Pro-Castro terrorists in Vene
zuela have been trying to disrupt
the presidential elections sched
uled for Sunday.
Despite their violence, the elec
tions have not been suspended,
and there are no signs that they
will be.
Phillips said that after the three
ton arms cache had been found on
Nov. 3, Venezuelan military offi
cials checked with U.S. arms ex
perts and it was confirmed that
the weapons came from Cuba.
TOM AND BARB MARTIN
WRITE FROM ANCHORAGE
Tom Martin, writing from An
chorage, describes it as cold and
the automobile traffic — vicious.
He reports that the cars resemble
those in Nome, but the drivers are
much tougher on tourists, such as
himself.
Barbara is having her checkup,
according to Tom, and as soon as
she graduates and receives her di
ploma, they will take off for the
“South 49.”
He asks us to pass on their best
regards to all in Nome and North
western Alaska area.
Senator Lester Bronson To Be Named
State Representative for Civil Defense
In a letter recently received
from Roscoe Burr, Vice-President
of Region 8 (Washington, Oregon
Idaho, Montana and Alaska), he
advises Senator Lester Bronson
that he is being appointed Alaska
State Representative for Civil
Defense.
Burr asks that Bronson name
the following state committees:
Federal Assistance, Shelter, Devel
opment, Communications and
Warning, Safety Services, RADEF,
Emergency Information, Training
and Education, Community and
Family Services, Industry and Fa
cilities, Medical and Health, Reso
lutions, Nominating and Confer
ence Site. In addition he asks that
the State be divided into sub-divi
sions for more thorough coverage.
House Resolution (HR 8200)
which passed the House by an
overwhelming majority, provides
grants to states and local govern
ments (including schools, hospi
tals, clinics, institutions and other
non-profit institutions), for their
use in modifying existing structures
to develop shelter space. This legis
lation is vital to every citizen, if
existing school facilities are to be
modified to provide shelter, states
Mr. Burr. This bill provides grants
of federal funds for both the ar
chitectural services and the con
struction. Funds for this purpose,
and included in the bill, warns
Burr, must be allocated in fiscal
year 1964, which ends June 30,
1964, if additional grants are to be
expected. The tentative allocation
for Alaska in 1964 amounts to .24
millions of dollars.
Hearings on this bill will start
December 2, 1963, in the Senate,
before a subcommittee of the Sen
ate Armed Services Committee,
headed by Chairman Henry M.
Jackson of Washington State. Vice
president Burr also reports that
national organizations such as the
American Legion and VFW have
passed resolutions in favor of this
bill.
Emily Boucher Dies
Suddenly In Seattle
SEATTLE W — Mrs. Emily |
Polet Boucher, former publisher
of the Nome Nugget, died early
Thursday in a Seattle hospital.
Mrs. Boucher went south to Se
attle and entered the Virginia
Mason Hospital on Nov. 5. The
cause of her death is not entirely
known.
Mrs. Boucher had published the
Nugget for 20 years, and had sold
it only recently. She had also been
active in insurance work and real
estate rental in Nome.
She was the daughter of the
late Antonio Polet, a widely
known Alaska pioneer. Polet came
to Nome at the turn of the cen
tury and had numerous business
interests here.
Born in Nome, Mrs. Boucher
went on to graduate from the
University of Washington in music.
She was active in Nome civic af
fairs and was a member of the
Order of the Eastern Star and the
Community Methodist Church.
Two sons, William, of Fairbanks,
and Rodney, a student at Oregon
State University, and a daughter,
Mrs. Robert Herman, of Fair
banks, as well as four grandchil
dren, survive.
Funeral arrangements are pend
ing, an an autopsy was to be per
formed today to determine the
cause of death of the 57-year-old
prominent Nome businesswoman.
Mrs. Boucher had entered the hos
pital for minor surgery. Relatives
said she suffered a stroke Novem
ber 14, the day she was to be re
leased from the hospital. They
said she appeared to be recovering
from the stroke when she died.
Rivers to Address Lions
Don Perkins, Lion Club mem
ber, reports that Representative
Ralph Rivers and Mrs. Rivers will
arrive in Nome tomorrow.
Rep. Rivers, as guest speaker,
will address the Lions Club no
host dinner to be held Saturday
night at 8 p.m. at the North Star
Seaview Room.
The public is cordially invited to
attend, according to Perkins.
Lions District Governor Ross
Wood will visit the Lions Club of
Nome on November 30. The pur
pose of his visit will be to advise
and assist President Jack Carpen
ter, Secretary Robert Smith and
the officers, directors and mem
bers of the club on matter per
taining to Lions administration and
the Lions’ great program of hu
manitarian service.
Lion Wood is one of the 408 dis
trict governors who supervise the
activities of more than 17,000 Lions
Clubs. Lions International was
formally founded in 1917 and dur
ing the past 46 years has become
the largest, most active and fastest
growing service club organization
in the world. There are Lions
clubs in 124 countries or geograph
ical locations of the world with a
membership of 685,000. Wood was
elected Lions governor at the
Nome convention held last spring.
The Columbia Funeral Home in
Seattle is handling funeral ar
rangements. A date for the Eastern
Star service will be made after
her son, William, and brother, Al
vin Polet of Fairbanks, arrive in
Seattle tomorrow. Burial is ex
pected to be in a family plot in
Tacoma where Mrs. Boucher’s
father and mother, Mr. and Mrs.
Tony Polet, are buried.
~
MEMBERS OF POLET
FAMILY HERE BRIEFLY
Mr. Alvin Polet, brother of Mrs.
Emily Boucher, and Bill Boucher,
her son, arrived in Nome this fore
noon and returned to Fairbanks on
the same plane. Their brief visit
was occasioned by the death of
Mrs. Boucher.
—---—
Camellias to Barrow
BARROW — Edith Pikok o<P
Barrow, Alaska, happened to men
tion in a letter to her 13-year-old
pen pal, Sally Crenshaw of Green
ville, Ala., that she never had seen
a flower. So Sally, with the help
of the Greenville Chamber of Com
merce, bunded up nine Alabama
camellias and sent them to the
little girl who lives at the north
ern tip of the nation, far inside
the Arctic Circle.
BARROW — An Eskimo yo
yo is being mailed to a girl in
Greenville, Ala., who sent her
Eskimo pen pal in Alaska nine
camellias — the first flowers the
Alaska girl had ever seen.
Edith Pikok, a 13-year-old Es
; kimo sixth grader at Barrow,
| proudly shared the red and white
j camellias with her classmates.
The flowers arrived in the mail
i in good condition a week ago.
FOX ON LOSING END OF
MARTIN'S FAST DRAW
Bob Oliver, Chief of Police, re
| ports that Officer Tony Martin
shot a fox early this morning in
the Lomen area. It has also been
reported that one has been seen
running in the Hospital area. Chief
Oliver advises that he will appre
ciate reports of any fox seen so
that they may be disposed of as
quickly as possible.
--
Theodore Statuk passed away at
the M-M-M Hospital yesterday.
Funeral Services will be held
Monday at 2 p.m., at Community
Methodist Church.
I
TRAFFIC BULLETIN
The AP reports nationwide traf
fic deaths now total 198 for th*
long Thanksgiving holiday week
end.
» The Harpoon *
Thanksgiving just didn't
come off the same
year.