OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 53
NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1963
Per Copy 15*
City Council Accepts
Marshall & Mayer Co.
Power Bond Proposal
A special meeting of the City
Council was held yesterday morn
ing with Dan A. Mayer of Mar
shall and Mayer Inc., of Seattle.
The meeting was called to consider
bids for the financing of the Nome
Power and Light revenue bonds.
In addition to the company re
presented the Grande and Co.
which hold the bonds for the ori
ginal purchase of the plant placed
a verbal bid by phone.
The Council voted to accept the
Marshall and Mayer proposal
with one councilman abstaining
from voting.
The 20-year bonds carry 4 Vi
per cent interest until 1981 when
they are stepped down to 4.4 per
cent. The company proposes to
also take over the balance of the
original loan which is for
$149,000 and lowering the rate of
interest as the city is paying over
5 per cent at the present time
on these bonds which had started
at 6 per cent.
COUNCIL SETS TENTATIVE
BUDGET AT $306,000
There was a special meeting of
the Nome City Council held last
evening to study the budget made
up from figures submitted by
heads of all committees from last
year.
The tentative budget, after sev
eral changes, had been made was
$306,000, approximately the same
as for the previous year.
Wrangell Girl Crowned
Miss Alaska Ferry Queen
JUNEAU Ut) — Theresa McCor
mick, a petite brunette represent
ing Wrangell, was crowned Miss
Alaska Ferry Queen last night, at
a banquet marking the end of
the formal inaugural trip of the
Southeast Marine Highway system.
The Wrangell girl competed with
beauties from 6 other Panhandle
communities served by the new
southeast ferry system, during the
week-long voyage of the MV Mal
aspina. ,
Miss McCormick, as Miss Alaska
Ferry, becomes eligible for the
state Miss Universe contest later
this year and will represent the
Marine Highway system at the
New York World’s Fair in 1964-65.
American Plants
Old Glory Atop Everest
KATMANDU, Nepal UP> — One
American and a Sherpa guide made
up the team that took Old Glory
to the peak of Mt. Everest, an ex
pedition spokesman said today.
A statement radioed from the
expedition’s base camp, however,
still kept secret the name of the
American and the native tribes
man who went with him.
The statement said all the climb
ers and support party had return
ed to the base camp.
The team placed aluminmum
flags on the summit.
Plans are now going ahead for
a second assault on the southeast
ridge and an attempt by way of
the western ridge, the spokesman
said.
Two previous successful expedi
tions — the British in 1953 and
Swiss in 1956 — reached the sum
mit.
k Chinese Communists claimed
in 1960 they climbed Everest and
placed there a bust of Mao Tse
Tung.
The spokesman said: “No evi
dence of previous expeditions was
found at the summit.”
Sen. E. L. Bartlett
Has No Use for the $50
Million Port of Whittier
WASHINGTON UPI — Sen. E. L.
Bartlett is usually a 100 per cent
Alaska booster, but he has no use
for the $50 million Port of Whittier.
Neither, it turns out, does the
Defense Department—which built
it in the first place.
Bartlett described it yesterday
as “one of the strangest ports in
world” on a peninsula about 62
miles southeast of Anchorage.
It is a place, he said, which has
“constant rain in the summer, con
stant snow in the winter and
clouds all year around.”
The port, with community at
tached, has been declared excess
and is to be disposed of by the
military, Bartlett said.
The only facility to be retained,
he said, is the petroleum distribu
tion system which will require
the employment of one man.
“This one man will walk a
strange and lonely city,” said Bart
lett, describing a 14-story apart
ment building and another struc
ture once called “the city within
a building.”
Bartlett said he felt along with
other Alaskans that construction
of the port 20 years ago was “un
necessary and wasteful.”
It was built, he said, because
the Army believed the defense of
Alaska required another ice-free,
all weather port and “so a port
was made in a hurry where no
port had been before.”
“The Defense Department runs
its own show in Alaska,” Bart
lett concluded. “It does not often
consult Alaskans before it acts.
It does not often explain its
actions.
“Once again, and $50 million
later, Alaskans are able to say
to the Defense Department: I
told you so.”
SBA Will Supply Aid to
Businessmen in Cordova
FAIRBANKS Uf) — Gov. Wm.
Egan said today that he has re
ceived word from John Horne, Ad
ministrator of the Small Business
Administration in Washington, that
the SBA has declared Cordova a
disaster area.
Egan said this would help Cor
dova businessmen in procuring
business loans to rebuild after the
fire yesterday.
He also said three state men
were in Cordova to give what as
sistance was needed.
Egan is in Fairbanks today for
several events. Yesterday he ad
dressed the State Bar Convention
and also gave the commencement
address at the Fort Yukon High
School. He returned to Fairbanks
about midnight aboard an Alaska
National Guard plane.
Tonight he will be honored by
the Pioneers at a mug-up here and
tomorrow will be guest of honor
at the annual Governor’s Day ob
servance at the University of
Alaska.
323rd Suicide from Eiffel Tower
PARIS — Marie Jose Be
landou, 25, a student, was killed
yesterday in a fall from the third
floor of the Eiffel Tower. Her body
was caught in the iron frame of
the structure and firemen had to
be called to bring the body down.
Police listed it as the 323rd
suicide from the Eiffel Tower,
since it was completed in 1889.
Discharged from the MMM Hos
pital: Margaret Picknalook, Wm.
Kowelik, Wilma Wilcox, Dolly
Kiyoutelluk.
Kennedy Greets
Nation’s Medal of
Honor Winners
WASHINGTON UP) — As the
heroes gathered with the Presi
dent, the memories came back—
of scars and battles, of the friends
they saved and the friends they
lost.
“It’s one of those things you
don’t talk about,” a winner of the
Medal of Honor said as he used
a cane to get across the White
House lawn on one leg. He lost
the other in the punitive expedition
to Mexico 49 years ago.
They shook hands with Presi
dent Kennedy, a few in wheel
chairs, one with a steel hand
Kennedy reached for heartily like
all the rest.
Wives had to tell the heroic
tales for some. Others could rattle
off their citations like serial num
bers.
These were America’s great
heroes—234 of the 290 living win
ners of the Medal of Honor in
vited to a lawn party at the White
House and a handshake from the
President at a traditional recep
tion for 1,600 military men and
their wives.
They won their medals in
Spanish-American, the fighting at
Vera Cruz, Mexico, the Philippine
insurrection, Boxer Rebellion, two
World Wars and a “Police Action”
in Korea.
Kennedy, a PT boat hero oj
World War II himself, said honoi
to all of them in a moving cere
mony in the rose garden outsid<
his office and ventured it wai
the largest number of Medal o
Honor winners ever assembled.
These men, recipients of the
highest award the United States
can give for military valor, are
“our most distinguished American
citizens,” the President told his
guests.
Expressing the country s appre
ciation, Kennedy said “you re
present the strong courage of
Americans and their determination
to defend their country.”
“While all Americans can’t win
the Medal of Honor, and while all
of them can’t fight in far-off
places, I hope that all are big
enough and strong enough and
courageous enough to support
them,” the President added.
Art Workshop to Be
Set Up Here in Summer
Danny Pierce and Ronald Se
nungetuk of the University of
Alaska Art Dept, are scheduled
to conduct an art workshop here
this summer, it has been announced
under the Alaska Native Arts and
Crafts program of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs.
According to the release, the BIA
is not only interested in develop
ing the native art talent but also
in expanding the market for the
work with the cooperation of Dr.
George Rogers, research professor
of economics for the university.
Just when the workshop will
start and where it will be located
has not been announced to date,
stated Sterling Croell this morning.
First Successful Rocket Test
CUXHAVEN, Germany <*> —
West Germany’s first three-stage
rocket reached 62V£ miles into the
sky yesterday in a successful test,
its designer reported.
Designer Berthold Seeliger said
the flight of the transmitter-carry
ing rocket was tracked by the
Bochum Space Research Institute.
Midnight Sun Festival
Needs a “Queen”
Nome’s Annual Midnight Sun
Festival is to be held June 20, 21,
22 and 23.
Each year the City of Nome
honors an Alaskan girl with the
title of “Queen of the Midnight
Sun.”
In 1962 Miss Ann Chambers,
now at the University of Alaska,
won a trip to the World’s Fair in
Seattle and many other beautiful
gifts. The runner-up, Miss Lurisse
Lowe, won a trip to Anchorage to
compete in the Miss Alaska con
test. All girls who entered re
ceived prizes and gifts.
If you are an Alaskan Miss
over 16 years of age you are in
vited to phone, or write to Mrs.
Robert Reardon Box 541, Nome,
phone 443-2460.
Chamber Was Founded
Sixty-Three Years Ago
The Nome Chamber of Com
merce was organized in May of
1900 for the purpose of providing
ways and means for performing
the work which should have been
done by the municipal officers and
would have been done had they
had the necessary funds.
Dr. E. M. Rininger and Dr. S. J.
Call were selected as health offi
cers to the Chamber of Commerce
and their advice was followed in
all matters pertaining to sanita
tion. The sum of $20,000 was sub
scribed by the citizens of Nome.
The work of cleaning the cit:
5 and. carting every kind of refus
; off to the ice on the Bering Sei
and the work of digging ditch &
and constructing drains was vigor
ously prosecuted, under the super
vision of Councilman A. J. Lowe
and the bills paid by the Chamber
of Commerce.
The thousands of people that
landed on the beach in Nome in
the spring of 1900 did not realize
that many of their lives were pre
served by this concerted and
praiseworthy action of the citizens
of Nome represented by the Cham
ber of Commerce. It was fortu
nate for Nome that in the early
days there were a few strong men
who insisted that the law of com
mon sense and justice should be
enforced.
When elected the first president
of the Chamber, Capt. Ferguson
said: “There must be no blood
letting in this community. We will
hang the first man who unneces
sarily spills human blood if we
have to go to Council to get the
tree to hang him on.”
Discipline for Caroline
WASHINGTON (£> — Caroline
Kennedy was acting up with her
mother, but. a nurse quickly ad
ministered discipline in full view
of guests at a White House mili
tary reception yesterday.
The President’s youngsters, Car
oline, 5, and John Jr., 2Vfe, were
watching from high up on the
Truman balcony as the colorful
spectacle unfolded on the lawn.
When Caroline climbed on the
balcony rails, nursemaid Maud
Shaw tried to get her down.
Caroline struck at the nurse with
her fists. Miss Shaw then carried
the little girl off to a safer spot.
Later, when it was time to
leave, Caroline sat down on the
floor, disobeying orders once
more. Nurse Shaw again picked
up her charge and pushed the
little girl through the door into
the house with a firm guiding
hand.
Three Convicts
Receive Last Minute
Stay of Execution
SAN QUENTIN, Calif. UPi — Two
of three murder plotters were 15
steps and 105 minutes away from
death in the gas chamber today
when they got word the execu
tions of all three had been stayed
by a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
“You’re not kidding me are you,
warden?” pleaded John Frank
Vlahovich, 31, looking up from
what he thought was his last break
fast. The hour was 8:15 a.m.
At 10 a.m., after a short death
march, he and Donald Franklin,
34, were to be seated, side by side,
strapped to chairs in the gas cham
ber, waiting for fumes to snuff
out their lives.
“Thank God, sighed Franklin
when associate warden Dale Frady
assured them Justice Wm. Doug
las’ decision in Washington.
Six floors up, among the 40
other condemned men on death
row, Joseph Rosoto, 39, heard
he would not die at 2 p.m. He
shook his head in disbelief. That
hour was set because the two
chair gas chamber has to be aired
out after a morning execution.
The three were convicted of a
plot to have a gunman — still at
large — kill an Anaheim tavern
owner so he could not testify
against Rosoto at a robbery trial.
Justice Douglas decided the ex
ecutions should be stayed while
the Supreme Court passes on two
other cases with related issues,
including collection of evidence
with a hidden microphone.
' Yesterday there were 43 men
, I on death row.
Ice Classic Books Here
The Nenana Ice Classic guess
ing books have arrived with a
tabulation of all guesses taken on
the movement of the ice. The books
are at the Nugget, Polar Curio and
Polar Bar.
Another Day of Rest
HONOLULU Uft—Aviatrix Betty
Miller has decided to rest another
day before continuing her attempt
to fly from California to Australia
alone in a small plane.
The Santa Monica, Calif., house
wife said yesterday that she want
ed to get more rest before her
pre-dawn takeoff for Canton Is
land on the second leg of the
7,100-mile flight Saturday morn
ing.
Mrs. Miller, 37, will fly from
Honolulu to Canton, then make a
stop at Fiji before reaching Bris
bane, Australia. She is delivering
the twin-engine Piper Apache to
a buyer in Brisbane.
She is attempting to become the
first woman to fly solo from Cali
fornia to Australia.
Two Veteran Test Pilots
Die In Mid-Air Crash
KINGSTON. N.Y. (#> — Two
veteran civilian test pilots, check
ing out electronic equipment, col
lided over the Catskill Mountains
late Thursday in F-105D Thunder
chief jet fighters. Both were killed.
Their test flight was of such a
nature that it should not have
contributed to a collision, a Re
public Aviation Corp. spokesman
at Farmingdale, N.Y. said.
Killed were Jack Bade, 42, of
Massapequa, N.Y., a much-deco
rated Army Air Corps ace of
World War II, and Don Seaver,
37, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., a
Navy combat pilot of World War
II and Korea.