m NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mth Year No. 149
Per Copy 15c
NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1963
Books Close on ‘Case of Unknown Dogf
Relentless investigation on the
part of Nome Chief of Police Bob
Oliver, and his department, has
brought to a close the “case of the
unknown dog.” As it turned out
the dog was not rabid, as feared—
and a considerable number of
people became better acquainted
with the threat of rabies.
With four people bitten by dogs
within a few-day period, the de
partment began to hunt down the
guilty animals. A dog was cor
nered under the Sanders home on
December 5th. Although shot with
the nicotine dart gun, it eluded
officers and was found dead the
next morning. Since the fear of
rabies is always present due to
wild fox in the area, the officers
had wanted badly to capture the
dog alive so as to perform clinical
tests for rabies and in order to
obtain positive identification of
the animal. Most dogs have been
vaccinated these past two sum
mers by Air Force Dr. Hemphill,
and if identification can be made
it is easy to determine whether
the vaccine has been given the
dog.
The dog that Oliver found him
self in possession of, was however,
not identified. It was merely a
stray in the neighborhood. Rabies
shots were considered as four per
sons, including three children were
susf^ot of btirg diseased and in
line for a one-a-day series of 14
shots.
This was the time for action —
the identity of the animal must be
discovered and in lieu of that —
tests must be run on the carcass.
The dog was photographed. The
head was removed and sent to the
Arctic Health Research Labora
tory in Anchorage for examina
tion. Officer Joe Brantley of the
State Fish and Game Department
in Nome, handled this phase of the
investigation, and Dr. Hemphill of
the Elmendorf Air Force Base re
ceived the head from the airlines
and delivered it to the labora
tory.
Next the question put to doc
tors — should the victims com
mence the rabies treatment? Doc
ors met in the Anchorage office
Search oil for Air
Force Jet Bomber
ANCHORAGE, Alaska CP) — An
Air Force B52 bomber was re
ported by unofficial sources as
missing today about 200 miles
south of Adak in the Aleutian Is
land chain.
The Air Force was unable to
confirm the report immediately
here, but 17th Coast Guard Dis
trict Headquarters in Juneau said
when asked if it was engaged in
a search for a missing B52:
“Yes, but the information must
come from the Air Force.”
The big eight-jet bomber re
portedly was from Castle Air
Force Base, Calif.
The Coast Guard said the B52
failed to respond to a communica
tions check.
The Coast Guard Cutter CLO
VER and the six-plane Coast
Guard air detachment at Kodiak
were alerted to be ready for a
search.
of the Alaska Department of Pub
lic Health, they conferred with
Dr. Schadler of the M-M-M Hos
pital. and all agreed that the 14
shot series should be undertaken
immediately.
Oliver, in the meantime, had his
work cut out for him. In order
to speedily prove or disprove the
threat of rabies he had to locate
the owner of the dog. Checking
with dozens of residents in the
area and in possession of a dog
collar which was unique to Nome,
the investigators were led to sus
picion of an out of town owner.
Through the facilities of the
BIA and Radio KICY, they made
contact with Roy Seradalook at
Wales on Dec. 7. Foul weather cut
off hopes of either sending the dog <
carcass to Wales or having Sera
dalook come to Nome for several
days. The original owner of the
dog, as a pup, was thought to be
Phillip Omedalina. He asserted
that the litter had all been given
the rabies vaccine and he
THOUGHT that the dog was one
given to Seradalook.
December 12 found positive
identification finally. Officer Tony
Martin took photos, the dog collar,
and the headless carcass to
Wales. Seradalook made positive
identification of the animal. The
collar was of his making and of a
design peculiar to Wales dog own
ers. The dog had been abandoned
in Nome by its owner.
A much relieved police chief
phoned the doctor and the rabies
shots were discontinued — but not
before 6 or 7 had been given to
the four persons involved.
As an aftermath, the Police De
partment is waging a concentrated
war on loose dogs as dozens are
still running loose throughout
Nome — some have owners, some
are no doubt abandoned and on
their own.
King Islander
Rescued from
Bering Sea Ice Floe
An Air Force team out of Fair
banks, flying two helicopters,
picked Romauld Ketaxec off the
Bering Sea on Saturday. He was
on an ice floe about 10 to 15 miles
off King Island at the time. The
weather was adverse due to high
winds and low visibility at the
time of rescue. The Air Force
termed it “all in a day’s work.”
Due to freezing rain, the two
helicopters put into Port Clarence
on Saturday after the rescue mis
sion, and returned to Nome with
Ketaxec on Sunday afternoon. The
stranded man was in good physi
cal condition, according to an Air
Force doctor who accompanied
the pilots.
After an air drop of survival
equipment from a C-54 provided
by the Air Force base at Elmen
dorf on Friday. Ketaxec waited
out his rescue the next day. Very
little of the gear dropped to him
was salvaged, as the rescued man
had changed location between the
time that he was first sighted and
when he was rescued.
He is now in Nome, staying at
the home of Bernard Kuzinguk.
Kodiak Projects
Include Relief Map,
Outdoor Drama
A topographic map of Kodiak
Island is being produced, and
planning for an outdoor historical
drama is moving ahead through
the efforts, in part, of the Kodiak
Centennial Committee.
According to Pete Deveau,
chairman of the Kodiak group, a
master of a map which portrays
features of the island in relief is
now complete and copies are being
produced.
The outdoor historical drama
will be produced by a non-profit
corporation being organized by
members of the Centennial Com
mittee, the Chamber of Com
merce, and from the community
at large.
Dr. Bob Johnson, a member of
the Committee and long a pro
ponent of such a drama for Kodi
ak, said AMU professor Frank
Rrink had met with citizens of
Kodiak regarding an historical
production for outdoor presenta
tion.
Week’s Training of Village
Cops Offered at Fairbanks
JUNEAU — A one-week
training course for village police
officers has been scheduled by the
State Police at FairbanKs starting
Jan. 27, Public Safety Commis
sioner Martin B. Underwood said
today.
The course will include instruc
tion in basic police procedures, in
vestigation, criminal law, hand
ling of evidence, firearms training,
first aid, courtroom procedure and
testimony, laws of arrest and
search, fingerprinting and service
of process.
Underwood said the course will
be open to all persons employed
as local police officers or assured
of such empoyment upon comple
tion of the course, with the spon
soring community paying all
transportation and living expenses.
Sitka Recreation Site Road
Work Let by BPR
JUNEAU UPi — The U.S. Bureau
of Public Roads said today it had
awarded a $186,788 contract to
two Fairbanks firms for grading
and drainage work on .304 miles
of the Sitka Highway at Starri
gavan Creek.
The contract went to the B & A
Co. and the Yutan Construction
Co., both of Fairbanks, bidding
jointly.
William A. Niemi, regional en
gineer for the BPR, said the pro
ject will provide access to a new
camping and recreation area being
developed by the U.S. Forest
Service.
EDNA AHWINONA DIES
Mrs. Edna R. Ahwinona passed
away Dec. 14 at the M M-M Hos
pital. Mrs. Ahwinona was bom
September 2, 1933. She is survived ,
by her husband Sam Ahwinona,
and children Jennie, Sam Jr.,
Harold, Doris and David. 1
The remains are being trans- 1
ported to Golovin for interment.
State Chamber Offers ‘Combined
Talents’ To Scheme Out Alaska’s
‘Most Critical Issue’ — The Debt Load
JUNEAU UP) — The State Cham
ber of Commerce today urged that
the State repay federal unemploy
ment conpensation loans totaling
some $9.1 million from cash sur- j
pluses accruing the state’s unem
ployment compensation fund.
The proposal was one of a ser
ies of legislative goals discussed
during a weekend meeting here of
Chamber directors and chairmen
of the various Chamber com
mittees.
The Chamber said the “serious
financial condition which the
state finds itself in is the most
critical issue facing” Alaska and
the Chamber offered the collective
talents of its membership in at
tempting to find a solution.
In other legislative goals, the
Chamber:
Favored increasing the mem
bership of the Workmen’s Com
pensation Board from three to
five as a means of obtaining more
efficient and prompt handling of
claims.
Urged creation of an interna
tional salmon commission com
posed of the United States, Cana
da, Japan and Russia to deal with
conservation, enhancement, regu
lation and harvest of the fisheries
resources of the North Pacific
Ocean.
Urged Congress to outlaw the
importation of fish or shellfish
caught by foreign fishermen by
means unlawful for U.S. fisher
men.
Supported an adequate appro
Christmas Music Program
At School Thursday
“Christmas Music’’ will be pre
sented by the Nome Public School
Music Department, at 7:30 p.m.,
Thursday, Dec. 19, in the Multi
purpose Room.
The program will consist of both
sacred and secular Christmas mu
sic. The High School Band will be
gin the program by playing three
numbers, “We Three Kings,”
“Christmas Voices” and “March
of the Tin Soldiers.” The Elemen
tary Chorus will follow, singing,
“Up on the House Top,” “Frosty,
the Snowman,” and “What Child
is This?” The Junior High Chorus,
under the direction of Mr. Mc
Phetres and assisted by Debbie
Schadler at the piano, will sing,
“Sing We Now of Christmas,” “O
Holy Night,” “The Cradle Hymn,”
which will be sung in Eskimo, and
closing with the “Carol of the
Bells.” Under the direction of
Mrs. W. H. Cameron and assisted
by Gloria Carlson at the piano,
the High School Chorus will sing
“Silver Bells,” “Drummer Boy,”
T Wonder as I Wonder,” and “Lo,
How A Rose Ever Blooming.” The
program will close with the com
a i n e d chorus singing “Silent
Wght,” the first stanza being sung
in Eskimo by the High School
Jhorus with the other two groups
iccompanying.
This proves to be a very musi
cal evening and we hope all par
ents and friends will attend. No
ldmission charged.
i
<
1
priation to activate the Depart
ment of Business Research and
Economic Development at the
University of Alaska which was
created by the 1961 Legislature.
Approved legislation to “con
tinue the momentum of Alaska’s
effective tourist program. . . ”
Supported legislation for an ima
ginative Centennial celebration
in 1967.
Favored legislation prohibiting
the use of trading stamps in
Alaska.
Restated support of the agricul
tural revolving loan fund.
Asked that all bills calling for
an expenditure of state funds have
a “price tag’’ placed on them be
fore legislative action can be
taken.
Endorsed water appropriation
and use legislation embracing the
multiple use concept, to be ad
ministered by the Commissioner
of Natural Resources in coopera
tion with the Commissioners of
! Fish and Game, Health and Wel
fare and Economic Development
and Planning.
Opposed antitrust legislation on
the state level until sufficient in
dustry develops to indicate the
type of legislation Alaska might
adopt. t
And opposed, generally, any
legislation the Chamber said
| might have a restrictive or puni
I tive effect on business to the det
I rirnent of the public and the eco
j nornic growth of Alaska.
Undetermined Malady
Strikes Large Number'
Of U-A Students
FAIRBANKS (JPV—A large num
ber of students became ill Satur
day at the University of Alaska
but confusion surrounded the de
tails
Three students were in St. Jo
seph’s Hospital but it could not
be determined if their illness was
connected with the Saturday in
cident.
An exact number of those who
became sick was not available,
but a University spokesman said
it was “quite a large number.”
A test on meat served at the
University cafeteria was being
:onducted by the State Health De
partment.
“We can’t say it was food pois
>ning,” said a health official. “It
-ould have been intestinal flu.”
^ The University’s physician, Dr.
Sdward D. Meyer, was not avail
able for comment.
WEATHER BUREAU REPORT
Decreasing cloudiness late thi*
•vening, becoming partly cloudy
onight and tomorrow with icca
ional snow showers.