___ _ ED KEITH.AHN
The Kenai Peninsula SSMrtsr
SECOND YEAR
July 28,1961
10c a Copy
Number 41
SOCKEYE SALMON RUN EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
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Mrs. Clarence Marsh of Kenai holds one of fhe big King
Salmon processed at Columbia Ward cannery in Kenai last
week. Some of the salmon at her feet weigh as much as 75
pounds. That's Billy Wilson of Kenai in the background.
KENAI’S 170th ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRA TION SCHEDULED
The Second Annual Kenai
Days celebration will take
place August 19 and 20 and,
since 1961 is the 170th anni
versary of the settlement by
the Russians, will have an his
torical theme and flavor.
Proceeds from the big week
end will go to the Kenai CAP
which has flown so many emer
gency missions that it was
awarded a national unit cita
tion—only two of which have
been awarded in all the United
States. The money is slated for
a hangar to house the CAP air
craft
Besides being for a good
cause, the weekend is expected
to be loads of fun with such
fabulous prizes as a free
moose hunting trip across the
Inl^t (and a deep freeze to put
the moose in). There will be
a big fishing derby conducted
at Eagle Rock, a barbecue, fa
shion show, queen contest, an
art and craft show, a home and
garden produce exhibit, a fly
in breakfast, rides and games
for the kids, gobs of booths, a
dance, and of course, the big
parade with floats, etc. In fact,
the rush is still on with more
events wanting to come in.
Kenai Days is growing!
So, help a good cause, catch
a big fish, eat some tasty bar
becue, see some beautiful girls,
win some big prizes, have a
BARREL OF FUN — Come to
Kenai! Remember, that’s the
19th and 20th, Saturday and
Sunday, in August.
FIRST HOMESTEAD LAND SALE SET
lhe first sale of homestead
land by the State of Alaska
will be held at 10 a.m. Satur
day, August 5, at the Commu
nity Club building in Anchor
Point. Being sold are 46 tracts
containing approximately 23,
394 acres located a mile or two
out of Anchor Point, just off
the Sterling Highway, and
about 20 miles north of Homer.
For closer inspection or map
reference the land lies within
Townships 3, 4 and 5 South,
Ranges 14 and 15 West, Seward
Meridian, generally referred to
as the Stariski-Chakok River
area.
The 46 units range in size
from 40 to 640 acres, and in ap
praised value from $1,000 to
$10,500; as in all State land
sales the appraised value of
erch tract serves as the mini
mum acceptable bid for that
tract during the auction, which
will be by public outcry. Ten
percent of the bid price must
be paid at the time of the sale,
and the remaining 90 percent
can be paid in 9 annual install
ments or paid in homestead im
provement credits as provided
for in the homestead regula
tions.
Requests for information on
the sale have been received
from numerous interested par
ties. both in Alaska and the
States, and in this regard the
Division of Lands would like
to take the opportunity here to
caution all prospective bidders
to obtain as much information
as possible from the Division,
along with making an on-the
ground inspection of the prop
erty. Every effort has been
made to afford as much dry
ground as possible in each unit;
however, as is the case in many
parts of Alaska much of the
area is muskeg. Forage crops
and hardy vegetables, such as
cabbages, potatoes, celery, let
tuce, carrots, radishes, etc., as
well as strawberries and rasp
berries, grow well in this area.
There is a grade school at An
chor Point and a high school at
Homer. The Alaska Motor
Coach Bus Line travels from
Anchorage to Homer on Tues
day, Thursday and Saturday,
returning to Anchorage each
following day.
Note should be taken that
the sale falls on a Saturday,
and that all necessary finances
should be arranged for in ad
vance. Free sale brochures and
plats of the 46 parcels at a cost
of $2 each are available at the
Division of Lands, 344 Sixth
Avenue, Anchorage.
BLOOD BANK
IS ESTABLISHED
Establishment of a walking
blood bank at the Central Kenai
Peninsula Medical Clinic was
announced Monday by Dr. Paul
Isaak. Any person interested in
being a blood donor or in hav
ing his or her own blood typed
is asked to call at the clinic any
day Monday through Friday
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is
no charge for this service to the
individual.
Each person so typed will be
given a card upon which will
be his name, type of blood and
Rh factor. Similar information
will be kept on file at the hos
pital.
The walking blood bank in
the immediate area will be of
great help in saving time and
lives in times of accident or
serious illness when a patient's
blood must be matched imme
diately before transfusion, Doc
tor Isaak said.
The red and sockeye salmon season locally is better this year
than was expected, according to A. R. Pearmain, superintendent
for Columbia Ward Fisheries. Approximately 35,000 cases of 1-lb.
tall cans have been processed since the season opened June 8,
Pearmain said Monday.
“No one can predict what the total run will be for 1961,” he
said. “There will be no season on pink salmon this year so I doubt
if we reach the total of 49,000 cases canned on the 1-lb. tall basis
that we had in I960.”1
The reds began running earlier this year than last, when
they made their run simultaneously with the pinks. The reds
began dropping off this past period. There are two 24-hour periods
each week, Monday morning to Tuesday morning and Thursday
morning to Friday morning. Next to come are the silvers and
chums, a few of which have already been taken in the nets.
Columbia Ward Fisheries is a local successor to Libby,
McNeill Sc Libby, as of the spring of 1959. Preparations for the
current season began here May 11.
Employees in the cannery itself, the shore crew and boat
crews number about 100 persons, 90 per cent of whom are hired
locally. A total of 70 boats are engaged in fishing, approximately
the same number as last year. Columbia Ward operates 28 boats
of its own as well as three tenders. Other boats are independently
operated and their catch sold to the cannery.
Some of the salmon processed here carry the label of Bumble
Bee Sea Food, Inc., a concern whose home offices are in Astoria,
Ore., and which is a part owner in Columbia Ward Fisheries. The
remainder of the canned salmon is sold through brokers and
labeled according to the buyers’ name brands.
Peninsula Hospital Association Is Formed
Machinery for the formation
of the Central Kenai Peninsula
Hospital Association, Inc. was
Parade Feature
Of Celebration
Onlookers cheered and cam
eras clicked Saturday morning
as 25 decorated floats, 40 cars
and trucks, a spirited parade of
horses, led smartly by the 214th
Army band from Fort Richard
son, marched down the two
mile parade route along Ster
ling highway from the Sky
Bowl to the rodeo grounds on
the Kenai spur road.
Progress in various ways was
depicted in the displays of par
ticipating businesses and con
cerns. One float, bearing the
title “Real Progress,” especially
brought smiles from the view
ers. A small wooden outhouse,
complete with half-moon in the
door and handy mail order
catalog, was on one side while
the other side was equipped
with the latest in modern bath
room fixtures.
A symbolic key to the city
was presented by Burton Car
ver. Soldotna City Council pres
ident, to Ken Sheppard, presi
dent of the Greater Anchorage
Chamber of Commerce. The
king-size key. about three feet
long and inscribed with a wel
come to Soldotna’s first annual
Progress Days, July 15-16. 1961.
and presented at the formation
area for the parade, was in
spired by a lapel pin size key
to the City of Anchorage recent
ly received by Carver.
As he handed it to Sheppard.
Carver said, “We in Soldotna
are well aware of the merits of
Anchorage but if size of your
key has anything to do with
the size of your city and since
many of your residents are
moving to our area, then Sol
dotna with its key must have a
great future.”
initiated at a public meeting of
some 30 interested citizens
from the communities of North
Kenai, Kenai, Soldotna, Ster
ling, Kasilof and Cohoe.
Information pertinent to the
formation of a hospital associa
tion was furnished by Dr. Paul
Isaak, Phil Stetzer and Jess
Nicholas. The meeting, held at
the Soldotna school on July 24,
resulted in Articles of Incor
poration, as drawn by James
Fisher and read by Elizabeth
Meadows, being accepted by
those present.
When the incorporation pap
ers are satisfactorily filed in
the Department of Commerce
in Juneau, another public meet
ign will be called to set up
membership in the association,
adopt by-laws and elect a
board of trustees.
All those interested in this
project are advised to watch
for this meeting and to plan
to attend.
Presentation of the Key to Soldotna is made to Ken
Sheppard, president Anchorage C. of C., by Soldotna Mayor
Burton Carver at the start of the Soldotna Progress Days
Celebration.
KENAI LAND LEASE SALE PLANNED
Classification and subsequent
lease auction of 13 proposed
commercial-industrial lots will
be scheduled as soon as possible
after consultation can be ar
ranged with a local informal
planning group. The lots form
the proposed Bernice Lake
Alaska Industrial Subdivision,
in Section 16, T7N, R12W, SM,
bordering on the east of the
North Kenai Road, about 10
miles out of Kenai.
The lots have an average
frontage of 200 feet, and range
in depth from 161 feet on Lot 2
to 558 feet on Lot 14. The be
ginnings of a small commercial
area may have started from an
existing general store and cafe,
and a proposed new school. The
subdivision lies opposite a site
applied for as the location of a
proposed oil refinery immedi
ately north of the Kenai Pipe
line Terminal. Generally de
scribed. the lots are flat, with
some mixed timber. The Kenai
paper will carry an announce
ment of the sale, and more de
tails will be available shortly
at the Division of Lands offices.