Construction Underway
For Catholic Church
Pouring of concrete began
TTiui sda.v for the foundation
afound the walls of the 70'xl40'
prefabricated steel building being
erected in Soldatna for the Cath
olic church. The skeletonai frame
work of the 2-story Pasco steel
structure is up ami work is ptog
jessing through volunteer labor.
The building is on 15 acres of
recently purchased land located
at the end of Aspen Way in the
currently being developed cen
tral section of Soldatna.
-The Rev. Father James Van
Hoomissen, priest of the order
of the Congregation of the Most
Holy Redeemer and pastor of the
local Catholic church, arrived
here on June 5 and has been
spearheading the building pro
gram as well as doing much of
tiie actual work himself.
Father Van Hoomissen said a
40'x7O' portion of the structure
i> to be completed as a church
sanctuary. Religious services for
the more than 100 membership
congregation are being held at
present in the Soldatna Commun
ity Hall.
Another part of the building is
to be made into a residence for
the 38-year-old priest and volun
teer workers. Long range plans
may include classrooms for a pro
posed parochial school, but it
probably will be several months
before they are completed, he
added.
A new road leading to the 15
acre tract was recently completed
and a well, 121 feet deep and
providing an abundant supply of
good water, has been finished. A
pipeline to provide natural gas
for heating purposes has been
extended to the building site.
Father Van Hoomissen, whose
home was in Portland, Ida., for
merly was stationed at Couer
d’Alene. Ida. He has a brother,
the Rev. Father Bernard Van
Hoomissen, who is also a priest
and has been stationed for 16
years in South America 28 miles
up the Amazon River in a por
tion of the jungle country known
as “Green Hell.”
The local priest said his broth
er took the first tractor, dis
mantled and packed in suitcases,
into the jungle country. He is
one of 40 CSSR priests, all living
on boats, who administer to spir
itual and medical needs of un
civilized and semi - civilized na
tives up and down the : iver, with
his own parish containing be
tween 850,000 and 400,000 per
sons. In addition to conducting
religious services, these priests
also are called upon to perform
operations, deliver babies, take
care of other medical needs, and
try to improve living standards.
The Soldatna priest not only
says mass in Soldatna every Sun
day but also goes to Wildwood
Station and to Kenai to say mass
there each Sunday. Until a re
placement is sent to Seward, he
will continue to go there each
Sunday also to have charge of
services. The Seward assignment
is only temporary, he said. Father
Joseph Palmer, formerly of Sew
ard, left there Tuesday on ac
count of ill health.
Hospital Association Elects
Dan Harlan First President
Rev. Daniel Harlan, pastor of
t)ie First Methodist church in
Kenai, was elected president of
the newly incorporated Central
Renai Peninsula Hospital Associ
ation Wednesday night at the
second of two recent organiza
tional meetings of the organiza
tion. The association recently re
ceived its papers of incorporation.
Other officers chosen are Rev.
J.ames Rose, vice president; Mrs.
M. L. (Rave) Mullin, secretary;
Recent
Arrivals
Brooke Raymond Piccolo
Bonnie and Joe Piccolo, who
live in Carver’s Trailer Court,
Soldatna, are announcing the
birth of an 8 lb. 8 oz. son, born
at 2:48 p.m. on Sept. 5, at the
Central Kenai Peninsula Medical
Clinic in Soldatna. The baby has
been named Brooke Raymond.
His father is an employee of
Coastal Drilling Co.
Heidi Rae Kamstra
Heidi Rae Kamstra, infant
daughter of Nancy and Henry
Kamstra, was born at 4 a.m. on
Sept. 6, in the Clinic at Soldatna.
Her weight at. birth was 8 lb. 2 oz.
The Kamstras live in Brush Park,
Kenai.
Dorothy Regina Maresh
Born at 3:35 a.m. on Sept. 8,
in the Clinic at Soldatna and
weighing 7 lb. 6 oz., a daughter
to Rose Marie and Frank Maresh
of Island Lake Road, Kenai. Mr.
and Mrs. Maresh have named her
Dorothy Regina.
New Star Route
For North Kenai
The Post Office Department
has advised Senator Gruening
that additional star route service
to the North Kenai area has been
authorized, effective September
15. Senator Gruening requested
this action from the department.
Services to be added will in
clude sales of postage stamps,
issuance of money orders and the
delivery of certified, registered
and insured mail.
and Mrs. Virginia Gibbs, treas
urer. Mrs. Gibbs was one of the
three inccvrporators of the as
sociation and lives in Soldatrva.
Reverend Rose and Mrs. Mullin
are of Kenai.
Mrs. Leo (Marian) Oberts,
Kenai, and Mrs. Stan (Daphne)
MeLane of Ridgeway, were nam
ed to the membership committee.
Rev. Harlan, Mrs. Stan IDonnis)
Thompson, of Kenai, and Mrs.
Gibbs were appointed to the plan
ning committee.
A 9-member board of trustees
was selected at the first organi
zational meeting held Aug. SO at
which time by-laws were adopt
ed. At this initial meeting after
incorporation it was also voted
that a membership drive should
be started in the near future,
with membership fees being >.l
for the time being.
The board of trustees will meet
on the first Thursday in each
month.
Soldatna School
Registration
Doubles in Year
(Continued from Page 1)
Three of the teachers are new
to Soldatna schools. Mrs. France
taught in Kenai last year. Mrs.
Hoover came here from Kodiak,
where she and her husband were
connected with Kodiak schools
for three years. Mrs. Ryan pre
viously taught in one of the
schools on the Aleutian Island
chain.
This is the second year in Sol
datna schools for Superintendent
and Mrs. Griffin. They came here
last year from Georgia where
Mrs. Griffin had 17 years of
teaching experience. Superintend
ent Griffin taught 13 years in
Georgia schools. Both have a
bachelor of science degree from
the University of Georgia and
Superintendent Griffin has a
master's degree from the same
university.
Dick Hall, manager of the
Soldatna branch of the National
Bank of Alaska, is chairman of
the Soldatna schools Advisory
Board, Mrs. Ted (Amy) Grange
is secretary, and Stanley Mc
Clane is the third member of the
board.
The 4 Royle Parkers Announce Their NEW
ONE STOP SERVICE for Autos and People
On the Kenai Spur Road in Ridgeway—11 Miles West
of Soldatna “Y”
NOW OPEN
PARKER’S
ION 76
SERVICE STATION
Official Opening Sunday I Oth—Orchids for the Ladies
PROMPT FRIENDLY MINUTE-MAN SERVICE
MECHANIC ON DUTY —CAR WASH
^eave you* cat fat tenuice—"ZCie oar coantouf car
ALL THIS AND MORE
at the
4 ROYLE PARKER'S
COMPLETE RESTAURANT
our dtraudfeiry cvaffleA, "
CHARCOAL JtROILER — HOMEMADE PASTRIES & BREAD
Long drive?
Just off the plane?
Meeting someone?
use “The OFFICE”
Our new modern restful lounge
or VISIT
The Barber Shop
IN a hurry?
Use the drive-in window at
Our LIQUOR STORE
“Just ring the bell for service”
When you get your business done
Try the KING SIZE BEDS
in our Most Modern MOTEL
HOT WATER HEAT — WALL-TO-WALL CARPET
The 4 ROYLE PARKERS
“One-Stop Service for Autos & People”
SERVICE STATION — BARBER SHOP — BAR
RESTAURANT — LOUNGE— BANQUET ROOM
PRIVATE DINING ROOM — LIQUOR STORE —MOTEL