Soldotna Portion of Sterling
Highway May Be Widened
Proposed widening of the Sterling Highway through the
business district of Soldotna to a width of at least 86 feet was dis
cussed at length Saturday noon by Robert Dwyer of Anchorage, the
district engineer for the Alaska Division of Highways.
Dwyer was one of the the featured speakers at the Soldotna
Chamber of Commerce meeting and also conferred informally on
highway matters with groups fol
lowing the luncheon at Riverside
House.
Extension of the Homer high
way, paving projects and other
highway projects for the Penin
sula were explained.
Dwyer said that highway con
struction plans are staged on a
6-year planning program. A 11
these projects will not begin “to
morrow,” he said, but they are
definitely coming in the near fu
ture.
The district engineer report
ed his division has 32 construc
tion projects forthcoming in the
near future in the Kenai Penin
sula with bids on many of them
to be advertised this winter and
construction to begin at the start
of next construction season.
Dwyer advised Soldotna to de
velop as a city and to formulate
a well planned program to avoid
mushroom headaches and even
tual terrific expense to taxpay
ers by haphazard growth. He ad
vised that road plans include ad
equate space on each side f o r
sidewalks and installation of util
ity lines.
“The City Council should write
a letter to the Division of High
ways at Juneau stating why the
widening of the highway through
Soldotna should receive immed
iate action. Facts should be pre
sented showing- need for this
urban arterial project,” D w yer
advised.
The highway official said that
a right of way 200-250 feet will
be needed and that curbs, gutters,
adequate driveway openings and
possible shoulders for pedestrian
traffic should be considered as
the highway is widened. The
present highway now has only
100-150 feet of right of way.
More is needed if the highway is
to be widened.
Federal aid in the amount of
94 per cent will help finance the
widening project. This federal
aid money will be transferred to
the state and the municipality is
to pay the remaining six per cent.
The State Div. of Highways will
handle actual construction.
Dwyer did not specify the ex
act distance the widening of the
road will include, pending addi
tional surveys. Soldotna Chamber
of Commerce spokesmen, howev
er, said the portion expected to
be included in this project will
extend from the bridge crossing
ti e Kenai river at Soldotna, thru
the business district and out the
Kenai Spur Road to the vicinity
of The Cheechako News.
The remainder of the Sterling
highway to Homer is to be com
pleted, Dwyer said, with grading
expected to be finished by the
end of the 1963 construction seas
on. Approximately 25 per cent of
the Homer highway will also have
paving completed by that time.
Remainder of the paving will be
completed in 1964.
“Existing roadbeds must be im
proved and deemed wholly ade
quate before they are paved,” the
engineer said. “We are not shoot
ing for Cloud Nine. We are stay
ing down to earth on highway
projects to avoid traffic hazards,
poor drainage and other prob
lems that may appear. A roadbed
that appears good now may show
linlooked for drainage and grad
ing irregularities during and after
spring breakup.”
Dwyer warned that increased
attention will be paid to weight
control of loads using the high
ways during the breakup.
SOCIAL SECURITY
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Question: What proofs do I
reed when I file my claim for so
cial security benefits?
Answer: That will depend on
many things, such as your age,
when you are retiring and what
type of work you have been do
ing. If you call the social secur
ity office about three months be
fore you plan to retire, you will
he told what proofs will be need
ed in your case. Then, when you
come in to the office, if you bring
the required proofs, your claim
can be processed more speedily.
Question: A year ago I retired
from a job that wasn’t covered
by social security and went into
business for myself. I am not yet
€5 or even 62 years of age, but
would like to have some general
information on how I fit into the
social security program. How
long will I have to work to be
eligible for benefits and how
much can I expect to receive?
Answer: Your Juneau social se
curity office has a leaflet No. 855
ideally suited to your needs. It
explains how soc ial security cred
i's are earned, how many are
needed, and how to estimate the
amount of benefits that will be
payable. This free leaflet is avail
able upon request.
Question: I’m 63. I make $4,800
a year as a teacher. Since I’m
paid on a 12-month basis, I get
a salary check even during the
three summer months, when I’m
not teaching. My husband says I
can collect social security for
these months. Is that true?
Answer: Yes. You can get so
cial security retirement payments
for any month you don’t earn
ever $100. The salary you re
ceive in the summer vacation
months was actually earned dur
ing the school term.
rior more information about
your social security, write to:
Social Security Adm., P.O. Box
IT;1., Juneau, Alaska.
Alaska Oil and Gas
The value, at wells, of crude
oil produced in Alaska during
1960 was $1,228,000, while nat
ural gas production was valued
at $18,000.
39.3% Under 18 Years
Of Alaska’s population of 226,
167 there are 88,903 or 39.3%
who are under 18 yeairs of age,
according to U. S. Census Bureau
figuies.
News want ads are getting
good results at little cost.
ONE FLOOR MAT
REGULAR PRICE UP TO $10.00
for only $i.00 with each
PAIR OF FIRESTONE
TOWN & COUNTRY
SNOWTIRES
ROY’S TEXACO
“We Pick Up and Deliver”
Lube Job $3.00 Anti-Freeze $2.95
GAL.
Soldotna_262-4782
Soldotna P-TA
Hears Speaker
On Civil Defense
Civil Defense was the topic dis
cussed at the Oct. 23 meeting of
Soldotna Parent-Teacher Assoc,
with George Denison as featured
speaker.
A report on installation of play
ground equipment was given by
Mr. McCoy who said that Coast
al Drilling Co. is donating iron
pipe for this purpose and that
welding work is being donated by
Harold Jackson.
It was announced that the P
TA now has a membership of 129,
59 of these adults were at Mon
day night’s meeting.
Ruth Gaede, 9, entertained the
audience with two accordion so
los. She is the daughter of PTA
president, Dr. Elmer Gaede, and
Mrs. Gaede.
The next meeting is set for
Nov. 27 with “Back to School
Night” as theme of the evening.
A spaghetti supper is to be
held Nov. 11 at Soldotna school.
A portion of the proceeds will be
used for playground equipment,
to which the PTA already has
contributed $500. The remainder
will be used to purchase dishes
and silverware for the school.
Snow Storm Fails
To Halt Carnival
The carnival, sponsored Oct. 28
by the Kenai Parent-Teacher As
sociation, was pronounced a great
success despite snow, slippery
roads and howling winds. Fran
cis Hall, high school manual arts
instructor who was in charge of
arrangements, said attendance
was good and that everyone had
fun.
Robert Puckett won the prize
of a four-foot tall Teddy Bear in
the bean guessing contest. The
M E. Mullins family of Kenai
took home four cakes won in the
various cakewalks.
Hall is asking evecryone to check
ticket stubs as one prize, to be
issued to ticked holder No. 0400
15, has not been claimed.
The amount determined by the
carnival has not been determin
ed pending payment of a few
bills and will be announced later.
Proceeds will be used to buy
new books and supplies for the
school libraries.
To REA Meeting
Burton Carver, mayor of Sol
dotna, and his wife Joyce, left
last Wednesday for a trip Out
side. They will first go to Ohio
to visit relatives after which he
will go to California to attend
a Region No. 9 meeting of the
Rural Electrification Authority.
Carver is president and one of
the directors of Homer Electric,
an REA affiliate.
Following the REA meeting,
Carver will return to Ohio to
Lima to take possession of a new
bus for Soldotna schools. They
will return to Alaska in the new
school bus.
ALASKA IS ‘GEORGEOUS’
SOLDOTNA .— Mrs. Bessie
Grange, formerly of Mexico, Mo.,
stepped into a jet plane at Kan
sas City, Mo., a few days ago
and was “whizzed in no time” to
Anchorage International Airport
where she was met by her sons,
M. L. Grange and Ted Grainge
of Scldotna. This was her first
air trip and provided a thrilling
entry into Alaska, which she de
scribes “the most gorgeous spot
in the world.”
Mrs. Grange, at 69, is claimed
by her sons to be every bit as
young as they are. She plans to
remain in Alaska and is alternat
ing her stay between the homes
of her two boys and their famil
ies.
Anchorage Meeting
SOLDOTNA — Clarence Good
rich was in Anchorage recently
attending economic study sessions
in connection with rural area de
velopment. Eugene Smith of Co
hoe, who was recently appointed
by Gov. Egan to the advisory
committee, also attended the
meeting.
Read News wantads for profit.
Volunteers Help
Construct Church
Henk DeBoer of Pomona, Calif.,
chief draftsman and assistant en
gineer for Pasco Buildings, re
cently donated a week of his time
to assist with the work now in
progress on the 70xl40-ft pre
fab two-story Pasco steel build
ing being erected to house the
Catholic church in Soldotna.
Four other volunteer workers
from Outside are here on a per
manent basis helping Fr. James
Van Hoomissen, resident priest,
with construction and church ac
tivities.
They are Jim Conrow and John
Dimeling, both of Ceouer d’Alene,
Ida., Teresa Gannon of Great
Falls, Mont., and Florence Imalch
formerly of Great Falls but more
recently of Anchorage. All four
are college educated.
Conrow supervises and instructs
the altar boys as well as helping
with building construction. He
and Dimeling live with Father
Van in the latter’s trailer house
on the Frank Mullen’s property.
The girls live in a nearby trail
er house. Miss Gannon teaches
catechism classes and Miss Im
alch has charge of the Catholic
Youth Organization. They also
are actively engaged in various
phases of the building operations.
Masquerade Dance
SOLDOTNA — Despite bliz
zardy weather and the fact that
several other events, including a
school carnival, were scheduled
for the same night, approximately
80 persons attending the Dollars
for Democrats masquerade dance
on the evening of Oct. 28 at Sol
dotna theatre.
Witches, pirates, gypsies, dance
hall girls, story book characters
and others danced to the music
of the Bill McSmith combo. Re
freshments were served by wom
en of the precinct.
Stove Mishap
SOLDOTNA— Bertha and Dick
Midyett, who moved into their
I
homestead cabin off Kalifonsky
Beach road a few days ago, have
been preparing their meals on a
camp stove due to a mishap to
their large cook stove. Emmett
Lynch and Dick were hauling the
stove to the cabin when it fell
out of the pickup and broke into
pieces.
Has Brain Tumor
SOLDOTNA — Sam and Viola
Gibson have gone to Little Rock,
Ark., where they will visit their
oldest son, Sam Jr., and family.
They especially went to see their
small granddaughter who is in
a hospital because of leukemia
and brain tumor, and is not ex
pected to live. Gibson is an em
ployee of Myrick Construction Co.
His wife is best known to her
friends here as “Shorty."
Back from Trip
KENAI.—Forrest Ford returned
this week from a flying business
trip which took him Outside to
Portland and Seattle.
THE
LAST
FRONTIER
“Where Old Friends Meet
and New Ones Get
Acquainted"
Bar - Cafe - Hotel
Liquor Store
Open weekdays 4 PM until?
weekends 12 PM until?
also
Freezer Space for Rent
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ON BOARD & ROOM
Cafe, under new manage
ment, starts serving 6 p.m.
The Last Frontier
Mile 3% North Road
Kenai, Phone 283-7646
EADIE RANDALL, Prop.
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D-3 D2ZER
BACKHCE LOADER DUMP TRUCK
LAND CLEARING EXCAVATING
Gravel ^ Loaded ^ Delivered
Complete Installation Sewer & Water Lines,
Cesspools, Septic Tanks, Ditching & Back Pilling.
TOM’S GRADING CO.
Kenai Spur Road—Ridgeway
Box 74 Soldatna Dial 262-4595
GRAVEL HAULING
A. A. Farmer
Sterling Phone 2624739
BEAUTIFUL—
KENAI LAKE LODGE
MILE 47 STERLING HIGHWAY
offers
ROOMS — CABINS
REASONABLE RATES
GOOD FOOD — BAR — GAS
Your Hostess—Millie Eaton
YELLOW CAB
Serving Soldotna & Kenai
DIAL 283-7733