'News oj oAmerica’s Last Frontier
VOL. 7 NO. 18
PRICE 10 CENT*
KODIAK, ALASKA JUNE 28, 1947
Program
Shapes Up
Plans for the 4ih of July pro
gram being arranged by Ray
Martin, general chairman, indic
ate Kodiak is going to have one
•f the biggest celebrations in
The day’s events will start
with a flag raising celebration, to
he followed by a parade. The
parade will form at the Bchool
grounds, and prizes will be offer
ad for the best-decorated car,
the best decorated bicycle, and
the best costumes. A special prise
oiH be offered this year, "in
leeping with the times,” Mr.
Martin said, for the best decor*
ated baby buggy!
After the parade the children’s
novelty races and contests will
take place as usual in front of
the Marshal’s office, with a dime
for every entrant in every one of
the dozens of events, for children
of all ages. Sack raees, 3-legged
aaoes, and all the other tradition
al events will be held.
Prizes for the big base to
town marathon have been set at
9100 fiist prize $25, $15 and $10.
The race will start at l pm, end
mg at the bank a few minutes
after 2. Entrants should register
saw with Ray Martin.
A junior marathon, for all boys
under 16 years of age, will be run
from the Mission to the bank.
$25. $10 and $5 will be offered to
tike winners of this event
Tentative plans call tor speed
boat race*, if enough interest is
shown, a last-man ou-a-raft con
test, plus exhibition log rolling
An exhibition of g> mnastics by
Clarence Disney will also be on
the agenda.
The drawing in tbe Rotary
sponsored playground raffle will
beheld at 8:30 at the school !
grounds Tickets are $1 each, and
are good for all the prizes, in
cluding the Ford sedan.
Aftei the drawing the big free
dance will get underway' at the
canter until 11:45, and the days
doings will end with a display of
fireworks on Near island.
Another attraction will be a
midway of booths, offering games
aad foods stands, to be located
cn the vacant lot behind the Ko
diak barber shop. A booth has
already been placed next to the
Qub Liquor store where tieketS)
will be on sale up to the time of
the drawing
A complete official program
will be published in next week’s
Mirror
The Rotary club will meet
next Tuesday at tbe VFW club
President James M-rtz announ
ced today. Members needing
transportation are asked to meet
at the bank between noon and
»J0.
Anniversary
Program Sunday
Kodiak’s Community Center
will celebrate its first anniver
sary tomorrow with a gala pro
gram lasting from 1:30 pm till
j midnight and which is expected
i to attract several hundred re-id
ents of Kodiak and vicinity. The
program will be climaxed by a
big free dance starting at 9:30
pm with music by Four Hits and
a Miss orchestra.
Highlight of the afternoon’s
program will be the second an
nual Community Center bicycle
races, starting at 1:30. The I
course will be from the Center to
the Mission and return—for men
and boys—and from the Center
to a point about half way out
and return for the girls. Theaf-j
fair will be a handicap race with
participants in half a dozen
weight classes. Dozens of prizes
will be awarded with 4 seaplane
rides with 1 ilot Bob Ha'l as the
grand awards.
Other attractions in the after
noon will be competition in
jacks, rope-skipping, baseball,
target throw, horseshoes, broad
jump and marbles
An obstacle race for men and
boys, over a course in the vicin
ity of the CeBter, will be held at ^
5 pm to climax the afternoon's
program
The monthly Kodiak ping
pong championships will be held ,
at 7:30.
Square dancing will be enjoyed
fioin 8:30to9:30 with Ken Wade
as caller
The drawing for the beautiful
$100 band-crocheted bed.-pread
which has bsen on display at the
Center for the last 2 months will
be held at 11:30 after the dance.
Tickets will be available through
out the afternoon and evening
In charge of the program is
Marcus Meyer of the Center
Board of Directors, lie will be
a-sisted by the entire member
ship of the Kodiak Rotary Club
members of the Center board
and the Business and Profession
al Women’s club.
The interior of the Center has
l>een completely re -derorated
during the last week by a large
crew of volunteers under the dir
ection of Aileen Wade. Another
volunteer group, led by Justine
ilinckel, has made new drapes
for the main hall and a third
group, working under the leader
ship of Sister Hilary, has put in
Next Issue
Out Friday
The next issue of the Mirror,
dated July 5, will appear a day
early and will go on sale the
morning of the 4th of July, and
will contain the complete cele
bration program.
Advertising copy will be pick
ed up a day earlier than usual.
Tourists
Due Sunday
Kodiak’s first poet war tourist
group, a party of 8, will arrive
Sunday and leave Monday via
PNA, it was learned this week.
Lloyd Olsen is the tour direct
or, and members of the party in
clude William Kiouse, profess
ional lecturer and photographer,
who is preparing an article for
Holiday magazine; Hender Greg
oiy, Washington, D. C.; Mrs.
Louise Hubs, Cincinnati; Olivia
Young, Oklahoma City; Mrs.
Barbara Huntress, El Paso;
Mrs. Helen Blenderman, New
York; and Mrs. F. W. Bush, San
Francisco.
They have reservations at the
Kodiak hotel and the Chamber
of Commerce is arranging for
their entertainment .
Former Resident
Dies In Ketchikan
Arrival of the Denali Thurs
day morning brought the news
from Ketchikan of the death of
Mrs. Glen Hyner, wife of the
Alaska Steamship agent in that
city.
The deceased is a former resi
dent of Kodiak, having lived
here when Mr Hyner was the
local agent before his transfer to
Ketchikan in 1942.
many hours of work in tl e
library. Open h u-e will ke held
in the Center anti library all a'
teriioon and evening. Refresh
ments will be served by thp
BPW club, with Dorothy Haag
as chairman, from 3 on
An attendance of more than
60,000 has been registered at the
Community Center during its
first year of operation, it was r. -
ported by Dr. A. Holmes John
son, chairman ef the board of
directors. A number of young
sier-i in the community have at
tended activities at the Center
every day during the last year
Hundreds of servicemen and
NOB employes, as well as many
visitors to Kodiak, also have en
joyed programs in the building,
and throughout the school year
the Center was used for phys ed
classes and social activities by
the students.
1 9 .
Red River
To Open
Fishing in the Red River area
of Kodiak island will open Mon
day but will stay closed in other
locations Marcus Meyer, of the
Fish and Wildlife service, an
nounced today.
Local salmon fishermen are
uow entering the 3rd week of
fishing closure
Clean-Up Week
To Be Held
A clean-up week will be pro
claimed soon for Kodiak, the
council decided at the regular
meeting Monday, and all resid
ents will be asked to participate
in it.
In connection the council will
make a survey of outhouses and
j other sanitary conditions
The Catholic church, new own
ers of the former Masonic build
ing owned by W. J. Erskine,
have offered part of their land
for playground use in conjunc
tion with the center if the city
will fill in low lying areas.
The council authorized a sewer
extension to serve the area above
the school.
In acting on a letter from John
C. Hughes, attorney, represent
ing Harry Christopherson, form,
er councilman, the council auth
orized payment of approximately
$170, half of a bill paid person
ally by Mr. Christopheison for
work done during the freezeup
on the GM hospital water lines.
The bill had been a source cf
discussion for several months af
ter the former council refused
payment on the grounds it was
not authorized and not for work
on the city lines
The council decided to notify
John Springhill that a taxi license
recently renewed by him was
now null, having net been put
into effect within the 45 day
limit. The action was requested
by the Teamster’s Union.
Elvin Foster reported, at the
request of Mayor Bettinger, on
a petition he circulated among
residents on Mission road against
the annexation of that area. Fos
ter charged the city was trying
to high pressure the annexation,
and claimed Pol ce Chief Hen y
Gonzales was 1 sent” out and
threatened to beat him up the
day after he circulated tlie peti
tion. Commissioner Bubendorf,
who was present, said the diffi
culty between Gonzales and Fos
ter was a personal matter with
no official sanction involved
Foster said the petition was a
result of a meeting of 8 residents.
Mayor Bettinger outlined the
advantages the area would enjoy
from annexation, including im
proved utilities, and said he felt
the residents should want to
share in the responsibilites as
well as expenses of the commun
ity.
Cancel Plans
Elaborate plans of the Vetei
aus of Foreign Wars for a cele
bration to be held at the VFW
club July 5 were cancelled this
week because i f a conflict with a
base celebration on the same
day.
The event has been postponed
to Sept. 1, l abor Day.
Airport
Site Sought
An application to the land of
fice for an airport site will b<
made by the Chamber of Com
merce, following action taken a
the luncheon meeting at the Vie
toiy Cafe Thursday.
Depending on surveys, the sib
will probably include Sprue
cape to the Ernie Bryan home
stead, and from Island lake eas
to the same area.
The chamber also voted t<
request that a eostoms officia
be stationed at Kodiak.
Mayor Lee Bettinger explain
ed the steps planned by the citj
for making an application lor ai
RFC loan for » cold sterag<
plant
Guests were Lynn Markham
j VFW club steward, and Ira Bei
key, Gemsco representative
j
Proclamation
Whereas. tbe 4tb of Julj
marks the 172 anniversary of oui
national Independence Day am
will be observed with fitting cet
ebratious throughout ihe "terri
tory;
Whereas, it falls upon a Fri
day and the follow ng day Sat
'urday, July 5 is by Territoria
act a half work day when Territ
orial as well as many piivate of
fices and establishments are nor
mally closed in the afternooo;
Whereas, the cessation of ah
business on that day will aiforu
an opportunity to our citizens tc
rest fioui their labors and fully
particitale in tbe celebration
which heralds again that we are
a free people and that we strive
toward peace and ireedoin foi
all peoples;
Now. therefore 1, E nest
Gruemng, Governor of Alaska,
by the authority vested in me,do
hereby declare Saturday, July &,
a public holiday in the Territory
01 Alaska and urge tnftt normal
business activities be disc« ntrul
ed that day so all <he people
may participate in the weekend
observance of our ualicna) Inde
i peudence Day
Pack Meeting
Next Tuesday
The monthly pack meeting of
Cub scouts will be held next
Tuesday, July 1, at 7pm at
the community center.
All Cub scouts, parents and
members of tbe Rotary pack
committee are requested to be
present.
Happy days are here again —
The Alaska Steamship company
issued an announcement this
week to the effect that midnight
lunches are now served to first
class passengers alioard their
vessels.