Kodiak Mirror
of (America 't Last Jronttte
Published-Every Saturday at Kodiak,*!1 Alaska
Yearly Subscription Rate $5,00
Entered in the Postoffice at Kodiak, Alaskaias Second
Class matter under act of Congress of March 3, 1878.1
MIRROR PUBLISHING COMPANY
Melton L, Crawford, Editor and Publisher
Jeanne R. Crawford, Associate Editor
• • • that government of the people, by the people,
fee the people shall not perish from the earth.'—Lincoln
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to thp use
for republication of all news dispatches credited to it
or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the
local news published herein*.
WHYDTI) THEY GO?
An idle check of the MIRROR'S list of subscribers, a
iot of them former Kodiak residents;uow living in the states,
eauses us to wonder why they left Kodiak.
On the list are former businessmen, the first mayor; J
founder of the Bank of Kodiak, a host of civicrminded base
employees and the usual ones who continually move about, j
Also many “average-American-families” are on the.
list, families who came here, bought homes, attended the 5
various churches, social and civic events and then after two
•r three years went away.
Why did these people suddenly leave the territory? Was
it because of inadequate school facilities for their children?
Was it because the city, and city government, are unable to
provide adequate water, sewer and other utilities because of
the extreme difficulties of operating a municipality under
territorial status?
Maybe these former residents, the type that build a
community, were sick and tired of a Kodiak winter and the
futility of keeping a house warm and water pipes running.
Perhaps they were frightened by the continuous threat of
war and the unpreparedness, as compared to other areas, of
the territory.
While it is true the city has made tremendous strides
in some directions, the children are still forced to attend
classes in a big, barn-like, drafty building and many houses
are still struggling with septic tanks instead of being hooked
to a sewer line.
Would these former residents have stayed here if they
had had facilities lkie those of the average stateside town?
We have been promised federal aid to obtain some of
these necessities. The city has sent a representative to Wash
ington several times to try and obtain funds.
WillfWe ever get them? And if we had had them years
ago, woiifld Kodiak now be several times larger and a better
place to live?
KODIAk RANKS FIFTH
-*!■*
Final U. S. Census information ranks
the Kodiak area fifth among the Alaska
towns:
Anchorage, District 42,621
Fairbanks, ” 24,753
Ketchikan, ” 15,373
Juneau, ” 15,372
Kodiak. ” 7,530
In 1940 Kodiak was rated eleventh.
This fine growth is a tribute to the activi
ties of Naval Operating Base, to the
fishermen who use the port and to the
people who work and pay taxes to make
Kodiak a better place in which to live.
Cloaad •»«* Thuraday '*
Banking aarrion ilN, O. ft, FVMaya. Old Adminiairation Building, IM IdO F. 11
MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION ‘
Town Tidbits
Much publicity has attended
the 47th annual dinner of the
Explorers Club to be held this
evening in New York City,
because cocktails preceding
the banquet will be chilled
with ice from a Juneau
glacier, flown to New York
for the occasion by Pan
American Airways.
nowever tvoaiaK will not be |
neglected at the banquet
which will have somewhat of
an Alaskan theme, and at
which Col. Bernt Balehen,
arctic flier, will receive the :
club’s annual medal.
According to the printed
advance program, decorations.<
will include Alaskan-Aleutian .
tunara of grass, weeds, and'
shrubs, sent to the club by its (:
Arctic-Antarctic ’ member, j
Capt. George F. Kosco, j
weather officer at the Kodiak ;
Naval Station.
For the dinner Capt. Kosco
also sent four Kodiak King
Crab, and for “atmosphere”,
some volcanic dust from
Veniaminof Volcano. . . .
Betty Ball, who works at
the Log Cabin Liquor Store,
has found a new way to locate
the owner of a lost item. Her
husband Danny picked up a
necklace in front of Krafts
one day this week, brought it
to Betty to see if she knew
whose it was.
Mrs. Ball decided the quick
est way to find the owner was
to wear the necklace, and dis
play it. She put It on. and a
few minutes later in came a
customer. “What a pretty
necklace, ” she said. “I have
one just like it.” '“Sure?”
Betty wanted to know, arid
when the woman felt for hers
and found it missing, Mrs.
Ball took it off and gave it to
her. ...
In its Alaskan magazine
advertisements, the Alaska
Steamship Company is con
ducting a Sportsman’s Guide.
The December issue of the A
laska Sportsman introduced
Alf Madsen, first Kodiak bear
guide so honored, and tells of
his hunting camps and trips,
suggesting of course that
hunters come to Kodiak via
the Alaska Line.
Any ambitious tree planters
in our midst?
Johnny Hughes, a good Elk,
has come up with what he
thinks is a good idea, and all
he needs is a little coopera
tion, preferably of course from
his brother Elks,
Hughes has suggested to
the BPOE that spruce trees
be planted, high along Pillar
Mountain, outlining the lodge
initials, and that they would
be visible from approaching
planes, and advertise both the
lodge and Kodiak.
To date no one has volun
teered either to carry the
tuees up the hill or plant them
once someone else does. And i
Hughes just won’t do it alone.
Paul Callahan Jr., son of!
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Callahan of
the Naval Station, will leave!
Monday for Ft. Richardson
for his pre-indnction physical-!
School Notes"
The seniors aren't the only
Mies who have sweater* since
the music class girls received
theirs. Instead of the gold
space “K” with the graduat
ing bear they have a white
and blue *‘K” with a music
note through it. The girls who
ordered their sweaters some
time ago wish they had or
lered new ones since the
aew “K’s” look so white and
dean.
Robert Dawson
Laurence Anderson, our all
star player on the basketball
:eam, was elected captain by
;he team members. They also
sleeted a co-captain, Alfred
inderson, and re-elected
nanager Bob Dawson. Daw
ion was 1949-60 manager.
Last year’a eaptam was
Ofck Skinner who did a fine
iob with the team.
Sammy Nelson
All high school students and
iighth graders received their
lemester examination sche
lules this week.
Tests will be given on Janu-'
iry 15 through 17 next week. I
During examination week,
itudents must report only at
:he time their tests are sche
duled and must remain in the
testing room tnroughout the
duration of the examination,
:wo hours.
Any student haying an at
tendance slip issued through
the office is exempt from the
semester examination pro
vided his average grade is
57.0 or higher. All other stu
dents take the tests. Exemp
tions .are not allowed for
jrade&J and 8. ..
Sammy Nelson
How to control rats is the
Subject of two 555-minute
colored films shown to some
Of the school grades this week.,
;i "Simple and inexpensive
ways to control rats empha
sised in the movies are to
Starve the rats, trap and poi
son them, destroy their habi
tats, and to build rat-proof
buildings.
In the - near future ? high
! ■ehool students and: toad
i organizations will probaMjr
see the Fish and Wildlife Ser-'
Tice films which were ordered
through the Interior depart
ment by Mr. Oscar Drake,
seventh grade instructor.
Donald Clart
Harold and Bobby Haken
son, grade 5 and 2 respec
tively, enrolled in school last
Monday. They originally at
tended school at Darrington,
Washington. Their father is
a construction worker and n
associated with the Patrick
Lynch Company.
Molly Mahle
REFLECTIONS
in th* MIRROR
5 YEARS AGO—1946
The first meeting of tin
newly formed Community
Center board wasseheduled.
Kodiak’s first peaee-time
Christmas was not a white
ene, but the city had the holi
day spirit with plenty of
special activities and parties
scheduled.
Married during the holiday
season were Aline Catafbid
and Max LaLande; Georgya
Craig Wilbur and Victor G.
Ellis, and Elizabeth Carter
and Jalmar John Sprinchill.
1 YEAR AGO -1950
A wind storm that reached
a velocity of 86 knots jin hour
blew roofs, garbage cans,
windows and everything elan
all over the-place.
Joe Raymond purchased
Grayce’s Cafe and announced
be would open his Doghouse,
recently burned out of tin
Lyric Theatre building, fh thi
new location.
The territorial road com
missioner visited the base aal
town to discuss paving of tin
road between the two.
I
I A report that three soldiecs
formerly stationed at Fart
Greely. and well know*
locally, were killed in Korea is
unfounded, an Army spokes
man said yesterday.
The report was widely cir
culated in town.
WOULD i IKe TO KNOW
if you hove discussed
any of the problems or
conditions of our SCHOOL
WITH ANY Of THE PUPILS?
Watch for opinions
ot some of our students