"News o]
oAmencas Last Frontier”
VOL. 4 NO. 11
KODIAK, AI ASKA MAY 13, 1944
PRICE 10 CENTb
Daring Robber Of Schultz Safe Convicted
Two Firms
Interested
In Kodiak
The best news yet on progress
toward a cold storage plant and
post war possibilities for Kodiak
was reported at the Chamber of
Commerce meeting Tnursday
night, when R. H. Chadwick,
chairman of the Industries Com
mittee, told members that both
the Juneau Cold Storage Co. and
the New England Fish Co. are
definitely interested in projects
for this city. One project holds
promise for the immediate fut
ure, the other must, wait until
the end of the war, according to
direct word from the parties
concerned.
A wire from Wallis S. George,
president of the Juneau Cold
Storage Co., said: “Messers.
Dudley and Atwell, who are at
present in Juneau representing
the Austin Construction Co. in
connection with a 3-million
pound enlargement to our Jun
eau plant, will go to Kodiak
within two weeks to make inves
tigations as to proposed cold
storage as to site, power,
and water and gather all inform
ation desired in connection with
construction ”
In this connection the Cham
ber is now making a survey of
sites so such information can be
readied for their arrival
Mr George added that later
in the season he will make a trip
here to see “what can be worked
out for financing construction”
The second word came from
the New England Fish Co , re
garding waterfront land they
own in Kodiak. It said: “We in
tend to improve this property
lust as soon as conditions war
rant, which necessarily cannot
he until the end of the war.
“We have not changed our
Blind and are definitely interest
ed in a fishing operation at Kod
•ak and our tentative plans con
template an operation which we
think will be a great asset to the
town.”
The letter was signed by O.
^ergseth,general superintendent.
This encouragement for the
future of Kodiak came directly
48 the result of spadework of the
ftewly reorganized Chamber of
Commerce, which pledged on
forming to work actively toward
bringing new projects to this
t-rea.
The Chamber appointed Mrs.
Claire Seltzer as secretary re
facing Howard Keeler, and ad
Ouined following a discussion of
’he communications.
Damage Slight
In Cafe Fire
Fire, starting on the outside ol
the building from unknown
causes, damaged the Coney Is
land cafe late Tuesday evening
but was extinguished before it
gained headway or had a chance
to spread to buildings on eacfc
side of it in the restaurant’s
downtown location.
The fire was discoveied bj
Mrs James Pierce, owner of the
Town Club west of the Coney Is
land, on her way from the clut
to the living quaiters in the real
of the bu lding. Mr. Pierce grab
bed a fire extinguisher and rar
out a side door and he said al
that time the flames seemed c
be in some trash under and a
round the back steps. He had the
flames almost subdued when the
extinguisher went dry.
First knowledge of the fire in
side the clkfe came when Miss
Loveis Griffin, only employee on
duty, saw smoke drifting in on
the floor of the back store room
and gave alarm to the customers.
The siren sounded at 10:11 and
the first truck to respond got the
first water on the building from
the hydrant by Sis’s place. The
other truck was stationed at the
Dell cafe sump and water was
also drawn from the fire hydant
by Wodlinger’s drug store.
Just before water was brought
around the Town Club to the
rear of the cafe flames spread a
cross and caught underneath the
club and people began carrying
furniture and clothing from the
Pierce apartment, but the flames
were qmckly subdued and within
half an hour all of the fire was
completely extinguished. The en
tire interior of the restaurant was
water-soaked. There was no dam
age to the Kodiak Recreation
Parlor located a few feet east of
the cafe
(continued on page 41
Clean Up!
This week starts the second
week of‘ Clean-up Time” as pro
claimed for Kodiak by Mayor
Emil Knudsen, so if you’ve been
putting any cleaning-up off get
busy now. Mayor Knudsen issued
the following message today:
“Folks: We’re doing a good
job on this clean-up proposition
but keep it up and if the neigh
bors don’t catch on drop around
and we’ll see if we can’t help.
“Pile the rubbish near the
road and if transportation is not
available notify Harry Chris
topherson, Paul Fretzs, Merrill
Coon or myself and we will see
that it’s hauled away.”
Downtown Site
Changes Hands
The purchase by A. J. Collins
of the old Blinn residence, part
of the Jack Blinn estate, was an
nounced this week. The properly
is located between the Kraft res
idence and the Kodiak Jewelry
store and has a frontage of 91
feet on the main street. The
property includes the old Blinn
residence and a part of the lot is
occupied by The Cub, owned by
Herman Winans. The purchase
price was $7500.
Mr. and Mrs. Collins arrived
from Seattle two months ago
and Mr. Collins is employed at
the Coca-Cola plant The pur
chase was made, Mr. Collins
stated, as an investment and he
p ans to improve the property
Governor Proclaims
Victory Gardens
Governor Gruening has pro
claimed Victory Garden WeeK
for the starting of Victory Gar* |
dens and urges that, as many
as possible participate in the
growing of local food produets.
Mrs. Forest G Ayers is chair
man of the local Victory Garden
campaign and asks that all who
have not done so please register
with her before school is out if
planning a Victory Garden
Those who have learned to
look forward to the treat of a
Russian dinner will be happy at
the announcement that the Rus
sian Ladies club will present, an
other lunch and dinner on Sat
urday, May 20.
The food will be served in the
Wayfarer’s club rooms, where
the Rotarv club meets.
Food will be served from 11
am until 8 pm with lunch being
served first and a complete din
ner beginning at 4 pm.
Artificial flowers, part of 2000
made in a project started by
Mrs Kia Lund and Mrs. John
Hubley, are on display this week
end at the Island Fountain. The
flowers will be used to decorate
the graves of American heroes
at Attu for Memorial Day.
All volunteer firemen will
meet at 3 pm Sunday at Hie fire
hall for drill and receiving of
badges it was announced today.
Mrs. Irene Squartzoff, Ou
zinkie, underwent a major oper
ation this week at the GM
hospital.
C. H. Negist, of Chignik, re
ceived medical treatment at the
GM hospital this week.
City Sets
Sewer And
WaterRates
Four ordinances, covering
water, sewer, salaries and plumb
ing, were passed at he regular
meeting of the council Monday
evening.
The sewer ordinance requires
all within 150 feet of asewer line
to hook up to the new system
and makes it unlawful to con
struct new privies, cesspools, or
similar methods of disposal.
Where anyone lives more than j
150 feet from such line it will be
required that they hook up when
the city extends such lines. Pro
vision is also made for a $5 hook
up application fee and a 50-cent
monthly rate for sewer service
The water ordinance also car
ries the same provisions far
hooking on within the 150 foot
limit and provides for a charge
by the city of cost of materia's
and labor plus 10 for insta lat on
of lines from mains to property
lines. Application must also be
made for water and a $5 hook-up
fee paid.
lhe monthly rate lor water for
a standard residence (5 cold wat
er outlets—kitchen sink, laundry
tub, 3 bathroom fixtures) is set
at $2.50 a month with 50 cents
for each additional outlet. Apart
ments will be charged at $2
monthly, cafes and saloons at
$7 50 monthly, with proportion
ate rates for other business es
tablishments.
The new plumbing ordinance
provides for licensing of plumb
ers, inspection of plumbing in
stallations and prescribes stand
ard materals and practices.
The salary ordinance makes ef
fective the following salaries: po
(continued on page 4)
Notice Given
A second warning was issued
by the city council this week a
gainst unauthorized connections
being made to the new sewer or
water mains. Applications must
be made with the city cleik and
as the result of the new water
and sewer ordinances anyone
found making such connections
improperly will be subject to
conviction on a misdemeanor,
which provides a penalty of up
to $ 100 and 30 days in jail or
both.
People already hooked up to
the sewer system must make an
application at the city clerk’s of
fice and pay the hook-up fee of
$5. (See Notices on page 4.)
Anchorage — Edward Aivm
lacopetti was convicted of the
theft of the William Schultz safe
after the jury deliberated shortly
m' re than an hour.
Anchorage (Special) — Alvin1
E. lacopetti denied he stole a
500 pound safe containing more
than $30,000 in cash and $5000
in jewelry at Kodiak when he
was arraigned in the federal dis
trict court on a larceny indict
ment Tuesday, May 2.
The life savings of Mr. and
Mrs. William Schultz were
stolen when the safe was re
moved from the kitchen of their
apartment behind the Ship’s
Tavern while the family was out
to dinner Oct. 21, 1942, Mr and
Mrs. Schuitz and daughter,
Sally Tearl, testified on the
opening day of the lacopetti
trial last Friday.
Witnesses said the safe was
rolled out of the kitchen door
and apparently loaded into an
automobile in an alley behind
the apartment.
Removal of the safe was dis
covered when Mr. Scf'dtz re
turned home after dining in
downtown Kodiak. He reported
it to police at once. Mrs. Schultz
and daughter were at dinner at
an inn on the highway out of
Kodiak and did not hear of the
robbery UDtil later.
A heavy rain at this time
washed out automobile tracks so
it was impossible to trace the
movement of the thief’s auto
only a short distance, Mr.
Schultz said.
Iaeopetti took the stand m
his own defense Saturday morn
ing and denied the statements
of the government’s witnessts
that he had any connection with
the safe robbery. He disclaimed
knowing some of the men who
told of his alleged activities.
Pvt. Carl E. Robinson of Fort
Richardson, who was a cab
driver in Kodiak at the time of
the robbery, testified that Iaco
petti told him of his plans to
steal the safe two weeks before
it disappeared.
Edgar Gordon Beatty, room
mate of Iaeopetti at the time,
said that Iaeopetti told him
“I’m as hot as a firecracker” the
day after the safe disappeared.
He also claimed that Iaeopetti
asked him to rent a house out
side the city for use as a place to
open the safe.
Mr. Schultz identified a
patched and marked five dollar
bill, which was passed by Iaco
petti in a beer parlor, as one
which he kept as a souvenir. It
was marked with the names of
Tommy, Tex and Louis, the bai
tenders in the Shin’s Tavern It
(continued on page 4)