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“FARTHEST WEST NEWSPAPER IN THE 50 STATES” 64th Year No. 107 NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1963 Per Copy 151 Army Veterinarian Serves Dog Owners In One-Man (Campaign Against Rabies W\R. F. ERICH HEMPHILL, Captain in the United States Air ” Force, and base veterinarian at Elmendorf AFB, visited the offices of the Nome Nugget Friday. Dr. Hemphill is known as the "man who gives shots to dogs.” The doctor described his work as a Rabies vaccination program which he started in 1962, in fact, kicked off at Nome. In that year he vaccinated 3,000 pet animals, and the term “pet animals” is used as there were some house cats in cluded in the lot. In this second year of the program he has vac cinated just over 8,000 animals — in just three months. The program is one of military assistance whereby the Army as sists the State in an immuniza tion drive. The State division of Agriculture, with offices at Pal mer, supplies the vaccine and the Army supplies the field labor. Vaccinations are usually admin istered by Dr. Hemphill person ally and he generally uses an as sistant while traveling through the villages. The vaccinations given are protective to the animal for a period of one year — thus they must be repeated annually. A strong point brought out by the doctor was that RABIES IS 100 PER CENT FATAL TO MAN IF NOT TREATED. Interesting information is the number of dogs in the various vil lages. Following are some of the counts: Nome, over TOO; Bethel, 900; Unalakleet, including St. Mi chael and Stebbins, 600, and Kot zebue is way out in front with a total of 1,100 dogs. The doctor remarked that most of the size able villages have from 425 to 500 dogs and he finds that — statis tically — 300 people will have 400 to 500 dogs. Dr. Hemphill’s goal is to vaccinate between ten and twelve thousand dogs; this will barely satisfy him, however, as he figures that there are about 15,000 dogs in Northwest Alaska. His job has taken him into all of the vil lages from Bethel to Barrow, and this presents a problem in trans portation. Much credit, asserts the doctor, should go to the State Fish and Game Department, the CAP and the National Guard, as these agen Murder in Yukon River Fish Camp Lee Tony, 42 years old, has been arrested in the fatal shooting of another Eskimo at a fish camp across the river and near Alaka nuk — close by the mouth of the Yukon. State Police said the shooting occurred on Sept. 1, and that the victim was shot in the chest with a 12 gauge shotgun. Leo Tony has been charged with first degree murder, and is being held with bail set at $5,000. He has waived a preliminary hearing and the case has been bound over to the grand jury at Nome. Court records show that Tony was found guilty of murder once before. On April 26, 1950, he was convicted of murder in the sec ond degree and sentenced to 18 years. He served 12 years on that charge, which involved the death of a Nome girl. cies have assisted him greatly by providing transportation in and out of various remote areas. In recognition of his efforts, Dr. Hemphill stated, he has received a letter of commendation from Governor Egan as a result of his last year’s program, and a plaque from the Jaycees at their annual convention in Fairbanks last year. Dog owners at Wales and Shish maref saw the good doctor on Fri day and from there he returns to Elmendorf. Later he will return to the village of Point Hope, and from there he heads south to Ko diak. His season must necessarily be of short duration as with the onset of freezing temperatures his vaccine congeals. Thus we find our “dog doctor’’ wrapping up his tour about the end of September. Kotzebue Landing Strip Permit Requested The Division of Aviation has requested a Department of the Ar my permit to widen the existing landing strip at Kotzebue, Alaska, to approximately 220 feet and ex tend it to 1,300 feet easterly into the adjacent lagoon. Objections, if any, to the pro posed work from the standpoint of navigation or for any other rea son, should be sent by registered mail to the U. S. Army Engineer District, Alaska, P. O. Box 7002, Anchorage, Alaska, to be received no later than September 13. Don Hoover Receives Banking School Diploma SEATTLE (Special) — Mr. Don ald M. Hoover, of M&M Bank, has completed a three-year course at the Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle, and received a diploma at formal graduation ceremonies held Friday afternoon. The school, organized in 1938, is one of five regional banking schools in the U.S., and is held annually at the University of Washington for two weeks during the summer months. Bankers from Alaska. Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Mon tana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ore gon, Utah and Washington com prised this year’s entire student body of over 400, with 125 in the graduating class, of which three were from Alaska. ALASKA TRAFFIC TOLL 28 JUNEAU M — The state’s traf fic accident death toll for 1963 stood at 28 on Sept. 5, one less than the toll on the same date a year ago, Public Safety Commis sioner Martin B. Underwood said today. Fires claimed 21 lives during the same period this year, com pared with 13 deaths through Sept. 5 of 1962. Russian Helicopter Scans Icebreaker Northwind SEATTLE UP> — A Russian heli copter flew within 500 yards of the Coast Guard icebreaker North wind in the Laptev/ Sea north of Siberia over the weekend, the Northwind reported to headquar ters here today. The helicopter was one of three Russian aircraft which observed the icebreaker, the first American vessel to make an oceanographic study of these remote northern waters. Two Ilyushin transport type aircraft also flew close but there were no incidents, the Coast Guard reported. The Seattle-based Northwind was operating at a position 75 de grees north, 115 degrees east, which is northeast of the Siberian town of Nordvik. CONTRACTORS VIEW TELLER-NOME PROJECT It is reported that Jimmy Dex ter has been putting some mile age on Tommy Johnson’s weasel between here and Teller. Last week representatives of Green Construction Company made a re connaissance of the proposed road section yet to be completed be tween Nome and Teller. Sunday MK made the trip through to Tel ler for the same purpose. GOLD DIGGERS NOTE— Faye Lienard, Secretary of the Gold Diggers Bowling League, an nounced today that a meeting will be held at Aukruk Lanes at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11. This meeting is open to all per sons interested in bowling in the couples league. A good turnout is requested in order that the league may begin functioning as soon as possible. FWS AGENT REPORTS BIG GAME ON THE INCREASE Joe Brantley, law enforcement agent for the Fish and Wildlife reports that moose seem to be on the increase in this area as well as bear, with several moose taken at Shishmaref this year, and bear seen for the first time at Wales where a female with two yearling cubs was seen this year. KICY CASE SETTLED JUDGE HUBERT A. GILBERT, from the bench of the State Superior Court in Anchorage, handed down an opinion on the 6th of September in favor of the City of Nome. The Court found that Radio Station KICY is not used ex clusively for religious purposes, and receives income for approxi mately half of its expenses from commercial sales. Consequently, it is liable for payment of taxes paid under protest for the years of 1959, I960 and for taxes of subsequent years. The Covenant Church had claimed that it owns the land in question and leases said land to its affiliate, the Arctic Broad casting Company, for the purpose of broadcasting to residents of Nome and the surrounding area, programs of a religious and edu cational nature. Therefore, alleged the church, it should be en titled to an exemption from real and personal taxes in this case under state and city laws. Evidence disclosed that the plaintiff earned from the opera tion in excess of S 16,000 toward operating costs of $27,000. The balance of the cost of operation being borne bv gifts and grants from the Covenant Church, according to Judge Gilbert’s findings. This, found the Court, precludes classification of Lot 5 — which is used for the building and equipment of the radio studio as "exclusively for religious purpose's," and is therefore not exempt from taxation. The Court made the same finding in regard to Lot 6, resi dence of Ernest L. Hanson, Station Manager of KICY; Lot 3, resi dence of Fred Savok, Associate Pastor, and Lot 9, residence of Raiph Fondell, Chief Engineer of KICY. The Station Manager and Chief Engineer are designated by the Church as missionaries. KICY is licensed by the FCC as a Commercial Radio Station. The judgment was handed down as the result of a complaint lodged against the City of Nome by the Evangelical Covenant Church of America, and the Arctic Broadcasting Assoc., on September 24, 1962, at which time they asserted that their sale of commercial radio time constituted approximately two-sevenths of their revenue. The remainder, read the complaint, was derived from gifts, free will offerings and grants. Judge Gilbert found in favor of the City of Nome as per their answer and counter claim regarding city sales tax, filed with the Superior Court on October 11, 1962, and stipulated that both parties shall bear their own costs and attorney fees and that the defendant — the City of Nome — shall submit findings of fact, conclusions of law and the judgment. Mr. Eben H. Lewis was attorney for the Arctic Broadcasting Company, and Thomas J. Balone represented the City of Nome. WEATHER OUTLOOK Mostly cloudy tonight and to morrow. Occasional rain showers, some fog and late drizzle. Little change in temperature. In the last 24 hours: High of 51, low of 48. Sunrise at 5:09 a.m., sunset at 6:50 p.m. Max. wind 21 mph from the east. Commies Winning Kodiak Cold War JUNEAU (AP) — A fleet of about 14 Russian fishing vessels left an area off Kodiak Island yesterday when a Coast Guard cutter appeared to investigate complaints of Alaskan fishermen. Alaskans aboard five king crab boats told the 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau that the Russians were deliberately” damaging and destroying gear used by the< Americans. A spokesman for the Coast Guard said, “From the reports we received the Russians seemed to be very blatant about it and seemed completely undisturbed bv the presence of a Coast Guard pa trol aircraft which was taking pic tures.” The cutter Winona was dis patched from Bering Sea patrol to the scene, arriving at 7 a.m. yes terday. It found American and Russian ships intermingling, and as it steamed into the area, the Russian vessels left. The area is in international wa ters about 50 miles west of Cape Low, on the south end of Kodiak Island. Gov. William Egan said he talked by radiotelephone Saturday to skippers of two American king crab fishing boats — Vic Hansen oi the Mercator and Anton Isaksen of the Eileen. Egan said, “They claimed that the Russians are making it so mis erable for them, not observing courtesies of the sea, that they are just going to have to get out of there.’’ The Governor said the two fish ermen asked, “What would hap pen if we took rifles and shot the windows out of those Russian boats?” Egan said he advised them to avoid violence. Col. Taylor Named FAA Deputy Director Colonel Ralph T. Taylor, Jr., has been named Deputy Director of the FAA’s Alaskan Region by Federal Aviation Agency Admin istrator N. E. Halaby. A career Air Force officer, Col. Taylor will assume duties in Alas ka on September 24. He succeds Col. Wm. E. Geyser who has been reassigned by the Air Force. Col. Taylor has been serving since June, 1962, as Commander of the 1st Fighter Wing of the Air De fense Command, Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan. He is a combat ready 106 jet interceptor pilot. Col. Taylor’s assignment to FAA conforms to the Federal Aviation Act which provides for military participation in the Agency pro gram in order to insure the in terest of national defense. He will serve as Deputy to James Rogers, an 18-year FAA veteran who was recently appointed as Director, Alaskan Region. IN THE ROADSTEAD . . . The Standard Oil Tanker J. L. Hanna is currently discharging gasoline and oils to the Lomen Commercial Company barges. She has sailed in from Kotzebue and is expected to depart about Wed nesday noon.