The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-01-01

NEWS ITEMS
 FROM SITkA
 SITKA, Alaska, Dec. 27.-(Spe- cial Correspondence) Christmas for Sitkans this year was substantially a home Christmas. The morning snow flurries turned to rain and wind and those few who embarked on Christmas calls made their visits short because of turkey in the oven or a dinner date. The Christ mas sing before the Russian Church on Christmas Eve which was spon- sored by the Beta Sigma Phi with Mrs. Harvey Brown in charge. fea- tured Father Ossorgin's Choir and the Sheldon Jackson School Choir, and was well attended. The school program, held in the high school gym Thursday night, was damned with large part of the crowd un- able to find seating space, standing at the back and around the sides.
 The annual Rotary Club and Pulp lie Utilities Christmas decorations contest was decided on Christmas Eve by a committee from the Mt. Edpecumbe Lions Club headed by A. F. Lawrence. In the Most Sym solic" residence display class, 1st prize of SIS was awarded Lawrence Doig. who had set up lovely and elaborate nativity scene on his porch; 2nd prize of $10 to Fred Easley ana 3rd prize of s5 to Tal Guppy. In the Best Decorated Class lst prize went to the Ralph Weeks residence, second to the Geo. Baggens. Sr., and third to Leslie Yaw's. The business houses receiv- ing honorable mention were the Service Transfer; Sitka Mercantile Co.,, and the Sitka Mems Store. Mir and Mrs. Keith Snowden, owners of the Service Transfer received a good deal of comment on their fire place scene consisting of a Christi mas tree and life size figures of Snow White and the. dwarves sur mounted by chimney reaching to the roof of the building, down which a fine fat Santa lowered per- petually. with one foot in the open ing about to descend
 In addition to the John Lichten- berg fund. total of $500 was col- lected by the Gross Theatres for the Pioneers Christmas, and these with other donations amounted to a gift of s35 to each pioneer. Superin- tendent w. w. Knight said that this is the largest amount ever to be received-and for the majority of the men, constitutes their sole pin money for the rest of the year, being carefully hoarded to cover such small expenses as cigarettes and stamps.
 It was a fine Christmas for Hel- en Haertel, teacher in the Sitka Grade School. Her father and moth- CT, MT. and Mrs. N. H. Haertel, ar- rived on the 18th from Concord, New Hampshire, via CP.R. and AL aska Coastal. The elder Haertels are being given sample of Sitka ospitality-highlighted on Christ mas Eve by the celebration of their 41st wedding anniversary with an "at home" given by Miss Helen Haertel in their honor. The couple met Al years ago on an Atlantic crossing and were married in Ber- lin on the Christmas Eve follow ing. They are at present living in the Dan Moller house and expect to remain here until the first of February.
 The Glenn Greens of Mt. Edge cumbe, are celebrating the arrival home for the holidays of their son Wally, a student at the University of Nevada, who came in on Totem Airlines.
 At the ANB children's party last Friday, drawings for their Christ mas award were announced. First prize. Bendix Dryer, went to Jack Golf. Second prize of a radio went a Midge Cameron. The Remington Noiseless Typewriter. third prize, 'went to Danny dkopsroff of Mt. Edgecumte: and the vacuum clean CT. fourth prize, went to Tom Cam eron. husband of the 2nd prize winner.