The frontiersman., 1957-04-25
lS3RS ~
Chugiak, Alaska
April %, 1857

April %, 1857
To the Editor and #
An Open Letter to All Members
of M.E.A.:
Under the date of April IS, 1857,
the editor of the Chugiak Calen-
dar took a slap at me for having
nominated a good, honest dairy
man of the Chugiak area to run
against Mr.. Carl Steeby of the
same area for director of M.E.A.
I would like to say to the M.E.A.
membership that it was not as
dumb a stunt as the editor said.
1t was done intentionally and de-
Iiberately to keep MIR. Steeby
from being elected. It is common
knowledge in the Chugiak area
that Mr.. Steeby is all for CAPA;
also, it is common knowledge in
this area that the editor of the
Calendar is CAPA man. (See
the Chugiak Calendar of April 5,
1850. It would seem very foolish
to me at this time to elect a di-
rector who favors CAPA SO
strongly, since last fall our M.E.A.
Board of Directors saw fit to sew
GER all connections with CAPA;
and, at this springs election
C.E.A.'s opposition to CAPA was
elected by an overwhelming ma
-jority. At long last, the people
have come to understand that
CAPA, as now set, up, would take
over and the members would lose
control of their own Co-Ops.
d wish to thank Mr.. Parks for
giving me credit for sufficient 20
Etical insight and understanding
TO keep an undesirable candidate
out of our Board of Directors. If
II never accomplish any more than
that for ME.A., I feel my efforts
have been worthwhile. However.
i cannot take full credit for this
accomplishment, because this pro-
position had been discussed at
great length in our community.
Had / not made the move, there
ware others present that would
have made it. j would like to say
further to the people of Wasiila
: and Ehugiak areas that if they are
not sufficiently interested to
turn out and cast vote for the
candidate and propositions they
favor, then they should not blame
anyone else if their candidates do
mot get into office. The Palmer
people did turn out en- masse at
the last election, therefore, all the
Palmer candidates were elected.
IffaiI to see what great differ
9nce 1t makes whether a candi-
date be from Wasilla, Palmer.
Sutton, or Chuigak. No area
should rightfully gain any con-
ression or special favors because
a director happens to reside in
that particular area. When two
members of the board lived In
fThugiak, we received no better
service nor were our problems
smoothed out any quicker than
they are now.
However, / was disappointed
when the membership turned
down the grant-in-aid of $4,000.
to the Wasilla and Chugiak SCH
Dols, because Palmer and the Pal
smer Independent School District,
combined, received $5,365.35 in
taxes, and the people of both
Wasilla and Chugiak helped to
pay those taxes 1t seems they
could have been more generous
IN our own areas, since our di-
rectors were quite generous with
a 4O,465.20 grant to CAPA, some
two years ago, without any ac-
counting, whatever, of how it was
spent. / would like to suggest that
since the tax question between
M.E.A. and Palmer has not yet
been decided in court that those
moneys should be placed in es-
crow, pending the decision of the
court
] have no apologies to make to
anyone as I call the shots as |
see them. AS for those who differ
with me, it is their right and
privilege. But because they have
a difference of opinion, do not
appreciate their calling me
dumb, publicly.
Sincerely,
REESE TATRO
ME.A. Member