Central Point
VOLUME XXVIII
Ashton to Buy
Sharpe's Share
Of American
Arrangements will be com
pleted this weekend between
Chester A. Ashton and Cecil A.
Sharpe Jr., co-publishers of the
Central Point American, for the
purchase of Sharpe’s interest in
the Central Point Publishing
company by Ashton.
When legal agreements are
signed, Ashton will become the
sole owner of the newspaper and
commençai printing shop.
Ashton has not announced
future plans for the Central
Point American or for the com
mercial printing side of the firm.
Sharpe has revealed that he
and his family intend to enjoy
their first vacation in seven
years before making plans for
the future.
The two men and their fami
lies came to Central Point in
April. 1954, and purchased the
Central Point American from
Kenneth Powell and the estate
of the late Virginia Ellen Powell.
Since May 1, 1954, the date
of the purchase, the partners
have produced the Central Point
American, a weekly newspaper
serving School District 6, and
conducted a commerical printing
business in conjunction with the
newspaper.
Medford City Voters
To Decide On
Fluoridated Water
Medford city council met
Tuesday evening and voted to
offer a charter amendment to
city voters concerning the fluor
idation of water supplies.
The measure will appear on
the November ballot.
A group of interested citizens
in favor of fluoridation present
ed councilmen with petitions
carrying more than 1400 signa
tures asking for ïhe ballot mea
sure Signatures were securred
from Medford, Central Point,
Jacksonville and Phoenix water
users Outlying cities are using
water through the Medford wat
er commission.
Endorsements of fluoridation
were also presented to the coun
cil as follows: Jacksonville Pub
lic Health Assn., Medford Coun-
cil of Parents and Teachers,
Southern Oregon Dental Society,
Jackson County, Medical Society
and auxiliary, Medford Central
Labor Council, Beta Sigma Phi,
Zi Mu chapter, Beta Sigma,
Phi. Alpha Beta chapter. Beta
Sign' a Phi, Alpha Rho chapter,
Medford Junior Chamber of
Commerce, Crater Lions club and
auxiliary. Junior Service League.
Novelty Shop
Opened Today
Ruth’s Novelty Shop, owned
and operated by Mrs. Carl T.
Nelson of Central Point, opened
today. Thursday, at 38 East Pine
street
The new shop is located in the
Old Stage Realty building next
to Central Point Cleaners and
Gino's Diner.
___ Mrs. Nelson stated that s^e
will handle antiques, bric-a-brac
and novelty items. She will also
accept goods for individuals on
ai aonsignmert basis.
Sh«- reported that she hopes to
work the business into an ex
chan
shop for women, similar
to those popular in California.
Under this arrangement, women
consign articles from their homes
for sal* or exchange
AMERICAN
*
CENTRAL POINT. JACKSON COUNTY. OREGON
Crater Registration
Set September 6-7
For Coming Term
Registration of students at
Crater High school for the 1956-
57 school term will be held Sep
tember 6 and 7 Principal Arthur
Straus announced this week.
All ninth grade pupils and all
new students will register on
Thursday. September 6. Regis
tration will be held all day,
from 9 a m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday evening, September
6, from 7 to 9 o’clock, registra
tion will be held for all upper
class members.
Friday, September 7, will be
devoted to registration of upper
class students also. During the
day, registration will be held
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registra
tion will continue Friday even
ing from 7 to 9 o’clock.
Fires, Storms
Call Out Laddies
Two grass fires last Thursday,
August 16, and calls during the
Sunday and Monday storms kept
Central Point volunteer firemen
busy.
At 1:55 a.m. August 16, trucks
were called out to extinguish a
trash fire in a field at the east
end of Manzanita street. At 2:35
p.m. that same day, they were
called out to extinguish a grass
fire behind the Crater Drive-In
on Front street.
Sunday evening, volunteers
stoodby on a power failure on
Freeman road. Monday, men and
equipment were called to the
H. P. Jewett residence when a
tree was blown over on the
house.
3-Year-Old Girl
Electrocuted .
By Pump Motor
Carolyn Mae Hedges, three
year old daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Marvin D. Hedges of Route
2, Box 248, Medford, in the Mid
way Four-Corners district east
of Central Point, was electrocut-
between 2 and 2:30 p.m, Tues
day, August 21, when she touch
ed a 110-volt irrigation pump
motor.
The accident occurred near her
parent's home. Two small boys
were playing nearby found the
young girl’s body and notified
a neighbor woman, Mrs. Bernard
Gunn. The girl was rushed into a
Medford doctor’s office in an
effort to revive her.
According to the coroner’s re
port, the electric motor was
homemade from service station
compressor motor.
Investigation of the accident
was made by the coroner’s office,
sheriffs office and by Claude
Haggard, safety engineer for
COPCO.
Funeral services will be held
at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 25.
from the Conger-Morris chapel
in Medford. The Rev. Clynton
Crisman, pastor of Medford
Friends church, will officiate.
Interment will be in Siskiyou
Memorial Park.
The girl was born May 26,
1953 in, Medford, and had lived
in this area all her life.
Survivors, in addition to her
parents, include two brothers,
Teddy and Dale; one sister, De
borah; garndparents, Mr. and
Mrs. Ted Hedges. Sioux City,
Iowa, and Mr. and Mrs. George
Gunn, Medford, and several
aunts and uncles.
Electrical, Wind Storms Cause
Minor Damage Through City
Readiness Tests
Planned Aug. 20
One more day of testing for
pre-first grade students has been
scheduled for Wednesday, Aug
ust 29, according to George
Johns, principal of the H. P.
Jewett Elementary school.
Tests will be given in room
5 of the Central Point Junior
high school for all children who
were not able to be present for
the two previous testing days.
August 21-22.
Tests will be given to children
who will not be six years old
until after November 15 but will
reach this age before January IS.
Children showing a mental ma
turity of 6t4 years will be ad
mitted to the first grade.
This week tests were given to
14 prefirst grade children. Tests
were given by Mrs Walter Foote,
first grade teacher on the elem
entary school faculty.
Realtor Report»
Sale of Property
The H. E Clason residence on
Alder street has been sold to
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Masterfield
of Central Point The J R
Christensen property on Old
Stage Road, near Military Road,
has been purchased by C. L.
Ghelardi and R. Reynolds.
Both transactions were hand
led by Carl T. Nelson of Old
Stage Realty in Central Point.
MOVE INTO NEW HOME
Mr, and Mrs. Clifton Hammill
and two children expect to move
into their new home on Oak
street in Central Point Sunday.
They have been living on Elk
Road in the Elk City district.
NUMBER 48
THURSDAY. AUGUST 23. 1956
Damaged roofs, shattered trees
and broken limbs seem to be
the extent of storm damage in
Central Point following two sum
mer storms Sunday and Monday
evenings.
Sunday evening an electrical
storm and heavy rain struck
the valley. Monday evening a
windstorm with gales up to 63
miles per hour and rain rocked
the valley.
A large tree limb fell on the
H. P. Jewett home on West Pine
street Monday evening; garage
roofing at the John Cimfl home
on Second street was blown off;
a small hole was caused in the
Arden Pinkham home on Ash
street; a large tree at the C. L.
Munn home on ThirtJ street was
split and a tree was blown down
at the Max Burd home on East
Pine street.
Roofing on both Faber’s Super
Market and on the postoffice
building was damaged by the
wind Monday.
A city truck was operated
throughout the city Tuesday
picking up tree limbs and debris
which were blown into street and
parking areas
Frank Benesh, district man
ager of COPCO, reported Tues
day that Sundays electrical
storm caused only minor dam
age in Central Point.
One transformer burned out
was located at the corner of
Freeman Road and East Pine
street, near the C. W. Anhorn
home. Sections of the town were
blacked out temporarily Sunday
for as long as 45 minutes until
power was restored.
Mondays windstorm "was one
of the worst we’ve experienced”
Benesh stated Hardest hit was
the downtown area of Medford
where many services were brok
en by falling limbs. A 75-inan
COPCO crew was called out to
repair damages.
Crater Finance to Open
Local Office October 1
Principals Return
To School Posts
Principals in four of the five
School District 6 schools are
back at their posts in prepara
tion for the opening of the new
school term on September 10.
Those back on duty include:
Arthur Straus, Crater High
school; C. A. Meyer, Central
Point Elementary and Junior
High schools; George Johns, H.
P. Jewett Elementary school;
and Gilbert Mack, A. J. Hanby
and Margaret Patrick Element
ary schools in Gold Hill.
Roland Smith, principal of
Sams Valley Elementary school,
will not report for his duties
until shortly before school opens.
Destitute Family
Receives Help
From Local Folk
A man and wife and their
seven children, victims of the
Yuba City, Calif., flood, had
their faith in human nature re
stored last weekend when cit
izens of Central Point rallied to
their aid.
The chain of events which led
to their aid began about 5 p.m,
Friday, August 17, when a local
citizen reported to city police
officers that several small chil
dren were selling berries on the
street to earn funds to buy po
tatoes for their family’s even
ing meal.
Further investigation by Po
lice Chief Wallace Bowen reveal
ed that the family was located
on the banks of Bear Creek and
they had no food or money and
little clothing.
Emergency calls to the county
welfare department secured some
aid for the family and Chief
Bowen was able to place them in
a vacant house on Second street.
Local residents who heard of
the plight rallied around with
clothing and food gifts, several
merchants donated essential fur
niture and medical aid was se
cured for the youngest child*
who had a fever.
Myers-Holland post of the
American Legion was instru
mental in securing aid In ad
dition employment has been
found for the father.
The couple are Mr. and Mrs.
King Haynes. Their seven chil
dren range in age from 13 months
to 14 years.
They lost most of their pos
sessions in the Yuba City flood
and received some aid from Cal
ifornia welfare and the American
Red Cross. They moved into
Nevada to secure work and again
had trouble. They had come here
to take a position in a lumber
mill, but the mill had been sold,
unknown to them.
Oil Car Arrive»,
Street Work Starts
Construction work began this
week on the erection of a new
building for Crater Finance, a
new Central Point business firm.
The building, being construct
ed by Stanley Parrish, contract
or, is located at 135 Pine street,
next to Livingston's Sporting
Goods.
Concrete block will be used
for the modern 19 x 40 foot
structure. Cost of the building,
as listed on the city building
permit, is $5500. One feature
of the new building will be a
walkway which will permit pat
rons to reach the parking area
at the rear
Furniture for the building is
being constructed by Bill Crabb
of Central Point Cabinet and
Millworks.
According to present plans, the
building will be completed and
opened for business on October
1.
Frank Wilkinson, who makes
his home on Ross Lane, near the
Central Point-Jacksonville high
way, will be the manager of the
new firm. Wilkinson, who has
been in the finance business
since 1939, was most recently
manager for the past four years
of a Medford finance company.
He is married and the father
of two children. He is a veteran
of armed forces service during
World War II.
The new firm will handle
small loans up t* $1500 as auth
orized by the laws of the State
of Oregon, according to a spokes
man for owners of the firm.
The Central Point location wak «
chosen, the spokesman said, be
cause of the brilliant future of
growth in the Central Point area
and fof the opportunity to serve
northern Jackson county.
Record Attendance
At Youth Bible Camp
Reported by Churches
The Southern-Oregon Com
munity Churches Fellowship re
port a record attendance cf 158
young people attending the
Youth Bible Camp The Bible
camps are being held at Camp
McLaughlin, Lake of the Woods.
During the past five years
Bible Camps have been held at
various locations The Fellowship
Girls, and Young People’s camps.
Last week 129 junior boys were
registered. The Junior Girls*
camp wil be held August 27 to
September 1.
A number of young people are
attending from Central Point
Community Bible church, Trail
Community Church, Eagle Point
Community chrch, Berean Bap
tist, Medford Community church
as well as 20 other churches.
Dr. Elmer Wildner, a nation
ally know youth worker and
author, is the speaker for the
three camps Rev. Rolf Hansen
of Spokane Beacon Chapel is
the Young People's evangelist.
Rev. Noel Olson is the director
of the camp. Anyone wishing to
attend this camp contact the
pastor of any of the churches
of the fellowship.
A tank car of oil for use on
the city streets was spotted on
the railroad siding Monday.
Work began Wednesday on
spreading the oil on the desig
nated city streets. Work is being
done by Hughes A Dodd, Med
ford, the same firm which did
the street work last year.
DIKES HAVE SON
Mr and Mrs Joy Dikes of
Route 2, Central Point, are par
ents of a son bom Thursday,
August 16, at Community hos
pital in Medford Weight at birth
was 8 pounds
ROGUE VALLEY
WEATHER
U. S. Weather Bureau
Mia.
Prec.
Max.
Aug.
Aug
Aug.
Aug
Aug.
Aug.
Aug.
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
85
91
92
92
94
91
93
52
40
54
58
59
55
58
.19
.13
T
1