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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 1957)
EIGHT MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE Sunday, October 27, 1337 SehD lBind Patrons of Medford school district 549C will vote Tuesday, Nov. 5, on a $1,786,000 bond is sue to finance a two-year build ing program in the district. The proposed building pro gram is part of a long range pat tern of planning, which has been carried out by the school board for several years. Board members and school officials have been collecting data on the district's building needs for the past year and a half. Their find ings were supplemented by a study made by school buildings and finance authorities from the University of Oregon and from lay persons familiar with financ ing and constructing school buildings. In a pamphlet prepared by school board members , and ad ministrators, the two-year pro gram includes seven projects. They are: Addition of Claiiroomi 1. Addition of eight class rooms at Medford High school, and construction of up to 10 new classrooms on land owned by the district south of the pres ent shop and music wing. Reno vation and relocation of rooms would result in new and addi tional science, commercial, vo cational shop and homemaking departments. This would bring the maximum capacity of the high school to an enrollment of 1,600. Estimated cost is $898, 000. 2. One new elementary school, grades one through six, at Grand ave. and Corona st. in the northeast area. The building would be planned for 500 stu dents. Classrooms to handle an estimated 360 students to begin with would be provided. Class rooms may then be added from current budgets. Total estimated cost is $324,500. 3. One new elementary school, grades one through six, would be constructed on a com parable basis to the school on Grand ave. between Siskiyou blvd. and Dellwood ave. in the southeast area. Only that por tion of the building would be constructed in 1957-58 that would be needed for the next school year. The following year, additional rooms would be con structed as required. Estimated cost is $324,500. Multipurpose Room 4. Renovate the multipurpose room at the West Side elemen tary school. A stage with rest room and dressing room facili ties would be added to the exist ing building. All other Medford schools have these facilities now, the board noted. Estimated cost it $24,000. 5. A classroom and dressing room addition to Roosevelt school. The school's m u 1 t i purpose room has neither dress ing room nor adequate facilities. The board considered it advis able to' construct an additional classroom to care for special and music classes. This would be done by an addition on the existing building. Estimated cost is $22,000. 8. A shop and storage facility for the school buses owned and operated by the district. The BfcSiS feed W Convert thot to Bvfag two by jjM! ijBa jJ switching to dean, compact Cowo&er Electric sL I llsJ I if 1- Heat ... and yom won't hove to buHd aa addition! 41 I Cavalier Electric Heat is eaemoumxil to install and operate. Requires do dwets or venting. Cocnptetery automatic Every modem feotwre iodeding cjkt cot -saving incKvidaat room coareoL Types for every horn New, forward- nt wall inserts . . . surface novated styles, instolied wtfbout cutting into waBs . . . efficient baseboard wit bwtt in electrical outlet sections, as nooy as Waff Insert Bathroom Portable ' 7 sizes . ,4 sizes . 3 sizes 4 SEE or CALL YOUR ELECTRICAL district does not have a garage to house and service its buses and other motor vehicles. Esti mated cost is $52,000. McLoughlin Woodshop Renovate the existing Mc Loughlin woodshop and district shop to be used for regular class room instruction. The board pro poses that the present woodshop building be renovated for music classes and that rooms now used for music be assigned to regu lar academic classes. The pres ent district shop, which is in adequate to serve district pur poses, would be renovated for a junior high woodshop. This is the most economical way to care for needed classroom space and services, members noted. Esti mated cost is $14,000. In addition to the seven proj ects, equipment is estimated to cost $112,000, and legal fees will require another $5,000. The total is $1,786,000. Planned for next school year are science, shop, homemaking and five or six classrooms at Medford High school; basic unit of probably 10 classrooms on the Grand ave. elementary school site, one unit of eight classrooms on the Siskiyou blvd. elemen tary school site, and West Side and Roosevelt renovation and addition; and construction of a district shop, warehouse and school bus shop. Board members pointed out that if enrollments did not war rant additional space in 1959-60, construction would be post poned until it was needed. Tax payers, he noted, would be pay ing only for those buildings renovated or constructed. No work is planned immedi ately at the junior high schools unless increased enrollment would require additional rooms at McLoughlin Junior High. Relieve Classroom Needs The board anticipated that the proposed program will relieve new classroom needs in all schools for a number of years with the exception of a few class room additions. Architects have been instruct ed by board members to design, select and use economical con struction materials that will re sult in a low cost building with all non-essentials eliminated. Lo disrupt family vacations, which usually are scheduled to coincide with the school calendar. It also would create a loss of income to Quake Rocks Tokyo Early Saturday Morning Tokyo (IP) A rolling earth quake rocked Tokyo at 12:57 Saturday morning (7:47 PST). The Tokyo Central Meteoroli cal Observatory said the epicen ter of the quake was beneath Tokyo Bay. ' The tremor was listed at 3 on the Richter scale of magni tude. With the earthquake com ing in the early morning hours, Tokyo citizens were roused from their sleep. However there were no immediate reports of any cas ualties or damages. yae wauf convenient portable beat ers . . . floor furnaces . . ., beating coble ... If e rime stainless steel and aktmi barbroofli beaters. AM ore iutty jvqr oni p c d. See fbem today. Cavalier AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC HEAT 37", 48 feagffas; &emosaat ooeTTrSV duplex outieb bo3t right into sections, students who work during the summer and fall, and it would be difficult for students transfer- ring to and from Medford schools. The plan has not proved successful where it has been tried, the board noted. 3. Increased class loads in all 1 Matter of Fact by ZHUKOV'S NEW LEVER Warshaw If Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia is correct, both the most vital levers of power in Soviet Union are already in the hands of Marshall Zhu k o v. Always assuming Tito is right, there fore, Nikita S. Khrush c h e v must now be regarded Joseph Alsop as probably holding his high post almost on sufferance. Such is the necessary mean ing of a remarkable piece of in formation confidentially passed on by the Yugoslavs to the Poles, as can now be revealed, at the recent Belgrade meeting between Tito and Wladyslaw Gomulka. The Yugoslavs stated that substantive control of the K.G.B., or Soviet Commission of State Security, had been ac quired at the beginning of Au gust by the Soviet Ministry of Defense for which read Mar shall Zhukov. This new develop ment may not sound enormously significant to the Western read er unfamiliar with the strange Soviet power structure. But in fact the K.G.B. is none other than the somewhat di minished inheritor of the ruth less Czarist Okhrana, of Lenin's grim Cheka, and of the succes sive blood-stained police organi zation of Joseph Stalin, the G.T.U., the N.K.V.D., and last but not least, the M.G.B. of the unlamented Lavrenti Beria. W7, EN Beria was liquidated, the terrible powers of the Soviet police were somewhat pruned; at the same time, Be ria's ministry, the M.G.B., was downgraded to a commission, the K.G.B. Shares in the new organization were also parcelled out, as you might say, among the various leading personali ties and factions in the Kremlin. The famous Gen. Serov, wide ly regarded as close to Khru shchev, was named to head the K.G.B., but the key posts in his organization were so divided that everyone of importance in the Kremlin was safeguarded against everyone else of import ance. If the Yugoslavs are cor rectly informed, this "collec tive" control of the police has now broken down in favor of Marshall Zhukov. Gen. Serov still heads the K.G.B., as Nikita S. Khrushchev still serves as the effective So viet chief of state. But behind Serov, always assuming the Yugoslavs are correct, there is now a police organization ac- CONTRACTOR n ESS I g j at - schools are impossible under present conditions in view of the small size of most the classrooms, If it were possible, the board said it would be "educationally disastrous" to overload teachers, The cost of operating a double- shift would be high since it Joseph Alsop tually dominated by Zhukov and the Ministry of Defense. In this case, in turn, the real power in the Soviet state structure is now very largely concentrated in the hands of Marshal Zhukov. jHRUSHCHEV has the authority for public pur poses. He no doubt also retains effective control of the Commu nist party apparatus. But in any showdown, the Party apparatus, sacred, anointed but unarmed, cannot hope to outweigh the combination of the police and the armed forces. Much is the inward meaning of this really astonishing piece of information. There is circum stantial evidence that the real source was Nikita S. Khru shchev himself, who met Mar shall Tito at Bucharest at the end of the first week in 'August. But even if one assumes . that Khrushchev told Tito that Mar shall Zhukov now had substan tive control of the K.G.B. as well as the armed forces, one must still wait for the statement to be tested by events. One must also note, however, that this intensely significant report is a quite logical sequel of past developments. For the earlier threads of the story, one must go to Vienna, as this re porter has done. What is to be discovered there is both fasci nating and meaningful. In brief, after Stalin sent Mar shall Zhukov into postwar exile in Odessa, most of the members of Zhukov's wartime staff who had been personally closest toj the fallen Marshall were picked up and imprisoned by Beria's police. Among them were two Majors, low in rank but very close to Zhukov, Vassiliev, who had been Zhukov's personal aide de camp in Berlin, and Nekhrassov, who had occupied another confidential post. After Zhukov's fall, Vassiliev was ac tually sent to mine number 8 at Vorkuta. TUT after Stalin's death, both Vassiliev and Nekhrassov were released. And after Beria's fall, Nekhrassov was given the M.V.D. Troop Command which is the most important operation al agency attached to the K.G.B. And Vassiliev in turn was given command of the Department of Special Political Investigation of Important Cases that is really its title which is the key org anization within the M.V.D. Troop Command. These facts are vouched for by two reliable Austrian veter ans of the Soviet prison camps. One of them, a Vienna publish er, Hans Baumert, pretened con version to Communism in order to escape the rigors of Stalin's police. He was fully trained, thereafter, for a work as a Sov iet secret police agent in Eur ope. As a member of the Soviet secret police organization, Bau mert actually saw Vassiliev in his new office in Moscow's Lub yanka Prison. He also heard of ficially of Nekhassov's appoint ment to head the M.V.D. Troop Command. The other Austrian, Dr. Rafael Spann, the son of the respected Viennese professor, spent two long days with Vassiliev on a train taking them both from the Vorkuta mines to new pris ons in western Russia. This was before Stalin's death. To Spann, Marshal Zhukov's ex-aide de camp spoke bitterly and frank ly, saying in effect that Stalin must die one day; that Zhukov would then become the strong est man in the Soviet Union; and that all those close to Marshal Zhukov believed he meant to take political power and to use political power when his chance came. THE evidence of Vassiliev and Spann casts an interest ing light on the familiar theory that Marshal Zhukov is just a simple military man with no interest in any political position. The same sort of light is cast on the same theory by practical examination of the results of the successive political convul sions in the Soviet Union since Stalin died. Marshal Zhukov played a de cisive role in at least two of these convulsions, the Beria crisis and the attempt to dis place Khrushchev last June. After all these convulsions, Zhu kov has always emerged with his standing and power consid erably increased. After the June crisis, he could justly claim that he and he alone had saved Khruschev from his enemies. Thereafter, Zhukov publicily be came the first man ever to be elected to the ruling Soviet Presidium who had not risen through the sacred ranks of the Party apparatus. But was it not logical that there should also be a private sequel? Prior to the June crisis, the defeated faction in the Soviet I Presideum might certainly have cal products, materials, and labor are to be given primary consid eration, the board said. Because of increased enroll ments,' the school district has more children than it has class rooms to care properly for them on the basis of state standards. There are 206 students more than the standard rated capacity of 920 of Medford High school. The 1,126 students this year are the largest high school enrollment in the school's history. By school year 1962-63 the enrollment is anticipated at 1,438, or 341 stu dents more than the rated ca pacity. Junior High Increase There will be a large increase in junior high school grades starting in 1958-59, when the largest sixth grade class in the school's history graduates to the seventh grade. However, the board said the two junior high schools will be able to handle the increase, if the fifth and sixth grade classes now using 10 rooms and other facilities at Hedrick can be moved to another school. Minor renovations and changes at Mc Loughlin also will add classroom space. Anticipated enrollment in jun ior highs next year will be 1,364. The present student capacity of both schools is 1,703, based on state standards. The elementary enrollment ex ceeds classroom space by 439 students this year, if the fifth and sixth grade pupils were re moved from Hedrick to make room for junior high students. The shortage will increase to 616 students by 1962-63 school year, the board noted. Basis For Figures Enrollments and classroom shortages are based on students now residing in the school dis trict. If more students continue to move into the district than move out, as they have in the past, the problem will become more acute, the board pointed out. The growth of the district is reflected in enrollments. In 1947, it was 3,314, and in 1957 it is 5,554, a gain of 2,240 in 10 years. Based on children now residing in the district, enrollment will increase in five years to 6,394. For the first time in the history of Medford schools, there are more than 500 students enrolled in every grade one through six. There are 278 high school seniors who will be graduated this year, compared to the 544 first grade students enrolled this year. Three Alternatives The board listed three alter natives which might be used in stead of constructing new build ings and additions. But all three were felt to be unsatisfactory, it said. The alternatives are: (1.) To operate schools on a double-shift program, (2.) to op erate the schools on a 12-month year and thus increase their use by 25 per cent, or (3). to increase class loads. Disadvantages to the three al ternatives are: 1. Operating on a double-shift basis deprives the pupil of half his schooling; six hours of school work cannot be crowded into a half a day; it would tend to in crease the delinquency problem since half the students would be out of school half the day; and it would deprive pupils of almost all special activities which are accepted as a significant part of the school program. Disrupt Vacations x 2. The 12-month year would their own men in the "collec tive" K.G.B. After the June crisis, there could be no place any longer for Molotov or Kag anovich or Malenkov men in the Commission of State Secur ity. What could have .been more natural than for Zhukov to re quest that the vacated places should go to Defense Ministry nominees, thus acquiring sub stantive control of the K.G.B.? And in the circumstances, what request could have been more difficult for Khrueshchev to re fuse? Copyright 1957 New York Herald Tribune Inc. $20 Allowance for your old Water Heater by "Reddy Kilowatt" on a New Westinghouse quick recovery electric water heater. Trowbridge & Flynn ELECTRIC COMPANY 214 W. Main Ph. SP 3-6241 would be necessary to put two shifts of teachers, additional cus todial and maintenance service crews at work instead of one. Prescribed Standards The school district must main tain the minimum prescribed standards or present a plan for achieving the standards in order to qualify for state financial as sistance for operational purposes. State funds cannot be taken away from a school district, but they can be withheld until quali fications are met. Since state funds will pay for about 28 to 30 per cent of the operating costs of the Medford schools, it would mean a corres ponding increase in taxes of about 15 mills if state aid were withdrawn or withheld. There is no evidence to indi cate that either the federal or state government will grant funds for school house construc tion. The board noted that the state does have limited funds available for certain distressed districts, but Medford does not qualify for the assistance. In comparison to other districts, Medford is ranked as one of the most able of the larger districts in the state to support its school program. Assessed Valuation The assessed valuation of school district 549C is $34,555,- 728.22, an increase of more than $5 million since 1955-56. The in crease was largely due to annex ation and consolidation with Oak Grove, West Side, Kenwood and Dewey. The net bonded debt of the district June 30, 1957, was $1, 819,488.46. The total maximum limit for bonding the district is $7,103,121.91. The present bond ing margin left is $5,283,633.45. Thus the district is bonded to 25 per cent of its limit. The existing bond principal and interest payment for the school year 1958-59 will be $158, 966.88, a reduction of $41,360, or 1.2 mills, less than this year. Medford has the lowest total school levy in the county. The special levy is 42.5 mills, and the school bond levy iS: 1.8 mills, for a total of 44.3. The school bond levy was reduced 4 mills this year by use of O and C funds granted districts for bond pay ments. Annexations and consolida tions did not cause additional building needs in Medford, the board pointed out. Admitted Students Medford has admitted junior high and high school students from all the districts now a part of the district for more than 30 years. Elementary studentsfrom Dewey and Kenwood have at-1 tended Medford schools for the same length of time. Oak Grove II Here Conies Mom with Cake ' , Yes, and when Mom serves milk you can bet they will call for more. There's nothing like cold, re freshing glass of milk to keep a party full of pep for the kids ... and it's great for grownups too! Be sure to have plenty of milk on hand for that "treat" for the little goblins . . . and have some yourself. DRINK AT LEAST 3 GLASSES of MILK a DAY and West Side schools, the board noted, will be able to handle their students in grades one through six for a few years un less there is a large increases in those districts. The board studied the idea of using the same plans used for the new Jefferson school for the two new proposed elementary schools. Contractors agreed that plans for one building cannot ef ficiently and successfully be used on another site unless the phys ical conditions are nearly ident- i ical. This situation does not exist on the two proposed sites, the board noted. Depend On Assessed Value If bonds are approved, the amount of increase in taxes will depend upon the assessed value of the property. The estimated bond payments, including prin cipal and interest, would average about $138,000 per school year, the board noted. This would be a gross increase of 3.9 mills on the present evaluation of $34,555, 728.22. Present bond payments will decrease next year an estimated $41,000 below the average pay ments the past several years. The net increase of taxes for bonds, interest and principal, would be about 2.7 mills on assessed value. As the value of the district in creases, the amount assessed for bond principal and interest on Vz I FRAKE& SMITH S&H I Green Stamps I Too Artists Supplies 315 EAST MAIN MILK II a home would decrease. This, however, does not include costs of operation, salaries, supplies, equipment and other essentials in the district. If the latter in crease, the total tax load will increase accordingly, the board noted. 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