2 MAIL TRIBUNE. M.dford, Orgft, Sundiy, Ocfebar 26, 1938
Charter Amendment Would Permit
Ordering Sidewalk Construction
The city charter amend
ment appearing on Medford's
ballot Nov. 4 would permit
the city to order construction
of paved sidewalks and to as
sess abutting property owners
for the cost.
At the present time, as-
Medford's four wardi
r d.fin.d by thir rl
lion to Main it. and lh
Southern Pacific railroad
Iracks.
Ward I ii north of Main
and ait of lh traclci.
Ward II it south of Main
and wtst of the tracks.
Ward III is north of Main
and west of the tracks.
Ward IV Is south of Main
and east of the tracks.
Election officials in the
county clerk's office have
given the following figures
for registered voters in the
four wards: Ward I. 4.239;
Ward II. 4.185; Ward III.
2.385; Ward IV. 2.241.
sessments for paving, includ
ing both streets and side
walks, can be levied by the
city only upon receiving a pe
tition requesting the improve
ment.
Such a. petition must be
signed by abutting property
owner who together own a
majority of the lineal front
age where the improvement
would be made.
Would Exempt Sidewalks
. The proposed charter
amendment would exempt
sidewalks only from this pe
tition requirement.
. The city could order con
struction of sidewalks and
assess abutting property pwn
ers regardless of whether
those owning a majority of
the lineal frontage asked for,
or approved it.
. This amendment was placed
on the city council's agenda
Aug. 21 at the request of
Robert Van Sickle, council
man from Ward III. The coun
cil at that meeting approved
its appearance on the ballot.
The amendment would
serve two primary purposes.
It would provide safe routes
for school children as well as
older people who otherwise
often walk out in the street.
And it would increase
beautification and conveni
ence by assuring that side
walks could run the whole
leneth of a block instead of
just in front of the properties
of those who want them.
Remove Protection
On the other hand, the
amendment would take away
from property owners the
Drotection afforded by the
petition requirement.
The discretion of the city
council, rather than the wish-
en of individuals, would de
termine whether a sidewalk
should be constructed.
A survey of several inter
ested citizens puts the issue in
sharper focus.
Sidewalks are needed,
some say, along streets adja
cent to schools, Hedrick and
Roosevelt schools on the east
side have been mentioned in
particular.
Create Traffic Hasard
Children are forced to walk
to and from school either in
the street, creating a traffic
hazard, or on front lawns.
These lawns, it is pointed out,
are muddy in bad weather.
Medford's school board re
portedly approached the city
council last year, requesting
that the city take whatever
steps it could "within its au
thority" to provide sidewalks
for school children where the
need was justified.
Some principals and Parent
Teacher association officers
are strong advocates of more
sidewalks.
In at least one case, an in
terested group following the
present requirement report-
edly circulatfd a petition
among property owners near
w
M
n
is behind
Doctor Durno?
A.
You ... the voting pecelc ef
Jackson County are his am
paign committee.
Q. WHO will dictate his
policies if he is elected?
A Ysu . . . the people ef Jaeksoa
County. Your Intereits will al
ways come first.
Q. WHO financed his.
political campaign?
A Dr. Dume and his many friends
in Jackson County. They feel
that a man of his calibre and
training would e valuable to
all ef the people.
LISTEN KBES-TV
10 P.M., Oct. 30th
1:10 P.M., Nov. 2nd
If you don't know Edwin
Durno - ask a friend . .
THEN VOTE
DURNO FOR SENATOR
NOV. 4
an east side scnooi irymg xo
get enough signatures to
make a formal request for a
sidewalk. They failed.
Recommend Change
A Medford Safety Council
official said yesterday he cer
tainly "would recommend"
the proposed change "from a
safety angle."
But so far, few if any
school, PTA and safety group
officials favoring more side
walks say they have studied
the terms and implications of
the measure appearing on the
ballot.
A second purpose of the
amendment can be illustrat
ed by the situation on one
side street west of the down
town area.
All the properties along
this street have sidewalks in
front with two exceptions,
one at each end. The owners
of properties with sidewalks
reportedly have tried unsuc
cessfully to persuade the two
without them to conform.
Powerless to. Petition
Since the sidewalks desired
here are each but one piece
of property in length, each
having but one abutting prop
erty owner, the other resi
dents, whose property does
not abut, are powerless to
petition.
The only recourse at pres
ent would seem to be for
them to petition for a new
sidewalk overlapping the
'"withouts" and enough of the
"withs" to insure the neces
sary majority of lineal front
age. In this case, of course,
the "withs" would have to
pay their share.
Under the amendment, the
city, acting in the "public in
terest" of the majority could
order in sidewalks on the
"withouts' " property and
assess just them for it.
In this particular situation,
it so happens, the two "with
outs" who have no sidewalk
on the side street, do have
sidewalks on the streets at
each end, the streets on which
their houses actually face.
Considerable Disadvantage
Such corner lots are at
a considerable disadvantage,
since abutting on two streets
they have a much greater lin
eal frontage so far as side
walk assessments are con
cerned. According to Medford City
Attorney E. Roy Bashaw, the
present petition requirement
was instituted by a charter
amendment in 1918.
Prior to that, he said, the
city ordered in so many
street and sidewalk paving
projects and assessed so many
property owners that the
amendment was passed to
protect the hard-pressed citi
zens. The "minimum and only
requirement" in general law,
he explained, is that people
whose property is going to be
assessed are entitled to notice
and a hearing. .
The petition requirement,
generously protecting the
property owners, exists in "a
minority of cities," he con
tinued. Intermediate Restriction
But cities lacking this re
quirement, Bashaw said, us
ually have, as a matter of
"common practice," an inter
mediate restriction.
This restriction, while less
protective than the petition
requirement, does offer the
property owner a concrete
means of self-protection.
As contained in the "model
city charter" developed by
the Bureau of Municipal Re-
Lively To Slay
With Commission
Salem -4DPD- Springfield at
torney Jack B. Lively has
agreed to continue as a mem
ber of the Oregon Centennial
commission, Gov. Robert D.
Holmes announced Friday.
Lively, one of the original
members of the commission,
had resigned last week to
take a parttime pay position
with the staff of the commis
sion. But the Governor asked
him to reconsider and con
tinue his services as a com
missioner instead.
The Governor said he was
"pleased" with Lively's ser
vices and his response to the
appeal to continue.
Paid Pol. Adv., Durno for Senator Committee,
Mrs. Justin Smith, 21 Geneva St., Chairman
HERTZ
TRUCK RENTAL
Available
at
HOPKINS RICHFIELD
SERVICE
McAndrewt at Court SP 3-9068
search and Service in Eugene,
this restriction provides:
That if two-thirds of the
abutting property owners
who would be assessed for a
proposed paving project re
monstrate against it, the city
must suspend action on the
matter for six months.
This, of course, could lead
w - iiiujBua '"P-H second annual United Na-
peanng on ine council agen
da indefinitely, or until less
than two-thirds protest. But
while it could become a nui
sance to the city, it would
protect the citizens.
The proposed amendment
would, in effect, take away a
specific protection from the
property owner without sub
stituting a lesser specific
protection.
If it passed, the property
owner would be entitled to
notice and a hearing if the
city planned a sidewalk along
his property. But the city
council would be free to de
cide whether the project was
in the public interest.
Governor Urges
U. N. Machinery
As 'Best Vehicle'
Salem tUPD The need for
encouraging the U.S. to use
the machinery of the United
Nations and resist unlitateral
action that - "unnerves our
friends and confuses free
people everywhere" was
voiced Friday by Gov. Robert
D. Holmes in a talk to the
tions Day reception here.
The Governor termed the
UN the best vehicle for pre
venting major world conflicts
and for paving the way for
permanent peace.
About 300 persons attended
the reception held in the Gov
ernor's office.
Among those present were
consular officers of several
foreign nations. Also speak
ing was Karlin Capper-Johnson,
president of the Oregon
United Nations association.
The day marked the 13th
anniversary of the acceptance
of the United Nations charter.
Use Tribune Want Ads
Grange News
Bellview Grange
Illustrating her trip to Eu-'
rope with c olored slides Mrs.
William . Walters spoke to
members of the Bellview
Grange at a regular session
Oct. 21.
Mrs. Walter's interest in
fine arts and structural ar
chitecture was noted as she
showed slides of buildings in
many parts of England, cas
tles and bridges along the
Rhine river in Germany and
many other points of inter
est in Belgium and Switzer
land. At the conclusion of Mrs.
Walter's remarks the regular
business meeting was held
with Master Frank Malin pre
siding. Final plans were made
for the annual baazar and
food sale to be held Oct. 26
in the Lithia hotel building.
Legislative chairman, Mrs.
Ralph Jennings, explained in
detail the 13 bills which will
appear on the Nov. 4 election
and stressed to members the
duty and privilege of all citi
zens to vote at that time.
As chairman of the dance
committee, Frank Malin re
ported on the success of the
semi-monthly square dances
and the beginning of a new
square dance class, Nev. 7,
open to all who wish to par
ticipate. Election of officers for 1959
will take place at the next
WDHCD?'-
Worked against the 20 Income
Tax Reduction and now campaigns
as if he supported it?
Pd. Adv., Jacksen Ce. Republican Central Com.,
Medford. Den Srathoi, Chmn., 1 835 Sundial Rd.
regular meeting of the Bell
view Grange on Nov. 4 and
all members are urged to at
tend this important meeting.
During the social hour at
the close of the meeting re
freshments were served by
Mr. and Mrs. George Nichols,
Mr. and Mrs. Owen Osborne,
Mr.
and
and Mrs. Edwin Dunn
Blanche Murphy.
May F. Malin,
Reporter.
The Sphinx which looks out
over the Valley of the Nile
in Egypt, is 240 feet long and
68 feet high.
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