Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, March 25, 1959, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., March 25, 1959, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextIt by MM School Consolidation Decreased Millage Seen for Districts (Editor's note: This Is another In m series of articles in which general and statistical informa tion will be presented on the proposal to consolidate six Jack son county school districts into one. Today's article deals with millage tax rates.) Millage tax rates in all but the Medford district will de crease if a proposal to consoli date six districts into one is approved by voters in the dis tricts April 6, according to fig ures compiled by school offi cials of the districts involved. Millage rates in Jackson ville, Griffin Creek, Lone Pine, Howard and Ruch, the other five districts involved in the consolidation proposal, would decrease. Medford school district's millage rate would increase about 2 mills. The net total millage in the Medford district is now 46.8. The net millage would be an estimated 49.5 in the consoli dated district. From the latter figure would be subtracted the amount of the county and Man's Death Due To Over-Exerlion, Coroner Reports The death of 81-year-old Andrew Kolstad last week end was attributed by County Coroner Carlos Morris to over-exertion and heart fail ure while apparently lost in the Pleasant Creek area. Kolstad was found about 1 p.m. yesterday by Harold Aus tin, Elmer Baker and Delbert Lee, all of the Pleasant Creek area. Apparently Kolstad had wandered into a draw or small ravine about IV2 miles from his home and was un able to get out, Jackson coun- ty sneritts deputies saiu. Search parties and a team of blodhounds from Lakeview had passed near the area, but not as close to the spot where the man was found, as thought at first. A study of the ground showed that Kolstad had tried to get out of the draw and had pulled down some of the soil on the bank. When found, he had $78 in currency on his person. He was lying on his back at the bottom of the ra vine with his right hand in his overall bib. The county coroner estimated the death occurred Saturday night , or early Sunday. Sheriff Joe Walsh said his office was notified Saturday afternoon that the man was missing. Kolstad was last seen at 10 a.m. that day after he told his daughter, with whom he lived, that 'he was going to the mail box. Medford Man Fined For Firearm in Ciiy Dan Mix, 2542 Walden place, pieaded guilty in muni cipal court this morning to charges of discharging a fire arm in the city. He was fined $35 by Judge Alan Holmes. Mix was cited following a report Monday that a collie dog owned by Mrs. Thomas McFadden, 225 Black Oak dr., had been shot and killed Sun day. Mix, according to police, stated that he shot the dog twice with a 12-gauge shot gun. He said the dog had kill ed one of his sheep three weeks ago by chasing it into a fence. Appling Says People Should Take More Sustained, Active Part in Politics Ashland - Howell Appling, Oregon secretary of state, told a near capacity audience at Southern Oregon college's Churchill hall this morning that citizens should take part in politics in a stronger, more active and more sustaining basis. Appling's visit to southern Oregon is his first since he be came secretary of state under Gov. Mark O. Hatfield in January. He said "rather than elect a single knight in armor every four years and settle back to a comfortable state of apathy," citizens ehould take a more active part in politics. Reflection of People , In observing that govern ment is a reflection of its people, Appling said the presr ent state legislators are doing a good job. He added that he believed raising salaries of legislators would result . in state equalization which the district would be relieved of after consolidation, leaving an estimated net increase of about 2 mills, school officials said. Net Total Millage The net total millage in cludes: (1) the amount to be raised ior the general fund; (2) county equalization; and (3) bond and interest charges -less the tax offset. The tax offset is the amount the district's millage rate was reduced by the county asses sor's office because of the $10 increase in the basic school fund passed by the special leg islature in the fall of 1957. The fund was increased from $95 to $105 per school child. (Distribution of the increase was on the same basis as the regular basic school fund, that is, 80 per cent flat grant, and 20 per cent equalization. Be cause of the equalization per centage, some districts' mill age rates were reduced more than others, since poorer dis tricts receive more than the wealthier districts.) In the Medford district this year.'the amount being raised by taxes for the general fund is $743,439.92, for which the millage is 20.8. The county equalization millage is 32.1, and the bond and interest millage is 4.6. The tax offset is 1.7 mills, which leaves a net totar millage of 46.8. Griffin Creek District A total of 38.6 mills is lev ied in the Griffin Creek dis trict for the general fund of $49,269.34 this year. District patrons also pay 8.9 mills for financing transportation and tuition for high school stu dents, 23.1 mills for county equalization; and 11.1 mills for bonds and interest. Net total millage, after 5.8 mills are deducted for tax offset, is 75.9. In the Lone Pine district, 21.3 mills are levied for the general fund of $33,340.45. The non-high and county equalization levies amount to 32 mills (8.9 plus 23.1), andf bond and interest accounts for 9.7 mills. Tax offset in Lone Pine is 2.9 mills, leaving 60.1 net total millage. A levy of 30.5 mills in the Howard district raises $90, 077.96 for the general fund there, while another 30 mills is collected for county equali zation and sending high school students to Medford (8.9 plus 23.1). The bond and interest millage is 5.3, and the tax offset is 1.5 mills, leaving a net total of 66.3 mills levied in the Howard district. Jacksonville District Jacksonville school district raises $89,494.67 for the gen eral fund from a 64 mill levy. The county equalization mill age is 23.1, and bond and in terest millage is 10.6. Tax off set millage is 12.5, leaving a ! net total of 85.2 mills. In the Ruch district, $20, 748.16 raised by taxation re sults in a 22.4 mill levy. The county equalization and cost for high school students is 30 mills, the bond and interest millage is 5.8, and the tax off set is 2.1 mills. This leaves a net total millage of 58.1. The total amount to be raised by tax for the general fund, if the districts this year were consolidated, would be $1,026,370.50, which would be 23.4 mills. The county equali zation millage would remain at 23.1 mills. Bond and inter est millage on the combined total of outstanding bonds in all districts would result in a levy of 5.2 mills. The tax off set would be 2.2 mills, leaving a net total millage of 49.5 mills. weeding out incompetence and election of better men for public office. He said people should be concerned with the treatment of - public officials, pointing out it is not a good policy to ridicule and abuse them while in office. He admitted that he has had to reserve his think ing about a legislators' job. In Oregon, he said, "ours is not a problem of corrup tion, but rather that of incom petence." He deplored the "three-ring circus" type of campaign, and favored one on qualifications and issues. Advised to Study Issues . Appling advised the public to "study, evaluate and com pound issues so that they might make better decisions, and in so doing keep the government where it belongs -in the hand of the people." Appling's appearance at Southern Oregon college was BEAMS ARRIVE Thirty-six large steel beams for the roof of the new Sears Roe buck and company building, Medford, were unloaded from railroad cars this morning and were transported by means of logging trucks to the building site. The beams, fabri cated by Pacific Iron and Steel company in Ogden, Utah, and Los Angeles, are 60 feet Ike N To S Special Meeting Is Planned on School Reorganization A special meeting of the Jackson county school district reorganization committee will be held early in April to set dates for a series of public hearings on proposed school district re-groupings, it was announced last night at a meeting of the committee. A total of 113 persons from various school districts at tended last night. The April meeting will be held after the special bond election in Rogue River April 1, and the election on consoli dation of Medford and five adjacent school districts April 6. Rogue River s bond issue of $175,000 is for elementary school facilities. Committee Chairman Keith Hockersmith last night em phasized that the special meet ing is for committee work only and no further testimony EP Teachers Are Named to Offices , Eagle Point - Three Eagle Point High school teachers were elected to state posts at the Oregon Education associa tion conference in Portland last week. : Don McGovern was elected president of the Oregon Shop Teachers' association; Stewart Hopper was elected vice presi dent of the Oregon Business Education association; and Nat Etzel was elected secretary treasurer of the Oregon Voca tional Agricultural Teachers' association. Representing school district 9C, which includes Eagle Point, Shady Cove and Trail, besides McGovern and Hop per, were David Harbison, Mrs. Viola Pomeroy, ' Ralph Humphrey, and Mrs. Elsie Turner. New officers for the district 9C teachers association will be installed April 3. New officers are Harbison, president; Bill Groucher, Shady Cove, vice president;. Mrs. Dorothy Hume, Eik ' Trail, secretary; and Humphrey, treasurer. one of several on his southern Oregon trip. He spoke at the Medford Rotary club yester day noon, and at the Kiwanis club in Medford this noon. Meets With GOP He met with the Jackson county Republican Central committee at the Red Cross building in Medford last night. About 90 people at tended the meeting. He also was introduced and commended the American Legion for its work at a re ception dinner for the nation al vice president for the west ern division for the American Legion auxiliary, Mrs. Arthur M. Cusick. The dinner was at the Rogue Valley Country club. Appling attended a meet ing of the governmental af fairs committee of the Jack son County Chamber of Com merce this morning in Medford. ot Com ymmit AAe from patrons of various school districts will be taken at that time. But Alf B. Mekvold, county school superintendent and ex officio member of the commit tee, emphasized that the series of hearings on the various school re-grouping proposals should be held before school is dismissed, since it is hard to get people together during the summer months. The county school superin tendent's office also has considerable-work,, .to. dobef ore a tentative plan of district re grouping can be worked out and the final plan is ready by the newly extended Oct. 7 deadline. Asks Delay Committee Member Bob Gail, Rogue River, asked the committee delay ' setting any hearing dates affecting Rogue River until the special bond election there is held. Addi tional issues brought before the voters before the bond election would only be con fusing, he said. Tentative dates can be established for public hearings on reorganization of Butte Falls and Eagle Point, Rogue River and Evans Valley at the special April meeting, the committee decided. Mekvold read a letter from the state board of education stating it has approved ex tending the deadline for sub mitting the final plan six months to Oct. 7. The county school superin tendent said he had talked to D. W. Patch, director of the school district reorganization section of the state depart ment of education, and learn ed that no specific deadline must be met for the tentative plan. However, it must be ready in time to allow for hearings in the various dis tricts affected to meet the Oct. 7 deadline for the final plan, Mekvold said. (Continued on page 9) Orchard Heating Meeting Set Tonight An orchard heating meeting will be held at 7:30 o'clock tonight in the Jackson county courthouse auditorium, Wil liam J. Rogers, weather bu reau meterologist, has an nounced. Purpose of the meeting is to brief orchardists on or chard heating practices. All orchard foremen and the pub lic are invited, Rogers said. Among discussion subjects will be lighting of new heat ers and measuring tempera tures. WEATHER FORECAST: Cloudy and show ery tonight, becoming partly cloudy and cooler Thursday. .Airport low 37. High Thursday 55. Temp. Highest Yesterday 58 Lowest This Morning 35 Precip. to 10 a.m. today, trace. Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 6:29 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 6:06 a.m. The Moon rises 7:58 p.m. tonight and is in Perigee. The star seen near it is Spica. Last Quarter ., March 31 VISIBLE PLANETS Venus, sets 8:43 p.m. Mars, high in west 9:17 p.m. Jupiter, low in southeast 12:53 a.m. Saturn, rises 2:23 a.m. long and weigh about two tons. Structural iron work on the building will begin imme diately and is expected to be completed in about three weeks, according to Pacific Iron and Steel Company Superintendent H. F. Hubbard, who will be in charge of the installation. mi Foreign Minister Conference Must Make Progress Washington -(UPD- President Eisenhower today spiked any idea that he automatically is committed to attend a sum mer summit conference with Nikita Khrushchev. He told his news conference that he still insists that pro gress must be made at a prior foreign ministers' meeting to justify his going to the sum mit. Eisenhower acknowledged, however, that if any valid agreements with the Russians arf Je.abtained, .oiv, the problems of Berlin, German unity and European security, western leaders will have to meet with Khrushchev be cause he is the only one who has real authority to make agreements. During the President's week end meeting with British Prime Minister Harold Mac millan, British sources had spread the impression that Ei senhower had agreed to a sum mit conference, regardless ,of whether the foreign ministers meeting in Geneva in May achieved any results. The President emphatically scotched this impression to day. As the President made his views known, Macmillan told Parliament that the West would not permit the Soviet Union to impose a formula for the existence of West Ber lin. He said residents of the free western zone of the Ger man city must be allowed "to live the life of their own choice." ' (See story on page 3) Ashland High School Paper Receives Award Ashland -(UPD- The Rogue News, school newspaper at Ashland High, has been awarded a second class honor rating in national competition among schools from 700 to 1000 students. The award was made by the National Schol astic Press association in Minneapolis. tted 8tiHO "Gee Maybe Some Day They'll Establish Communication With Us" $?f&W0 ft ' 1? I Upas sr Myi&hi& r jAqXAkT ill Hi Chief of Police Wounded by Gun; Another Kidnaped FBI Says Fugitive May Take Hostage Brownsville, Ore. -(UPD-An armed fugitive who shot, and wounded one police chief and kidnaped another may have escaped from a hilly, wooded area near here, and the FBI warned today he may take a hostage. A massive search was under way for Richard A. Hunt, 26, an ex-convict from the Mon tana State Penitentiary de scribed by the FBI as "armed, very dangerous and with sui cidal tendencies." The FBI broadcast a bulle tin saying Hunt apparently returned to a trailer house near the farm where he had worked. His red checked shirt and cowboy boots were found in the trailer house, about 11 miles northwest of this Willamette Valley com munity. The FBI said Hunt appear ed to have returned to the trailer before it started to rain this morning. The broadcast said "he may take a hostage and probably a motor veh icle." Robert Kemnow, police chief here, was reported in fair condition in a Lebanon hospital. He was wounded in the face, neck and shoulder by a bullet from a rifle car ried by the fugitive. Taken on Wild Rid Ernest G. McPhee, 62, po lice chief at nearby Harris burg, was kidnaped after he stopped Hunt for questioning. McPhee, who was participat ing in the manhunt today, was taken on a wild 80-mile an hour ride before he was released on a road about nine miles from here. The shoot ing and kidnaping occurred Tuesday afternoon. Airplanes were called in to help a large posse of armed authorities in the manhunt, as weather permitted. The. fugi tive was believed to De armed with a .30 caliber military rifle and possibly a .45 cali ber automatic. He also had a pair of binoculars. The Harrisburg police chief said he stopped Hunt to talk to him about his car. McPhee said he told Hunt he would have to see the judge because he had no operator's license. The chief said Hunt then pointed a .45 at him and took his gun. They got in the car and drove toward Browns ville. Officer Wounded "He drove 80 miles an hour with one hand on the wheel and one hand holding the gun at my neck," the chief said. Then the fugitive stopped and told McPhee to get out. "I expected him to shoot me then but he drove off," McPhee said. McPhee was picked up by Jim McClure and two others who had followed them from Harrisburg and they sent a warning ahead to Browns ville. Chief Kemnow began chasing the fugitive's car and was joined by State Patrol man Eugene Richardson of Al bany. The fugitive finally stopped on a gravel road east of Brownsville after spinning around a turn and jumped from the car. An exchange of shots fol lowed, and Kemnow was wounded. Richardson stopped to aid him and Hunt fled into the woods. art - y KB Price 10 Cents Medford 16 Pages MEDFORD, LAMBS GALORE-Jerry Moore, 13-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Moore, Eagle Point, suddenly found himself in the sheep business in a big way this week when eight of his Suffolk ewes produced a total of 18 lambs for a 225 per cent average crop. Biggest contributor to the new flock was "Sugar," who came up with the set of quad ruplets that Jerry is trying his best to hold Mrs. Click Takes Stand as Witness In Her Own Behalf A recounting of years of threats and acusations by her husband was given by Mrs. Maxine A. Click, 46, Ashland; when she appeared as a wit ness in her own behalf at her first - degree murder trial in circuit court today. She is ac- cusea 01 snooung ner nusDaiiu, Houston ClicK, Jan. 6, at the family home, 720 Indiana st., Ashland. Mrs. Click's appearance fol lowed the testimony of Leslie J. Shorey, draftsman in the county engineer's office, who had. prepared a map of the Click residence in Ashland for use of the defense. Mrs. Click and Shorey were the first witnesses called by Defense attorney Otto J. Frohnmayer after District At torney Thomas Reeder rested his case about 10:30 a.m. Subpoenaed To Appear Subpoenaed for appearance today was Mrs. Marie C. Clark, Eagle Point, casework er for the Jackson County Welfare department, who tes tified that she had become ac-i quainted with the Clicks in her work with the depart ment. Mrs. Clark testified that the Clicks had presented their aid to dependent children case to the local welfare commission after the continued absence of the father who was in Mis souri receiving medical care. She said she had visited the home and talked with the couple on Jan. 5, the day ibe- fore the shooting, and de scribed the atmosphere as "normal as usual. " Later, when Mrs. Click was called to the stand, she veri fied the welfare worker's tes timony. Voice Barely Audible Mrs. Click, is a voice barely audible in the crowded court room, told the jury of her childhood, spent with foster parents, and of a first mar riage prior to marrying Click in St. Louis in 1938. Almost in tears, the de- Hatfield Seeks To Head Off Strike Salem (UPD A second meet ing was scheduled by Gov. Mark Hatfield this afternoon to try to head off a strike which could cripple construc tion in Oregon and southwest Washington. The governor met 14 hours with employers and officials representing the Carpenters Union Monday and early Tuesday After the meeting of ficials of the Pile Drivers Un ion met in Portland and Leo Neal, negotiator, said pickets would be called out Tuesday. The first picket appeared in Portland on a 300,000 con struction job near the west end of the Ross Island bridge and the strike appeared on. Later, a union official said a strike would be delayed at least 24 hour. OREGON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1959 No. 214 on to in the picture above. Sugar seems a little suspicious of the goings-on. The lamb crop also included one set of triplets, five sets of twins and one single. Jerry has been raising sheep on a small scale since he was four years old, but now, he says, he's really got his hands full. He is a member of the Reese Creek Extension 4-H club. fendant described the years with her husband as full of his threats, beatings, and ac cusations that she was inter ested in other men. Frohnmayer read letters written by Click, quoting Bib lical quotations, accusing' her of unfaithfulness and lectur ing her about her handwrit ing. During testimony Tuesday afternoon, Medford Patholo gist, Dr. Thomas J. Tinsley, stated that Click died "prob ably under 20 minutes" after he was shot twice by a .22 rifle. Called to Residence Dr. William M. Sammons, Ashland physician, testified that he was called to the resi dence about 9 a.m. Jan. 6. Remainder of yesterday's testimony centered on identi fication of pictures taken at the shooting scene and on two statements taken from Mrs. Click. State Police Sgt. Rus sell Brendle and Sheriff Joe Walsh testified concerning the statements, which were admit ted into evidence over objec tions of Frohnmayer. Besides the welfare case worker, prosecution witness today was Ashland Police Sgt. Roy Hansen, who identified the empty case from a .22 car tridge as that ejected from the rifle previously identified as the murder weapon. Also appearing for the pros ecution was Ralph W. Prouty, crime detection laboratory technician from the Univer sity of Oregon Medical school crime lab. He also identified exhibits. Mrs. Clark is scheduled to appear as a defense witness Thursday morning when the trial enters its third day of testimony.' DOW-JONES AVERAGES New York - (EPD - Dow Jones final stock averages: 30 industrials 606.47, off 0.26; 20 railroads 160.17. off 0.47; 15 utilities 94.00, off 0.09, and 65 stocks 209.12, off 0.22. Sales to day were about 3.280.000 shares compared with 3, 000,000 shares Tuesday. Two Daylight Saving Bills Put Before Oregon House Salem -(UPD- The Oregon House had before it today two bills dealing with daylight saving time. The House Planning and Development committee Tues day recommended out both bills "do pass." Calls for Vote House bill 226 was amend ed by the committee back to its original form in which it calls for a vote of the people on the daylight saving time is sue at the next regular gen eral election. This measure was intro duced by Reps. Shirley Field 53rd Year Tribune Chinese Crush Uprising in Kalimpong, Indianl- Tibetan Frontier - (UPD - The Chinese Communists have crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capi tal of Lhasa but fighting is raging more fiercely than ever in other Darts of the Hima- 1 . . - . .. The Indian government po litical agent at Gangtok, Sik kim, told a 26-member Tibetan delegation today there had been no fighting in Lhasa for 18 hours. He said he had no information on the where abouts of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual and temoral ruler. Insurgents Chased Tibetan sources in Gang tok, about 30 miles from the Tibetan border, said the up rising had spread to other areas and that they believed it was more widespread than on March 20 when the up rising reached a peak. Nationalist intelligence re ports reaching Taipei said a well-armed Communist army of 50,000 men had driven the Tibetan insurgents out of Lhasa but that the fight con tinued elsewhere in Tibet. Formosa was studying means of aiding the anti-Communist movement. . Rogue River Bids Low on Road Work' Rogue River paving comp any was low bidder on 2.4 miles of paving on the Butte Falls rd., according to the state highway commission. The company bid $64,699 on the project, of which the county will pay 20 per cent, the state 20 per cent and the federal government 60 per cent. On other Jackson county road projects, Hughes and Dodd and Tru-Mix of Med ford bid $8,007 for .1 mile of grading and paving in Eagle Point and $32,650 for stock piling rock; M. C. Lininger and Sons, Medford, bid $14, 230 as low bidder for improve ment of .2 mile of road in Central Point and $34,042 to stockpile rock, and Steeck Electric, Medford, bid $26,900 for Ashland traffic signals. (R-Portland) and F. F. Mont gomery (R-Eugene) and Sen. Jean Lewis (D-Portland). Its companion measure, House bill 638 provides for temporary daylight saving time for 1959 and 1960 until the people have a chance to vote. Starts in April This bill was sponsored by the Committee on Planning and Development. Daylight saving would be effective from the last Sunday of April until the last Sunday of September each year.