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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 19, 1959)
Ftort Wat iver n u n BJissiiQirD 1mm Budget Group to Decide on Funds For New Building Extension Office Included in Plans The county budget commit tee is expected to decide next Tuesday during its final meet ing if the county has suffi cient funds to erect a new all purpose building on the coun ty fairgrounds south of Med ford. Estimated cost of the build ing is $120,000. Its estimated 9,000 square feet of office space would contain 11 offices for the county extension serv ice, now on the first floor of the county courthouse. The L shaped building would also include an auditorium with a kitchen for some economics demonstrations, s e p a r a ted from the stage by a draw cur tain. Two spaces for storage, and two conference rooms complete the layout. Face Armory Drive The proposed new building would face on Armory dr. and be located near the present Centennial office and park. A landscaped court would separate the office wing from that containing the confer ence rooms and auditorium. An adjoining outdoor display area is included in the archi tect's sketch. . Present county extension offices are overcrowded, ex tension office personnel said. Tentative plans call for ap--pointment of an urban agent and a second home economics agent to the extension staff now overburdened with in quiries from non-farmers and housewives. An alternative plan would be to expand the present of fices into the auditorium at the end of the hall. ,This would ruin the auditorium and would cost more than $4,000, the county court point ed out. Used for Exhibits The auditorium could be used for 4-H and FFA fair ex hibits and numerous, other public functions, it was point ed out. The annual fair has more than doubled in the number of participants dur ing the last 10 years, accord ing to a veteran county 4-H leader. Since the county courthouse auditorium is too small for many public programs and the National Guard Armory is acoustically imperfect such an auditorium is needed, the county court said. This would relieve also a large amount of the county courthouse parking problem, Commissioner Ralph James said. Ike Signs Rail Retirement Ac! Washington - (UPD - Presi dent Eisenhower today signed legislation liberalizing pen sions under the railroad re tirement act and increasing the unemployment insurance benefits for railroad workers. The President waited until the last possible day to act on the bill. In the absence of a veto, the measure would have be come law automatically at midnight tonight. Bills on which no presidential action is taken become law 10 busi ness days after their passage. Railroads had urged the President to veto the bill, ar guing that its requirements would make their tax load op pressive. It was reported, however, that some Republi cans in Congress had asked Eisenhower to sign the bill. The new law boosts rail road pensions by 10 per cent and hikes jobless pay benefits 20 per .cent." Some Difficulties To Exist on Wagon Train Portland UPD A member of the. Centennial Commis sion said today there have been some difficulties on the state's wagon train but that , he expects it to reach Oregon as planned. Commissioner Jack Lively of Springfield paid a visit to j the seven wagons and then personnel in Nebraska. "There have been some problems, but they have been resolved, I think," he said. Some Friction The wagons are now rolling through western Nebraska -about one-third of the way home from Independence, Mo, where they started April 19. Lively said there had beenl ' some friction among the peo-J coloy ; i DLDG. . TREE DAMAGED This Japanese privet, one of the trees placed along downtown Main st. recently under Medford's street tree program, was damaged over the week end by un identified vandals. The tree, in front of Robinson Brothers Clothing store, 114 East Main st., has been splinted and may survive. This is the first reported case of vandalism since the trees made their appearance. Five-Man Named to Court For A five-man committee to sound out the Jackson county court on supporting Bear creek pollution abatement was elected last night from a group of some 30 persons who met at Medford city hall. Named to the committee were Russell DeForest, Med ford, president of the Oregon Sportsmen of Jackson county; Col. Paul H. Weiland, Med ford, chairman of the pollu tion committee of the Jackson county chapter of the Izaak Walton league; Hank DeVoss, Talent, a state vice president of the Izaak Walton league; Donald Faber, former mayor of Central Point; and Mark Norton, Phoenix. Ashland was apparently not represented at the meeting, which was called by the local Walton league chapter. County Judge Earl Miller asked that the committee ap proach the county court after next Tuesday. He said the court would have a full sched ule until then. Official Till The committee's official title, approved after consider able debate, is the Jackson County Water Pollution Abatement committee. The al ternate title, Bear Creek De velopment committee, was voted down. As a compromise, the group endorsed DeForest's motion that the committee's first or der of business be pollution abatement in Bear creek. The discussion of the com mittee's name was in fact the outgrowth of another issue, whether the group should op erate under the county court or represent a coalition of in dependent civic and conserva tion organizations. Tom Rickard, Medford, recommended it be established within the framework of. the county's water resources com mittee. He stated that county control, with access to the county courthouse, would per mit such advantages as a cen tral location, a telephone ser vice, logistical support for mailing needs and an audit- pie on the train which he at tributed to an excess of to getherness on the trail. The commissioner also said that the Missouri mules and horses pulling the wagons had trouble adjusting their diges tive systems to "non-Missouri" grass and other feed. But he said the animals' trou bles appear to be over. Wagons Holding Up The wagons themselves are holding up fine, Lively added. "There is no doubt they will arrive as built." He had praise for all the persons traveling on the wag on train. "Each person has found his place and all are good emissaries for the Cen tennial," he said. When I left the train spir- its were high," he said. Group Is Contact Support orium for meetings . Gerald Latham, represent ing the other point of view, stated that an organization of civic groups, among other things, would provide greater flexibility. Judge Miller suggested the committee be appointed to meet the county courts He emphasized throughout the meeting that he spoke for himself, not for the court as a whole. The county budget commit, tee, Judge Miller reported, has tentatively appropriated a "small token amount"-which he later specified as $500 to finance a pollution abate ment program in the coming fiscal year. But, he explained, the county court in spending such a sum would have to consider the needs of the county as a whole. He said the court would be unable to give unsupervised funds to a private group. (Continued on Page 11) Annual Timber Cut Increase Hoped Portland -(UPD- The Forest Service said today it was hoped that the annual cut of timber in national forests of Oregon and Washington would be increased about one billion board feet a year un der a new 12-year improve ment plan. The program is now being considered by Congress. It would start July 1, 1960. Its total cost in the two states would be about $680,800,000. Forest officials said the program also covers tree and soil conservation, reforesta tion, forest fire prevention, watershed protection, road construction and recreational facility work. Skinner Low Bidder For Curb, Gutter Work M. E. and Floyd Skinner, Medford contractors, today submitted the low bid of $1,-517-equaling the engineer's estimate-for curbs and gut ters for the extension of Eighth st. east of Bear creek, Medford, engineering depart ment officials reported. The other bidder, Petrehn and Purdy, Central Point, submitted a bid of $1,845, according to the report. Bids were opened this morning at city hall. Officials said this was the Skinners' first bid on a city project here. Nazarenes Hold Two Conventions Salem -(UPD- More than 425 members of the Nazerene church were here today for the first of two conventions being held this week for the First Church of the Nazarene. The 15th annual missionary conference closes tonight. The annual Oregon Pacific District Assembly of the Church con venes Wednesday. 54th Year Medford 16 Pages No SymroinniDft Parley Umxdleir yiress, IHIerteir lirotfoirinros Andrei Grommyko Appeal Made For Acceptance Of Peace Plan New Soviet Threat Would Halt Planning Geneva -(EPA- Soviet For eign Minister Andrei Gro myko warned the West to day there may be a "threat to peace" unless it accepts Moscow's demands for splitting Germany and pre serving Red rule in the East. Geneva (UPD The United States has told the Russians flatly that President Eisen hower would not attend any summit conference under threat of a new Soviet ultima tum on Berlin, it was dis closed today. The western foreign minis ters resumed the fight for their cold war package peace plan when, the Big Four con ference opened its seventh working session today. Lengthy Appeal French Foreign Minister Maurice Couve de Murville, taking up where Secretary of State Christian Herter left off Monday, made another lengthy appeal to the Soviets to accept the plan. In it the West offered glo bal troop cuts and security in Europe in exchange for a new deal on Berlin and freedom for the 17 million Soviet zone Germans. Earlier, American sources disclosed that Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko had raised the threat of a new Ber lin crisis if the current Big Four talks are not settled on Moscow's terms. Threat Rebuffed The sources disclosed that Herter rebuffed Gromyko's threat with a near ultimatum of his own: That Eisenhower will not go to any summit con ference under duress includ ing any new move to set a deadline for getting western troops out of Berlin. Couve de Murville went in to the conference with a long and detailed explanation of the West's package plan. At the same time, he reiterated the reasons why the West has rejected the Soviet counter plan calling for a peace treaty with the two Germanys and abandonment of Berlin by the West. Veterans Warned On Education Act Salem-fUPD-Oregon's World War II veterans were warned today .that they must be en rolled "in a course of training under the sfcite veterans' edu cational benefits act by June 30 or lose their entitlement to the benefit forever. Franklin C. Reynolds, edu cational officer for the Oregon Department of Veterans' Af fairs, which administers the program, said these veterans must be enrolled and actually attending school on or before the June 30 deadline. There is no deadline for Korean veterans to enter the program. 9-Y ear-Old Boy . Leaves Home; Returns Later A 9-year-old Medford boy set out from home yester day with his suitcase and small red wagon, Medford police reported. He left a note behind, informing his mother, "I'm runaway." A Medford patrolman re ported spotting the boy yes terday afternoon in Haw thorne park, clad in blue bathing trunks and yellow rubber thongs. The young ster successfully eluded three patrolman and a de tective, according to the re port. The investigators report ed finding his suitcase, with food and clothing under the west end of the Jackson st. bridge over Bear creek. The boy returned home a few hours latex, police said. MEDFORD, Consolidation Vote Tomorrow 'Two Tomorrow, starting at 2 p.m., residents of the Phoenix and Talent school districts vote on the proposed consoli dation of the districts. If the vote is favorable, the two districts will probably operate as a single district for the next school year, although under separate budgets. It is possible the two high schools would continue to op erate essentially as they are for one more year, according to Ernest James, Phoenix school district superintendent, to allow time for planning and establishing a well-coordinated educational system for the entire area. Elections on proposed Phoenix - Talent consolida tion will be held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the Phoe nix grade school gymnasium and the Talent grade school. The county boundary board has been asked to declare July 1, 1959, as the effective date of consolidation if tomorrow's vote is favorable. Both dis tricts must vote favorably for consolidation to become effec tive. If Issue Fails . If the consolidation vote, the Jackson county school dis trict reorganization committee will probably return to its previous recommendation for Phoenix to combine with Med ford, and for the Wagner Creek area (now part of the Phoenix district), Talent and Pinehurst to combine with Ashland. If the consolidation goes through, then only Pine hurst would combine with Ashland. Since Talent and Phoenix districts, already have prepar ed separate budgets, they will continue to operate on sepa rate tax levies for the next year, n& matter what the out come of the election, a Phoe nix school district official said. According to figures from the county school superintend ent's office, assessed valuation for 1958-59 for Phoenix-Talent would be $6,380,724.78. Total school census population, as of October, 1958, would be 1,760 and assessed valuation per census child would be $3,625.41. Central Point has an assessed Valuation per cen sus child of $3,332.50 and Ashland has $3,301.20 per child. Tentative Plans Tentative plans are to use the present Talent High school as a Phoenix-Talent Junior High school for eighth and ninth grade students, if con solidation is approved. The Talent grade school would be larger since children from the Wagner Creek district would attend the Talent Grade school. However, Talent chil dren will continue as they are now. Under consolidation, the Tal ent school board would serve in an advisory capacity until the next annual school district Portland-(UPD-Revised plans for a proposed Columbia river bridge between Biggs, Ore., and Maryhill, Wash., have been submitted to Army Engi neers here by the Washington Toll Bridge Authority. WEATHER FORECAST: Variable cloudi ness tonight and Wednesday with chance of a few scattered showers. Slightly warmer Wednesday. Low tonight 38. High Wednesday 70. Temp. Highest Yesterday 57 Lowest this Morning 41 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 3:29 p.m. Sunset tomorrow 4:46 a.m. The Moon, seen near the star, Spica, tonight, sets 3:37 a.m. tomorrow. Full Moon May 22 The planet, Mars, this week is found to the left of Castor and Pollux (the Twins) and is now about as bright as Castor, the northern Twin. OREGON, TUESDAY, MAY "Areas election. Then residents of the Talent area would vote for a board member. "Should the consolidation vote be successful, instruction would be continued by the present teaching staff of both schools, who would be placed where they would be of great est value," a Phoenix school district official said. Phoenix, Prospect Voters Approve School Budgets Both Phoenix and Prospect school districts passed their budgets by large margins yes terday. Eagle Point will hold its budget election Thursday. School district voters in Phoenix passed an operating budget of $390,950 by a vote of 223 "yes" to 86 "no." Pros pect recorded 20 "yes" votes and 3 "no" votes on an oper ating budget of $199,287.87. The Phoenix vote was a little larger than usual, according to Ernest James, school super intendent. Prospect, district's vote was average, according to Faye Orgain, district clerk secretary. Eagle Point district will vote on a total operating budget of $660,189.30 Thurs day. The next fiscal year will be the first time Shady Cove, Elk-Trail and Eagle Point will operate under the same budg et. The three consolidated this year. Apparently the total general fund for the combined district is almost the same as the total for the current year for the three districts. A total of $77,324.71 has been set aside for bond inter est and sinking fund for the new fiscal year, an increase over the $60,750.25 for the current year. Reid Denies Report Of Goal as Mayor Washington -(UPD- Ogden R. Reid today branded as "com pletely unfounded" reports that he is seeking the job of ambassador to Israel as a springboard to run for mayor of New York. Reid told the Senate For eign Relations committee con sidering his appointment that he has "no political ambition whatsoever" and has "no thought other than to serve as long as I can be useful" in the diplomatic post. The youthful scion of a New York publishing family said "I have never considered trying to run for public of fice." Reid admitted under search ing questioning by Chairman J. William Fulbright (D-Ark.) that he had asked "one or two friends" to contact committee members on his behalf and that he had personally called on nine members to seek their backing for confirmation envoy. as Oregon Teachers Receive Honors Valley Forge, Pa.-(UPD-Three Oregon teachers have been named among 444 winners of the new medal awarded by the Freedoms Foundation. They include Mrs. Laura B. Eaton, Englewood school, Sa lem; Mrs. Alyce "Yoshikai, Richmond school, Salem, and Mrs. Mary Heassler, La Grande Junior High school. The awards were given to teachers for their work in teaching. a "better understand ing of the American way of life." Tribune 19, 1959 "He Really Has A Summit Hatfield Expects Resignations From Draft Board Locals Washington-UPD-Gov. Mark Hatfield of Oregon said Mon day he expected "a few" i signations soon from draft board locals in his state. He said they would be in protest to the appointment of Sprague Carter of Pendleton as Ore gon's Selective Service direc tor. Carter's nomination was confirmed last week. Hatfield is here for a gov ernor's conference on federal state affairs. Hatfield said he expects the Motion Filed in Suit for Damages A move to make Medford Patrolman Donald Pursel the sole defendant in a $147,500 damage suit filed last month in connection with a collision involving his patrol car and a 5-year-old girl was reported at city hall yesterday. Other defendants named in the complaint include Med ford Mayor John W. Snider, the eight Medford city coun cilman, and Medford Police Chief Charles P. Champlin. The complaint was filed on behalf of Jana Sue McCall, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Doyle McCall, 523 Haven st., who was reportedly injured when her bicycle and a pa trol car driven by Pursel col lided March 12. No traffic cit ations were issued at the time. The motion, filed in circuit court last Friday by Haviland and Klinkenbeard, attorneys for the defendants, asks that all defendants except Pursel be stricken from the com plaint as not being liable. Other requests included with the motion ask that Pur sers alleged auto accident record be specified, that the section concerning an alleged sum of $7,500 for doctor's fees and other medical ex penses be stricken, that the girl's alleged life expectancy of 74.2 years be stricken, and that the future work the girls' alleged injuries would pre vent her from performing be specified. Aside from the sum of $7, 500, the suit asks $140,000 in general damages. The plain tiff's case is reportedly rep resented by a Portland law firm. Tumor Taken From Mrs. Truman Benign Kansas City, Mo.-(UPD-The pathologist of Research Hos pital announced today that the tumor removed Monday from the left breast of Mrs. Harry S. Truman was benign. Price 1 0 Cents No. 51 Complex, Doesn't He?" resignations to be announced when Carter assumes full-tme duties in Salem Wednesday or Thursday. Carter is also here, conferring with national Se lective Service officials. Hat field did note mention any names or the locals in which the resignations were expect ed. Carter's, appointment was apposed by several factions including some members of the recently-adjourned legis lature. Two members of the Jack son county draft board an nounced their resignations last week in protest to Car ter's appointment. The governor,, commenting on suggestions that he might be the Republican party's vice presidential nominee next year, said he found the idea "naturally interesting" but as of now didn't take the sugges tions "seriously." Seen Good Possibility Political columnists here have been suggesting lately that) the young Oregon chief executive would make a good running mate for Gov. Nelson Rockefeller of New York if Rockefeller should win the 1960 Republican nomination as president. Hatfield said he did not ex pect to see Rockefeller on his (Hatfield's) current East ern trip, but that he expected to talk with the New York governor next month at another governor's meeting. Porter jees Franco Reign on the Wane Washington -flJPD- Rep. Charles O. Porter (D-Ore.) in serted a statement in the Con gressional record today saying there is "swelling" sentiment in Spain against dictator Fran cisco Franco. The statement was titled "The Reign in Spain Is Mostly on the Wane." Nomination of Strauss Passes Senate Committee Washington flJPD President Eisenhower's controver sial nomination of Lewis L. Strauss as secretary of com merce squeaked through the Senate Commerce Committee today by a one-vote margin. Gateful for Vote The vote was 9-8, with three committee Democrats joining its six Republicans to outvote Strauss opponents all Demo crats. Strauss, who had clashed repeatedly with most Demo cratic menbers during 16 days of hearings on the hotly dis puted appointment, issued a one-sentence comment: "I am grateful for the vote of the committee." He was headed for more trouble when the nomination reaches the Senate, possibly Residents Given No Time To Flee; Take To Rooftops 3.25 Inches of fectin Reported By United Press International A flash flood sent six feet of water thundering into St. Joseph", Mo., Monday night, killing one man and forcing hundreds of persons to roof tops for safety. The floodwaters subsided rapidly, uncovering the body of William McKinley Thomas, 62. Thomas' wife was missing and feared drowned. Thomas' body was found near nis car. Autnorities be lieved he and his wife were washed from the auto by the wall of water.. No Time To Fle The raging waters from Black Snake creek and back- ed-up storm sewers came with such suddenness that residents had no time to flee. Instead they climbed to the roofs of their homes to await rescuers in boats. The floods came in the wake of an unofficial 3.25-inch rain, one of a number of violent storms in Kansas, Iowa, Illi nois and Missouri during the night. At least three tornadoes were reported, striking at Corning, Iowa, and in farm areas near Denton and Pow hattan, Kan. No injuries, or deaths were reported in the twisters. About six inches of muck coated homes in the St. Joseph area and officials said damage would run into hundreds, of thousands of dollars. Market Demolished The flood water began fall ing shortly before midnight when the torrential rains stopped. Propane gas tanks from homes floated down streets turned into rivers. One home was ripped by an explo sion of unknown cause during the height of the flood, but no one was hurt. A large supermarket was demolished by the force of the on-rushing water which push ed an automobile into the building. Roads were blocked by the flood-waters and police and firemen appealed for volun teers with boats to help rescue marooned residents. Revision Made in Recreation Budget Medford's proposed parks and recreation budget last night was tentatively revised within previously-established totals by a special committee meeting with Parks and Re creation Director Robert L. Haworth. The revisions, Haworth re ported, were primarily within the proposed total for per sonal services, and involved re-defining of certain jobs. In the operation and mainte nance category, he said, pro viding an expanded program for improving the city's park area atop Roxy Ann butte was considered. No changes were contemplated in the category of capital improvements, he added., City Manager Robert . A. Duff must check over the rec ommended changes next. His approval is a prerequisite to their submission to the city budget committee. He is ex pected to make his decisions before the budget committee meeting Friday night. Meeting with Haworth last night was a special commit tee from the parks and recre ation commission including Glenn Linn, James Zach and Mrs. Owen Kunkel. Russ Jam ison, commission president, also attended. later this month. Neither side would forecast the outcome. The three Democrats who voted for the nomination were Sens. John O. Pastore (R.I.), J. Strom Thurmond (S.C.) and Frank J. Lausche (Ohio). The six Republicans voting to approve were Sens. John Marshall Butler, (Md.), Norris Cotton (N.M.), Clifford P. Case (NJ.), Thurston B. Morton (Ky.), Hugh Scott (Pa.) and Andrew F. Schoeppel (Kan.). Democrats Against Democrats recorded against were Magnuson and Sens. A. S. Mike Monroney (Okla.), George A. Smathers (Fla.), Ralph Yarborough (T e x.), Clair Engle (Calif.), E. L. Bart lett ,Alaska), Vance Hartke (Ind.), and Gale McGee (Wyo.).
