Metropolitan Opera Soprano
Sets 'Pinch Hitter' Record
By GAY PAULEY
UPI Women'i Editor
New York-rtJPD-Mary Curtis
Verna, young to the Metro
politan roster, is an old hand
at substituting for ailing
divas.
The blue-eyed brunette from
Salem, Mass., who made her
Met debut only four seasons
ago, set some sort of record
for pinch-hitting a few nights
ago when she filled in for
Victoria de Los Angeles in
a performance of "La Travi
ata." "I don't know whether I've
done the most substituting,"
she said, ruefully. "But I'm
certainly in the top ten."
Versatility Plus
In her brief career at the
Metropolitan, the soprano has
Standards
For Food
To Be Topic
A discussion of proposed
standards for food and food
products will be held Tues
day, January 26, at a meeting
of the Natural Food Associ
ates. The session will be held at
8 p.m. in Room 30 of the Med
ford High school.
The discussion will pertain
to the promotion and encour
agement of principles and
standards for food products
with emphasis on prevention
of disease and the creation of
sound health.
Following the discussion
the group will begin the com
piling of a directory of local
producers who meet the
standards set up by the Nat
ural Food Associates. When
the directory is completed it
will be published, it was an
nounced. Individuals who
wish to be listed should con
tact Miss Anna Streed, SPring
2-8576, immediately rather
than waiting until their prod
uct is ready for market, it
was explained.
Little Girl Look
Used This Spring
United Prats International
The little girl look gives a
youthful touch to big girls'
resort clothes. For example,
designer Jeanne Campbell
uses checked gingham in a
version of a baby's "bishop"
dress with smocking around
the scoop neck. Kenn Barr of
Casino trims a white broad
cloth blouse with a pink ging
ham jabot and teams it with
a full, matching gingham
skirt. Ruffled and scalloped
full skirts in organdies and
ginghams, lots of crinoline
petticoats, and ric rac trim
are other style notes.
Travel clothes are on the
sophisticated side this season.
Denim becomes elegant in a
Chanel-type, brass - buttoned
suit with a red and white
striped shirt. Sheaths are
atraight and come with match
ing coats or jackets. Even the
cape shows up with a sheath
ikirt in cavalry twill.
Look for tunics as cover-
ups on the beach next sum
mer. They come in every
length from three - quarter
tunics over bathing suits or
pants to short and sleeveless
types, worn over brief two
piece swim suits. One tunic
consists of a gingham skirt
to be worn under the peplum
of a bathing suit.
New summer wools feature
prints on white flannel. There
are all-over floral, snowflake,
geometric, and paisley prints
in coral, blue, silver, char
coal grey, and red, and plaids
in metallic shades. The wool
is used in blazers, Bermuda
shorts and tapered Capri
pants.
Spring lingerie will blos
som out in new color com
binations-grey lace on pale
pink, beige lace on orange
nylon, and cinnamon over
bisque. Double layers of fab
ric also are used, such as
gold nylon tricot over white,
bright pink over light pink,
and ivory rose tricot under
white sheer.
Add a Parisian touch to
your at-home wardrobe with
heel-less gold mesh bootees.
replaced Renata Tebaldi, Zin
ka Milanov, Antonitta Stella,
and Eleanor Steber. One
week, she sang in five operas
and wasn't even winded. Most
divas consider two a full
week's work.
But she wants no one class
ing her as "always the brides
maid, never the bride."
"I sing my own roles too,"
she said, in an interview at
her Manhattan apartment.
She and her husband were
packing for a trip to Italy for
operatic appearances.
"When you are doing Tosca,
Aida . and Cavalier ia Rusti
cana at the Metropolitan,
you've arrived. You're a
bride. Steber and Milanov did
their share of subbing in their
early days with the company.
After all, that is part of your
job."
Miss Curtis-Verna figured
that one of the reasons Rudolf
Bing, the general manager,
calls on her so frequently is
not so much her good nature
as her extensive repertory.
Few sopranos can match her.
"I know 37' operas," she
said, "and I'm ready to go
on with any of them. When
I learn a role, I don't need
a lot of rehearsing.
"Some opera singers build
a whole career on five operas.
I'm in 15 the Met is doing
this season, so the odds are
that when one of the other
sopranos is ill, I'm called.
That was the first time I've
sung "Traviata" in five
years."
MD's Daughter
Born Mary Curtis, the
daughter of a surgeon, the
singer majored in music at
Hollins college in Virginia.
After graduation, she came to
New York to study with
Italian-born Ettore V e r n a,
whose pupils included Martha
Lipton, Grace Moore and
Milanov.
Verna helped - his pupil
launch her European debut-
with the Lyric Opera com
p'any in Milan, in 1949. He
also fell in love with her.
They have been married since
1954, and she has followed
the Italian custom of keeping
her own name and adding
her husband's-hence the Cur
tis-Verna.
She sang with opera com
panies in Europe including
the famous La Scala, in South
America, and with the San
Francisco Opera company be
fore she joined the Met. v
She rarely hears from the
divas whom she replaces. But
when she once filled in for
Steber, next day she said
there were enough roses and
orchids from her to fill this
room. My husband is still im
pressed by that gesture."
Subbing for other prima
donnas bothers this soprano
not in the least-she believes
it has helped her establish
an American following. "Aft
er all," she said candidly,
"with Met singers, it's like
with cheese. If it's imported,
it's better."
Camp Fire Girls
Silver Blua Birds .
The Silver Blue Birds group
of Central Point held tneir
weekly meeting at the home
of Mrs. Leo Trautman. For
their field trip the leader and
assistant, Mrs. Munn took tne
children. Diana Barnard,
Debra Readnour, De Ann
Trautman .ludv Price. Linda
Reynolds, Pamela Whitehead,
Sharon Munn. Cherry Graves,
Martha Middlesworth, Janice
Gorman. Pamela . Calhoun to
the Crater Rock Museum.
They were shown the contents
and learned many facts of in
terest.
The otoud will begin mak
ing place mats for their birth
day dinner at the next few
mpctincs. They enioy tneir
monthly singing held in the
home of Martha Middies
worth. ,'. '
. . . I L t ?: jjr . ti A .......
New York Mary Curtis-Verna, young to the Metropolitan
Opera company rosier, is an old hand at substituting for ail
ing divas. The soprano, who is from Salem, Mass., made her
nown Metropolitan debut in 1956. In one week she sang
in five operas. Most divas consider two a full week's work.
In this photo Miss Curtis-Verna is shown relaxing on a
balcony in Milan, Italy, during a vacation. (UPI Telephoto)
National Artists Group
To Play for Civic Music
The National Artists Sym-
phonette which appears in
Medford Monday, February 1,
under the auspices of the
Jackson County Civic Music
association is a distinguished
ensemble of first-chair virtu
osi drawn from major orches
tras of the country.
William Haaker of the Vir
ginia Symphony orchestra is
leader and Amparo Iturbi, pi
anist, is the featured soloist.
Haaker has enjoyed a not
able career as both pianist
Extension Unit
Organized for
Foots Creek Area
Foots Creek--The recently
organized Foots Creek Home
Extension unit met January
19 at the home of Mrs. Frank
Daily. The business meeting
was conducted by the vice
chairman, Mrs. E. J. Parsons,
in the absence of chairman,
Mrs. Hubert Smith.
Mrs. Glenn DeJanvier is
secretary -treasurer for the
unit.
Mrs. Letsy Miller and Mrs.
Effie Birdseye gave a brief
summary on the project plan
ning meeting they attended in
Medford.
Each member was asked to
select two projects from a list
of suggestions read or present
two of their own ideas at lie
next meeting. The group will
then select five of the projects
most preferred to be sent into
the program planning com
mit ee.
The meeting date was
changed from the third Tues
day to the third Wednesday.
Winners Announced
Winners of play January
18 at Bartlett Duplicate
Bridge club for juniors have
been reported. Mrs. F. E.
Bowman and Mrs. R. A.
Naumes were first-place win
ners; Mrs. Joseph Clark and
Mrs. William Cowning, sec
ond; Mrs. R. B. Thierolf and
Mrs. Ralph Thompsen, third;
and Mrs. Darrell Miller and
Mrs. Laurence Espey, fourth.
and conductor since the age of
16, when he conducted a sym
phony orchestra for the first
time as the protege of Jose
Iturbi.
He has toured many coun
tries, is conductor of the Sym
phony of Syracuse, New York,
and a regular guest conductor
of the Milwaukee "Pops."
Amparo Iturbi has been ac
claimed on three continents as
one of the most gracious and
talented pianists before the
public. Spanish-born Miss
Iturbi has appeared in concert
in all of the United States, as
well as Europe and Latin Am
erica, and has been featured
soloist under the batons of nu
merous famous maestros, in
cluding her brother, Jose.
The Symphonette is cur
rently on its first coast-to-coast
tour. Curtain time for
the local concert, to be held
at the Medford High school
auditorium, is 8 p.m.
Grade Teachers
To Hold Meeting
A meeting of the Medford
Grade Teachers association
will be held in Jefferson
school . Monday, January 25,
at 7:30 p.m.
The staff of Roosevelt
school will present a panto
mime entitled "Wild Bill"
following a short business
meeting. Those in charge of
the program report that an
unusual act which has re
ceived nation-wide publicity
also will be presented.
Couple Returns
From Honolulu
Mr. and Mrs. Ed W. Pease,
130 Vernada place, returned
Tuesday from a two weeks
vacation in Hawaii. The cou
ple flew by jet to the Islands
from Portland and stayed in
Honolulu.
Highlight of the trip was
a night flight over the erupt-
ing volcanoes.
There are an estimated
500,000 cases of pneumonia in
the United States each year.
De Moiay Urder,
Mothers' Club
Slate Meetings
Medford Order of De Molay
will hold a stated meeting
Wednesday, January 27 at
7:30 p.m. in the Medford Ma
sonic Temple. Master Council
or Robert Baker will preside.
Medford De Molay Mother's
club will meet at 7:30 p.m.
the same evening in the din
ing hall. All mothers of De
Molay boys are invited to at
tend. Election of officers is
planned.
Janie Smith Receives
Incentive Cash Award
Janie V. Smith, formerly
administrative officer on the
Rogue River National forest,
has received a cash award of
$15 for developing a new time
saving accounting form ac
cording to Merlin C. Shipley,
administrative officer.
The cash awards are a part
of the Incentive Award pro
gram available to all govern
ment employees through the
Government Employees Incen
tive Award Act of Sept. 1,
1954.
Western States Nurse Shortage Declared Acute
Boulder, Colo. - The 13
Western states must greatly
expand their schools of nurs
ing and set up a number of
new schools to keep pace with
the population growth of the
West. Otherwise, the people
of the West will not receive
the nursing care they need
and want.
This is the major conclusion
of a report on nursing needs
and resources published by
the , Western Interstate Com
mission for Higher Education.
The report, "Nurses for the
West," was prepared by the
commission with the assist
ance of the West's collegiate
schools of nursing. The schools
are members of WICHE's re
gional nursing council, which
endorsed the conclusions of
the study.
Today, the West has rela
tively fewer nurses than it
did a decade ago. In 1950, the
West had 62,000 nurses. Since
that time although the actual
number of nurses has increas
ed, the population has increas
ed much faster. As a result,
the ratio of nurses to popula
tion dropped from 318 nurses
per 100,000 population in
1950 to 275 nurses per 100,
000 population in 1957. This
is considerably below the ra
tio of 300 nurses per 100,000
population recommended as a
minimum for adequate nurs
ing care.
The outlook for the West's
nursing supply in the coming
years is gloomy. According to
"Nurses for the West." pres
ent graduations from Western
nursing schools are not even
enough to replace nurses leav
ing active service, much less
to meet the needs of the ex
panding population.
To maintain the present
nurse-population ratio, the
West must double its gradua
tions of new nurses. For the
next decade, the West needs
MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Or. Q
Sunday, Jan. 24, 1960 A7
5600 new nurses each year,
compared to the present grad
uation rate oi omy iouu an
nually. In the immediate future, the
shortage will be particularly
acute for nurses with special
educational preparation for
teaching and supervising.
Thus the greatest bottleneck
to expanding schools of nurs
ing is the current shortage of
Wfll-nrpnarprf tarhfrs
Hinges made of nvlon are
"unbreakable," require no
lubrication and are claimed to
outwear metal.
Everest & Jennings
WHEEL CHAIRS
Htdt 10 Indus
IINTAIS . SAIIS
TIIMI
mm
nwuiWOTB FOLD I HQ 4
WHEEL CHAIRS
with t Castera
Phone SP 3-S345
HUDSON'S
PHARMACY
613 EAST MAIN
1 Block Easr of Hawthorns
Park
Open Sundays and Holidays
10 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Waakdays 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Book Cover
Transparent covers are
ideal for school books. Buy
them ready-made of tough,
tear-resistant plastic film or
make them at home in gay
nattprns and colors. Either
way, there's the added appeal
to children of easy look-see
and the great advantage - of
washability. Just wipe covers
with hot suds to keep books
A concentrated tomato
juice can be used as a sauce,
beverage or paste. It requires
no refrigeration until recon
structed with three cans of
water. To use as a paste, take
it straight from the can. As
a sauce, combine equal parts
concentrate and water.
IFUI3S
Repairing and Rtfining
Cleaning and Glazing
Restyling
Frances9 Furs
610 Valley View
SAMI PHONE SP 2-6526
IF YOU CAN USE
FOR FARM NEEDS
ft
REMEMBER THAT
P v
AND COME IN $
Deposits insured up to $10,000.00 .for each
account by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Your savings earn interest at 3 semi-annually.
Now Two Offices To Sr You ...
1109 Court Street 701 E. Jackson Blvd.
GOLDEN LINK CLASS ,
ANNOUNCES MEETING
.Women of the Golden Link
class of First Baptist church
Sunday school will meet at
the home of Mrs. Minnie Al
bert, 1003 West 11th street,
Thursday, Jan. 28.
A 1 o'clock dessert lunch
eon will be followed by a de
votional and business meeting.
-4
Explains Adolescence?
New York-flJPD-Dr. William
A. Dilger, of Cornell Univer
sity, studies birds in the hope
of shedding light on human
behavior.
As young birds become
larger and less dependent on
their parents, he reports, they
become increasingly aggres
sive toward them. It seems to
be part of the growing up pro
cess, Dr. Dilger said.
A method of computing
weather patterns for several
weeks uses a mathematical
model and a computer.
Keep the rain off your neck as you unlock
your front door. Welcome your visitors and
guests under an aluminum canopy, now
manufactured right here in Medford for
the first time by VALLEY SHADE. Save 20
to 30 on door canopies and aluminum
window awnings by ordering right from
the manufacturer.
And here is an introductory offer. A stand
ard size aluminum door canopy, with
baked enamel finish guaranteed for five
years, is just $22.50 if ordered by Janu
ary 31. Regular price is $30.00, and com
parable canopies elsewhere cost about
$40.00. Order now, and pay only $22.50
... at VALLEY SHADE CO., MEDFORD.
See Gil and Ruby Munden.
VMLEY
Til the
End of th Month
ONLY
225o
SHADS C.
hi
11
'Everything for Your Window But the View'
307 North Bartlett SP 3-4620
COYCWdJEED SIK! (IDE STOCK KEIDUCTIieNS
OF GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
BEGINNING
M0N,Jan. 25,10a.m,
MANY FAMOUS BRAND NAMES
ALL REMAINING STOCK SACRIFICED AT TREMEN
DOUS REDUCTIONS INCLUDES DESERT BOOTS,
MEN'S SLIPPERS, WOMEN'S SLIPPERS, COSTUME
JEWELRY, HOSE AND SOCKS, ETC., EVERYTHING
GOES! EVERYTHING PRICED TO GO!
n
SEE FOR YOURSELF
Unbelievably Low Prices
.FOR ALL THEFAE3.ILY!
AT ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME SACRIFICE PRICE CUTS!
ORIGINAL
Chippawa Boots
No Reasonable
Offer Refused!
FLATS
BELOW COST
Prices Begin at
99
Dress or Work
MEN'S SHOES
BELOW COST
From
BIG BOYS SHOES
BELOW COST
Prices Begin at
'1.99
Famous Texas Brand
COWBOY BOOTS
BELOW COST
Prices Begin at
3.99
CHILDREN'S SHOES
BELOW COST
Prices Begin at
H.99
FASHION BILT
Gomfort Shoes
BELOW COST
Prices Begin at
Reg.
$12.99
53.99
Pretties, Originals
High Style Shoes
BELOW COST
Prices Begin at
$12.95 W. W
From
ALL BRANDS
Men's Boots
BELOW COST
$4.99
ALL DR. SCHOLl'S
FOOT AIDS
Vz Price
HURRY WHILE SIZES AND WIDTHS LAST!
Jl
MS (Gil
rvn
UYJ U
IE
TUT
3432 NO. PACIFIC HIGHWAY 99
MILE NORTH OF THE BIG Y ACROSS FROM ELK LUMBER MILL
3