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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1960)
n n n PAL CQyb Seeks . ILeitioini fee liys 1 4 zar. S3 JSC Boxing Is Essence 0( Organization; J Site Is Problem VSS, Br GREG NOKES Mail Tribune Staff Writer Boxing is the essence of the PAL club, and until the Med ' ford PAL club can find a fplace to hold its fights, it will J have to remain inactive, j Finding locations for fights has been a problem for the ? supporters of the local PAL J since its beginning in 1954, J nd although they managed i to find locations for nine ; fights, they were all inade l quate, and they finally gave j it up, going inactive after ', their last fight in March, 1958. ! The Medford police depart E ment started the incorporated . and non-profit Police Athletic j League, commonly known as ; the PAL club, in 1954 when r -it took over the old Rogue r Valley Boxing club at the lat- ter's request. No Age Limit Although there is no . age limit in PAL, most of the per sons who have belonged to the club are youths in their teens. The membership, which has ranged from a respectable ; low of 211 boys to a high of 341 in the years when the , .club was active, was mainly comprised of potential juve- nile delinquents and boys from "unde rprivileged" homes. Almost all of the work ne- ; cessary to train and condition the youths for fighting, and -.for staging the actual fights. . has been done by city police officers on their own time. Financial support comes in the,form of contributions S from individuals, service ;! clubs and businesses, who .have taken an active interest 'in the club, and from what : 'profits the club makes on its ;? fights. 'f i There are several things be dsides a site which are needed . to reactivate PAL, including Sv a . boxing ring, some new CORN REMOVER Cfcwt niton rmlkaf hm pmm mmd r law Try Exclusively at WESTERN THRIFT OUR NEW MORTUARY NOW OPEN 2100 Ul Ul r Ul X ui a. Z u Peace of Mind Is The Difference 5 Mortuary Mausoleum Medford', Investigate and Save ' SISKIYOU FUNERAL SERVICE -l CO O 55 PRUNE. AU WITHIN Siskiyou Memorial Park ONLY MEMBER OREGON INTERMENT ASSOCIATION IN MEDFORD 605 HIGHLAND INSPECT EQUIPMENT Medford city police officers, Gerald Butler, left, and Frank Elsom, are shown here look ing over some of the police-sponsored PAL club's equip ment which is lying idle at their training quarters on the floor of the old Acme Hardware Building. The equipment, equipment and a full-time trainer, but these can all be obtained, once a site is made available. Many factors have to be considered in selecting a fight location, but the main ones are its size, crowd capacity, seating accommodations and cost. Lt. Lyle C. Perkins of the Medford city police depart ment and executive boxing commissioner for the club, was asked why they couldn't hold their fights at the Na tional Guard Armory which is large and modern enough and seems like an appropriate place to hold PAL fights. "It isn't feasible to .hold fights there for a number of reasons," he said, the main ones being, the 'very' inade quate seating facilities, the lack of a place to store a ring and the high rent we have to pay to use the place. True, we held our last fight there in March, 1958, for the Heart fund and cleared $200 but that little profit was not nearly, worth all the trouble we went to and work we did in staging the event. ' To get organized for that fight, we had to provide our own seating accommodations because the armory only has about 200 available seats. We borrowed nearly 2,500 fold ing chairs from various Med ford schools, transported them to the armory, where we set them up and arranged them, then took them down JOE HOSICK Funeral Director Columbarium Cemetery Only Crematory (1 SPOAftft and back to the schools when the fight was over. "We also had to provide our own ring light and ring. The ring we used was a cumber some thing, taking ten men to move it, and we transport ed it from the Davis Transfer and Storage company on South Fir st., clear to the armory and back again. "This maintenance work was in addition to running and promoting the fight itself, which is no little task, I might add. -Voluntary Efforts "To do this work it took the voluntary efforts of nearly all of Medford's off-duty police force for two days, in addition to the months of training that the boxers themselves did. "For this charitable event (Heart Fund) it cost us nearly $150 just to rent the armory Annual Turnabout Party Held At Camp White Domiciliary The need for volunteer help will increase with the advanc ing age of hospitalized and disabled veterans, Henry Her- zog, Camp White Domiciliary manager, told those attending the domiciliary's turnabout program recently. "As the percentage of aged veterans increases more help will be needed in interpreta tion of planned living and other programs in giving these veterans motivation to achieve a feeling of being wanted and a part of outside society," Herzog said. The turnabout party is an annual event during which domiciliary members and of ficials show their appreciation to the people of the area who volunteer to assist the veter ans and help with various projects. The party featured enter tainment by the veterans. An nual award certificates of ap preciation are presented to volunteers. More than 400 members and guests attended the party. Helen Lusk gave a brief talk on "The Satisfaction I Receive From Being a Volun teer Worker." Milton C. Staf ford talked on "What the Volunteer Means to a Mem ber." Herzog, assisted by As sistant Manager Banks I. Paul and Chief Medical Officer Dr. A. S. Anderson, presented the VAVS certificates 'of appre ciation. " - Crater Lions Set Sporfsfair Event Crater Lions club will hold its annual Sportsfair exhibi tors' banquet Saturday night, March 12, at the Rogue Val ley Country club. Dinner is set for 7:30 p.m. following a 6:30 p.m. social hour. Crater Lions, exhibitors, special guests and their wives are to attend the banquet, ac cording to Dave Franklin, Sportsfair general chairman Highlights of the evening will be a style show by Sports fair queen candidates - and popular vote balloting .. for queen. Franklin stressed the im portance of the dinner meet ing to exhibitors. He said that the event will clear up ques tions and problems such as those on floor arrangements, decorations, police protection, insurance and booth construc tion. The chairman also asked that clubs and businesses par ticipating in the fair bring material for news releases to the banquet. ! Mrs. Marjorie Green of Bur elson's store will narrate the style show. John Lusk-will provide the music. which includes a training ring, punching bags, boxing gloves and two pool tables, is valued at nearly $3,200. The PAL club, which is open to youths of all ages, was forced to go inactive in 1958 because they could not (and still, can't) find adequate locations for staging their fights. and even at this price we were not allowed to have charge of the concessions there. "When it was over, we got $200 and the Heart Fund got $200. "Because of the manpower involved, the extensive train ing costs before a fight and the expense of bringing in an out-of-town fight team, the PAL club needs more than $200 profit per fight. "If the drawbacks of the armory, including rent, are eliminated, although I don't have much hope that they will be, then the place would be ideal." Out of Town Fights Besides the fights held in Medford, the local PAL also fought in Bend, Portland, Seattle, Klamath Falls and Chiloquin, which all have Certificates of outstanding service representing 500 hours or more of service were given to Faye Allison, Veterans of Foreign Wars auxiliary; Aus tia Barneburg, United Span ish American War Veterans auxiliary; Margaret Eakin, American Gold Star Mothers; Lorena Leach, American Le gion auxiliary; and Augusta Perry of the American Red Cross. Certificates of merit repre senting 300 hours were given to Eva Campbell, American Gold Star Mothers; Ann Kroe ger, American Legion auxil iary; Harry Leuty, World War I Veterans; Eva McLaughlin, American Legion auxiliary; Eula Middlebusher, Blue Star Mothers; Marian Peacher, DAV auxiliary; Milde Reherd, American Legion auxiliary; Vera Rippon, American Red Cross, and Edna R. Robinson of the Blue Star Mothers. Certificates of appreciation for volunteers who have com pleted 100 hours of service were given to Lura Apple white, American Legion aux iliary; Pearl Austin, VFW auxiliary; Laura Buckner, Blue Star Mothers; Leola Fa ber, American Legion " aux iliary; Ruby Helms, American Legion auxiliary; Velma Showers, Alexandria Tremble and Esther Turner, non-affiliated; A. O. Young, VFW; Jes sie L. Stagg, American Red Cross. Receiving certificates , o f recognition were the follow ing parent organizations, units of organizations and their var ious branches: American Gold Star Mothers, American Le gion and auxiliary, American Red Cross, American War Mothers, Benevolent and Pa ternal Order of Elks, Blue Star Mothers of America, Daughters of Union Veterans, Disabled American Veterans and auxiliary; the Grange, Military Order of the Cooties, Military Order of Lady Bugs, National Women's Relief corps, Navy - Mothers clubs, Oregon Federation of Garden clubs, radio and television sta tions, Salvation Army, United Spanish War Veterans auxil iary, Veterans of Foreign Wars and auxiliary, the Wom men's Christian Temperance Union, and the . Veterans World War I and auxiliary!! Many non-affiliated organiza-' tions and individuals also con tributed to the comfort,' wel fare and entertainment of th domiciled veterans. A vaudeville program was presented. The Camp White orchestra played "a prelude, followed by Harold Imhoff at the organ; Herman Chartrabd, accompanied by Art Kenton played the harmonica, and Tom Benefield sang. There were clarinet numbers by Art very good amateur boxing teams, Perkins - pointed out. These same cities and oth ers, he said, are anxious for Medford to reactivate its club so more inter-city fights can be staged. PAL club fights are always staged between amateur box ing clubs of different cities, with the host city paying the expenses of the visiting club, but also collecting the profits so that no money is made away from home, he pointed out. Graduates of Medford's PAL have done well in box ing circles, according to Per kins. One former member, Jackie Puscas, went on to win the National AAU lightweight championship in 1956. Makes Finals Members have also won several Golden Gloves cham- Kenton, accompanied by Steve O'Donnell. Willis Sting er played a medley of har monica pieces. Jack Shipman sang, Otto Kahnert played the accordion and there were violin solos by Bill Garrison. Kelly Firm Gets New Partner Here Robert Hugh Grant, 27, recently-joined the Medford law firm of Kelly and Kelly as an associate, according to Bernard P. Kelly, partner in the firm. Grant is taking the place of. Noreen Kelly, the other partner in the firm, who re cently went to work in the attorney general's office in Portland ii. the trials division of the industrial accident commission. The Kelly family has been practicing law in Medford since the early 1920s. Circuit Judge Edward P. Kelly head ed the firm prior to his judi cial appointment in June, 1957. , Before coming to Medford to take his new job, Grant served three years in the Air Force as a first lieutenant and was stationed at George Air Force base near Victorville, Calif., where he worked in the judge advocate's depart ment. He received his bachelor of arts and bachelor of laws de gree at the University of Ore gon where he graduated from the law school in 1956 and was admitted to the Oregon bar the same year. Grant has also been admit ted to practice before the U. S. Supreme court and the mili tary court of appeals. He was born in Portland, is married and has two children. Company Notes Sixth Year in Business An insurance account sub mited by Donald L. Stathos, Independent insurance agent of Medford, marked $200 mil lion in total dollar volume of premiums financed by Afco in six years. The company noted its sixth anniversary March 1. The $383 account which Stathos submitted included a three-year fire . policy on a home and 'contents and two automobile policies budgeted through Afco on an eight monthly payment plan for Mr, and Mrs. Robert P. Lewis, of 1755 Thomas rd.,. Medford. To honor the occasion, Afco purchased the three policies for the insured, a company spokesman said. pionships, and just last month an ex-PAL member who now attends Washington State . university, made the finals of the regional Golden Gloves championships in Seattle. Members of the PAL club are not recruited or pressured into joining, but join of their own free will and there has never been any shortage of members. Juveniles with delinquent tendencies are attracted to PAL, Lt. Perkins reasoned, because it is a good outlet for their energies, gives them something to do, there is a definite element of competi tion, is good clean fun and it costs them nothing. "While PAL was active here," Perkins said, "it very definitely reduced the amount of juvenile delinquency - in Medford and even set several otherwise mixed-up youths, straight." One of the youths-whom Lt. Perkins-takes much pride in is the youth who made the finals of the Golden Gloves tourna ment in Seattle. Interested in Boxing "When he came to PAL sev eral years ago he was one of the worst juvenile delin quents I ever saw," Perkins said, "but he became interest Retirement Does Not Mean Full Inactivity Retirement, for social se- curity purposes, does not mean complete inactivity, ac cording to Edward B. Jacob son, district manager of the Medford Social Security ad ministration office. Male workers, 65 years of age or over, and women workers, age 62 or over, may be suffering a loss of bene fits if they have been work ing on a job or were self-employed in employment cover ed by social security and do not know the meaning of re tirement as it pertains to the social security law, he said. Retirement, as defined in the social security law, does not mean that a person must be completely inactive, but rather that the person is working for wages or self- employment income of not over $1,200 a year, orhe is age 72 or over (in which case amount of earnings has no ef fect regardless of how much is earned. Partial retirement is de fined as working in employ ment" andor self employment by an individual of retire ment age for not over $2,080 in a taxable year, Jacobson said. Individuals who earn ov- Look to the future . . . NATURAL - ly It's GAS! Tkis BOUS SAVINGS It Also Avzih&la Tfcra Ycsr Pfcs&sr! ed in boxing and once his energies were channeled to worthwhile activities, his en tire outlook on life changed so that by the time he gradu ated from high school, WSU gave him a four-year scholar ship." The club has nearly $3,200 worth of idle - equipment stored in their training quar ters on the second floor of the old Acme Hardware building on Sixth st. Most of this equipment is in good shape and includes such things as a training ring, a ring light, boxing trunks, robes, boxing gloves, two pool tables, a ping pong table, table, punching bags, numer ous pieces of furniture and a good television set. The entire second floor of the building has been made available to the club as a training quarters for the past several years and they would again train there if and when PAL is reactivated. No Training Problem "There is no problem in training our fighters," Per kins said, "as we have most all of the necessary equip ment, but youths aren't inter ested in training only, they want to fight too. The nine fights that the club held here from 1954 to er $1,200 in a year may draw their social security . benefits for any month m which they neither earn over $100 nor render -substantial services in self-employment, regardless of how much they earn dur ing the year, If the person is a male worker over 65 years of age, or woman over 62, who has worked in employment or self-employment covered by social security and has not as yet checked with the . local social security district office, it would be advisable to con tact the office for an expla nation of their individual case. he said Open Heart Surgery Topic for Meeting Open heart surgery is the topic of Dr. Victor Meanashe, deputy director of the crip pled childrens division, Uni versity of Oregon Medical school, Portland. Dr. Menashe will speak at a meeting of the Jackson Medical Society, Rogue Val ley Country club Wednesday. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Hosts for the meeting are Drs. F. J. Shasky, E. W. Sickels, and W. W. Stevenson. Phone SP 1958 were not nearly enough, in Perkins estimation, and he would like to hold fights at least once a month if the club is reactivated. He said there are two rea sons why frequent fights are necessary under this program, the first being that they are necessary to keep up both the participants and the fans in terest The second reason, accord ing to Perkins, is to make more money and keep the club from operating at a loss which it has done in the past. Even though the club has been (and still is) receiving many generous monetary do nations, it would still like to operate on a self-sustaining basis, Perkins explained. Different Locations The club fought at many different locations in the nine fights it had, , including the high school stadium, Hedrick Junior High school's gym, the Esquire theater and the armory. When the club was first organized, we held our fights at Merrick's arena," he said. which used to be located at Riverside ave., and Sixth sts. This was an ideal spot, having all of the necessary facilities, but it was torn down in the spring of 1955 and we had to look elsewhere. The main drawback of the other locations is that they would not hold enough fans. Nearly every fight we had a sell-out, but there was just a limited number who could watch and the profits were not high enough to warrant our efforts." In addition to having one fight a month, Perkins said, the club would also like to employ a full-time trainer to train the fighters, arrange for the bouts and stage the fights. 12 Bouts on Card A PAL fight card usually consists of 12 bouts in differ ent weight classes. Under the AAU rules there are only three rounds per bout, but the 12 bouts will give fight fans a good night of boxing, Per kins pointed out. The opposing fight groups do their best to make sure that the fighters are as even- PAINT WITH TRADE-IN ALLOWANCE For Your Old Water Healer On a NEW GAS "DAY & NIGHT" Jetglass Water Heater! 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