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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1960)
Test la JVU ft a Thousands Flee eflood Waters in ' Nebraska, Iowa Worst Floods In Half Century. By United Press International Rivrs driven wild by fast melting snow and the first big onslaught of spring thunder storms drqye thousands of persons frftp their homes in floor-swept Nebraska and Iowa today. The snow aun-off, unprece dented in many areas, fed the worst Hoods in a hell cen tury in eastern Nebraska. The Platte river, tradition ally described as "a mile wide and an inch deep," ran eight miles wide and many feet deep, surging over hun dreds of square miles ?,nd sub merging whole communities. The Big Blue and Elkhorn rivers and usually meander ing littte Rawhide creek built up new momentum today under heavy rains during Tuesday night. The second crest within a week was flow ing down the Big Blue. Beatrice, Neb., on the Big (Blue, called for help from the National Guard as the swol les river pounded against a weakenetUdike on the edge of town. : . Town Isolated Sand-bagging crews worked feverishly at -Fremont, Neb., to block off waters from Rawhide creek, a territory on ho Platte. Civil- defense officials at Ashland, Neb., reported short, ly before noon that "a Wall of water" was rushing down on the small community of Warai. Residents were urged to flee the village north of Ashlsmd and helicopters were sent to the scene. Ashland, along the Platte and flooding Salt creek, was isolated. j Traffic Signals f Off in Ashland IP Achlanri-Trnffif signals at if." ffx intersections here "are out of commission today as a re- ult of an automobile accident yesterday at Siskiyou blvd. and Beach st. The mfshap occurred short ly before noon, Ashland police reported, vJhen a car owned by Mrs. Jeanne L. Hood, 29, of 471 South Mountain ave., rolled out of a parking lot and knocked a signal control unit off a utility pole. 1 1 Mrs? Hood told police she left the car outside a grocery store while she went in to make a-purchase. The car was in gear, the motor was run ning, and the emecgency brake wa not firmly set, she aid. , Mrs. Hood also left her three small children in the car and the police said one of the youngsters apparently knock ed the gears Into tieutral and it rolled backwards, striking the pole. City Superintendent Elmer Biegel said the traffic signals would be out fdr at least a week. Bitgel estimated cost of re pairs between $500 and $600. Relief for Cranberry Growers Expected Vfeshington - (UPD - Rep. Charles O. Porter, (D-Ore.) said today an announcement was expected from the Agri culture Department which would mean substantial relief for cranberry growers. WEATHER FORECAST Few brief clearings tonight. Cloudy with rain again .Thursday. Low tonight 35-38. High tomorrow 55. Temp. Highest Yesterday SO Lowest this Morning , 37 Pree. to 10 a.m. Today 1.85 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today :35 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 5:56 a.m. Moonset tonight 10:12 p.m. First Quarter April 3 VISIBLE PLANETS Jupiter, rising at .... l:fi a.m., is arm a bit brighter than Sirius Saturn, low in south east 3:39 a.m. MariP rises 4:55 ajn. Venus, rises .-Q. 5:36 a.m. Journal Plans To Own Plant April 18 Tortland -(UPD - The after noon Oregon Journal, which has been publishing combined editions with the rigl morn ing Oregonian since a strike flarted last fall, will move " -ck to its own plant April 18, v ts announcedetoday. L-a Segan Nov. 10 A ;oint announcement in to i" v's combined edition Said l raie publication of the nvo newspapers would re fne on VrsX. date. Combined publication began 12 hours ml Patrons of Medford school district 549C will vote to morrow on a $750,000 bond issue to finance a two - year building program to provide additional classrooms ' for - an increased enrollment and to relieve present crowded con ditions in some schools. . Polls at seven locations will be open between 2 and 8 p.m. Polling places are Mc Loughlin Junior High school, Hedrick Junior High school, Griffin Creek, Jacksonville, Ruch, Howard and Lone Pine schools. Registered voters living within the city, Oak Grove, West Side, Dewey and Ken- Aspects of the $750,000 bond issue were reviewed last night by Dr. Leonard B. Mayfield at a second public meeting scheduled to dis cuss the proposal. The meeting was held at Hedrick Junior High school's speech room, and at one time eight interest ed citizens were in the room. Most . of the review was heard by six citizens. School Board Chairman William A. (Bill) Barker. Budget Committee Chair man P. G. Humphreys, and Assistant School Superin tendent Elliott Becken. Monday night, at the first such public meeting, seven interested citizens and four officials were present. wood areas will vote at the Junior high schools. Those living in those areas west of Bear creek will vote at Mc- Loughlin Junior High, and residents living within those areas east of Bear creek will vote at Hedrick Junior High. Two Election Boards There will be two election boards at each of the junior high school polling - places, school officials said. Previous ly, there has been one elec tion board, causing some de lay in the voting process. Legal voters living in the attendance areas of Griffin Creek, Jacksonville, Ruch, Howard and Lone Pine will vote at those school buildings. A legal voter is a person 21 years old or older who has lived in the district for six months or more and who is a registered voter. Money from the bonds, if approved, will finance construction of more than 30 classrooms. Not all classrooms, however, will be built next year, school officials have pointed out, and if surveys show new class rooms are not needed in the 1961-62 school year, bonds will not be sold for their con struction. Minimum Needs Minimum needs for the 1960-61 school year include two classrooms at West Side, three at Oak Grove, four at Hoover, two at Hedrick Junior High, and completion of the boys physical education plant at Medford High school, which will provide seven teacher stations. An additional teach er station will be made avail able at Medford High through renovation in the present building. At McLoughlin Junior High school, the old district shop will be renovated to provide a boys' manual arts depart ment with a woodshop and drawing room downstairs and two classrooms upstairs. Also in next school year's plans are the addition of a stage and boys dressing room at Ruch and renovation of a multi-purpose room at Jack sonville. For the 1961-62 school year, three classrooms are planned at Hedrick, two at Jefferson, Wilson and Hoover schools, and one classroom at Griffin Creek and West Side. Based on Study The need for additional classrooms was based on a thorough study of school cen- Return after a strike . started last Nov. 10. Managements of the papers announced the date after staff recruiting reached the point where independent publica tion was possible. Northwest Edition First edition of the Journal in its own plant will be a Sunday night northwest edi tion with a Monday April 18 date. The Oregonian's first edition will be distributed on the morning of the 18th. Sell MM Set Thursday li strict lection sus' figures which have .indi cated during the past few years an average growth of about 300 additional pupils per year. School board and budget . committee - members pointed out that whenever 30 additional children either move into the district or be come school age, a classroom with its facilities and equip ment is needed. Buildings constructed in the two-year program, school officials said, will be con structed on the most economi cal basis possible consistent with low maintenance and up keep costs, and the safety and welfare of the children. The election on the bond issue was called earlier than the regular budget election, which will be held May 2, be cause many of the class rooms will be needed next school year, and construction will start as. soon as possible. By holding the, election early, bonds can be sold, bids called and buildings constructed in time for school opening next fall, school officials said. (See story and general philosophy and educational ford school district on page responsibilities of the Med 6.) Russia Offers To Yield Timetable On Disarmament Geneva (UPD The Soviet Union offered to unhook the four -year timetable from its general disarmament, plan in an apparent concession to the West today but western spokesmen said it did nothing to crack the arms deadlock. A Soviet delegation spokes man told newsmen the four year time limit first proposed by Premier Nikita Khru shchev "is open to negotia tions" but that there even tually must be some rigid timetable. No Real Concession A western spokesman said the statement was "interest ing" but no real concession. "Our view is that rigid time limits are impractical," the western spokesman said. The statements came after the 10-nation East-West Dis armament Conference met for only 41 minutes, the shortest session so far, and adjourned until Thursday apparently in total deadlock. Medford Boy Arrested At Scene of Fire A 17-year-old Medford boy was arrested by city police Tuesday evening when he failed to move away from some high tension power lines in danger of falling at the fire at Faber's Farmer Supply, 11th and Fir sts. The boy was taken into cus tody for failing to obey a po lice officer. The youth became belligerent when taken to the police station, police reported. Following the fire, the boy was released ' to his parents, pending action by the juvenile department. 'That Hound Is Ike Won't Take Sides in Event Nixon Opposed Endorsement Based On Only Candidacy Washington -(UPD- President Eisenhower said today he would not take sides publicly if another major Republican candidate came along to chal lenge Vice President Richard M. Nixon for the 1960 GOP presidential nomination. Under questioning at a news conference, Eisenhower told reporters that his recent ex pression of preference for Nixon as his successor was based on the fact that Nixon was the only candidate. Not Opposed To Others The President said he was not favoring Nixon as opposed to other Republicans, and if there were two candidates he 'would have to observe his previously self-imposed limi tation on expressing a choice. Other news conference highlights: -Commenting on recent ra cial tension in the South, the President said he was con vinced that the conscience of America eventually would give all ''of her citizens eco nomic and political equality without regard 'to race. Defines Health Program . -He restated his opposition to compulsory health insur ance in any form as an ap proach to socialized medicine. But said he had ordered the department of health, educa tion and welfare to study ex tensively the proper federal responsibility in a voluntary system of insurance for the aged, .in conjunction with state, and local responsibility. -The President said efforts to negotiate differences with the Castro government of Cuba have been disappoint ing. He said the United States still stood ready to discuss any complaints against this coun try from the Cuban govern ment. Public Hearing On Welfare Set A public hearing on state public welfare legislation will be held in Medford April 5, it was announced today. The hearing, to be conduct ed by the state legislative in terim committee on public welfare, will be held in the county courthouse auditorium. The time will be announced later. Anyone wishing to be heard by the committee is invited to make a statement, and those planning to do so are asked to give advance notice of their intent of their sub ject matter, if at all possible. Such notice may be given, either by letter or telephone, to James Pullman, adminis trator of the Jackson county public welfare department, 132 West Fourth St., telephone SP 3-6621. The hearing will consider any phase of Oregon's public welfare program. It is one of a series being held through out the state by the commit tee, which will consider data obtained at the hearings in preparing ' recommendations for welfare law changes to the 1961 legislature. Salem (UPD - The present seven - day a week visiting schedule at the State Correc tional Institution will be cut to five days a week in the near future. Howling Again' gill Regional Edition Medford 20 Pages Section A Medford Firemen Still on Scene Of General Alarm Building Reported As Total Loss Firemen continued mopping up operations today on the spectacular general alarm blaze which destroyed the Faber's Farmers Supply com pany building at South Fir and West 11th sts. here last night. Charred remains of the one story mostly frame but partly masonry structure, which covered a quarter of a block, were still standing. Firemen, however, termed the building and its contents a total loss. One of the owners estimated the loss at $450,000. Origin of the blaze had not been determined this morn ing. Fire Chief Gordon Bark er said that fire marshals were "working on an electrical failure theory." Two Explosions The fire department receiv ed the alarm about 7:50 p.m. after residents of the area re portedly heard two explosions and saw flames shooting from the west side of the building. Firemen said the entire struc ture was . involved in flames when they arrived. The structure housed the feed, fuel and warehouse busi ness of Everett A. and Donald E. Faber, Central Point, and the Rogue Valley Beverage company, operated by Stanley Kalapus, 2156 Hillcrest rd., Medford. Everett Faber was said to be owner of the build ing. The blaze threatened other structures in the warehouse and packinghouse area but more than 50 fire fighters succeeded in preventing the flames from spreading. There was no apparent damage to other buildings other than to exteriors from smoke, firemen said today. Two pumper trucks and the aerial ladder from the central station and two trucks each from the east and west side fire stations were dispatched to the scene. Twelve on duty and 17 off duty firemen re sponded along with 10 volun teers, Fire Chief Gordon Bark er, Assistant Chief Earl Har rison and Fire Marshal Tru man Nelson. In addition, 11 chiefs of other Jackson county rural and city fire departments, here for a meeting on mutual aid, pitched in and helped the Medford force. Volunteers from other departments . also offered their aid. Some 15 to 20 off duty po lice, some of them relieving regular duty officers, also re ported to the scene. Seek Cause Chief Barker stated that Deputy State Fire Marshal William E. Mills and City Fire Marshal Truman Nelson were seeking to determine the cause of the blaze. He said they are quite sure that the area of origin was in the front part of the structure along Fir st. The material that exploded won't be determined until it is known what things were stored in that part of the building, he stated. Firemen do know, Barker reported, that the floor was burned clear through in a small partitioned off room and that this point of the fire appeared hottest when they arrived. In the room was an electric chicken brooder, according to the chiefs Donald Faber reported par tial insurance on the building and store stock and said that the biggest loss is in equip ment. One truck burned in the blaze. Faber stated that firms who rented space carried their own insurance on their stock. Power Off The blaze put a reported 900 telephones out of service south of West 11th st. Burned were 250 feet of a 600-pair cable and another 250 feet of a 400-pair cable. Pacific Tele phone crews have been on the job since 2 a.m. restoring serv ice and hoped to have all serv ice back by 8 pjn. today. An area bounded by Bart lett, Eighth, llthsts. and Oak dale ave., was without power for about an hour. Faber MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, luilding tetrop I., ijmiiw i mi inn I j!ssfM,iwP " " ; GENERAL ALARM Water from fire hoses seemed to have only mometary effect on the raging fire that destroyed Faber's Farmers Supply building in Medford last night, as repeated "explosions" of combustible ma Ashland School Board Approves District Budget Ashland The Ashland school board has approved the district's 1960-61 budget of $1,969,903, Super intendent Stanley Jobe said today, School patrons will vote on the budget May 12. The total budget, Jobe said, includes interest and princi pal -o-$l,669,000 bonded- in debtedness and a reserve con struction fund of $613,211. Jobe explained - that the new budget actually is a less er one than this year's since the millage, based on the same assessment valuation as this year's, will drop from 64.4 to 62.3. Three Reasons There are three primary rea sons for the higher figure for the next school year, Jobe said. He listed the addition of 10 faculty members, increased salaries for all district person nel and the fact that this is the first year for the district to pay on the principal of the junior high school bond issue., The latter, he said, offsets the approximately $170,000 in this year's, budget for con struction of various buildings which is not in the new budg et. He added that the district expects to increase its enroll ment by about 100 students during the 1960-61 school year. ... Other figures included in the budget, Jobe continued, are $1,106,189, .general fund; $161,245, amount inside the 6 per cent limit; $550,868, amount outside the 6 per cent limit, and $823,443, amount necessary to balance budget. Not shown in the budget, he said, is $163,267. instate tax offset from the basic school support fund. This, he added, will come through the county to further reduce the budget. Petitions Against Consolidating Filed Petitions against the re organization of Evans Valley with Rogue River school dist rict were submitted today at the Jackson county school su perintendent's office, accord to an office spokesman. The petitions were circulated in the Evans Valley area. The petitions contain 120 signatures which have yet to be checked for authenticity and for voter registration. A number equal to 50 per cent of the 188 legally regis tered voters who voted in the reorganization election in Evans Valley March 16, or 94 signatures are needed on peti tions to have the reorganiza tion plan rejected. Senate Considers Civil Rights Bill Washington- (UPD -The Sen ate, without a word of chal lenge from southern oppon ents, - formally began consid eration today of a committee revised civil rights bill. Tribune Storm Brings Snow; More Forecast A storm front which moved across southern Oregon early last night brought varying amounts of precipitation to the Rogue valley area during the night. Substantial amounts of snow fell in the higher eleva tions, . with Crater Lake Na tional park reporting a 17 inch fall during the past 24 hours. : . x ,,'..--- The weather bureau at the Medford airport said con tinued showery weather and cooler temperatures can be ex pected for the next five days. Between 10 a.m. yesterday and 10 o'clock this morning, a total of .85 of an inch of rain fell at the Medford air port, with .58 of an inch fall ing between midnight and 10" a.m.. Heavier amounts were reported elsewhere in the area with Grants Pass having 1.98 inches since 5 p.m. yesterday, and Butte Falls reporting 1.16 inches. 2.82 Inches Reported A total of 2.82 inches of rain was reported at the California Oregon state line on Highway 199. State police said highway passes over the Siskiyous and Green Springs at 8 o'clock this morning had packed snow, and that traffic was proceed ing without chains. The . weather bureau said the snow level was about 5,300 feet early this morning, but lowered to about 3,500 feet before noon. Snow was visible on Roxy Anne butte during breaks in the low clouds this morning. Senator Kennedy To Visit Medford Sen. John Kennedy Massachusetts will be of the "grand marshal" of the Pear Blossom Festival parade here April 23, it was announced today. Senator Kennedy is a major Democratic candidate for President this year, and will be in the state campaigning prior to the May 20 primary election. Festival officials pointed out, however, that his appear ance in the parade is entirely non-partisan and non-political, and is a courtesy which would be extended to any American, of equal promin ence who happened to have scheduled an appearance here at that time. It is not yet known whether Senator Kennedy's wife will accompany him on his Med ford visit. Ashland Council Buys Liability Insurance Ashland - The Ashland city council last night accepted a bid of $3,434.18 from Irwin Insurance agency, Ashland, for. the city's liability insur ance. The policy will become effective Friday. Only one other bid was opened,- that from Singmasfer and Jones Insurance agency, Ashland, for $4,377.57. 55th Year Price 10 Cents 1960 No. 8 terial caused the fire to flare up time after time. Cause of the fire is so far undetermin ed. Damage is estimated to be about $450, 000, according to Co-owner Donald E. Faber, Central Point. (Anders Photo by Simonson) The 17 inches of snow at Crater Lake National park brought the total on the ground to 109 inches, com pared to 101 inches at this time last year. The park re ported 1.14 inches of precipi tation during the past 24 hours. Park personnel said it was the worst storm of the season at the park with a 15-degree temperature and strong winds blowing a powdered snow. Chains are required to park headquarters, and the road to the rim is expected to remain closed throughout the day. Advisory Board Sets Meetings Regular meetings of the armory advisory board are now being held once a month at the Medford armory, on orders of Col. Paul Kleiver, Salem, director of state armor ies, according to County Com missioner Ralph James. James, who has been reap pointed county representative of the board, said the group must also keep regular min utes and submit copies to all interested groups such as the city of Medford and county. The board is composed of a county representative, city representative and three mem bers of the National Guard. James noted that $8,000 has been allocated for 1,200 bleachers in the current bud get, and $800 for erecting basketball backboards. The original estimate was for 4,000 seats, he added. . ' County Judge-Earl Miller said the county court has been authorized to make further study of the accoustics prob lem in the armory and make recommendations. Coach Resigns at Ashland High Ashland-Varney A. Corey, head football coach at Ash land high school for the past two years, has submitted his resignation to accept a teacher-coach position in San Jose, Calif., Ashland School Super intendent Stanley Jobe an nounced today.. Varney's decision, Jobe said, "was due to purely economic reasons." Jobe said the school will be looking for "a coach with five years or more of successful ex perience in coaching in Al or A2 schools." Higher Social Payroll Taxes Washintgon (UPD Chances were growing today that Con gress might levy higher pay roll taxes this year on per sons covered by the Social Se curity program who earn more than $4800 a year. - This prospect stemmed from the fact that the House ways and means committee was likely to recommend soon. President Feels Successor Not Bound by Deals Degree of General Disarmament Seen Washington - (UPD - Presi dent Eisenhower said today the Russians have come a long way toward meeting western conditions for a formal treaty to ban nuclear weapons tests. He also said there a?e signs they want some degree of general disarmament in the field of conventional weap ons. The President tpld a news conference he did not believe that any non-treaty morator ium oi small underground tests he might make with Russia, along the lines of Jje U. S.-British proposal an nounced Tuesday, would be binding on his successor. To Recommend Stop-Gap But he implied he would recommend to the man who follows him in the White House that he continue the stop-gap arrangement long enough to set; whether the Russians really want to corffe to terms on a formal ban on bigger blasts. Eisenhower and British Prime Minister HaroJd Mac- millan announced Tuesday they were willing to agree with Russia on a short-term suspension of small under ground nuclear tests, which defy detection at present, H the Russians would sign an air-tight treaty banning for ever the large and medium scale blasts which can be monitored. The formal treaty' would require Senate ratifi cation but the voluntary sus pension agreed to by the President would not. Research Required They also stipulated that as a condition to the unpoliced moratorium on the under ground tests the Russians would have to join in a co-" ordinated research grogram to determine how such ex plosions could be detected ef fectively. . 9 . The president said Chairman J. William Fulbright (D-Ark.) has been consulted by tfie ad ministration and that leaders of both parties will be folly advised of what the adminis tration is trying to do before any treaty is signed. Eisenhower said every ef fort must be made to halt nu clear tests forever because, otherwise, more and more countries he cited the ex ample of France - wul gain knowledge in this critical field and spread, the danger to the world. Helen Douglas to Speak at Banquet Mrs. Helen Gahagan Doug las, former congresswoman from California's Hollywood district, will be guest speaker at the 10th annual Roosevelt Memorial dinner at Hedrick Junior High school Saturday, May 14, Democratic County Chairman Frank Christian has announced. Mrs. Douglas' visit here was arranged through efforts, of Democratic National CommR teeman C. Girard Davidsen, Portland, Ms. Douglas, wife of movie and television actor Melvin Douglas and a former star herself, is now living in New York with her husband. Much in demand as a speaker, her talks concern the United Na tions and world peace, David son said. She is scheduled to attend an all-day meeting of Demo cratic women in Portland May 13. City Police, Firemen I CheckBomb Threat A'lbert Winfield McWhorf er, 619 Pennsylvania ave., not ified city police Tuesday after noon that he received a tele phone call stating thatea bomb was to go off at his residence at 2:15 p.m. City police and firemen checked the residence for a bomb and found nothing. M Whorter.told police that the voice on the telephone was a man. Security. "o Considered an election-year liberalization of Social Security benefits. 0 - There is strong sentiment for holding the cost of the lib-- eralization to a level that could be financed witheut an across-the-board boost in the Social Security tax rate. To do so, the committee would have s to forego s general hike in monthly benefits. .K ' 9 o i
