Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, January 15, 1961, Image 12

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Medford mail tribune., January 15, 1961, Image 12

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Newspaper Page Text12 A SUNDAY, JANUARY IS, 1961 MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORE. 'The Co Like Ao 0 offnimDshed Jewel' 4v s Gold Hill's Civic Leaders Say: 'Let's Get City Moving Again' By MARY KELL and JOHN STAFFORD Gold Hill Correspondent and Mail Tribune Staff Writer Gold Hill - "What's wrong with Gold Hill?" Mayor Mil ton Steinmetz asked 30 busi ness leaders, councilmen and planning committee members Monday night. "Everywhere I go people are asking me this question," Steinmetz ion tinued. H. D. (Bud) Force says, "Gold Hill has been standing still for some time. If we stand still much longer our progress is going to be backward in stead of forward." Force is chairman of the city planning committee. Is something wrong with Gold Hill? Is the city prog ressing in the wrong direc tion? Apparently some city of ficials and business leaders think so. The crowd of 30 attending the special Monday session called by Steinmetz to con sider city prbblems was one of the largest to attend such a meeting in many years, offi cials indicated. The spirit of the meeting paralleled John Kennedy's election slogan - Lets get this city moving again, Lead to story of City Many of the problems con sidered lead to a story of the city itself. Steinmetz slates the city has experienced a population de cline in the last half-century that is a matter for concern The 1960 census showed 608 residents, compared to 619 in 1950. Fifty years ago the pop ulation in the area was close to 1,200, the mayor said. In 1910 gold mining was the major industry in the city, according to Steinmetz. Little lumbering was done in the immediate area. Today the picture has changed. Heavy and light Industry, area fruit growing companies and the lumber mills keep the town alive. . Another problem, some offi cials say, the town is facing centers around the area s main Industry - The Ideal Ce- 'j'1 Location need for a water filtration system, according to Stein metz. Presently the cement company pumps the city water supply from the Rogue river at little cost to the city. The water is pumped to two reservoirs, and then chemical ly treated with chlorine. Many times the wuter con tains an unbalanced propor tion of chlorine, making it ob jectionable, the mayor im plycd. A water filtration sys tem would eliminate use of the chemical, he said. Preliminary examination of a filtration system Indicates it would cost a little over $100, 000, Steinmetz said. One pos sible means of financing the project would be by a combi nation revenue and general obligation bond, he Indicated. Gold Hill residents would vote on the project if a bond issue was proposed. However, this is still in the talking stages and an engineer will have to be consulted on exact costs if the project is pursued. More Businesses City officials are also de sirous of interesting more bus inesses and industries to tablish plants in Gold Hill This would encourage people to build and buy homes in the area, they feel. More small industries such as- Jeddcloh Brothers Sweed Mill are de sired. The company was estab lished In Gold Hill in 1955. It produces modern machinery used in production of ply wood. Five or six men were employed at the start, and this figure has risen to about 60 full - time employees today, Fred Jeddeloh, co-owner, says. The terrific growth the com pany has experienced has meant an increase in physical facilities. From 6,000 square feet of production floor space In 1955 the company has ex panded to 16,000 today. Plans are being considered for addi tion of another 8,000 square lect, Jeddeloh says. Highway 99. The dairy presently supplying milk on wholesale basis to 25 markets in the Rogue valley area. The dairy herd has grown from one cow in 1954 to 100 today, Mr, and Mrs. John Jaksch operate the dairy. Although the city faces problems, officials point out that it has much to offer po tential residents. The sewage disposal system is termed "equal to any in the state' by Mayor Steinmetz. It was completely over hauled In 1952 and now is considered adequate for a population of 5,000 people. The city is rare In its small amount of Indebtedness. Cur rent indebtedness is only $1, 500 remaining on a bond issue that financed a new fire truck Of the 4.7 miles of city owned streets, 3.5 miles are paved. These figures don't in clude more than a mile of paved streets owned by the stale. Assessed valuation of city property was $534,217.56 in 1960, compared to $522,376 in 1955. Building permits issued in 1960 totaled 23 with a valua tion of $151,071. These in cluded two residential homes, seven residential home addi tions, a $122,031 addition to the Patrick Elementary school, a new post office and other miscellaneous projects. The post office was dedi cated In August and contains 1,238 feet of floor space. Con struction cost was about $8,500. The school system has im proved facilities at a rapid rate since 1055. The Patrick Elementary school was com pleted in 1956 at a cost of $77,334. It is situated on eight acres near the northern city limits. Four classrooms were included In the initial con struction. In 1960 four additional -Bs VKvf'. ;S2W t 7 s2?-T A"--'-. 7 "TTsil i f ; SM&Lglf ?TiZ.m AillSliM&wMt.,-,,, A humid CITY FACING PROBLEMS Gold Hill is a city confronted with problems, offer prospective residents, city officials say- Recently the Chamber of according to Mayor Milton Steinmetz. The problems center around a lack , Commerce was re-activated and preliminary plans call for the chamber to of growth in recent years. The population has been slipping slightly for ..work in spreading the Gold Hill message far and wide. -some time. Situated on the banks of the Rogue river, the city has much to ment company. The cemen plant came to the Gold Hill area in 1813. It was founded originally as the Beaver Port land Cement company. It underwent a series of owner ship changes until taken over by Ideal. . Two types of cement are manufactured by 100 hourly and 15 salaried employees. Most of the cement is used In the central and southern Ore gon areas. The plant ordinari ly operates 12 months of the year, according to Frank Sut cliffe, manager. One of Smallest The Gold Hill operation Is one of Ideal's smallest. The company has 16 plants and four terminals In the U.S. The company Is happy in Its Gold Hill location, Sutcliffe says. Unfortunately, many claim the plant Is creating problems Possible air pollution is blam ed on allcdgcd cement dust coming from the plant during operating hours. That air pol lution exists hasn't been scientifically dcte r m 1 n e d However, the company has agreed to have the state sani tary department conduct scl entitle tests in various loca lions to determine if cement dust is a factor In the possible air pollution. Ideal has one of the latest dust filtration systems avail able, according to Sutcliffe An electrical precipitator magnetizes dust particles which are collected on a mag netic rod. The system was In stalled about 10 years ago, Whether alledged air pollu tion Is actually due to cement dust will have to wait severa months for determination. The sanitary department tests take an extended period of time, Water Filtration System Another problem is the He says the plant is located in Gold Hill because skilled laborers were needed and the city s location between Med- ford and Grants Pass provided a convenient skilled labor market from which to draw. About 30 per cent of the em ployees come from Grants Pass and about 30 per cent from Medford. The remain ing 40 per cent are situated In the Gold Hill area. The friendly attitude of Gold Hill people also influ enced our decision to settle in this area," Jeddeloh com ments "We emphasize continual development of new products in order to insure the security of our company," he says. "The plywood Industry at the present time has a great de mand for labor - saving devices." Other businesses In the area include fruit orchards, lum ber mills and a farm and dairy. The Del Rio orchard located about a mile north of the city limits, is one of the areas oldest industries. Expanding Facilities It was founded In 1906. and has been expanding facilities at a continual rate ever since, In 1059 a modern cold stor age building was constructed at a cost of about $75,000. During the 1060 harvest sea son 72 people were employed in the orchards. H. S. Deuel Is manager of the business. Deuel says that about 75,000 lugs of penrs are harvested each year. They are shipped to all parts of the country, and even reach Fin land, Sweden and Canada. Ap pics arc also grown. A new business in Ihe area is the Three Jay's Guernsey farm and Dairy, located about a mile north of town on Barker's announce with regret pair of their shoes are dead. that some 300 If you would like to visit the bodies where they lie at 206 E. Main, please bring nine dollars. 'pretty good! the formerly sold for as high s $22.95 Preparations for Annual Kiwanian Show Get Started Preparations for the 13th annual Medford Kiwanis Kap ers come out from behind the scenes this week wun ine kickoff of tlie program adver tising campaign. Members of the service club will begin contacting business and professional men of the community Wednesday, Jan. 18, and the drive will con tinue through March 1. The Kapers' production, "Off the Hook," will be pre sented March 8, 9, 10 and 11 at the senior high school audi torium. Proceeds from the mu sical variety show will go to ward Kiwanis philanthropical projects, among them the countywlde dental clinic for youngsters who cannot other wise afford such care. General chairman of the Kapers this year is Herb Part ridge. His division heads are Doug Phillips, program and advertising; Fred Gattcr, tick ets; Ken Baker, publicity; Bob Balk, show; Dr. Abncr Clark, talent, and Glen Allen, fi nance. Phillips has called an or ganizational luncheon meet ing of advertising division team captains and special chairmen for Tuesday noon at the Jackson hotel. Ills organization Includes Bill Cobb, assistant division chairman, Bob Collins, Fred Sears, Hugh Engstrom, Jen nings Pierce and Leo Radkc, team captains, and the follow ing special committeemen, Dr. Billy Blackstonc, dentists; Ken Wright, attorneys; Gor don Mackenzie, Insurance men; Jerry Lausmann, whole sale lumber firms; Dick Payne, fruit growers; Dr. Buonocore, doctors; Jack Bur pec, auto dealers; Russ Brown, retail gasoline dealers; Dwlght Houghton, banks and savings and loan firms; Max Millhol lln and Paul Mitchell, retail grocers; Jack Edson, retail lumber firms; Jack Morcland, electrical appliance dealers, and Vic Milnes, program lay out. The Kapers have been staged each year by Klwanl ans since 10411. Eugene Man Turns Bmck; 'If Was Cold' -' Eugene - H'PD - Harry John son figured it wasn't worth it Friday. o o Johnson, who si out on foot Thursday from Florence to get to Saudi Arabia, turned back nrar here after making aboutQ.-iO miles. Said Johnson: "giwas cold." classrooms, a multi-purpose room, cafeteria, stage and physical education floor were added. The addition cost $122,000. The outdoor physi cal education field also is scheduled for improvement. Leveling and grading is to be done, and an application to the state for pumping rights from the Rogue river is be ing made. An irrigated turf field will make it possible for tackle football to be initiated, Gilbert Mack, principal says. Hanby Improved Improvements have also been made to Hanby school facilities, Mack states. Cafe teria facilities have been ex panded, classrooms have all been improved and the home making department enlarg ed. Boys and girls dressing rooms in the gymnasium have been expanded. Another unique feature was added to the Hanby activity schedule in 1960, with forma tion of an amateur radio club. The Federal Communications commission granted the school a club radio call of K7LYX in April, 1960. Six students have received amateur licenses so far. City law enforcement has also been improved. L. C. Har rison was appointed as police chief last fall and has institut ed several new programs. One of these is a security check of business establishments and industries nightly. Space has also been set aside at the cily hall for use by the police department. Harrison says a needed im provement is addition of a po lice radio for the city. "Quick communication between law enforcement agencies is nec essary," according to Harrison. Gold Hill is facing growth problems, however, as H. D. Force, planning chairman says, "The city Is like an un finished jewel. All It needs is a little polishing." j i . r. "iTiTfn i"1fii,n . mi i.. ...iti'iJjf sAss3Kf"J JMY SPusiJsit. iVSfet ""-t.mnStLKl MACHINERY PLANT Jeddeloh Brothers Sweed Mill Inc. was established in Gold Hill in 1955. The plant designs and produces machinery used in plywood production. About 60 full-time employees operate the industry. The friendly attitude of Gold Hill people influenced the company's de cision to settle in the community, Fred and Otto Jeddeloh, co-owners, sny. ip$ rBri 1 hWk b 0 fill r- li;f'if? fill tils Ii Mi Hii l-H4 ; Engineers Monday Meeting ; J. A. McCormack, resident engineer, and A. A. Anderson, office engineer with the Med ford branch of the state high way department, will be guest speakers at the year's first meeting of the Rogue Val'ey Section, Professional Engi neers of Oregon, Monday,. Jan. 16. The dinner meeting will ba held at Ping's Garden restau-i rant, Medford, beginning at. 7 p.m. Topic for the evening is to be "Interstate 5 Through the Rogue River Valley." More than six million tele vision sets were produced in, the United States in 1959, a 20 per cent increase over the previous year. "Hi! I'm Kathleen Ostcr man and I'm inviting you to attend our Open House Party, Friday, January 20th, celebrating the merg er of The Rogue Valley State Bank Medford and The Oregon Bank Portland Watch for your Treasure Chest key in the mail." Rogue Valley Branch 1 1 09 Court Street East Medford Branch 701 East Jackson SCHOOL ADDITION The Gold Hill school system has been improving facilities at a rapid rate during the last five years. The Patrick elementary school was completed In 1956. In 1960 this addition costing $120,000 was added. Four additional classrooms, a multi-purpose room, cafeteria stage and physical education floor were included In the ' addition. IRRIGATION PUMPS to 60 H.P. From V- ff up 1s H.P. Shallow Well $ggoo Vi H.P. DEEP WELL With 42 Gallon Tank and -rS$RAj Charger 15450 Complete Siskiyou Hardware Ph. SP 2-2939225 W. Miin MEDFORD, OREGON we Give S&H Green itampi V4r ' it sMKitt XT 4 i Ullllli DEAL CEMENT PLANT The Ideal Ce ment company plant is located Just outside the northern city limits of Gold Hill. It is the principal industry in the area and cm ploys 115 people. Two types of cement are manufactured and most of it Is used In the central and southern Oregon areas. The com pany is happy in its Gold Hill location, ac cording to Frank Sutcliffe, manager. HELP US! v need clothing, iho.t, dishes, furniture, and bedding. We PiclCUp. HELP OTHERS! The Salvation Army 30 N. Holly SPring 3-7335 w m m We'd love to help you with yoifr decoratinsj! o Colorama Paint Genier "Your Silver Dollar Stamps Paint Store' COLORAMA & GLIDDEN FAINTS ,315 E. Main Ph. SP 2-4564 MAUSOLEUM ENTOMBMENT -PLUS-COMPLETE Funeral Service for Less than the National Average Funeral Service Cost Joe Hoslck Funeral Director SISKIYOU Ask About the OREGON FUNERAL INSURANCE PLAN 1 uw SjttMsasMgMsas 1 1 n I KW "mi "WW W "iiwinwej iw ni ' u 1 mm im piej m$ I I ' vX-:-?1 A I II I SP 2-5488 lit II ' MORTUARY CEMETERY MAUSOLEUM CREMATORY INVESTIGATE j and with One Call In One location L G. "lew" Miles Cemetery Manager SISKIYOU MEMORIAL PARK 1 -1 V u4l 605 Highland Dr.