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MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON
SUNDAY. MAY 6. 1962
Pesque Isle Residents Overcome Removal of Air Force Base
By JOHN F. O'BRIEN
United Presi International
Presque Isle, Maine -ll'Pl)-The
hardy folk in this center
of Maine's potato empire are
striving mightily to prove that
"Joss of a big nd'itary oase
should not plunge a commu
nity into economic despair.
City leaders know they
have a big Job on their hands,
but they're going all out to
sole their own problem and
show other American commu
nities how it's done. And they
have a lot on their side.
With sudden deactivation of
the U. S. Air Force base here
and a growing slump in the i before the "phase out" order believe the federal govern
vital Aroostook county pota- came, Air Force officials were ment should not waste defense
to market, Presque Isle citi- trying to find 200 additional funds just to satisfy local de
zens last year faced a bleak housing units in the city. To- jiands. We knew the tactical
future. oSy, there are 300 surplus i value of the base had ceased
Vanished Payroll
The departure of 1.250 mili
tary personnel and loss of 250
civilian jobs at the base meant
a vanished payroll of $2.5
million a year in a city of just
under 13,000 population.
The economy impact was
felt at once in Main street
cash regisrs when the Snark
missile base closed down be
cause of the weapon's obso
lescence. Only two months
(Republican) I f
A m A B Be. I I t-
3AYAKU
FOR SHERIFF
X
Proven
Administrative Ability
Pd. Pol. Adv. by Savard for
sneritr comm., Glen Allen,'
Chm., 951 So. Stage Rd.
il
if
aw I
if-j i
rentals standing vacant.
Unlike some communities
losing military installations,
Presque Isle citizens put up
no howl to Washington. In
stead, in characteristic fash
ion, they figured things could
improve with some real indi
vidual effort.
The Presque Isle industrial
council soon was established
as an official arm of the city
government. James M. Keefe,
former chamber of commerce
official here and in Attleboro,'
Mass., took over as director.
A former Colby college and
semi - pro baseball pitcher,
Keefe threw some fast curves
at the menace of depression.
And he had the whole town
on his team.
Knew Tactical Value
Echoing the pride and the
self - sufficient attitude of
Presque Isle people, Keefe
said: "We didn't try to fight
closing of the base because we
to exist and we wanted to
solve oar own problemwith
initiative in using what was
at hand."
The council quickly real
ized it could obtain a ready
made industrial park at a bar
gain basement price.
After negotiation with the
General Services administra
tion through Maine's congres
sional delegation, the city was
able to purchase nearly 1,900
acres of land and 20 valuable
buildings for only $56,000. At
the height of the Snark pro
gram, the Air Force valued
the base at nearly $19 million.
Cor of Complex
The core of the industrial
complex is formed by six gi
ant missile storage hangars,
each 440 feet long and each
costing $838,000 to build. Each
building contains two two-ton
overhead cranes and one of
them has a 10-ton crane. All
offer the necessary utilities
for heavy industry, including
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Complete fixture designing service for Men's Stores, Barber Stopsestaurants,
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Beauty Shops, Dress Shops and other types of businesses.
five separate heating and elec
trical units in case spaf
should be divided among sep
arate tenants.
In addition to the huge
hangars, the city's tract in
cludes a group of warehouses,
former Air Force maintenance
shops, offices and even a
mammoth gymnasium.
Presque Isle's largest indus
try since the air base closed
is the potato processing plant
of Potato Service Inc., which
employs 300. The F. H. Vahl
sing Co., situated 10 miles
away at Easlon, employs more
than 200 in the packing of
frozen potato products.
Local Criticitm
Industrial developer Keefe
says there is no serious public
welfare problem on Presque
Isle now because the recent
onening of the two potato
processing plants "tempered
P.O. Box 252
By NORMA CLARK
fcscT'iV zn
PRINTED MATTER
TO JAPAN
It was suggested in this col
umn, last February that old
greeting cards, calendars and
wildlife stamps be sent to Mrs.
Rose Lesser, P. O. Box Naka
hara 5, Kawasaki, Japan.
This is what Mrs. Lesser
does with them:
'We collect natural educa
tional material," writes Mrs.
Lesser, "to distribute to school
children here on Saturdays
and after school to help them
In their language studies.
Worthy magazines, illustrated
and beyond could be rotated
to share knowledge, experi
ences and friendship, to build
up mutual understanding and
to gain an Insight into each
other's needs.
"Although the MORE JOY
centers then planned and dis
cussed in the face of death are
not yet visible, the work is go
ing on. The present MORE
JOY center must be consid
ered only an emergency cen
ter, for it is run at the price
of giving up my own private
residence. But I have never
resented this fact, for the joy
the shock" of the closing of
the air base.
There was some unorgan
ized and unoffrftal local criti
cism of the government vir
tually giving away the base,
but the $56,000 price was
based on an appraisal by the
GSA. The federal agency took
into consideration the geo
graphical location nearly 400
miles north of Boston when
it decided on the selling price.
Keefe says the "closest"
prospect the industrial coun
cil now has for a permanent
major industry is "one in the
wood products field." But he
declined to disclose the con
cern s identity because nego
tiations now are at the criti
cal stage.
However, officials of the
GSA just last week flew to
Presque Isle for formal sign
ing of the deed to the proper
ty, enabling the council to
move into high gear in pro
moting its facilities. Until
then, the council had control
of the base only on a revoca
ble permit.
Medford Man Pleads
Guilty in Court
Elmer Cecil Waldbcscr, 61,
of 302 North Barneburg rd.,
Medford, beaded guilty in
district court Friday to charg
es of petty larceny.
He was placed on probation
and imposition of sentence
was suspended for 18 months.
Waldbeser was accused of
taking three electric trains
from Montgomery Ward com
pany in Medford.
- B 5
Sunday, May 13
4
MOTHER'S
Oi DAY
Cgg) CARDS
217 E. Ma'
Medford
papers, post cards, greeting t th -'..,,.
feeling at home at the center,
cards, wildlife stamps and
similar material greatly en
courage the students and en
liven their lessons.
"People have sent us fine
colored slides of their cities,
which we use to make slide'
shows, so that the students
can learn more about other
countries."
In 195$ Mrs. Lesser
founded MORE JOY, an or.
ganizaiion for the promo
tion of mutual understand
ing and fellowship of youth.
The organisation began io
crystallise in Kyoto during
the war years when the
Urge houie of Mrs. Lesser
became a natural assembly
place for the various Asian
students concentrated in
that city. At the end of the
war, the activities were con
tinued when she came to
Kanto to take part in the
educational program of one
of the universities In the
Tokyo erea.
"During the terrible air
raids of 1944 and 1945," Mrs.
Lesser continues, "my stu
dents and I, rather than go in
to the primitive air-raid shelt
ers which often became self
dug graves, continued our les
sons and indulged in the beau
ty of foreign languages and
the great classics. Watching
the alien bombers flying low
over our heads, we dreamed
of a time to come when we
would help each other to un
derstand and to love. We
looked toward the day when
we would develop an organi
zation, with headquarters in
Japan, where friends at home
So far, four- business and
industrial firms have leased
space and the industrial coun
cil is busy answering queries
from prospects all over the
nation, with cooperation of
Maine's department of eco
nomic development.
Council members also are
looking to the European Com
mon Market as a potential
source of overseas air trade
with Presque Isle as the
American jumping off point,
as it was for thousands of
military aircraft during World
War II.
Includes Runways
The city owned land In
cludes one 7,400-foot runway
and another of 6,000 feet,
making accommodations for
all planes except the largest
jet aircraft. The city is served
by four engine planes of
Northeast Airlines and the
council is remodeling one
building into a new passenger
terminal.
Twenty months ago, a char
tered airliner landed at
Presque Isle and U. S. Sen.
John F. Kennedy stepped out
to make a brief campaign
speech. Despite their individ
ual political leanings, Presque
Isle people haven't forgotten
his plea for America to "get
things moving again."
They're doing just that in
Presque Isle today.
SOBBING SIMS SAYS:
"SPRING TIME IS SWING TIME
GYM-DANDY SWING TIME"
"j-'Ultiji,..
CYM-PANDY
(parents
24.88 With
SLIDE
17
As
Shown
dear reward,
"Actually there is little prl
vacy. Gur.sts who stay over
night, as they bften do, must
suffer the sound of a type
writer and the light from the
adjacent room where work is
going on until late at night.
The tape recorder and record
player are often used for lan
guage studies and must be a
bore for those who have other
work to do.
"In March 1960 we went on
a MORE JOY mission to In
dia, a month long tour of In
dian schools to distribute 1700
friendship letters, which had
been collected and translated
by MORE JOY members. A
gift was attached to each letter.
"While we were there, two
our children, who were ap
pointed child ambassadors,
presented Prime Minister
Nehru with a gift of a tran
sistor radio.
"When we returned to Ja
pan in April with Prime Min
later Nehru's return-gifts, a
gypsy doll and an ivory box,
our hearts were full of grati
tude for the love that had
greeted us everywhere."
For those who wish to
send any material that can
be used in the language
classes at the MORE JOY
center, Mr. Katsuhiro Ish
ige, etsistant secretary, ad
vises that the outside of the
envelope or package be lab
eled "Printed Matter, Sea
mail Undeclared" to avoid
the heavy custom taxes
there.
Otley Installed
VFW Commander
Frank L. Otley was in
stalled commander of Crater
Lake Post of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars when It and the
auxiliary held an installation
recently at 42 North Front St.,
Medford.
Other officers Installed
were Ray Lawless, senior vice
commander; David Schultz,
junior vice commander; Ira
Canfield, chaplain; Louis
Kula, quartermaster; Richard
Schultz, post advocate; E. D.
Smith, adjutant; Harold Suth
erland, three year triiitee;
I. H. Watkins, officer of the
day; and Ivan Lusk, patriotic
instructor.
Installing officer was Past
Commander Richard Schultz.
Among the visiting officers
were Past Department Com
mander Harry Birch, of Steel
head post 6881, Past Depart
ment Commander Ted Hop
kins, of Post 4116; Past De
partment Commander Ira
Canfield, of Post 1833; Senior
Commander of District 7,
Fred Kerby; Commander of
Steelhcad Post 6881 Kenneth
Clair; Senior Vice Command
er of Steelhcad post, Jobie
Bryan; and Commander of
Post 3423, Alvln Hazelrigg.
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