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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1962)
MEDFORD MAI. TRIBUNE. MLLiKORl. oiilUON Weather, Or Its Offspring, Voted Top News Story of Past Year The weather during (he past year had more of an affect on area residents thun any other news happening. The weather, in the natural course of events, always makes the news columns; but this year, the weather made more news than in the past, and as a result, it, snd Its fury, was considered the top news story of the year by Mail Tribune news department personnel. The effects of the weather during the year will be felt for many years in the future. It all started last January when sub-zero tempera tures, on top of about a 10-inch snow-fall, persisted for several days, winter-killinfi many shrubs and household plants, freezing water pipes and cars and running heat ing bills higher. The spring generally was cool. Temperature Sets New Record Then suddenly the temperature went lo 100 degrees or more for 10 consecutive days, setting a new record in Medford. It turned cool again (cool, considering it was sum mer lime). And three months ago the wind blew, and earlier this month it rained. And people still arc talking about the Columbus Day wind storm, and the Dec. i flood along Bear creek and Little Butte creek in the Eagle Point area. All but one member of the news department selected the weather, or one of Its playful offspring, as the top news story of the year. Some staff members selected the Oct. 12 wind storm, others named the Dec. 2 flood, and others just indicated "weather." One staff member rated the postmastcrship discussion the No. 1 story, and the Dec. 2 flood second. Highway Construction Ranks High Highway construction, especially work on the free way, was rated the second top story of the year by 7 of the 12 people voting. The defeat of the home rule charter was rated second by two members, while poli tics, the Rogue Basin project and the Dec. 2 flood received a vote each as the second top story. Third, fourth and fifth place news stories during the year included five stories with progress in education breaking into the lop five stories for the first time in several years. Five staff members rated the Rogue Basin project the third top story. Other third-rated stories included educa tion, three votes: freeway, two votes; the Tiller moun tain slide, and the Medford-Alba, Italy, exchanges, one each. Five staff members rated education as the fourth ranked story. Three members rated the defeat of the home rule charter as the fourth story, and one vote each was cast for the Alba-Mcdford exchange, hospital and other buildings, the Tiller mountain slide, and Marvin Madden and the postmastcrship. Fifth Ranked Varies Greatly The fifth ranked news story of the year varied great ly among staff members. Three believed politics ranked fifth, three others believed the home rule charter defeat was f if I It, and two rated the Sabin oral polio vaccine fifth. Receiving one vole each were the MeGahuey execution, the Madden-post office argument, the Win ncmucca to the Sea highway, and progress in education. .... (tj i jj - 'i Miss Wyatt creates one of top stories. The story of a girl who stopped from .Jacksonville to Altai. tic City received 8 of the 12 votes as the top human Interest story of the year. It was the first time in Hevenil years that a girl from Oregon placed in the top 10 in the Miss America contest. To net lo the national contest. Miss Martha Wyall won the Miss Rogue Valley and the Miss Oregon contcMs. The other four first place votes for the best human interest story went to the Leeroy Sanforri MeGahuey execution the trial, sentence and the appeals attempt my lo prevent the execution Second Top Human Interest Story The MeGahuey execution was ranked second top human interest Mory ly six staff members. Two others rated the Marly Wyatt story as second, and the rest of the votes went to the siMer city program, Mrs, Ann Todd, the story of the death of a Grants Pass woman and her two children, and fires, especially the chm in volving a series of 12 fires in Jackson and Josephinr counties. The sister city program, principally the telephone call via Telstar to Alba. Italy, was rated third most interesting human interest .story by seven staff members. Other third place votes went to Democratic in-party disagreements, the story of the death of a Grants Pass woman and children, the unsolved Crater Lake murders. Mrs, Todd's tnl early in the year, and a -baby being abandoned by a Grants Pa v. woman in a Medfoid park rest room, Nint Stories Vit Tor Fourth Nine different stories shared honors for the fourth ranked human Interest story during the year Two votes each were cast for the story of a Grants Pass mother abandoning her baby in a Medford park, the Mrs Ann Todd story, and the Tiller mountain slide. One vote each was cast for stones about Miss Oregon, the si5ler city program, the MiGahucy execution, the Dec 2 flood, a Grants Pass boy taking a plane and flying it lo California, and inereaed interest in fallout shelters Six staff members voted the story about the aban doned baby in a rest room in a Medlord park as Ihr fifth ranked human interest story, while the other six votes were distributed among six different stories They were the Tiller mountain sliding, the death of a Grant Pass mother and her children, Martv Wyall, no progress in the Crater Lake murder ease, the Sabin orat vaccine clinics, and fires, especially the series of fires in Jaiksnn and .Io,ephinc counties month by month rrnw of new happenings in (hi area follows L fetes ..cM - x) w " Z. - - - - .a ST- v - " T, ; Wind damage is extensive in area on Oct. 12. January Intensification of mosquito control planned . . . 1,5(10 visit Howard Prairie lake for ice skalinj: . . . Testimony ends in e?erow company case . . . 7:i business lists in Medford . . . Harry Skerry Jr. heads Jackson county Bar associa tion . . . Jackson Hotel sched uled to reopen . . . Medford Hiah school grandstand fund reaches halfway mark . . . Revised copies of Jackson County Home Rule charter received by committee mem bers . . . Local meeting planned to discuss fallout shelters . . . Driver Improve ment school lo start . . . Plan ners ask for .coordinator for Bear Creek project . . . Irri gation water outlook satisfac tory . . . Work schedule set for Rouue Ba?in project . . . C. O. Lovejoy reelected presi dent of Jackson county plan nine commission . . . .lanis Rateman wins state Klks lea dership contest . . . Zone change lo permit Safeway store denied by planners . . . liagle Point plans old time political rally . . . Commun ity survey to be conducted concerning fallout shelters . . . Bomb threat reported by J. P. Penney store . . . pev eral inches of snow deposited in valley overnight . . . Homr rule committee to submit charter lo voters in May . More snow forecast . . . Wel fare officials discuss pilot pro gram . . . Expansion of jail facilities to be studied . . . Cold temperature? (rccze many pipes . . . Steel beams lo be placed on freeway . . . Temporary ice rink construct ed in Hawthorne park . . . Warming trend to continue . . . II. I). Chrislensen named chairman of school budget committee . . . Kagle Point woman dies in home tire . . . Improvements planned at air port . . . Enrichment classes for gifted students lo begin at Southern Oregon college. February Archie Frie. named man of year in Ashland . . . Mrs. Ann Todd fined by Judge Sawyer . . . Bcngston scheduled to start sentence . . . Iron Gale project on Klamath River dedicated . . . Hatfield to speak at distinguished service award banquet . . . Site sur veyed for new federal build ing here . . . Cold weather paralyzes employment in county . . . Area future farm ers plan European trip . . . Dr. Doug P. Philips awarded distinguished service award, Elliott Beckon named Senior citizen . . . Minor changes made in Home Rule charter . . . Edwin R. Durno enters Senate race . . . Two Medford men killed in two car crash ... 100 persons attend Jack sonville town meeting . , . Federal agencies support Rogue Basin project . . . Charter to be signed by com mittee . . . Parks and recre ation commission requests Bear Creek land for park projects . . . Multi-purpose stadium suggested . . . Grants Pass Industrial park to gel electronics firm . . . John Sni der named head of committee to encourage sister city rela tion? . . . Mountain side near Tiller slowly slides . . . Med ford High school seniors named lo academic honors . . . Southern Oregon expects to receive federal recreation funds . . . Work starts lo widen south Riverside ave. . . . Medford school district general fund of $4.23:1.022 ap proved , . . Arhlnnd plans adoption of sister city . . . Three savcd a-life awards pre sented at Safety Council ban- t 1 1 . I . i n jr 'J5 r?x. JrA foMf l mm fj iff Blm Early December flood makes Bear creek a river. Mm afasaBmsjs ' HI! mm TmmwmMA, Hp ' , ?. INDICATED TO MEDF0RDS SIS1IR mi K it W CITY- A! RA ' ITAI V. - C4 1x . COMMEMORATING-' MEDFORDS YOUNG KeurLC WHU UltU IN IHfc NAMt & OF PEACE IN WORLD WAR i . The sister city program ranked high among stories during the year 7 ! f 3 t 1 1 JV hiuliu ;tv extension rnntiinirs. qtii't . . . Mrs. Ann Todd found siiilly of disturbing pnblir nu'Ctiiis . Mrs. Fred E. nankin named Zonta club woman of year . . . A sate dam project reported favorable from Senate committee . . . Complaints of wrong blood transfusions filed against Ash land Cencral hospital , . . Out door classes for grade school students said possibility. March Self-evaluation report given on Jackson school . . . Work begins to bring direct distance dialing to area . . . Jackson House, former Jackson Hotel, opens . . . Medford couivil calls for vole on annexation of area southwest of town . . . Pan! Bcttiol to attend FIJI school of law enforcement . . . rtehabililation cent e r for blind discusM'ri . . . Water forecat revied down . . . Pre liminary work Marts on coun ty budget , . Southern Ore gon college um- of Old Ash land tienera! hopiial indicat ed . New building proposed for Sacred Heart hospital . . . Agale dam bill gels approval in Senate . . . Mrs. Edward C. (Mary) Kelly named to na tional board of Woman's Medical college. Philadelphia. Pa. . . Douglas K. Gordenier elected pre.Mdent of United Crusade . . . Magnolia trees planted m downtown Med lord . . . Phoenix school budg et approved . . . New signs to designate Rogue valley rec reation areas . . . Pacific Pow er and Light company an nounce: extensive area build ing program . . Public hear ing set on District (i school budget Crater High school plan.- new s'.aduim seating . , . Si.-kiyoii county declared ie pre."td aria . . New rating to reduce tire insuraiuo coM . C.iants Pa Hmh chool wins slate basketball tourna ment . . Jams Bateman places third in National Elks Youth LeaderMup conleM . , . Ford Foundation support ex pected for Oregon education project Peals uffer ome injury from winter cold Mcdtord .-ehool diMrut budg et adopted . Font's aked lor expanded mental lualtn mm it County Comim-Mon. er Friwm Ta lor op t cm- 'Conhnurd on paqe 7A) ktih mm y I . .1 Sf-BELETS """" PI A v aiv.-:; ft ,-1" Si k .4 & i A li Sabin oral juilio vaccine administered in county. tsify a ' I A ildMtitciwn luiildi'Vi: make? ;iy fur new nffiees. -IX ye- m i " nil r:i..m
