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.
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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
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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-
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Early December flood makes Bear creek a river.
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Hp ' , ?. INDICATED TO MEDF0RDS SIS1IR
mi K it W CITY- A! RA ' ITAI V. - C4
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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
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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)
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Sf-BELETS
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Sabin oral juilio vaccine administered in county.
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A ildMtitciwn luiildi'Vi: make? ;iy fur new nffiees.
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