Continued Mi
weather
m
State
Medford Core
Area Showing
Blight Signs
f UW V property! u )
Mss-me-sucif
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"Well, I suppose one of us should try to help
the lady."
By GEORGE H. BELL
Mail Tribune Staff Writer
- Med ford's central business district is rather like a pa
tient, still outwardly healthy, but showing some early symp
toms of cancer.
The disease is curable indeed an unprecedented era of
unusual vitality is possible if the patient receives prompt
medical attention.
Major surgery is indicated. But the sick man must in
itiate the steps toward recovery himself. And probably he'll
have to pay all his own doctor bills.
To drop the metaphor, Medford's blight problem is not
unique or even significantly different from that of any other
medium-sized community in the country.
Downtown Streets Jammed
Its downtown streets are jammed with traffic that, during
peak periods, backs up from intersection to intersection;
despite the imaginative development of the Park and Shop
program, a parking shortage still exists; everybody, custom
ers and merchants alike, is unhappy with parking meters;
downtown employees have no convenient places to park
their cars; and many of the stores in the central business
district are out of date and badly in need of remodeling.
According to a study compiled by the Oregon Bureau of
Municipal Research in 1961 (published in March 1962), about
84 per cent of the buildings in the central business district
were constructed before 1940. Of that figure, an astounding
45 per cent were built before 1920.
Ground Floor Space Vacant
The same report noted that 4.7. per tent of building
ground floor space in the core area was vacant; that 25 per
cent of the 118 separate offices on upper floors in core
area , buildings were vacant; and that a large number of
downtown rooms and apartments were vacant.
There are, then, even assuming the condition has not
worsened measurably since the study was made, some clear
unmistakable signs of deterioration in the heart of Medford.
Three major programs of considerable magnitude need to
be undertaken to solve the dilemma that, unattended, will
worsen steadily into a decline from which recovery might
well be impossible.
. Needs Complete Revision
The arterial street network in the central business
district needs to be completely revised.
Private capital must be enlisted to finance the con
struction of increased parking facilities, possibly multi-level
ones, in areas adjacent to the central business district.
A thorough renovation of the core area, both inside
and out, must be undertaken through the combined effort
of merchants, property owners and city officials.
Despite periodic pessimistic groans of despair and Cassandra-like
forecasts of impending doom from the downtown
area, it is true some preliminary steps have already been
take to accomplish these three herculean tasks.
Discuss Generaliied Land Use
The city planning commission has for over a year .now
been holding weekly breakfast study sessions, discussing a
proposed new generalized land use plan for Medford.
Included in the discussion has been a good deal of talk
about a plan for a redesigned arterial street system in the
core area, one which would alleviate in large measures the
traffic congestion on Main st. and Central ave.
Though it is still too early for any conclusive statistics,
the recent opening of the Interstate 5 bypass through Med
ford is expected to take considerable pressure off Central
ave. by rerouting transient traffic.
The city council recently passed an ordinance setting up
the mechanics for creation of an off-street parking district.
To this point, it hasn't been implemented, but it is clearly
a step in the right direction.
Loll Are Almost Adequate
Park and Shop lots, if one can extrapolate from figures
compiled from one week in August last year, seldom reach
the saturation point and are, temporarily at least, almost
adequate to the off-street parking problem.
But perhaps the most hopeful sign of all is the stir of
interest in rejuvenation that is beginning to emanate from
some though not yet enough of the downtown merchants
and property owners.
Nothing tangible has been accomplished up to now. Ac
tually, they haven't even begun the serious talking stage.
But the notion is now generally prevalent that something
drastic needs to be done in Medford's central business dis
trict to pump new life into it
No Positive Assurance
Much needs to be done, anil there is no positive assurance
that anything will ever get beyond coffeetalk. But the seed
of a new, self-help attitude seems to be evident among some
downtown leaders.
If the seed takes root and grows and there are many
who say it must Medford may, in a few years, have a
central business district that will be the thriving showplace
of all southern Oregon and northern California.
Hatfield's Office
Has'NoComment'
On House Battle
Use of Proxy
Vote at Issue
Salem (UPP The governor's
office had "no comment" to
day on a House power strug
gle that could ("clay Monday's
s c h e d uled inauguration of
Gov. Mark Hatfield and or
ganization of the 1963 House
of Representatives.
At issue is the use of a
proxy vote for Rep, Sidney
Leikert '(D-Roseburg) who is
in Los Angeles with his ill
wife, and may not be able
to return here in time for
Sunday night's House caucus
or Monday's scheduled open
ing of the legislative session.
The power fight centers
around Clarence Barton (D
Coquille), speaker -designate
of the House, and House Mi
nority Leader F. F. Montgom
ery (R-Eugene).
Barton said Montgomery at
first approved use of a proxy
vote for Leiken, then notified
him that he had withdrawn
the approval and would leave
the proxy decision up to the
full Republican delegation.
Edge Thin
The Democrats hold a 31-29
edge in House membership.
Leiken's absence would cut
the Democrats' margin to one
vote.
Barton said he was not sure
the House could be organized
with such a close party split.
He said adamantly "If we
can't organize the House, we'll
just have to wait."
If the House is not organ
ized, the constitutional re
quirement of the House can
vassing the vote for governor
could not be met, and Mon
day's inauguration might have
to be delayed.
Youth Trapped by
Weight in Shop
Jerry Lee. Morris,. 18, of
734 Wilson rd., Central Point,
lay trapped in near freezing
temperatures for over 44
hours last night with ''one leg
pinned under 500 pounds of
weight before being rescued.
Morris, an employee of Nye
and Naumes Packing com
pany, 619 South Grape st.,
was reported in fair condi
tion at Rogue Valley hospital
today. He suffered a broken
leg.
According to city police,
Morris was injured about
10:20 p.m. when a counter
balance weight on a fork-lifi
truck on which he was work
ing in the packing house's
machine shop broke and fell
across his legs.
Officers said Morris was
able to pry one leg from
beneath the weight, but could
not release the other. He lay
there until about 3:08 o'clock
this morning, when his cries
for help were finally heard
by a security patrol officer.
Three city police officers
were able to lift the weight
from Morris' leg. He was
taken to the hospital by Med
ford Ambulance Service.
Mercury Dips to 12;
Colder Is Forecast
Temperature at the Med
ford station of the U.S. weath
er bureau dropped to 12 de
grees this morning and an
even colder thermometer
reading is anticipated tonight.
Prediction is for a low of
5 degrees as clear and cold
weather continues. A Satur
day night low of 5 to 10 is
forecast,
Crater lake this morning
had a low of 9 degrees below
zero and Howard Prairie had
a zero reading. Grants Pass
reported 18 and Ashland 17.
Slide
EC
ills 4 aim regoo
Fifth Member of
Lane Logging
Parfy Rescued
Earth Gives Way
Without Warning
Eugenc-d'Pll-Four members
of a logging party were killed
when buried in a sudden mud
and snow slide at a lumber
operation about 50 miles east
of here Thursday.
One other member of the
party survived and .'as rescued.
The victims were Edward
Hinkle, 24, Springfield; Wil
liam A. Thompson, 23, Fall
Creek; Gerald E. Pitts, also
of Springfield, and Thomas
Bowman, 23, Finn Rock.
A. J. Irvin, 41, Springfield,
was rescued more than an
hour after the slide and was
taken to a Springfield hos
pital. He was reported in fair
condition with a broken an
kle, bruises and cuts.
Hillslide Gave Way
David Burwell, a forester
who witnessed the incident,
said he saw the party logging
the side of a deep canyon.
Burwell said the men had just
attached a guy line from a
spar pole to a tree stub on the
hillside when "the whole hill
side gave way" without warn
ing. Later at the hospital, Irvin
told Lane county sheriff's
officers he had just started
uphill to pick up slag on the
line when he noticed some
twigs begin to move.
"I knew what that meant,"
Irvin said. "I've been in plen
ty of slides before."
Tossed Around
He said he started running
downhill with the slide.
"I was tossed around quite
a bit," Irvin said. "Then I
saw a hole between two logs
and dove into it."
Thai's where rescuers
found him almost an hour and
a half-later.- He' was--buried
head first in the slide, his
head and upper torso buried
and his feet sticking up in
the air.
Sheriff's officers said the
slide was 150 to 350 feet wide
and 40 to 50 feel deep. Equip
ment later was withdrawn
from the scene because of fear
of further slides.
Rogue Valley Edition
Medford
57th Year Price 10 Cents
Tribune
18 Pages Two Sections MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1963
No. 253
Man Hurt When
Ke Falls Off Car
Harry Neil, 37, of 854 East
Ninth st., Medford, fell off a
tank car at the California-Pacific
Utilities company gas
storage plant, Second and
Front st., this morning when
he stepped back as a relief
valve popped, city firemen re
ported. Neil was taken by ambu
lance to Sacred Heart hospi
tal for treatment and later re
leased. The mishap occurred about
10:10 o'clock this morning.
Firemen said that excessive
pressure in the tank car caus
ed the valve to release. Neil
was checking the car. There
was no fire.
WEATHER
FORECAST: Con tf nurd Hear
and cold through Saturday
night. Tonight's low near 3.
Itich Saturday 35-40. Low Sat
urday night S-10.
Temp.
Illchftit YrstfTday 42
Lowed Thia Morning 12
Our Skies Tonight
Sunset today 4:59 p.m.
Runrlif tomorrow .. 7:49 a.m.
Moonrise tonight .... 7:04 p.m.
tail Quarter Jan. 17
The planet, Man, teen tonight
between the Moon and the
ttar. Regulut, I. now a tittle
over ? million miles from the
Karth.
NEWS(BRIEFS
IT Ml FROM jJ 1
Anti-PoW Tax
Ratification Urged
Washington - H'M - Sen.
Maurine B. Ncuberger (D
Ore.) today urged the Oregon
Legislature to ratify the anti
poll tax amendment to the
constitution.
Scenic Commission
Schedules Hearings
Portland -TPH- The Oregon
Scenic Areas Commission said
today it will hold hearings at
Salem Feb. 13 and at Reeds
port Feb. 14 to consider desig
nating scenic areas along two
state highways.
AROUND THI OlOM
TEST BAN TALKS MAY BE RENEWED
Waihington-JlPli-The Unittd Slates and Russia art ex
plorlng tht possibility of a new round of nuclear test ban
talks between now and mid-February, sources said today.
MEREDITH TARGET OF ROWDYISM
Oxford, Mist.-'IPI'-Mort than 400 Univtrtity oi Mississippi
studtntt, torn scrtaming "Co horn, you nigger," Thursday
night stagtd tht rowditst demonstration against James H.
Mtrtdith sinct last fall.
KHRUSHCHEV CONFERS IN POLAND
Wartaw-4PI-Soviet Prtmitr Nikila S. Khrushchev con
ferred with Polish leaders today during a stopover "rest"
en routt to tht East Gtrman Communist party congrtst in
Berlin.
CONGO REUNIFICATION CHANCE SAID GOOD
Washington-lrli-Secre!ery of Blata Dean Rusk taid lodty
that propsecls for reunifying tht Congo "art belter now
than they have betn for tome time."
City Planners
Name Officers;
Deny Requests
The Medford planning com
mission last night elected its
officers for 1963.
Elwood Hedberg, 1690
Grand ave., was elected presi
dent, Lawrence Horton, 509
North Barneburg rd., was
named vice president, and Ned
Langford, 432 Lynwood ave.,
city planning director, was
chosen secretary.
Following election of offi
cers, the group voted to deny
a request for a variance to
permit the construction of a
carport at 515 West Jackson
st. The matter had been con
tinued from the previous
meeting to permit the com
mission to study the proposal
further.
The group unanimously rec
ommended to the city council
that a zone change request
for property located at 1205
East Main st. be approved.
The change, if approved by
the council, would be from
single-family to multiple family.
The commission also voted
to recommend approval of the
construction of a sign at the
entrance to Siskiyou Memo
rial park at Siskiyou blvd.
and Highland dr.
Proprietors of Siskiyou Me
morial park submitted a re
designed sign after an earlier
request for a sign had been
vetoed by former Mayor John
W. Snyder. The applicants
propose the sign for identifi
cation purposes.
The commission voted unan
imously to deny a request for
a change of xone from single
and two-famlly-for-property
located at 1209 South Holly
st.
An office building had been
proposed for the location by
the applicants.
Budget Discussions
To Start by County
Preliminary budget discus
sions with county department
heads will start within the
next two weeks, Jackson
County Judge Earl M. Miller
said today.
The county court will issue
all departments new forms to
enable administrators to re
port any proposed salary In
creases or change of employee
job classifications, Miller said.
This may expedite prelimi
nary budget studies, but it
will be difficult to reduce ma
terially the length of time
spent in county budget
studies, Miller said.
"We have our regular coun
ty agenda sessions, plus other
county business to consider,"
Miller said. "It would be diffi
cult to have the budget com
mittee meet more than twice
a week to speed up the
process."
The preliminary budget
meetings may develop into
regular meetings between de
partment heads and the coun
ty court to consider adminis
trative problems, Miller indi
cated this mornng.
Tshombe at Odds
With Followers
Elisabcthville, Katanga, The
Congo (UPIt Katanga Presi
dent Moise Tshombe today
was reported bitterly at odds
with some of his followers
over future cooperation with
the United Nations.
Sources close to Tshombe
said the most serious rift was
with Interior Minister Gode
froid Munnngo, the most vio
lently antl - United Nations
member of the Katanga cab
inet. Tshombe went to the border
town of Mokambo Thursday
in a bid to talk his followers
into returning here to get the
Katangese government func
tioning again now that the
United Nations has used force
to reintegrate the Congo.
SPEECH SCHEDULED
Portland -UPli- Former La
bor Secretary James Mitchell
has been scheduled to speak
at the annual Oregon Brother
hood banquet at the Multno
mah Hotel here Feb. 23.
V- K "V. ',T ' .: t' ., ' v v . 4
... v. !
5 J j
rn&SH srPHP tm u ...t - ., . .... . ..
v.,u ,.,a ocuni puuiuKi apii wiiun iiiu piHiie crasneu in a iieiu in me
shows the plane in which two Rogue valley White City area. (Knackstedt Photo)
pilots were injured yesterday afternoon
Two Valley Pilots Are Injured
When PlaneCrashes Into Field
Two young pilots were in
jured when their light plane
crashed into a field near An
telope rd. four miles east of
White City yesterday after
noon. Lee Gosselt, 23, Eagle Point,
and Roger Farrell,. 23, Cen.
tral Point, .were reported in
fair condition at Rogue Valley
hospital this morning, Gossctt
is being treated for a broken
right ankle, and Farrell suf
fered facial injuries and bn
ken toes.
The two men said they were
making commercial maneu
vers in the practice flight
range. Before they knew what
happened they regained con
sciousness to find their plane
had landed upright in the
field, but had hit on a right
wing and its nose, according
to reports.
Farrell, the instructor, freed
himself and went for help at
nearby farmhouse. Gossetl
was pinned by his ankle under
the floorboard.
While Farrell had gone for
help, the' downed plane was
noticed by, Ross Connor, line
man, foreman,, and Forrest
Thom'asbn, heavy equipment
operator. Pacific Power and
Light-. company; -.: . ;. . .
. The two men who were on
their way to a job with a hole-
digger, radioed to the PP and
L service center which called I
the Medford Ambulance serv
ice. . , :
. The two pilots said they
were not stunting at the time
of the accident, but are not
sure what happened to cause
I the plane to crash.
Congressmen Feud
Over Key Positions
Washington -IUPD- Action in
the new 88th Congress moved
backstage today with House
Democrats and Republicans
feuding separately over key
committee and leadership
posts.
Outcome of their intramu
ral squabbles could bear heav
ily on the fate of some of
President Kennedy's legisla
tive proposals, Including his
controversial plan for hospital
care for tnc aged.
After a fast, furious takeoff
on Wednesday, followed by
routine talkfests and no action
Thursday, the new Congress
was in recess today until Mon
day when Kennedy will deliv
er his State of the Union mes
sage to a joint House-Senate
session at 9:30 a.m. (PST).
County Farm Home
Complies With Laws
The Jackson county farm
home has complied with all
laws, rules and regulations of
the slate fire marshal, accord
ing to a letter received today
by the Jackson county court.
Recently, the farm home es
tablished a fire control alarm
system, put in exit doors, cov
ered all individual room
doors with asbestos, hung
new fireproof drapes and
blocked the attic off into 2,-
500 foot square areas, County
Judge Earl M. Miller noted.
Groener Asks Probe
Of Primate Center
Portland - (UPI) - A former
legislator who led a drive for
expanded research facilities
in Oregon Thursday called for
an Investigation of the Oregon
Primate Research Center con
troversy by the Oregon Legis
lature. Former Sen. Richard Groe
ner, a Milwauklc Democrat,
said he is afraid the hassle
may hinder thn state's long
range economic growth.
I
Problems of Bear
Creek Drainage Are
Aired by Officials
Meacham Marks
39 Below Zero;
Medford Has 12
Warming Trend
Early Next Week
Portland - (IPD - Tempera
tures plunged below zero in
Eastern Oregon early today
and below the freezing mark
in all of Western Oregon.
And, said the weather man,
it's going to get colder.
Meacham in the Blue Moun
tains had an unofficial 39 be
low. A blast of arctic air from
the north, coupled with a high
pressure system, sent the mer-v-cury
plummeting. There was
some cheer, though, because
the high pressure kept snow
out of the state.
May Approach Record
The Weather Bureau said in
its five day outlook that East
ern Oregon temperatures may
near all-time record lows of
10 to 30 below zero in the
next few days. Lows of zero
to 20 below were predicted
there tonight.
Western Oregon is in for it,
too. Forecasts called for lows
to 5 to 10 above in the Wil
lamette Valley tonight and the
five-day outlook listed lows
to ff below,
Worried motorists put
rush on antl - freeze while
nurserymen feared for their
crops.
At 7 a.m. today Pendleton
had 9 below zero, the coldest
official reading in Oregon re
ported to the Weather Bureau
here.
But in addition to Mca
cham's 39 below, Austin had
22 below.
3 Above at Klamath
Some other official lows
early today included Baker
minus 8, Redmond minus 5,
Lakeview minus 1, Klamath
Falls 3 above, The Dalles 6
above, and in Western Ore
I gon, all above zero, Astoria
17, Medford 12, Roseburg 17,
Eugene 15, Salem 12, Port
land 14, Newport 17, North
Bend 27, and Brookings 30.
on yes, the- temperatures
will moderate early next
week. At that time, said the
weather man, "a little snow"
is expected. . .
Biting east winds whipped
through the Columbia Gorge.
TImberJine Lodge on Ml.
Hood reported gusts of wind
to 60 miles per hour this
morning.
The problems man has cre
ated with the streams of wa
ter with which nature has en
dowed him were aired in Med
ford Thursday afternoon In
the Jackson county court
house auditorium at one of
the largest meetings to date
inspired by the Dec. 2 flood
in the Rogue valley.
Representatives of the U.S.
Geological Survey, Soil Con
servation Service and the
Rogue Basin Flood Control
County Judge Earl Miller
said this morning a county
ordinance may bt ntcttsary
to Insure proper meinte
nanct and operation of wa
ter drainage channtlt In
Jackson county.
Enabling legislation from
tht state legislature may
be necessary to allow pas
sage of such an ordinance.
Miller said.
The county court learned
during yesterday after
noon's meeting thai keep
ing drainage channels clear
of debris is tht major prob
lem. The Dec. 2 flood pointed
up drainage problems, par
ticularly in tht Btar crttk
basin, Millar nottd.
and Water Resources associa
tion exchanged ideas with
men from the slate highway
department.
Members of the Izaak Wal
ton league and representa
tives of the Southern Pacific
railroad voiced their opinions
and heard the findings of wa
ter masters, engineers, mana
gers of irrigation districts and
other city and county officials,
farmers and lawyers.
All, drawn together at the
invitation of County Judge
Earl Miller, were seeking a
way to preserve southern
Oregon properties from the
threat of water, without
which no arra could survive.
Discussion Strays
'Drainage problems in the
Bear creek basin, was the
topic announced for the meet
ing. But the discussion stray
ed far beyond the environs
of the Bear creek basin as It
is known to most citizens.
All arras, damaged when
creeks and irrigation districts
went on the rampage In town
and country Dec. 2, were rep
resented. Some speakers blamed the
builders of subdivisions, high
ways and bridges for the wild
courses taken by the streams.
Others talked of logging oper
ations, canal aprons, failure
to clean out channels and the
need for higher storage.
Frtqutntly Mtntioned
"Suburbia" and "asphalt
culture" were frequently
mentioned as undesirable de
velopments which are here to
stay.
Judge Miller repeatedly
asked the speakers If thoy fa
vored a county-wide levy to
provide for an annual pro
gram to deal with the prob
lem. He explained frequently
that the meeting was for dis
cussion purposes only and
that he was not trying to sell
people on a county levy.
Many speakers favored the
county-wide levy. Others said
expense should be financed
by the basin proper.
Growth of the Bear creek
basin has brought about
changes which Interfere with
the natural water patterns,
the county official explained
at the opening of the meeting.
The December flood brought
the realization to many that
there Is need for correction
of the drainage system to pro
tect property and Individuals.
WILDLIFE MEETING SET
Corvallis-IUPD-The Oregon
Wildlife Federation will hold
Its annual winter meeting
here Saturday and Sunday.
Cardinal Takes
Credit for Money
Boston-IIJPD-Rictiard Cardl-
nal Cushing. Roman Catholic
archbishop of Boston, says he
Is the "mysterious donor"
who raised $1 million to help
free prisoners captured in the
ill-fated April 1961 Bay of
Pigs invasion of Cuba.
The cardinal said Thursdav'
he worked night and day and
I alone am responsible for
the collection of this extra
ordinary sum. The credit,
however, belongs to my co
workers and benefactors in
the United States and Latin
America who have supported
my apostolic work."
In a statement appearing
o d a y in the archdiocesan
weekly newspaper, the Pilot,
he sn!d he was disclosing his
part In raising the ransom
money because of "rumors
crediting the gifts as coming
from sources with which I
have no identification."
December Jobs Up
Over 196 Figure
Salem (UPD Approximately
680,000 workers held jobs in
Oregon during December, an
Increase of some 17,500 over
December of 1961, the Em
ployment Department said to
day. Unemployment was 38,400,
down by about 6,000 from the
level of December, 1981.
1961-63 Biennium Seen
Period of Advancement
Salom-(UPI-Gov. Mark Hat
field today termed the 1061
63 biennium a period "of
advancement along the Ore
gon Trail."
The statement was Includ
ed In Hatfield's biennial re
port of executive department
which traced progress noted
during the past two years.
The governor said the
state's program of economic
diversification moved ahead.
Ho said Oregon's economy
"In 1962 afforded work oppor
tunity to more people than
ever before In history," while
non-farm employment reach
ed a record level.
Hatfield said tourism "took
a stronger hold on Its position
as Oregon's third largest In
dustry," setting records In
19H1 and 1962.
The governor expressed dis
appointment over failure of
4
the legislature to reorganize
the state government in 1961,
and said some recommenda
tions will be resubmitted this
year.
He said new facilities and
programs were provided in
the fields of health, education
and welfare.
Hatfield noted he made
more than 400 appointments
during the biennium. The gov
ernor also listed 15 out-of-state
trips to attend confer
ences, briefings, funerals,
make speeches and vacation.
Other highlights:
Awarding of $131 mil
lion in highway contracts.
-Capital construction
worth some $33 million.
Civil defense develop
ment of a fallout shelter pro
gram. ,
Airport Improvement.
A $104 million vcterani
loan program.
A