Assassination, Mt. Ashland Ski Area Among Top Stories of Year
Features
Medford
Sports
Tribune
MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1963
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A sign was flowed in the hillside (or John F. Kennedy on his flight over Rogue Basin Project
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The assassination of John F. Kennedy was the top news
story of the year, and it left its impact in Southern Oregon.
The sobering effect of the assassination upon the public
just before Thanksgiving, the resulting memorial services
throughout the area, and the period of mourning was listed
as one of the top local news stories of general interest during
the year.
. No one local news development during the year was listed
as the top one by Mail Tribune news department personnel,
however. Votes (or the top local story of general interest were
divided between the effect of the assassination and the devel
opment of the Ml. Ashland Ski area.
Each of the two events received three first place votes.
Developments in the Rogue Basin Project received two votes
for the top general news story of the year.
Other First I'lare Voles Noted
Other first place votes went to small pear crop, which
was about half the normal harvest; the effect of Oregon's
tax problems locally; the dismissal of a Grants Pass police
officer and the resulting reaction by Grants Pass residents;
and the Oregon Shakespearean Festival and Peter Britt Music
Festival.
The top "spot" news story of the year was the attempted
extortion earlier this month of Allan Perry, manager of the
Medford Branch of the U.S. National Bank of Portland. The
story received six voles for first place.
Four first place votes for the top "spot" news story went
to the Russell Osborne case in Ashland. Osborne was found
dead in his apartment, and in September Harold James Bi
beau was sentenced on a manslaughter charge in connection
with Osborne's death.
Fires Also Receive Voles
Other first place votes for the top "spot" news story of
the year went to the fire which leveled radio station KDOV
south of Medford and to the fire which destroyed the interior
and contents of Building Materials, Inc., 944 S. Central Ave.,
Medford, just before Christmas.
In the feature-type story category, the events stemming
from a proposal fpr a by-pass of Jacksonville of Oregon "38
received six of the 12 votes cast in the poll. Events in Mcd
ford's Sister City program received four first place votes as
the top feature-type story.
Other feature-type stories which received first place votes
included one of two local Boy Scouls attending an interna
tional jamboree in Greece and stories about the eclipse of
the sun visible in the area.
Top Stories Are Listed
The three top stories in each of the three categories with
the number of votes are:
General news (stories which have a continuing effect or
impact on the area):
1. The effect of John F. Kennedy's assassination and Ml.
Ashland Ski area development (three votes each).
2. Development of Ml. Ashland (six votes).
3. Developments in the Rogue Basin Project, highway
ssnstructiorc in the area and effects of Oregon's tax problems
(cacti receved three votes for third place).
Spot news (stories which make headlines at first, but
which are soon replaced by other news developments):
1. Extortion attempt (six votes).
2. Russell Osborne case, fire at KDOV and extortion at
tempt (three and four votes).
3. Fatalities on the area's highways (six votes).
List of Feature-Type Stories
Feature-type (stories which appeal to the human aspect
or are amusing, but non-violcnl)i
1. Jacksonville highway by-pass (six votes).
2. Eclipse of the sun visible here (six voles). ' . .
3. Zip code numbers adopted by post office department,
Jacksonville highway by-pass and 50-mile hikers (each re
ceived three votes).
Many olhcr stories which developed during Ihe year re
ceived voles for one or more places in the list, but those
listed are judged the top ones in their category by members
of the news department.
(A month by month review of activities in the area
appears on page 2B.)
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Construction of resort facilities on Ml. Ashland was pushed toward opening late in year.
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Valley gnls train for 50-milc hiking craze, which died out soon after It started.
The eclipse of the sun in July left half-moon shadows of the leaves of trees.
year.
The new Safeway store in the Medford Sho pping Center is among new buildings during the
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Pipeline installation wjs Ihe first step in bringing natural gas to southern Oregon.
Work progressed on Interstate 5 over Ihe Siskiyous; other freeway sections were opened.
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Radio Station KDOV was leveled by fire, one of Ihe major ones In Medford during l'ifr
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