THE TIME MACHINE

From past files of The Star News

10 YEARS AGO

April 29, 2010

The Medford Area School Board approved $493,400 in budget cuts and transfers at its meeting Monday at the middle school auditorium to cover an expected $415,000 deficit in the 2010-11 budget. For the most part the board cuts spared the elimination of several high school programs.

School administrators gave the board almost $800,000 in budget savings options at its April 15 meeting, After more hours of testimony on behalf of the programs being affected by the potential cuts, the board decided to move the decisions to Monday’s meeting.

On Monday, the board received updates on a few factors which have changed in the budget equation since the initial list was produced. It then started through the list, ticking off several of the easier cuts before getting to the decisions on the programs.

25 YEARS AGO

May 3, 1995

After months of soul-searching, members of the Medford Library Board settled the building issue Monday night when it voted 6-1 to build a new library on the existing site behind the present library building. In all probability, when the new library is built, the existing library will be incorporated into the design for use as a community meeting room.

Brian Kulas cast the lone dissenting ballot, voting instead to build a new library on the Immanuel Lutheran site on Broadway Ave.

Apparently, one of the deciding factors in the Board’s vote was that Dr. Klemm has offered additional land just east of and adjacent to the present library.

The two sites — Immanuel Lutheran and the present library — had been narrowed down from the six that the Board had selected at its April 12 meeting.

50 YEARS AGO

April 30, 1970

Jacob Drager, 23, Medford, GSR, sustained a bump on his head in a one-car mishap reported at 4:45 p.m. Sunday 1/4 mile east of Medford on highway 64. Drager attempted to pass another vehicle and when the driver swerved he lost control and his auto went into the left ditch. Damage to the windshield of the Drager auto was set at $110.

75 YEARS AGO

April 26, 1945

On April 14, cars driven by Ervin Klemm, Whittlesey, and Harold Veandhoof, Price County, collided

about 11/2 miles east of highway 13 on 102, near the Niggeman school grounds. Klemm’s Model A Ford, owned by Fred Steinman, also of Whittlesey, tipped over in the road and was damage to the extent of about $150. The other car, carrying Veandhoof, his wife, and their four children, traveled about five lengths of the car after the impact and ended up in a swamp. Officer Walter Weihrouch and sheriff Harry Dietzman, who investigated the accident, concluded that the lights of the cars apparently blinded one of the drivers, causing the collision.

100 YEARS AGO

April 28, 1920

The pickle station project that Wm. Wenzel started two weeks ago is still in the air, so to speak, as sufficient number of farmers and others have not agreed to raise cucumbers. It seems that many are slow to agree to raise the necessary acreage because of the experience of several years ago, when the Reid Murdock Co. had a station here, and would accept only cucumbers of a certain size. Now any size will be taken.

Mr. Wenzel now has a laundry project under consideration and if successful in swinging the deal Medford people will soon be able to have their laundry done up right at home.

125 YEARS AGO

April 27, 1895

According to a Tillamook county (Or.) farmer, the species of sea bird known as the great auk is not extinct. He declares that two birds of this family, presumably a male and female, have been roosting in a very large spruce tree near his place for several months. By the aid of a fieldglass the settler, who is a naturalist of local renown, has, he claims, identified them beyond doubt as fine specimens of the great auk family.

From their actions the settler believes they will remain in his neighborhood and possibly raise a brood of young ones in the spring.