(July 4, 1970) It’s Mexico City or bust for the McMinnville Wrestling Club, pictured here with the bus which will carry it there for a four-day wrestling tournament. Each of the team members has worked for the last three months to earn $200 for the trip. The team is coached by Jim Bryan, who is also the high school coach. The team will, in addition to wrestling in Mexico City, see much of the culture of Mexico plus much of the natural beauty of the southwestern states.

(July 2, 1955) H. Wayne Stanard, well-known McMinnville grocery store operator and civic leader, is retiring as proprietor of Stanard’s Grocery after 21 years. Stanard was long active in McMinnville civic life, serving as president of the local Chamber of Commerce and in many other positions.

(June 28, 1955) Traffic was held up on the Dayton Bridge for nearly an hour Friday when a northbound truck, whose driver apparently didn’t believe the impaired clearance warning, was unable to squeeze under the low overhead structure. The bus in the picture, unable to pass the truck on the narrow bridge, further added to the congestion.

(July 2, 1980) McMinnville City Manager Joe Dancer’s 20 years of service to the city were recognized at a surprise gathering Tuesday night following the City Council meeting. Dancer watches as his wife, Coral, cuts cake prepared for the event.

(July 2, 1975) Mrs. Evelyn Hummel, 330 W. 14th Street, doesn’t waste any land at her McMinnville home as is evidenced by her use of the area between sidewalk and street. She has been gardening the parkway for five seasons now, providing a vegetable horn of plenty for the Hummel family and neighbors. This year she’s growing squash, radishes, onions, beets, chard, beans, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes. “It’s lots of fun,” she says, “and it provides plenty for us and others.”

(July 1, 1970) Sgt. Al Cianni, who used to be stationed at the local state police office, directs vehicles into spot safety check area on Highway 99W near Dundee last week. Two signs were put up telling drivers to slow up. Not all cars were directed into inspection area, in fact many turned in without being directed. Most common deficiency found was light problems, particularly signal lights.

(July 1, 1960) Workmen for Lantz Construction Company of Salem Thursday started pre-pouring cement floors for the Adams School multi-purpose room. First floors were ruined when they pulled loose from foundations as workmen raised the walls which had been poured on top of the floors with a bond-breaking compound between the two.

(July 1, 1960) A touring group of Springfield Chamber of Commerce members stopped at the McMinnville Chamber office Thursday morning to learn more about McMinnville Industrial Promotions, Inc., which has brought several new industries to McMinnville. Shown, from right to left, are; Gale Vinton, MIP vice-president; Phil Bladine, MIP board member; Cliff Elliott, MIP secretary; Bob Smith, manager of the Springfield Chamber; Willard L. Cushing, representing McMinnville Chamber; Merrill Hagan, president of the McMinnville Chamber; Stan Torvik of the Springfield Chamber; Daren Engel, chairman of the Springfield Chamber subcommittee on industrial parks; and Jack Criswell of the Springfield Chamber. Elliott outlined how and why McMinnville formed a corporation to stimulate industrial growth in the city. The visiting chamber members visited Rex Mobile Homes before leaving for Forest Grove and Hillsboro.

(June 28, 1960) The Success Story parade was held Saturday morning through McMinnville’s city streets. It brought several thousand people to the community to watch the many floats and marching groups and scramble for flying saucers in a merchants’ promotion event. Children along the route mobbed a McMinnville Bottling Company truck float, which dispensed soft drinks. Community officials termed the parade a great indication of McMinnville’s community initiative.

(June 28, 1960) Off the line go two cars, a ‘58 Pontiac on the left and an 59’ Pontiac on the right, in the A Stock automatic class Sunday in the first drag races at the McMinnville Airport strip this season. A new strip record of 146.50 miles per hour was set by a Modified roadster as more than 2500 people watched the opening drags under sunny skies.

Memory Lane/Vintage NR: July 3, 2025

A look back at Yamhill County news

10 years ago

- Because of the extreme fire danger, Amity Police Officer James Clark told the city council Wednesday night the department “will not tolerate” illegal fireworks before, on or after the Fourth of July.

“We’re going to confiscate,” Clark said. “Citing individuals in the past has always been at the officer’s discretion. Issuing citations this year is being encouraged.”

In addition to Chief Dan Brown and Clark patrolling Amity in an effort to discourage the use of illegal fireworks, reserves will be out in force, too, which will strengthen the department’s ability to curtail illegal activity. Only fireworks that emit fire, smoke or sparks are allowed in Oregon.

- Yamhill County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution Thursday calling for the county to ignore Senate Bill 941, which extends criminal background checks to private gun transfers. Commissioner Mary Starrett also read a statement from Sheriff Tim Svenson, saying he opposes the expanded background check provision because “it places additional restraints on already law-abiding people.”

In their resolution, the commissioners proclaim the county “unable to expend any county resources for the implementation and enforcement.” The bill tasks the state police with conducting the additional background checks.

25 Years Ago

- Within the past 10 years, an increasing number of Spanish-speaking churches have formed in McMinnville to meet the needs of the Hispanic community. Meanwhile, several established churches have created Spanish-language programs to meet the needs of a changing mix of parishioners. Many of the area’s Hispanic ministries are now flourishing, They offer weekly services, training sessions and programs for adults and children.

- Attorneys tentatively reached a settlement in a lawsuit against the city of McMinnville and School District 40, by three girls who were strip-searched at Duniway Middle School in January 1998. Most of the 36 girls searched by female police employees, during an investigation of locker room thefts, accepted a settlement offer of $5,000 plus legal fees. Because the girls are minors, the settlement must be approved by a judge before being finalized.

Both sides have spent “an enourmous amount of money, said claims manager Bob Murch of City-County Insurance Services. “They were tired of this; I think everybody was getting tired.”

50 Years Ago

- Instructors and veterans representatives from Portland and Chemeketa community colleges told Northwest News Service that 10% of veterans enrolled in their institutions register for classes and vanish for the rest of them. Oregon’s problems with cheating veterans appears to reinforce fears of federal officials in Washington who believe that more than $300 million has been shelled out to Vietnam era veterans who sop up the money but skip the education.

College and Veterans Administration officials emphasize that the overwhelming number of Oregon veterans are using their educational benefits properly. But instances of benefit abuse have been reported often enough to prompt the Veterans Administration to order each state to assess the magnitude of the problem.

- Construction of a $1.75 million scrap metal recycling plant is planned on a new 12-acre tract in the 70-acre Cascade Steel Rolling Mills, Inc. industrial site in northeast McMinnville. Officials of the company said the new plant, to be constructed on land recently acquired by McMinnville Industrial Promotions, Inc., will meet all environmental and aesthetic standards and provide a major new West Coast facility to meet solid waste disposal problems.