##(March 7, 1956) Suzie, the circus elephant, doesn’t seem to mind at all when children climb on her back for a ride. At top, Carol Schenk and Mike Hyder have climbed aboard as Mike’s brother, Mark, waits his turn. The 3-year-old Indian elephant and her trainer, Wally Ross, took part in the circus sponsored by the McMinnville Lions Club at the armory.

##(March 10, 1971) Contestants in the 1971 Miss Phil Sheridan pageant have been announced. They are (l-r, bottom row) Margaret Brudnok, Debbie Clark, Holly Graves, Debbie Barnett, all of Sheridan; standing, Debbie Heinonen, Amity; Kathy Parker, Rene Billington and Chris Clary, all of Sheridan. The queen will be selected on April 24 at the Highway Theatre during the annual pageant. Phil Sheridan Days are set for June 18, 19 and 20.

##(March 9, 1956) Hats off to the McMinnville Fire Department are paid by Roseburg Fire Chief William Mills, left, and fireman George C. Kirby. The firemen presented a certificate of merit to the department here for a fire-fighting demonstration in Roseburg last June. McMinnville Chief Ivan Pearson holds the award, one of five given by the Roseburg department during the last 60 years. About 20 firemen staged the demonstration June 15 for firefighting methods with improvised equipment.

##(March 13, 1971) First use in Yamhill County of a mobile diagnostic machine which uses radioactive isotopes was this week at Physicians’ Medical Center. Technician Steve Bernard watches “scanner” working. Doctors previously had to send patients to Portland or Salem for such diagnoses. Mobile machine will help save time and money and, in some cases, lives, officials say.

##(March 13, 1956) Tickets for Linfield College production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” are obtained by Mrs. Robert Blaha from Lester Schilling, director of the play. Mrs. Blaha is chairman of ticket sales for the AAUW.

##(March 12, 1956) When your Daily News-Register arrives it is a pretty sure thing that at least one of these persons has handled it or had something to do with getting it from the press to your door or box. Members of the circulation staff, they are, front row, from left, Eldon Hartiey, motor route 20; Colleen Sarvey, secretary, and Florence Martin, mailing clerk; back row, Lynn Cook, motor route 19; Grace Warren, mailing clerk; H. N. Keckley, circulation manager, and John Freeborn, motor route 21. They were pictured at annual dinner last week.

##(March 13, 1971) Members of Gamma Lambda Chapter of ESA, service sorority, are helping sponsor the Easter Seal Society’s “Buck-a-Cup-To-Brace-a-Child“ campaign. “Buck a cup” buttons are being sold for a dollar by participating restaurants, which entitle the wearer to have free coffee March 19. One of the restaurant owners, Mike Morris of Marty’s Cafe, is shown with (I-r) Mrs. Harry Cure, Mrs. Dan Cole and Mrs. Don Cummins, sorority members.

##(March 8, 1956) Mrs. Miriam Jernstedt, city librarian, admires alder paneling which will be used in the new children’s library as Glen Trussell hammers a panel in place. The natural finish alder also will be used for bookcases and woodwork.

##(March 9, 1981) A Dayton city crew last week removed several old hawthorne trees around city park, making room for new Armstrong Maples and Scarlet Sentinel trees to be planted this week. The new trees have been donated by Carlton Nursery Co. and will be planted, pruned and watered by the company for the first year. The new trees, especially grown for city beautification projects, will be 14 to 16 feet tall. At least seven of the old hawthornes were left standing because they are something of a rarity for this area, according to City Recorder Janice Church.

##(March 10, 1961) Fifth graders in the McMinnville Girl Scout troop practice artificial respiration as a part of their learning rescue techniques for a variety of emergency situations. Leaders of the troop are Mrs. Chris Horn and Mrs. Milt Robins. Girl Scout Week, March 12-18, will give Girl Scouts in the county and their leaders an opportunity to show what they can do to serve their community.

Vintage N-R/Memory Lane: March 13, 2026

A look back at Yamhill County news

10 Years Ago

• Five farmers attended the Yamhill County commissioners’ business meeting to speak in opposition to the proposed Yamhelas Westsider Trail. They were joined by Nick Marrant, head of the Yamhill County Republican Party, who said farmers with land abutting the trail’s route were being omitted from the planning process. And he offered his services to remedy that situation. Dayton farmer Pieper Sweeney also used commissioners to ensure farmers are included in the process.

Members of the delegation said they were concerned about fielding objections from trial users to herbicide or pesticide drift, or to dust drift from plowing and harvesting. Farmer Steve Dumdi said he doesn’t necessarily oppose the trail. He just harbors concerns he would like to see addressed. “I’m not for it, I’m not against it,” he said. “But we need answers.”

• After 25 years of guiding the development of McMinnville’s urban landscapes, Planning Director Doug Montgomery has announced he will retire at the end of June. His retirement follows on the heels of those of City Manager Kent Taylor and City Attorney Candace Haines.

• Recology Western Oregon is seeking a conditional use permit allowing it to expand its site on Orchard Avenue to encompass a transfer station featuring a trio of new structures. That would position it to haul waste into McMinnville, and transfer it into long-haul trucks bound for distant disposal sites, in the event it can’t come to terms on a new contract with Riverbend Landfill, or the nearly full landfill closes.

25 Years Ago

• Go-karts went tearing around the track at the Yamhill County Fairgrounds for the first time this week, and the racing seemed to come off without a hitch. Good weather and a strong turnout for the Portland Karting Association’s first club event of the season left the months of haggling and controversy over the track nearly forgotten.

“It went as close to perfect as possible,” said Val Adamson, a Sheridan go-kart enthusiast who helped push for the deal that had the regional go-kart group rent property from the fair and build asphalt there.

• The population of Yamhill County continues to soar, driven largely by a Hispanic influx, according to the first results of the 2000 U.S. Census. The county’s Hispanic population more than doubled in the last decade, topping 10% for the first time. That made Yamhill the county with the third largest percentage of Hispanic residents in the Willamette Valley, trailing Marion and Washington. Statewide, it ranked eighth.

50 Years Ago

• Property in Oregon is appraised at 100% of market value by assessors in each respective county. A group of about 40 McMinnville residents, however, feel that too much of local property is appraised at 125%, or 150% or more of actual market value. The group met this week at Oriental Garden Restaurant in McMinnville. Dealership owner Chuck Colvin and McMinnville Bowl owner Doyle Smith set up the meeting to talk with Assessor Kim Worrell, but Worrell backed out at the last minute.

“I agreed to meet with a group of businessmen to talk about their property appraisals,” said Worrell. “Then I heard the radio spot asking all local taxpayers to come to the meeting. I could see the meeting turning into a free-for-all attack on high taxes, which has nothing to do with the assessor’s function.”

Property owners still met and cited increased appraisals. Colvin said the 1975 appraisal of one industrial property and building was $399,584; the new assessment was $673,550.