##(Oct. 3, 1975) Dayton Grade School library has a lot more than books. Here, Tom Way works with spherical digital computer.

## (Oct. 1, 1980) Mike Wong, a fifth grader at Memorial Grade School, shows classmates Jason Bertagna and Jack Forde some of the Chinese heirlooms of his family as his father, Frank, looks on. Youngsters in the classes of Connie Duncan and David Stairs presented a Heritage Day program at the school Monday in connection with their studies of immigration.

##(Sept. 29, 1965) Dick Beathe, the Bruin end who raced 68 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff against Dallas Friday night, gets a few words of advice from Assistant Coach By Bender. Beathe was untouched during the course of his lengthy gallop.

##(Sept. 27, 1955) Sheridan’s sporting a new police car these days, a 1955 Ford, for which the Sheridan city council called bids recently. Sheridan Police Chief Earl Suhs is shown with the new city car.

##(Sept. 30, 1960) Lafayette dam on the North Yamhill River looks a little different now with a 35-foot gap out in the center sections to facilitate passage of fish. Move to keep the remainder of the structure, which backs up a large pool of water used for farm irrigation, is now termed vital.

##(Oct. 1, 1955) McMinnville city policeman, Herb Hale, hoists another bike into place in the police department bike “morgue.” Bicycles are either picked up after being abandoned, or have been impounded by police for violations on part of youthful bike jockeys.

##(Oct. 1, 1975) Twin beds were exchanged for bunk beds in this room occupied by sophomores Kollen Meyer and Jenny Ullum. The girls brought their own curtains and another desk from home. Stuffed animals, fish tank and hanging plants reflect personal tastes. Linfield resident hall philosophy emphasizes freedom and a minimum of regulation.

##(Sept. 30, 1970) Looking over plans of a new 26-unit housing project to be located through the Yamhill County Housing Authority, are (l-r) Alan Jones, chairman of the HA; Morris Majors, county commissioner; Ron Willcuts, builder; Jim Zupp, HA executive director; and Charles Teegarden, county commissioner. Development is at Brockwood and Edmunston and was begun last week.

##(Oct. 3, 1970) Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity from Linfield College each year provides rides in its fire engine to Cub Scouts from Pack 527 sponsored by Adams School to start the scouts’ year. Youngsters are shown with Warren Mueller, cubmaster, prior to riding truck around the area.

##(Oct. 1, 1980) Sidewalks tell a lot about McMinnville history, Dr. Win Dolan found while doing research for the city’s historical inventory. Dolan checked 150 intersections in the central part of the city, looking for old street names, identifications of contractors and other information. Contractors in McMinnville’s past left their ‘calling cards’ in sidewalks they poured. This is at the southwest corner of Ninth and Davis streets.

Vintage N-R/Memory Lane: Oct. 3, 2025

A look back at Yamhill County news

10 years ago

-- The grand opening of a small-town business doesn’t normally draw a documentary film crew, but it did this week at Chalice Farms in Dundee. As a line of more than two-dozen formed outside the marijuana shop, a videographer had a drone-mounted camera buzzing overhead to record the moment when it became legal in Oregon for adults to buy the drug for purely and openly recreational reasons. “It’s crazy,” said Chalice Farms founder William Simpson. “The world is changing.”

-- McMinnville city staff unveiled plans this week for improvements on Alpine Avenue, the main arterial in the Northeast Gateway District, which is being targeted for redevelopment.

A consultant firm created two design ideas for the street. The first, dubbed the park concept, would turn half the right of way into a pedestrian walkway. Vehicle traffic would still have a straight shot through the area. The second, dubbed the fields concept, would route car traffic through a chicane, which would create a zigzag pattern serving to slow the flow — it was the clear favorite of the consultants.

-- Over the objection of Chair Allen Springer, the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners approved securing financing for possible purchase of one of the buildings on the former Evergreen International Aviation campus, adjacent to the airport. The county wants to move its public works department into the new space at a cost of up to $2.5 million.

On Sept. 30, a trustee for the now-bankrupt Evergreen International Aviation filed a motion two sell two of the buildings to Kit Johnston Farms for $3.1 million. The county is interested in purchasing one of the two buildings from Johnston. They are among six vacant buildings up for sale on the former corporate campus.

25 Years Ago

-- An Australian vintner has bought Argyle Winery, one of Yamhill County’s largest producers, from the Dundee Wine Co. New owner Petaluma Limited owns five similar-sized wineries in Australia, a country making its presence increasingly felt in the wine industry. Founder Rollin Soles said he will continue as winemaker and Cal Knudsen will remain the winery’s president.

-- Apparently leaving controversy behind, a new go-kart track is getting underway on the Yamhill County Fairgrounds. By November, 120,00 square feet of asphalt weighing 1,700 tons should all have been laid. Fair Board Vice Chair Russ Christensen called the start of work on the track after two years of negotiations “very exciting.”

50 Years Ago

-- Owners of downtown McMinnville businesses are interested in progress, in working together and in improving the core area commercial district. But there remains considerable opposition to specific proposals in the current downtown improvement plan. That was the message to city council members in another town hall meeting on the issue. The council is considering a plan prepared by Committee on Redevelopment (COR), calling for about $100,00 expenditure for parking lot facilities and Third Street beautification.

Cost was a major concern of opponents, along with the business owners worried the COR effort to slow Third Street traffic would hurt their operations.

Drawing the strongest audience response was a statement late in the meeting by Bob Ayers, manager of Bergreen’s market on Highway 99W.

“I’m not directly involved in the core area,” he said,” but I’ll tell you this — when a larger operation along the highway makes an improvement we pay for the whole thing. You people have a chance to do something collectively and if you miss it now you will have missed the best opportunity you’ll have for downtown improvement.”