1967-12-06; Saline Reporter

              OL. 19, NO. 13 ~ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1967
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Librarian Eleanor Todd looks wistfully for a place, in the present library, to
put more books .. . and there isn't any more room. More than that, an inspector
recently noted that the present building is already at capacity, as far as weight
is concerned . . . and since then, more shelves and books have been added, to the
tune of 500 to 700 pounds. It may be necessary to add more support in the basement, and another inspection has been requested. The library is nearly bursting
at the seams with books and patrons.
he's War kin * on the Railroad
ively, versatile" " borotha
Meyer, 37, is now the New
York Central freight agent,
here.
Feminine freight agents are
rare . . . Dorotha doesn't know
of any others . . . but the
song, "I've Been Working on
the Railroad", could have been
written for her. Sheer confidence and exuberance took her
into a man's world, lorn? before there was any Civil Rights
legislation to back up her contention that "anything a man
could do,  I  could  do better".
She was raised on a Tennessee farm that has now vanished
underneath the Oak Ridge atomic plant; the family land was
purchased by the government
for that purpose.
Dorotha became a practical
nurse; and she worked for a
time as a psychiatric nurse
at the state hosmtal in West-
ville, Ind. But it was an experimental hospital; and, when
all the tests in the planned
series were completed, Dorotha began to get restive. She
isn't fond of drab routine.
"I didn't want to settle down
to just routine  care."  she re-    '-"
calls, "so I went to the employment office."
At the employment office she.
was told that there were no
openings for women. . . but the
New York Central railroad was
hiring men. So, naturally, she
applied  at New York Central.
"What they needed," explains
Dorotha, "was men operators.
Of course, I didn't know what
operating was, but I apolied
anyway. It turned out to be a
wide multitude of things, like
handling switches, controlling
signals, operating drawbridges,
making out train orders . . .
just about anything."
Dorotha was certain she
could handle the job . . . but
New York Central wasn't. "After some argument, thev sent
me to headquarters in Chicago,
and they hired me as a freight
clerk.   But,   after  three   days,
didn't   like   clerkin'   and   I
the Pennsylvania tower and the
B. & O. tower.
In 1960, Dorotha was caught
in a railroad employment cutback and laid off. For a year
and a half, she "worked on various things" including a job
with Seaboard Airlines in Tampa, Fla . . . and there, she
"got interested in freight".
She came back to New York
Central as a relief freight agent
. . . working wherever a fill-
in was needed ... in 1962.
This year, Saline's former a-
gent, Ed Sawall, retired in August;   and here she is.
The agent's job in this area
is a travelling one. Dorotha
covers Saline, Bridgewater,
Manchester, Brooklyn, and
Cement City, in one direction;
she also handles stations on the
"airline" (which has nothing to
do with air; it's the name of
an old railroad, now an express line)^. from Jackson
through Spring Harbor, Concord,. Bbmer, Tekonshaw, Un-
**y*»wTj(Mi mm*mmmqjtmmiQm**v
Qn Thanksgiving Day of that
yeas (1953) she got a call from
the same man who had first
said that NYC didn't hire women. He asked whether she
would like to learn tickets.
So she learned tickets.
A year later, Dorotha became
the local agent at Michigan
City, and stayed there until
1957. In later shifts, she operated the Michigan City drawbridge for six months; then she
undertook the tower job.
Next, she "drifted up to Kalamazoo"  where  she  operated
Option Taken
On Schleh Bl
ion" City,' Colori^ and Center-
ville. She visits every one of
them,  every week.
Her home site at the moment
is Saline. She lives in a trailer,
parked either at, the station or
at Woodside,Trailer Park„.and
she's looking for a hoirie to buy,
here. •' ."•   .
In other . activities, in case
she needs any,; she does "a
lot of handywofk ■ and. crafts".
She enjoys the company of-old
people, and spends "as mUch
time as possible" with senior
citizens. In 1960, while .working
on the railroad and living in
Kalamazoo, she was also "resident .assistant manager of an
apartment building supported
by a Senior Citizens' Fund and
housing 80 old people.
She has no family in this; area; and she doesn't keep pets
because she's on the road too
much to look after them _. . .but
her outgoing enthusiasm gathers friends instantly, everywhere she goes. •* .
The Schleh building was constructed and dedicated as an early church in Sa-
handsome now . . . but a little refurbishment could make it so. More important,
the building has been thoroughly inspected by an engineer and declared structurally sound. It would provide 2,844 square feet of floor space, including a pro-,
posed balcony .. . and not including the basement, which would add-almost that
much again, and not counting stairs, landing, closets, and porch. The present library has only about 700 square feet.
The Schleh building was constructed and dedicated as the first church in Saline (First Baptist) in 1905. The second floor was put on later and can be re-;
moved without structural impairment, since the ceiling is suspended irom above.
After the church outgrew it, the biiilding was used as a residence by the
Schleh family,4hen-afusnit"urestore, funeraLhome^-and-the-'lirst'hospital-it! Sa=*
line. It continued as a hospital under several ownerships and then became a convalescent home. It has been .vacant since Saline Community Hospital closed its
extended care unit there last year.
New City Maps
Now Available
Brand' new, .fully complete.-]
maps of the City of Saline-are
now available at City Hall;
they may- be purchased for 75
cents each. All new .subdivisions
are-included.
A. "whole stack" of1 the new
maps, each-about two by three
feet; arrived Friday, City Clerk
Maurice Doll announced.
United Fund Total
Reaches $34,143.64
The Saline Arear United
Fund drive this weekireached
a total of $34,143.64, "far surpassing its 1967 goal of $23,-
724.
building for a new Saline .library".
A recommendation to purchase the Schleh building,
.unanimously approved by UF
_. - j. T%        .j        14, "to elect five new board
Ordinance FrOViaeS   members and'to consider aid-
The annual meeting of the board members in a special
United Fund has been sched- meeting Tuesday, will be pre-
uled for Thursday, December sented to  the  members  fbr
vote, at the annual meeting.
ing the Saline Public.Library
in the purchase of the Schleh
Change of Zoning
City Council has approved Ordinance No. 203, an amendment to. the basic zoning ordinance, to change the zoning
in portions of Rolling Meadows Holiday HOUFS
subdivision.
Merchants Extend
The new ordinance changes
part of Rolling Meadows community No. 5 and part of No. 6
from R-l-A to R-l-3, still single
family but allowing slightly
smaller lots and smaller homes.
It also changes a section of
Rolling Meadows No. 6 from R-
1-A to R-3-A, "low density multiple-family residential district"
which allows for condominiums
or duplexes.
Saline merchants will keep
their stores open evenings for
the remainder of the holiday
season. Paul Sibson, Cham-'
ber of Commerce president,
announced today.
"Members", as the board
pointed out, includes everyone, individuals or organizations, who contributed to the
United-Fund this year.
The annual meeting will
convene at 7:30 p.m. oh December 14, at the Saline Savings Bank community room.
Of the $34,143.64 total in
this year's drive, 57 per cent
comes from employee withholding pledges. Residential
contributions have accounted
for 11 per cent, and 24 per
Saline Public Library, which has far outgrown its present location, may soon have a new home..
United Fund board members, at a special meeting
Tuesday night, unanimously voted to recommend purchase, for the library, of the former convalescent home
building, a block from the center of town. It is now
owned by John Schleh, from whom an option has been
obtained by the Library board.
The recommendation will be presented for a vote by
all members of the Saline Area United Fund, at the annual meeting on December 14.
The UF. board action was taken after a presentation at
the Tuesdav meeting by X ."brary board members George Anderson and Mrs. Regis Wolfinger and Librarian Eleanor
Tndd. Also present was Dick Cole, city building inspector, to
discuss structural advantages of the Schleh building.
Assistance was reauested ■ ■ *	
from the United Fund. An- ^^ PV«,n«.*h.i» +o tt- Saline
der<=on noted, because the li- Historical Societv. if they so
hrprv serves tTv» pnth-A area, def_r«4, until a. tfme when we
though it is technically un- 1vo„id require the space for
der citv jurisdiction. A re- iih~.rV ns«»s
omit use study showed that Th„ ubm board has ob.
67.2 per cent of its natrons t^ned an option from Mr.
are citv residents; 32.8 per Schleh and he will allow the
cent live in the townships.       iaT,d contract to be paid over
Said Anderson: "We feel a a, period of three vears. We
good library is the backbone feel that the buUding can be
of every community, educa- purchased, remodeled, and
tionally, "culturally, and rec- furnished for about half the
reationally." Saline Public cost of a new facility and
Library is now open 39 hours vvould provide us ample
a week. growth   to   accommodate   a
The  Library   board's pre- population of 10,000.
sentation follows: .Presently,  our basic prob-
The Saline Library Asso- lem is — where is the money
dation was'formed in 1900, coming from? These are a
at a time when Saline's pop- few of the various areas we
ulation was 700. It remained have investigated thus far:
under that system until a few a. Our present building has
years ago when, to be eligible a deed restriction reverting
ior state and federal monies, the property back to the heirs
the S .aj.ijti.e__l. .&hc_-U^ for
was instituted under the city library purposes.  The City
through Ordinance 174. Attorney is in the process of
We now need additional finding the heirs to see if we
space. We cannot expand our can obtain a clear title to the
'present facility because of building in order to sell it.
the properties adjacent to it. We feel that the money re-
We feel that it would be un- ceived would go a long way
wise at the present time to toward remodeling the Schleh
ask. for a bond issue to build building,
a new library, because of the (The present building was
present burdens being im- given t0 the library in. 1917
..posed -upon, the public for bv Ziloha P. Davenport, wife
federal, state, school and lo- 0f William H. They had one
cal taxes..       • . .   • son, Beverly, who married
This leaves us with only Emilyi and they had one son,
one .alternative, and thai adopted,- Arthur L. Daven-
would ,be. to .find a larger port He married twice,' but
buHding, and remodel, it. to there were no children from
our present .arid future needs either marriage ) - • •
"... providing the community b. The library fund has
with- the library, service that $5,100, which could be used
it deserves., and: heeds. for furnishings.
The Schleh building is cen- c We ^ ve'ry hopeful' of
trally located, as is our pre- receiving donated labor and
sent facility. The lot size is materials to help in the -rein the area of 13,500 square modeling
feet, which would provide d We have thought of sub-
ample parking. The main scriptions but have not fully
room, with a balcony, would analyzed this aspect.
provide approximately three e In investigating govern-
times the shelving and study mental assistance, .this would
area that we presently have, allow y3 of tlle financing, but
not  counting the   basement, it takes in excess of two years
Coupons are now available. .   _
at C-C member stores for the c^ represents industry. An-
annual Christmas drawing, other eight per cent came
which wiU be held on Satur- ^ the building trades
which could be used for add'
ed functions of the library.
' This facility would also al
low us public men's and WO'
men's rest rooms, an audiovisual   room,   plus   a   much-
and many, many stages to
get final approval and financing.
f. Bonding would require a
vote of the public and unless
a special election were held,
Accident Fatal
To Adrian Man
Raymond Charles Hayford,
32, of Adrian, died Sunday at
Universty Hospital' in Ann Arbor, of inuries suffered last
Wednesday in a one-car crash
west of Saline on US 12.
Hayford was on his way to
work at Uniloy Division, where
he had been employed in the
tool room since last June, when
the accident occurred. Sheriff's
deputies said his car went out
of control, at 6:10 a.m., and
left the highway and struck two
posts and a tree and then hit
three more posts before stopping.
Four service clubs . . . the
American Legion, Kiwanis Club, Jaycees, and Rotary.
Club . . . contributed a total
of $380.
day. December 23. at the.movie party for children at the
Junior Hieh School.   ■
Santa's first visit to Saline
Saturday was partlv  rained
out . . . but he will be found ~~ ~*
at.Westside Hardware from Councilmen Get
1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. De- T?njni. rjtn Tmir
cember 9:  in the downtown -««■«*/«# Ksliy 1 UUI
area on Saturday. December    In   Saturday>s   disheartening
16:T.anci_*}_}£ m0Vle Party downpour,   three   councilmen  -
elect toured the city they have
. but they
may have seen it from a new
needed public conference the vote would be deiayed Un
room, which could handle ma- til November, 1968. A bond
ny of the smaller groups pre- issue would put the burden
sently meeting in private iully on the City of Saline for
homes or the large communi- a project to benefit all of the
ty room of the Saline Savings Saline area. If the bonding
Bank. Also at this time a portion of the balcony could be (Continued on page 2)
on December 23
Santa's bright red mailbox JT£ ^ for
will be put out this week, on
the southeast corner of the
main intersection, Sibson
said. Children are encourag-
pd to mail letters to Santa in
the box; their parents will
then receive a reply containing hints.
The Gambles store will be
open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
eveiy night this week except
viewpoint.
Said City Administrator Mike
Strait: "We showed them ar
the city's concerns and problems . . . past, present, am.
future . . . everything we could
think of. It took about four
hours."
The incoming councilmen,
Jameson Ford,  Jack Measley,
-   ,   _ , Saturday, when the store will       .„.„..
He had for some time been ciose at q p.m. Dancer's and  ?nd Ed Marsn> were accompan-
looking for  a  home  to  move Walker's stores will begin the ied  oa ^eir iaunt by Strait,
his wife and five young child- 9  am   to  9  p.m.  hours  on Mayor   George   Johnson,
ren to Saline, to avoid the long
drive to and from work, he
said.
Funeral   services were   held
Tuesday afternoon in Britton.
Monday.
Councilman   George
and
Anderson.
PLANNERS TO MEET CUB PACKS SET
The city planning commis- YULE PARTIES
Anything a man can do, Dorotha can do also, and
she proves it by jacking a freight car down the track,
one of the tasks that falls sometimes to a freight agent.
Inside the station, the feminine touch is evident in imaginative' Christmas decorations. Dorotha has gained many'feromotic__sv since she begata her railroading career,
until finally, she says, she was "promoted to'Saline'V
sion will meet at 8 p.m. on
Tuesday, in the council chambers.
GOES TO SCHOOL
Chief  of  Police   James Levleit is driving to Lansing ev.ery CUBS PLAN BAKE SALE
day this week to attend a five-      Cub  Scout Pack 416 will
day course in police manage- hold a bake sale from-9 a.m.
ment,  at Michigan State Uni- to noon, Saturday, at Wight
versity. Cleaners.
A Christmas party for Cub
Scout packs 464 and 474 will
be a potluck at 7 p_m. Wednesday, December 13, at Jensen School.
Cub Pack 4i6 will hold a
Christmas party at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 21, at
Houghton School.
Membersof the Saline" Public Library board consider one .of two colored drawings made by TayW Jacobsen
to show how attractive, the Schleh building could be,
"with just a little fixin'.". Inexpensive "dress up" features on the outside of the buUding might include rounded steps at the main entrance, a canopy to the curb* a
drop box in the circular drive, and a coordinated colpr
scheme. Left to right, above, are "Mrs. Charles Kern; Mrs.
Regis Wolfingeri" librarian Eleanor Todd, George Anderson, and Ulrs. Harry Holmes.