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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Get Up & Go: Jan. 7 Emergency services UPDATED: Medford police arrest man suspected in Purple Parrot robbery Medford bear teeters on line between rehab, euthanasia Ashland comes under fire for 'racist and sexist' hiring practices Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services UPDATED: Medford police arrest man suspected in Purple Parrot robbery State police arrest two for meth, heroin trafficking after I-5 stop Muddy footprints lead police right to burglary suspect's door Talent men arraigned on attempted murder, assault charges Politics and Elections Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Education Medford bulks up student support for math, reading Ashland schools to implement chickenpox precautions Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Environment Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now No fish, no funding for problem dams State News Oregon may see hemp crop this spring under new rules Forest Service scraps $10 million PR campaign Eugene's federally funded car charging stations underused Court says Oregon's water withdrawal permits endangered Clackamas River salmon Seabird die-off puzzles scientists Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Edgar Frutchey III Shirley M. Lindstrom Walter (Jim) Dave Schraub Alan Roy Hamilton William "Bill" Raupp Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories North falters in SWC opener No. 1 Kentucky escapes upset bid Sharapova breezes in opener; Serena loses Pistons rally in final seconds to beat Spurs Ducks gear up for title game Varsity 541 College Sports No. 1 Kentucky escapes upset bid Ducks gear up for title game Buckeyes appear loose as they practice Playoff families to be reimbursed for travel Wiese leads No. 11 Beavers past USC Pro Sports Sharapova breezes in opener; Serena loses Pistons rally in final seconds to beat Spurs Golf begins with four events to follow Baseball welcomes four into Hall Lillard to the rescue Community Sports Business Latest Stories After seven decades in Medford, Larson's will be emptied Saturday Patchwork of talents Irrigation system upgrade gets a forum Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Crosstour Positive Steps Real Estate News Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Rental owners group reports 2.48 percent vacancy rate People In Business Transportation Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Opinion Latest Our View: Falls has work to do to restore trust Letters to the Editor, Jan. 7 Kathleen Parker: Stirring the pot: our bias, ourselves Our View: WISE project offers many benefits Kent Bush: Food labels mean nothing Editorials Our View: Falls has work to do to restore trust Our View: WISE project offers many benefits Our View: Waiting a little longer for the bus Other Views: Oregon's GMO battle is far from over Our View: Meeting in the middle keeps a mill open Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 7 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 6 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 5 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 4 Letters to the Editor. Jan. 2 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: East is east and west is west Guest Opinion: Get the best deal on pipeline Guest Opinion: Say yes to clean energy jobs, no to the LNG project Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Guest Opinion: Forest thinning means water for the future Lifestyle Latest stories 5 Things to Do This Weekend (Jan. 9-11) Lost in Suburbia: The bug stops here 11 reasons why we love wrought iron fencing Dave Ramsey: Sharing and planning as one Dear Monty: Eight great tips to ponder before investing in real estate Food Entertaining with a gift of treasure Food for Thought: Save time on weeknight meal prep Community blog: Farm share boosts resolve to eat more veggies Community blog: Ring in new flavors with year's last appetizers Food for Thought: Tips for cooking when you have food allergies Home and Garden 11 reasons why we love wrought iron fencing Dear Monty: Eight great tips to ponder before investing in real estate Home Help: Timeless or trendy? Achieve both in your home decor this year Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Health Community blog: We Don't Have To Conspire Against Good Health HealthStyle: New year, new you Health Watch: Build up your glutes in the off-season Dr. Jeff Hersh: What's a monoclonal antibody? Dr. Murray Feingold: Have a happy and stress-free holiday Hiking Biking Faith Churches start new year with messages of hope (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements Mt. Ashland Ski Area shut down again by lack of snow Little Yaretzi is county's first baby of 2015 Local landowners see no public good in proposed pipeline Pear Blossom queen has open heart surgery Hundreds enjoy Christmas dinner, gifts at St. Vincent de Paul Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Blues jam tonight at Little Brown Jug Songwriters Pete Herzog and Dennis Walker release 'Waiting for the Rain' Next Stage presents a tribute to an iconic folk artist Live Music in Local Clubs Generation Jones plays Paddy Brannan's Theater Next Stage presents a tribute to an iconic folk artist Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Meet the real Jacob Marley This Nutcracker ballet will have a superhero twist Music Blues jam tonight at Little Brown Jug Songwriters Pete Herzog and Dennis Walker release 'Waiting for the Rain' Live Music in Local Clubs Generation Jones plays Paddy Brannan's Pete Herzog and Dennis Walker play 2Hawk Winery Community Events New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dancing People Company celebrates the solstice Dining Entertaining with a gift of treasure Jackson Creek Pizza Co. is a good downtown haunt Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Our View: Falls has work to do to restore trust ... After seven decades in Medford, Larson's will be emptied Saturday ... UPDATED: Medford police arrest man suspected in Purple Parrot robbery ... Our View: Falls has work to do to restore trust ... After seven decades in Medford, Larson's will be emptied Saturday ... UPDATED: Medford police arrest man suspected in Purple Parrot robbery ... GRANTS PASS As demolition begins, memories of former hospital come to life Comment By MELISSA McROBBIE Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By MELISSA McROBBIE Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Dec. 30, 2014 @ 12:01 am By MELISSA McROBBIE Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Dec. 30, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News GRANTS PASS — Large chunks of the Dimmick Tower came crumbling down this weekend as crews made headway on a project to demolish the former hospital building. Built in 1964, the four-story building at Dimmick and A streets was once the site of Josephine Memorial Hospital, which later became Three Rivers Community Hospital's Dimmick campus. For longtime residents, the structure's dismantling marked the end of an era and sparked nostalgia about major life events that occurred there — births, deaths, surgeries, entire careers. Some took to Facebook to reminisce, with one woman saying she had the same nurse for the birth of all three of her children. One man recounted how staff at the hospital saved his pneumonia-stricken son's life. One person compared the building's demise to losing an old friend. Norine Hall gave birth to two children there — a son in 1983 and a daughter in 1988. She was a little sad when she saw photos of the building's upper floors being demolished. "That was the delivery area there," she said. She said she had a "wonderful" experience with the staff at Josephine Memorial and got to know some of them personally. One nurse, Mary, became pregnant around the same time she did, and ended up giving birth at almost exactly the same time — in fact, Hall had to wait for Mary to vacate her bed in the maternity ward before she could deliver her son. "The day I went in to deliver, there was no room for me. All the beds were taken," she said. "I was up on the fourth floor pacing." The next patient scheduled to leave was Mary. Once the bed was finally available, Hall was so apprehensive about giving birth, she didn't want to get in it. She paced some more until she couldn't walk and had to lie down. "I had him that evening," she said of her son. "It was quite an experience." Mary also had a boy, and the two women's sons grew up together. "They've been friends all these years," she said. Another nurse who helped deliver her daughter later became her neighbor. The doctor who delivered Hall's children, Dr. Raymond Gambrill, has stopped by the tower a couple of times to watch the dismantling process. Now retired, Gambrill estimated he delivered around 3,000 babies during his career, although he didn't keep track. Gambrill has been in Josephine County since 1974, and said what stands out most for him about working in the Dimmick Tower is the time with his colleagues. "You work with them all the time, day and night," he said. "A lot of really good memories. You're part of a team." One delivery stands out in his mind, too: Back in the days before cellphone cameras, a proud husband and father-to-be went to great lengths to set up video equipment in the delivery room to record the birth of his child. The delivery went smoothly, the baby came out healthy, and tears of joy were shed. At the end, the husband realized he had forgotten to turn on the camera. "He was so into his wife and child," Gambrill said with a laugh. Gambrill said seeing the tower torn down is bittersweet. "Basically, a hospital is a real, total slice of life," he said. "All kinds of triumphs, all kinds of tragedies, all kinds of tears, laughter." On Sunday afternoon, construction crews used a high-reach excavator to carefully tear down walls on the south side of the building. The heavy machinery could have doubled for one of the dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park" as it chewed off chunks of wall and chomped through tangled clumps of rebar. Passing motorists slowed to gawk at the activity, and some drivers parked and got out to take pictures and watch. Dimmick Tower sits on county property, and the Board of Commissioners in October approved a nearly $1 million contract with Portland-based Munitor Construction to demolish it. The project is being funded by state grant money and a low-interest loan from the Oregon Business Development Department. The county was exploring alternative uses for the tower, but eventually decided it was too costly to salvage the moldy, water-damaged building, which contains lead and asbestos. Reach Grants Pass Daily Courier reporter Melissa McRobbie at 541-474-3806 or [email protected]     By MELISSA McROBBIE Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By MELISSA McROBBIE Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Dec. 30, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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