That magic number  By GORDON D. FIEDLER JR. Salina Journal |
Sunday, February 17, 2013 8:50 AM  Without the gift of prophesy,
predicting the future can lead to miscalculations of this
magnitude:  "A city of 80,000 persons and a surge to the south
and east. That's Salina, circa 1986, as envisioned by Stanford
University education consultants. The estimate of Salina's
population is contained in the Stanford report on Salina's
school situation submitted to the board of education. The
consultants who drew up the report see a bright future for
Salina. 'The city of Salina ... has every right to be optimistic
about the future,' the report stated. 'Proposed highway
development, increased war defense activity, stimulated economic
activity and continued residential development combine to ensure
a continuance of the existing growth pattern ... .' "  Salina
Journal subscribers who read that gem on Dec. 28, 1961, had
every reason to be optimistic. A fourth of Salina's population
of more than 43,000 were billeted at Schill