Newspaper Page Text
Now Circulated Throughout The County
VOLUMN 2
FROM THIS CORNER
The Forest Park News Has lts First Birthday;
Looks Forward To Better Paper Second Year
With this issue of the Forest Park News we have our first
birthday and begin our second year of publication.
It was on the evening of May 3, 1955 that our first issue
rolled off the presses and o year ago this Friday, on May 4, 1955,
that associate editor Ed LaChapelle and | started, early in the
morning to distribute that first issue. That afternoon, when
school let out for the day, a small crew of boys started distributing
the paper over the city and we weré€ in business.
7 I recall well that it was a bright, warm day,
| and we were heartened by the perfection of a
‘| day in Spring. We had feared a rainy day, which
! would have made distribution” difficult, and in
. the beginning of anything, all factors are often
! critical ones.
| To me, having spent three years flying during
| World War Two, getting the paper started was
like the takeoff of an airplane. There is a time
I during takeoff when all factors are critical, and
often if anything serious goes wrong, you do
about it,
R ,:':'
not live to tell
Anyone who has ever started a newspaper knows it is not an
easy job. It is much less difficult to start most any other form of
small business. If it were not, there would probably be more
newspapers. ;
Yet, good fortune was with us, and from the beginning we
were blessed with the support of advertisers and readers. Without
both a .paper cannot long exist for it is an expensive business.
(The “experts” confidently predicted we would last from six
to 12 issues.)
For that support we shall always be grateful. We shall be
grateful with the feeling of one who has been helped in a sitva
tion which could have been disasterous. When you are helped like
that you do not forget.
* * * % ”
It does not seem improper to relate at this time that in order
to start the Forest Park News this writer had to take more than
the usual risk since | lacked the necessary capital to start o
newspaper. On top of one mortgage on the only home | have
ever had, | added another. Additionally | pledged just about
everything personal | owned, committed every cent of available
cash, and then went out and borrowed, personally, without col
lateral, (much without interest) from citizens who had faith in
what we of the Forest Park News wanted to do, and who had
faith in the future of Clayton County.
Thus, on a shoestring, though it proved to be a stout one
we started publication, knowing fuii well that our expenses would
run in excess of SIOOO a month. This meant we had to sell that
amount of advertising if we were to reach the break even point,
to say nothing of providing @ meal or so a day.
But with the help of many, and | must not forget He who is
above us, it was done.
For a long time | have debated whether or not it would be
wise to list the particular advertisers, supporters, staff members
and readers who were most heipful. | certainly would like *o. But
for fear of missing e single one, | shall put this desire oside.
For the advertisers, it seems sufficient to say that their sup
port is part of the permanent racord of our first year’s issuves. To
all the many others, | can only say that your contribution shall
not be forgotien. |
* % Wi R j
The period of getting started . . . of "taking off” lasted o
full five months. From the beginning of May until the end of‘
September. These were the highly critical times, when the aver
age hours | spent on the paper hovered around 90 per week{
and the paper was (on the average for the five months) just
at the break even point as far as expenses compared with re
venue is concerned.
Once | reported in this column that my average income was
around 50 cents an hour during those months, and it was se, in
sharp contrast to the $3-$5 per hour | had earned only months
earlier.
This was the time so try one’s soul, yet my philosophy was
that when you have a lion by the tail the worst thing you can
possibly do is let go. If you don't let go, the odds are that the lion
won't eat you. And he just might respond to your efforts.
Thus it was with the lion which was the Forest Park News,
which, among other thing, demanded that he be fed each week;
(to the tune of . S2OO in cash) if we were to continue. |
During this time we held fast to our conviction that Forest
Park and Clayton County had a great future ahead, and that our
humble efforis at newspapering were answering a need.
And so, in October of last year, the books began to show «
reflection of our efforts.
* * * * *
Yet the hours have not been shorter for us, for in appreciatio
for your support we have continually tried to improve our product
It might be said that the main change which occurred last Octobe
was the fact that we could look forward to our next issue with
reasonable degree of assurance that we would have the where
with-all to pay the expenses.
However, in speaking about hours, we do plan to take
short vgcation within the next month or so, feeling that after
straight year of not missing an issue, we would be able to pro
duce a better paper in the future if we did suspend publicatio
for one week of rest.
Notice of our intention to do this will ba published the wee
before, and we hope that our many advertisers and readers wil
bear with us that week. We regret that it is necessary to miss eve
one issue, but with a small staff and only one person to do each
iob, if any one of us takes a week off we cannot publish an
issue. So it seems best that we all take a week at the same time.
* * * * *
We face our second year anticipating that we will be able t
provide a better paper than in the past. This is our only way of
showing our appreciation for past support. For support which we
shall strive hard to merit in the future,
Your suggestions will be appreciated as mych in the future
as they have been in the past. They have helped to make the
Forest Park News a better paper, we feel, and will make it a
better paper in the futyre.
* * * * *
From myself and the members of our staff, including our
esteemed delivery boys, whose contribution to the success of the
News has been great, we offer to each of You, our advertisers and
;::ders, our warm and heartfelt thanks for your support during
past, our first year.
We restate, at this time, the underlying principal i
we founded the News, and published ‘tyhegpzper fF:,c:- : ';.:::.Nhuh
We ask you to remember, as we shall always reme;nber
tl':uf this ideOUR Paper, not ours, that we are here to serve YOU,
that your desires in the future, as the : .
are otnr instructions. "ey have been in the past,
_ And, in closing, to restate « very important po;
like 1o say, from all of us, to all of you, THANK Yot ™" | Would
The Forest Park News
If yeu live anywhere in Clayton County outside of Forest Park you may
receive a copy of the Forest Park News in the mail each week at no charge.
See and fill out the coupon at bottom of this page. ——THE EDITOR
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF CLAY
TON COUNTY SAVINGS AND LOAN AS
SOCIATION pesed for this photograph in
front of the Association’s headguarters on
the occasion of the open house Saturday,
FIRST HAND INFORMATION ON TELEPHONE CHANGES which
are scheduled for May 20 are here being received by Principal
Robert I. English, of Forest Park Schools. Mrs. Hazel Hili (left)
and Mrs. Betty Donnegan, (right) representatives of Southern
Bell Telephone Company acquaint Mr. English with the scheduled
“2-5” telephone number changes. ‘ :
.
Local Children Learn
About Bell Telephone
o
Dial Changes May 20
Forest Park school children as
well as those in other schools in
Clayton County and the Atlanta ar
ea are learning all about the 71,000
telephone numbers in eight cen
tral ofices to change on May 20.
A group of attractive young lad
ies from the Southern Bell Tel
phone Company are visiting each
school with an educational pro
gram about the changes.
With the aid of an informative
For And About The Citizens Os Forest Park
With One Page Devoted To County News
FOREST PARK, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1956
April 21. They are, left to right: George
M. Kilpatrick, treasurer; Robert G. Hicklin,
director; Freemen E. Groover, vice presi
dent; Alan O. Kemper, vice presideni;
Edwin S. Kemp, secretary; Grady L. Lind
sey, vice president and Needham B. Bate-
film strip in color, school child
ren are told about the new system
and why the changes are neces
sary.
| Grade boys and girls are given
a comic style booklet on ‘Safe
Dialing.” High school students are
given a more advanced booklet a
i bout the changes.
: Both booklets contain the follow
{ing central office changes which
‘ take place Sunday, May 20, at 2:01
'a.m.: VErnon will change to TR
| inity 2; Atwood to Trinity 4; EM
erson to TRinity 5; ELgin to TR
’inity 6; CYpress to JAckson 3;
;LAmar to Jackson 4; ALpine to
iJAckson 5 and Dlxie to MArket
7.
Forest Park Posts a 4
And 3 Record for Season
The Forest Park Panther High
School baseball team, coached by
Al Patterson, finished the season
in the top half of the league with
a four wins, three losses record.
The Panther team took the field
this year with a big pitching handi
cap which hurt their chances,
They had only one pitcher, work
horse Douglas Knowles, who ac
counted for all four victories and
was charged with two of the
losses,
Fayetts County handed him his
first defeat in a close 9 to 8
game and his second sethack came
at the hands of league-champion
Jackson.
Knowles pitched one-hitter dur
ing the season and racked up 62
strikeouts, and average of almost
nine per game.
He also helped his own cause a
number of times as he posted a
| .320 batting average which was
| third among the regulars. Danny
’I-I;mos_. first-basemen-pitcher, suf-
Ifered the other defeat.
| Catcher Bobby Witchell led the
| team batting with a fine .375 aver
| age. He was followed by ouifielder
Donald Cook with .354. Third was
Knowles and fourth was thirdsack
er Billy Bunn with .264.
The Panthers will lose seven men
from this year’s team byway of
graduation, they include Mitchell,
Knowles, outfielders Billy Williams,
Herman Smith, and Larry Watkins,
Continued On Page 2
Jaycees Sponsored Road-E-O To Be Held
This Saturday At Jones Memorial At 10
man, M. D., president. Herman E. Tal
madge, a director, was unable to attend
the open honse dne to an out-of-town speak
ing engagement. News staff photo by La-
Chapelle.
A CLOSER COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP was
the theme of a meeting of the Junior Chamber of
Commerce of Forest Park held at the Non Com
missioned Officers Mess at the Atlanta General
Depot recently. Among those at the speakers table
for the meeting were, left to right: Mr, and Mrs,
John Simmons (Mr, Simmons is vice president
of the ¥. P, Jaycees); Mr, and Mrs__ Seth Young
blood (Mr. Youngblood is president of the F. P,
IForest Park Juycees
‘Meet at General Depot
! The closely-knit relationship be
|tween the Atlanta General Depot
’;md the citizens of Forest Park
was stressed last Tuesday night
when the Forest Park Jaycees met
at the Atlanta General Depot.
The dinner meeting, held at the
Non-Commissioned Officers Open
Mess, was arranged by M-Sgt.
G. W. King and SFC B. E. Hamp
on, NCO Club Manager.
Colonel Webster L. Simons, CE,
epresented the Depot commander,
rig. Gen. J. R. Ranck. Col Sim
ons welcomed the group and ex
ressed his personal appreciation
at the large audience.
“It is gratifying to see that there
re so many in our immediate com
unity who are interested in our
‘ork here at the Depot,” said Col.
immons.
It is a happy relationship which
xists between Forest 'Park citi
ens and Depot personnel. For Gen
ral Ranck and for myself I want
express appreciation to each one
f you for your interest and your
support,”” he said.
Seth Youngblood, Jaycee Presi
ent, responded by saying that
Depot miiitary and civilian person
nel have meant much to the city
of Forest Park.
“Capt. Claude Wilson, now trans
ferred from the Depot, was active
Largest Circulation In Clayton Couniy
The search for the champion
teen-age driver of Forest Park got
under way last week. The first test,
the written exam, of ine Jaycee
sponsored Teen-Age Road-E-O was
held last week at the Forest Park
High School by A. L. *Pat”’ Pat
terson. |
:
Sixty-five students took the exam
and the twenty-five high scorers
were selected as finalists. Five
others were selected to act as stand
bys. The exam was made up of
general questions on driving cour
tesy, sa,fety rules and knowledge of
highway signs, This exam is stand
ard for Teen-Age Road-E-O contes
tants and is used nationwide.
The finals will be held Saturday
May 5 at 10 a.m. at the Jones
Memorial First '"Methodist Church
on Georgia Avenue. This test will
be made up of four parts: three
obstacle tests in which the driver
must drive through and around the
obstacles; and parallel parking.
Awards will be given to the three
highest scorers. The winner here
will go to the State Finals to be
held May 26 at Marietta, The win
ner of the State Finals will then
be awarded and all-expense paid
trip to Washington, D. C. to com
pete in the National finals.
Three thousand dollars in schol
arships will be awarded to the
top three Road-E-O contestants
there.
Autos for the finals are being
donated by the Martin Burks Mo
tor Co., of Jonesboro and the
Ernest G, Beaudry Co., of Atlanta.
Jaycees are pleased with the re
sponse shown so far and invite
everyone to ccme out and watch
the younger citizens demonstrate
their driving skill.
Remember, Saturday May 5 at
10 a.m. at the Jones Memorial
First Methodist Church on Georgia
Avenue.
Jaycees), Col. Webster L, Simon (who represent
ed Brig. Gen. J. R. Ranck, the Depot Commander,
with Mrs, Simon, and Capt, Franx B, Seidler,
commanding officer of one of the AGD units,
Meeting was attended by most members of the
Forest Park Jaycees. (See story). Official U. S.
Army Photo by W, Lindsey of the Communica
tions Branch Photo Lab., AGD,
in chartering our club,” Mr. Young
blood stated. ‘‘He also served on
our board of directors and in oth-i
er capacities.” |
““We are fortunate now to havci
in our club M-Sgt. G. W. King,i
who is doing a terrific job. He |
does a gréeat job in civic affairs
in our community. We want to |
pause tonight in tribute to Sgt.
King ‘and also to Lt. White. Al- |
though with us a short time, Lt. |
White already is actively engaged |
in wcerking for the betterment of |
our community. To both these fine ’
men Wwe express our apprecia
tion.”” |
SFC. William K. Roberts, TIKE
Continued On Page 2 [
County Residents May Receive A Copy Os - l
The Forest Park News Each Week In Mail |
o . ‘ ’ i
Without Charge. Fill Out Below Coupon ,
If you would like to receive a copy of the Forest i
Park News in the mail each week without charge we
will be pleased to enter your name on our mailing list |
upon receipt of the below coupon. Fill out coupon be
low (please print clip along broken lines) and mail to' us.
(Paste on the back of o postcard if you like.) We will
add your name to our mailing list immediately. e
I-Edfir -— ee e——— e L e™S-—.- -— —— '_|> “‘
The Forest Park News
| P. 0. Box 21. Forest Park, Ga. 44
Dear Sir: Please place the undersigned on your mailing
| list to receive future copies of the Forest Park News. I under- l
stand that I will receive the News in the mail each week free
| of charge and without any obligation whatsoever., I ;
1 (PLEASE PRINT) ; &| :
| B o
PUIBERT .. ....aaliasiger Coe 1
Y 00l
MWW‘_‘_‘-------" "l g
! T e
A SCHOLARSHIP!
4; 2 7
= i
.¥ 2 1 3
NNT &
;.\‘N‘M/
N v
! N
S EB LD
ROADE-Q
"l . ;
X-Ray Clinic Planned
For Next Monday, No
Charge For Chest X-Rays
An X-Ray clinic for citizens of
Clayton County will be held at the
Forest Park School gymnasium
next '"Mlonday (May 7) the News
has been informed.
The clinic will be for all per
sons twelve years old and up.
Time of the clinic has been set
at from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
No appointments are necessary
for the clinic which is sponsored
by State and County health offi
cials, according to Mrs. Myra Du
mas Cole, Clayton County Health
nurse. Chest X-rays will be given
without charge, Mrs. Cole said.
e e e ,*_l__._‘_
Forest Park’s First
°
Flower Show Friday
From 3:00 to 8:00 P.M.
The first Flower Show ever held
in Forest Park will be at the
Youth Center from 3 p. m, to 8
p. m. this Friday (May 4th,) The
admission is Free,
Co-sponsoring the show are the
three garden clubs of Forest Park
under the chairmanship of Mrs,
Frederick Lee.
It promises to be an outstand
ing event for Forest Park so be
sure to attend.
NUMBER 1