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VENIN Vs
By Quimby Melton
Weekend Notes:
Sunday was "Groundhog Day”
in Punxsutawney, Pa.
And according to the Punxsut
awney Groundhog Club there
will be six more weeks of winter.
For members of the club report
that when they went to Gobbler's
Knob Sunday morning, they saw
the groundhog stick his nose out
of a hole, take one look and see
ing his shadow pull back into hy
bernation for another six weeks.
We hesitated to write anyth
ing about this annual groundhog
event for we didn’t know if we
would spell Punxsutawney cor
rectly, and those who make up
the Punxsutawney Groundh o g
Club are jealous of the part they
play in predicting the weather,
and since there are other com
munities that claim to be the
home of the original Groundhog
Club, we didn’t want to get in
volved in any arguments.
Discussing the spelling of Pun
xsutawney with a collegue and
his only comment was "one who
knows how to spell Chepultipec,
Alabama, should not shy away
from an easy word like Punx
sutawney.” That stopped us up
short; for it so happens Good
Evening was born in Chepulti
pec, Alabama, and even to this
day he is not absolutely certain
how to spell the name of that
small town, and since there was
so much confusion in days gone
by as to how to spell it and the
name was changed to Allgood,
there is no way to verify the cor
rect spelling.
But so much for the Ground
hog, Punxsutawney, and Chepul
tipec. If the next six weeks are
to be anything like the month of
January —the weather will be
far from pleasant.
During the month just ended
there were but ten days that the
sun shone. It was a dark, wet,
foggy and a cold, cold month.
— ♦ —
Last week saw several things
happen.
Only last week there was a
change in the setup of the Grif
fin Circuit, Superior Court. Jud
ge McGehee resigned and Grif
finite Andrew Whalen was ap
pointed and sworn in as the new
judge of the four-county circuit.
Col. Claude Christopher was na
med to succeed Judge Whalen as
district attorney. The first ses
sion of the circuit for 1969 open
ed this morning with Judge
Whalen presiding. District Attor
ney Claude Christopher meeting
With the Grand Jury (Herbert
Bolton is foreman) and veteran
Clerk of the Court Frank Lind
sey at his desk.
The month of January was a
banner month for building here,
and if the rest of the year keeps
pace with January there will be
some Six-Million-Dollars worth
of new homes and business and
Industrial buildings built, enlar
ged or improved in the city al
one. The $500,000 permits issu
ed in January were for the city
and did not include any per
mits for the county.
Last week saw the total num
ber of hijacked airplanes reach
the total of eleven for the mon
th. That is American planes, and
on one day there was a "double
header" hi-jacking.
Everyone agrees that this hi
jacking should be stopped.
But how? is the question; and
there seems to be no one with a
fool proof, effective way to do
60.
Someone has suggested that
the Nixon administration “re
cognize Castro and Cuba and
"resume” relations with this
country. No doubt such would
please Fidel Castro. To resume
"relations” would open the way
for all sorts of "aid” — loans
and even direct grants.
Talk about a Pandora box.
Such a move would "take the
cake” in this respect.
Pandora, according to Greek
mythology, was one of the most
beautiful women who ever lived
and possessed all the graces one
could possess. She married Epi
methieus, so the story goes, and
when taken to his home was
given many gifts including a
beautiful box, which she was
borbidden to ever open. But
curoristy got the best of her and
she opened it and out flew all
the evils of the world. The only
good thing left in the box was
"hope”.
And who can have any "hope
when dealing with a despot
like Fidel Castro.
t
Ex-Griffinite Dies In Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Arnold But
ler, former Griffinite, died in an
Augusta hospital early Satur
day morning after being beaten
and stabbed on the Ft. Gordon
military reservation.
The FBI was investigating.
Military Police reported find
ing the former Griffin taxi dri
ver. They took him first to the
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Judge Andrew Whalen Jr.
Whalen Praises McGehee;
Commends Christopher As DA'
In his first charge to a grand
jury Judge Andrew Whalen Jr.
today praised his predecessor,
Judge Emeritus John H. Mc-
Gehee of Thomaston as a man
who had the "absolute respect
of all the people” in the Griffin
Judicial Circuit.
He also commended the new
District Attorney Claude Chris
topher of Griffin as a man of ab
ility, integrity and devotion.
Judge Whalen said the circuit
was fortunate to have the servi
ces of such a man.
Judge Whalen succeeded Jud
ge McGehee and Mr. Christoph
er succeeded Mr. Whalen, the
previous district attorney.
Both men were performing
their new duties for the first
time in court this morning as the
term began.
Only grand jurors reported for
duty, since no civil session of
court is scheduled this term.
The criminal session will open
next Monday morning.
Judge Whalen called on Dr.
Train-Truck Wreck
Kills Hi-Year-Old Boy
A 16-year-old Bmarr boy be
came the ninth fatality of the
year in the five county area co
vered by the Griffin Post of the
Georgia State Patrol Saturday
night when the pick-up truck he
was driving was struck by the
Nancy Hawks passenger train
in Forsyth.
Charles Johnson was dead on
arrival at the Monroe County
Hospital.
A State Patrol report said the
pick-up truck was in three pie
ces after the collision. One part
of the truck was on the youth’s
body. He died of massive Injur
ies.
The report said he was travel
ing south on U. S. 23-Georgia
42-Georgla 83 (Lee street) in
Forsyth. The train also was tra
veling south.
The fatality was the second of
the weekend and fifth of the
year in Monroe County.
A Jackson man burned to
death Friday afternoon when
the car he was driving ran out
of control and overturned on a
Monroe County highway.
Three men were killed in Jan
uary when their car ran into a
gravel truck on Georgia 87 near
Juliette.
Other fatalities in the area in
clude three people in Henry Co
unty wrecks and a Griffin wo
man who was struck by a car as
she walked along North Hill st
reet extension.
DAILY
Daily Since 1872
base hospital and then to an Au
gusta hospital.
Reports Indicated he told inves
tigators he had picked up three
passengers.
He was a taxi driver in Augus
ta.
Funeral services were held
this afternoon at the Crawford
Avenue Baptist Church in Au
gusta at 3 o’clock.
Delma Hagood, pastor of the
Griffin First Methodist Church,
to open the term of court with
prayer. Judge Whalen is a mem
ber of the church and has ser
ved on the official board and in
other capacities at the church.
Commending Mr. Christopher
as the new district attorney,
Judge Whalen said of him:
"There is no finer man in the
world”.
Turning to Judge McGehee’s
record on the bench, Judge Wha
len thanked him for his service
to the people of the circuit.
He said the Thomaston jurist
had reflected credit upon the
civil and criminal courts of the
circuit and as a judge he was a
man "without equal.”
He said the judge was a man
"unique in the field of public
service,” and he would be miss
ed.
Judge McGehee was not in co
urt this morning for the opening
session. However, he was expec
ted to be on hand this afternoon
Girl Suffers
Cut On Lip
In Bus Wreck
One of three sisters suffered •
cut on her lip this morning when
two school buses collided at
Knox and Experiment streets.
The three children were the
first to board the Sacred Heart
School bus in Experiment. The
injured child was not identified
by Griffin Police officers.
An officer said a bus driven by
Alfred F. Perdue was entering
Experiment street when the bra
kes failed. The bus ran across
the street and into the Sacred
Heart bus, police said.
The Sacred Heart bus was be
ing driven by Emory Smith.
The officer said the right fr
ont of the bus driven by Perdue
struck the left front of the bus
driven by Smith.
No children were aboard the
Perdue bus. It was owned by
the Griffin-Spalding School sys
tem.
The Sacred Heart bus had
made one stop in Experiment
and had picked up the three sis
ters. They were the only passen
gers.
Damage to the two buses was
estimated at SI,BOO.
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Monday, February 3, 1969
Assembly Crossfire
Hits School Budget
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I girX”
Col. Claude Christopher, D. A.
at 2 o’clock for a special tribute
and presentation of his portrait
to the court.
The grand jurors elected Her
bert Bolton, Griffin business
man, as foreman. He is the
brother of Arthur Bolton of Grif
fin, who is the state’s solicitor
general.
Judge Whalen outlined the
duties of the grand jury in his
charge. He asked them to ap
point two members to the Spald
ing Health Board for six-y ear
terms. Dr. George Walker, chair
man, and Joe Dutton, city com
missioner, have completed
terms, Judge Whalen said.
Judge Whalen also asked the
jurors to recommend six per
sons to the Spalding Board of
Registrars for four year terms.
From the six, Judge Whalen
will pick three.
He also called for appointment
of a successor to fill the office
of justice of the peace in the
1069 district, now held by W. S.
Brewster.
Bloodmobile
Here Tuesday
The Red Cross bloodmobile
will be in Griffin Tuesday for
its first 1969 visit here.
Headquarters wiill be set
up at the Cheatham building of
the First Baptist Church from 11
a.m. till 5 p.m.
Officials of the program hope
several hundred pints of blood
will be donated. They have po
inted out that this area has
been using more blood than it
has been putting into the pro
gram and needs to catch up with
the deficit.
Lee Roy Claxton is chairman,
and Lin Thompson is co-chair
man of the blood program here.
Country Parson
MB'IUR *■* x.
"Blunt remarks are made by
folks with sharp tongues.”
Copyright 1969, by Frank A. Clark
GRIFFIN
NEWS
Proposal
Increases
$29-Million
By CHARLES S. TAYLOR
ATLANTA (UPD—The State
Board of Education laid its
whopping $402,791,389 spending
proposal for the next fiscal
year before the economy
minded legislature today and
immediately ran into a cross
fire of questions.
The budget is by far the larg
est of the state departments.
The House and Senate Appro
priations committees planned to
spend the entire day and half
of Tuesday on it.
Wilson Wilkes, budget direc
tor, said the school budget pro
posal represented a $29 million
increase over the Education De
partment’s current spending
level.
He outlined a need for 1,723
additional teachers to take care
of an expected increase in
statewide enrollment of 15,000
and to handle a planned reduc
tion in the pupil-teacher ratio.
Wilkes was frequently inter
rupted by questions from mem
bers and from House Appropri
ations Chairman James "Slop
py” Floyd and his Senate coun
terpart, Lamar Plunkett.
Wilkes said the state would
need 777 new teachers for the
expected increase in pupils and
another 946 to reduce the pupil
teacher ratio in elementary
grades from 28-1 to 25-1, Wilkes
also said the state was short by
324 teachers as of Jan. 1.
Rep. Arthur Funk of Savan
nah questioned Wilkes about
the need for additional class
rooms and the new teachers to
reduce the pupil-teacher ratio.
"I don’t know when this is
going to stop,” Funk told
Wilkes in reference to reducing
the ratio. "Someday it’s going
to be 25 teachers for each kid.”
The Senate as already passed
a bill which would place the
pupil-teacher ratio at 25-1 when
funds are available.
Wilkes said the proposed bud
get would increase local sup
port of schools to $71.5 million in
the next fiscal year, a $7 mil
lion increase. Local support
would go to S7B million in fis
cal 1970-71.
State School Supt. Jack P.
Nix, in remarks prepared for
the hearings, said his depart
ment was presenting a “sound
program stripped of frills and
efficiently planned.” He said of
all the state funds, 96 per cent
“will go back into your schools
and school systems in the form
of grants.”
Jaycee DSA
Nominations
Due Thursday
The Griffin Jaycees will have
their annual "Distinguished Ser
vice Award” banquet Monday
night, Feb. 10, at the Moose
Club.
The "Distinguished Service
Award” will be presented to a
man between the ages of 21 and
36 who has given distinguished
service to the community in 1968.
Te deadline for nominations
for the award is Thursday at
midnight.
Nomination forms are avail
able at The Bank of Griffin,
Commercial Bank and Trust Co.,
First National Bank of Griffin,
the Griffin Area Chamber of
Commerce or Ed Dingier, chair
man, 74 Terracedale court.
The Jaycees also will have
their annual Bosses Night and
Past Presidents night on the
same evening.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Fair and much cold
er with frost and freezing to
night. Tuesday mostly fair and
rather cold.
LOCAL WEATHER — Esti
mated high today 60, low today
40, high Sunday 67, low Sunday
58, rainfall 1.02 inches; sunrise
Tuesday 7:32, sunset Tuesday
6:15.
Vol. 96 No. 28
rjSfe. -a
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Ft , ' y < ' S * , .*• Z
(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Fulton Sen. Jack L. Stephens and Gov. Maddox eat barbecue on hood of state
patrol car at Boys’ Ranch.
Gov. Maddox Supports
Boys’ Ranch Development
By BILL KNIGHT
HAHIRA, Ga. — More than
2,000 people heard Gov. Lester
Maddox offer the support of the
governor’s office to the Georgia
Sheriffs’ Association in its Boys’
Ranch project here Sunday af
ternoon.
The governor was the princi
pal speaker at the dedication of
several new buildings at the
Boys’ Ranch.
Spalding Sheriff Dwayne Gil
bert who is president of the
Sheriff’s Association introduced
special guests and served as
master of ceremonies held on the
400-acre ranch.
“I brought a little money to
day but I am going home and
see if Virginia (his wife) and
I can get up a little more,”
Gov. Maddox told the audience,
seated in folding chairs in a bri
ght sunshine on the ranch gr
ounds.
He said he, as governor, would
do all he could to help with de
velopment of the ranch and pre
dicted that future governors
would do the same.
The ranch is supported entire
ly by donations from individuals
and private foundations.
"I don’t believe you’ll find a
boy who has spent a few years
here spitting on the American
flag and burning his draft card,”
Gov. Maddox said. The crowd
applauded.
78 Passengers Aboard
Latest Hijacked Plane
MIAMI (UPD—An Eastern
Air Lines Boeing 727 carrying
78 passengers and a crew of
seven was hijacked north of
Jacksonville, Fla., today and
ordered to Cuba, the Federal
Aviation Agency reported.
“Looks like we are going
south of Miami today,” the
Federal Aviation Agency quoted
the pilot in reporting the ninth
hijacking of an American
airliner this year.
The FAA reported the plane
had been en route from Newark
to Miami and that it was
hijacked about 10:45 a.m. EST,
about 90 miles east of
Charleston, S.C.
The report said the pilot was
in radio contact with the FAA
"'*■■■ w ' : ‘ v ' ‘VV •■w
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Sheriff Gilbert conducts
dedication.
control center in Jacksonville at
the time.
There was no indication
whether the hijacking involved
one or more persons.
It was the 12th hijacking of
the year. Three of the
hijackings have involved foreign
aircraft.
Eastern identified the crew
members of the hijacked flight
as Capt. Jack W. Moore, co
pilot Lowell R. Miller, second
officer Fred Weaver, all of New
York, and stewardesses Linda
Davidson, Vicky Hassell and
Margaret L. Bolton, all of
Miami.
Many sheriff’s from all over
the state along with state sena
and other officials were in the
audience.
James A. (Bud) Cody, admin
istrator of the home, told of
plans to develop the ranch into
one with a capacity of 140 boys.
It now has more than 50 boys
and is expected to be Increased
to about 70 with the new facili
ties dedicated Sunday.
Two brothers from Spalding
are there now.
Cody said the long range pro
gram would cost two million dol
lars and take nine to 15 years to
develop. Gov. Maddox challen
ged Georgians to help the Sher
iff’s Association reach the goal
more quickly.
Flynt Langford and his family
were among the guests from Gr
iffin attending. Langford is exe
cutive secretary of the Peace
Officers and Sheriff’s Associa
tion’s retirement funds admin
istered from the Griffin office.
Legionnaire Jimmy Seay of
Griffin attended. The American
Legion has been interested in de
velopment of the ranch.
Sheriff Gilbert’s wife, son and
daughter also were among the
Griffinites attending as well as
as Mrs. Lila Mae Henderson,
Griffin elementary school tea
cher who is an honorary mem
ber of the Sheriff’s Association
and a supporter of the home.
Nixon Plans
‘Working Trip’
WASHINGTON (UPD—
President Nixon is making
tentative plans for a “working
trip” to Western Europe,
probably within 60 days, the
White House said today.
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