Newspaper Page Text
GRIFFIN
DAI LY N EWS
Daily Since 1872
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These Griffin High boosters didn’t seem to mind sitting in the rain at Memorial Stadium last
night to watch the Bears defeat Peachtree 34-14.
■
Retired
controllers
. are probed
ATLANTA (UPI) — The FBI said
Friday a probe was being conducted in
possible fraud by 109 Southeast region
air traffic controllers who retired at 75
per cent of their on-the-job pay.
FBI spokesman Don Cochran said the
* agency initiated the probe “several
weeks ago," but he declined to com
ment on the investigation.
. In published reports earlier this year,
it was revealed an increasing number
of controllers at the Atlanta Air Traffic
Control Center in Hampton were ob
taining certificates that they were
“medically unfit” from local
physicians and retiring after five years
< work on a tax-free salary of about
$25,000 a year.
Federal Aviation Administration
, spokesman Jack Barker said Friday
the retirements cost the taxpayer about
S2O million in 1975. He said the FAA
welcomes the investigation.
“There are some cases that are
suspicious," Barker said. “We hope the
investigation will result in the OWCP
* (Office of Workers Compensation Pro
grams) being administered as it should
be.”
The great escape
Georgians booked for Mexico, Caribbean, Europe
• ATLANTA (UPI) - State travel
agents report bookings are strong for
the upcoming winter vacation season,
- as Georgians seek to escape the winter
doldrums in Mexico, the Caribbean and
Europe.
“We have the best season on the
books right now,” said Carolyn Wills of
Eastern Airlines of the vacation period
which traditionally starts in December
• and runs until April.
Mexico, which Mrs. Wills described
as “so near and yet so far —
. culturally,” has experienced a big
boom in popularity, partly because the
Mexican government recently
devalued the peso, boosting the dollar’s
buying power.
“You’re buying more for your
money,” said Mrs. Wills. Eastern now
• flies two flights a day from Atlanta to
“Church members are like
, children —if they’re too quiet
they’re up to something.”
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Saturday Afternoon, November 27, 1976
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One of the keys to Griffin’s win was stopping Peachtree Quarterback Chris Welton. Griffin
defender moves in here to stop the rugged runner.
Mexico City and schedules weekend
flights to Acapulco.
New resorts have also increased
Mexico’s tourist potential, agents said.
Cancun, a two-year-old beach resort
whose “growing pains are now behind
it,” is attracting Georgians, as well as
Ixtapa on the Pacific, and the better
known Acapulco and Mexico City, said
Larry Goldberg of Rich’s department
store’s travel department.
Caribbean cruises “are real big
here,” said Nora Townsend, an agent at
Davison’s who recently moved from the
northeast. “It’s a one-price deal."
Delta Ar Lines is doing a big “fly-and
sail” business, said Jim Ewing, the
firm’s public affairs director. The
airline flys landlocked tourists to a
seaport to board cruise ships, he said.
While most sunny Caribbean islands
People
...and things
Die hard golfer teeing off in steady
downpour of rain.
Orange colored rain suits brightening
the capacity crowd at Memorial
stadium last night.
Tiny tot, captured by magic of
Christmas tree in downtown store
window, reluctantly leaving scene after
strong urging from her mother.
continue to lure tourists, tourism in
Jamaica, which has been plagued with
political problems and “bad press”, is
down, most agents said.
“They have been having poor press
and they are trying to overcome it,”
Goldberg said.
Even though most Georgians grew up
without seeing much snow, skiing —
and ski resorts — are becoming more
popular. “There are more and more
people who want to go,” Goldberg said.
The famous resorts — Vail and Aspen
in Colorado, and Jackson Hole, Wyo„
SHF
• BF UK*
Vol. 104 No. 282
Griffin’s Bad News Bears
to battle Wheeler next week
for North Georgia crown
Win in mud
Details Page 6.
for instance, are the best known, but
Goldberg said he encourages skiers to
look into new ski areas in Quebec, for
example.
Europe and Hawaii are the lands of
promotional fares and still attract a
high number of tourists, agents said.
Israel — the Holy Land — is another
favorite, said Goldberg.
“This is stricklya seat-of-the-pants
answer, but there seems to be a return
to religion and those who are in the
church want to go to the Holy Land,” he
said.
Leaves
can be
fun
See Page 8.
I'X V
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Parham eyes
Carter team
ATLANTA (UPI) — Department of
Human Resources Commissioner Jim
Parham said Friday he has discussed
the possibility of joining President-elect
Jimmy Carter’s administration with
Carter officials.
But Parham, who said he talked with
Carter transition director Jack Watson,
added that no “specific job or position”
had been discussed. He said if he did
join Carter in Washington, he would
serve in the “same general area” that
he does in state government.
Watson, who is also DHR board
chairman, is considered a prime
candidate for a Carter administration
post, and the departure of both he and
Parham would signal major leadership
changes in the state largest agency —
the centerpiece of Carter’s 1972 govern
ment reorganization.
Recently, some state legislators have
expressed disatisfaction with the
performance of DHR, even advocating
that it broke up into its original
components. Carter’s reorganization
created the DHR out of the health,
welfare and vocational rehabilitation
departments.
But Parham said in an interview that
the discontent legislators may change
their views after Gov. George Busbee
announces further changes in the
department’s structure.
Busbee’s legislative authority to
reorganize the DHR expires at the end
of the year. He has already used that
authority to establish the Department
of Medical Services, which will start
operation Dec. 15 to handle the state’s
$329 million Medicaid program.
“The governor hasn’t finished yet. He
will make some more announcements. I
don’t know what they (legislative
Fishing report
The Department of Natural Resources’ fishing forecast
for the week of Nov. 28-Dec. 4 includes:
HIGH FALLS: Normal, clear. No activity due to
weather.
JACKSON: Down, clear. No activity due to weather.
SINCLAIR: Up, slightly stained. Catching a few bass;
good for striped bass and crappie.
critics) plan to do after that,” Parham
said.
But Parham said further changes to
be made by Busbee would probably not
be as sweeping as was the creation of
the new Medicaid department.
Busbee already must fill several
vacancies on the DHR board. And
Parham said he expects within two
weeks to name a sucessor to former
deputy commissioner David Evans,
who recently became corrections
commissioner.
Parham said “some feel it would be
better to make it into smaller units” but
that the DHR was a “good idea. I think
it’s worked well.”
He said despite “some sentiment” in
favor of breaking up his department, “I
think it has some very good advantages
if it receives an objective evaluation.”
He said “the trend over the country
has been more consolidation of smaller
state agencies into larger structures”
and said at 25 to 26 states have made
similar moves.
Quake toll
surpasses
4,000 mark
VAN, Turkey (UPI) — The death toll
in Turkey’s worst earthquake in 37
years officially surpassed 4,000 today
with rescue teams fighting blizzards
and landslides to reach reach dozens of
remote villages presumed devastated.
Weather
ESTIMATED HIGH TODAY 68, low
today 56, high yesterday 65, low
yesterday 45, high tomorrow in low 60s,
low tonight In mid 50s.
FORECAST: Occasional periods of
rain likely tonight and tomorrow.
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DAYS TO
CHRISTMAS