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Weather
ESTIMATED HIGH TODAY 40, low
today 34, high yesterday 60, low
yesterday 25, high tomorrow in upper
20s, low tonight near eight.
FORECAST: Clear, windy and much
colder tonight. Sunny and very cold
tomorrow.
Griffiiiite building lightest copter
Roy Smith, who might be classified
as of the Wright brothers’ vintage, is
constructing the world’s lightest
helicopter.
Tucked away in his workshop on
Teamon road, the helicopter, begun
during the summer of ’75, is still in the
preliminary stages of construction.
When Smith conceived the idea of
building the world’s lightest helicopter,
his only knowledge of them was what he
learned while serving with the First Air
Calvary as an infantryman in Vietnam.
“Officially, I’ve never flown one,” he
said, “but since I got back from Viet
nam, I’ve lived off of one idea — if the
Good Lord got me through that mess,
He can get me through anything."
With blind faith and determination,
Smith set out to leam all that he could
about helicopters. “I’ve talked to
people, organizations, read books,
magazines, pamphlets and anything
else I could get my hands on,” he ex
plained.
18 paralysis cases
reported in state
ATLANTA (UPI) — A state health
official said Thursday 18 cases of the
paralyzing Guillain-Barre Syndrome
have been reported across the state, but
no one has died from the disease in
Georgia.
Dr. Charles Mosher, head of the
state’s swine flu program, said half of
victims — nine — had received swine
flu inoculations.
Federal health officials suspended
the nationwide swine flu immunization
175 pints
of blood
donated
The Blloodmobile, sponsored by the
Griffin Life Underwriters, received 175
pints of the 250 expected yesterday.
Blood program officials thought the
turnout was good for this time of year.
Some Griffin people are skipping New Year’s resolutions
A Griffin Daily News staff member
this week talked with Griffinites about
New Year’s resolutions and found that
many will not make any because “they
are too hard to keep.”
However, some people still enjoy the
tradition and try to stick to their
resolutions.
dr
Rosalind Garland
GRIFFIN
Daily Since 1872
“From what I’ve learned, the
smallest helicopter in existance weighs
738 pounds,” he said. “So far, mine
weighs approximately 20 pounds.”
When he’s finished, Smith expects his
helicopter will have a ceiling limit of
approximately 5,000 feet and a
maximum flying distance of 200 miles.
He hasn’t determined what the craft’s
maximum speed will be because he
hasn't decided what type of engine he
will put on it.
“I haven’t set a deadline on the
completion of it,” he said. “I’m taking
my time so that I can take advantage of
good buys on materials and accumulate
more knowledge. I may be an old man
before I’m through!”
Answering the most obvious question
— Why? — Smith said, “I like a
challenge in anything that I do; I guess
I’ve been that way all my life.”
The proprietor of the Country Cloth
Shop, Smith comes from a family of
mechanically oriented men. His father,
program Wednesday because of
“significant evidence” the shots may
be linked to the paralytic disease, also
known as French polio.
At least 496 cases of Guillainßarre
have been reported nationwide and
there was a “significantly higher” rate
of paralysis among those vaccinated
against flu compared to those not
vaccinated, federal officials concluded.
Another state health official, Dr.
John E. McCroan, of the Department of
Human Resources epidemiology
section, claimed he only knew of 10
Guillain-Barre cases in Georgia. Seven
of the 10 victims he knew about had
received the swine flu vaccine, he said.
He said the Georgia sampling was too
small to draw any conclusion (about the
relationship of the vaccine to Guillain-
Barre) and that “we don’t have enough
data nationally to be sure.”
But, “you can’t say for sure that
Guillain-Barre is completely in
dependent of flu shots,” he said.
Cheryal Evans of 116 Bobolink drive
doesn’t really make resolutions but
tries to do things better. “I want to do
everything a little better,” she said. “I
plan to exercise more and do more
physical things, and also try to be more
organized,” she added.
Money was a main interest in some
resolutions.
Butch Dixon
All 9 ’° A 41
Vwr *
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Friday Afternoon, December 31,1976
C. I. Smith, was an auto mechanic
before he retired and his brother, Glenn
Smith, tends to aircraft in the Air Force
as a staff sergeant.
The helicopter project, as one might
expect, is not the only mechanical
tinkering that Smith has become in
volved with. He built a four-wheeled
cart with front and rear suspensions
and spoked wheels in days so that he
could test an engine that he was
planning to buy.
Smith also has plans to built a house
equipped with wind generators and
heated with solar energy. “I hope to
achieve 70 percent independence of
commercial energy,” he said.
His wife, Jane, is not so concerned
about most of Smith’s ideas. It’s the
helicopter that bothers her.
“Before she took a ride in one, she
was against it,” Smith said. “Now she’s
still less than enthusiastic about it but
not so much as before."
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Enjoy the cold
The temperature is expected to drop to 8 degrees here tomorrow morning
Some people don’t mind the cold. They enjoy ft. Here (l-r) Bob Thomas, Bar
bara Pierce, Don Pierce and Kathy Thomas pack for skiing trip to Beech
Mountain.
No paper on New Year’s
The Griffin Daily News will observe
Saturday as a New Year’s Holiday and
not publish on that day.
Bessie Mann of 1123 Dewey street
plans to save more while William H.
Paettillo of Route 3, Griffin, hopes to
make more.
“I plan to make it a little more
prosperous year,” said Tommy Harps
of 214 Cabin Creek drive.
A few people plan to enrich them
selves spiritually in the coming year.
Johnny Curry of 121 Maddox road
hopes “to serve the Lord more and be a
better Christian.”
“I plan to be a better Christian next
year than I was this year,” said Eva
Pulliam.
Paul Noulis and Gayle Blalock
resolved to become better people in ’77.
“I hope to be a better person next
year than I was this year,” said Curtis
Wise of Jackson.
Two of the tougher resolutions are to
20,006 people employed in Spalding
Spalding County ended November
with 20,006 people employed and a dip
to 5.5 percent in unemployment.
This was announced today by
Manager Jerry Buffington of the
Griffin office of the Georgia
Department of Labor’s Employment
Service.
Mr. Buffington pointed out that
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Roy Smith and frame of lightest copter
Regular publication will be resumed
Monday.
lose weight and quit smoking.
“I plan to lose a little weight,” said
Rosalind Garland.
“I hope to lose 30 pounds,” W. D. Kent
of Route One, Griffin, commented.
Hatie Stewart of Sandy Flats will eat
leM and Emily Bums plans “not to eat
too much.”
Debbie Cochran plans to quit
smoking. Charles Head of Route Two,
Griffin, also will try to kick the habit.
Butch Dixon resolved to better
himself physically. "I plan to run
more," he said.
Most people look for a better year in
’77.
Michael Salit, of Hawaii who is
visiting his parents in Griffin, hopes “to
have the most successful year
possible.”
"I will try to do the best I can in the
coming year,” said Frances White of
1321 Cherokee avenue.
Betty Williamson of Pirkle road will
Spalding County has a labor force of
21,166 people and that the 5.5
unemployment rate means 1,160 of
them were jobless at the end of
November.
The statewide rate of 5.8 was a littler
higher than Spalding’s, and the
Mclntosh Trail APDC counties’ rate
was higher yet, 5.9.
Vol. 104 No. 310
Betty Talmadge
shocked, amazed
LOVEJOY, Ga. (UPI) - Mrs. Betty
Talmadge said Thursday night she was
“shocked and amazed” to hear that her
husband of 35 years, Sen. Herman
Talmadge, had filed for divorce.
“I just don’t know what I’ll do, I just
don’t know,” the 54-year-old Mrs.
Talmadge said at her mansion south of
Atlanta.
Talmadge, 63, chairman of the
Agiculture Committee, decla r 2d his
marriage “irretrievably broken’*
Wednesday in a divorce petition filed at
the Henry County Courthouse at
McDonough.
“I’m shocked and amazed and sur
prised over it,” said Mrs. Talmadge.
“Since it’s his decision, I realize I
should abide by it. There’s nothing I can
do about it.”
But Mrs. Talmadge, the second wife
of Georgia’s senior Democratic
senator, said she would not accept the
settlement proposed by her husband
which would involve neither alimony
nor division of property.
“I’m not accepting the fact that there
strive "to be a better mother, wife, and
homemaker.”
"I am going to try not to make the
same mistakes that I did last year,”
said Doug Smith of 135 Daniel street.
“To live the best we can,” is the
resolution of Mr. and Mrs. Truman
Bland.
Emily Davis of 110 Pearl street plans
Eva Pulliam
Spalding’s 5.5 percent unemployment
was more than a full percentage point
better than the 6.6 with which it began
the final quarter of this year.
Other rates in nearby counties
include 8.8 percent in Butts, 6.8 in
Fayette, 8.1 in Henry, 4.5 in Lamar, 5.7
in Newton, 6.3 in Pike, and 3.6 in Upson.
fll
“I like folks to think they’re
better than they are — then
they’re more likely to become
will be no alimony,” she said. “I’m just
accepting the fact that he is filing for
divorce.'*
Mrs. Talmadge was in Sea Island
Wednesday when the divorce petition
tfas filed.
Griffin schools
denied funds
for classrooms
The Griffin-Spalding County School
System has been turned down on its
application for federal money to build a
new 20-classroom elementary school.
The system had appliced for the $1.3-
million grant under the Public Works
Capital Development and Investment
Act of 1976.
According to a spokesman in the
superintendent’s office, unless federal
monies are obtained, the system has no
other source except to include the
project in the proposed upcoming bond
issue.
many resolutions, two of which will be
to stay healthy and have peace
throughout the world. “I hope times
will be better and that there will be
peace throughout the world,” she ad
ded.
“To just keep on living will be my
resolution,” said Deloath Ponder.
I
Deloath Ponder