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About Griffin daily news. (Griffin, Ga.) 1924-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 1977)
Departments ask more Griffin City Commissioners held their fourth budget hearing Monday night. They met with Public Safety Director Leonard Pitts and examined spending requests of the police and fire depart ments, along with local civil defense, for the coming fiscal year beginning July 1. Each of the divisions, as has been the case so far of all other city depart ments, asked for more money. The police department wants $5,019,008, compared with the $4,355,522 budgeted this year. The fire ‘I don’t feel like a hero’ 18-year-old rejects gifts, cash for heroics CINCINNATI (AP) - Walter Bailey says, “I don’t feel like a hero,” but scores of grateful, impressed people have been offering money, gifts, jobs or just congratulations for his heroics in the midst of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. On Monday night, for example, Bailey, his mother and three younger brothers saw their first major league baseball game at Riverfront Stadium in seats provided by Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson. With them was Jeff Ruby, a 29-year old Cincinnati motel management executive who was among the last to escape the fire. “He’s accepted a job with us as a Mother, son die in car By The Associated Press A young mother and her 5-year-old son died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning Monday night, bringing Georgia’s holiday weekend accidental death toll to 24. Seventeen persons died in traffic accidents and five drowned. The state patrol had predicted 18 traffic deaths. Ethel Dawson, 28, and her son, Dwight, 5, of Cairo, Ga., were found dead in their car about 9 miles east of Thomasville on U.S. 84 just before 11 p.m. Monday, the state patrol said. The woman, who was returning from classes at Valdosta State, apparently passed out from carbon monoxide fumes and ran off the road, the patrol said. The car had little damage and neither victim had any apparent injuries, the patrol said. The car’s tailpipe was broken under the vehicle, the patrol said. KggapijK’ 7 *’’ •» * Mfcjgr* Vj|ngre- r* / £m| vyjfefc-: i v;.. . jS** jfr* * * *Kk&l Jibo®?* What have we here? AUGUSTA, Ga. — Bosley momentarily stops to eyeball Tabatha, who daringly peeks from a cardboard box, in which she was royally transported to Minnick Park in Augusta for a pet show. From the size of the inquisitive youngsters, one might think it the first encounter of the historically arch rivals — cats and dogs. IJyAIIA Daily Since 1872 department budget ws set at $724,807, compared with $680,549. And Civil Defense asked for $3,575, an increase of some SBOO. The total proposed city budget is approximately $11.9-million. Included in the police budget was some $45,000 in overtime pay. About $17,699 was paid this year in overtime for city police to patrol City and Fairmont Parks. County lawmen patrol Dundee and Patrick Parks at less expense than the city’s. Since the recreation department is lifeguard,” said Ruby. “Anybody who can save 1,000 people can work for us — with or without a lifeguard certificate.” Bailey, 18, a busboy at the Southgate, Ky., club, issued the first warning in the Beverly Hills’ biggest room, then res cued many patrons trapped in the fire which killed at least 160 people Saturday night. A waitress told him about the fire. Before flames broke into the Cabaret Room, he took the microphone from two comedians on stage and directed the crowd of more than 1,000 to the exits. “If that kid didn’t take it upon himself to make the announcement, instead of 150 dead there would have been only 150 People ••• and things Sign on office door of downtown garage: “The Whole World Is On Backorder.” Three youngsters in back of pickup truck, keeping cool by dunking their heads in bucket of water. Business lady giving out of gas just a few yards from service station pumps. “If everybody in the world owned his fair share, nobody would have much.” griffin Griffin, Ga., 30223, Tuesday Afternoon, May 31,1977 financed jointly by the city and county governments, the county agreed to pay half of the costs of park security. So far it hasn’t done it and the city commissioners want the county to ante up. As Commissioner Louis Goldstein put it, “Something’s got to be done. It’s not fair to the city taxpayers.” Apparently the commissioners will go along with a police request to purchase a new intoximeter machine. The one presently at the city jail was paid for by the county. City police survivors,” said Ruby, of Asbury Park, N.J. Earlier Monday Bailey said he turned down a cash gift from “an influential businessman who wanted to remain anonymous.” “I told him I wouldn’t take the money," Bailey said. “Then he offered me a good job. He was among the people who got out. I guess he wanted to do something.” Bailey, who graduated from high school last week, said he plans to work as a lifeguard this summer and enter college this fall. His life-saving efforts didn’t surprise his mother, Janie Hogle, 40, but she said she suffered through hours of Mr. Jack Langford, ex-city manager, dies Mr. John S. “Jack” Langford, former Griffin City Manager, died this morning at his residence, 922 Mockingbird lane. Mr. Langford had been in declining health for several months. He was a native of Wilmington, N. C., and resided in Atlanta before coming to Griffin 42 years ago. Mr. Langford served the City of Griffin twice as city manager, a period of 16 years. He established the Georgia Business Service here and was president of the firm. Mr. Langford graduated from Boys’ High School, class of 1924 in Atlanta. He attended Emory University. Mr. Langford volunteered during World War II and served in the U. S. Army Signal Corps. He became active in the American Legion after the war and was Commander of Barnett Harris Post 15. He was elected commander of the American Legion Georgia Department and served with distinction. He also served as a national committeeman of the American Legion. While serving as city manager of Griffin Mr. Langford was on two occasions president of the City Managers Association of Georgia. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church and attended the Men’s Bible Class. Mr. Langford served on the administrative board and, served as chairman and had been a member of the board of trustees. Mr. Langford was a charter member of the Griffin Kiwanis Club and was the club’s second president. In 1965 he was 2 Spalding escapees captured Two of the 7 prisoners who sawed their way out of the Spalding County Stockade on Williamson road May 18 have been captured in Houston, Texas. William Jackson Parr, 32, of Tucker, who was serving a 12-months sentence from Meriwether County for forgery, and Gordon Brown, Jr., 24, of Thomaston, who was sentenced to 5 years for credit card fraud in Clarke County, were taken into custody and will be returned to Spalding County to face escape charges, according to a spokesman at the stockade. The 7 sawed their way through bars NEWS administer the tests to suspected drunks picked up by both county and city lawmen. Often an off duty police officer has to be called in to administer the tests, if a qualified operator is not on duty. This means more overtime pay by the city, with the county collecting the fines for its cases. Chief Pitts said he plans for each jailer to become an intoximeter operator, along with at least one patrolman on each shift. (Continued on page two.) anguish waiting for her son to reach home early Sunday. “I was in hysterics after I heard about the fire. I knew how Walter feels about people and I knew he would try to save somebody,” said Mrs. Hogle. “I feared he had died in the fire. I was holding his high school annual to my chest when he walked through the door at 4 a.m. I screamed and cried. I didn’t know he was a hero, I just knew he was alive.” She said her son has been “a father figure to this family since his father died three years ago. He’s chipped in money and helped me bring up the boys. I’m so proud of him.” ' -"X '’lt. * it V x 5- ‘ - Jack Langford presented the Golden Service award by the club for his outstanding work. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Virginia Flynt Langford; 3 sons, Flynt Langford, Robert Langford, both of Griffin and Judge John S. Langford, Jr., of Atlanta; 9 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild; 2 nieces and 2 nephews. The funeral will be at 4 o’clock Wednesday afternoon in the First United Methodist Church. The Rev. Lamar Cherry and Dr. Delma Hagood will officiate and burial will be in Oak Hill cemetery. Haisten Funeral Home of Griffin is in charge of plans. Mr. Langford was 71. He was the son of the late John Langford and the late Katherine Elizabeth Sholar Langford. of a dormitory room window, then scaled the fence of the work camp equipment storage area and stole a county dump truck and Warden Floyd Wilkerson’s personal car. The truck was found later in the county near the home of the wife of one of the escapees. Remaining at large were James Andrews and Robert Bell, both convicted of armed robbery; William Ronald Hensley, convicted of auto theft and wanted in Tennessee; Eddie Cooper Johnson, who was serving a sentence on theft by taking charges; and Everett Miller, 24, who had been sentenced to life for murder. Vol. 105 No. 128 11 I s HJ i J ■HL.. . i 1 1 -j f J K T Kr 7 OHK! feMk- /eSH Coach and Mrs. Johnny Goodrum Winners No children at home but 1,726 at school By MAY WINGFIELD MELTON Lillie and Johnny Goodrum don’t have any children at home but they have 1,726 at school. As third grade teacher at Crescent Road School Lillie has 26 and Johnny has 1,700 at Griffin High where he is assistant principal, assistant football coach and head track coach. Both say they hate to see school end because their lives are so totally wrapped up in the students. Self supporting since he was 14 years old, Johnny is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Goodrum of Griffin. He began running when he was a student at Fairmont and was the first Griffinite to win at a high school track meet in 1948 when he placed second in the 100 yard dash. Living on Solomon Street beyond “Walker’s Store” he got up every morning at 4 a.m. to clean up the old Roxy Theater located on Marsh’s comer before he went to school. He ran all the way to work and back home to bathe and eat breakfast before school, and he was helping out with grocery money at home even then. As track coach Johnny’s team won the region meet for the past three years and the state championship in 1976. They use the field at Spalding Junior High School since there is no track field at high school. While he was a student at Fairmont he is credited with making the longest run ever made at Memorial Stadium when he ran 106 yards to score a touchdown after a kick-off in a game with Thomaston. This was the first year there has been a Fellowship of Christian Athletes association on the Griffin High campus and Coach Goodrum was chosen “huddle leader.” He says that it has been the “most rewarding experience of my life.” The group meets at the school on Monday nights then often goes on to individual homes upon parents’ invitations. Johnny says they have “opened their homes and their hearts to the athletes”. Mrs. Goodrum also grew up in Griffin and attended Fairmont High School. Weather FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN AREA — Partly cloudy and warm tonight with chance of showers and low in the mid 60s. Variable cloudiness with thun dershowers diminishing and becoming little cooler Wednesday with highs in upper 80s. LOCAL WEATHER — Low this morning at the Spalding County Forestry Unit 66, high Monday 91. She is the daughter of Mrs. Lucille Jones. Telling the story of how they became “serious” about each other, Mr. Goodrum says that they were attending a church youth function when he lent Lillie his belt because her “jeans were too big.” They forgot the loan. The next day while dressing for church Johnny realized where his only belt was and went by Lillie’s house to get it back. Romance started. Marrying at Trinity CME church on Jan. 19,1952 the Goodrums now live on Pinetree Circle. They sing in the choir and Mr. Goodrum is chairman of the steward board. Following his high school graduation Johnny enlisted in the Air Force as an Airman and was discharged four years later as a staff sergeant after spending 11 months and 11 days in Korea. With money that he and Lillie had saved while he was in service the Goodrums “went to college together and finished together” at Fort Valley State. Coach Goodrum had a football and track scholarship and also worked as a student janitor. Lillie helped him clean up and also worked as a student librarian. They say that it was “hard at times but we grew to know each other.” They both taught and Johnny coached at Jones County High School after graduation. They came into the Griffin- Spalding County System in 1965. Teaching third grade for almost 16 years Lillie laughs and says she “can’t get promoted.” Football, track, basketball and baseball coaching keep Johnny so busy that Lillie says he is “married to his sports.” She quit fixing a heavy meal at night for Johnny because he was “just too tired to eat it.” With Lillie doing the driving to Atlanta so Johnny could sleep they went to Georgia State College where Johnny received a master’s degree in education administration. The Goodrums have not been “blessed” with children but they are winners with each other and “help each other all the way.”
