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Griffin one of 3 growth cities in Trail area
Griffin, Thomaston and Covington
are three cities in the Mclntosh Trail
area destined for major growth in the
years just ahead, according to the
latest projections of the planning and
development agency for the area.
The three cities pop up frequently
throughout the report.
Fayette County, already ex
periencing population increases and
business growth, is one of the areas
destined for continued development,
the report shows.
Highway 1-75 contributed sub
stantially to the growth and develop
ment of Henry County in the last few
years, the report said. Highway 1-20
figured greatly in the development and
expansion of Covington, the report said.
The Mclntosh Trail Area Planning
and Development Commission with
headquarters in Griffin includes the
counties of Spalding, Fayette, Pike,
Henry, Upson, Lamar, Newton and
Butts.
The area’s nearness to Atlanta makes
it almost certain to grow even more in
the years just ahead, the latest Trail
planning and development report in
dicates.
The cities of Covington, Griffin and
Thomaston have been designated
growth centers by the Economic
Development Administration (EDA) of
Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) division.
This makes them eligible for plan
ning and project funding from the
federal level for many services and
facilities, the report pointed out.
The report chided the area for its lack
of actively going after industrial
development. Most communities wait
until an industrial prospect seeks to'
come in, the report said.
Local groups lack the resources and
training in how to undertake industrial
solicitation programs, the latest Trail
report said.
Local “sales teams” for promoting
industrial gorwth are not organized and
trained and do not have adequate
promotional materials for the job, the
report concluded.
It said some communities in the Trail
area were divided •on whether to
promote industrial development and
Cigar-flicking Groucho dead
* LOS ANGELES (AP) - Groucho
Marx, whose patented duck walk and
flick of a cigar combined with an
* irreverent wit to make him the most fa
mous of America’s zaniest team of
comedians, is dead of pneumonia at age
. 86>
* The bushy-eyebrowed, mustachioed
Groucho, who recently was the center
of a bitter court battle over who should
* be his guardian, died at 7:25 p.m. PDT
Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
First word of the death was withheld for
* 50 minutes, giving the family time to
quietly slip out of the hospital and into
seclusion.
“I guess you could call this an end of
an era. But I don’t believe Groucho will
ever leave us. He’s too impudent,” said
Erin Fleming, his longtime companion.
* Groucho had practiced his ir
reverent, chaotic brand of slapstick
comedy for more than 65 years in
« vaudeville, films, radio and television.
Earlier in the day, a distraught Miss
Fleming had told The Associated Press
t by telephone: “Groucho’s just having a
nice little dream now... He’s just going
to have a nap and rest his eyes for the
next several centuries.”
* With Groucho when he died were his
son, Arthur, daughter-in-law, Lois, and
grandson, Andrew. Miss Fleming left
* about 15 minutes earlier.
Groucho lapsed into critical condition
early Friday, slipping in and out of
( consciousness, a hospital spokesman
said.
He had been hospitalized with
pneumonitis since June 22, reentering
* Cedars-Sinai only one day after he had
been released following his recovery
from hip surgery.
* Groucho had lingered in “fair”
condition for weeks, until Wednesday
• The Country Parson
by F rank Clark
■ Mft
4 “I’d like tosee every one of us
demand more perfection in
ourselves than we do in others.”
growth.
Others, the report said, consider
industrial development apart rather
than a vital part of community
development, the report said.
The main use for the study is to
provide decision makers at the three
levels of government a comprehensive
summary of the area’s major problems
and issues. It also proposes steps for
correcting and solving these problems.
The area’s opportunities, problems
and issues, and the strategies for im
provement should be outlined in one
summary for federal funding ap
plications. The ADP is designed as a
multi-purpose document which also will
help the planning commission’s efforts
in meeting initial requirements for
federal development and functional
planning programs.
The three counties nearest the
Atlanta metropolitan area had the
greatest population increases over the
10-year period. Fayette County’s
population increased more than 39
percent; Henry County about 35 per
cent; and Newton about 25 percent.
Spalding County’s population in
creased from 35,404 to 39,514 during
that period. That was an increase of 1.2
percent.
The ADP shows that in 1969 the
median income level in Spalding
County was $8,074 among 10,335
families. Some 11.1 percent of the
families earned $15,000 or more while
15.2 percent had incomes less than the
poverty level.
Fayette and Henry Counties were
above the state median income levels
while Butts, Lamar, and Pike Counties
had the greater percentage of poverty
level families than the state average.
There were 66,092 employed workers
in the area in December, 1975. Spalding
had 16,799 of the employed workers
with some 6,148 in manufacturing; 3,359
in services; 3,123 in wholesale and
retail; 1,259 in transportation and
public utilities; and 1,082 in con
struction.
The Mclntosh Trail area is largely
undeveloped with 8 percent of the
area’s 1,236,480 acres developed. The
vast majority, some 90 percent of the
total, is categorized as agriculture,
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1
Groucho Marx
when his his vital signs became erratic,
a hospital spokesmen said. The co
median’s condition worsened early
Friday when he began losing con
sciousness and had to be administered
oxygen and fed intravenously.
His early comedy years were spent
with the family, the five Marx brothers.
With Groucho’s death, only Zeppo, 74, is
still alive. The least known brother,
Gummo, died this year. Chico died in
1961 and Harpo in 1964.
In recent years, a new era of affection
for Groucho and the Marx Brothers had
emerged, spawned by television reruns
of their films, the “You Bet Your Life”
game show and live theater revivals.
On May 6, 1972, Groucho embarked
on what was to be a series of concerts.
“An Evening of Groucho” at Carnegie
Hall in New York that first night was
sold out the day after it was announced.
More than 3,500 youths — many
dressed as the various Marx Brothers
— were turned away from the theater.
It was the 37-year-old Miss Fleming
who brought Groucho out of retirement
for the Carnegie Hall appearance, and
friends credited her with keeping him
alive by her stimulating influence.
Friends also said Groucho was never
aware in his last few months that his
name was in the headlines during the
court fight over who should be named
guardian of his $2.8 million estate.
The struggle was between Miss
Fleming, a former actress who was
hired as Groucho’s secretary in 1970
and had been his almost constant
forested and vacant.
Some 56,000 acres or 4.5 percent of the
area are devoted to residential use. By
1996, an estimated 72,000 acres of 5.8
percent will be used for residential
purposes.
The Griffin area is experiencing
considerable growth which can be
attributed in part to its proximity to
Atlanta. The city is attracting new
industries because of the residential
growth and has therefore been
designated as a primary growth center
by the Economic Development
Administration. Such a designation is
advantageous when applying for
federal grants.
The Mclntosh Trail area needs more
programs to meet the needs of its
children. A 1970 census report
estimated there are 16,911 children
under 6 years of age. Spalding County
had 4,452 of these children of which
1,566 came from families with incomes
below the poverty level.
Although there are 16 licensed day
care centers in Griffin, no single
agency has analyzed the extent of
types of services for children, the
report pointed out.
Mental health services are provided
by a series of health centers. Spalding,
Henry and Newton Counties have
centers which handle strictly mental
health cases. These centers provide
care for adults, adolescents, and
children and for those with alcohol and
drug problems. In addition, there is a
group home in Griffin which treats girls
with mental health or retardation
problems.
The Mclntosh Trail Alcohol
Program in Griffin provides services to
those with drinking problems.
Assistance with a drug problem is
available at the health centers and at a
clinic in Griffin called The Break which
treats clients of all ages.
According to a 1975 census report
Spalding County had 4,440 persons over
65 years of age of which their limited
incomes cannot keep pace with in
flation. Senior citizens are waging a
daily struggle against the high cost of
living, the Trail report said.
Resources available include Social
(Continued on page 7.)
companion since, and Arthur Marx, 56,
the comedian’s only son.
At one point in the trial, his brother
Zeppo testified: “Groucho’s in love
with her.”
However, Arthur Marx pictured Miss
Fleming as Groucho’s grim tormentor,
who latched onto Groucho for his
money. Other witnesses said she
badgered him with insults and curses.
The battle ended last July when the
comedian’s grandson, 27-year-old
Andrew, was named permanent
guardian.
Groucho, whose given name was
Julius, was born Oct. 2, 1890, in New
York City, the son of Jewish im
migrants.
His father, Sam, was an East Side
tailor who lived to 101. His mother,
Minnie, was the daughter of a wan
dering magician and sister of Al Shean
of the famed Gallagher and Shean
vaudeville team. She raised her five
sons in poverty but managed to save
enough to give the boys music lessons.
She was immortalized on Broadway in
the musical “Minnie’s Boys.”
People
...and things
Boys asking their father to cut grass
in section of yard used for community
football field.
Man hustling to get out of way of
traffic at Hill and Taylor streets when
he realizes light has changed with him
in the middle of street.
Several late blooms showing on
shrubbery in front of the Griffin Daily
News building.
Bounty hunters fail to get their man
Fugitive surrenders to deputies
DALLAS, Ga. (AP) — Gordon Novel,
a fugitive who jumped bond in New
Orleans, is back in custody after asking
Georgia authorities for protection
against bounty hunters.
“Bounty hunters for a bonding
company had zeroed in on Novel” after
locating him in Dallas, about 30 miles
west of Atlanta, said Ray Jones, a dep
uty sheriff in Paulding County.
Deputies said they arrived at Novel’s
home to find him beseiged by the
bounty hunters last week. After their
- ■ESH U
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Aerial view of Griffin, one of 3 growth cities in Mclntosh Trail area
DAI LY NEWS
Daily Since 1872
Voyager 2 spacecraft begins
journey to Jupiter and Saturn
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -
America’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, atop a
Titan Centaur rocket, lifted off from
earth today at 10:30 a.m. EDT to start
its multibillion-mile journey to Jupiter,
Saturn and beyond.
As the rocket disappeared into a blue
sky dotted with clouds leaving only a
white trail of smoke, a NASA spokes
man said, “The data coming back
shows we’re right on the money.”
Despite a short delay five minutes
before liftoff while engineers checked
out a valve on the rocket, there was no
trouble with the launch.
Beginning in 1979, scientists hope the
Voyager will be televising live pictures
of Jupiter and Saturn and perhaps the
outer reaches of the solar system later.
The Voyager 2 craft was to be
separated from the rocket about one
hour after launch. Then Voyager’s
engine was to be fired to boost its speed
to 32,300 miles per hour for the journey
toward the planets.
The craft carries recorded messages
for any deep space civilizations that
might be listening, including one from
President Carter and music ranging
from a Bach Brandenburg Concerto to
rock singer Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B.
Goode.”
A twin craft, Voyager 1, is being
readied for launch Sept. 1. Voyager 1
will be guided on a faster route and
should reach the outer planets first.
Each Voyager carries two television
Weather
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN AREA—
Variable cloudiness through Sunday
with a chance of showers. Low tonight
around 70; high Sunday in low 80s.
arrival, Novel came out of the house
with a .45-caliber automatic in his belt.
The deputies arrested him on a state
misdemeanor charge of carrying a
concealed weapon without a permit.
Federal agents took custody of Novel
on Monday, charging him with
possessing a firearm after being
convicted of a felony —a 1970 con
viction in Reno, Nev., on a charge of in
terstate transportation of electronic
surveillance equipment.
The bounty hunters were attempting
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Saturday Afternoon, August 20, 1977
GRIFFIN
cameras and sophisticated in
struments.
Dr. Edward Stone, project scientist,
said the Voyager mission is in the
tradition of Galileo, the 17th-century
scientist who first observed some of the
moons of Jupiter and the rings of
Saturn.
“Galileo was really the first person to
extend our observation with a
telescope. The Voyagers are a
Meeting of principals
to kickoff school year
A general meeting of principals will
open the 1977-78 year in the Griffin-
Spalding County School System.
Teachers will report for pre-planning
on Tuesday and students will report for
classes on August 29.
Supt. D. B. Christie said the prin
cipals meeting will begin at 9 o’clock in
the Griffin High School Library. Also
included in the Monday meeting will be
other supervisory and administrative
personnel.
Teachers will report to their
respective schools on Tuesday at 8:30
a.m. to begin a 4-day pre-planning
week. The pre-planning week will
conclude with a barbecue sponsored by
the Griffin Area Chamber of Commerce
and an open house in all schools. The
barbecue will be a 12:15 p.m. Friday in
the Spalding Junior High Unit II
cafeteria. Open House will be observed
from 1:30 until 6 p.m. in the schools.
Supt. Christie urged all parents and
other interested citizens to attend the
open house in the school their child will
attend.
to return Novel to New Orleans to save
bonding companies $40,000 ordered for
feited by Criminal Dist. Judge Matthew
Braniff.
Novel, a selfstyled counter
intelligence expert, failed to show up
for a retrial of a charge that he planned
to firebomb some New Orleans build
ings during the 1976 Mardi Gras in
order to speed up a real estate deal. The
first trial ended in a hung jury.
Judge Braniff has set Monday for a
rehearing on a plea by the bonding
Vol. 105 No. 197
remarkable extension of man’s ability
to observe the solar system,” Stone
said.
Voyager 1 will make its closest ap
proach to Jupiter —about 170,000 miles
— on March 5,1979 and its closest ap
proach to Saturn —about 85,000 miles
— on Nov. 12,1980. Voyager 2 will come
closest to Jupiter — some 400,000 miles
— on July 10,1979. It would be a similar
distance from Saturn on August 27,
1981.
First grade and out-of-state students
must present, before admission, an
adequate immunization certificate.
First graders also must present a
certificate of eye, ear and dental ex
minations signed by a private prac
tioner or qualified representative of the
local health department.
School insurance will be available for
all students and will be $4 for the
regular school day coverage and $24 for
the 24-hour year-round coverage,
Christie said. Any student desiring
insurance must sign up by Friday, Sept.
2.
Lunches will be served daily in the
cafeterias of all schools. The prices are
40 cents per day for elementary students
and 50 cents per day for junior high and
Griffin High School students. Extra
milk will be 5 cents per cup.
Christie reminded students and
parents that any student who owes fees
or fines must clear the obligations by
August 29 or the student will not be
permitted to attend classes.
companies to reverse his order that the
bond be forfeited.
Novel was arrested in Cobb County,
Ga., last February on a fugitive
warrant. He has been out on bond
pending his appeal of a Georgia court
ruling which said he may be extradited
to Louisiana.
A. federal hearing to determine
whether Novel should be held for a
federal grand jury is scheduled for Aug.
23 in Atlanta.