Newspaper Page Text
Southwest Georgians
want to keep train
THOMASVILLE, Ga. (AP) —
Southwest Georgians and pan
handle Floridians don't want
Amtrak to take their train
away. But they do want it to run
on time.
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The
Brick
Lead guitarist Reggie Hargis
(above) of the rock group
known as Brick plunks out a
tune as Tim Meza listens. At
right base player Ray Ransom
runs through a practice. The
group was at Mez-Art Studio
Friday afternoon to test the new
platforms and other stage props
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Meza are
making for them for a
nationwide tour. The group
already has 2 gold records to
their credit and appears
destined to make more.
Chipper Clipper
His cheerful notes
make others happy
JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) -
They call him “the Chipper
Clipper,” and the nickname
suits Kenneth Bick just fine.
Bick, 73, a retired high school
principal, has endeared himself
to thousands of Janesville area
residents by the cheerful notes
and newspaper clippings he
sends them.
“I try to send one to anyone
who has done something good
TEAMON BAPTIST CHURCH
Teamon Road
A Hospital — Ministering To Spiritual Needs
A Home - Christian Family Fellowship
A SchOOl — Bible Based Preaching ’ TeacWn ß
Sunday Morning
SS. 10 A.M. Sunday Night
Preaching 11A.M. C.T.«P.M.
Rev. Kenneth Jordan, Pastor Preaching 7:00 P.M.
Federal rail officials had
their first Georgia hearing Fri
day on the future — if any —of
the Floridian, an Amtrak pas
senger train that runs from
Chicago to Miami, losing money
for someone or contributed
something,” he says. “It en
courages them to contribute
something to the community. It
makes people feel someone is
interested in them.”
Bick said he sent clippings to
his high school students many
years ago and started doing it
for the entire community about
15 years ago.
He attaches the clippings —
all the way.
The route loses $9.6 million a
year, and that figure is ex
pected to jump soon to sll.l
million, said Harold Graham,
Floridian project hearing offi-
for a birth, anniversary, busi
ness promotion, service award
or whatever — to printed con
gratulatory cards and mails
them to the newsmaker.
“I get up about six o’clock and
get started right away. Before
breakfast. I try to get to the post
office between 7:30 and 8
o’clock so they will be delivered
the same day,” he said. He
estimated he has mailed out
more than 10,000 clippings and
cards.
“Sometimes it’s less than 20 a
day, but it’s usually more in the
summertime when there are a
lot of marriages,” Bick said.
“The only real trouble I
have,” he added, “is that every
now and then the government
raises the postal rate. It was
three cents for a stamp when I
started.”
The best part of his hobby, he
says, is the warm thank-you
. notes and phone calls he receiv
es and the new friends he
makes.
Bick says he still keeps track
of three generations of area
students and gets invited to all
cer for Amtrak.
The federal rail system is
considering proposals to scrap
the train or to reroute it through
bigger Georgia cities such as
Atlanta, Macon and Savannah
— all cities it now bypasses.
Naturally, residents of Bir
mingham, Ala., and the smaller
Georgia towns of Thomasville,
Valdosta and Waycross don’t
care for those plans to steer the
train away from their cities.
Residents of nearby Panama
City, Fla., agree with the south
west Georgians.
Most of the 50 persons at the
hearing said Amtrak should
keep the route as is, but should
advertise it better and improve
service.
Nine persons from Albany
said the route should include
their city, the largest town in
southwest Georgia, the site of a
marine supply base and the
closest large town to President
Carter’s home town of Plains.
“Americans are still ready to
ride the trains if they are clean
and available,” said Jerry W.
Gerde, a Panama City, Fla , at
torney. “Each time I see a trian
like the Floridian die, I see a
little of America die. Amtrak
should expand and improve —
not cut and run — to avoid the
problems they now face.”
Complaints against the Flor
idian included poor service, dir
ty cars, shoddy equipment and
lateness.
Guy Slappey, a Seaboard
Coast Line Railroad employe in
Thomasville, said that during a
recent 11-month period, the
Floridian was late arriving a
total of 623 hours. The train was
on time only 1 percent of the
time, he said.
“Thomasville was one of the
most famous winter resorts in
the United States a century ago
and this was accomplished in
large measure because of the
fine passenger train traffic that
we had into this community,”
said Tom Faircloth, a Thomas
ville city commissioner and
vice mayor.
Student shot
at pep rally
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) - A
16-year-old Glynn Academy pu
pil remained hospitalized today
from a gunshot wound suffered
at a homecoming pep rally
Thursday night.
Police said they had made no
arrests in connection with the
shooting of Allene Wyman, who
was listed in fair condition at a
Brunswick hospital with a bullet
wound in her chest.
About 100 academy pupils
marched to city hall Friday to
protest cancellation of home
coming festivities because of
the incident, but Police Chief
Bob Lyons said they returned to
classes after talking to city
officials.
* w ■ w.-;... <
Kenneth Bick
the class reunions.
He often gets two or three re
union invitations per weekend
during the summer, he says.
“I usually eat with the oldest
graduating class first,” he says,
“and then go party with the
younger ones later.”
W’’*
■"1
Singer, actor, and businessman Bing Crosby is shown,
from left, in 1942, 1956, and 1973. The 73-year-old en
tertainer, who was variously known as “Der Bingle”,
Entertainment world
mourns Crosby death
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Deep
sadness and fond reflection fell
over the entertainment World
upon the death of show business
legend Bing Crosby.
For two of his oldest compan
ions and friends, expressing
their love and loss, it also meant
no last “road.”
Dorothy Lamour, who cos
tarred with Crosby and Bob
Hope in the series of “Road”
movies, said she learned of her
friend’s death Friday on the ra
dio while reading a newspaper
story about plans of the trio for
one last “Road” picture, to be
entitled, “The Road to the
Fountain of Youth.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” said
Miss Lamour. “It’s such a great
loss. Bing was an individual. He
was Bing Crosby. He was a
wonderful man, a religous
man.”
“My only wish is that his road
to heaven is as happy as the
‘Roads’ we traveled together.”
Hope, a movie partner and
off-screen pal, was one of the
hardest hit by news of Der
Bingle’s death from a heart at
tack.
“I still don’t believe it. I’m
absolutely numb,” he said.
Hope, who was scheduled to
give a benefit performance in
Morristown, N.J., canceled the
date and planned to fly home to
Los Angeles.
“I just can’t be funny
tonight,” he said. “It’s just not
in me.”
“The death of Bing Crosby is
almost more than I can take,”
said Frank Sinatra. “He was
the father of my career, the idol
of my youth and a dear friend of
my maturity.
“Bing leaves a gaping hole in
our music and in the lives of
everybody who ever loved him.
And that’s just about every
body,” Sinatra added. “Thank
God we have his films and his
records providing us with his
warmth and his talent forever.”
Comedian George Burns de
clared: “What can you say
about Crosby? He was the orig
inal. He made up that kind of
singing. He will be missed by
the world and his voice will al
ways be with us.”
In Hollywood, comedian Mil
■ ton Berle remembered his early
vaudeville days with Crosby.
“Crosby became a superstar
in the late 1920 s and remained a
superstar,” Berle recalled. “In
fact, he will always be a
superstar even though he’s not
with us.”
Berle, near tears as he spoke
of his old friend, said: “It’s un
fortunate that we have to lose
this giant. But what is consoling
to me is that even to this day, in
SINGING
East Griffin Congregational
Holiness Church
(Church St)
Saturday, October 15, 1977
7:30 P.M.
The Motes Brothers
Featuring &
Other Special Singing
Pastor, Rev. Leeco Smith
EVERYONE WELCOME!
Page 3
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1977, he was still in demand.
The sustainment of his
popularity was really remark
able.”
Actor John Wayne, a Crosby
friend, said, “I’ve never heard
him make one prejudiced state
ment against anyone or anyone
make a prejudiced statement
against him. That’s a pretty
good record for someone who’s
spent his life in the public eye.”
Dancer Fred Astaire, who
made movies with Crosby, said,
“Bing was a great friend of
mine. I’m so sorry for all of us
who valued him so much.”
In Washington, the White
House said that First Lady
Rosalynn Carter had only this
Thursday written to Crosby, in
viting him to sing at the tradi
tional Christmas party for the
press in December.
President Carter said: “For
all the roads he traveled in his
memorable career, Bing Cros
by remained a gentleman, proof
that a great talent can be a good
man despite the pressures of
show business. He lived a life
his fans around the world felt
was typically American ...
casual but elegant.”
Georgia readily returns
snakes, theft suspect
WAYCROSS, Ga. (AP) -
Georgia authorities aren’t the
least bit reluctant to return to
Florida officials a deadly cache
of contraband snakes. They’re
even throwing in the man
charged with stealing them.
Authorities said Walter Gor
don Buchanan, 26, a reptile ex
pert, will face burglary charges
in Florida in the theft of at least
14 snakes from a St. Augustine
serpentarium, Gatorland,
where he worked until a few
months ago.
Buchanan also has been
charged with the theft of a S3OO
otter from Gatorland, Florida
officials said.
Waycross Public Safety Di
rector Lynn Taylor said author
ities found the snakes in a ren
ted house late Thursday after
they were notified by Florida
police that Buchanan might be
in the Waycross area.
Officers said they found sev
eral large canvas-covered
cages containing the snakes and
about 40 other snakes in a van
Buchanan was driving.
Police said Buchanan told
them he had sold several snakes
in Georgia and Florida in recent
weeks, but he claimed he had
purchased them.
Taylor, who admitted he was
—Griffin Daily News Saturday, October 15, 1977
“Old Dad,” and “The Groaner,” died Friday, after
collapsing on a Spanish golf course. (AP)
I 1
Mr''' I
■twli
Kathryn Crosby talks to members of press. (AP)
“We had the snakes,” he said.
“But we sure as heck didn’t
know what to do with them.”
Faith Baptist Church
L Mclntosh Rd.
Sunday School 9:45 A.M.
Morning Worship 11:00 A.M.
Training Union 6:30 P.M.
Evening Worship 7:30 P.M.
Wed. Evening 7:30 P.M.
LOOKING BACK-PRAISE HIM
LOOKING AHEAD-TRUST HIM
LOOKING AROUND-SERVE HIM
LOOKING UP - EXPECT HIM
Pastor Worth Huckaby
FIRST UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
REV. LAMAR CHERRY, PASTOR
REV. STEVE WINTER, ASSOC. PASTOR
MORNING SERVICE 11 A.M.
Sermon By Pastor
"SEARCHING
FOR MEN FOR GOD”
Evening Service 7:30
Sermon By Rev. Winter
"KNOWING
WHO JESUS IS”
POws 8 SMB
MSB JL
no authority on snakes, said of
ficers confined their search to a
visual inspection.