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No wood burner rush on here hut elsewhere
Energy consumers in the Griffin and
Spalding County area are concerned
about what this winter has in store for
them but they aren't breaking down
doors to buy wood burning stoves and
heaters, according to local hardware
merchants.
John Wiley, salesman at Griffin
Hardware, said, “The demand (for
wood burning stoves and heaters) is
extremely high. But most people are
just looking around now." He said if it
ever gets cold, what he has in stock will
be sold.
Jim Pridgen, Jr., of Jim Pridgen
Hardware Inc., said his sales of the
stoves and heaters are running 20 to 25
percent higher than this time last year.
But, he said, “Last year was a bad
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Jumping
ghosts!
Little goblins cautioned
about dangerous ‘tricks’
ATLANTA (AP) — Ghosts and such
are not the only danger on Halloween
night, state authorities say. They are
warning parents to make sure anything
their make-believe goblins gobble up is
safe for consumption.
It’s a good idea not to allow children
to eat anything that lodes homemade,
said Roger Justice, a spokesman for the
state Department of Human Resources.
He advises parents to notice any
residences where homemade items are
collected so if problems develop, they
People
•..and things
Man commenting on wife’s new
homemade dress: “It makes you look
like a big brown sausage.”
Hospital employes scurrying to help
man who was passing through town on
bus and had used most of his money for
taxi fare to hospital where he asked to
be put up for the night. (He ended up at
the Salvation Army.)
First time jurors using 25-cent soft
drink machine on one side of court
house rotunda, while ole timers use 20-
cent machine across the hall.
year.” He feels people are in an “an
ticipatory period” waiting to see what
sort of weather is coming.
“It’s human nature," he said,
“people don't buy food until they get
hungry.” So, he says, they won’t buy
heaters until they get cold.
Wayne Stinchcomb, manager at
Buckles Hardware Store, said his sales
are around 25 percent higher. He also
feels the rush will come with the first
cold weather.
A spokesman for Eppinger Ace
Hardware on Experiment Street said
the store had a couple of wood burning
beaters. Some customers have looked
at them but so far they have not bought
them, he said.
They may go later, he speculated.
DAILY
Daily Since 1872
A trip through the Jaycee haunted house on West Poplar street struck fear into the hearts of
these young people as they enjoyed a little pre-Halloween treat. The house will be open
tonight for the last time this year. Meanwhile, state officials were asking parents to
supervise their youngsters on trick-or-treat rounds tonight and to finish them early. The
officials wanted to guard as much as possible against turning the holiday into a tragedy
through some misguided “{ricks”.
can be traced to their source.
Those are just some of the “common
sense safety rules” the DHR suggests
parents use in dealing with youngsters
on Halloween.
Most importantly, Justice said,
motorists should drive carefully
because young trick-or-treaters may be
too excited to watch for cars.
He said a responsible adult or teen
ager should accompany young children
and keep them in sight at all times
while they are making their rounds.
Sticker did the trick
ATLANTA (AP) — Every house on a
subdivision block was struck by
burglars except one — the one with a
sticker on the door telling thieves the
house had been inspected by security
experts and that the owner’s Social
Security number was engraved on all
his belonging.
The engraving plates, the sticker and
the security experts were furnished by
anti-crime police units and some
Atlanta area policeman are pointing to
such situations as tangible proof that
formal crime prevention programs are
working.
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Monday Affernoon, October 31,1977
It apparently was enough to keep away the thieves
Established to teach citizens and help
them prevent crime from happening,
the programs have expanded with
federal support in the past few years.
But while records are kept on the
number of crimes committed, it’s
keeping track of the crimes prevented
is difficult. Still, police involved in the
anticrime programs claim credit for
lowered crime rates.
Crime reports for metro Atlanta
released in late summer showed an
actual decrease in the number of some
serious crimes and a slower rate of in
crease in most other types of crime.
West Griffin Building Supply which
handles the True Value hardware line
said it didn’t stock wood burning stoves
or heaters.
All of the merchants agree that sales
of efficiency wood burning heaters or
circulating heaters is at a high level.
They all expect sales of the small wood
burning stoves to be equally good once
cold weather arrives.
The merchants were also consistent
saying that their supplies of wood
burning stoves has been terminated at
least until next year. Some were cut off
as early as last June. They say their
suppliers cannot fill orders the demand
is so great. Some of the merchants have
had calls from people out of state trying
to locate the heaters.
Youngsters should not be allowed to
run across yards because they could
trip on lawn ornaments or run into
unseen tree limbs or clotheslines, Jus
tice said, adding that each child should
carry a flashlight.
Custumes should be flame-retardant
and be light in color with reflective tape
sewn on them so they can be easily seen
by motorists.
Justice also advises parents not to
leave candles burning unattended in
side jack-o-lantems.
NEWS
School bond issue
opposition jells
Carl Ridley
on vacation
at hospital
For all practical purposes, Carl
Ridley has completed his work as
administrator of the Griffin-Spalding
Hospital.
He had accumulated 66 days of
vacation time and is taking that before
leaving the hospital as its ad
ministrator.
Ridley is scheduled to return to the
hospital about mid-December to wind
up some construction details with
William Feely.
Feely has taken over administrative
duties of the hospital, a job for which he
had been groomed for several months.
Ridley will be on the hospital payroll
until Jan. 16, according to Authority
Chairman 0. M. Snider, Jr.
Some hospital employees wondered
why Ridley had not said goodbye.
“He hasn’t gone, that’s why,”
Chairman Snider said. He’ll be back to
wind up his work.
Ridley has been building a home
between Gainesville and Dahlonega
where he will move when he leaves
Griffin.
He has been discussing doing some
consultant work with a couple of
hospitals after finishing his work in
Griffin.
It’s likely he’ll continue to be active in
health care work of some type, after he
retires here,
irfel si®
“Most of us don’t fear failure
as much as we dread getting
blamed for It”
Capt E.E. Perkins, head of the
community relations section of the
Atlanta police bureau, is predicting a 15
percent reduction in crime in the next
12 months.
Perkins said in an interview with the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution that with
a special kind of crisis intervention
unit, homicides could be reduced 25
percent.
Atlanta’s unit conducts residential
security surveys, business surveys,
property marking programs, rape and
drug prevention presentations and a
neighborhood watch program. A part of
People
are
scared
Vol. 105 No. 257
By WILLIAM E. SCHULZ
Associated Press Writer
Still shivering from last winter’s cold
and remembering the ache in the wallet
from paying heating bills, many
Georgians are buying wood-burning
stoves as insurance against a replay
this winter.
An Associated Press spot check of
retail stores and manufacturers
showed that wood and coal-burning
stoves are selling at a record pace.
Retailers are running out of stock and
factories are months behind demand.
“People are scared,” said Fred
Thomas, an administrator at Atlanta
V \ w
Information
meeting
tonight
Tommy McDougald looks over com
puter printout sheets in preparation for
a public informations session tonight at
7:30 in the Griffin Spalding County
Hospital cafeteria. The hospital
assistant comptroller will present a
program for the public to explain
hospital policies with reference to in
surance, Medicaid-Medicare, ad
ministration, and billing. The hospital
administration is especially inviting
persons who have had some misun
derstanding to attend tonight’s question
and answer session.
the unit works toward improving public
support of police efforts.
Similar programs are operated by
police or citizens groups in DeKalb,
Clayton, Fulton, Cobb, Douglas and
Gwinnett counties.
One of the most popular anticrime
efforts — the block parent program —
was introduced locally by DeKalb
police. About 3,500 parents in the
program have signs in the windows of
their homes to tell children their houses
are safe places to go for help.
Stove Works, one of the state’s largest
makers of wood-burning heating and
cooking stoves.
“It’s strictly because of the weather
— not nostalgia or anything like this.
It’s the weather,” he said. “The in
dustry is running four to five months
behind orders.”
“The old black cast-iron stoves which
you can cook on too are bought by one
income-level family, while the more af
fluent customers are buying the bright,
shiny enabel cabinett-type heaters,”
said Gerald Tuck, a Thomasville
i Continued on page 3.)
Weather
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN AREA —
Mostly cloudy through Tuesday with
chance of showers Tuesday. Low
tonight in low 50s. High Tuesday in mid
60s.
LOCAL WEATHER — Low this
morning at Spalding Forestry Unit 54,
high Sunday 73.
Ivan Taylor, a commercial airlines
pilot, thinks backers of the school bond
issue have missed the whole point of
quality education.
He said putting up four new walls was
not the way.
Taylor who said he opposed the bond
issue was quick to say he favored
quality education.
But he said the people in charge of
pushing the bond issue have not looked
at alternates.
“No one has ever suggested to me
that we sit down and talk about alter
nates,” Taylor said.
Taylor said he knew of no organized
effort against the bond issue such as a
taxpayers league or anything like that.
He said that some citizens were
concerned and believe backers of the
bond issue have not presented the facts
and the entire picture as it is.
Taylor said figuring interest on the
bonds and the money which the state
will supply for consolidation, the cost
will come to something like $lB-million
rather than sl4-million.
He said the money the state would put
into the program “is our money, too.”
Taylor said he objected to an attitude
he detected by some educators that
says: “Hands off, we are the teachers,
you don’t know what’s best.”
He said he was tired of people who
oppose bond issues being labeled odd
balls.
“That’s terrible,” he said.
“I read newspapers in other cities
and it’s happening elsewhere,” Taylor
said.
He said school board members and
others interested in education might do
well to listen to some criticism.
All the critics are not opposed to
quality education, Taylor said. He said
educators might learn by listening to
some of the points raised by opponents
of the bond issue.
Taylor said he thought a series of
advertisements opposing the bond issue
would speak for themselves.
One of the ads signed by Interested
Citizens says in part. . . “The State
Department of Education and local
school administrators have gone
completely overboard in wanting the
world. These officials believe money
grows on trees and grandiose facilities
will solve education problems, whereas
in fact they will only compound the
picture more. Education all over
Georgia needs a complete overhaul and
get back to basics in reading, writing
and arithmetic. . .”
The ad called for rejection of the bond
issue and to send school administrators
“back to the drawing board for the real
necessities, such as additions and
improvements.”