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—i _ « eight -eductxx, « 1 3*’°“’ TOKiK »I «O«viw>n . m «<> c al advice ri yIXI I medications H OI lo< I >'Wl &■ chi Wre n. »' Ptagnam « n.'' a* - Dr. Linn: obesity risk outweighs danger of diet. QHEKHHSgBRII * rV ’ * SgtS. S I S|| ilSil ‘x l | BB ; . ; X:? : •" ' ■ GW si ■&J 7< •> -B-: ■ •. .■ ' .a- •.. jUfcm ( ■J|ka 1 > WBWmSS ' Lamar Conner, Eddie Freeman and Carter Waller (1-r) discuss needs of a probation officer. No shortage of ‘clients’ Probation officers kept busy The Spalding County probation office never lacks for business. There are enough “clients” to keep the three probation officers, Lamar Conner, Eddie* Freeman and Carter Waller, busy every minute. “I doubt if things will improve til Gabriel blows his horn,” quipped Conner, who’s been on the job since the department was created in 1956. He’s seen a lot of changes. The latest was in July when the parole boards took over supervision of all parolees, leaving his office to supervise only those on probation. The difference in parole and probation, Conner explained, is that a person on parole has served a portion of his prison sentence and is released to serve the remainder under supervision. REMAINS FREE A person serving a probated sentence also has been convicted of a crime, but instead of going to prison, remains free and under the supervision of the probation office for a specified period of time. The offenders don’t get as much The Country Parson by Frank Clark n “Tl>e key to success is ex pecting to win.” GRIFFIN Daily Since 1872 Griffin, Ga., 30223, Thursday Afternoon, November 10,1977 surveillance as in years past. Instead, the officers work to determine in dividual needs and how they can best be helped. The Spalding office also handles Fayette County probationers, which are included in Eddie Freeman’s case load. As soon as a person is given a probated sentence, he leaves the courtroom and climbs to the third floor where he is interviewed and his responsibilities are explained. A case history and in-depth study of the offender is taken. Details of his life are recorded, such as his physical appearance, education, work experience, criminal record and other more personal information. NEED HELP MOST High need cases, or those who need the most help, often are given psychological testing. This is part of Waller’s job. “A lot of our people are mentally sick and we try to recognize the symptoms and help them get the proper treat ment. Sending them to prison would compound the problem because they would be out with the same troubles within a few months... .Maybe he can’t find a job. Whatever his needs, we are here to find them and to see what we can do to help. We rely heavily on community resources and often call on local businesses to help out,” Conner said. All information goes into a computer at GBI headquarters in Atlanta. COMPUTER RECORDS Keeping records on criminals is nothing new, since every conviction of both state and superior courts is recorded permanently with the clerk of superior court. But Conner views computerization of so much information “a frightening thing.” Many look on it as an invasion of the rights of individuals, he said. It proved to be helpful recently when law enforcement officers rapidly ob tained information on the plane high jacker in Atlanta, he noted. Often when a person is on probation, he has to pay a fine and make restitution to his victim. Some $56,854 has been collected in fines and restitutions through October this year. The fines are filed in the clerk of court’s office, while restitutions are forwarded to the victims. None of the money remains in the probation office. Its books are audited twice yearly and very strict records are kept of all monies handled. INSTALLMENTS Sometimes fines and restitutions may be paid on installments. If the person has no money for the fine, instead of going to jail for failure (Continued on page 2) People ••• and things King size acorns blown from trees on Meriwether Street early today, making a hail like noise as they hit car tops. Woman shaking head in disgust as more leaves fall from trees to lawn where she had just raked on West Solomon Street. Man, hunting cap sticking out of his jacket pocket, looking over thermal underware display in department store. Doctor defends diet WASHINGTON (AP) — The doctor whose book popularized the liquid protein “last chance” diet says his method is still the only effective treatment for obesity, despite government claims that it played a part in the deaths of 10 women. Dr. Robert Linn, the 43-year old osteopath whose diet book has sold two million copies, said Wednesday he agrees with the Food and Drug Administration that people who embark on his diet should be watched closely by physicians for potentially dangerous complications. But he said the health risks of obesity outweigh the dangers of the so-called “protein-sparing fast” if it is properly monitored. FDA Commissioner Donald Kennedy told a news conference Wednesday that government health authorities have “every reason to believe that the liquid protein diet was at least a contributing factor or a cause” the sudden heart attack deaths of 10 women under age 45. Farmers planning 1-75 tractor cade ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia farmers have announced plans for a 60-mile long tractorcade on Interstate 75 next month to culminate a protest of poor crop prices and delayed disaster aid. State officials, meanwhile, said farm disaster loans should begin flowing next week. Tommy Irvin, state commissioner of agriculture, said Wednesday the U.S. Department of Agriculture was helping the Small Business Administration staff its offices in order to get loans quickly into farmers* hands. “Loan disbursements should begin accelerating rapidly next week and, hopefully, many farmers who have been awaiting loan payments will receive them in the near future,” he said. Protesting farmers Wednesday announced a series of tractorcades, including one Nov. 25 in President Carter’s hometown of Plains. The motorcades will culminate Dec. 10 in what farmers hope will be a massive parade of 10,000 tractors on the in terstate from Valdosta to Atlanta, said Tom Kersey, state director of the protests. Farmers all over the nation will converge on their state capitals on that day, said Kersey, a middle Georgia farmer. Georgia farmers are using motor cades to try to push the government into awarding them 100 percent parity — or full market value —for their crops. Without the higher prices, the state’s farmers have threatened to join a Dec. 14 national farm strike. To dramatize their plight, farmers have driven their tractors on state highways at Statesboro, Alma and smaller towns. Kersey said more trac torcades will be held Friday and Saturday in middle Georgia to prepare for the 234-mile Valdosta-to-Atlanta trek. A parade, including an expected 2,000 to 5,000 tractors, will begin in Reynolds Friday and will move to Perry and Hawkinsville for Saturday, he said. Kersey said the farmers want 100 percent parity but “aren’t getting anything near it... only about 60 per cent right now.” Farmers also com plained that the federal government had not delivered what it offered in disaster aid after last summer’s drought. Irvin said the SBA has more than 8,000 loan applications on hand and has approved about 4,000 loans for a total of almost S2OO million. He said the Farmers Home Administration, which also is making disaster loans to fanners, has approved 960 loans totalling more than S7B million. About 260 have been closed at a total of $22 million, Irvin said. But Irvin said the SBA would hold to its policy of granting 50 percent of the loan amount now and 50 percent next spring. Vol. 105 No. 266 I * WrwwMl Peck for peck Four-year-old Kelly Sullivan exchanges pecks with Otis, the parrot, at pet shop here. She’s the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Bishop, 217 South 11th Street. Another freeze is due tonight Temperatures are expected to drop below the freezing mark here tonight. If the forecast proves to be correct, this will be the second time freezing weather has prevailed. Readings on downtown therometers were just below the freezing point during October, a very unusual thing in Griffin. Normally the first freeze comes during the first or second week in November in Griffin. Discouting the earlier flirtation with winter, the freezing weather is about on time. Another school bond vote on agenda for Monday night A request to hold another school bond referendum in December will be on Monday night’s school board agenda. In a called meeting at the courthouse late Wednesday morning, Chairman Henry Walker said he had received a petition from Education ’77 requesting the board call a special election on the earliest possible date in December to ask the voters to reconsider approving bonds for a new high school. There were 45 signatures with “more “We expect to find others,” he said. “We only have what we’re afraid may be the tip of the iceberg.” Kennedy urged weight-conscious consumers not to go on the liquid protein diet without close supervision by a doctor skilled in its use. And those now on it, he said, should “get themselves into the hands of a physician” who can spot signs of danger. Kennedy said warning labels will soon be required on liquid protein bottles. If evidence against the substance continues to mount, he said, “We will use every regulatory tool at hand to get it off the market.” After the news conference, Linn said in a statement issued by his office that he has had no deaths in his own practice, “and further, I understand that when using this obesity treatment properly, several hundred doctors treating several thousand patients have had no deaths.” (Continued on page 2) Weather FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN AREA - Clearing and much colder tonight with a light freeze. Low near 32, Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the mid 50s. LOCAL WEATHER — Low this morning at the Spalding Forestry Unit 45, high Wednesday 73. The National Weather Service in Atlanta predicted that partly cloudy skies and freezing temperatures would blanket the northern and western parts of the state tonight. The temperature may tumble into the 20s in the northern part of the state. The mid section and southern portions can expect readings of around 30, the Weather Service said. Temperatures are not expected to climb above the 50s in the north and central postions of Georgia nor the 60s in the southern portion Friday. A cold front with westerly winds is expected to roll in later. coming”, Walker said. He appointed Russell Smith and Dr. Tom Hunt to get together and deter mine what the costs of a new election would be, along with other information. The purpose of the called meeting was to approve a resolution of Tuesday’s bond issue results to be certified by the probate judge. The cost of Tuesday’s election will be paid by the school system and was expected to run around $3,000.