Newspaper Page Text
ilarksmt Progress-Argus
VOL. 97—NO. 2
Jackson High
Has Two
Teacher Interns
The Jackson High School facul
ty and students welcome two in
tern teachers in home economics
from Georgia College at Milledge
ville. They are Miss Carol Barron
from Macon and Miss Lucy Tu
from Phnom-Penh, Cambodia.
Miss Barron attended North
Georgia College in Dahlonega for
two years and then transferred to
Georgia College at Milledgeville.
Miss Barron is a member of the
Home Economics Club and Rec
reation Club. She has also been
elected to membership in Phi
Upsilon Omicron, honorary home
economics fraternity. Miss Bar
ron is fond of family programs
on television such as Family Af
fair and My Three Sons. She also
enjoys sewing, recipe collecting,
antiquing furniture and drawing.
Miss Barron has one sister, Lora,
who is a student at the University
of Georgia.
Miss Tu has worked at a vari
ety of jobs such as sales girl,
waitress, secretary and clerk to
send herself through high school
and college. Miss Tu has been
active in the International Rela
tions Club and Home Economics
Club. She has been historian and
librarian for Phi Upsilon Omicron
and named to the Dean’s List.
Miss Tu is interested in creative
cookery, traveling, meeting peo
ple, sewing and golfing. She has
five sisters and two brothers.
Both girls will graduate in
March after their two months
period of internship in home eco
nomics at J.H.S. Afterwards they
plan to work and later marry.
BPW To Hold
Membership
Tea Sunday
The Butts County Business and
Professional Women’s Club will
have a membership tea at Hender
son High and Elementary School
on Sunday, January 11th, begin
ning at five o’clock until seven
o’clock. The public is invited.
Mrs. Margaret Belcher, the
national president of the Negro
Business and Professional Wom
en’s Clubs, Inc., will be the guest
speaker. An inspirational and
enjoyable program is planned.
The tea will be in the cafe
torium of the Henderson High
and Elementary School. —Miss
Vivian Street, President.
His Goal: To Help Make Good Citizens
The Griffin Daily News
Friday, Jan. 2, 1970
The Georgia Diagnostic and
Classification Center is finding it
increasingly difficult to bring
new staff members into the Butts-
Spalding County area because of
the lack of housing in its two
neighboring communities Grif
fin and Jackson —according to
the institution’s Warden and Su
perintendent Richard Ballard.
“We are nearing completion of
phase two of our building pro
gram which will add five new cell
houses, allowing us to accommo
date 844 prisoners. This, of
course, will mean a need for ad
ditional personnel and a larger
payroll,” said Warden Ballard.
The warden indicated that the
Center’s payroll may become
more important to neighboring
towns as its staff grows.
“The new buildings will begin
being used upon their completion
in early July,” Ballard added.
When the center opened in
April by order of Governor Les
ter Maddox and State Corrections
Director Robert J. Carter because
of the pressing need for its serv
ices, it was not prepared to pro
cess all male felons from through-
Marionettes
To Be Here
January 22nd
“Wonderland is really so!’’ said
Alice. Lewis Carroll’s famous
Heroine will haye a chance to
prove her statement in person
on Thursday, Jan. 22 at Jackson
Elementary School when New
York City’s famous Nicolo Mari
onettes presents a bright, new
musical version of the beloved
children’s classic, Alice in Worn
derland. The production will fea
ture a real live Alice who sings
and dances her way through
a series of exciting adventures in
a Marionette Wonderland.
Boys, girls and children of all
ages will share in Alice’s fun
and laughter as she meets such
fantastic and fascinating mario
nette characters as the Smoking
Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts,
The Mad Hatter, The March
Hare, The Dormouse, The
Duchess and many others, includ
ing the mysterious disappearing
Cheshire Cat.
The Band Boosters will spon
sor this Nicolo production. Tick
ets for Alice in Wonderland may
be purchased in advance from
any band member or by telephon
ing 775-7646 evenings or 775-
3140 days. Ticket price 75c. Per
formances start promptly at 4:00
and 7:00 p. m. at the Jackson
Elementary School. Remember
the date ... it is Thursday, Jan.
22.
Hugh Polk
Named To
Committees
Butts County Sheriff Hugh
Polk has been officially appoint
ed to serve on the following
Peace Officers Association of
Georgia Committes for the fol
lowing year: Special Committee,
President’s Aide, Dignitaries, Es
cort, and other assignments.
The appointment of Sheriff
Polk to the committees was made
recently by Dave Higinbotham,
president, POAG. Sheriff Poik
was advised of his appointment
in a letter from E. D. Mink, Sec
retary and treasurer, POAG.
Sheriff Polk is serving his first
full term as sheriff of Butts
County, succeeding the late J. D.
Pope, who died last year. Sheriff
Polk was elected in a special elec
tion last year called upon the
death of Sheriff Pope.
A Visit With Warden Ballard
out the state as had been planned.
However, when the five new
buildings are occupied, Ballard
said the center will be able to
handle the load.
“Today’s prisoners are con
cerned with correction and re
habilitation rather than punish
ment,” Ballard said.
It is our job here to diagnose
each felon passed on to us from
the state courts and decide why
he is in prison and what can be
done to keep him from coming
back, once he is ready to take his
place in society again,” he said.
When asked his personal views
on capital punishment, or the
death penalty, the warden said
that he did not favor this type
of solution to criminal behavior.
Ballard added that he consid
ered keeping a man on death row
awaiting execution for a number
of years to be cruel and inhumane
punishment as defined by the
constitution.
Also, Ballard said he did not
favor a natural life sentence, that
is until one dies of natural causes
without chance for parole.
“If you take away a man’s hope
for release, you take away the
possibility of any sort of correc
tion and leave only a human
Heart Attack
Claims Life
Of Tourist
Mrs. Mary Cecilia Norris Rich
ardson, 60, of Lexington Park,
Maryland, was pronounced dead
on arrival at Sylvan Grove Hos
pital Tuesday night about 11:30
o’clock, apparently the victim of
a heart attack while enroute home
from a trip to Florida.
The fatal seizure occurred on
1-75 but her husband could not
exit until he reached the State
Rt. 36 interchange on the Barnes
ville Road. An ambulance was
summoned and she was rushed
to Sylvan Grove Hospital where
a Jackson physician pronounced
her dead on arrival.
Mrs. Richardson was a retired
civil service worker and lived at
135 East Sunrise Drive, Lexing
ton Park, Md. She was traveling
with her husband and daughter.
Haisten Funeral Home shipped
her body Wednesday to Robinson
Funeral Home in Leonardtown,
Md. for funeral arrangements.
It is reported that the Richard
son family left for Florida the
day after Christmas and had visi
ted a brother of Mrs. Richard
son’s in Tampa, Florida.
FOUR INJURED
TUESDAY AS
TRUCK OVERTURNS
Mrs. Faye Steverson and three
daughters, Donna, 10, Deidra, 8,
and Dana, 6, all of Route 2, Lo
cust Grove were painfully injured
early Tuesday morning when the
pickup truck Mrs. Steverson was
driving overturned on the hill
above Yellow Water Creek on
State Route 42 when she lost con
trol of the truck and hit the rain
softened shoulder.
Mrs. Steverson is a secretary
of the Jackson Christian Acad
emy and was enroute to work
when the mishap occurred. A
light, almost freezing rain, was
falling at the time and members
of the Butts County Sheriff’s
Department, who investigated the
accident, surmised that she might
have lost control while rounding
the curve on the wet pavement.
Mrs. Steverson and daughters
were rushed to nearby Sylvan
Grove Hospital by a passing mo
torist. They were all examined
by a Jackson physician and dis
missed later in the morning. The
truck was demolished as it over
turned at least once and came
to rest upside down across a
fairly deep ditch.
# 1 *
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If!
RICHARD BALLARD
vegetable,” the warden added.
Georgia’s inmates have one
thing in common, a general lack
of vocational, as well as academic,
education according to authorities
at the prison.
“Many of the men we process
here simply do not have the train
ing to enable them to secure a
job that will allow them to sup
port their families,” Ballard said.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1970 JACKSON, GEORGIA 30233
Hoke Copeland
Leaves Flint
River Council
Mr. Hoke Copeland, Scout Ex
ecutive of the Flint River Council,
Boy Scouts of America, leaves
the Council after 17 years ser
vice to assume a position with
the Atlanta Area Council, Boy
Scouts of America.
Mr. Copeland came to Griffin
in 1952. In 1956 the Flint River
Council received the distinction
of having the best all round rec
ord of growth in Units and boys
of any Council in America. In
1961 Flint River was the Out
standing Rural Council in Amer
ica. In 1968 Flint River led Re
gion 6 in trained leaders, ad
vancement, and Camp Attend
ance. 459 boys have reached the
rank of Eagle Scout, 2 of these
represented Region 6 in the “Re
port to the Nation.” Camp Thun
der has been one of the top 10
Council Camps in Attendance for
17 years and has maintained a
95% or more rating during this
time. In 1969 it received the “A”
Banner for the Bth time. The
Council has just received a plaque
for having reached the Boy
Power ’76 Goals set for 1969 by
the National Office in New Jer
sey.
Thirteen men began Profes
sional Scouting careers in the
Flint River Council during these
17 years. Three of these now hold
administrative positions. Boy
membership has grown from 1660
in 1952 to 4500" who will be
served in 1969. Packs, Troops,
and Posts now total 165.
Mr. Copeland took his position
with the Atlanta Area Council
oh Jan. 1.
Flovilla
Election
Jan. 10th
A City Election will be held
Saturday, January 10th, at the
Flovilla City Hall for the purpose
of electing five councilmen for
the City of Flovilla. Voting hours
are from 7 a. m. to 7 p . m.
Candidates who have qualified
to run are Charles “Wimp” Floyd,
E. R. Edwards, Jr., C. A. An
thony, Wayne King, and J. D.
Long.
All qualified voters are urged
to go to the polls and cast their
vote.
The warden went on to describe
the value of in-prison education
to inmates.
“If we can train a man in a
skill, such as brick laying, while
he is in prison, then he can find
a job when he is released and
will stand a much better chance
of not returning if the rest of his
rehabilitation has been success
ful,” Ballard said.
When an inmate is brought to
the center, he is first given a re
ceipt for his personal property,
then a bath, issued clothing,,
given a hair cut, and oriented as
to what the center expects of him
during his six-week stay and what
he may expect of the center.
Secondly, he is given a physical
examination as well as all neces
sary dental work and eye glasses
if they are needed.
“We are interested in the man’s
family, former employer, criminal
history, military service, educa
tion and sociological background,”
the warden said.
Following the initial interviews,
the inmate undergoes an intensive
series of tests. The results are
used in deciding the proper pro
gram of rehabilitation.
“Once the testing is over, one
of the center’s sociologists will
Henry Grand Jury Asks
Resignation of McGarity
Charlie Goss
To Celebrate
106th Birthday
ijr a, 1
One of the most remarkable
living Georgians is Mr. Charlie C.
Goss who will celebrate his 106th
birthday on January 17th at the
Westbury Medical Care Home in
Conyers where he is a patient.
Born January 17, 1864 in Hen
ry County, Mr. Goss is known as
“Grandpa” to his intimates and
many friends.
During the past several years
Mr. Goss has received six birth
day greetings from President
Lyndon B. Johnson and a tele
gram last year from President
Richard M. Nixon. In fact, so
famous has he become and so un
usual for a man to reach the
century mark plus six that his
birthdays have been televised on
WAGA-TV and WSB-TV.
James R. Westbury, admini
strator of the two homes, states
that “we are planning his biggest
party yet this year. It will be
held Saturday, January 17th, at
ten o’clock in the morning with
everyone invited.”
During his long life Mr. Goss
has spent only one night outside
the state of Georgia. He came to
Jenkinsburg to the Westbury
Medical Care Home in November
1963 and moved to the Conyers
home after it opened in January.
Mr. Goss’ many friends in this
area wish him many happy re
turns on his forthcoming birthday
on Saturday, January 17th. Many
of his friends from Jackson and
Butts County expect to travel to
Conyers to attend his birthday.
prepare a work-up on the prison
er to be used by the Classification
Committee to determine in which
prison in the Georgia Correction
al System the man is best suited.
Ballard added his praise for
Georgia’s work-release program
in which an inmate may work
at an “outside” job during the
day and return to prison at night.
“Work release allows the pris-
oner to contribute to the sup
port of his family, pay for the
expense of his stay while in pris
on, and accumulate some savings
to use after his full release,” the
warden said.
When asked which prisoners
were most easily rehabilitated,
Ballard answered, “Murderers
and rapists are the types of in
mates most likely not to commit
a crime of any kind again.”
The warden explained that be
cause these are crimes of passion,
the realization of what he has
done rehabilitates the man almost
immediately.
“The Georgia Department of
Corrections is in business to do
just what the name implies, to
help correct the errors made by
men and women, not to lock the
door and throw away the key,”
Warden Ballard said.
Education Has
Made Progress
In Last Decade
Franklin Shumake, President
Georgia Education Association
Throughout the month of Jan
uary, the people of Georgia will
be observing Georgia Education
Month. This will provide us an
opportunity to highlight our suc
cesses and to examine carefully
our current problems.
A study of the past ten years
indicates extensive progress:
In 1960, 42% of our young
men failed the mental examina
tion when drafted in the armed
services. Today, the failure rate
has been reduced to 28%.
In 1960, only 48% of ninth
grade students went on to high
school. Today, we have 63% of
our ninth graders completing
high school.
In 1960, the average teacher’s
salary in Georgia was $3,668. Ten
years later, the average teacher’s
salary is $7,002.
The per pupil expenditure for
education in 1960 was $241. Last
year, our per pupil expenditure
had increased to $530.
We can observe many other
areas of educational improvement
in such items as school building
facilities, additional teaching
equipment in the schools, a high
er participation in the lunchroom
program, a more extensive use
of educational television, and a
greatly expanded program of vo
cational education.
It is then, with pride, that we
see the progress we have made.
These advances should provide a
base for beginning the decade of
the 1970’5.
During this month of January,
we would like to encourage each
school system to study carefully
the educational advances made
during the past ten years and to
work with community leaders in
projecting educational needs for
the future. During this month of
January, visits to the school
should be encouraged and joint
study groups of educators, par
ents, students and community
leaders should meet within each
school to determine priorities and
establish goals.
Jackson Man
Charged In
Traffic Death
A Jackson man, Eddie McMich
ael, 36, of Route 4, was ordered
bound over to the Spalding Coun
ty Grand Jury on charges re
duced from murder to manslaugh
ter at a commitment hearing
Friday morning at the Spalding
County Jail.
Mr. McMichael had been held
in the county jail since Decem
ber 21st in connection with the
hit and run death of Sammy Dew
berry, 23, of Route 4, Griffin.
According to the State Patrol,
Mr. Dewberry was walking on
North Second Street Extension
when he was struck by a car. He
suffered multiple injuries and
died at the Griffin-Spalding
County Hospital six days later.
In addition to manslaughter,
Mr. McMichael has been charged
with six traffic violations. He
was released Friday morning
under $3,000 bond.
CEDAR ROCK TO HOST
SINGING CONVENTION
The Butts County Singing Con
vention will be held Sunday, Jan
uary 11th, at Cedar Rock Con
gregational Methodist Church.
Singing will begin at two o’clock
and continue until four o’clock.
Everyone is extended a cordial
invitation to attend.
$5.00 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
McDonough—A Henry County
grand jury this week recommend
ed the five-man county commis
sion be abolished, the district at
torney resign, and the public
works camp warden be fired.
The jury concluded three
months of deliberation Monday,
during which time it had indicted
three of the county commission
ers on bribery charges. In its
hard-hitting presentments, the
jury recommended the five-seat
commissioners be replaced by one
county commissioner. The jurors
also suggested that the office of
the county treasurer be elimina
ted and an annual certified audit
of county finances be made by an
“out-of-county” auditor with
legal prosecution if the findings
warrant.
Hardly no segment of local
government escaped the scrutiny
of the crusading grand jury.
Ed McGarity, District Attorney
of the Flint Judicial Circuit for
the past seven years, was asked
to resign from office. The jury
listed seven reasons why it want
ed the 50-year-old lawyer and
former legislator to relinquish
his authority as the county’s
chief prosecutor. The charges
were:
“1. Misleading this grand
jury.
2. Failure to properly advise
the grand jury.
“3. Due to his close and per
sonal relationship with the com
missioners, refusing to step aside
and let an out-of-county prose
cutor prosecute indicted county
officials.
“4. Failing to properly carry
out functions of the district at
torney’s office by holding large
numbers of indictments in three
counties of his jurisdiction.
“5. Failure to prosecute known
bootleggers and racketeers.
“6. Failing to cooperate with
agents from the Georgia Bureau
of Investigation and
“7. Money owed to the county,
as yet unpaid, consisting of hun
dreds of dollars in title registra
tion fees carried through several
years.”
The jury also asked that Claude
Canup, warden of the County
Public Works Camp, be fired be
cause of the “many complaints”
they had received. The jury noted
Canup had been fired by pre
vious county commissioners “be
cause of questionable actions.”
Extension Center
Starts Spring
Classes Jan. 15
The Kimbell Baptist Mercer
center will begin the Spring
Semester Thursday night, Jan
uary 15th, at seven o’clock.
Classes will be taught at the
Jackson First Baptist Church,
each Thursday evening for 15
weeks.
Courses to be offered include"
“Baptist History” taught by Rev.
Don Folsom, pastor of Jackson
First Baptist Church, and the
“Parables of Jesus” taught by
Rev. R. W. Jenkins, pastor of
Macedonia Baptist Church. These
courses are for pastors, Sunday
School teachers, deacons, all
church workers and leaders, and
for all who would like to learn
more about the Bible and church
work.
The Center is sponsored by the
Kimbell Baptist Association. The
cost for the spring semester will
be $2.50 per course plus the text
books for the complete 15 weeks.
Anyone desiring more informa
tion may contact Miss Dorothy
Thomas, phone number 775-7669,
Rev. S.. H. Odom, or either of the
teachers.