Newspaper Page Text
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J. D. JONES PUBLISHER
(1908-1955)
DOYLE JONES JR Editor and
Publisher
Published every Thursday at 129 South Mulberry Street,
Jackson, Georgia 30233. Second Class Postage paid at Jack
ton, Georgia 30233.
Address notice of undeliverable copies and other corre
spondence to The Jackson Progress-Argus, P. O. Box 249,
Jackson, Georgia 30233.
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER TELEPHONE 775-3107
TOdtUtldil ' fsssdt< 1H OFFICIAL ORGAN
rsfrsss gjj NNA SUSTAINING BUTTS county and
SKtr g MEMBER 1970 CITY OF JACKSON
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One Year $5.00
School Year $4.00
Six Months $2.75
Single Copy 10c
IT’S THIS WAY
BY DOYLE JONES JR.
Jest of the Week: A harried mother says that at Christmas time,
the kids hang up their stocking. After that, it’s a full year before
one of them hangs up anything again.
Or perhaps you prefer the more direct approach in your humor
such as: Wife at Christmas party, “Where is that cute blonde who
was serving cocktails a while ago?’’
Hostess: “Oh, are you looking for a drink?”
Wife: “No, I’m looking fo v my husband.”
• •••••
THIS AND THAT ABOUT THESE AND THOSE
Some nineteen hundred and seventy years ago, as man reckons
time, the greatest event in human history occurred. It was, of course,
the birth of Jesus Christ, the central figure in the hopes and aspira
tions of mankind. It is to Him the world pays homage tomorrow.
The manner of His birth is ever new and ever revealing. The Spirit
of Christmas is wrapped up in the birth of this Holy Child, the cir
cumstances of His humble birth not fully understood in the opulence
of the twentieth century. But unless we accept the miracle of His
birth and the Diety of His person, we cannot enter wholeheartedly
into the joy of the occasion. For it is Christ we worship at Christ
mas and to Him we reverence our heart, soul and very being.
Christmas without Christ is hollow indeed and we deprive ourselves
of the true meaning of the day if we attempt to celebrate it without
Him. We wish you a Happy and Merry Christmas with Christ the
focal figure in the observance . . . Mocking bird sitting atop the
weather vane atop the Jackson post office last week serenading at
the top of his voice and drawing the stares of passersby . . . The
University System Board of Regents, mellowed perhaps by the
Yule Season and no doubt wishing to act in the role of Santa Claus,
presented Griffin with a much sought after gift with the announce
ment December tth that our neighbor city would be the site for a
junior college. Griffin was one of six locations announced as sites
for junior colleges across the state. The new college will be a boon
to education in this area and will afford an opportunity for many
students from Spalding, Butts, Henry, Lamar, Pike and Fayette
Counties to achieve schooling that otherwise might not be possible.
We congratulate the fine people of Spalding County on being selec
ted for this college and we are certain that it will soon be one of
the outstanding junior colleges in the entire university system . . .
The joys of the Yule season will be tempered with tragedy. Many
will die on our highways, the Georgia Department of Public Safety
predicts 49, and hundreds will be injured with some maimed for
life. It behooves us all to drive with extra care during the holiday
season and be extra cautious at night when a spirit-filled motorist
(bourbon and scotch) may be hurtling toward you in his steel,
chrome and gas steed at speeds far in excess of his alcohol fogged
mind, to cope with. Good defensive driving will help keep you alive
on the 26th . . . Optimism prevails on the part of many Henry
Countians that the airport deal will be wrapped up soon after the
New Year or certainly in February. Things are progressing smooth
ly with the word from the airlines expected early on or before Val
entine Day. And what a Valentine it will be! . . . The Jaycees are
working hard through their Empty Stocking program to see that
there are no empty stockings in the county Christmas morning. It
is a gigantic undertaking and Wayne Phillips, Jaycees president,
wishes to thank the people of Butts County for their generous re
sponse. Other agencies and groups, particularly churches, are doing
their part in making Christmas meaningful and happy for the less
fortunate. It is the sincere hope of those of good faith that no
family will pro unnoticed tomorrow and that every needy household
will he covered by one or more agencies or groups . . . Jackson was
never more festive and attractive than it was Friday night when the
six out-of-town judges had the difficult task of selecting the homes
that in their opinions were outstanding. We are glad the decision
was not ours for we might have had to deliberate all night. After
the consultations, conferences and return trips to a house or two,
the judges voted in one, two, three order in the East the homes of
I>r. and Mrs. B. F. Parrish. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Kelly, Mr. and
Mrs. Lou Moelchert. In the West, the homes of Mrs, Charles Barber,
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Barnes and Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Daniel Jr. were
chosen first, second and third, respectively. In the business district,
first place went to City Hall, second to Jackson Hardware, and third
to Etheridge-Smith Cos. Many honorable mentions were cited and
" . 4.Jl
Guest Editorial
THE MACON TELEGRAPH
SOME SUGGESTIONS
WORTH STATE ACTION
A state senator said he asked in the state capitol
to see a copy of the Ragen Report, supposedly the
blueprint to reform Georgia’s prison system.
The report was drawn up a few years ago by a na
tionally recognized expert on penal reform.
Whent the senator wanted to see the report recent
ly, no one could find a copy. Finally, after much scur
rying around, someone located a copy in the Atlanta
public library.
So it goes with the learned, expensive studies un
dertaken to reform the most backward aspects of
state government operation.
The state last week was privileged to have a group
of criminal justice experts come together to suggest
a comprehensive program of reforms.
The recommendations make
excellent sense. Few of them are
startlingly new. But most of them
will be shunted aside again unless
Gov.-elect Jimmy Carter and
members of the General Assembly
insist that they be implemented.
Mr. Carter was at the session
and spoke briefly. He is a mem
ber of the Georgia Chapter of the
National Council on Crime and
Delinquency, sponsor of the work
shop. We hope he will adopt the
principal recommendations as a
part of his own reform program.
Here are some suggestions
coming from the workshop:
Establish a minimum salary for
police officers, require longer
training and increase pension
benefits.
Set minimum standards for lo
cal jails, provide for inspections
by state authorities, require at
least one full-time jailer at any
jail.
Set uniform bonds for offenses
statewide, allow more people out
on recognizance bonds, establish
they will be found in the news columns of the paper. Miss Elizabeth
McMichael, president of the Garden Club Council, and Doyle Jones
Jr., editor of The Progress-Argus, the two sponsors of the annual
Christmas Lighting Contest, wish to thank every home owner who
lighted and decorated his home and to the garden clubs for their
cooperation in obtaining and entertaining the judges. The judges,
by the way, were so impressed at the Yule beauty of Jackson that
they are coming back to see it in the daytime and to see the “other
half” as three judges each saw only part of the city. We congratulate
the winners and express personal appreciation to those who helped
give our town the “look of Christmas.”
distr.
Parrish Drug Cos.
THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS. JACKSON, GEORGIA
state standards and supervision
for professional bondsmen. As it
is, many men who ought to be
working to support their families
are thrown into jail because they
can’t raise a bond. The taxpayer
and the family of the accused
suffers.
Build regional jails to replace
outdated local jails. The regional
jail planned for the Macon area
will, when completed replace 17
jails and provide rehabilitation
services sadly lacking in the local
jails.
These are only a few of the
recommendations. (Others will be
discussed in subsequent edito
rials.)
What is needed now is for the
legislators, the governor-elect
and the general public to tho
roughly familiarize themselves
with the recommendations and
see that something is done about
them. Don’t let them gather dust
on the shelves of a library some
where. ■■ r
‘Whatsoever Things’
BY DONALD E. WILDMON
A CHRISTMAS LETTER
Several years ago, I wrote my annual Christ
mas letter to the members of my church. While
I am departing from my usual form a little, and
my column will be a little shorter, I would like
to share the letter with you. For I feel a respon
sibility toward you despite the fact that we may
never have met. Here is the letter.
Dear Friends: As we draw near to this
' ■■ s-
Christmas day, we here would like to take this method of wishing
you and yours a Christmas season filled with love and happiness. We
wish the very best for you in all that comes. But there are some
special gifts we want you to have.
First, we hope you will have enough, but not too much. This is
our wish for you because often when we get too much we forget
where it all comes from.
Next, we hope you will be
happy, but not quite satisfied. We
need to remember that there are
others less fortunate than we are.
Sometimes we get so concerned in
satisfying our own desires, we
forget others who need our love
and concern.
We hope you will get your
share of toys, also. Too many
times we make toys out of the
things that are most precious in
life. And if there are enough
toys, maybe we will be a little
more serious with the sacred
things.
It is our desire that you get
plenty to eat, but that you will
not get quite enough. Maybe if
our stomachs hurt a little we
could remember the under-nour
ished a little easier.
We know that you will be visi
ting with and visited by family
and friends. We hope you see
all but one, and that missing that
one will remind you that there
are some who do not have fam
ily or friends to share Christmas
with. Perhaps it would help us
to be a little bit friendlier.
It is ou r wish that your Christ
mas tree will have lots of pack
ages under it. And that in the
exchanging of gifts you will re
member the grandest Gift ever
PERSONAL
Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Moelchert
will leave Friday for Florence,
South Carolina, where they will
spend the< Christmas weekend
with Mr. and Mrs. Louie Moel
chert and children, Chip and
Doug.
Mr. and Mrs Marvin W. Ray
will spend Christmas with her
mother, Mrs. H. A. Mauldin, and
brother, Jim Mauldin, at Norris
Martin Ridgeway, a student at
Georgia Tech, arrived home last
Thursday for a few days with
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J, Harry
Ridgeway before flying to New
Jersey on Tuesday to spend the
Christmas holidays with Lt. and
Mrs. Tommy Carmichael and Bet
sy.
f gSy~jSBSy.- .&'v \ &< ;<
The Princess Shop
given.
It is because of His love that
all of us wish all of you a merry
Christmas.
God bless you. And remember
the Christ Child. Merry Christmas
from Don, Lynda, Timmy, An
gela, and Donna Lou—The Wild
mons.—FlVE STAR
We sincerely wish you every
blessing that the season holds. May you and
those dear to you rejoice in contentment and love.
Donald Montgomery
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
JllliiK Here’s to a very
r * S * maS
PACE'S FLOWER SHOP
THURSDAY, DEC. 24, 19 70
personal
Mrs. Gray Smith of Bmnesvill e
is spending part of the Christmas
Season with her daughter, Mr? j
Harry Ridgeway, and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Thompson
will spend Christmas weekend in
Banks, Alabama with their par .
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Jule Thomp.
son.
Christmas Eve guests of Mr
and Mrs. M. B. Cook and Her
schel are Mr. and Mrs. Wayne
Cook, Gary and Edith, M an j
Mrs. Ron Thompson and Mi. and
Mrs. Wayne Lawhon.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard DeCarro
enroute to their home in Bergen
field, New Jersey from the
Florida Keys, were Saturday
guests of Mrs. W. M. Redman, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Ira Butler will
have as their guests on Chi n mas
Day Mr. and Mrs. Billy Butler
and family of Griffin, Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Butler of Manches
ter, Mr. Z. L. Wilson and Mr. and
Mrs. Clifford Butler, all of Grif
fin.
Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Pippin
and family will spend the week
end with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. W. D. Shaw, in Rome.
