Georgia Historic Newspapers

    Now Circulated Throughout The County
VOLUME 1
FROM THIS CORNER
By Anthony Grey
Where Will The Business Section Os Forest Park
Center; Anybody's Guess May Be ACorrest One
For a number of years there has been discussion, part
icularly by businessmen, concerning where the center of
Forest Park's shopping center will be.
To most citizens this matter is of little consequence.
To businessmen arid owners of business property, it means
a great deal because the eventual center of the shopping
center will effect property valuations and, to some ex
tent, the volume of business at a given location, since
volume is influenced by pedestrian “traffic.”
At the present time most agree that the center of the
shopping district is the group of buildings which includes
McKown and Moseley Furniture and Ap
pliance Store, Smith Hardware, Jean’s
Flower Shop, Ware’s Five and Ten, Fost
er’s Food Town and Colonial Stores.
But there are those who feel that the
greatest concentration of business houses
will ultimately be on Highway 54. Larry
Bartlett has plans for developing a shop
ping center on an 81/ 2 acre tract of land
on Highway 54, part of which is now oc-
cupied by Forest Park Nursery and Florists, which he
owns, as reported in the Nov. 9, 1955 issue of the News.
Now it has been announced that a local corporation
will construct a shopping center at Highway 54 and Astor
Avenue. (See story this page.)
This center is scheduled for completion by June 15 of
this year.
There are also plans for additional development on
that section of Main Street towards the Superhighway,
and across the railroad tracks from Main Street, in that
area.
Even if Forest Park should stop growing, insofar as
home?. are concerned, it is likely that new businesses
would go Up regularly for a few years.
This would happen because the business district is not
anywhere near as large as it should be for the number of
families, in Forest Park.
,P ro °f °f thw are any number of older towns in the
vicinity. Many have much smaller populations, but much
larger shopping districts.
It nearly always happens that most undeveloped
section of a vast growing town is the shopping district.
This is the case since most businessmen wait until a very
definite need exists for a business, before they are willing
to risk capital investment.
There is a place here now for many additional busi
nesses. (A bakery shop, combination book-gift-«tationery
and office supply outlet, a lumber and building supply
house, men’s clothing store, to name just four). Most will
arrive even if population growth slows, which is not anti
cipated. Where they will locate is impossible to deter
mine.
So where the eventual crossroads of Forest Park will
be is anybody’s, guess.
* ¥ ¥
For the past several weeks there has been an under
current of controversy concerning the proposed plan for
a city park. As can always be expected, there are two
basic sides to the diragreement and several side ; ssues.
The main discussion is based upon whether city offici
als should have allowed the cutting off of the stand of
trees in the park area. Some are ?.trongly opposed to the
cutting of the trees, which reminded us of that famed
poem “Woodman, Spare That Tree.” by George Pope
Morris.
Mayor J. K. Currie and members of council have de
veloped a plan for the park, and it requires the cutting of
a large percentage of the trees. It appears that the
firm which contracted to cut the trees had its nrnd on
the dollar sign rather than on the precise specifications
of the contract, resulting in more trees being cut than
originally intended.
The city plan for the park will meet with the approval
of most citizens; yet most would have preferred that the
plan have been worked out to save as many of the trees
as possible.
I. for one feel that city’s plan for a park is a sound one
but it seems unfortunate that more trees could not have
been left. .
— please vote!
When Politicians rule the roost,
The Hen House is a mess;
When Voters, do not Vote today,
What happens is no guess.
If a government, of the people, by the people, for the
people; fails, it is the fault of the people. A mass is made
of units. Enough make many. Little drops of water, little
vrams of ?.and, make the mighty ocean and the solid land.
Truly enough, an individual only has one vote. He can’t
do everything, but he can do something.
Votes are counted one by one. Enough individuals
make a multitude. The results of an election are deter
mined by counting up the one?.. Low grade candidates
get elected because too many high grade men and women
are careless about going to the polls and voting.
If our cherished form of government is kept from per
ishing from the earth, every mothers’ son and daughter
of us must exercise the sacred right of franchise. Each
has a solom duty to perform-to neglect it is to sin against
the future well-being of our land and country. Register
your voice by your VOTE.
“We have done which it was our duty to do:” St. Luke
17: 10.
We are responsible to our God and will have to give
an account to Him for our neglect to go to the polls and
cast our vote.
If we fail to vote then we have failed our God and
our country and the future well-being of our friends and
loved ones and will be held responsible to God for our
sin as a citizen.
On election day no grumbling or growling, nor mud
slinging will be counted, only the votes of the people who
care enough to vote.
There will be no talley sheet for those who do not vote,
Continued on Page 2
The Forest Park News
If you live anywhere in Clayton County outside of Forest Park you may
receive a copy of the Forest Park News in the mail each week at no charge.
See and fill out the coupon on Page Four of this issue. THE EDITOR
FOREST PARK SWIMMING POOL,
now complete except for landscap
ng, will be ready for use when warm
weather arrives. Pool was. made pos
sible by a bond election on April 9,
Cotillion Club Dance
Slated For Friday
April 13 at 8:00 P. M.
The Forest Park Junior Cotillion
club will hold it’s next dance at
the youth center Friday April 13
at 8:00 p.m.
Mrs. E. D. Shone will be pre
sent to instruct in dancing. The
theme of this month’s dancing par
ty will be “April Showers.” The
decorating and refreshment com
mittees have carried out the theme
to present what promises to be a
gala spring dance.
Five Leading Citizens
Named To Chamber Os
Commerce Committee
Floyd Suddeth, president of the
Clayton County Chamber of Com
merce, announces the appointment
of the Chamber’s important In
dustrial Committee as follows
Harrison W. Buckley, Chairman;
Henry Dorsey, Ed Rawls; Charles
Conklin and J. Carl Hodges.
Mr. Sudderth states he feels
Clayton County is indeed fortun
ate in enlisting the fine talents
of these men in the big effort the
Chamber is now making to inter
est industry in our County and sell
to. them our many fine facilities
available.
These men, he says, are excel
lent examples of the outstanding
calibre of a large number of our
citizens, many of whom the Cham
ber is planning to bring into ac
tion as they push the development
and improvcnTent of our County
in many phases.
The Chamber gives the following
brief sketches of the members of
the Industrial Committee.
Harrison W. Buckley, Chairman,
Mr. Buckiey was with Sears-Roe
buck & Co. for 27 years. For eight
years he was. Manager of the Pon
ce De Lpon Avenue retail store.
His final assignment was staff as
sistant in the personell depart
ment for the Southeastern terri
tory. Mr. Buckley has been a citi
zen of Clayton County for the past
seven years, residing on his 160
Judge Reynolds To Recommend County Construct
Modern Fireproof Records Building at Courthouse
A recommendation that the coun. ।
ty construction a modern fireproof ■
repository behind the county court-'
house to store valuable county re
cords will be one of the first of
ficial acts of Judge W. H. Rey
nolds when he takes office a s
Judge of the Superior Court of
Clayton County next January.
Judge Reynolds told the News
that all deed books and other price
less records now stored in the
Clerk of Court’s office would very
possibly be destroyed in case of
fire, especially if a fire caused a
partial collapse of the structure al
lowing names to enter two win
dows on the South side of the of
fice.
Judge Reynolds also said that
there was insufficient room in the
Clerk of Court’s office for lawyers
and other persons to conveniently
search titles and check other re
cords.
He indicated that he would re
commend a bond issue for the
construction of a large, modern
fireproof records building if funds ;
were not otherwise available
Judge Reynolds said he would
appear before the Board of Coun
ty Commissioners shortly after tak-
i
For And About The Citizens Os Forest Park
FOREST PARK, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1956
1955, when citizens voted $40,000 for
the project. Bond issue passed by one
vote. The pool is therefore a constant
reminder of the weight a single
vote sometimes has. in an election.
Cooking School To Be
Sponsored By Ash Street
School Grade Mothers
The Grade mothers of the Ash
Street School will sponsor a cook
ing school to be given by the Geor
gia Power Company at the school
caferteria on May 10 and 11 at
8 p. m. and 2:30 p. m. respective
ly.
There will be numerous do o r
prizes. Food cooked at the school
will also be given as prizes. Tick
ets will be $1 which covers both
days.
acre farm, the lovely Lake Louise
Farm, near Morrow.
Henry C. Dorsey, plant manag
er, Hapeville Assembly Plant,
■Ford Motor Co.—Mr. Dorsey, an
outstanding citizen of Forest Park,
is a native Clayton Countian. He
has been with Ford Motor Co. for
42 years. He has served in his pre
sent position of Plant Manager of
the Hapeville Assembly Plant
since it began operation in 1947.
This Plant has established some
enviable records under Mr. Dor
sey’s leadership. He was instru
mental in interesting and locat
ing the Central of Georgia invest
ment in the 490 acres at Forest
Park. This property is now in pro
cess of industrial development.
Grading on it is to begin early
summer.
Charles Conklin, President of the
Bank of Jonesboro—Vice President
and Treasurer of Georgia Highway
Exprep—Mr. Conklin has been
with the Bank of Jonesboro for
nine years, wheie he has been
striving to improve the banking
self with Clayton County believing
growth of this bank speaks well
for the type leadership it has en
joyed. Mr. Con :n associated him
self with Clayton County believing
in' its destiny for outstanding grow
th and development and he wel
comes the opportunity to contri
(Continued on Page 6
I ing office to make this recommen
dation. He is scheduled to be sworn
in as Superior Court Judge on Jan
uary 2 and is presently completing
his duties as Judge of the City
Court of Clayton County, which
court will be abolished when the
new Clayton County Superior Court
Circuit is activated in January.
State Driver's Licences
To Be Issued Here Next
Wednesday From 9 to 5
All residents of Forest Park and
surrounding area who have not re
newed their Georgia drivers’ lic
enses may do so on Wednesday,
April 18, the Georgia State Patrol
has announced.
On that day the State Patrol,will
have the driver’s license validating
machine at the City Hall in Forest
Park between/the hours of 9:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Drivers’ licenses may be valid
ated at the Old Soldiers’ Home in
Atlanta should you be unable to
have this done next Wednesday.
The deadline for procuring your
(Continued on Page 6 ..
Jaycees Directors Meet
Projects Are Discussed
The directors of the Forest Park ]
Jaycees met Tuesday at the home |
of Mr. Terrell Starr. The discus- I
sion at the meeting surrounded the
election activity scheduled the!
Bth of May. The names of the
candidates desiring to run for of
fice are being submitted to Mr.
B. L. Lawrence.
Already campaigning for office
of the vice-president is Mr. George
Hext, our present treasurer. Says
George, “In order for your vote
to count for me—-,be sure your
dues are in good standing.
The “Dream Vacation project
is underway and tickets are going
fast, according to ’Mr. Robert Cog
gin, chairman of the committee.
Get your tickets early from your
Jaycee neighbor.
Members of the Teen-age Rodeo
committee met last week at the
home of Mr. Bill Webb, chairman
of the rodeo. The committee was
rearranged to necessitate the most
efficient functioning of the Rodeo.
To assist in helping to accomplish
a successful event is Mr. Carroll
Smith, who will handle the publica
tion details.
Seth Youngblood, president of the
Jaycees, gave a brief run-down on
the coming activities and requests
all members and prospective mem
bers to try and attend the meet
ings held on the 2nd and 4th Tues
day of each month. He further stat
ed that the success of the projects
undertaken by the Jaycees depends
not only on one individual, but
more so on the coordination and
cooperation of the entire member
ship.
Youngblood wants new blood for
the Jaycees. Please call Mr.
Geoge Hext at DM2B7 for in
formation regarding membership
in the Forest Park Junior Cham
ber of Commerce.
OJ J ' < i I
SIX a
It C-.,-.-., ?
BRUCE SUMP
Bruce Slimp
New Manager
At Purco
Bruce Slimp, formerly of Eliza
bethton, Tennessee and a resident
of Forest Park at 164 West War
ren Drive for several months, has
assumed the position of manager
of the Purco Appliance store on
Construction Os A New Shopping Center
Underway Here; To Be Complete June 15
(There is an election this Saturday.)
The swimming pool is part of the
park development now in progress.
News staff photo by LaChapelle.
Forest Pork Takes Three
Places In Literary Meet i
Miss Genevieve Green, Miss Ev
elyn Walker, and Kenny Springer
placed in the Fourth District Li- I
terary meet that was held at Pike
County High School in Zebulon,
where schools in the fourth dis
trict competing and Forest Park
had a total of nine points for the
meet.
Miss Green, daughter of Mr. and
'Mrs. E. D. Grene of 111 Courtney
Drive, placed second in the read
ing competition. She read excerpts
from “Hamlet,” “Macbeth” and
“The Merchant of Venice.” She
was only one point behind the
first place winner.
Miss Walker, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. J. M. McAlister of 1300
Alder Drive, received fourth place
in the girl’s essay. The subject
she wrote on was “The Parental
Responsibility to Teenagers.”
Kenny Springer, son of ’Mr. nd
Mrs. J. L. Springer of Riverdale,
sang “Beautiful Dreamer” in the
boy’s solo event and received third
place.
Other competing at Zebulon from
Forest Park were Ed Gastineau in
the Declamation and boy’s essay.
His Alternate was Danny Shannon.
Shirley Hudson entered the short
hand competition. Her alternate
was Jerry Smallwood. The typing
event was entered by sonja Haist,
her alternate being Pat Ledbetter.
Genevieve Green, Nancy and Nor
ma Parker took part in the girl’s
solo.
The alternate in the girl’s essay
was Evelyn Layton. Doris Gibbon
was the reading alternate.
Main Street, the News has been
informed.
Slimp, who has had a number
of years experience in radio and
television sales and service work,
is assuming his first appliance
sales managerial position. He op
erated his own radio-TV service
and repair shop for several years.
Formerly connected with another
appliance store in Forest Park,
Slimp was retained by Purco a
month ago, in the radio-television
service department of the store.
In his new assignment he will
specialize in sales and manage
ment work.
A native of Neva, Tenn„ Slimp
attended grade and high school in
Butler, Tenn.
He recieved his radio training in
the Air Force during the World
War Two. Stationed at Eglin Field,
Florida for much of his tour of
active duty, he was a radio techni
cian and inspector.
Later Slimp received on-the-job
training in TV installation, service
and repair. He opened his own
business in 1947, which he sold
several months ago when he de
cided to move to the Atlanta area.
Slimp is married to the former
Miss Loraine Southerland, o f
Greenville, Tenn. The Simps have
three boys, Ronnie, 6; Barton, 2
and Mickey Mantle, 1. The young
est son was named after the
famed major league baseball star,
from whom he received a silver
loving cup and much publicity when
the story was published in Tenn
essee newspapers following his ch
ristening.
Largest Circulation In Clayton County
Forest Park Drops First
Game To Fayette County
A homerun blasted over the cen
terfielder’s head by Fayette Coun
ty catcher Donald Harp in the last
of the eighth inning broke up a
tie ball game and gave visiting For
est Park their first league upset
of the season last Monday, (April
9.)
The final score was 9 to 8.
Douglas Knowels pitched all but
two-thir 's of an inning for Forest
Park and dropped his first decisi
on of the year. He gave up ten
hits and struck out seven.
The Panthers collected eight hits,
two off starting pitcher Harp in
the second inning and six off re
liefer Whitlock.
The only extra-base hit was
Harp’s homerun. Both Forest Park
and Fayette County committed
four errors afield.
The Panthers scored four runs
in the second inning at Harp's ex
pense and also rallied for four hits
and four runs in the Fifth frame.
Bobby Mitchell scored one run,
Herman Smith one, Billy Williams
two, Billy Bunn two, Buddy Allen
one and Knowles one.
Third-sacker Bunn had the best
day at the plate with three hits
for four times at bat.
Shortstop Richard Crisp played
a fine game in the field.
Daniels, Harp, and Kelly each
scored two runs and Sams, Hor
ton, and Langford scored one aech
for Fayette County. They scored
one run in the first inning, four
in the second, one in the fourth,
two in the fifth, and one in the
eighth.
Forest Park plays their next
game tomorrow (April 12), at Hen
ry County High in McDonough.
Forest Park Wins Third
Game; Defeats Jonesboro
Jonesboro pitchers found control I
something to be desired Tuesday, |
April 3, when they faced Forest
Park at the Kiwanis Athletic Field.
Five Jonesboro moundsmen gave
up 12 free passes to Panther bat
ters and struck out only two as
they were trampled 13 to 3.
Errors also played a big part
in the Forest Park scoring with
Jonesboro committing eight mis
cues.
Douglas Knowles went the dis
tance again for the Panthers and
won his third straight decision of
the year. Knowles gave up seven
hits and chalked up nine strikeouts,
while Forest Park collected only
five hits. Jonesboro got the only
extra-base hit which was a double.
The Panthers scored first in the
first inning. Richard Crisp and
Walter Cheaves walked and an er
ror on the Jonesboro catcher and
singles by Bobby Mitchell and
Herman Smith scored Crisp, Chea
ves, and Mitchell.
The first two Jonesboro runs
came in the third frame as the
result of singles and stolen bases
by Donny Stevens and John Wr
ight and a single by Johnny Swy
gert which scored both of them.
Five Forest Park runs crossed
the plate in the third inning. Smith
and Billy Williams drew walks, an
error on the third-sacker put Billy
Bunn on and a hit by Donald
Cook brought Smith and Williams
home. Buddy Allen walked Know
les was safe on a fielders choice
and Bunn scored. An error on the
shortstop scored Cook and Know
les.
The final Jonesboro tally came
in the fourth inning when Ronald
Wynn drew a walk, advanced to
third on a single by Bill Hensley
and scored on a long fly to right
field.
The Panthers rallied again in
the sixth frame for three runs.
Three free passes issued to Cook,
Crisp, and Cheaves and three er
rors, two of them throwing errors
on the catcher, scored all three
men.
The final Panther tallies came
in the sixth inning when errors
again helped the Fores t Park
cause. Bunn lifted a fly ball to
short rightfield that fell in safely
and Cook walked. Two quick er
rors advanced them and a single
by Knowles brought them home.
Hendrix Drive School
PTA To Meet Tuesday
The regular meeting of the Hen
| drix Drive Parent Teacher’s As
sociation will be held next Tues
day afternoon (April 17) at 3:00
p.m.
Guest speaker for the meeting
will be Rev. Tom D. Gullatt, Bap
tist Missionary in Japan.
Every one is cordially invited to
attend.
- . ■ ....
NUMBER 50
Construction on a new shopping
center for Forest Park is expect
ed to be completed between June
1 and June 15 of this year accord
ing to an announcement received
by the News from Douglas Har
per, secretary-treasurer of the
Forest Park Development Com
pany, Inc. This firm will build the
center and has already started
clearing the ground for construc
tion.
The new development, to be
known as the Forest Park Plaza
Shopping Center, will be erected
on a 300 x 250 foot plot of land
on Highway 54 and near Astor
Avenue. When complete the Cen
ter will have 12 modern units in
cluding a supermarket, a drug
store, an appliance and furniture
store, a barber shop, a department
store and several offices.
The center will also have off
the street parking for 250 cars.
Mr. Harper xotd the News that
building permits have already
been issued for the construction of
the center which will begin im
mediately after the land is clear
ed.
He said that the Forest Park
Development Company, Inc. now
in the process of forming, lists
W. W. Edwards of Decatur, Frank
Adamson of Jonesboro, and Mr.
Harper as officers in the corpora
tion
Forest Park
BIRTHS
Mr. and 'Mrs. Edwin Smith of 144
Catherine Street, announce the
birth of a daughter, Susan Jeanne
at Crawford Long Hospital on April
8. Susan weighed eight pounds,
two ounces. Mrs. Smith is the for
mer Jeanne Harris of College
Park.
Health Department
Report
By ROBERT GUNBY
(Eighth in series prepared by
your Clayton County Health De
partment to let you know your
healht dept., how you can help the
health department help you.)
Fifteen years ago, June 16, 1941
the Clayton County Board of" Hea
lth created a county health depart
ment by employing a public heal
th nurse and furnishing her office
space in Jonesboro city hall.
One year later the offices were
moved to the upstairs rooms of
the building formerly occupied by
the Georgia Power Company in
Jonesboro. These rooms were not
suitably arranged or furnished to
accommodate the activities con
ducted by the health department.
Long, narrow stairs had to be
climed by patients in no condition
to be climbing stairs.
These rooms served as the
Clayton County Health Center for
the next twelve years. In 1949 the
number of employees was in
creased to three by the hiring of
a sanitarian in addition to the
nurse and a clerk.
The population of the county was
increasing rapidly and the need
for better health facilities was be
ing felt daily by public officials
and interested citizens.
In 1953 another nurse was em
ployed.
In 1954 an additional sanitarian
was added to the staff.
In 1954 the health offices were
moved to their present headquar
ters on Mill Street in Jonesboro.
These headquarters are a decid
ed improvement over the former
offices but are still very unsuitable
due to the lack of space, arange
ment of offices, and improper eq
uipment. Anyone who has visited
the health department on a clinic
day will readily agree with these
facts.
During 1955 two additional nur
ses were employed. This brought
the number of employees of its
present level of four nurses, two
sanitarians, and one clerk.
A larger, more suitable, building
is needed if the citizens of Clay
tin County are to receive the ser
vice of a properly-planned health
program. In the near future a
bond election will be held for the
purpose of raising funds for a Hill-
Burton Health Center for Clayton
County. The State and Federal gov
ernments will pay two-thirds the
cost of this center, with Clayton
County paying only one-third. In
other words, the county will re
ceive $1.50 for each $.50 invested.
How about it?