Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 38—NUMBER 21
LETTER TO EDITOR
TOYS FOR TOTS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
28 December 1956
Editor, Forest Park Free Press
1172 Main Street
Forest Park, Georgia
Dear Sir:
A great many children enjoyed a merry Christmas this
year, complete with unexpected dolls, games and other toys be
cause of the generosity of the warm-hearted people in the greater
Atlanta area. The success of the “Toys for Tots” program certainly
reflect the friendly spirit of our community.
Those of us in the Marine Corps Reserve, both air and ground,
would like to take this means to thank everyone who donated toys
to “Toys for Tots”. We wish we could thank everyone personally;
we do extend a standing invitation to visit us at any time at our
Training Center, both at the Marine Reserve Training Detachment,
Naval Air Station, Chamblee or the Marine Reserve Training Center
it 1014 Edgewood Avenue, N. E„ Atlanta.
We would like to thank the public-spirited organizations for
their wonderful cooperation:
; The Loyal Order of the Moose, Ladies Auxiliary of the Moose,
Greater Atlanta Fire Stations, Cub Scouts and the Shell Service
Stations.
Our deep appreciation is expressed to the Forest Park Free
Press and all the people in your staff. Your support was a most
important factor Jn the success of the 1956 "Toys for Tots” cam
paign.
The entire experience has been, for us, most satisfying. Again,
our thanks to everyone.
Sincerely,
William W. Barron, 111, Lt. Col.
USMCR
J. F. Wagner, Lt. Col. USMC
POINT OF VIEW
Here in the heart of the Tara country, in fast-moving pro
gressive Clayton County, we are most fortunate in being adjacent
to banking institutions that specialize in friendly, efficient service.
Two fine FDIC banks (deposits |
federally guaranteed in the
amount of SIO,OOO for each cus- |
tomer) paying 3 per cent inter- I
est to savings account depositors I
are the Bank of Forest Park and I
the Bank of Jonesboro.
You actually don’t have to go I
elsewhere for complete banking I
service, unless you find it con- I
venient at a place of employment I
in the vicinity to bank at the I
Southside bank of Atlanta; but I
no matter where you bank you I
won’t be greeted by friendlier I
personnel or get better service. |
All of the aforementioned I
banks are paying 3 per cent on I
savings accounts, the limit al- I
lowed by the Federal Deposit In- |
surance Corporation, and now is |
the time to put something aside I
for a rainy day. f
Clayton banks will grow with
growing county in Greater Atlanta — and certainly the large in
dustries that are coming will do their banking locally.
This will be a big boon to local banks and it will be a boon,
too, if the people who live in Clayton County will put their money
to work through local banks. Atlanta banks have enough business.
Trade at home is a worthy slogan.
Atlanta doesn’t need our support, and even may, in time, con
sidering the solid growth of Clayton, become a suburb of major
cities of the future, such as Forest Park and Jonesboro.
Atlanta just has a head start. A short time ago, as the years
go, it was just an overgrown country village. It still hasn’t out
grown many of its country aspects. It still has a county mayor.
We’re on the move out here in Clayton — and the more
you support your local banks and provide capital for expansion,
the faster we ll leave Atlanta sitting in the shade.
Give it a thought, friends. For, as they say: Atlanta banks’
Who needs them! Bank at home and in due time they won’t be
calling it greater Atlanta, but greater Clayton, and Atlanta will
be a part of that.
ON TV DEC. 13
Cravey to Give Merit Award
To Jonesboro Volunteers
Zack Cravey, State Safety Fire Commissioner, told The
Forest Park Free Press and Clayton County News and
Farmer this week that his department will honor the Jones
boro Volunteer Fire Department with a Georgia Award of
Merit “for diligence to duty and performance.”
The award, Cravey said, will
take place on the Commission’s
television program Sunday, Jan.
13, 1 pm., on WLW-TV, Atlanta,
with Bill Munday, editor of The
Georgia Fire Cracker and Com
mission public relations director,
making the award to Jonesboro
Chief, Clifford Wiggins, in per
son.
Two years ago, the Georgia
Fire Safety Commissioner made
a similar award to the Forest
Park Volunteer Fire Department,
and that was the 100th award
that had been given in the state
wide program, which includes all
paid departments of the state.
On the television program on
Sunday, Jan. 13, Paul Bedding
field, chief of the Forest Park
Volunteers, will occupy a spot of
honor. He will talk about the
progress being made in fire pre
vention, as will Clifford Wiggins.
Col. Frank G. Marchman, pres
ident of the Clayton County
Chamber of Commerce and for
mer Commanding officer of the
StyeJfarot ifark
and
Gllaytnn (County Nms anb farmer
By JACK TROY
Atlanta General Depot, will be
on Munday’s program to tell
Pictures on Page 3
about Clayton as the fastest
growing county in the Greater
Atlanta area.
Jack Troy, editor of Clayton’s
official newspaper, will be inter
viewed by Munday on general
area progress and future outlook.
S4OO LOST AS GOVT.
CERTIFICATES IDLE
Clayton County Water Au
thority, through an oversight,
unwittingly has allowed $150,-
000 of government certificates
to lay idle at the Citizens and
Southern Bank of Atlanta, and
have not drawn interest since
Dec. 1, when they matured.
The total interest lost is
$398.49 of public money, for 37
days. These certificates were
flee Page 3
CLAYTON COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY met last Thurs
day night and culled applications for manager of the water
system. Three members of the five-man board voted to dismiss
Robert McMullen, who was one of the tireless employees in in
stalling the waterworks and water mains and tap-ins, and chose
T. J. Elliott, clerk of the City of Forest Park, to be the new
manager. The Authority members, left to right: Walton Simmons,
NEW COUNCIL
CURRIE NAMES
COMMITTEES
FOR NEW YEAR
As Forest Park’s new City
Council was sworn in on Mon
day night at City Hall, Mayor J.
K. Currie, whose term runs
through 1957, announced com
mittees for the year, as follows:
Streets and Lights—Paul T.
Addis, PO 1-0521, chairman; W.
See Page 6
Chappell
v-vh
Addis
Jenkins
FOREST PARK, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1957
NEW WATER BOSS
AUTHORITY VOTES,
3-2, TO INSTALL
ELLIOTT AS MGR.
By a vote of 3 to 2, The Clay
ton County Water Authority
Thursday voted to hire T. J.
Elliott, clerk of the City of For
est Park, as manager of the
Clayton water system.
Elliott was one of several ap
plicants who answered an ad
vertisement seeking a permanent
manager. Among the applicants
was Robert McCullan, who had
worked with the system from the
beginning, and proudly recently
had received two State Health
Department reports citing the
purity of the system’s water as
“satisfactory”, which is the best
rating possible.
All the kinks admittedly had
been ironed out of the system,
and customers were beginning to
See Page 8
NEW FOREST PARK
COUNCILMEN ARE
SWORN IN
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Huie
Speir
Col. H. J. Piette, Chairman Red Garner, Elmer Sanders and Nor
man LaMotte. Simmons, Piette and Sanders voted to accept the
application of Elliott as manager, with Garner and LaMotte
seeking to give McMullen at least a year's trial on the grounds
that “we promised him that he would grown with the system.”
For most of his tenure of office, McMullen drew a modest S3OO
monthly. Elliott will take over the duties of manager March 1.
McWULLEN FIRED
As Water Authority Majority
Ignores Hicklin and Auditor
(Editor’s note: R. G. Hicklin, Vice President of Robert,and
Company, a resident of Jonesboro and closely identified with the
Clayton County water system, and James E. Hood, of Hood and
Norton, auditor, sent the following letters of recommendation of
Robert McMullen urging that he be officially named manager of
the system, which McMullen helped to establish as a “utilities”
something-or-other. These recommendations were ignored in the
3-2 vote at Thursday night’s meeting of the Water Authority, when
McMullen, who apparently had been told he would be given a
chance to “grow” with the system, was summarily dismissed, and
the job awarded to applicant T. J. Elliott, who will resign as clerk
of the City of Forest Park. It is understood that Elliott will take a
three-months’ short-course in water works technique at Georgia
Tech. Elliott takes the job March 1.)
Robert and Company Associates, Atlanta
January 3, 1957
Mr. J. A. Garner, Chairman
Clayton County Water Authority
Jonesboro, Georgia
Dear Mr. Garner:
Reference your letter of December 20tli in regard to the suit
ability of Robert McMullen as manager of the water system.
We are of the opinion that no change in management should
be considered at present. We have a considerable investment in
Mr. McMullen and as a result of this investment he has considerable
knowledge of the system and operational difficulties that have
been encountered to date. Therefore, he is in better position than
most men would be to direct a suitable operation of the system.
Our impression of Mr. McMullen is good. We don’t think he
is a man of exceptional ability, however, on the other hand we
have known many of far less ability who have made good. To sum
the matter up we think he has a fair to good chance of becoming
a highly successful water works manager and certainly should
be given at least one year’s trial.
You will recall the County Sewer System will be completed
and ready to go in operation about the first of next year. At that
time it would be logical to review the years water system operation
together with the anticipated operation of the sewer system and
decide whether or not to select another man to operate the sewer
system or whether to put the sewer and the water system under
one man. Also then would be soon enough to review Mr. McMullen’s
operation of the water system and decide whether to continue him
as manager of the water, make him manager of both the water
and the sewer systems, or replace him.
Certainly under the circumstances and considering our invest
ment in Mr. McMullen and his familiarity with the operation of
the system, we should not consider replacing him until he has
had charge of the operation of the system for at least one year of
actual operation.
Our Impression is that the system has been very well operated
since being started up and that the kinks of starting up arc pretty
well ironed out and the system is now operating very smoothly.
If this is the case, in view of the fact that Mr. McMullen has been
the manager it would seem to us this reflects greatly to his credit.
As stated above our recommendation would be to appoint Mr. Mc-
Mullen for the year of 1957 and determine at the end of that time
whether or not he will make the system a satisfactory manager.
Yours very truly,
ROBERT AND COMPANY ASSOCIATES
R. G. Hicklin, Vice President
HOOD'S LETTER
Certified Public Accountants
Hood and Norton
3130 Maple Drive, N. E.
Atlanta 5, Georgia
December 29, 1956
Mr. J. A. Garner, Chairman
Clayton County Water Authority
Jonesboro, Georgia
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter of December 20, 1956, in which
See Page 5
OFFICIAL CLAYTON COUNTY PUBLICATION
Thieves Remove
Christian Safe
LOSS OF $744 IS COVERED
BY INSURANCE; SECOND HEIST IN
6 YEARS; CARTER'S ENTERED
Forest Park Police Chief Bill Thurston said that some
time in the early hours of Saturday morning, thieves broke
in Christian’s Pharmacy, Main Street, through the back
door, carted off the safe containing $744 in insured cash
and rifled the cash register of sls, scattering cigarettes and
other merchandise all over'the floor.
Thurston said that the same
gang, or perhaps a separate i
group, also broke into the office
of Dr. Alijert W. Carter, Jr., 1272 i
Main Street, near Christian’s, I
but failed to find an amount of
money hidden on the premises.
Pictures on Page 6
The safe the thieves removed
was originally put in Christian’s
by two strong negro laborers. It
would have taken at least three
strong white men to roll it out
and load it into a vehicle for re
moval, according to Patrolman
Tommy <Doc) Young, who is
working with Thurston on this
robbery and the breaking-and
entering of Carter’s office, which
was affected by breaking a bath
room window.
In 19ou, at me same location, i
Dr. Christian was the victim of
a similar robbery. Thieves took
the sale, which contained a
larger amount of money, and
later the damaged safe was re
covered in the woods in Clayton
County.
On January 17, Dr. Christian is
celebrating his 10th anniversary
in’Forest Park. He began busi
ness in 1946 in the building now
occupied by Leach’s Shoe Shop,
next door to The Forest Park
Free Press and Clayton County
News and Farmer.
Happy, prosperous, New Year,
Doc! And don’t let your insur
ance lapse.
FOREST PARK
FINISHES YEAR
WITH BILLS PAID
The City of Forest Park, for
the first time since 1951, is fin
ishing the year 1956 with all bills
paid as of December 31, all notes
paid, and a cash carry-over in
the general fund of approxi
mately $11,000.00, according to
the records of the City at the
City Hall.
While some departments of the
city government exceeded their
budget expenditures during the
year 1956 slightly, the revenues
of the government also exceeded
expectations, especially on some
items of income.
Water and sewerage sales fell
slightly below the expected
amount^ partly because of the
sewerage system not being put
into operation in the early part
of the year as was originally an
ticipated.
General fund deficit at the
beginning of the year 1956 was
$76,000.0, and at the end of the
year the general fund deficit will
amount to approximately $6,-
000.00, a reduction of $70,000.00
in the deficit in one year. This
is far better than any expecta
tions of the Mayor and Council,
according to the budget estab
lished when the year began.
NO. 1 FROM NOW ON
Clayton Grabs Lead
From DeKalb in Growth
Atlanta, bragging about an all-time high metropolitan
population of 885,000, noted, in The Atlanta Constitution,
that “the center of population shifts ever northward, but
the fastest growing of Metropolitan Atlanta’s four counties,
Clayton, lies to the south.”
In Clayton, the Atlanta paper
finally pointed out near the end
of the story, one year's growth i
represented 8 6 per cent of the
entire population. Thus Clayton ।
snatched the lead from DeKalb, ।
which had been percentagewise,
the fastest growing county dur
ing 1950-1955.
Clayton will continue to be No.
1 in growth, for the other coun
ties of Fulton, DeKalb and Cobb
have been saturated with indus
try, and all Clayton is waiting
for is a county-wide sewerage op
eration.
Largest
Circulation
All Mediums
Clayton County
Hendrix Drive
PT A Meets Jan. 15
The Hendrix Drive Parent-
Teacher Association will hold
its January meeting Tuesday,
Jan. 15th, at 8:00 p.m. The
topic of this meeting will be
“Building With Better Read
ing”. All parents are urged
to attend. The members of this
association are striving to
make our school one of the
finest. But the job can’t be
done by a few. Only by work
ing together can this be ac
complished.
MRS. P. E. ALLEN
Publicity Chairman
।2. _ _ ' J
FRIDAY, JAN 18
Mclntyres may
FACE LEWINS ON
FP MAT PROGRAM
Firemen of Jonesboro and For
est Park will share equally in
proceeds of big-time professional
wrestling when the first of a
series of matches will be held at
the Forest Park High School
gymnasium on Friday, Jan. 18,
will soon begin sale of advance
ringside seats at $1.50 each.
It is expected that only 150
ringside seats, possibly 200, will
be offered in advance—on a
first come, first served basis.
Atlanta Promoter Paul Jones,
who will present the same talent
in Forest Park as Atlanta fans
enjoy in the City Auditorium,
announces that on the opening
program there will be presented
such nationally known stars as
Red Mclntyre, the Lewin broth
ers, Mark and Don: possibly Don
Mclntyre teaming with his
brother, Red; Chief Bigheart;
Jerry Grahame and Jackie
Nichols.
General admission prices will
be $1 and .50 cents for young
sters of high school age. Admis
sion will be free for other
youngsters under high school
age.
The opening match will be ad
vertised on the live wrestling
programs on WLW-TV, and on
a special program on WLW-TV,
Sunday, Jan. 13, at 1 p.m.
In addition, the area will be
plastered with window cards.
The opening dates are Friday,
Jan. 18, and Friday, Jan. 25.
Other dates will be announced.
The volunteer firemen, in
sharing proceeds above expenses,
will buy necessary equipment.
The goal of Forest Park firemen
is a new fire truck.
Y’all come, and buy your ring
side seats early. The supply is
limited.
Already, significant Industrial
development has been noted in
Georgia Tower Company's plans
for a $3,000,000 general head
quarters in the outskirts of For
est Park; Southern Atlanta Gas
Light’s multi-million liquified
gas storage plant at Riverdale,
and the Farmer's Market which
will be in operation in the spring
of 1958.
This is just scratching the sur
face of Clayton’s industrial po
tential, and soon there will be
more shopping centers developed
ail around us.