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NATIONAL
Jim Houston Home Journal
NEWSPAPER
PAGE 2-A
School Board’s Finances
Discussed At Meeting
Assistant Supt. Seabie
Hickson told Board of
Education members
Tuesday that unless federal
impact funds are received
soon the county system will
have to borrow money to
operate until their receipt.
He said that if all bills
were paid now, the system
would be more than SB,OOO in
debt. He said a few bills can
be postponed, but that such
items as quarterly social
security, teacher retirement
deductions, and others have
to be paid on time.
Supt. David A. Perdue
explained that impact funds
for the county for 1971-72
were reduced $1195,000, and
that Washington sources say
that funds for Houston
County may be cut by as
much as $465,000 for the 1972-
73 school year.
The board approved
teacher recommendations
for the coming school year.
They announced several
changes.
Ben C. Dickinson, long
time principal of Rumble
Junior High in Warner
Robins, had planned to
retire. Perdue said, but the
system will set up a
Research and Information
Specialist Center and
Dickinson has been per
suaded to stay for “at least a
year or two” as coordinator
to set up the program.
Replacing Dickinson as
principal of Rumble will be
W. E. Gregory, presently
assistant principal at Tabor
Junior High School.
Another county-wide
department to be set up will
be a Health and Physical
Education Department, to be
headed by Joe Sumrall,
presently principal of
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Red Carpet Tour Takes A Break At Pabst Plant
One of the high spots in this year’s Georgia Red
Carpet Tour was a tour of the Perry Pabst Plant
and a tour through the City of Perry. Taking a
break at the Pabst Brewery during the visit are
seated from left, Pat Patillo, president of the
Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Ernst
PERRY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1972
Warner Robins High School.
Replacing Sumrall will be
Joseph Smith, now principal
of Telfair County High
School, Mcßae, Georgia.
Glenn Hitchcock, coor
dinator of the four-quarter
school system to be im
plemented here next
September, reported on the
progress of preparations
which included a
Newsletter from the Board
of Education to parents and
students explaining the
program.
Hubert A Hutcherson,
instructional director for the
county, presented three
members of a team from the
University of Georgia who
have been visiting Houston
County Schools in
preparation for a course of
intensive training for
teachers to be held in the
county this summer to help
improve the reading skills of
students. Dr. Ruth Martin,
Dr. Hazel Simpson, and Dr.
Louise Tisdale each gave
comments on the system,
among them a statement by
Dr, Simpson that ‘‘Mr.
Perdue is so far ahead of the
general category of
superintendents; he wants
things pulled together and
organized, and sometimes
ruffles feathers in his ef
forts."
“You’re so far here
above most counties,l think
a word of commendation is
in order,” Dr. Simpson
continued.
Points brought out were
that the problems are
children not reading at their
capacities, which has
nothing to do with grade
level. Teachers will learn at
the inservice training to
diagnose and provide ex
periences for children from
lower socio-economic levels
to help them “understand
those little squiggles on
paper.’’
The board was told that
there is an overteaching of
phonic analysis skills,
relating sounds in an at
tempt to read. During silent
reading, they heard, the
child is involved in thinking
and learns. Teachers will
learn to give good individual
intelligence tests. Most such
tests now are group tests
that measure mental
capacity as opposed to
reading capacity.
The board was also told
that ’’many eyes" will be on
the results obtained by the
program in this county.
Beechwood Sets
Spring Carnival
An exciting evening of fun
is being planned for a spring
carnival at Beechwood
School, Marshallville,
Saturday, April 22 begin
ning at five o’clock.
Parents from the five
county area will have lots of
good food for sale. Ham
burgers, hot dogs, barbecue
sandwiches, ham and
biscuits, sausage rolls,
cookies, candies, cakes and
pies are just some of the
eats. Cokes, sno-cones and
coffee will also be available.
There will be a Country
Store with a variety of items,
Bingo, Cake Walk, Fish
Pond and much more.
Make plans now to come
out and enjoy this "Spring
Spree” on April 22,
Biekert, chairman of tl
Corp. of Ludwigshafen, G(
Pabst plant manager. St
President James Win
President Raymond Her*
Arnold Winograd. Seated
Stanley Smith of Perry.
Problems Thrashed Out
Black Leaders Meet With Board
A group of black parents,
represented by Oscar
Thomie, president of the
Houston County NAACP, and
Silas Smith, president of
SCLC, met with the Houston
County Board of Education
Tuesday to ask for “justice”
concerning an incident at
Northside High School.
The group alleged that
William Cadwell, Guidance
Counselor at the school,
called a group of black
students “niggers” in front
of an auditorium filled with
students and teachers. The
term is considered racially
derogatory and the group
told board members the
students would never again
have respect for the teacher,
that his effectiveness at the
school was at an end.
Before the appearance of
the group, Northside
Principal Matt Arthur and
Cadwell explained what had
occurred. Arthur said that he
planned to start the
assembly program but was
called away to attend to a
situation that had arisen. He
asked Cadwell to start the
program for him on Tuesday
of last week. Cadwell ex
plained that he did so, then
sat down at the front of a
predominately black section
of the group.
During the program, he
said, he asked the noisy
students to quiet down but
some catcalls and other
noise continued. After the
assembly was dismissed, he
said, he asked the group to
remain seated. Most of them
ignored him, and many
made comments of the “Who
are you to tell us what to
do?” type. Cadwell said that
he became angry and that
remark he made then was,
"If your actions are those of
a nigger, perhaps you should
not be involved in this type
school.”
He said he immediately
regretted the use of the term,
admitted his error, and
apoligized to those involved
who came into the office
later. He said that some 8 or
10 students had actually
remained seated when he
asked them to do so.
Prinicpal Arthur ex
plained that during
assembly periods in the
gym. teachers did not sit
together but sat in different
sections of the gym and had
the board of Knoll Ag.
lermany; Otto Baumann,
tanding from left, Pabst
ndham, 3M Company
zog and Pabst Vice Pres.
1 at right is State Senator
authority to make any
necessary corrections in
their group. He said that
Cadwell had been an out
standing teacher and
counselor to both blacks and
whites and that some of
those involved just wanted to
make a big issue of the in
cident. He said others had
accepted it as a regrettable
incident and accepted the
apology. He said he felt that
Cadwell had paid the price, a
tremendous emotional price,
for what he said.
When the black group was
seated with the board
members, Thomie told the
board that the group was
“not here to try to crucify a
man, but we want justice.”
He said the parents felt the
students would no longer
respect Cadwell, that his
effectiveness as a counselor
was ended, and that he
should not remain in that
school.
Supt. David A. Perdue
replied that there have been
incidents when black
teachers have abused white
students since the initiation
of integration in the county
school system, but that for
the sake of the school system
those involved “kept cool,
the teachers apologized and
let the problem blow over.
They were handled at the
school level without bringing
in anyone outside.”
Parents at the meeting
were invited to express their
feelings about the situation.
Mrs. Ruby Ferguson said,
“As the parent of a child at
Northside High School, I
want to say that it was a
mixed group, and I un
derstand all were making a
noise. The children said what
48,157 VEHICLES
Record Breaking Tourist
Weekend Recorded Here
Tourists poured into Perry
last week-end like there was
no other place in the world
for them to land. Literally
thousands of automobiles
with tourists at the wheels
picked Perry as a stop-over
on their way to Walt Disney
World and other points in the
Sunshine State.
Every available motel
room in Perry was taken on
several nights and most
restaurants jammed with
tourists. Some Perryans who
journeyed to Atlanta over
the weekend said the nor
mally one and half hour
drive on Interstate 75 took
nearly three hours.
Although State Highway
Dept, figures are not yet in
for last weekend, they are
tabulated for the Easter
weekend. Many tourist
business owners feel that
this past weekend will top
the Easter rush even though
that weekend broke all the
records.
Over the weekend of
March 31, the highway dept,
recorded 48,157 vehicles
passing through Perry in a
24 hour period. Perry is the
site of the one of the most
important traffic counters in
the state. The highway dept,
has a special traffic station
here and vehicle counts take
place almost every weekend.
The Heaviest day on 1-75
prior to Easter, 1972 was
Dec. 30, 1971, when the
station counted 35,744
vehicles, 21,635 northbound
and 14,009 southbound,
showing the movement out of
Florida at the end of the
Christmas holidays.
Four days earlier, on Dec.
26,, the counters recorded
14,319 northbound and 17,271
southbound for a total of
31,590 the next to the biggest
day in 1971.
The counters show that the
traffic flows into Florida at
the beginning of a holiday
weekend and a reversal out
they were called in front of
everybody. They said they
met with Mr. Arthur, and he
didn’t deny it for did the
counselor. I think the
counselor shouldn’t be at
Northside. If he felt like that
then, he hasn’t changed now.
I understand he’s still there.
If he’d been black he
wouldn’t still be there. If I
was a child there, I would
have no more respect there,
if he called me that.
Teachers should be
respected.”
Dr. W. G. Talbert, board
member, replied, “This
appears to be a clear matter
of discipline, of children not
respecting a teacher.”
Supt. Perdue said, “Two
points have been raised here.
What would have happened
if the counselor had been
black? Let me tell you about
recent actions regarding
incidents in our schools
which we at school level,
with students and parents,
have worked out, and
students respect the
teachers as much as ever.”
“At Northside Junior High
School, a black woman
teacher in a math class told a
predominately white class,
“You’re acting like a bunch
of b... 5, using a word that
cast aspersions on their
parenthood, Perdue said.
The parents were so upset
that the teacher took a day
off, was told to apoligize to
the whole group or not
return.
The first day she returned,
she failed to apologize but
was given an ultimatum
apologize or don’t return.
She apologized and the
situation was settled.
Perdue said that there
have been several incidents
when black students have
referred to white students as
of Florida at the end of the The average per day count
holiday season. in 1966 was 9,623, in 1967 it
The traffic on 1-75, which rose to 11,075, in 1968 to
was expected to reach 24,000 12,101, in 1969 to 13,315, in
in 10 years, has reached and 1970 to 16,182 and in 1971 to
passed that mark in the sue 18,632.
years since the express route These figures prove the
was opened from Atlanta to statement that good roads
Florida in 1966. attract traffic.
BY PERRY POLICE
Juveniles Arrested In Tape
Recorder Thefts In Perry
Perry Police Chief B. E.
Dennard reported that five
black juveniles have been
apprehended for the theft of
9 Craig cassette recorders
from the former Houston
High School building and 8 of
the recorders have been
recovered.
On Saturday night,
Patrolman Arthur Buckles
picked up one juvenile
carrying one of the cassette
recorders. At that time it
was not known that the
school building had been
burglarized, Chief Dennard
said. The thiefs were
reported to' the police
Monday morning and the
other juveniles who were
allegedly involved were
taken into custody. Four of
the boys were from the
Perry area, and the fifth was
from Unadilja.
The youths were turned
over to Capt. Ted Wright of
the Houston County Juvenile
Department.
Bicycle thefts and mailbox
vandalism were among
police reports for the past
week. Russell Hutson, 1423
Tucker, reported a stolen
bicycle described as a red
Western Auto brand, no
“white trash,” which they
consider every bit as
derogatory as the black
students consider the word
“nigger.”
In another incident,
Perdue said, a black teacher
at Rumble Junior High
School paddled the entire
class, consisting of 17 white
girls, 7 white boys, and 3
black boys. Under state
laws, all paddling is sup
posed to be done in the
principal’s office with a
witness in the first place, he
said. Then because of threats
from irate parents, the
teacher was sent home for
his own good.
After a week, however,
parents and students met,
discussed the fact that the
man had worked long and
hard to become a teacher
and had been a good teacher
for a number of years and
was in danger of losing his
job and perhaps job op
portunities in the future. All
but two or three agreed to
have the teacher back and
that incident ended.
“I still say I don’t think
this counselor should
remain, he’s supposed to
help shape children’s
minds,” Thomie said.
“Every classroom teacher
is a counselor at times,”
Perdue replied. “Children
have away of forgiving and
forgetting if we stay out of
the way and leave it to
them.”
Perdue also said,
“Another point that needs
clarification is this. Ac
cording to my information,
Mr. Cadwell did not use the
term mentioned in front of
the whole assembly. The
black students choose their
own segregated seating
pattern, and there were only
a few white students in the
wheel covers, and a white
seat.
Joan Ogletree, 1319 Smoak
Avenue, reported a bicycle
stolen from her residence. It
was a B and G boy’s bike, red
frame, with silver fender
and white seat.
Stanley Booney, 1431
Baker Street, reported that
his mail box and the one
next door were knocked
down. Alexander Gladfelter,
1421 Baker Street, reported
that his mail box was torn
up.
Amos Collins reported to
police that a brick had been
thrown through a window at
the Flint Electric Mem
bership Corp. building.
Paul Anderson told police
someone took the mufflers
and tail pipes off his
automobile while it was
parked at Perry High
School.
Police records showed that
the local hospital reported
that Michael Gibson had
been shot, and that the
wound was apparently self
inflicted.
Assistant Chief Roy
Shellnut and Ptl. Gene
Langston investigated an
section involved. The
assembly had been
dismissed and Mr. Cadwell
addressed only the
predominately black section
acting in an unruly manner.
He apoligized to any and
every member of that group
involved who came to the
office, and even to others not
involved who happed to
come with them.”
Board member Glenn
Heck said, “We need a spirit
of forgiveness. I don’t think
anything would be gained in
transferring Cadwell. Out of
our mistakes, we learn.”
Talbert said, “Here’s a
man who lost his temper in
the heat of anger, and you
want to crucify him for one
mistake.”
Thomie insisted they
didn’t want to crucify
Cadwell, just transfer him.
The board voted
unanimously to retain
Cadwell as Northside
counselor.
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accident on Swift Street at a
private driveway. Reports
show that J.C. Tharpe, P.O.
Box 119, Kathleen, was
backing into the road from a
private driveway in a 1962
Chevrolet and failed to see a
1970 Chevrolet driven by
Clarence Jackson, also of
Kathleen, approaching on
his left. Tharpe backed into
the path of the Jackson
vehicle.
Dock B. Bush of Unadilla
was charged with being
drunk under the wheel of a
vehicle, running a stop sign,
and driving the wrong way
on a one-way street following
an accident on Carroll Blvd.
at Creek wood Drive.
Police reports show that
Sandra G. Dupree, of
Houston Lake Road, was
driving south on Carroll
Blvd. in a 1971 Datsun, when
Bush was going north in the
wrong lane in a 1968 Ford, hit
the Datsun. traveled ap
proximately 400 yards, went
down an embankment in
wrong way traffic.
Bush was treated for a cut
on his right leg at Perry-
Houston County Hospital.