Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 56
New Law To
Benefit Many
Georgia Veterans
A major piece of legislation
designed to assist millions of
veterans to get homes of their
own was signed into law October
23 by President Nixon.
One provision wipes out an
ending date for Gl loan benefits
for all veterans who served after
Jam 31, 1955, and also restores
these benefits indefinitely' to 8.9
million Korean Conflict and
World War II servicemen who
did not use them earlier.
Another provision offers a vet
eran for the first time a program
of loans for mobile home pur
chases--up to SIO,OOO for a mo
bile home alone; up to $17,500
if he gets a lot to place it on.
A third authorizes VA to make
direct loans in any part of the
country to certain seriously dis
abled veterans who are entitled
to specially constructed housing.
Administrator of Veterans Af
fairs Donald E. Johnson also
called attention to provisions of
the new law which:
Eliminates a VA funding fee
<jf .5 per cent on guaranteed
and direct home loans to vet
erans who served after January
31, 1955.
Authorizes VA to guarantee
loans to refinance existing
mortgage loans or other liens
on .omes owned and occupied
by veterans, and allows borrow
ers to pay lenders any required
discounts. The guaranty may be
for 60 per cent of the loan, or
$12,500, whichever is less.
Authorizes VA to guarantee
60 per cent, or up to $12,500
of loans for veterans topurchase
family units in condominium pro
jects insured by the Federal
Housing Agency.
Eliminates Jan. 31, 1975, as
the terminal date for VA’s direct
loan program.
Betitting Name
Chosen For Park
For Handicapped
Georgia’s new, reputedly first
“state park for the handicapped’’
in the nation, which was pains
takingly' built within the 1,680-
aere Fort Yargo State Park near
Winder, has been officially
named. Its name: “Will-A-Way.”
The name was selected by a
panel of judges in the State Parks
Department's “Name the Facility
Contest.’’ The winner was Mrs.
Bascom S. Deaver of Macon.
As the contest winner, she will
receive a free week at any Geor
gia state park of her choice.
The judges chose Mrs.
Deaver’s entry because they felt
that all possible interpretations
cf “Will-A-Way” would appro
priately represent the unique
goals and objectives of the facil
ities for the handicapped, ac
cording to State Parks Director
Jolin L. Gordon.
Mrs. Deaver, in an explanatory
letter accompanying her entry,
said that “Will-A-Way” was
based on the axiom, “Where
there is a will, there is also a
way,’’ She expressed the feeling
tliat this phrase would best repre
sent the outdoor recreation needs
of the handicapped and their ful
fillment at Fort Yargo Park.
The contest judges detected
an even deeper feeling in Mrs.
Deaver's suggestion. They said
it also could be interpreted to
mean the will to be away — the
“get away from it all’’ desire
that draws visitors to all of
Georgia’s state parks, and es
pecially to the tranquil setting
for the new facilities for the
disabled.
Prior to holding a meeting
to select the name for the “park
for the handicapped,’’ described
as a “state park within a state
park,’’ the judges were escorted,
on a full-scale tour of the facility
complex by Director Gordon,
Miss Robin Jackson, assistant
to the director; Ernest Jessee,
information officer, and Supt.
Paul Murphy of Fort Yargo State
Park.
The judges were Jim Haas of
Robinson-Humphrey Company of
Atlanta; Burt H. Hatch, executive
secretary of the Georgia Associ
ation of Broadcasters, the agency
which assisted the Parks Depart
ment in promoting the contest,
and Harry O. Smith, publisher
of the Winder News.
Wheeler County Eagle
1 IM IAS
•J'
3 - 3 9 k 'WW
NEWSMAN, LEGISLATOR READY FOR UNIQUE ETV PROC MS. Jim Whipkey (left). Rep.
Larry Thomason will assisl in Georgia 'first'.
General Assembly To
Telecast Proceedings
ATLANTA (PRN) - Actual
proceedings of the 1971
Georgia General Assembly will
be shown on the state’s
educational television network
this year in a first-of-its-kind
in the nation program.
State Rep. Larry Thomason
of DeKalb County, who had
done much of the legislative
work in preparation for the
unique effort, explained that
it is a joint product of an
interim legislative committee
working with the Georgia ETV
Network.
“This is the only state in
the nation that has any such
program as this,” Thomason
said. “Several states have
public TV and Georgia has the
largest publicly owned TV
network in the United States.
“This is the first use of TV
to show the process of
government to both school
children, the university system
and citizens in their homes,”
he continued.
The ETV network will
cover important floor debates,
committee and public hearings
and broadcast approximately
one hour each night over some
18 stations.
Additionally, each
Thursday at 7 p.m. there will
be a legislative roundup which
will have as frequent
participants the speaker of the
House, the lieutenant
governor, authors of major
legislation, committee
Grand Jury Indicts
Eckles For Murder
The Macon News
Benjamin Jackson “Jack”
Eckles, 47, of Eastman, a former
Dodge County deputy sheriff, has
been Indicted by the Dodge grand
jury for murder in the fatal
shooting Sept. 5 of Albert Lee,
26, a parttime employe of East
man Cotton Mill.
Three justices erf the peace
at a commitment hearing Sept.
19 had reducedthe charge against
Eckles to mans laughter and auth
orized his release from the Dodge
County jail under SIO,OOO bond.
The grand jury indicted him on
the murder charge, however.
Sheriff Jackson Jones saidEckles
remains free under the SIO,OOO
bond.
Eckles, who operates a grocery
store in Eastman, is charged
with killing Lee with a shotgun
blast on the front porch of Lee’s
Miss Diane Wooten
Attends Massey
C. A. Barringer, President of
Massey College, announces that
Diane Wooten, daughter of Hessie
Mae Wooten, Route 2, Box 35,
Alamo, entered Massey Septem
ber, 1970. She is enrolled for
our Automation Secretarial
Course.
She graduated from Wheeler
County High School in June, 1970.
ALAMO, WHEELER COUNTY, GEORGIA 30411 -
chairnv an the majority and
minority leaders of both
houses.
After the session a film or
films will be put together and
made available to all colleges
and universities throughout
the state.
“We've all agreed that our
goal is going to be public
education and public
information about the actual
legislative process and the
actual personalities involved,”
Thomason said.
“The people of Georgia will
have an opportunity to judge
for themselves the successes
and pitfalls of government in
this slate,” he continued. “It
will lead to a better
understanding between the
citizens of Georgia and their
government and, hopefully, it
will bridge the confidence gap.
There will be no staged
interviews and it will be
objective.”
Veteran TV news reporter
Jim Whipkey, of WSB TV in
Atlanta, will introduce and
explain each program, possibly
conduct some interviews and
make brief concluding
statements after the live action
is shown.
Thomason said the Public
Broadcasting Corporation
approved a grant request that
will cover all expenses so that
the program will cost the state
nothing.
home on Soperton Road near
Eastman following a running
argument between the two men
during the evening, according
to authorities.
The grand jury also returned
a murder indictment against
Clarence Moore, Jr., in the fatal
shooting of Raymond Peacock,
: an employe of Eastman Cotton’s
Mill. Moore also was released
under SIO,OOO bond.
EciJes was tried for murder
and acquitted in Bibb Superior
Court in Macon cm Nov. 29,
i 1961 in the fatal shooting on
Cotton Avenue in Macon earlier
that year of Thomas N. Quarter
man, a 24-year-old Negro man.
Disaster Loans
G. Elliot Hagan, member of
Cong~ess, announced last week
that Burke, Jenkins, Johnson,
Laurens, Montgomery, Toombs,
Treutlen and Wheeler Counties
are eligible for Farmers Home
Administration emergency loans,
due to draught and corn blight
in all eight and excessive rain
fall in Johnson and Laurens dur
ing the 1970 crop year.
Emergency loans for eligible
farmers are effective through
June 30,1971. Interested farmers
■ should contact their local FHA
, office.
BOX 385
“The idea originated with
John Haney of the ETV
network and myself after we
both supervised a program
that was done on the House
internship program last
session,” Thomason said.
“The speaker (of the House,
George L. Smith of
Swainsboro) made the
comment that it would be
wonderful if the actual
proceedings could be shown to
all the people of Georgia, so
we got to work on it.”
Thomason said the grant
application was made for “a
broad, incisive program to be
shown throughout the state
covering all the important
proceedings of the General
Assembly” and had no idea:
whether funds would be
forthcoming.
“They thought it was
unique and had confidence in
us, and granted us exactly
what we asked for-$32,500-
and it won’t cost the people,
of Georgia a penny,” he
added.
Thomason will be legislative
coordinator for both houses of
the Legislature and Bill
Johnston of the ETV network
will be the director.
The ETV network at
present handles the governor’s
two primary addresses to the
Legislature (his State of the
State and budget talks) for the
commercial networks,
Thomason said.
Wheeler County
Junior Beta Club
On Tuesday, December 2,
members of the Wheeler County
Junior Beta Club met. The mem
bers are: Debra Brett, Patty
Adams, Elaine Smith, Gloria
Montford, Elena Harrelson, Joe
Hood, Wade Fulford, Elaine Lum
ley, Steve Meguiar, Joey Thomas,
Melinda McDaniel, Debra Brown
ing, Jolly Clark, Ed Tuten, Greg
Wilcher, Ronnie Benton, Kim
Hall, Cindy Davis, Bruce Ald
rk^e, Annie MaudKinchen, Omie
Lee Padgett and Lillian Newkirk.
The members elected officers.
They are as follows: Steven
Meguiar, President; Cindy Davis,
Vice-President; Kim Hall, Sec
retary; Elaine Lumley, Treas
urer.
These are the members of
the first Junior Beta Club of
Wheeler County. The sponsor
is Mrs. Dane Butler of Glenwood.
The Co-Sponsor is Ted A. Mor
rison of Alamo.
Kim Hall,
Secretary
HOC HOUSES
Confinement production of
swine has stimulated interest in
housing and equipment for
hogs. Extension Service animal
scientists say the primary pur
pose of housing and equipment
is to improve environment for
both the pig and the producer
and/or reduce labor. They
explain that modern housing
can certainly help the good
manager, but add, “It does not
insure success.”
All American Red Heads Basketball
Team To Play In Alamo Dec. 17
Those colorful, sensational,
and very exciting ALL AMERI
CAN RED HEADS Basketball
Team are slated to be in Alamo,
December 17.
The RED HEADS, Queens of
big time basketball and undis
puted world champion women’s
basketball team will be appearing
through the sponsorship of the
Wheeler County Athletic Dept.
The “RED HEADS,’’ a truly
A Local Option
Tax Would Help
But Few, Lester
Gov. Lester G. Maddox said
that if Georgia continues the
rate of economic growth over
the 1970’s that it showed in the
decade of the 1960’5, then over a
10-year period, Georgia cities
and counties would have received
a total of more tlian 800 million
additional dollars if his tax pro
gram had been implemented.
Speaking at the Georgia Elec
tric Membership Corporation’s
25-year service awards lunch
eon, held in Atlanta as part of
the corporation’s Office Man
agers Conference, the governor
declared:
“Just think of all the improve
ments in highways, schools, and
water and sewerage systems that
kind of money would make pos
sible, and the better incentives
that would be provided for indus
try to go into an area.
“Throughout Georgia, cities
and counties, rural and urban,
would have a better chance for
growth and progress. We could
really wage a fight to improve
our economy, and to combat pol
lution, crime and rising welfare
costs, because of the added at
traction to industry and the stay
at-home opportunities that would
mean for the local citizens.’’
At the same time, Gov. Maddox
asserted, “it would really do
something to help ease the load
being carried by the ad valorem
taxpayers, who are now being
discriminated against through an
outdated tax structure which
forces local governments to turn
again and again to the property
owners.”
Turning to methods of taxation,
the governor had this to say:
“There has been a lot of talk
about a local option sales tax
that was highly praised by some
as a help to local governments.
But a local option tax could be
collected and be of benefit only
in the larger metropolitan areas.
And in denying an increased
source of revenue to some cities
and counties in Georgia, as local
option would do, we would be
denying progress forevery Geor
gian.
“A local option tax would, at
best, provide only temporary re
lief for our larger cities, because
if we fail to meet our respon
sibilities to all the people and
all the cities and counties, con
tinuing to deny them the means
to get the water and sewerage
systems, the streets, the schools
and the other services adequate
to attract and keep new industry,
then more smaller communities
will die out from lack of op
portunities for the people.”
Gov. Maddox added that “if
there is to be legislation coming
out of state government, it must
be to the advantage of every
Georgian, not just some Geor--
gians. Anything less would fail
all of the people.”
REFREEZE POULTRY?
Is it safe to refreeze poultry
once it has thawed? Yes, says
Miss Nelle Thrash, food
preservation specialist with the
University of Georgia
Extension Service. But she
adds an “if.” It’s O.K. to
refreeze poultry if it still
contains ice crystals or is still
cold and has been held in the
refrigerator no longer than two
days after thawing.
FRIDAY, DEC. 11, 1970
great basketball attraction will
meet the Wheeler County Area
Coaching Staff men’s team. The
game will be played by regulation
men rules. Last season the RED
HEADS played 203 games, all
against men teams. The RED
HEADS won 169 of these games.
The RED HEADS feature top
girl basketball talent found any
where - and “Living it up on the
court’ has been their trade mark
—and “How They Play the Game ’
has become their way of life.
The ALL AMERICAN RED
HEADS “Magic at the Gate'
makes this attraction great, and
as always the Red Heads are
drawing them through turnstiles
in tremendous numbers. Coach
Mike Perry said tliat his organi
zation was most pleased at being
able to get this much sought
after attraction to appear in Al
amo.
Be sure to see Moore s Fab
ulous RED HEADS , December
17, at Wheeler C ounty High. Game
time 8:00 p.m. Admissions -
POPULAR PROJECT
One of the “new look”
programs in 4-H is the veteri
nary science project. It treats
the whole gamut of animal
health. Project participants
study their pets and other
animals. They explore careers
and consider safeguards to
public health. In Georgia, over
4,800 boys and girls are en
rolled in this 4-H project. Boys
and girls between the ages of 9
and 19 wanting to learn more
about the 4-H veterinary
science program should contact
the local county Extension
agent for details and enroll
ment procedures.
Bl SI IREI S
The best-looking Christmas
trees will be sold early. So, do
your tree shopping well ahead
of Christmas eve. At home,
keep the tree outside, or in a
cool shady spot inside until the
time comes lo I rim it.
UNBROKEN HALVES
To have more unbroken
halves when you shell pecans,
consider this suggestion. Crack
the nuts by apply mg pressure
end to end by one of the
following methods: inertia
type nut cracker or a hand
operated piston-type cracker.
a it" W F
I? 1 M i
Easy Does It!
A giant crane hoists a 416-ton stator into place at the
Georgia Power Company’s Plant Bowen, under con
struction on the Etowah River between Cartersville
and Rockmart. The huge piece of equipment is the
stationary part of the generator for the plant’s first
unit, scheduled for completion next year. The stator
was shipped 650 miles from the Westinghouse plant
in East Pittsburgh and is the largest single shipment
ever hauled over a railroad in the state of Georgia.
SINGLE COPY 5C
Adults - $1.50, Children - SI.OO.
The local team that will play
the All American Red Heads,
will be composed of, Mike Perry,
Ted Morrison, Al Harwell, Stan
Cook, Von Hall, all of Wheeler
County; Larry Clark, Jerry Rog
ers of Telfair County; Cook Holi
day of Treutlen County; Danny
Black of Montgomery County;
and extra added attraction, The
Great Ernest Willcox.
Wheeler Co. Jr.
High Organizes
Junior Beta Club
The Wheeler County Jr. High
School, under the direction of
Mrs. Yvonne Butler and Ted
Morrison, has recently organ
ized a Junior Beta Club and
become a member of the National
Jr. Beta Club.
The purpose of this organi
zation is to encourage effort
and reward merit among students
of the seventh and eighth grades,
and to promote those qualities
of character that make for good
citizenship in the school com
munity. Those students who are
eligible for membership must
be of worthy character, good
mentality, creditable achieve
ment and commendable attitude.
The Junior Beta Club is a
democratic organization and it
seeks to promote the ideals of
democracy among its members.
A Junior Beta Club provides
an opportunity for individual and
cooperative effort by a school’s
most outstanding students, de
velops initiative and leadership,
rewards merit and achievement,
and is an asset to the school
and community. Mrs. Butler and
Mr. Morrison are proud to an
nounce that 22 members have
been chosento represent Wheeler
County in the first Jr. Beta
Club ever to serve this school
and community.
Committees are already at
work under the direction of
Chairman Steve Meguiar, Cindy
Davis, Kim Hall and Elaine Lum
ley to formulate plans for writing
a constitution and By-Laws for
the local club, working on a
list of projects to be carried
out this year, and making in
stallation plans for a special
ceremony which is to be pre
sented in the near future. Much
enthusiasm has been exemplified
by all the members of the Junior
Beta Club, and a very successful
year is anticipated by all.
NUMBER 36
State Troopers
Commended For
Holiday Effort
Even though more cars travel
ed more miles on Georgia roads
during the recent Thanksgiving
holiday weekend, the State Patrol
did an outstanding job in holding
down the number of accidents,
deaths and injuries, the Depart
ment of Public Safety records
show.
And the patrol’s three top of
ficials — Col. R. H. Burson,
director; Lt. Col. L. G. Bell,
deputy director, and Maj. Porter
Weaver, commanding officer —
were high in their praise of the
performance turned in by the
lard-working patrolmen.
Here’s what the official
records showed for the 102-hour
holiday period: 20 fatalities, ex
actly half of the number predicted
and 23 below a year ago; 299
injuries, compared with 561 pre
dicted and 436 injured last year;
877 accidents, as against 1,914
predicted and 1,219 recorded
during 1969’s Thanksgiving holi
day weekend.
The troopers, working around
the-clock for 102 hours, issued
a total of 9,725 tickets to motor
ists, including 4,524 arrests and
5,201 warnings. They worked2s,-
672 man hours and patrolled
294,797 miles of highways.
Family Activity
Popular At State
Parks In Winter
Family reunions and group pic
nics in two of Georgia’s state
parks are almost as popular
during the winter as they are in
the summer, according to State
Parks Director John L. Gordon.
Neither rain, sleet nor snow
can put a damper on these activi
ties when clubs, churches or
groups of friends make arrange
ments to use the “family and
group shelters” at High Falls
Park near Jackson, and Red Top
Mountain Park near Carters
ville, the director said.
Arrangements for use of these
facilities can be made through
the park superintendents at a
daily rental of $25., it was pointed
out.
The shelters are completely
enclosed and heated so inclement
weather need not cause cancel
lation of plans for organized
group outings. Barbecue grills,
drinking fountains, restroom fa
cilities, soft drink machines, and
sinks with hot and cold water
are among their conveniences
Just 58 miles south of Atlanta
via 1-75, High Falls State Park
is the site of one of Georgia’s
most scenic cascades, and the
hills surrounding the park lake
are popular with campers.
Red Top Mountain State Park,
less than hour’s drive north of
Atlanta, is equally popular for
brief escapes to the unspoiled
outdoors. Located on the shores
cf Lake.Allatoona, Red Top also
offers indoor fishing in a com
fortably enclosed portion of the
park marina.
In addition to those at Red
Top and High Falls, family and
group shelters without heating
systems may be rented at 10
other Georgia state parks.
These parks include Chehaw
at Albany, Elijah Clark near
Lincolnton of the Clark Hillßes
ervoir, Georgia Veterans near
Cordele on Lake Blackshear,
Hard Labor Creek at Rutledge,
Kolomoki Mounds near Blakely,
Laura S. Walker at Waycross,
Magnolia Springs at Millen, Reed
Bingham near Adel, and Yam
Grandy at Swainsboro.
Eggs are high in unsaturated
fatty acids. These are the
liquid, easily digestible fats.