Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 1

i 1 i J. J. 'J'- MAnOON5 ILLINOIS 1 19th YEAR 259 14 PAGES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1973 PHONE 235-5656 Early morning blaze at lake 15) mh feci Jirnnr 1 III I If I I I I I i 15 CENTS By HARRY REYNOLDS JG Staff Writer II Gazette that volunteers were called to Lake Mattoon at approximately midnight. Firefighters from Sigel were called to the recreation facility at 12:30 a.m. Mattoon Beach, is owned by Tom Spackman, who also owns Indiana Beach.

It is leased from Spackman by James Gray of William Roberts, Mattoon lake custodian, told the JG that he visited the scene of the fire at 7 a.m. "The place was pretty well burned down to the ground," he said. "The dance hall is still standing, but everything else is gone." Recreation facilities included three main buildings. The restaurant and pavilion were totally destroyed, according to Roberts. The JG contacted the fire department in Neoga in an attempt to obtain additional information regarding the blaze.

A spokesman said the fire chief would not be available until 5:30 p.m. today. The spokesman said he was not authorized to release in formation in connection with the fire. The JG has learned that an arson investigator from the state fire marshall's office is inspecting the site today. A spokesman for.

the Sigel fire unit told the JG that firefighters were at the scene until about 2 a.m. The Mattoon Fire Department was not called to the scene. 1 1 I'TS-S An early morning blaze today wiped out most of the recreational facilities at Mattoon Beach. Fire fighting units from Neoga and Sigel were called to the scene in an effort to quell the blaze. A spokesman for the Neoga fire unit told the Journal Twisters hit Oklahoma; 5 die, 50 hurt OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.

(AP) A winter storm sent tornadoes hopskotching across sections of Oklahoma, causing scattered damage and killing five persons, officials said. Three of the dead were infants. All five deaths were reported in a two-county area around ''l i 4' ASSASSIN'S HIDING PLACE President John F. Kennedy was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963, by a man armed with a rifle who fired from this building.

The Texas School Book Depository, as the building was known then, is located in Dallas, Tex. This picture was taken by Harry Reynolds, Journal Gazette staff writer and columnist, while in Dallas last week in conjunction with Mattoon's bid for an All-America City award. Stories on the assassination of President Kennedy a decade ago, in cluding interviews with local residents on what they were doing and their recollection of the moment they learned that the President was dead, will be featured on Page 3 and the Editorial Page of Wednesday's Journal Gazette. JG photo) persons were reported injured from the twisters which touched down Monday afternoon and Monday night in the central, north central and northwestern sections of the state. The cold front said by weather forecasters to be responsible for the storms was situated in the northwestern area of the state early today.

The National Weather Service predicted it would bring one to three inches of snow to that section today, Two infants died as a twister City council expected to let bids on sewer work Fire-ruined remains of Mattoon Beach building Cleared for Senate vote Committee okays Ford home park in Moore; an Oklahoma City man died when the roof of a county warehouse he was guarding fell on him and a woman and an infant were killed when a storm ripped through sections of Cleveland County. Subzero cold stung the northern border states, heavy thunderstorms washed over the Plains and heavy snows accumulated in the mountains of the Southwest. A foot of snow clogged mountain areas of New Mexico, and travel became hazardous in northern sections of the state. Thunderstorms unleashed heavy rain on the central Plains. Oklahoma City was hit by nearly 2 inches of rain and Emporia, and Grand Island, Neb.

had well over an By HARRY REYNOLDS JG Staff Writer Construction bids totaling $6,308,757.11 for work on the sewer improvement project are expected to be awarded to three firms tonight by the Mattoon City Council. The firms are American Structures, Washington, D.C.; Paul E. Wagner and Harold O'Neil (joint venture), Danville; and Gridor Construction, Minneapolis, Minn. Awarding of contracts to the three firms will 1e subject to the approval of the En-vironmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is also subject to an increase in the amount of federal grant funds offered the city under provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

American Structures submitted low bids totaling $1,763,424.11 for work on the northside and southside interceptors during a special city council meeting on Oct. 30. Wagner-O'Neil submitted the low bid of $389,783 for construction of the Riley Creek pumping station. Gridor submitted the low bid of $4,155,550 for work on the waste treatment facility. The bids submitted by American and Wagner-O'Neil were 16.3 per cent below the engineer's estimate of $2,571,000 for the interceptors and pumping station.

Gridor's bid was 27.9 per cent over the engineer's estimate of $3,249,000 for construction work on the waste treatment facility. Bids for construction work pushed the total cost of the project past the mark. The federal grant the city received in July $5,120,175 was based on a total cost estimate of $6.8 million for the sewer project. City residents voted in early 1972 in favor of a bond issue to cover the city's 25 per cent of the cost of the project. At the time the bond issue was approved, the estimated cost of the project was a little over $6 million.

City officials had anticipated in July that the city would have to provide roughly $100,000 in additional city funds to meet the 25 per cent figure for $6.8 million. The revised figure for the project means the city will now have to come up with an additional $233,750 to cover its share of the cost of the sewage im provement project. This kicks the city's total share of the cost of the project up from $1.6 million to $1,833, 750. The EPA has been asked by the city to maintain its 75 per cent cost contribution to the project by providing an additional $381,075. A federal grant in that amount from the EPA would push the federal government's share of the cost up from $5,120,175 to $5,501,250.

The city council is also expected to create the office of general manager of the Mattoon Water Department during tonight's meeting and formally appoint Michael E. Smyser to the post. Smyser, 37, was tentatively appointed to the post Oct. 30 by the Mattoon Water Board. He has served as office manager of the water department for over five years.

The council is expected to enter an agreement to purchase a tract of land near Lawson Park from Mary E. and Jessie M. Parker. Bids will be received by the council for a street sweeper, primary collector equipment for the sewage-treatment plant and a pickup truck for the sewer department. inch before dawn.

Snow also developed in the colder air to the west and that he has a restricted approach to civil rights." Taking a position for or against Ford was against NAACP policy, Mitchell told the House Judiciary Committee. But he said he hoped congressmen, before confirming Ford, would satisfy themselves "that his posture as vice president would not be the same as it was as congressman." Mitchell said he was confident that Ford would step in to prevent a black person from being refused entry, for example to a restaurant but said Ford has fallen short on his civil rights voting record. Mitchell turned over to the committee an analysis of 54 civil rights votes by Ford, 28 of which the NAACP considered in favor of civil rights and 26 of which it considered against. He said the three votes showing Ford's "restrictive approach" were on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and an amendment involving the constitutionality of a House anti-busing bill. He said Ford's financial statement will be made public.

Assistant Minority Leader Robert Griffin of Michigan said the unanimous action in reporting the Ford nomination to the Senate floor is a step toward unifying the country. "There were times, I admit, in which I wanted action on this nomination taken more quickly," he said. "But we have taken adequate time to make the most complete, adequate and thorough investigation in the country," Griffin said. "And in taking our time we were able to reach a unanimous decision." Cannon said he expects the Senate vote on Ford will be unanimous. Although no hitch has risen to confirmation by either the House or Senate, Ford's civil rights voting record and leadership capacity were challenged Monday at House hearings.

Clarence Mitchell Washington director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said three of Ford's votes "show WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate Rules committee today voted unanimously to approve the nomination of House Republican Leader Gerald R. Ford as vice president. The vote sends Ford's nomination to the Senate floor. House leaders plan a final vote in that body next week. Senate Rules Committee Chairman Howard W.

Cannon, said the nomination will be reported to the Senate Monday with a roll call vote the next day. The rules committee action followed hearings into Ford's fitness to serve as vice president. Cannon said that before the committee roll call was taken, members took into consideration investigations into reports of campaign contributions and irregularities, considered by the FBI to be negligible. Sen. Robert Byrd, made the motion to report Ford's nomination to the Senate floor and Marlow Cook, seconded it.

Cannon announced the committee has determined that Ford's net worth is $256,378. northwest of the storm center. North Platte, Goodland, Denver and Lamar, all measured 3 inches of new snow before daybreak. A foot of snow whitened the foothills southwest of Denver, and heavy-snow warnings were issued for the Colorado mountains for tonight. Stockmen's and travelers' advisories were in effect for snow and rain changing to snow from western Texas across Nebraska to North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota today.

Stocks take more losses NEW YORK (AP) The stock market continued to take For Thanksgiving Special rites set Senafe okays rationing bill Study curbs on Sunday driving heavy losses today in the midst of what analysts called an "energy scare." The Dow Jones average of 30 Industrials, which plunged 28.67 points Monday for its worst! single-day loss in 11 years, nesday. A TnanfcSgiving candlelight communion will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mattoon Christian Church, 19th and Richmond. Roy Poling is the minister. Candlelight communion will also be held at 7 p.m.

Wed- yond. He said service could suffer in December because of the elimination of 300 scheduled airplane flights per day as a fuel-saving measure. The Environmental Defense Fund said intercity bus lines should be exempted from 50 mile per hour speed limits. The environmental organization said intercity buses are more than twice as efficient as automobiles in energy use per passenger mile. Today's Journal Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, Treasury Secretary George P.

Shultz told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the nation would have to be "sharp and relentless" in limiting con-, sumer use of energy. In other energy-related developments Monday: Germany and Denmark joined Holland and Belgium in banning Sunday pleasure driving because of the Arab oil squeeze on Europe. The Pentagon announced that 27 senior Defense officials have given up their big sedans for smaller, more economical cars as a means of saving fuel. A spokesman said Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger is considering whether to keep his Cadillac limousine.

-Postmaster Gen" E.T. Klas-sen said fuel shortages may hamper mail handling during the Christmas season and be ing of filling stations on Sunday across the nation." DiBona said a driving ban would save 660,000 barrels of gasoline a day. Some consid-eation is being given to making the ban partial so people could go to church, he said. The administration is also considering instituting Sunday blue laws to close commercial stores and shortening store hours during the week, he said. Meanwhile, the Senate passed and sent to the House emergency energy legislation that would give President Nixon the power to order gasoline rationing.

And the House Democratic leadership responded to Nixon's criticism of Congress' performance in the energy crisis by accusing the President of "unwillingness to acknowledge the magnitude of the crisis and lack of any direction in dealing with it." nesday at Broadway Christian Church. 1321 Broadway. The minister is William E. Stark. Several churches will have special services Thursday morning.

A special mass will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday in Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, 21st and Richmond. Also at 9 a.m. Thursday, Thanksgiving services will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 22nd and Western. Rev.

Carl Giegler is the rector. St. John's Lutheran Church, 200 Charleston, will conduct Thanksgiving services at 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the pastor, Rev. Ronald Schmidt.

Rev. W. E. Duey, pastor of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church, two miles east of Dorans, said that services will be held at 10 a.m.

Thursday at the church. By DAVID C. MARTIN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) Nixon administration officials say a curtailment of Sunday driving is being considered as one way to conserve fuel. White House energy adviser John A. Love said Monday the administration may soon require the closing of gasoline stations on Sundays.

His deputy, Charles DiBona, told a congressional joint economic committee that a ban on Sunday driving and closing of public parks to automobiles are steps under consideration. "Knocking out Sunday driving is a real possibility," said DiBona, the President's special assistant for fuel matters. Asked about a ban on nonessential Sunday driving, Love said, "I don't think it is to be couched In terms of a ban" and then added that there may be an announcement on "the clos Several Mattoon churches will observe Thanksgiving with special services Wednesday night and Thursday. Special Thanksgiving services will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Faith Baptist Church, 23rd and Western.

Rev. Gary C. Hanson is the pastor. The First Assembly of God Church, 11th and Prairie, will also conduct special services at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Rev. Allen Lehmann is the pastor. Rev. Ben Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, 3400 DeWItt, said that the church will have special Thanksgiving services at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Members of First General Baptist Church of Mattoon will attend Thanksgiving services at Mt. Zlon General Baptist Church. The services wUl begin at 7 p.m. Wed tumbled another 9.48 points to 853.18 in the first hour of trading. Analysts said the persistent selling was prompted by rising investor concern that an energy crisis might lead to a major recession next year.

The Dow's drop on Monday was its fifth largest in history. It was the blue chip indicator's biggest single-day loss since May 28, 1962, during a confrontation between the major steel companies and President John F. Kennedy. It dropped 34.94 points on that occasion. The broader based New York Stock Exchange index of 1,500 flHy STORMY 1y Temperature 2 p.m.

60 Yesterday's temperatures High 57, Low 41 Showers and thunderstorms, windy and wanner tonight. Low in the lower or middle 50s. Wednesday cloudy, windy and turning cooler with showert and thunderstorms ending. High upper 50s to lower 60s. Business 10 Classified 12-13 Comics 14 Editorial 4 Entertainment 9 Obituaries 5-12 Sports S-7 Women's common stocks fell 1.72 to, 5.176, its steepest single-day decline since its inception in July 1966..