Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 3

Mattooo (II.) Journal Gazetta-S Tuesday, January 4, 1977 a A 0 HI Dong Dinyyiyrsivooiii Asked if she thought her contribution By CRAIG SANDERS HUMBOLDT What will four cents buy thesedays? 1 For eight-year-old Amy Huckaba, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Huckaba of rural Humboldt, a four-cent campaign "contribution" resulted in her receiving Monday an invitation to the president. As a result Amy and her parents plan to attend. Carter's inauguration in Washington on Jan.

20. Amyjbejame interested in Carter when her third grtde cjass at Humboldt Grade School held a mock election, which Carter won, in October. The class teacher, Mrs. Betty Busk of Mattoon, said Monday she thought Amy's interest in Carter was partially aroused when she learned Carter had an eight-year-old daughter named Amy also. Amy Huckaba, who slightly resembles Amy Carter, drew a picture of food and birds and pasted a picture of Carter cut out from her Weekly Reader in the middle of the drawing.

She sentCarter the picture alorig with her four-cent "contribution" and a brief -note. "I said my name is Amy and I was eight years old just like his Amy," Amy said. 4 Amy Huckaba proudly v- However Amv's mother at first refused 16 mail the letter. "She's always writing letters and when she handed it to me it jingled and I said Amy you cant write to Jimmy Carter! Huckaba "But she asked me about it all evening and finally I said alright I'll address it to Jimmy Carter, PlainSj Georgia," she said. Mrs Huckaba said she never dreamed Amy would get a response.

Amy first heard from Carter shortly after the election when she received a postcard with Carter's name and a form messa'ge thanking her for her support. However in handwriting at the bottom was a message that read "thank you for the drawing." Mrs. Huckaba said she knew it was handwriting because the day the postcard arrived it was raining and the ink ran. Amy herself says she first became interested in Carter when she saw him on television. "He was talking about the way he was going to be when he was President," Amy said, "and I liked him better than Ford." Amy said she made her contribution to Garter from her piggy bank.

"I had ten cents and didn't want to spend all of it so I gave him four cents," Amy said. "He'll be happy with anything-so 1 gave him four cents," Amy said. coffee crop njidged $3 a pound. Liberal Markets, of Dayton, Ohio, distributed 300,000 flyers through the firm's 40 supermarkets urging customers to switch to tea, cocoa, fruit juice "anything but coffee." "We will continue to sell coffee at the lowest possible price, but we would like you to help us bring the price down by refusing to buy it," the flyers said. In New York, Shopwell, operator of 85 Daitch Shopwell stores, launched a newspaper advertising campaign quoting Its president, Martin Rosengarten, saying "coffee prices are ridiculous.

To promote the swap of coffee for cheaper beverages, Shopwell offered a 20-cent off coupon toward purchase of any size package of tea, cocoa or hot chocolate. Abraham Laker, vice president of the firm, said the company also raised its cafeteria price for coffee from 10 cents to 20 cents a cup, while cutting tea from 10 cents to a nickel in a bid to rally employes Boycott of coffee Mike Beavers, Charleston police officer, dead at 29 We sincerely hope that you will be able to come to Washington and participate In the inauguration. going to see a new openess and new spirit. We hope that after your visit, you wtll take that spirit back to your home and help make It grow throughout this great country of ours," the Invitation continued. Amy said she has never-been to Washington and is looking forward to it.

"I'd like to see the White House and the big buildings where the president works," she said. Amy also described what she thought the inauguration would be like. "He'll (Carter) talk a lot and then I think he'll introduce a lot of other people to comt up and talk," Amy said. "He'll tell some people what they did wrong and broke the law and all that stuff." Amy added. Asked what advice she would give Carter Amy said, "I'd tell him to say that some stores can sell a lot of food to make prites go down for poor people." Amy talked about a more famous Amy, the president's daughter.

"She gets to go with Dad a lot of the time to places I can't go." Amy said. Amy also said her classmates at school would be excited at seeing her Invitation to the Inaugural. "Gosh they'll all come over and see It," Amy said. rged Chicago. Coffee cost as much as $2.80 elsewhere in Chicago, it ranged from $2.40 to $2.80 in Los Angeles and cost $2.45 In some New York City markets.

The first thrust (or a boycott against rising prices was made In the last week of December by Elinor Gugglnhelmer, consumer affairs commissioner of New York City. She urged shoppers to cut their coffee consumption by 50 per cent. "We fully respect Mrs. Gugglnhelmer's efforts to bring down the price of co((ee," said a spokesman for General Foods. "We'd like to see prices come down ourselves, but we believe the forces of the free market are the way to bring this about rather than through a boycott." Most consumers appeared to agree.

A UPI survey Monday of- supermarkets around the country revealed little decline in coffee sales, although some reported customers turning to smaller sized containers. 1 in a red truck was unloading they didn't get any," 'Walker said. "It's irritating to the customers and us," he said. Walker, whose store Is located across the street from the Mattoon Coca Cola bottling plant, said It had occurred to him to go over to the plant and stock up. "Yes we have thought about going across the street, but they don't have it available," Walker said.

Podeschi said he felt the bottle shortage would continue as long as the price coin-petition continued. "I don't think the bottlers are going to buy a trayfull of new bottles," Podeschi said. He said his store alone sold over 700 cases of Pepsi last week. Podeschi said soda sales have slowed down some this week but added he felt customers would keep buying as long as the prices stay low. He said he knew of three persons who lived in Indiana who stocked up on soda while visiting friends or relatives in Mattoon.

The soda war has also caused at least one store manager to take on extra duties, IGA's Lincoln said he, his assistant manager, and his grocery manager are having to supplement the eight or nine carry out boys In carrying out all the soda his customers are buying. 1 was very significant, Amy said "well," then paused for a minute and said, "no it wasn't big." Amy's teacher, Mrs. Busk, noted Amy was the only member of her class to ac-. tually write to any of the candidates although the entire class seemed to be interested in the election, "All of them commented on it and were aware of what was going on," Mrs. Busk said.

"Amy likes to write a great deal," Mrs. Busk said, "but I don't believe Amy ever realized she would get an invitation. Mrs. Busk said she thought the class would be thrilled to learn Amy received the Inaugural invitation. "They were awed when Amy received the ppstcard from Carter," she added.

For those who didn't receive invitations this year the invitation reads: "The Inaugural Committee requests the honor of your presence and participation In the Inauguration of Jimmy Carter as President of the United States of America and Walter Mondale as Vice President of the United States of America on Thursday the twentieth of January one thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven in the City of Washington. However a separate note explains that Amy's invitation does not include an invitation to the various inaugural balls. to the boycott. Across the counter, coffee prices inched upward from 25 cents a cup in most areas to 30 and even to 35 cents, and several restauranteurs Indicated growing disaffection with the traditional free refill. "There's talk of discontinuing the refill, but it depends on wmat the competition does," said Dorothy Sheehan, co-owner of the Mug 'N Muffin in Boston, where the average price now Is 30 cents a cup.

Even as the call went out for Americans to kick the coffee habit, General Foods, the nation's largest coffee wholesaler, hiked ground coffee prices to $2.91 per pound. On Dec, 22, Folger Coffee second largest processor, drove the price to a record high of $3.08. The full lmpacfeof the wholesale clout had not reached the retail market by Monday. A check of markets across the nation revealed prices per pound ranging from a high of $2.69 In Dallas to a "special" low of $1.39 at Dominicks of "Our route salesman are making a superb effort to keep the stores supplied," he said. Shuchman said Pepsi has stepped up production.

Kull Bottling bottlers of Coca Cola in Mattoon, refused Monday to comment on how the price compeition has affected their production. "We don't care to discuss It," a spokeswoman said. However Lincoln put the blame for the shortage of soda on the bottling companies. "We get downright mad at Pepsi and Coke," he said. "They don't tell us anything.

All they say is we'll be around," Lincoln said. Lincoln did say the bottlers were experiencing a shortage of bottles. "They rely on getting the bottles back but all the bottles are sitting (ull in people's basements," he said, "people aern't bringing back as many bottles as they are buying." Lincoln added he couldn't see any end to the soda war. "It's as hot and heavy now as It has been," he said. "I was quite surprised when they said prices this week are the same as last week," Bob Walker manager of Wilb Walkers in Mattoon said.

Walker said his store was also experiencing shortages of soda. "Unless a customer was here when the Soda bottle shortage has oset merchan ts displays invitation He was also a member of the Charleston Kiwanis and the Elks and Moose lodges. The possibility of a February primary election for city commissioners may have been ended Monday by the death of Beavers. The election code calls for a primary if there are more than eight candidates for the four commissioner's' "positions. Beavers' name had brought the total to nine.

However, a provision in the state election code would allow those who nominated Beavers the persons who "signed his petitions to re-nominate a candidate to replace him. According to City Attorney Tony Sun-derman, the re-nomination must take place "not earlier than 45 days before the election, nor later than 40 days before the election." With the primary slated for Feb. 22, Sunderman said that any action would have to come "within the next week or so." He added that any new candidate would have to receive the signatures of 51 persons who had signed Beavers' petitions. Still in the race for commissioner are incumbents Dan: Thornburgh, Claude "Bud" Adkins, Wayne Lanman, and John Winnett; and challengers Olga Durham, William Rardin, Clancy Pfeiffer, and John Beusch. A primary will still be held for the mayoral race, if objections to two of the candidacies are not upheld.

Objections to the candidacies of Mayor Walker received the $125 million fiscal year-end balance figure from his Bureau of the Budget, which predicted three months ago the state would end this iscal year with an available balance of about $101 million. Acting BOB Director Richard Bratton said the increase resulted from tighter controls on spending in the areas of operations and grants; higher anticipated revenue and the passage this year of legislation to bring sales and income tax collections into the state coffer faster. Several fiscal experts believe Department of Public Aid will ask for a deficiency appropriation of about $50 million before this fiscal year ends, which would drag the state's available balance phone and urged to ignore the letter. He said Gov. Daniel Walker had agreed to authorize creation of a special task force to study delays in a newly computerized payment system.

Schwartz said reimbursemnt checks are coming so slowly that "several phar- macies downstate have had to borrow money to stay tn business." But he added in announcing the mailing that he did not really expect pharmacists to boycott the public aid department as he requested. "I think most pharmacists are going to be conscientious' and take care of sick people," he said, adding that the letters were meant to serve as a warning, CHARLESTON Charleston police dispatcher Michael "Mike" Beavers died at 1:10 p.m. Monday at his home. He was 29. Beavers had worked for the police department for eight years and earlier was wire editor of the Charleston newspaper for thrqe years He had recently declared his candidacy for election to tt Charleston City Council.

He resided at 203 State with his mother, Mrs. Mary J. Beavers. Beavers, a polio victim, was secretary of the Charleston C.B. Club, which organized a benefit in November to help him pay medical expenses he incurred when he suffered a collapsed lung.

Nov. 13 ws designated as "Mike Beavers Day" in Charleston, and more than $1,500 was raised through the effort. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Caudill-King Funeral Home with burial in Mound Cemetery. Masonic services will be held at 8 p.m.

today at the funeral home. Friends may call after 4 p.m. today. Mr. Beavers was born April 7, 1947 in Charleston, the son of Max and Mary Jane Gordon Beavers.

Survivors include his mother of Charleston; a brother, Garry of Charleston; and his grandmother, Mrs. Ethel Beavers of Charleston. He was a 32nd degree Mason and a member of the AF AM Lodge 35 in Charleston, the Danville Consistery, and the Ansar Shrine, Springfield. By CRAIG SANDERS MATTOON The local soda war has rturned into a soda and bottle shortage. Mattoon grocers contacted Monday and today said they are having problems meeting customer demand because they can't get the soda from the bottlers fast enough due to a shortage of 16-ounce bottles.

"The only problem is we don't have any soda," Dave Lincoln, manager of IGA Foodliner on Lake Land said "We were out from Thursday to Monday morning," Lincoln said adding, "this tends to make us a little upset." "It's frustrating to see customers walk out of a store because you don't have something they want," he said. "I had a lady who waited an hour for soda because I kept telling her the soda truck was on the way," Lincoln added. Richard Podeschi, owner of My Store, said he has noticed a shortage of 16-ounce bottles has forced the bottlers to rely on the 32-ounce bottles. 'Iheir pushing the quarts this week," Podeschi said. Norm Schuchman, northern division manager for Pepsi Cola, said today the bottling company was trying to keep up with the demand and keep the grocers supplied.

"All I can say is the demand for the product is great and it's difficult to keep up with it," Schuchman said. United Press International Java-addicted Americans may find the supermarket solution to the climbing cost of coffee harder to swallow than a 35-cent cup, butthe markets, In growing numbers, are telling consumers to drink something else. Two more market chains joined the cry Monday for a boycott of the national beverage as the retail price of coffee fevered by a 1975 freeze-out of most of Mike Beavers in uniform Bob Hickman and to William J. Heise were filed last week by candidate James A. Pelton, and a hearing by the city electoral board will be held Friday to determine the validity of the complaints.

If the board agrees with Pelton's objections, he will be the only mayoral candidate. The hearing date may make it too late for re-nominations, but Hickman and Heise would still be able to wage write-in campaigns. down. But Bratton said the BOB doesn't expect any welfare deficiency appropriation. Asked about speculation the Thompson administration might end up the year with as little as $10 million to $30 million, Walker said, "If you were the incoming administration you would want to paint as Jad ad a picture as possible so that if things turned out bad you could blame It on the prior administration; that's human.

I am telling you what the facts are." Walker also said the calendar year ended with a balance of nearly $169 million, but Thompson and some fiscal experts questioned the validity of the figure. Thompson and his wife, Jayne, were taken on a tour of the executive mansion in Springfield by Walker and his wife, Roberta, Monday "aflernoon. Before entering, Thompson said the calendar-year balance "can be anything you want it to be" by holding up payment of bills past Dec. 31. Thompson said he will comment more fully on Walker's statement and disclose his own spending plans for the rest of this fiscal year and fiscal 1978 at a Springfield news conference Wednesday However, Comptroller George W.

Lindberg commented a few hours after the conference that Walker's "facts" aren't true, and that the state is in "terrible fiscal shape." Llndbera and deDutv Comptroller Robert Mandeville said fiscal 1977 will be the "worst year In Illinois history." The fiscal year will end June 30, five months after Thompson lakes office. Walker says Thompson may end fiscal year in the black CHICAGO (UPI) Governor-elect James Thompson can end the present fiscal year with $125 million in the state treasury if he is willing to say "no" to pressure groups in his first six months in office, according to Gov. Daniel Walker. During a news conference Monday Walker emphasized that $125 million will be left over if the "next administration continues the tight controls that we have had in effect and if they don't go on a spending spree "If the state can continue this same' prudent management and if the state continues to resist the demands of special interest groups, there should be no need for a tax increase in the next two years," Walker said. ic aid prescriptions boycott has disappeared A a CHICAGO (UPI) Support for a boycott of public aid prescriptions disappeared within hours after the executive director of the Illinois Pharmaceutical Association announced he had sent letters urging a boycott to 2.400 druggists.

Fred Schwartz announced Monday he had sent letters to the druggists, urging them to stop filling public aid prescriptions if the state fails to speeds up Its reimbursement checks. But association board member Clark Moreland announced Monday night, that the boycott was being called off and that pharmacists were being contacted by Empty shelves greet customers assoda war continues.