Darlington student among merit scholars
Former Roman Richard L. Gilbert Jr., a senior at Darlington School, was among 800 high school seniors named winners of college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships in the 1972 Merit Program.
The son of Maj. And Mrs. Richard L. Gilbert Sr., of Goldsboro, N.C., he is living with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Selman, 12 Green St., until his graduation this month.
Gilbert won a Merit Scholarship from Georgia Tech, where he will major in chemical engineering. Winner of numerous academic awards at Darlington he was chosen STAR student at Darlington and for the Rome City School system. He is currently in the advanced placement program in English, mathematics, chemistry and history. He is also a varsity soccer letterman. A member of the Riverside Baptist Church, he sings in both the teen and adult choirs. He is a Life Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow.
As presented in the May 1922 editions of the Rome Tribune-Herald
Rev. Thomas J. Irwin, who resigned the pastorate of the First Presbyterian Church here, in the midst of a controversy, was arrested on a charge of arson in connection with the recent alleged incendiary fires at the church. He was released on a bond of $500. Irwin refused to make a statement.
Information charging arson also was filed in justice’s court against H. C. Lewis, a member of the church board of sessions, which has resigned in a body and announced they would take what they termed the “persecution” of the pastor to the Oklahoma synod.
The charges followed the county attorney’s investigation of the fires. He also announced that he would drop the investigation of the abduction of the pastor, saying he had information that it was a “frame-up.” Irwin was found last week bound and lying in a mud hole near Medicine Park, the scene of the bathing pool marriage he had performed between a girl from Rockmart, Ga., and an Atlanta man. The couple had married in the nude.
Whoever heard of a “modern old-fashioned girl?” Nevertheless, there is a song recently composed that bears that title, the words written by E. L. Wright and set to music by Paul Nixon. This will be one of the featured musical selections to be sung at the big municipal concert coming up in Rome and put on by the Lindale Band.
It will be sung by Mrs. Paul Nixon, nee Miss Edith Allen, and the accompanist will be Mrs. W. O. Tarpley, with an alto obligato by Paul Nixon. The song was composed especially for the band concert for which serious preparation has been in the making during the last month. It is sure to meet with the approval of the music lovers of Rome. The big concert, best of all, will be absolutely free.
TV cause of reckless driving?
Violence on television may be a cause of reckless and irresponsible driving, a university of Hawaii mass media researcher says.
He says that if you watch such programs as “Hawaii Five-O,” “Mannix,” “The FBI” or “Cannon,” and you’re more likely to be a careless driver than if you prefer Lawrence Welk. “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” or other nonviolent fare.
That’s the conclusion of Dr. K.S. Sitaram, who says he spent two years comparing the television viewing habits of good and bad drivers.
Sitaram interviewed 293 bad drivers who had been ordered by Honolulu District Court to take a safe driving course as a result of traffic violations. He compared their video tastes with those of 54 good drivers.
“Most of the bad drivers listed programs such as ‘Hawaii Five-O,’ ‘Mannix,’ ‘Cannon’ and ‘The FBI’ as their favorite programs,” Sitaram said in an interview. “People with safe driving habits tended not to watch such programs.”
Sitaram also found that the bad drivers could remember such character names as “Hawaii Five-O’s” Steve McGarrett and Mannix but could not recall the names of the actors playing the parts.
“This confirms my hypothesis that they are living in a world of fantasy,” he said. “They act out the fantasies when they are driving. They probably think they are Mannix or McGarrett and are trying to imitate them.”
There is a message in all this, Sitaram said.
“People learn aggression from mass media, particularly radio and television,” he said.
Daredevils set for second run at Rome layout
The second showing of the King Kovaz Auto Daredevils will be held at the Rome International Speedway at 8 p.m. with a large crowd expected.
The two-day event, the first was held Tuesday night, provides fans with plenty of excitement with drivers putting on stunts in automobiles never before witnessed in the Rome area.
The speedway is located on the Chulio Road, 3 miles east of Rome off U.S. 411.
Meanwhile, speedway officials have announced that a Class B 50-lap championship race will be included on the program of feature racing on Sunday, May 21.
In last week’s runnings, Doug Kenimer of Dahlonega in Class A with Leon Sells and Jody Riddle pushing the winner. Also, Roger Swanson of Lindale won the Kadet Class event and took the 15-lap Boss Race in the division.
Long hair styles blamed for hike in barber fees
Citing rising operational costs and lack of business, Rome barbers have voted to increase the price of regular haircuts 50 cents. The price increase becomes effective Monday, raising the price from $2 to $2.50.
A downtown barber, who attended the Tuesday night meeting, said a majority of barbers attended the meeting and the vote was unanimous. He added that barbers not attending had sent word they would “abide by any decision” of those present.
The source also said proportionate increases would follow other barbering services.
“Long hairstyles are killing us,” the barber said. “Everybody is waiting longer between haircuts, and that’s alright. It’s the ones who wait six months to a year between haircuts that hurt us.”
The barber also said that the cost of equipment to handle new men’s hairstyles and training seminars were also increasing.
100 years ago as presented in the May 1922 editions of the Rome Tribune-Herald
“Things are going to be different,” said Kirk Bailey, Rome citizen and Floyd County farmer, when speaking of conditions on his farm. “I am certainly changing the diet of the boll weevil down my way, and if they do not like hay they are simply out of luck.”
Bailey is one farmer who has not been worrying about the rain. In fact, he stated that what he wanted was one or two more “good rains.” Of course he was talking to a city man then and not to a farmer.
“Just give me some more rain, and then take a look over my hay fields,” continued Mr. Bailey. “Last year I raised and sold 60 tons of hay, and made money on it, but this year I’m going to beat that figure by a large amount.”
The old adage, “make hay while the sun shines” means nothing to Bailey. He says he is making it in spite of rain, but he expects to cut it when the sun shines.
After several weeks sleuthing and shrewd police work, Chief Charlie Harris has the man thought to have stolen an auto in Atlanta, with another man taking it to Laurel, Miss., where it was abandoned. The man is “Swifty” Johnson, former Rome taxi driver, and he is now at the police station here. Johnson was apprehended about eight miles from Dalton by Officer Jess Johnson of Rome and Sheriff Peoples, who is a deputy of Whitfield County. Chief Harrison located the man and sent officer Johnson for him.
He will be turned over to the authorities at Atlanta. The stolen Auto was recovered by Atlanta officers, who were told by Chief Harris that it was at the Mississippi town.
Johnson is said to have had Bott Beard, also of Rome, as an accomplice and a warrant has been issued for Beard, but he has not yet been found.
