Sulphur Springs News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 216, Ed. 1 Tuesday, September 12, 1978 Page: 2 of 10
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Hopkins County Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Hopkins County Genealogical Society.
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• V
2—THE NEWS-THJGtAM. Sulphur Springs. T«m. Tuesday Snpt. 12.197«.
In our opinion
Fall Festival offers
banner show this year
A
y
A
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X
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• Ten years ago local Extension
Service workers and allied civic
boosters decided to try their hand at
something new.
:• They consolidated a sequence of
fall 4-H and other farm-oriented pro-
grams into a continuing package, add-
ed a few other attractions and creat-
ed the Hopkins County Fall Festival.
•: The idea caught the public fancy
and the festival has ranked as one of
the community’s prime annual attrac-
tions ever since. New events were
added from year to year and the show
kept on expanding until it had over-
run the limited facilities available in
City Park.
£ The festival will present its tenth
anniversary stand the last three days
of this week with the most dramatic
leap forward in its history.
A dream of long standing will be
realized as the show moves out of the
park and into the nearby Hopkins
County Regional Civic Center area,
which was created for exactly such
purposes.
A new livestock arena will replace
Alternate routes
advised on highway
The shortest distance between two
points may be a straight line, but peo-
ple seeking to reach Commerce from
Sulphur Springs are learning that it
is much better to take the long way.
This is because of the massive and
accelerated work on Highway 11 be-
tween Gafford Chapel and Commerce.
Contractors for the reconditioning
project, which is costing about
$700,000, are going all-out to com-
plete the project, which will wind
up with a 24-foot wide riding surface
that will offer a better riding quality
and increased safety.
The project includes only 12.3
miles of work, but it must be wrapped
up soon to beat the fall deadline for
the two-course surface treatment.
Sulphur Springs Needs....
•Broader Vocational Education
•More Downtown Parking
•Continued Industrial Development
•A More Prosperous Agriculture
•A City-County Health Unit
•City Beautification
•A Better Airport
•Minimum Housing Standards Code
•Improved Streets & Drainage
•Cooper Reservoir
Jack Anderson
'' I ' >V . ’ '-r _ .
Letter implicates Jordan
the antiquated, overcrowded sheet
metal structure used for so many
shows. The adjoining exhibits building
will provide a modern setting for the
Arts and Crafts Show, Household
Arts, 4-H projects, and similar indoor
events.
Hopkins County Stew chefs will
compete for world championship
honors on the civic center grounds.
A formal dedication ceremony
will be conducted both for the civic
center and the ajoining high school
building.
Parking space will be abundant
and convenient for a change.
The annual livestock &jhow
expanded. New additions to the pro-
gram include a horse and mule show,
a mule pulling contest, the annual
Punt, Pass & Kick Contest and a coun-
try and western band.
To a considerable extent the fes-
tival reflects a generous slice of Hop-
kins County life and legend. It offers
something for everybody. Never have
there been more reasons for people
to become a part of it.
WASHINGTON - An in-
criminating letter which, if
valid, would implicate
White House aide Hamil-
ton Jordan in a $10 million
payoff that was supposed
to be laundered through a
Bahamian corporation,
has turned up in our inves-
tigation of the Robert
VescfP fix.
The letter allegedly was
written by Jordan’s home-
town buddy, Spencer I>ee
IV, the scion of a fine Old
South Georgia family. He
vehemently denies writing
the letter, and Jordan de-
nies receiving it.
Their alleged partner in
the fix, R.L. Herring, a
bankrupt businessman
now awaiting trial on unre-
lated fraud charges, has
sworn that he was present
when Lee drafted the let-
ter. Herring’s former sec-
retary, Gerolyn Hobbs, a
housewife with two chil-
dren, has attested that she
typed and mailed the let-
ter,
The astonishing letter is
merely one jigsaw piece in
an enormously complex
puzzle that we have been
fitting together for months.
The search for the missing
pieces has taken us from
Costa Rica to Nassau, with
half-a-dozen side trips to
Georgia.
The pieces began falling
into place immediately af-
ter Jimmy Carter won the
1976 election. Herring was
in touch with Vesco, the
corporate freebooter who
allegedly plundered a mu-
tual fund of a fortune esti-
mated as high as $500 mil-
lion.
Vesco wanted the U S.
government, as Herring
put it, “to get off his back.”
Herring looked around
Georgia for someone who
might be able to accom-
plish this. The quest
brought him to the offices
of Spencer I^e.
The man who put them
together, Norman Gay, a
former congressional aide
who was then I^ee’s part-
ner in some rental proper-
ties, explained the purpose
in an enlightening affida-
vit. As Gay recalled it,
Herring and I^e plotted
(V
“to secretly bring money
of Robert L. Vesco into the
United States for the pur-
pose of paying various par-
ties to fix the legal prob-
lems Mr. Vesco had with
the United States govern-
ment.” ,
0 Herring paid Lee a
$10,000 retainer, which Lee
admitted he accepted for
the purpose of using his
influence with Hamilton
Jordan in Vesco’s behalf.
I,ee also acknowledged
that Vesco “wanted the
United States to leave him
alone.” But I>ee swore to
us, his voice rising sharply
at times, that he had sec-
ond thoughts and “never
discussed Robert Vesco
with Hamilton Jordan one
time.”
According to Herring’s
sworn account, I.ee always
came to his office to work
on the Vesco deal. I>ee
wanted to conceal from his
owrr office what he was
doing, Herring explained.
Added Herring’s secre-
tary: "I remember placing
calls and receiving calls in
the office from and to
Hairiilton Jordan.”
Her recollection is sup-
ported by an office file,
which contains carbon cop-
ies of telephone messages.
On Jan. 5, 1977, for exam-
ple, she recorded this mes-
sage to Herring from Lee;
“Talked to Hamilton. Eve-
rything okay.”
Flight records show that
Herring and I^ee flew in a
private jet to Costa Rica on
Jan. 14, 1977, for a meeting
the following day with
Vesco. Two witnesses say
that Vesco outlined the
quid pro quos at this meet-
ing. He listed specific steps
that he wanted the U.S.
government to take to end
its “harassment” of him.
In return, he offered to
transfer some of his prime
stock to the Georgians
through some tortuous fi-
nancial maneuvers.
He promised them stock
in his $120 million corpo-
rate flagship, Property Re-
sources limited, which is
better known in interna-
tional financial circles
simply as PRL. They
would be able to sell their
Etta wstwowh
HULM6 N.e.ft.
Pedple living between Gafford
Chapel and Ridgeway have few alter-
nate routes to reach either Commerce
or Sulphur Springs, but through traf-
fic may go north to Birthright and
then via FM 71. Or they can go to
Cumby or Campbell and thence to
Commerce.
While it is an inconvenience to
negotiate the route during the con-
struction period, the work is moving
along so well that hopes are strong
that the project can be completed be-
fore cold weather arrives.
The reconditioned highway will
add much to the area and should suf-
fice until the entire length is upgraded
to a full 44-foot width within the next
decade.
“I’m afraid you’ve caught him at a very busy time — he’s trying to get off
to Switzerland on one of those combined business and pleasure trips.”
stock, he assured them, for
no less than $10 million.
On Jan. 27, 1977, Lee flew
to Nassau to set up a
Bahamian corporation,
which was given the code
name the conspirators had
been using for the Vesco
deal - Southern Ventures
limited. Herring says the
company was supposed to
be used to launder the $10
million from the sale of the
PRL stock. Lee insists he
never knew its purpose but
was merely following
Herring’s instructions.
Gay’s affidavit supports
Herring’s version.
On Feb. 7, 1977, Herring
and Lee joined up in Wash-
ington. Lee was supposed
to outline the whole Vesco
deal to Jordan at the White
House, Herring says. Lee
swears he never did it.
Both agree that they flew
back to Albany-, Ga., to-
gether on Herring’s plane
on Feb. 9, 1977. Herring
said he phoned his secre-
tary from the airport. The
telephone slips contain this
Feb. 9, 1977, message to
the secretary: “Wait at
office. Spencer wants to
dictate letter to Hamilton.
Also get letter off today w/
rest of mail.”
Here is the controversial
letter, which the secretary
said Lee signed and she
mailed to the White House
on Feb. 9:
“Dear Hamilton: Re-
garding our conversation,
it looks as the PRL matter
will take eight to 12 months
to complete. The time
frame is well within our
agreement with Mr. Herr-
ing and the Costa Rican
gentleman.
“I forgot to mention to
you when we talked that
the necessary arrange-
ments have been made to
protect our interests in
Nassau.”
Both Jordan and Lee
deny any knowledge of this
incriminating letter. Ei-
ther they are stonewalling
a la Watergate, or some-
one has contrived an elabo-
rate hoax. Already, con-
flicting statements have
been made under oath.
Copyright
1978, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
Dogs go to Congress
for a change
• • •
By DONALD M. ROTHBERG
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - It
may take the New York City
Police Department to clear up
the mess in the U.S. House of
Representatives, particularly
DOE kills likely solar plan
LINCOLN, Mass. < NEA) - From his home in this tranquil
Boston suburb, Joseph C. Yater has struggled in vain for
three years to convince the federal government to explore
a promising new approach to harnessing energy from the
sun.
In theory’, Yater’s task ought to be an easy one. The need
for drastic action to alleviate the critical energy shortage
has become an item of faith among the nation’s leaders,
and solar power lias emerged as one of the most promising
alternatives.
In practice, however, the Department of Energy (DOE),
primarily responsible for identifying and developing new
sources of energy, remains stubbornly committed to
nuclear fission as the sole feasible alternative.
IN WASHINGTON
Martha Angle and
Robert Walters
That’s because for more than a quarter of a century
(from the early 1960s until the mid-1970s) nuclear power
virtually monopolized the government’s research and
development efforts. The work was conducted by the
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), recently incorporated
into DOE.
Despite the change in the name of the team, the players
remain the same, thousands of men and women (including
DOE Secretary James Schlesinger, a former AEC chair-
man) who have devoted much of their adult life to the
promotion of atomic energy.
They pay lip service to the potential of solar power, but
invariably insist that many years of technological refine-
ment are needed to make it commercially feasible as an
f:mercy source.
2 That’s where Yater enters the picture. Three years ago.
pbt asked the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to
^ examine his revolutionary concept of using the fluctuating
energy of electrons that have been heated by exposure to
the sun.
A respected and responsible physicist, Yater had
developed a plan for a device that he believes could
convert solar energy, at relatively low cost, into massive
amounts of usable electrical power.
Energy conversion of solar power currently relies on
silicon-based photovoltaic cells, which operate at only
about 15 percent of maximum efficiency. An intense,
dedicated and serious scientist, Yater is convinced that his
approach could achieve efficiencies as high as 80 or 90
percent.
NBS scientists scrutinized Yater’s theory, then conclud-
ed, in the words of one agency official: “This invention
may represent a very significant advance in the efforts to
use solar energy more effectively. It meets ... all' the
criteria for support” by DOE.
Yater’S proposal was the first solar-related concept
referred to DOE under a federal program specifically
designed to provide federal assistance for feasible energy
innovations developed by individual citizens and small
companies.
Scientists at NBS and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology who analyzed Yater’s theory unanimously
agreed that construction of a small working model is the
necessary next step in testing the idea.
Such a demonstration model probably could be con-
structed in a year or less, at an estimated cost of $250,000 to
$750,000 — a miniscule fraction of the billions of dollars the
AEC and DOE have poured Into nuclear research.
Instead of proceeding with that step, an unenthusiastic
DOE insisted on conducting another theoretical review.
Selected to conduct the review were the employees of
DOE’S national laboratories, devoted principally to nu-
clear research.
After 18 months of skeptical examination, DOE informed
Yater earlier this year that it “will not support further
effort on your concept." The entire project was killed.
Rep. Leo Ryan, D-Calif., has revived the effort by
convincing NBS to conduct another full review. But the
future of all solar research remains in doubt because, as
Ryan notes, DOE “has no real interest in moving forward”
to develop alternative energy sources.
(NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN )
—
the mess some dog left in the
hall in front of Rep. David
Treen’s office.
Can the enforcers of the Big
Apple’s new dog law, which
requires owners to pick up after
their pups, succeed where
congressional investigators
have failed?
Can they determine whether
the culprit was Rags, the
sheepdog that sleeps outside
the office of Rep. Dave Evans,
D-Ind., or Rep. Les Aspin’s
shaggy dog, named Junket? Or
is there some other dirty dog
roaming the fourth floor of the
Cannon House Office Building?
And who left the anonynmous
note in Treen’s office?
Spokesmen for the two prime
suspects deny that either Rags
or Junket was responsible for
the mess in front of the
Louisiana Republican’s office
door.
What is discreetly described
as “the incident” occurred a
month ago and suspicion im-
mediately fell on Rags.
But a staff investigation
disclosed that Junket also is a
regular visitor to the fourth
floor of the Cannon Building.
Berry's World
*AL
© 1978 by NEA. Inc '
"So then Tommy Taxpayer said to the big
bully, Godzilla government, 'lam unwilling to
pay the bill
f
__SS-X—----
Message to
Washington
INSURANCE BENEFIT OVERDUE
MESSAGE—I am writing in the hope that you can do some-
thing to help us collect the Serviceman’s Life Insurance my
son was carrying at the time of his death. My son and his
wife were killed in a private plane crash more than a year,
ago. Their son Was the only heir and according to the will I
am his guardianrrhe coroner initially made an error in listing
the time of death on my son’s death certificate. He eventu-
ally filed an amended certificate with the Serviceman’s Group
Life Insurance office. However, all we have had is requests
for more death certificates, newspaper accounts of the crash
and in general a big put-off and run-around. We had a
lawyer working on the matter but he has not met with suc-
cess, so I am turning to you. Please help us.—H.S., Denver
City
SENATOR BENTSEN RESPONDS—Serviceman’s Group
Life Insurance has now sent payment to you, with apologies
for the delay. If the matter has not been resolved to your
satisfaction, please feel free to call on me for further as-
sistance.
A DISPUTE WITH THE IRS
MESSAGE—My taxes for the year 1976 were audited by the
Internal Revenue Service. As a result of the audit I received a
letter this past January asking payment of additional taxes. I
mailed a check to the IRS, thinking that the case was closed.
Now, I have received another letter stating that I owe addi-
tional funds. Can you get this harassment to stop, or will the
IRS keep asking me for more money. I’ve paid what I owe and
I don’t think they are entitled to any more.—C.H., Dallas
SENA TOR BENTSEN RESPONDS—The IRS advised me that
the original payment you made included interest computed
to January 9. Since you did not pay by that date you were
charged for the additional interest plus a penalty for late
payment. There are provisions for refunding the late pay-
ment penalty if you can show reasonable cause. If you be-
lieve there was reasonable cause for the late payment con-
tact your local IRS office and they will be happy to explain
the procedure.
Do you have a problem with government? MESSAGE TO
WASHINGTON cuts through the red tape to get answers to
your questions about Social Security, veterans benefits, im-
migration matters and other problems you may have run into
in your dealings with the Federal Government in Washing-
ton. Write MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON, c/o Senator
Lloyd Bentsen, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510. In-
quiries to MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON are sometimes
edited before publication, but the intept ancl substance of the
inquiries'arc maintained J
’
Jr
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Keys, Clarke. Sulphur Springs News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 216, Ed. 1 Tuesday, September 12, 1978, newspaper, September 12, 1978; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth817580/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.