The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 12, 1963 Page: 1 of 18
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Turkey
Countdown
See Page &
THE ROCKDALE REPORTER
Tournament
Starts Today
Rockdale Messenger Established 1873
AND MESSENGER
VOL. 91
10c THE COPY
ROCKDALE. MILAM COUNTY. TEXAF- THURSDAY. DECEMBER 12. 1963
Rockdale Reporter Established 1883
18 PAGES
See Page lb
NO. 49
11-Cent Pay Hike
In IGC-Union Pact
JUNIOR-HIGH ROLL LISTED
First 2-Year
Labor Contract
RHS Honor Roll Is Negotiated
Led by Seniors
Diana Walters. Linda Smith,
Gus Goodman. Wayne Vo. -
Kamp, Sherlyu Wardlaw, Copae
Perry. Tint Curtis, Don Keeble,
Jenny Kay Perry, Jan Parme-
Le. Linda Merriman.
SANTA CHATS WITH LITTLE PEOPLE
Craig Magee. 2. a little uncertain
PRENTICE MOORE. 5
... a little shy
Rambling
'ROUND ROCKDALE
w. H. C.
JUDY TUCKER. 3
. . a little undecided
llilllliii
iReporter Staff Photos)
BARBARA NOLEN, 6
... a little mike fright
DURING CHRISTMAS PARADE AND PARTY SATURDAY.
Santa Chats With 750 Youngsters
Warning
QHR1STMAS is week after j
next. Put it another way: I
There are only ten more shop-
ping days.
In the little time you have
left let me suggest that you
do your Christmas shopping in
one of the world’s largest de-
partment stores. Where? Gim-
bels or Macys in New York,
Marshall Helds in Chicago, or
some big store in Dallas or
Houston? You're wrong.
The largest department store
1 am talking about is rigiit
here in Rockdale, your own
community. All .departments
aren't under the same roof, or
even the same ownership or
management. But they are as
near each other as mosst metro-
politan store departments are
and you don’t need to climb
stairs, use elevators or escala-
tors to got to them. Everything
is convenient.
A crowd estimated be-
twe. n t w o and t h r c e
thousand residents of the
Rockdale area fill< d the
streets Saturday tor the
Chamber of Commerce’s) an-
nual Santa Claus Parade and
Party, and old St. Nick got
his kicks.
Santa interviewed approxi-
mately 7r>() children and he
and his- helpers made sure
each one of them was well
supplied with a bag of
candy.
Setting up "hop next to
Rockdale State Bank on
Ackerman Street, Santa
heard the Christmas vvish.s
of all the children. They
filed by, snuggled up to the
jolly old fellow and announc-
ed their names and Christ-
mas wishes into Santa's pub-
lic address system micro-
phone.
Of the hundreds of tots
who took part, only a few
were the least bit reluctant
to greet the fellow with the
snowy white l>oard. Some
were shy, some weren’t, but
in the end just about all of
the children had had their
say.
The Reporter camera
caught four if the youngs
ters talking with Santa, and
thus caught four different
moods (see above*.
The children are Dennis
Magee, 2. son of Mr. and
Mrs. Craig Magee, Pracscl
Addition; Prentice Moore, 6,
grand.->on of Mrs. I.ucy
Moore, East Third Street;
Judy Tucker, 3. daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tucker.
?06 Pine Street; and Barbara
Elaine Nolen, 6. daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Nolen of
929 East Cameron Avenue.
The Rockdale Lions Club
won first place in the parade
contest with a float featuring
a candy-making machine op-
erated by youngsters in elf
costumes'. First pm., was
sr>
Second place of $12.Ml
went to the Forest Grove
Christian Church float which
contained a traditional na-
tivity scene. Third place
of $5 was awarded to a float
from the Evelyn Snclgro
Kindergarten. That entry
also featured a nativity
scene.
New cars, antique cars, the
Shriner Motorcade of Aus-
tin, clowns from the Austin
Clown Club, school bands,
Boats entered by the Tracy
Methodist Church, the New
Salem HD Club and the
Rockdale 4-H Club, as w. 11
as the winning floats, also
were parade features as well
as riders from the Rockdale
Saddle Club and Roping &
Cutting Club.
Judges for the parade were
Mr. and Mr;.'. James Kahkr
and Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ellett
of Cameron.
Seniors led the RHS honor
roll for the second u.x-week.
study period of the 11)63-64
school year, Principal Charlie
Martin has announced.
The honor roll, posted last
week, includes 23 seniors. Id
juniors, 12 suphomoi.s and b
freshmen.
To make the honor roll, u
student must compile a total
of eight grade point.. Martin
explained. An "A” is worth
two points and a "R” one point,
while a grade of "C” subtracts
a point from the student's*
total.
"The minimum grades possi-
ble for th. honor roll is three
A’s' and two B’s," the’ principal
added.
The roll was announced as*
follows:
Seniors: Royee Lawrence,
Jerriaivne Fuller, Jan Whitrnire,
Sonny Butts, Diane Weems,
June Dyer, Judy Dyer, Johnni -
lyn McKinney, Dickie Summers,
Cheryl Dyer, Linda Henson,
Carolyn Barker, Don C'unibie.
Linda Keen. Elaine Richardson,
Gerry Phillips, John Mike
We. d. Linda Abel, Mike Liles,
Connie Wiese, David Henry., , .
... T, i ; > dent, lias announced
Sharon Thweatt and Gloria!
Armour.
Juniors: Nancy Harrison,
Industrial Generat-
ing Company and Inter-
national Brotherhood of
Electrical Works Local 2078
Douglas Young, 1 inda Baxter, reached agreement Wednes-
day on a new, two-year
labor contract calling for an
across-the-board 1 1 - c e n t
hourly wage increase.
Approximately 180 IGC
Sophomores: Bobby Moor- employees will get the
man, Linda Mu ton. Dean
Stiles, Henry Abel, Vicki Pm
lippus, Janice McVoy, Lea Law,
Tommy Thweatt, Glenda Knott.
Brenda Haupt, Lou White.
Gayle Gret n
Freshmen: Biffy Cook,
Teresa Richardson, Elaim Mar-
See HONOR ROLL, page 3
Local Library
To Stay Open
Longer Daily
The Lucy Iiill Patterson Me-
morial Library is increasing its
hours of operation on a trial
basis to tes t p. blie response to
the extended service. Henry
Wick.s, library board
raise The terms of the new con-
tract approved Wednesday arc
retro-active to last September
25, the day the old contract ex-
pired.
Russell Brooks, general sup-
erintendent at IGC, said that
the company and union negotia-
tors reached agreement on the
new pact Wednesday morning
It is the first two-year con-
tract ever negotiated by IGC
and the union, as all previous
pacts have been for one year
only.
The wage hike will increase
IGC's annual payroll by ap-
proximately $41,000. Each
worker affected by the raise
will receive $228.80 more per
year in base pay.
In addition to the wage
Pageant Thursday
On page 3b, a story lists the
Rockdale junior-high Christmas
Pageant next Thursday while
the headline says Wednesday.
The story is right; Thursday is
correct.
Search for
4 Gunmen
Continues
All the stores in Rockdale
form one of the best depart-
ment stores for shopping you’ll
find anywhere. You’ll find
name brand
prices. And
from your friend.-- and neigh-
bors, waited on by friendly
clerks you know and who know
you. On top of that, merchan-
dise that needs servicing will be
serviced.
Charges were filed Wednes-
day in Oklahoma against four
men believed to haw robbed a
Randlett, Ark. family Tuesday i
merchandise, fair I night and also believed involv- ;
von'll be buying *n robbery of Mr. and
Mrs. J D Lewis’ of Buckholts* j
Monday night.
The search for the four men j
c ntm i d m Arkansas today
a'ter the sheriffs office in Do |
Queen. Ark . reported a ear j
believed to have been used in j
a robbery. Tiie car contain. 1
a Marini drees coat and doth- j
n.g that Milam County Sheriff i
Car! Black .-aid "d< finitely be- ;
longs to Lewis."
A charge has also been filed >
in Cameron in connection with j
the robbery, .against Harold!
Edward: of Walters, Oklahoma. 1
Nam.d in the charges' filed :i •
Oklahoma arc Harold Leon i
Edwards, 20. Julia Gonzales, J
Sk'-cter Gonzales, and a "John !
Doe” (unidentified*.
Mr. and Min. T. L. Wileman '
and son Larry were robbed of
i h e i r automobile, clothing,
money, guns and food Tuesday
night at Randl tt. Ark.
Monday night. Mr. and Mrs.
Lewis were taken from their
home just soutn of Buckholts,
bound hand and foot and gagg-
ed, and driven 3 1 2 miles in
tbeit own car. They were left
m th*' Little River bottom in an
Bond Issue, Cable TV
For City are Discussed
boost, the new contract pro-
pi) si- vidos for increased hospitaliza-
tion insurance benfits plus other
Board members, during a changes pertaining to work
quarterly meeting, decided to classifications, according to Don
increase the hours- of opera- Herbst, IBEW press secretary,
tion from 12 to 17 per week. Negotiations between IGC
Wickc-ft explained and IBEW had been under
The hours will be 3 p m. to wav since lute last summer. The
5:3) p.m. weekday afternoons, 11-cent raise offer for two
9.30 a.m to 1130 a m. Satur- (years was one of several corn-
day mornings, and 7 p.m. to pany proposals made during
0:30 p.m. Monday evenings, the months of bargaining.
The new hours will be elfeetive ; Federal Mediator J. O. Hub-
Januar.v 1 and will continue bard of Houston had taken par*
for a three-month trial prriod. in the contract negotiations last
Visit all the stores in Rock-
dale on your Christmas shop-
ping spree. You’ll find it better
than any one department store
you ever tried to push your
way through on a winter day in
any city!
Christmas Tree
•THE CHRISTMAS TREE at
the Lucy Hill Patterson
Memorial Library comes to
Rockdale through the courtesy
of the man who made the li-
brary possible, Dr. George
Patterson of California. Every-
one remembers that Dr. Pat-
terson eontribbuted about half
the cost of the Library which
is named in honor of his
mother.
A few days ago the good doc-
tor sent a cheek for $100 with
instructions that a Christmas, t,ifi truck and th ir
tree be erected at the Library , ;,hduttor« made their ge’awav
as an expression of his senti- ( jn the Lewis’ 1962 Ford sedan,
ments to friends in Ihc Rock- j Mrs Rewb worked Hose
dale area. Its a thrifty bunch fron-| |v.r bands, freed her hus-
of people who run this Library, j band, and they walked through
How much the tree cost I have prif. roid about thro miles to
no idea, but Albert Timmer- -|1f- Guv Tittle farm where they
man and his FFA boys got the phoned Sheriff Black,
tree and erected it, some light .. j with Black. JH e Lewis coupl *
were furnished by too C ham- | ltturned tr their home to limi
her of Commerce, the city threw ‘ .ne mcn h ld r turned and
in some labor, and Mrs. Robert ' ransacked the entire house.
See RAMBL1NGS. page 3 j taking jewelry, radios, food, an
—---1 | iet cream freezer, all of Lewi*’
clothes, his violin and numer-
ous other articles.
By BILL COOKE
Reporter News Editor
City councilmen Tuesday
heard a proposal for cable
television for Rockdale, and
also discussed floating a i
bond issue early in 1964 to ,
raise funds for new water !
and street-maintenance fa-;
cilitics. I
Ernest Brown of Houston,!
who served as fiscal agent
for bo1h the city and the local |
school district during the in-
dustrial boom of the early j
1.950’s, met with the aldermen
Tuesday to advise them on pos- j
sibie avenues of financing the
city’s needs.
Prime needs .it present, ne- j
cording to City Manager N. E. i
Alford, are a new
and related facilities, and con-
siderable equipment for build-
equipment under consideration
is a new maintainer, dump
truck a n d tractor-front-end
loader.
If the bond election is called.
the company is able to service.
Like other utilities, it would
pay 2 per cent of its gross re-
ceipts to- the city annually.
A similar company is al-
it will probably ccme in Janu- ready bringing the same micro-
ary. The councilmen said they wave service to
hoped the bonds could be float-
ed early to enable the new wa-
ter well to be completed in
time for summer use.
Cable TV
W. T. Reichel and E. Babe.
Smith Jr. of Killeen appeared
before the council requestng a
permit to establish cable tele-!
vision service for Rockdale, j
Their company, Reichel said,
would furnish by microwave!
three Dallas and Fort Worth
channels *4. 8 and 11* for lo- j
cal subscribers, in addition to!
Subscribers to the cable TV
would pay a monthly fee of
$5.25. An initial service charge
of $5 per customer would also
be made, Reichel said. He added
that the cable TV would not af-
thc cities of1 fvet any TV sets in the city
Copperas Cove. Killeen ‘and! adversely, non-cable subsenb-
Belton, Reichel ..aid. included.
The firm's investment in | ^<) begin with, we would
provide a 7 channel service,
Fines at the library, beginn-
ing January 1, will be raised
from three cents per day on
each overdue book to five cent*
per day. Funds raised by
these fines arc used to purchase
supplies and new hooks for
the library.
Mrs. C. B. Sessions and Mrs.
C. W. Moehrir.g were appoint-
ed to help organize a Frhnds*
of the Library group in Rock-
dale.
Board members attending
1 nesdr.y's meeting were Henrv
G. Wickes, president; H. R
Hurst, tr asurer; Mrs. Jim
banning, Mrs Joe Moha r. Fred
Ra dike and Mrs
Hair-ton. librarian.
week, but no settlement was
reached while he was here.
Hubbard had conducted both
separate and joint meetings
with company and union nego-
tiators Representatives from
both sides met with him last
Wednesday, Wednesday night
and Thursday morning.
IBEW held membership meet-
ings Monday night and Tues-
day to vote on the IGC pro-
posals, Herbst said. He said
that the membership voted
against the proposals, but auth-
orized the union negotiation
committee to continue talks and
Eugene accept or reject company pro-
posals.
woli i channels 3, 6, 7 and 10 which
1 arc now received here.
The aldei men gave first
ing and maintaining streets, reading passage to an ordinance
The total funds needed will! that would grant their com
probably be be* ween $100,000 i Par*.v- called Mid-South Cabl
Rockdale would run about
$150,000 to $170,000 to put the
service ir. operation. This would
iinlude the installation of aj
tower, probably about 300 feet !
tall, plus other equipment. \
Reichel said the company J
would probably have two em-
ployees here in a local office i
to sell the service and lake care)
of installation, service and of- j
fice work.
and eventually all 12 channels
will be available," he said.
Reichel said that cable TV pre-
sents a ‘perfect picture with
no interference of any kind."
The ci*y reserves the right
to nullify the agreement if
Cook s Murder Trial
Set Jan. 27 in Marlin
Trial for 24-year-old Oscar
F. Cook, charged with the
murder of his former mother-
work by the company has not j in-law, Mrs Dan Crow of
started within a year after the I Dayilla, will be held in Marlin
ordinance is parsed, or later jf beginning January 27.
the service it. rot satisfactory. I After a two-day attempt to
ONLY 10 MORE!
That’s right folks. Only
10 more shopping days until.
Christmas. Better hurry, and
check The Reporter ads and
your Rockdale merchants for
thw best buys.
'Messiah' Slated
Sunday Evening
Meadowbrook Baptist Church
will present Handel’s "Chris-
mas Messiah" at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday.
"The public is extended a,
cordial invitation to attend the
program," the Rev. William
Age.--, pastor, said.
BIBLE VERSE
"And lo a voice from Heaven,
saying, This is My beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.”
v —Matthew 3:17
find $150,000.
Brown, after spending most
of the day studying the city’s
finances, reported to the coun-
cil that Rockdale is in “excel- 1
lent shape to take on new in-
debtedness of that amount.”
He said the city’s credit rat-
| ing is good and that the bulk of
i Rockdale present tax bond
indebtedness will be paid off
j within 10 or 12 years.
Brown recommended t h e
bond method of raising the
funds rather than other possi-
ble means, including time
warrants which would be more
; costly.
Mayor L. Q. Mehaffey said
i that the city should obtain pro-
fessional advice on what type
of new water well and facili-
| ties to get. He appointed nld-
I erman Frank Hyder, water
I commmisoner, and Alford to
make a study and arrive at the
: amount of money needed for
| the new water facilities.
Mehaffey also said the city
must determine “how far into
the business of street-building
we want to go." The city at
present is able to do only small
patch-work on existing paved
streets, and has a maintainer
for unpaved streets.
Alford noted that the main-
tainor "is completely worn out
and must be replaced."
Councilman Albert Timmer-
man Sr., street commissioner,
and Alford were instructed to
complete a study to determine
what equipment is wanted, and
how much it will cost. Major
TV Company, a franchise fo
the service. Three readings ar
required for final passage o
the ordinance.
The franchise, for 25 years
is not an exclusive one, how
ever. The ordinance contain
no clause which would proven
the city from granting an
other like privilege to an,
other such firm.
The success of Mid-South'
operation here hinges on ho\
many other towns in this are
Home Judging
Dec. 20; Cash
Awards Slated
Judging of Chriftina horn
decorations will be held on t!i
night of December 20 witl
cash prizes to be awarded. Mr?
S. H. Curlee. Chamber u
Commerce manag.r. ha.- re
minded.
Out-of-town judges will h
lakcn on a guided tour b> W a
Chamber reprcsCntativi . "T
assure that no residences ar
missed, citizens wishing the!
hemes to be )■ dged shoul*
phone the chamber office. HI 6
2030. and list their address,
Mrs. Curlee said
The prizes, in two categories,
are: $25 for first. *12.30 for
second and $5 for third in Hu
home lawn category; $10 for
first and s'5 for rvcond in the
door-window category.
select a 12-nieniber jury in Mi-
lam County’s 2C.h District
Court, Presiding Judge John C.
Patterson of Marlin approved
a motion Tuesday to move the
trial lo Falls County.
I A total of 150 prospective
jurors, including men and wo-
men from throughout Milam
County, were examined Mon-
day and Tuesday, but not one
Juror was selected.
Monday, Judge Patterson
overruled a defense motion for
change of venue and three de-
fense motions tor continuance.
However, alter 150 of the 200-
member venire had been ex-
amined, the judge approved the
transfer to Falls County.
Jack Welch and Robert Peter-
son of Marlin are the defense
attorneys appointed by Judge
Patterson. John B. Henderson
Jr . Milam County-district at-
torney and Jack Prescott ot
Temple, firmer Milam County
1)\, are the state attorneys.
Cook is also charged with as-
sault-witl.-intent-to-murder his
former wife, Mrs. Velma Cook,
and her brother and sister, Dan
Crow and Mary Lu Crow, all
children of the murder victim.
The sokoting < ivurred at the
Crow home in l avillu on May
14.
ALCOA’S OUTLOOK GOOD "- That seems to be the word that Joe K Yates (left),
manager of Alcoa’s Rockdale Works, is getting from John Harper, Alcoa president
who visited here last week. Harper, speaking in Chicago, said 1964 should be a good
year for Alcoa (see story, page 2). I
HAS YOUR CHILD
WRITTEN TO SANTA?
Has your child written tag
Santa’’
Dun’t forget to have hint
or her drop a line to the old
fellow, in care of The Re-
porter The Kttirs will be
published in this newspap-
er’s Christinas edition.
The Reporter welcome*#
those letters from ail chil-
dren throughout the area.
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The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 12, 1963, newspaper, December 12, 1963; Rockdale, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth694442/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lucy Hill Patterson Memorial Library.