Galesburg Register-Mail from Galesburg, Illinois • Page 1

Galesburg Kegisrer-Mail A Better Newspaper Freeze tonight Low between 20-25 Sunny Friday High in upper 40s Details on Page 11 VOLUME LXXXVI-264 GALESBURG, ILLINOIS 61401 NOVEMBER 10, 1977 PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS Layoff at Gale may affect 540 By CHARLES ABBOTT (Staff Writer) Up to 540 of the more than 2,000 persons employed at Gale Products may be laid off during the next 10 days if a strike continues in Waukegan, sources say. Conformation was unavailable this morning, from spokesmen for Gale or OMC Products, owner of the Monmouth Boulevard manufacturer of lawn mowers and marine parts and accessories. According to sources, up to 440 of the Gale employes will be laid off at the end of this week and another 100 would be laid off at the end of next week. Cause of the layoff reportedly is a strike at Johnson Motor plant in Waukegan where 3,500 employes walked off their jobs two weeks ago after several months of negotiations. Closing of that plant reportedly has cut off the supply of some parts needed for assembly work here.

IN AN INTERVIEW last week. E. J. Dosing, division manager of Gale, said his division would try to purchase parts from outside the corporation, if necessary, to keep the plant here operating. At that time, he said a prolonged strike at Waukegan could affect Gale Products but added he didn't expect a layoff.

He said it would be impossible to estimate when one might occur. A secretary said Dosing was out of town today and Max Olson, personnel manager, declined to answer questions if a layoff would occur. Nor could spokesmen be found by phone calls to Waukegan and OMC's main offices at Beloit, Wis. According to sources, staff at the Illinois Job Service were briefed this week to expect 440 persons from Gale to be laid off between Friday and Monday with an additional 100 the following week. REPORTEDLY, THE 440 figure was confirmed this morning by a Gale official who visited the office.

Gale officials last week were reported to be considering laying off employes then but decided to wait another week. Employes at the plant speculated the layoffs would affect persons hired after January 1970 and one said there had been reports union officials were notified a couple weeks ago that layoffs would occur. One person said employes probably would be notified today, saying 24 hours' notice usually is given before a layoff. Pay days are Fridays, so Thursday probably would be the day to give notice, the employe said. Well-being endangered Heart risk factor linked to children By CRAIG A.

PALMER WASHINGTON (UPI) Evidence is accumulating that American schoolchildren increasingly show risk factors for future heart disease. A number of recent studies indicate environmental, nutritional and other deficiencies could be endangering the future well- being of youngsters from coast to coast. Heart disease, the nation's leading killer, accounts for about half the deaths in middle-aged men. 'There seems to be no doubt that the roots of arteriosclerosis (one type of hardening of the arteries), certain cancers and stroke begin in childhood, and that many of these 'roots' are related to our personal habits and style of living," one study said. Evidence mounts: percent of a sample of 8- to 12-year-old boys in California had one risk factor for coronary heart disease, and an additional 14 percent had two or more risk factors.

continuous rise is shown in children's blood pressures throughout the school years, according to one study. High blood pressure is considered one of the risk factors for diseases involving the heart and blood vessels. Others include cigarette smoking, obesity, poor physical fitness and high levels of fats, like cholesterol, in the blood. A National Institutes of Health task force on blood pressure control in children recommended that doctors caring for children aged 3 and older should routinely measure blood pressure once a year. Westchester County-New York City study of schoolchildren, 11 to 14, found 43 percent had "abnormally high" cholesterol levels; 10 percent reported they were cigarette smokers, with girls outnumbering boys 2-1; 12 percent were overweight, and 2 percent had sufficiently high blood pressure to be referred to doctors.

Preliminary information indicated about 40 percent of some 3,000 children studied had one or more risk factor for heart disease. This study, described in a professional journal, tried not only to identify the factors that could lead these suburban and inner-city children to future heart disease but to involve the children in preventing it. Judge commits Kiritsis By LEROY ADAMS INDIANAPOLIS (UPI) Anthony Kiritsis, the admitted but acquitted kidnapper, was committed to the Indiana Department of Mental Health Wednesday but his lawyers predicted he will be a free man again in a few months. Kiritsis was found innocent by reason of insanity for a nationally televised abduction. He was turned over to the mental health agency by a judge who ruled he is still dangerous.

Richard Kiefer, one of Kiritsis' two lawyers, said he does not think any commitment could last more than three or four months. For that reason, added co-counsel Nile Stanton, there will be no appeal of the judge's commitment ruling. "Kiritsis will be a free man by the time any appeal is perfected," Stanton said. Marion County Superior Court Judge Michael Dugan II ruled Kiritsis was both incompetent and dangerous, despite testimony by two psychiatrists that Kiritsis is competent and not dangerous, but could explode again into violence under stress. Kiritsis had been charged with kidnapping, armed robbery and extortion in the abduction of real estate executive Richard Hall last February.

Kiritsis charged Hall had cheated him on a real estate ideal. Kiritsis lashed a shotgun to Hall's neck, paraded him along icy downtown streets and then held him hostage for 63 hours in an apartment rigged with an explosive device last February. Hall was released after negotiators promised Kiritsis $5 million and immunity pledges they retracted upon Hall's release. Kiritsis' only visible emotions Wednesday came as he nervously wrung his hands when the commitment order was announced and appeared to fight back tears as he was led from the courtroom back to his county jail cell. Closing store possible The owner of Halpern's, 137 E.

Main today said the womens clothing store may be closed. "I'm not ready to make any announcements," the owner, Al Halpern, said. "We are considering it but we have not decided anything." Decision probably will be made in the next few days, he said. Reportedly, Halpern and the operator of another downtown clothing store during the past few days have been investigating procedures for going out of business. The store will be closed early next week, according to reports, to prepare for the "biggest sale ever." Senior citizen speaks out John C.

Aiello, Peoria, right, was among about 150 persons who attended a senior citizens' "Speak Out" session Wednesday at Moon Towers. (Register-Mail photo by J. D. Schwalm) Needs are increasing as people live longer By ANDREA FERRETTI (Staff Writer) When her mother and father retired they had saved enough money to get them through the next 10 to 12 years. Appropriately, while in their 70s, they died.

But today people are living into their 80s. In some cases there are two generations of seniors; the kids are in their 60's and the parents in their 80s. Mrs. Josephine Oblinger, director of the Illinois Department on Aging, told the story of her mother and father to about 150 persons at a senior citizens "Speak Out" at Moon Towers Wednesday. The purpose of the session was to hear needs of the elderly.

Because people are living longer and costs are increasing the needs are overwhelming for many. AMONG NEEDS cited Wednesday were home health care and home chore services to allow the elderly to remain in their homes instead of going to nursing homes. One elderly woman said for the past 10 years she has done volunteer work in nursing homes. She worked hard all her life and always thought it would be nice to some day live in a nursing home where others could wait on her. "Now I hope the Lord comes and takes me before I have to come to that," she said, explaining nursing homes have gotten residents from Galesburg Mental Health Center and the situation for the elderly persons is getting "terrible." The Illinois Department on Aging gets $26 million for its programs.

About $23.5 million is federal money and $2.5 million comes from the state. If the state doesn't allocate more money it can't attract the needed federal funds, Mrs. Oblinger said. Other topics discussed Wednesday included hotel, motel and restaurant discounts for senior citizens, housing, transportation, Social Security, medical costs, work programs for the elderly, nutrition programs, federal revenue sharing and how to get it for senior citizens' projects. MOST HOTELS and motels offer discounts for senior citizens.

Many restaurants also have special arrangements for the elderly, Mrs. Oblinger said. In Ohio, the state has started a program, using "Golden Buckeye" cards which provide financial breaks for senior citizens at more than 10,000 businesses. Legislation was passed in Ohio to make the program possible. One woman asked how senior citizens could get help in having homes renovated.

Alice Egan, Knox County Housing Authority executive director, said the authority is in the business of renting housing and other agencies may have renovation projects. Louise Gummerson, head of New Horizons for Older Americans, a nutrition program here, said Carver Center has a weatherization program to help with some renovation. Mrs. Oblinger said in Sangamon County a program has been started in which money was obtained for improving housing and, under other federal programs, the elderly were hired to perform some of the work. Mrs.

Egan said that in addition to new construction of apartments for the elderly here, a program soon will be started in Knox County that will allow residents to remain in their homes. The residents' rent would be subsidized by the federal government. SOME REPRESENTATIVES of Strom Center, Monmouth, said their homebound meals program has been serving more people than rules for the program allow. Rules allow 12 per cent of the meals served through a nutrition program to be sent to shut-ins. But representatives said the figure they are serving is closer to 20 percent.

They also expressed needs for equipment to puree meals for persons on special diets and advice on how to prepare items like salt-free diets. Velma Seibert, coordinator of Knox County Social Resources, a program of drop-in centers for the elderly, said her agency is sponsoring a chore service for the elderly. Through a Green Thumb project eight workers are helping the elderly and through the agency's chore service more are being helped in their homes. About 25 to 30 persons are served. When the chore service and green thumb programs began, Mrs.

Seibert said the feeling was the people being served would be in nursing homes shortly. But, through the services, those people have been able to stay in their homes. MRS. OBLINGER noted that many busses and vans provided to transport senior citizens are not being used because maintenance and insurance costs have skyrocketed and the agencies can no longer afford to operate them. The Illinois Department of Transportation has a grant to study types of accidents senior citizens have to try to prove to insurance companies the elderly aren't as high risk as they say.

She said Illinois has some of the highest insurance rates in the country for the elderly transportation services. She said the Illinois Office of Education has recently signed a contract to explore the use of school busses in one area to transport senior citizens. When kindergarten students are brought home in the afternoons senior citizens would be picked up and brought to the schools for nutrition programs. And, at the same time, homebound meals would be delivered. And after school the senior citizens would be taken home when children are taken home, thus providing older persons on the busses to help with discipline.

PAULINE DWYER, president of Galesburg Senior Citizens, said her group meets three nights a week but someone always is left at home because of a lack of transportation. John C. Aiello, Peoria, told the group more legislation is needed to help senior citizens financially, medically, in housing and nutrition. The Illinois General Assembly isn't meeting needs, he said. One man suggested using "senior power" to get revenue sharing funds.

He advised groups to fill courtrooms and council chambers to seek the funds. He said his township was helped in gaining township revenue sharing funds by electing a township supervisor who is a senior citizen. Carter believes compromise is near WASHINGTON (UPI) President Carter said today he and Congress apparently are near compromise on major legislation to cut unemployment. And he warned the Middle East is "teetering on another outbreak of even more major violence." Carter told a news conference he expects to make an announcement on the Humphrey-Hawkins full employment bill "within the next few days" which will include anti-inflation provisons as well as federal financing for full employment. He predicted a "successful conclusion to these negotiations and that it (Humphrey-Hawkins) will be presented to the gress with my endorsement." Refusing to condemn Israel for Wednesday's massive retaliatory bombing raids which reportedly killed more than 100 persons in Lebanon, Carter also told reporters: and the Arab states need to move quickly to the Geneva peace table to avoid possible war.

supported plea bargaining by former CIA Director Richard Helms who misled congressmen on CIA involvement in Chile, but said he "does not condone lying" by public officials. canceled "reluctantly" this month's scheduled trip road, but said pushing energy legislation through Congress is more important than personal foreign diplomacy at this time. With unemployment hovering at 7 percent for the past seven months, the White House has insisted Congress be careful not to unduly fuel inflation while spending federal money to increase employment. Carter met with black congressional leaders Wednesday to discuss the matter and reports following that meeting indicated an attempt will be made to cut unemployment to 4 per cent in the next five years. Major impact seen in ruling on landlords NEW YORK (UPI) New York State judge has ruled that a landlord can legally refuse to rent to a prospective tenant on the basis of occupation or physical appearance.

That means he can legally say "no" to intelligent persons because they know their rights and may give him trouble in the future, to singers because they're noisy, or, to bald men because he's heard they give wild parties, state Supreme Court Justice Edward J. Greenfield ruled this week. The decision apparently is a final one and could have dential impact, according to legal observers. The ruling was the product of a complaint brought against a New York City landlord, who refused to rent to a black and divorced woman because, the landlord said, she is a lawyer. Greenfield said the landlord, Stanley Stahl of Stahl Management, was within his rights to "keep out of his building intelligent persons, who know their rights, who may give him trouble in the future." "The only restraints, which the law has imposed upon free exercise, is that he may not use race, creed, color, national origin, sex, or marital status as criteria," the justice said in his decision.

"So, regrettable though it may be, a landlord can employ other criteria to determine the acceptability of his tenants occupational, physical or otherwise. "He may decide not to rent to singers because they are noisy or not to rent to bald-headed men because he has been told they give wild parties," he said. "Absent a supervening statutory prescription," Greenfield said, "a landlord is free to do what he wishes with his property, and to rent or not to rent to any given person at his whim." The complaint against Stahl was brought by Judith Pierce, general counsel of the City Commission on Human Rights, regarding the Manhattan apartment. Mrs. Pierce thought the matter was disposed of two weeks ago because she agreed to accept $1,600 from Stahl in return for dropping her complaint with the state Commission of Human Rights.

Challenge likely in judge's ruling A clarification has to be made in a New York State Supreme Court judge's recent ruling concerning landlord rights, Jo Ann Harris, Galesburg human services director, said today. "I bet the American Civil Liberties Union will challenge it," she commented. The New York judge ruled a landlord can legally refuse to rent to a prospective tenant on the basis of occupation or physical appearance. A potential tenant who knows his rights as a tenant could be refused housing by a landlord, according to the ruling. "It'll be interesting to see if the Human Rights Commission in New York takes it further.

Most people are intelligent. That's why I'd like to see this issue challenged. It's too iffy and too vague. I think another judge needs to hear it." Miss Harris said at this point she doesn't see the ruling affecting her Human Services Advisory Committee's efforts to get a landlord tenant rights ordinance written and approved by the City Council. The local ordinance would advise both sides of their rights and advise them of their obligations as tenants or landlords.

Where to find it Neon wizard works his magic Neon signmaker Ralph Kennedy makes a 90-degree bend in a clear glass tube above as the first step in forming a sign. The rest of the procedure is portrayed in a photo essay by J. D. Schwalm on Page 3. Christmas shopping ahead The Christmas shopping season will be here sooner than you think.

To help you get a head start, Galesburg stores are staging "Pre-Holiday Value Days" and a special advertising section in today's Register-Mail outlines those bargains It starts on Page 13. 4 SECTIONS 52 PAGES Abingdon 45 Accent S-10 Amusement 6 Ann Landers 10 Bushnell 45 Classified Ads 46-S1 Comics 44 Editorial 4 Galva 45 Hospital Notes 11 Knoxville 45 Markets 36 Monmouth 39 Obituary 11 Robert Wallace 10 Sports 40-43 Weather 11 4.