The Daily Journal from Franklin, Indiana • Page 1

SATURDAY Ooof joy FRANKUN GREENWOOD, INDIANA NOVEMBER 28, 1981 25 WML Was Kentucky man Roberts' fire victim? COLUMBUS. Irui nrpn irh man was lulled in the mysterious 1970 fire at toe Brown County home of Clarence Roberts, the Columbus Republic reported Friday. Hie newspaper story quoted sources as saying the victim of the fire was James W. Hatcher, 38. Sources did not know where in Kentucky Hatcher lived.

Indiana State Police investigator David Anderson said he was waiting for social security records to determine if Hatcher had worked since 1970. He said Hatcher was reported missing around the time of the blaze. A man's body was found burned beyond recognition in the ruins of the Roberts garage on Nov. 18, 1970. The victim was never identified.

Members of the Roberts family claimed Clarence Roberts was the victim, and his wife, Geneva, filed suit to recover more than $1 million in life insurance benefits. Brown County officials and the Indiana Court of Appeals refused to rule Roberts was dead. Life insurance benefits never were paid to the family, since Brown County Coroner Jack Bond refused to sign a death murder and kidnapping In connection with the body found in the burned garage. Roberts finally was identified as the victim of a Dec. 1, 1980, fire at Mrs.

Roberts' home in Brown County. Mrs. Roberts, 59, also died in the blaze. During testimony in Mrs. Roberts unsuccessful trial to recover the life insurance benefits, witnesses said Rob- certificate in Roberts' name.

Roberts, 52 at the time of the fire, was a Nashville businessman and former Brown County sheriff who had run into financial problems. He disappeared after the garage fire, but there were reports that a man matching his description had been seen near the Roberts', residence during the past 10 years. He later was indicted on charges of i Sambo's firm files bankruptcy 1 LOS ANGELES (UPI) Sambo's Restaurants Inci, failing to secure new money to feed its creditors, filed Friday for bankruptcy in federal court, less than three weeks after closing 447 of its eateries and firing up to 10,000 employ-ees One of those eateries was located in Franklin. It was closed on Nov. 11 in what was described as a "belt-tigthening effort by the parent company." A local employee who declined to identified told the Daily Journal then that the Franklin closing was due to "too much overhead." The Santa Barbara-based firm, which has come under fire in many parts of the country for its allegedly racist name and in Southern California for charges of rodent-infested kitchens, will continue to operate 667 restaurants in 46 states.

Some of the restaurants in the Northeast are called "No Place Like Sam's." The firm announced earlier this week it had closed 447 restaurants nationwide since Nov. 9, including 27 in California, in an effort to eliminate money-losing operations. The company lost nearly 190 million in the last two years. Company spokesman Arthur Dowd esti- Christmas courthouse lighting With a jolly visitor from the North Pole looking on. crowd of 400 to 500 Franklin resident Dick Tudor, who directs a number of on the north roof i mi iwt area choral groups, leads singers mated that between 9,000 and 10,000 people lost their jobs in the recent shutdowns.

The company has been under fire from civil rights groups that charge the name Sambo perpetuates the allegedly racist overtones of the children's story, "little Black Sambo," about a little black boy who chases tigewfhat turn into butter. Earlier this year, Sambo's was ordered to change the name of its four Rhode Island restaurants on grounds the name indirectly denies access to blacks, some of whom complained they felt unwelcome in a restaurant named Sambo's. Company officials denied the chain was named after the storybook character, saying it was a combination of the names of the chain's founders, Sam Battistone and F. Newell Bohnett. Trading of the company's stock was suspended on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, "because of the prevalence of rumors circulating in the financial community" about a possible bankruptcy action, Dowd said.

The stock traded at the time at $1.75 per share. too expensive, she said. Leona Haymaker, Bargersville route one, has set a limit on Die number of Christmas cards her daughters can mail to friends. "I used to let them send as many as they wanted, but I've put a limit on it this year because postage is so high." Althea Christmas, 689 Main White-land, said her holiday season is going to be "quite different" this year. Instead of buying all her gifts she is making quilts, dolls and pillows to give to her relatives.

Even the Christmas' Christmas will be on a low budget in these difficult economic times. Nearly half of all U.S. families will spend less this Christmas than a year vtiiu vu viiwutf ui vw vim uiuuig vmuuuaa ugjltiiig- LUIIICU UI1 IlCJLl up ceremonies at the Johnson County Courthouse. A Inflation. ili-esaMiaa erts assisted an unidentified man who' became ill in a Morgan County liquor store one day before the 1970 fire.

Witnesses said Roberts appeared at the store and said he would take the ailing man to a hospital. Witnesses also said they saw Roberts and the man together on two occasions before the fire and the day of the fire. Anderson said he did not know if the man was Hatcher. Merriment not allowed DALLAS (UPI) A holiday season memo from a local school official warns employees to stop all "congre gating and merriment. "Office congregating and merriment wm not be tolerated in the future," warns the memo from Eddie Washington, assistant superintendent of per sonnel at tne wiimer-riutcmns Independent School District.

The note went to all employees in the school administration building this week. The memo also said "loud talking, laughing, loitering and excessive walking are not mannerisms of true professionals" and should be stopped. Asked to comment on the memo, Washington remained as terse as the tone of his official composition. "It is not my function to tell you why that memo was written," he told a reporter who contacted him at the administration building. Other employees affected by the memo also would not comment.

Washington's boss. School Superin tendent AJvin Brossette said evidently the workers in Washington's personnel office were the tareet of the memo. He said the rule against "excessive walking" was aimed at reduc ing traffic through the personnel office. Retailers too are dropping some prices to attract more business and to lower their inventories which became bloated when consumers slowed down on buying. A survey of several Johnson County retail stores found that many items are priced lower than a year ago.

A microwave oven that sold for $228 last year at Smallwood Appliances, Franklin, can be purchased this year for $198. At Mr. Clarks Appliances, Franklin, a black and white portable television selling for $88 last year can be purchased today for $77. Certainly, many items carry a higher price tag than last year but you can still get some bargains-if you have the money to buy them. dates each, with double albums ranging A competing store, Musicland, isn't feeling the pinch as much, according to manager Mark Youdas.

"We have a lot of multiples of like five and six (records)," he said. "It surprises me too. The kids always have money it seems like." Teens have become much more value conscious in buying clothes, according to Mike Malagon, assistant manager of Jeans West. He said that kids wait for -sales before coming to buy blue jeans at his store. Sheri Settles, manager of Paul Harris, said that girls don't seem to be buying less, but are being much more selective of what they buy.

"It used to be they would come in a buy a new outfit for a date or special event," she said. Now, girls look for garments that can be worn for different occasions and are careful about coordinating what they buy with their other clothes, she said. Saturday Weather A cold weekend is in store for the county. Clearing skies Friday brought the promise of dropping temperatures for today and Sunday. After a sub-30 degree temperature Friday night, today's readings are expected to be in the upper 30s to low 40s.

Winds light westerly tonight. The extended forecast for Monday through Wednesday is seasonably mild through the period with a chance of rain Monday and Tuesday. Lows mostly in the 30s. Highs in the 40s and low 50s. Inside today CAMPUS CALM-Kent State has put the shootings of 1970 in the past, and the ROTC is now active on campus, says Bob Greene's column on page 4.

finding alternatives to By ROB GOEBEL journal Staff Writer Santa may have to carry a bigger load this year as many moms and aads cut back on their Christmas spending. Several area residents interviewed recently said the troubled economy will cause some changes in Christmas buying habits this year. Kathy Garrison, 917 Sawmill Road, New Whiteland, said she and her husband will not exchange gifts on Christmas day. Instead, they are going to spend their money on gifts for their children. Anna Wade, 317 Wagon Road, Bargers-ville, said her family will cut back on Christmas presents this year.

They used to buy for all the relatives but it just got By BILL HEINEKE Journal Staff Writer It isn't easy being a kid anymore. Gone are the days of cruising the local hamburger joint breezing into the record shop for a few albums or taking a date to dinner and a movie. Anymore, a girl just can't afford to buy a new outfit for a special date; sometimes, she finds that a guy expects her to chip in on an evening out, especially if they have been dating steadily. Teens are singing the blues these days, just like their parents, and for the same reason. Inflation is taking the fun out of being a teenager.

With a sour economy, part-time jobs are few and far between, making money harder to come by; parents, who struggle to make ends meet for the necessities, cant bankroll a teen-age lifestyle like they used to. "It really is a problem," commented Carolyn Moan on inflation and teens. She is a mother of five, three of whom are teenagers. Mrs. Moan works at the watched as a symbolic string of lights of the courthouse were lit during the vft W1V VVUI UlVUub rT bl ill UUA U1K UK evening.

Remaining lights will be sumer buying habits is "they are buying their purchases more meaningful." Hoffman said his company has been able to maintain price levels because some manufacturers have reduced their wholesale prices. Other manufacturers have increased prices but Hoffman said Ayres has absorbed some of that increase to keep prices stable while maintaining the same profit margin as last year. Some wholesalers are dropping prices to remain competitive because consumers have less money to spend. A recent survey indicated household money supplies fell 6.6 percentage points in the last half of October. traditional tivities.

Their second son had to quit a part-time job so he could participate in band; now that the band season is over, he's back beating the pavement, looking for another job. When the kids do have jobs, according to Mrs. Moan, they are responsible for putting gasoline in the car, buying clothes and paying for dates. Jastraub said that his boss at Woolco has been very good to him about scheduling hours around Center Grove's swim team schedule. He couldn't work during football season, and began working when the season ended.

Merchants have noticed that kids aren't buying clothes and records like they used to, according to a survey of businesses in Greenwood Park Mall. Jeff Ehlert, assistant manager of Listening Booth, said that instead of buying several albums at a time, teens come in for one particular record and that's it "Nothing else in the store interests them," be said. Albums retail for -about the doctor and face financial and personal problems often develop stress-related problems quicker than those who work. Active people tend to work through their problems, or have ways of solving particular situations, he said. Records said he tries to "help people list things that are causing them to worry, and find ways of dealing with those problems the patient can solve.

But often a patient will not have control of a particular situation, he said, so he tries to "let the patient know he's not in a posuon to solve that prooiem." i Another way of dealing with stress is to stay active, even if you are out of work, Records said. He said he sometimes recommends that his able-bodied patients chop wood to stay active, exercise a bit, and, perhaps, make a little money doing odd jobs to help them deal with stress caused by finances. from nine Franklin ceremony Friday cents per pound cheaper this Also cheaper are their dinner rolls, pumpkin pies and potatoes. Most everything you need for a holiday feast is cheaper now than a year ago. Gene Crouch, manager of the Preston-Safeway store said, "food right now is really a good items have gone down in price and others have gone up but it has balanced out to keep prices stable." Many gift and clothing items are also less expensive than a year ago.

Jeff Hoffman, manager of the L.S. Ayres store at the Greenwood Park Mall, said most of the gift and clothing items in his store cost the same as last year. The only change he has seen In con "I don't know how kids make it without a job," he said. Nights out with his friends have been reduced to trips to Greenwood Park Mall or local fast food restaurants. "It's too expensive to go anywhere," he complained.

Attitudes about working part-time jobs vary from family to family. The Trovers don't want their daughter to work other than baby-sitting because it would take time away from school and school activities. Cathy is a class officer, runs track and is a member of the cross-country team. Mrs. Troyer explained that she and her husband much prefer Cathy devote her free hours to school activities than a part-time job.

"After all, you're only a kid once," she said. The Moans share the same attitude, according to Mrs. Moan. They don't want their children to be working if it would interfere with extra-curricular school ac A drop in the economy also can present different types of health problems, according to the physicians. $ne serious" problem Records sees among his elderly patients is depression stemming from tight money and the holiday season.

Some elderly patients have become so depressed that they have stopped taking prescribed medication and other, healthcare precautions and going to the doctor, he said. "The older people are simply not coming in period," be said. "It's sad, because they are jeopardizing their health." He. said a person who stops taking necessary meaicauon runs a risk of suffering a disabling injury or illness, which could lead the person to further depression. A sour spot in the economy, especially unemployment, can also bring stress, according to the physicians.

Weber said people who are out of work ago, according to i national survey conducted by Sindlinger based in Media, Pa. The survey blames high costs of food, energy and transportation for the lack of Christmas cash. While it is true you are paying more this year for home energy due to recent utility rate hikes, and paying more for gasoline about 14 cents more per gallon than a year ago-the cost of food, clothing and gift items have remained stable and in some cases prices are lower this year in Johnson County. Last year at the Preston-Safeway store in New Whiteland you could buy a Butterball turkey for 97 cents per pound. This year the same bird costs 89 cents per pound.

Ham at the same store is 10 parents, Jim and Kay, open their house after basketballeames for them to come over and talk ana socialize. "There's been as many as 50 or 60 kids over here," Mrs. Troyer said. If the kids want refreshments, they have to bring their own, she said, and smoking or drinking is not tolerated. Mrs.

Troyer doesn't mind having the kids in her house because it gives her peace of mind to know that they aren't out driving around. Dave Jastraub, another 16-year-old junior at Center Grove, said he had one date over the cummer and can't remember the last time he purchased an album. "It's killing them," Jastraub said about the effects of inflation on teenagers. "We used to go to movies a lot, but at $4 a show we can't go to many of those," he said. Jastraub works part-time at the shoe department in Woolco department store.

He said that his parents require him to provide his own spending money" and he is saving for a car, which eats up most of his earnings. think it's great It makes the person use his mind a little bit." All of the doctors agreed a slight drop in the number of patients coming to their offices would not have a great effect on their finances. The doctors also agreed they will see patients regardless of the person's financial situation. Dr. George Brown of Greenwood added that, regardless of finances, people will go to their doctor when they are ill.

"I don't think it makes a difference when they're really sick," he said. Atkins suggested that a person keep a record of his temperature during a minor illness. A person's temperature will vary during the day, be said, but if a person has a fever of two degrees in the evening, he probably should call a doctor. He recommended that people with chronic health problems, such as heart disease, elderly people and infants probably should be seen by a doctor for any illness. patients skipping trips to Greenwood Police Department, and her husband, Fred, is a truck driver.

"Date money at our house is really tough," she said. Her oldest son, a freshman at Indiana State University, has been dating the same girl steadily, and his girlfriend chips in to cover date costs, Mrs. Moan noted. Her second son, who plays the field more than his older brother, will take a girl out for a Coke because of the high cost of movies and restaurants. "I hadn't heard of a Coke date in years," she said witn a laugn.

Cathy Troyer, a 16-year-old junior at Center Grove high school, said there is much less casual dating these days because of costs. To take a girl out for a movie and a pizza afterward, along with the cost of gasoline, can cost a guy between $15 and $20, she reported. "When a guy calls you for a date, you know he's serious about you," she said. To give kids a place to go where they don't have to spend money, Cathy it allows them to spend more time with who are seriously ill or need a "pep talk" from their physician about individual health problems, "People are taking some of the health care responsibility on their shoulders," said Dr. John Records, also of Franklin.

Records said his patients in general are not over-reacting to minor illnesses as often recently, partly because some people are "short on money. One of his "pet peeves," he said, is when a person calls him wondering if he should see a doctor about a usually-minor illness or Injury. Most of the time the person knows the doctor cannot cure the problem but wants "instant relief," or is simply curious about what is ailing him, Records said. Dr. Steve Atkins of Greenwood said, "A lot of people are being a little bit more selective," about when they should see their doctors.

"Most people exercise pretty good judgment," he added. "I By MIKE LEWIS Journal Staff Writer Some Johnson County physicians say they are seeing fewer patients these days ind they say that may be because of nflation and rising unemployment That's not to say that people don't get sick in bad economic times, but the )hysicians said some people would rather weather minor illnesses at home than go the doctor and pay for an office call. "People aren't going to the doctor as nuch for the minor things, but for the najor things, they're still coming," said )r. Steve Weber of Franklin. Weber said the economic situation is specially hurting young people.

"I don't really see the older people utting back. I see the young people utting back, and that's good to some itent," he said. Weber and several other Johnson Jounty doctors said the slight decline in ieir numbers of patients is good because.