The Dispatch from Moline, Illinois • 12

Jan. 20, 1985 THE SUNDAY DISPATCH, Moline, Illinois 'Talking books 9 speak to those who can 9t read 3 0 5i y( II 1 if IMI One of 12 contestants for Miss Blackhawk by Gerry Marr, Moline. Other contestants pic-' Valley Pageant, Amber Ording of East Moline, tured are Charla Hollo well, Hillsdale, and Jane enters Saturday night's Tiara Ball accompanied Leihsing, Sherrard, far right. By JERRY FALLSTROM Dltpitcti wrlttr Clifford Brown's eyesight Is so poor he can no longer read, but he isn't shut of from the world of words. The 83-year-old Ottawa, Canada, native has "read" dozens of books in the past year since discovering the River Bend Library System's free "talking books" "I had one of James Michener's books 22 sides on 11 records.

That took me about a week," said Brown, a resident of Elderland Heights, 3031 9th Rock Island. Though the first talking book was recorded in 1934, many people who cannot read still do not know about the program, said Dee Canfield, talking books librarian. Canfield estimated there are 375 people using talking books, which in the area covered by the Coal Valley-based River Bend system Rock Island County and parts of Henry, Bureau and Whiteside counties. Some 2,000 are circulated monthly. That's almost seven times as many as when Canfield first started at River Bend in 1976.

Even so, that figure represents about 10 percent of the population who cannot read, Canfield estimated. "So there's a lot more people that could use the said. Brown, whose favorites are westerns and spy novels, said those people don't know what they're missing. He spends about five or six hours a day listening to the 8to-revolutions-a-minute records and to the four-sided cassettes. Canfield River Bend has about 40,000 talking books, including five copies of every bestseller, plus 70 popular magazines such as Readers Digest, Good Housekeeping and Newsweek.

"It's a library at their door, because all the materials are mailed to them and then are mailed back postage free," said Canfield. Records, cassettes and equipment to play them on are provided by the U.S. Library of Congress, and are loaned to patrons free. The state picks up the administrative costs of the program. People interested in the pror gram can call Canfield at 799-3155.

Brown says there are pros and cons to both systems. "I like the sound of the records better than the cassettes, but I like the cassettes better because Gillespie flmf 9 Dispatch photo by Horry Lomon Clifford Brown, a resident of Elderland Heights, Rock Island, shows the special cassette tape player he uses to listen to the 'talking books' he receives from the River Bend Library System. ment In my hpmetown." Now Brown's working on the massive collection at River Bend. "I'd like to have the Bible on cassette, but that would be a big project," he told Canfield. To his surprise, Canfield responded, "We have it.

I'll send it to you." you can speed it up and get to the solution of the story," he said. "It's a little bit slower than reading a book, unless you're a slow reader. I was a fast reader. I've read everything under the sun since I was first able to read, when I was 5 years old. By the time I was 10, 1 had read everything in the children's depart Seated from left are Rhonda Green, Coal Valley, and Kelli Swanson Andalusia.

Drifting snow on roads prevented contestant Chert Nelson of Viola from attending. Pageant Chairman Jan Tapscott, far left, chats with four Miss Blackhawk Valley Pageant contestants on the night they were publicly introduced. Standing from left are Mary Nesseler, Rock Island, and Kathy Gravitt, Coal Valley. a off pv (Continued from page 1 tends to act quickly to accept a bid. The company's investment banker.

First Boston Corp. of New York, is advising the board in the sale. The announced sale of the Register and its holdings came as a surprise to some. "Kruidenier wanted to keep the paper in the family," a former employee said. "He was like a man with his finger in the hole in the dike.

When this bid (Gartner and Gerlach's) came along, it broke the dike." Gartner and Gerlach were placed on paid leaves of absence following announcement of their takeover bid. At a Dec. 10 press conference, Kruidenier said a survey of stockholders confirmed a desire to see the Des Moines paper go to a "high quality newspaper company, which would respect and maintain the journalistic standards of the Des Moines Register." In addition to the New York Times and Dow Jones which publishes the Wall Street Journal, where Gartner was formerly employed as page 1 editor other companies expressing interest in WQAD and other Register properties include: the Tribune Co. of Chicago; the News-Press Gazette Co. of St.

Joseph, the Gannett newspaper chain; Hearst Corp. of New York; Cox Enterprises of Atlanta; the Washington Post Co. and others. The company will also consider a possible revised Dow Jones bid. The Register purchased WQAD for about $10 million in 1977.

Gillespie said no firm price tag has been placed on the station, which may be sold alone or as part of a package with other Register properties. "There is no asking price," Gillespie said. "They (the board) asked for bids. I don't know of the bid from Dow Jones, how much of it was for the station." Gillespie said TV stations' values were determined by a number of intangibles that were impossible to correlate objectively With dollars. "If we were a manufacturer, we'd determine worth by looking at inventory.

We have no inventory. Like newspapers, a TV station's inventory is You buy people and an ability to perform." Gillespie had no figures to release on WQAD's income. "We've been very successful and very profitable," he said. "The televison station has exceeded industry standards for profits." Gillespie predicts few, if any, changes after the sale. "You don't usually try to fix what's not broken," he "The viewers will not notice any significant difference once the owner changes.

We will continue to be an ABC affiliate. It will be business as We haven't made any significant changes (pending the sale). We've been going right ahead with business as usual." Like many other companies, the Register has seen tightening revenues in recent years. In 1982, 'the Des Moines Register's afternoon sister paper, the Tribue, was closed, and the company posted its first loss in 75 years. Since then, the financial outlook has improved, with a net income of $5.2 million in 1983 and $6 million through the first three quarters in fiscal 1984.

The company's Des Moines flagship newspaper has a circulation of 240,000 and is the last state-wide daily paper in the country. Four Miss Blackhawk Valley Pageant con- Johnson, Moline, Candice Quigle, Moline, testants confer during a ball Saturday night in Rochelle Le Blanc, East Moline, and Diane Rock Island. From left are, Nancy Cecelia DeBlock, Moline. Bettendorf man wins com en sa tion tor firing Ladies' Winter Holiday Sportswear MUELLER BAHNSEN LUMBER COMPANY FREE CLINIC Juniors1 Misses1 Queen's College Town Devon Tom Bov Lady Devon Mr. Russ Lady Koret I By JERRY FALLSTROM Dlapotch writer A federal jury Saturday awarded $440,000 to a Bettendorf man who Claimed he was fired from his job at j.I.

Case Bettendorf, because he is black. The eight-person, all-white Jury relumed the Judgment against Case after deliberating for three hours late Friday and early Saturday in the lawsuit brought by Jimmie Wilmington, said John Lowery, investigator for the Rock Island law firm Braud, Warner, Neppl Westensee which represented Wilmington. Case officials could not be reached for comment on the award or whether it will be aDDealed. Koret Russ Russ Petites Levi Blouses His firing was based on a single alleged incident, Lowery said. Wilmington's attorneys, Walter Braud and Roxy Schuman, claimed he was fired because of race discrimination.

The testimony of a statistical expert called by Braud and Schuman was a crucial factor in proving the case against Case, Lowery said. Wilmington had worked at Case's Bettendorf plant for nine years. The suit was tried last week In U.S. District Court, Davenport. Lowery.

said the judgment may be the largest in the southern district of Iowa. Braud also represented Palmer Ramsey Rock Island, who was awarded $275,000 from American Air Filter Co. Moline, In another racial discrimination suit. Ramsey calimed he was laid off from the firm because he was black. Qcean Pacific Byer Ski Sport WflrF mm Boys' and Girls' Winter Holiday Wear 3 months to 14 years Wilmington, 47, was fired from his job as a production welder in 1981 for allegedly falsifying productivity records, Lowery said.

Case officials claimed Wilmington had welded 100 post supports for tractor cabs but alleged he changed records to show he welded 200. He was being paid on a base and incentive basis. It Pavs Health texjJ i Kidswaar To Advertise In The Dispatch and MetroEast 'ESPECIALLY FOR THE "DO-IT-YOURSELFER" Step by Step Instruction from Measuring, Layout and Planning to the actual installation. SATURDAY, JAN. 26th 10:00 AM 12:00 Noon TO MAKE RESERVATION FOR OUR FREE O.HC PHONE 764-8365 MUELLIR-BAHNSEN LUMBER CO.

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