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Newspaper
Berkshire Eagle
Location
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, United States of America
Date
Aug 26, 1969
Page
8
The Bethabire Eagle is published every day except Sunday and holidays by Eagle Publishing Company in Pittsfield Massachusetts.
A long overdue revamping of South Vietnam's government begins with President Thieu dumping Premier Huong and naming Gen Tran Thien Khiem as premier. The move signals a hardened Saigon line, realigning power toward the military and reducing optimism for domestic reform or quick peace talks with the Viet Cong.
Massachusetts lawmakers closed 1969 with a generally productive session under Democratic control and a Republican governor. They avoided major civil service reform fights, faced zoning and snob zoning limits, approved about 116 million dollars in new tax revenues, reorganized executive agencies into a nine member cabinet by 1971, overhauled the Youth Service Board, authorized 50 million dollars for the Boston UMass campus, and enacted student trustees for the university to stave off unrest. Overall a solid year worth a B to B-plus.
Reported items include a Park Square curfew protest and housing concerns as well as Judy Hansoon and Berkshire teammates earning four Special Olympics medals in Boston. The piece also notes local reactions to symbols, a mayoral campaign angle, and Jeanne Conroy winning a ladies trapshooting title.
Thomas J. Whalen, Pittsfield's new superintendent, argues for reorganizing and expanding early childhood education. He cites Starvard and Head Start findings to support expanding programs to foster creativity, self discipline, and curiosity, and to rethink learning structures and teacher deployment.
Mrs Frederick S Coolidge offered the $1,000 prize for best sonata for viola and piano. Ernest Bloch of New York won among 75 manuscripts with six eliminated. The winning piece will be performed Sept 27 in the festival finale. Honorable mention went to Miss Rebecca Clarke, English violinist.
Aug 1942 disaster near Garnet Peak in Peru featured a Army transport crash that killed 19 aboard and left three survivors. Local rescues by Lee and villagers, long two mile trail through woods, and 15 hours of work saved the survivors. Memorials and annual observances still noted. Also railroad enthusiasts plan a Nutmeg State Jaunt from Boston Sept 13 with two-state route and last chance ride. Jacob Barimon noted as first Jewish immigrant to America landing at New Amsterdam on Aug 22, 1654.
Readers weigh Bethel Woodstock energy with youth culture and elder sports upheaval, condemn bus contracts and advocate back to land policies. Letters criticize Brandeis and Vietnam stance, urge farm reallocation, and debate sex education tone in schools. Authors include Frederick Rudolph, Richard Jennings, Elizabeth Robie, Richard Lenzl, and Russell Willcox.
Mrs Joan Colla of Elm Street Pittsfield writes to The Eagle proposing discount postage for packages mailed to servicemen in Vietnam. She recounts sending home baked cookies and treats that were costly to mail, urges government support, and asks Congress to allow lower rates to help families sustain morale.
Minnesota Fats, famed pool hall legend, dismisses a $80 to $1,000 exhibition offer, saying he will not hustle for such a petty sum and prefers to participate in championships as quoted in the source.
In Washington Secretary of State William P. Rogers contrasts with Dean Rusk as President Nixon weighs lessons from 1968. Rogers moves slowly, avoids press frictions, and signals cautious peace talks while Defense Secretary Melvin Laird faces scrutiny, announces up to 3 billion in cuts, and grapples with a hawkish Pentagon posture amid Vietnam questions.
A moving van leaves a young wife amid boxes and a screaming baby. A five year old slams her head through the front window, adding frightened, uninjured child and glass. She leaves a sarcastic message for her husband to call after noting insurance covers it. He calls back.
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