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January,  1961 


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MAR  9    '62 


director 
:harles  a.  collier 


PREPARED  AND  EDITED  BY 


BARBARA  J,  RANKIN  —  RECREATION  DIRECTOR 


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As  the  New  Year  approaches,  let  us  review  our 
objectives  and  purposes  for  operating  state 
parks  so  that  we  can  plan  for  the  year  with 
renewed  vigor  and  a  definite  criteria. 

1.  Areas  in  the  state  park  system  should  be 
of  statewide  interest  and  not  local  signifi- 
cance. 

2.  They  should  possess  outstanding  quality  of 
landscape  or  features  of  special  significance 
that  make  their  preservation  a  matter  of  state- 
wide concern. 

3.  State  parks  should  provide  recreational  use 
of  natural  resources,  and  outdoor  recreation  in  natural  surroundings. 

4.  They  should  portray  and  interpret  plant  and  animal  life,  geology, 
and  other  natural  features. 

5.  They  should  protect  and  portray 
historic  and  scientific  sites  of  state- 
wide importance.  They  should  preserve 
and  protect  natural  areas  of  exceptional 
scenic  value,  not  only  for  the  present 
generation,  but  for  generations  to  come  .7 


STEPHEN  COLLINS  POSTER  STATE  PARK 


fephen  Collins  Poster  Park  is  located  on  Jones  Island  about  fifteen 
miles  from  Fargo,  Georgia,  on  the  southwestern  edge  of  the  famous 
Okefenokee  Swamp. 

This  interesting  park  is  a  memorial  to  Stephen  Foster,  whose  melody 
"Old  Folks  at  Home,''  made  the  Suwanee  River  famous  in  song  throughout 
many  sections  of  the  world.  The  Suwanee  River  is  the  principal  out- 
let of  the  Okefenokee  Swamp,  and  the  headwaters  are  very  close  to 
Fargo  and  the  memorial  park. 

Few  people  have  been  able  to  describe  the  beauty  of  this  area,  which 
is  believed  to  have  more  spectacular  natural  scenery  than  any  other 
water,  and  broad  vistas  of  blooming  prairies,  produce  a  veritable 
wonderland.   Water  lilies  and  pitcher  plants  are  there  in  profusion. 
Many  flowers  found  no  other  place  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  bloom 
here  the  year-round.   This  scenery  makes  an  exciting  background  for 
the  many  animals  and  birds  found  in  the  swamp.   Inside  the  park  area 
may  be  found  deer,  bear,  raccoon,  many  alligators,  migratory  water- 
fowl find  a  winter  haven  here,  and  water  birds  such  as  cranes,  egrets, 
and  herons  live  here  the  year-round. 
The  fishermen  will  be  delighted  to  know  about  this  angler's  paradise. 


\   Bass,  bream,  black  crappie,  and  pike  are  caught  in  large  quantities 


the   park  area.   Small  boats 
/aiiable  and  boat  runs  have 
^Cleared  through  the  swamp.   If 
^Eo   into  the  watery  wilderness 
Jh  use   guides  is  essential..  Guides 
^fre  also  available  for  trips  through 
the  swamp.  This  is  an  experience 
which  few  parks  in  the  nation  have 
to  offer  to  its  visitors. 

The   Seminole  Indians  gave  the  swamp 
the  name,  "E-cun-fi -no-can,"  or 
Quivering  Earth."   The  spelling  of 
"Ofekenokee"  has  been  adopted  by 
the  Federal  government,  following 
a  long  period  of  controversy  in 
which  more  than  fifty  forms  were 
used.   The  main  body  of  the  swamp, 
about  330,000  acres,  is  owned  by 
the  United  States  Department  of 
Interior,  and  the  area  where  the 
State  Park  is  located  is  leased 
from  the  federal  government. 

The  !,old  Okefenok,"  as  the  natives 
call  it,  is  believed  to  have  been 
part  of  an  ancient  sea.   It  is 
110  ft.  to  130  ft.  above  present 
sea  level.   The  water  is  in  con- 
stant circulation  as  it  drains 
away  from  a  series  of  ridges  in  the 
canter  of  the  marsh  into  district 
bersheds.  The  principal  outlet, 
the  Suwanne  River,  flows  into  the 
Bulf  of  Mexico  near  Cedar  Keys, 
Florida. 

rhere  are  countless  numbers  of 
islands,  some  floating  isles  that 
have   not  yet  secured  a  firm  grip 
on  the  bottom.   Stephen  Foster  Park 
is  ne?.r  the  famous  Billy's  Island 
which  was  a  final  stronghold  of  the 
Seminoles  and  later  as  the  site  of 
Port  Walker. 

Stephen  Foster  Park  has  six  over- 
night cabins  with  one  double  deck 
bed  and  one  single  bed.  Each  has 
nodern  bathroom  facilities. 
Located  also  in  the  park  is  a  large 
bunk  house  with  thirteen  double  deck 
beds  and  three  single  beds.   There 
Ls  a  cafe  and  concession  building 
//here  meals  are  served  three  times 
daily.   For  the  people  who  like  to 
200k  out,  there  is  a  very  good 


picnic  area. 

Stephen  Foster  is  reached  by  U.S.  84 
and  State  Highway  89. 


****** 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  CALENDAR 

The  calendar  as  we  use  it  today  was 
devised  in  1582,  more  than  350  years 
ago,  by  Pope  Gregory  XIII,  and  is 
known  as  the  Gregorian  Calendar. 
The  Pope  perfected  a  calendar  worked 
out  before  the  birth  of  Christ  by 
Julius  Caesar  in  46  B.C. 

The  Julian  Calendar,  as  Ceasar's 
system  was  called,  counted  12  months 
in  a  year  of  365  days .  He  added  an 
extra  day  every  fourth  year,  making 
a  leap  year  with  366  days.   Actually 
there  are  5  hours,  49  minutes,  and 
12  seconds  left  over  from  the  365 
days  which  make  up  our  year,  and 
that  time  amounts  to  about  a  day 
in  four  years . 

The  Gregorian  Calendar  provided  that, 
beginning  in  1600,  the  hundredth 
years,  excepting  those  divisible  by 
400,  should  not  be  observed  as  leap 
years . 

Long  before  either  Pope  Gregory  or 
Julius  Caesar  was  born,  people  of 
ancient  races  had  developed  calendars 
of  their  own.  The  Syrians,  Greeks, 
Hebrews,  and  Chinese  all  had  calendar 
systems  and  the  ancient  Egyptians  had 
a  plan  of  measuring  time  very  much 
like  ours  of  today. 

****** 
HOW  JANUARY  GOT  ITS  NAME 

January  was  named  by  the  early  Romans 
for  one  of  their  most  honored  gods, 
the  god  Janus.   This  deity  was  pic- 
tured with  two  faces,  one  looking 
into  the  future,  the  other  back  into 
the  past.   As  the  god  of  all  begin- 
nings, he  guarded  gateways  and  en- 
trances and  gave  his  name  to  the 
opening  month  of  the  year. 


Ton  starts  park  development 

w*nor   Ernest  Vandiver  (Wednesday, 
rJember  28)  turned  a  spade  of  earth 
..ilch  officially  launched  the  devel- 
opment of  Stone  Mountain  Memorial 
Park. 

The  park  slated  to  cost  more  than 
11,000,000,  will  be  one  of  the 
rg^zt   and  most  complete  recre- 
ation and  tourist  attractions  in 
the  state,  according  to  Matt  L. 
McWhorter,  who  is  chairman:  of  the 
Stone  Mountain  Memorial  Association. 

The  brief  ceremonies  were  held  at 
2:00  p.nuat  the  dam  site,  south- 
east of  the  mountain.   The  ground- 
breaking began  construction  of  the 
ir.2.in  dam  in  the  recreation  area, 
en   oarthen  giant  which  will  hold  a 
6  acre  recreation  lake.   The 
ructure  will  be  64  feet  high  and 
1,175  feet  long,  with  a  30  foot 

top  upon  which  a  two -land 
pr.vcd  road  will  cross.   The  road 

j    =t  part  of  a  scenic  highway, 
no?/  under  construction,  which  will 
rele  the  3,000  acre  park.   The 
11  cost  an  estimated  $3,000 

duled  to  be  completed  in 
10      Lng  days.   It  will  impound 

tin  creek  to  provide  a  lake 
^o  :e  five  Tiles  in  length.   Plains 
ca?.I  for  the  lake  to  feature  a 
do     and  b 3 aches,  a  marina,  and 
fishing  dock,  and  various  amuse- 

-^actions,  including  an  old- 
Micsissippi  river  type 
C"  t. 

SCRSATI0N  AND  CLEAN  WATER 

One  of  the  great  social  changes  of 
cur  time  is  the  emergence  of  outdoor 
recreatiorij  no  longer  a  luxury,  as 
a  mcjor  feature  of  American  living. 
This  has  come  about  in  the  post- 
war era  because  of  increased  in- 
coiv.e,  better  transportation,  and 
above  all  the  increase  in  leisure 

:!e  possible  by  the  five-day 
wc    sek. 

3ult  of  these  trends,  plus 
rapid  population  growth  and  the 
crowding  of  people  into  metropoli- 
tan c: inters,  more  people  are  spend- 


ing more  time  outdoors  doing  more 
things  for  the  fun  of  doing  them 
than  ever  before  in  the  history  of 
this  or  any  other  country. 

Most  people  find  water  important 
in  their  recreation.   That  is  why 
much  of  the  recreational  activity 
of  the  American  people  today,  per- 
haps the  largest  segment  of  it,  is 
associated  in  one  way  or  another 
with  the  water  areas  of  the  United 
States.   The  country's  outdoor 
recreation  plant  is  built  on  or 
around  the  shores  of  the  country's 
watercourses . 

Fish,  Wildlife  Areas  Shrinking 

Pollution  drives  people  away  from 
the  water  and  fish  and  wildlife  as 
well.   According  to  the  U.  S.  Pish 
and  Wildlife  Service,  the  area  of 
fish  and  wildlife  habitat  rendered 
unproductive  each  year  by  pollution 
is  greater  than  that  created  by 
public  agencies  carrying  out  pro- 
grams of  fish  and  wildlife  restor- 
ation. 

Why  are  the  country's  watercourses 
becoming  poluted  so  rapidly?  There 
is  a  complex  of  reasons.   Since 
World  War  II  the  population  of  the 
United  States  has  increased  and 
more  people  mean  more  wastes  to  be 
disposed  of.   People  are  moving 
from  farms  to  cities  and  suburbs, 
and  the  problem  of  waste  disposal 
becomes  much  more  difficult  to  deal 
with  in  thickly  settled  communities 
than  in  sparsely  populated  rural 
areas . 

Industrial  production  is  expanding 
rapidly,  and  so  the  volume  of  in- 
dustrial wastes  is  growing  too. 
The  character  of  agriculture  is 
changing,  and  the  changes  are  such 
that  farms  now  have  more  serious 
waste  disposal  problems  than  they 
once  did. 

Waste  Discharges  frcm  Boats 

The  vast  increase  in  boating  and 
other  water-oriented  recreation  in 
recent  years  has  in  itself  caused 
increased  pollution.   Waste  dis- 


>s  from  boats  are  becoming  an 
fasingly  serious  pollution 
irce.     In  addition,  exhausts  and 
-/uels  discharged  into  water  from 
engines  are  damaging  to  water 
supplies  and  to  fish.   The  Public 
Health  Service  has  undertaken  a 
research  project  to  evaluate  more 
precisely  the  effects  of  motorboat 
engine  waste . 

Over-all  water  demand  has  increas- 
ed enormously  as  living  standards 
have  risen.   We  now  use  over  300 
billion  gallons  a  day--twice  as 
much  as  we  did  20  years  ago.   And 
finally,  construction  of  waste 
treatment  facilities  has  not  kept 
pace  with  the  rising  volume  of 
pollution. 

Despite  all  this,  the  need  for 
clean  water  for  recreation  contin- 
ues to  mount.   It  has  been  said 
that  the  country  is  now  in  the 
grip  of  "aquamania."   Thirty 
million  Americans  are  leisure  time 
fishermen.   Six  million  are  water 
skiers .   The  number  of  pleasure 
craft  jumped  from  2.4  million  in 
1947  to  nearly  8  million  today. 
Some  75 > 000  swimming  pools  are  now 
being  built  every  year.  Many  of 
these,  of  course, are  community 
pools,  constructed  because  of  the 
pollution  of  nearby  natural  water 
areas . 

These  figures  are  impressive.   But 
they  do  not  take  account  of  the 
uncounted  millions  of  Americans-- 
most  of  the  entire  population-- 
who  enjoy  picnicking,  swimming, 
beachcombing,  birdwatching,  or 
otherwise  relaxing  and  enjoying  the 
esthetic  pleasures  along  or  on  the 
water  on  weekends,  vacations,  or 
in  their  spare  time. 

There  is  already  a  shortage  of 
water-oriented  parks  and  recre- 
ation areas,  local,  state,  and 
cities  have  a  total  of  only 
750,000  acres  in  parks  close 
enough  to  be  used  after  work  or 
school,  as  against  an  estimated 
present  need  of  2  million  acres. 


A  similar  disparity  between  present 
demand  and  supply  exists  in  the 
case  of  recreation  areas,  mainly 
state  parks,  v/hich  are  within  a 
couple  of  hours  of  travel  time  from 
population  centers  and  can  be  used 
for  all  day  or  weekend  outings. 

How  To  Make  More  Play  Areas. 

Aggressive  efforts  to  control  water 
pollution  in  many  urban  areas  are 
the  only  economical  way  of  increas- 
ing play  areas .  By  making  water 
acreage  available  for  water  sports 
and  by  making  river,  lake  and  ocean 
beaches  suitable  for  play,  a  city 
or  state  park  system  can  increase 
materially  its  total  recreation 
facilities  where  acquisition  of 
already  developed  land  would  be 
impossible. 

The  average  work  week  has  dropped 
from  70  hours  in  the  last  century. 
Further  decreases  are  in  prospect 
as  industry  becomes  more  efficient 
and  we  rely  more  and  more  on 
machinery  to  do  our  work.   It  is 
predicted  that  within  a  generation 
the  work  week  will  be  32  hours, 
and  this  may  be  conservative.   (One 
estimate  suggests  that,  if  the  rate 
of  technological  progress  since 
1850  is  projected  to  the  year  2000, 
the  United  States  could  produce  as 
much  in  one  seven-hour  day  as  is 
now  produced  in  a  40-hour  week.) 
Longer  vacations  are  also  in  pros- 
pect. 

More  Play  Space  for  the  Future 

With  more  leisure,  prospective  gains 
in  both  population  and  individual 
incomes,  and  further  increases  in 
urbanization  and  mobility,  the  de- 
mand for  suitable  recreational  sites 
will  continue  to  grow  in  the  years 
ahead.  Resources  for  the  Future 
believes  that  within  the  next  40 
years  the  total  demand  for  out- 
door recreation  will  be  something 
like  10  times  what  it  is  now. 

If  the  water-based  recreation  plan 
of  the  United  States  is  inadequate 


J?  CO 

to 


present  needs,  the  grow- 
£mands  of  the  future  cannot 
fn^t  without  aggressive  action 
clean  up  the  Nation's  water- 
courses while  it  is  still  possible 
to  do  so.   Failure  to  do  this  will 
rob  the  American  people,  future 
generations  particularly,  of  a 
priceless  heritage. 

****** 

TO  ALL  CABIN  AND  GROUP  CAMP 
SUPERINTENDENTS 

IP  YOU  HAVE  NOT  SENT  IN  YOUR  COM- 
PLETE LIST  OF  NECESSARY  SUPPLIES 
FOR  THE  OPENING  OF  GROUP  CAMPS  AND 
COTTAGES  THIS  SPRING,  PLEASE  DO  SO 
AS  SOON  AS  POSSIBLE.   SEND  THESE  TO 
MISS  BARBARA  RANKIN  OF  THE  GENERAL 
OFFICE. 

****** 

THE  PARK  VIEWS  WILL  ONLY  BE  AS  GOOD 
AS  YOU  MAKE  IT.   WE  NEED  THE  NEWS 
FROM  THE  DIFFERENT  PARKS  TO  MAKE 
THIS  PUBLICATION  INTERESTING  AND 
OF  VALUE. 

****** 

PARK  NEWS 

CROOKED  RIVER--Work  has  been  com- 
pleted on  the'installation  of  the 
asphalt  floor  tile  in  ten  of  the 
cottages  at  Crooked  River.   With 
the  new  equipment  and  curtains 
furnished  last  year,  theee  cottages 
are  now  very  attractive  and  usable 
for  our  visitors. 

MAGNOLIA  SPRING- -On  Thursday, 
December  22  a  group  of  distinguish- 
ed people  had  lunch  at  the  park. 
The  group  was  headed  by  Lt . 
Governor,  Garland  Byrd  and  his 
son,  Buster.   The  occasion  was 
put  on  by  the  local  sportsmen,  and 
in  attendance  was  the  commanding 
general  of  Fort  Gordon. 

****** 
THE  STORY  OF  SNOW 
Sometimes  the  atmosphere  above  us 


is  such  that  the  moisture  in  the 
air  condenses  and  forms  raindrops. 
If  the  temperature  is  below  the 
freezing  point,  32  degrees  Fahren- 
heit, snowdrops  are  formed  instead. 

Snow  protects  the  earth  beneath  it 
from  the  bitter  cold  of  winter,  so 
that  the  earth  is  often  warmer 
than  the  surface  of  the  snow.   The 
more  snow  in  winter,  the  greener 
the  grass  in  spring. 

Snow  is  made  of  many  lovely  little 
crystals,  all  six-sided  and  ar- 
ranged with  remarkable  regularity. 

****** 

WINTER  BIRDS 

Do  you  know  of  the  birds  which  can't 
fly  but  can  swim?   They  are  the 
penguins,  with  their  black  cutaway 
coats  and  stiff  white  bosoms.   With 
one  exception,  all  of  the  twenty 
kinds  of  penguins  are  found  in  the 
cold  regions  of  the  Antarctic.  The 
little  Galapagos  Penguins  live  on 
islands  off  the  coast  of  Ecuador. 

Penguins  have  tiny,  oar-llke  wings, 
which  are  usless  for  flying,  but 
are  very  efficient  aids  in  swimming. 
They  live  almost  entirely  on  fish. 
Some  penguins  nest  in  burrows  of 
ground.   Others  carry  their  eggs 
or  babies  on  their  feet,  protected 
by  feathers . 

****** 

CENTENNIAL  CALANDAR  HIGHLIGHTS  FOR 
JANUARY,  1961 

3rd  -  Georgia  State  Troops  seized 
Forts  Pulaski  and  Jackson.   Dela- 
ware refected  a  resolution  for 
secession. 

9th  -  Mississippi  seceded  from  the 
Union.   S.C.  shore  batteries  re- 
pulsed "The  Star  of  the  West.   It 
returned  to  New  York. 

10th  -  Florida  seceded.   Citizens 
of  Wilmington  seized  Fort  Caswell, 
N.  C.  Louisiana  State  Troops  seized 
Baton  Rouge  Arsenal. 


^Slabama  seceded.   Governor 
£s  of  S.C.    demanded  the  sur- 
fer of  Fort  Sumter. 

rl2th   -  Representatives  of  Missi- 
ssippi withdrew  from  the  U.S. 
House  of  Representatives . 

19th  -  Georgia  seceded.   The  Virginia 
Legislature  passed  a  resolution  cal- 
ling for  a  Peace  Congress  in  Wash- 
ington.  Robert  E.  Lee  was  54  years 
old. 

21st  -  Jefferson  Davis  made  fare- 
well speech  as  he  retired  from 
the  U.  S.  Senate.   Florida  and 
Alabama  Senators  and  Representa- 
tives also  withdrew. 

23rd  -  Robert  Toombs  of  Georgia 
made  farewell  speech  to  U.  S. 
Senate  as  he  withdrew. 

24th  -  Georgia  State  Troops  seized 
Augusta  Arsenal. 

20th  -  Iverson  of  Georgia  withdrew 
from  the  U.  S.  Senate. 

****** 

The  first  president  of  the  United 
States,  George  Washington,  was 
inaugurated  on  April  30,  1789, 
but  Congress  changed  the  inaugu- 
ration date  to  March  4  in  the  12th 
Amendment  to  our  Constitution,  put 
into  effect  in  l804.   March  4  it  : 
remained  until  Congress  changed  it 
again  in  the  20th  Amendment,  in 
effect  since  February  6,  1933. 
This  Amendment  made  January  20 
inauguration  day. 

When  a  president  of  the  United 
States  is  inaugurated  this  is  the 
oath  he  takes:   "I  do  solemnly 
swear  that  I  will  faithfully  exe- 
cute the  office  of  president  of 
ie  United  States,  and  will,  to 
e  best  of  my  ability,  preserve , 
protect,  and  defend  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States." 

****** 


m 


RECREATION 

Recreation  experiences  are  an  im- 
portant social  and  economic  part  of 
contemporary  American  life.  This 
fact  is  recognized  by  many  indivi- 
duals and  organizations  who  hold 
that  providing  adequate  recreation 
opportunities  for  all  is  an  impor- 
tant public  responsibility.   In 
support  of  this  attitude  are  an 
increasing  number  of  local,  region- 
al, and  national  agencies  which 
provide  some  recreation  services. 

The  place  of  leisure  activities  in 
American  life  has  expanded  tremen- 
dously since  1900.   A  study  of  these 
trends  provides  some  clues  to  what 
may  be  expected  in  future  years. 
At  the  turn  of  the  century  working 
conditions  were  inhuman  by  present 
standards .   A  60  hour  work  week 
paying  $4.00  to  $5.00  was  common 
and  child  labor  was  widespread. 
Families  lived  in  crowded  and 
dilapadated  homes  and  apartments 
and  were  unable  to  escape,  even 
momentarily,  from  this  grim  environ- 
ment. 

By  contrast,  today's  average  American 
family  of  two  or  three  children  en- 
joys the  mobility  of  one  or  more 
automobiles,  and  lives  in  a  modern 
suburban  single  family  home.   An 
average  weekly  income  of  $100  to 
$150  for  about  forty  hours  of  fair- 
ly interesting  work  in  a  pleasant 
and  safe  environment  is  rnanced 
by  paid  vacations  and  many  other 
benefits.   This  comparison  of  the 
relatively  recent  past  and  the 
present  gives  some  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  change  that  may  be 
expected  in  the  next  25  to  50 
years.   The  fact  that  these  rapid 
and  revolutionary  social,  economic, 
and  physical  changes  in  American 
society  have  evolved  through  ex- 
perimentation within  the  existing 
political  framework  supports  the 
confidence  that  solutions  to  the 
increasing  problems  of  mass  leisure 
will  be  found. 


perts   predict  that  the  four 
,#  week  is  a  near  reality. 
ith  or   six  weeks  of  paid  vaca- 
3  may  soon  be  common,   in  fif, 
..  to  twenty-five  years  a  majority 
of  American  families  may  enjoy  both 
a  country  and  city  home.   The  family 
automobile,  which  has  provided 
boundless  freedom,  may  be  supple- 
mented by  mass  transportation  sys- 
tems that  are  more  adapted  to 
metropolitan  living.   Even  more 
signigicant  may  be  the  growth  of 
a  public  conservation  attitude 
which  would  place  a  high  value  on 
the  quality  of  the  home  and  com- 
munity environment.   This  concern 
for  stability  and  long  range  pros- 
perity may  counteract  the  current 
attitude  that  associates  unlimited 
growth  and  exploitation  with  an 
ever  rising  standard  of  living. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

Music  is  the  universal  language  of 
mankind, --poetry  their  universal 
pastime  and  delight. 

Henry  Wads worth  Longfellow 

****** 

OUR  TRAIL 

The  New  Year  is  like  a  hill-side 
Covered  with  untouched  snow, 
And  each  of  us  a  skier, 
Poised  and  ready  to  go. 

What  kind  of  a  trail,  are  we  going 

to  make 

As  we  ski  down  life's  rolling  hill? 

Will  it  be  straighter  than  ever 

before? 

In  each  heart  we  hope  it  will. 

May  we  leave  behind  in  that 

unmarked  time, 

A  trail,  straight,  true  and  clean: 

Never  afraid,  never  ashamed, 

To  look  back  or  let  it  be  seen. 

Florence  H.  Steelman 
****** 


WASHINGTON,  D.C.-The  Civil  War 
Centennial,  which  will  be   one of 
;efSna;S  *?>  *****   motivational 

beiinHnSTr°r  the  neXt  five  y«rB, 

and  2  iLJTfy  With  a  ^ssage 
ana  a  literal  bang. 

nr^m-S??Se  from  the  President 
officially  opens  the  Centennial 

January  8.   The  "bang" will  come  on 

daybreak  January  9,  when  cadets  of 

the  Citadel  Military  College  stage 

the  first  of  many  re-enactments  to 

come--the  firing  of  the  first  shot 

of  the  war  at  Charleston,  S.C. 

The  original  cannonade  forced  the 

withdrawal  of  a  merchant  ship, 

Star  of  the  West,"  which  was 

attempting  to  bring  supplies  to 

Fort  Sumter. 

*  *  *   *  *  * 

ASPHALT  WITH  A  "GREEN  THUMB" 

You  are  well  aware  of  the  many  places 
where  soil  erosion  is  a  problem.   It 
is  likely  that  one  of  the  most  common 
examples  of  this  situation  is  the 
unprotected  slope  area  created  by  re- 
locating a  road.   These  slopes,  with- 
out a  stand  of  grass,  erode  very 
easily  after  a  rain.  This  situation 
is  now  generally  handled  by  mulching 
with  straw  and  asphalt. 

*  *   *   *  *   * 

BEFORE  YOU  LEAVE  HOME 
ON  A  CAMPING  TRIP 

1.  Make  an  appointment  for  each 
member  of  the  family  with  the 
doctor  and  dentist;  don't  let  a 
toothache  or  unsuspected  illness 
spoil  your  vacation.   Get  any 
extra  prescriptions  filled  by 
your  own  druggist. 

2.  Check  over  all  your  camping 
equipment.   If  this  is  the  first 
trip,  take  an  overnight  "shake- 
down" at  a  nearby  park.  Test  any 
new  gear,  and  set  up  camp  in  the 
back  yard  to  refresh  your  memory 
of  procedures  with  tent,  stove, 
etc . 


j  some  menus  in  advance 
Jially   for  the  first  few  days 
rthat   you  will  not  have  to  make 
flopping   lists  every  .day  en  route. 

U.      List  all  the  equipment  you 
plan  to  take,  and  check  off  each 
item  as  it  is  packed. 

5.  Map  out  your  travel  route  and 
plan  your  stops  and  necessary 
alternates  in  case  of  delay  or 
tilled  campgrounds. 

6.  Make  arrangements  for  the  care 
of  pets,  house  plants  and  the  lawn. 
It   you  plan  to  be  gone  long,  ask 

a  neighbor  to  air  out  the  house 
occasionally. 

7.  Turn  off  the  hot  water  heater, 
pull  plugs  on  electric  appliances' 
defrost  and  empty  the  refrigerator. 
Check  all  faucets. 

8.  Make  sure  that  you  have  insur- 
ance papers,  identification, 
travelers  checks  or  check  book, 
car  registration,  and  an  extra 
set  of  car  keys.   Is  your  driver's 
liscrjnse  up  to  date? 

9.  Stop  newspaper,  milk  and  other 
regular  deliveries.   Make  arrange- 
ments for  forwarding  or  holding 
ycur  mail. 

10.  Leave  an  extra  key  with  a 
neighbor,  and  notify  police  of 
your  absence . 

11.  Have  your  car  checked  over 
carefully,  including  the  battery, 
brakes,  and  cooling  system.   Pack 
a  road  flare  or  trouble  light, 
necessary  tools,  a  jack,  shovel, 
and  extra  fan  belt.   Consider  in- 
cluding a  tow  rope  and  tire  chains. 

12.  Lock  all  doors  and  windows; 
leave  window  shades  up.   Put  away 
or  secure  any  outdoor  furniture. 

13.  Put  valuables  in  a  safety 
deposit  vault. 

1,J  .   Leave  an  address  and  your 
travel  itinerary  ivith  a  member  of 
the  family  or  a  close  friend. 


15.   Count  noses  before  taki 


ng  off J 


****** 


PROGRAM  FOR  CALIFORNIA  BEACHES  AND 

PARKS 

OffVpp6  ^Ut  feceived*  **  the  General 
01  lice,  a  most  outstanding  report  and 
recommendations  on  the  California 
State  Parks.  This  state  is  certainly 
to  be  commended  for  their  forthright 
picture  and  research  in  the  recreation 
fields.   Certainly  no  other  state  in 
America  today  is  using  more  profession- 
ai  skill  in  preparing  and  looking  into 
the  days  of  the  future  concerning  the 
great  potentiality  of  the  state's 
responsibility  in  the  field  of  recre- 
ation. 

The  California  State  Park  Commission 
has  proposed  a  broad  expansion  of  the 
state  park  system,  including  acquisi- 
tion of  land  before  cost  and  beyond 
reason  and  the  establishment  of 
approximately  15  thousand  camp  sites 
during  the  next  5  years. 

The  California  Park  Commission  an- 
ticipates presenting  a  continuing 
program  each  year.   If  adopted,  this 
program  cost  for  a  total  of  about 
15  million  dollars  at  the  i960  land 
and  construction  prices.   The  pro- 
gram will  provide  vastly  improved 
camping  facilities  and  an  adequate 
opportunity  for  California  families 
to  vacation  in  state  parks  at  an 
increase  of  approximately  four  times 
the  present  availability  of  picnic 
facilities. 

To  Governor  Brown  and  Parks  Chief, 
Charles  E.  DeTurk,  we  wish  all  the 
luck  and  success  of  having  this  pro- 
gram approved  and  into  operation. 
Certainly  California  is  blazing  the 
trail  for  what  all  other  state  parks 
must  begin  to  do  within  the  next 
few  years . 

****** 


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