Columbia Missourian Newspaper 1979-03-08

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rOy( Jl&& f . . . Eyeing Jupiter's transparent ring
PASADENA. Calif. ( UPI) - Voyager 1 has
discovered a flat ring of rocky space debris
several miles thick orbiting the planet Jupiter,
scientists reported Wednesday.
The startling find makes Jupiter the third
planet in the solar system known to be encircled
by chunks of ice or rock. Saturn's spectacular
rings were discovered in 1610 and rings were
seen around Uranus two years ago.
The outer edge of Jupiter's ring begins 34,000
miles ( 54,440 kilometers) from the top of the
planet's turbulent clouds. Hie width of the ring
is unknown but extends at least 5,400 ( 8,600
kilometers) miles in toward Jupiter.
The discovery was an unexpected scientific
bonus in the robot spacecraft's journey of ex-ploration.
It already has returned more than
16,500 pictures of Jupiter and five of its moons.
The probe now is headed toward a November
1980 rendezvous with Saturn and its spectacular
ring system.
Jupiter's ring has been invisible from Earth
because of its thinness and its transparency
when viewed from any angle except straight on.
Dr. Bradford A. Smith, of the University of
Arizona and head of the scientists analyzing
Voyager's pictures, said the ring was spotted
during a single long- sh- ot look Sunday for a
possible ring around Jupiter in the planet's
equatorial plane.
" We were very lucky," he said at a news
conference at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
control center. " Incredibly, the edge of the ring
fell within our field of view."
The lens on Voyager's telescopic camera was
left open 11.2 seconds and, thanks to a slight
nodding motion of Voyager, the resulting pic-ture
produced six edge- o- n images of the ring.
Each appeared as a bright line across a dark
background.
Smith said it was not known how far the ring
extended in toward Jupiter. The size of the
particles also was not known, but Smith
estimated that they orbit Jupiter every seven
hours.
" As an intuitive guess, we're talking about
pieces of rock that may be tens of meters or
perhaps hundreds of meters," he said.
He said the ring thickness could be no more
than 18 miles ( 28.8 kilometers) thick, and
probably was considerably less thick.
How the ring was formed is also a mystery.
But Smith said it could be material left over
from when Jupiter formed 4.5 billion years ago,
or it could be debris from the break up of a
satellite that wandered too close to Jupiter.
UPltelciitMU
A Voyager scientist shows a
representation of Jupiter's newly
discovered ring.
7 1 st Year No. 150 Ctnttl Morning! It's Tlmrsthty. March ft. IVT't 2 Sections 20 Pages 15 Cents
Mailbox Tattle Tale
saves inventor steps
By Stephanie Lieber
Missourian staff writer
Earl D. Hallett got tired of walking
the 600 feet ( 180 meters) from his
rural home on Route 2 to the mailbox
to see if the mail had arrived.
So he did what any other oc-togenarian
retiree would do he
invented a device to tell him when the
mail had come.
Now when the mailman opens
Hallett's mailbox, an orange piece of
rectangular metal fitted underneath
the box swings down. Explains
Hallett, " When that mailman goes,
that thing tells on him, that's for
sure."
He christened his patented in-vention
" Tattle Tale."
Hallett's mailman isn't the only one
who gets told on anymore. After
Hallett wrote Entrepreneur magazine
to request marketing advice, he
began receiving offers from
distributors and mail order com-panies
around the country.
To his surprise, he learned the
magazine had written a short feature
about his invention. Since that
January article, he has sold 500 Tattle
Tales and formed his own company,
Creative Enterprises, to market them
and other inventions in the making.
And at an age when most successful
entrepreneurs are either retired or
buried. Hallett is just beginning.
Well into his 80s, the retired
supervising freight agent for the New
York Central Railroad is working on
even more inventions whose nature he
is reluctant to discuss.
" I couldn't dare tell you that," he
laughed.
Whatever they are, they and the
Tattle Tales are keeping Hallett and
his wife Marie, who paints them,
busy. Which is what Hallett set out to
be after a brief retirement in Florida.
" We went down to Florida one
winter and we were down there for
three months," he said. " I never felt
so worthless in my life. I didn't have
anything to do. only just run around
( See MAILBOX, Page 10A)
At right, Earl Hallett relaxes
in his " workshop." Above,
Hallett's rigged mailbox.
Judy Stem
Chamber advocates public views
By Jay Lowndes
Missourian staff writer
The Columbia Chamber of Com-merce
is changing its role by ad-vocating
business points- of- vie- w
toward public issues to its present
booster effort among business people.
In 1978, the chamber endorsed right
to work and rezoning of a portion of
Stephens Park for apartment con-struction.
This year the chamber
supported the American Air Filter and
sewer revenue bond proposals.
Bylaws restrain the group from
endorsing candidates, but recent bylaw
changes allow its board of directors to
take positions on issues without a
referendum of the entire membership.
Until last year, the chamber had not
spoken publicly for business on local
issues in recent years.
Developing tactics to increase
aggressiveness on local issues, AI
Murfin, executive vice president, is
ImsigM
cultivating chamber public- affai- rs
divisions to involve more members in
local government.
A recent poll of the chamber of
commerce board of directors showed
support for a League of Women Voters- styl- e
system of keeping on top of
developments in local government.
Seventy- fiv- e percent of chamber board
members polled said that if asked, they
would monitor the meetings of a local
government board or commission and
file with the chamber reports of
meeting highlights.
Increased Columbia attractiveness
as a business location is the chamber's
objective. Its economic development
division corresponds nationwide with
companies planning to relocate.
Chamber promotion of Columbia's
business advantages is given partial
credit for Georgia- Pacific- ' s new
Columbia wholesale building material
warehouse and for manufacturing
plants planned by American Air Filter
of Shelbyville, Ky., and Watiow
Electric of St. Louis.
Despite increased aggressiveness,
changes in the chamber's program are
not coming fast enough for some.
Prominent citizens recently have
criticized the business community
leadership potential of such present
chamber programs as picnics, awards,
business internships, tourist and new
resident information and fraud alert.
Bob Pugh, Missouri Store Co.
executive and former Columbia mayor,
says the chamber of commerce is not
taking the lead. During his tenure in
local government, Pugh did not see the
chamber appear more than twice on
local issues. He thinks that increased
cooperation between the University and
the rest of Columbia has made chamber
goodwill promotions on campus un
necessary- -
" They have been a mixed bag trying
to build bridges between town and
gown," he said. The chamber sponsors
a welcoming picnic in the fall for
returning University, Columbia College
and Stephens College faculty.
Columbia mayor and chamber board
member Les Proctor says the chamber
has not adequately promoted business
interests in Columbia. He wonders if
business people are apathetic toward
the chamber because business has been
good.
Chamber advocacy and promotion
efforts combat apathy, but diverse
interests create problems for
spokesmen trying to represent in-dependent
business people. Local home
builders, downtown merchants,
physicians, attorneys, realtors,
apartment owners and restaurant
owners all have seen fit to establish
( See CHAMBER, Page 12A)
Antonio: School district
is financially sound
By Gary Bradley
Missourian staff writer
State Auditor James F. Antonio said
Wednesday night the Columbia School
District is one of the best be has seen in
terms of accounting and financial
management.
At a public meeting at the Columbia
Board of Education office, Antonio
gave a report of a special state audit his
office and the certified public ac-countant
firm of Williams- Keepers- Ouver- Pay- ne
and Backers had con-ducted
on the Columbia school district
" We found the Columbia School
District to be in sound financial con-dition
and operating under good
management," Antonio said.
Although he said there were no major
problems in the district, Antonio made
recommendations to improve the
district's management practices and
accounting controls.
One factor prompting the audit was a
request from a group of citizens, led by
Ed Bartolacci, 4610 Mexico Gravel
Road, who became concerned by the
district's decision to reduce bus
transportation service to students.
Antonio said the auditors evaluated
the transportation system in the district
to the extent that the district moved
away from district- controlle- d facilities
' to outside- ru- n facilities, but could not
come up with any recommendations as
to which is morefeasible.
He said the district had implemented
staggered school- startin- g times after
the outside firm was hired, which could
have reduced the cost of transportation
because of a decline in the number of
buses needed.
After reviewing management
practices, Antonio said, the number of
administrative personnel and facilities
could be expanded.
He also suggested the district
establish a policy for selecting the
public accounting firm to annually
audit the district
In response to Antonio's report, board
President Patsy Garner said the board
was pleased with the auditors' findings.
Bartolacci also expressed delight
with the audit report
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9 sua. Borne County Court, fifth floor, County- Cit- y Building.
3: S8 p. m. " The How and the Why of the Business Story," Isadore Barmash,
financial reporter for the New York Times, University's Memorial Union
Auditorium.
7: pjn. " The Rimers of Eldri'University'sGntry HaU Tbeater.
8 pan. " The Lsck of Privacy in Computers," Robert E. Smith, University's
Jesse Auditorium.
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In Tehran Wednesday, six men accused of sex crimes and other'
crimes against the state face an Islamic revolutionary firing
squad. In other developments, Iranian ofl began flowing back to
the United States, the first such shipments in two months. Story
on Page 3A.
Campbell calls
pot action strict
By Scott Morgan
Missourian staff writer
City Manager Stuart Campbell said
Wednesday he feels the disciplinary
measures imposed by Columbia Police
Chief David Walsh are " very strong."
and that Walsh's earlier briefing to him
differed somewhat from the final ac-count
the police chief gave the press.
Campbell said. " We're talking about
a sizable monetary loss to the officers
involved. Along with this very serious
monetary punishment, to add a year's
probation I would say this is pretty
substantial disciplinary action.
" Chief Walsh did inform me of the
allegations against the officers when
the investigation began. There were
allegations reported to me that were
somewhat contrary to what the chief
has presented as the results of what I'm
sure he believes is a full investigation,"
Campbell said.
Campbell did not say what the earlier
allegations were or how they differed
from the final results Walsh gave.
Campbell said he " stepped out of the
picture" when Walsh reported that
there might be charges filed against the
officers.
" I was not directly involved with the
investigation nor his final decision. I
have to remain objective until the
appeal period is over.
' Walsh had to go on the strength of
the facts uncovered in the investigation
and then make a final decision himself.
He weighed his alternatives and
decided he didn't have enough in-formation
or evidence to charge the
officer? with any more than what he has
( See WALSH, Page 10A)
House OKjs first step
in blue law repeal bill
By Susan King
State capital bureau
JEFFERSON CITY A bill granting
Boone County. 17 other counties and the
city of St. Louis the option to repeal
Sunday closing laws won tentative
approval in the Missouri House Wed-nesday
by a vote of 94- 6- 2.
The measure, sponsored by Rep.
Gary Sharpe. D- Hanni-bal.
would allow
voters in those counties to repeal the
laws that prohibit the sale of non-essential
items on Sunday. Reps. Larry
Mead and Harold Reisch. both R- Colu- mbia.
voted for the bill.
Five counties already have repealed
blue laws. This option has been
granted to counties that border shop-ping
areas where the laws already have
been repealed.
The bill originally included 12
counties, but amendments to add Cole.
Pike, Lafayette, Moniteau. Cooper, St.
Louis County and St. Louis City were
adopted on theiloor.
An amendment to allow Greene
County to repeal was defeated.
The measure still faces final ap-proval
in the House before going to the
Senate, and Sharpe said the inclusion of
the St. Louis area may " lessen the bill's
chances to be passed this session."
Sharpe said that in the past, residents
of the St. Louis metropolitan area have
been opposed to the repeal of Sunday
closing laws, partially because shop-ping
areas in East St. Louis. 111. do not
pose an economic threat to Missouri
retailers. He also said that the St. Louis
Retail Clerks Union has voiced op-position
to the repeal.
A second amendment, which Sharpe
said would weaken his bill's chances,
was defeated 109- 4- 2. Rep. Phillip
Scaglia. D- Kan- sas City proposed an
amendment that would have offered the
option of repeal to all counties.
Rep. Larry Mead, R- Colum-bia.
said
that although he supports statewide
repeal " philosophically." he voted
against the amendment because it
" would have killed the bill."
" The piecemeal approach is
necessary because we just don't have
the votes to get the laws repealed
statewide." Mead said.
Rep. Harold Reisch, R- Colum- bia.
agreed.
" Politically the bill ( with Scaglia ' s
amendment) just would not fly in the
Senate. We've still got a lot of counties
that don't want blue laws repealed. By
being specific we can include only those
counties that do want repeal and ex-clude
those who do not."
In addition to Boone County, the other
counties in Sharpe's original bill are
Andrew, Atchison, Holt. Jasper.
Johnson, Marion. Monroe, Nodaway,
Pettis, Ralls and Saline counties.