Lubbock mayor remembers tornado
By MIKE WESTER
LUBBOCK, Tex. (UPI)—James H. Granberry had been mayor of Texas' eighth largest city only three weeks when, on May 11, a tornado ripped out the heart of Lubbock.
In a terrifying five minutes one of the worst tornadoes in Texas history killed 26 persons, injured an estimated 1,500 and caused damage placed at $200 million.
For the 37-year-old dentist turned mayor, life changed instantly.
Suddenly 2,600 Lubbock families were plunged into various degrees of distress. Ninety of the injured were hospitalized.
About 950 homes were destroyed or heavily damaged,1,800 persons required emergency shelter and 11,646 were provided by the American Red Cross with 34,994 hot meals in a week.
What can a mayor of three weeks, accustomed to the quiet decorum of a dental office, do when confronted with so frightening an emergency?
"I have never seen rescue and relief operations brought into being more quickly or effectively," said Gen. George A. Lincoln, the president's personal representative to the disaster area, who flew in from Washington the next morning.
"Disaster operations are always difficult, but this has been the smoothest I have known," said
George Hastings, who also arrived the following day to coordinate the entire federal relief and recovery effort. "I attribute it to an excellent city government and to full understanding and cooperation by the city, county and state governments."
Hastings, of Denton, Tex., is regional director of the Office of Emergency preparedness. Lincoln is director of the OEP, working directly under the president. Both arrived in Lubbock after the city's emergency operating center had swung into action.
"You handled everything perfectly," said U.S. Rep. George H. Mahon (D.-Tex.) who comes from Lubbock.
Granberry said that at the approach of the storm, he and his family had gathered in the center of the house and he had helped his wife, Edwina, get the five children tucked away in the safest place.
Granberry, who defeated the incumbent mayor in an April 21 election, was at home with his family when the tornado dipped down from a crashing lightning-filled thunderstorm which grew more violent as it approached the West Texas city.
"Then I went outside to look at the sky. When I returned the radio was off and I figured my weak batteries had finally played out. It was several minutes later before I knew what had happened and several hours before I began
to realize the full extent of it."
The usual five minute drive to city hall took almost an hour.
"We even got lost a couple times." Granberry said. "The usual landmarks that we automatically used to guide us had been blown away."
At city hall Granberry was soon joined by the other four councilmen and city officials. Everything was turmoil. The police station had been hit and was without electricity and communications.
But it took only minutes to convene an emergency council meeting. The mayor asked for and received permission to allow the city manager, Bill Blackwell, to take charge and run things, although the city charter said the mayor had power under such emergencies to "act as he sees fit and order any agency or citizens to do what he requests."
"When you are riding horseback in a swollen stream and things get rough you don't try to change horses." Granberry said. "Our city manager operates the city on a daily basis and knows the people who head up each phase of our operation. I saw no reason to step in and take over when he already knew who was in charge of what and just how much he could expect of each person."
Beauty queen gives up crown, but not views
HELENA, Mont. (UPI)—Dark-haired beauty queen Kathy Huppe, who gave up her Miss Montana title rather than muzzle her antiwar views, said Sunday she's glad her short reign is over.
The 18-year-old Helena beauty resigned her title—and a chance to compete in the Miss America pageant next month—because she couldn't keep her political views "middle of the road" as pageant officials asked.
"The Paper Tiger," an underground high school newspaper, because she included them on her application. She said they had no objections at the time.
"The last month has been nothing but a big hassle," she said. "I'm very happy to be out of it."
Miss Huppe said Miss Montana contest officials knew about her participation in Vietnam moratorium activities and about antiwar articles she wrote for
Mike Perke of Billings, executive director of the Montana pageant, said the girls are not discouraged from having political opinions, but are asked not to express them openly. He said Miss Montana should represent the whole state, not lean toward one political faction.
He said Miss Huppe did the right thing by resisting last week.
Jane Opp, 20, Billings, the first runnerup in the contest will represent Montana at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, N.J.
CLINT EASTWOOD
Action came fast that tragic tornado night.
"Iimmediately we proclaimed a state of emergency," the mayor said. "We put a curfew on the hit area as best we knew it, and ordered all looters to be shot on sight. Then, the city council went into emergency session to pass needed resolutions to begin immediate search and rescue, and make plans on how to operate our city.
"The council immediately contacted the state capital and asked the National Guard be activated. We learned the governor was out of state, but the lieutenant governor promised every help possible and flew out to aid us himself the next morning."
Granberry went 44 hours without sleep while directing the emergency operation. All of the dead were found before daybreak, and only a few injured were located after the sun came up.
"I see no major goof-ups in the entire operation looking back
over it." Granberry said. "Sure, no one is ever prepared for this type of thing. But with a capable, efficient and dedicated city staff, concerned and cooperative citizens and tremendous response from the county, state and federal government, everything seemed to go as smoothly as possible."
By daylight, rehousing of persons had begun. The Red Cross and the Salvation Army headed the feeding and reclothing of stricken people, operating with the United Fund and many church organizations.
"Lubbock has already recovered in spirit," Granberry said. This was proved six weeks after the storm when we went on national television with the 10th annual Coaches All America Game and had the biggest crowd ever of football fans—not just people making a show.
"People have become individuals again, but with a different spirit. It's a renewed spirit that we are going to build back better. I think we will."
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Murder trial opens for man charged with coed's slaying
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (UPI)— After six weeks of jury selection, the first degree murder trial of John Norman Collins opened Monday, nearly a year to the day after the death of the coed he is accused of killing.
The trial is expected to last about six weeks, with Washtenaw County Prosecutor William Delhey reported to be planning to call more than 40 witnesses. Defense attorneys Joseph Louisell and Neil Fink have indicated they plan to summon 20 witnesses.
Collins, 23, of the Detroit suburb of Centerline, is charged with the sex slaying of Karen Sue Beineman, 18, of Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 23, 1969.
The battered body of the Eastern Michigan University coed was found in a gully three days later. Collins, himself a student at the Ypsilanti school, was arrested Aug. 1.
One of the key prosecution witnesses is expected to be Mrs. Jean Goshe, owner of a Ypsilanti wig shop, who told police she had seen Miss Belneman leave downtown Ypsilanti on the back of a motorcycle the day she was killed. She
July 21 KANSAN 5
1970
Miss Beineman was the last of seven young women slain under similar circumstances in the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti area during a two year period.
Hair found on the girl's clothing, the prosecution contends came from the basement floor where the Leik children had their hair cut.
The prosecution will attempt to prove that Miss Beineman was slain in the basement of the home of Collins' uncle, state police Cpl. David Leik, who was on vacation at the time.
apparently was the last person to see the coed alive.
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