Aug. 31, 1975

Staff

Published Sunday, August 31, 2003

Stories featured in the Suffolk News-Herald on this date 28 years ago include:

Ford puts jobs at top of list

AUGUSTA, Maine (UPI) - President Ford pledged Saturday during a political swing through the unemployment stricken Northeast that he will "do everything in my power to generate new jobs."

"The level of unemployment in the United States is too high by any standards," Ford said during a Labor Day weekend address. He set a goal of 11 million new jobs by 1980.

Ford left Washington on a sunny day and flew to Maine, where, undaunted by rain, he shook hands with some of the 300 persons who greeted him at Brunswick Naval Air Station.

Wearing a long black raincoat, the president stumbled at one point as he reached to touch hands with the crowd.

Still slamming home runs

Matthew Hargrave, a man without legs, hit a blistering line drive about 200 feet. Hitting a baseball has always been easy for Matthew.

Dropping down his bat, he warmed to the subject of his professional baseball career. In 1952, a New York Yankee signed him to a contract after a sandlot game in Franklin. The Yankees signed Matthew to their Richmond, Virginia farm team in 1953 and a boyhood dream became a reality.

Matthew, who has lived in Driver since 1962, played in Richmond for two seasons. After the Richmond season ended, the Yankees brought Matthew to New York to finish the major league season.

...Not playing much in Yankee stadium didn't dampen Matthew's spirit. For him, just being around players like Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Phil Rizzuto and Yogi Berra made up for having to sit on the bench.

....During that winter, Matthew began having pains in his legs and went to see Dr. Rayford in Franklin. Dr. Rayford found something that would change the course of Matthew's life. Matthew had a rare disease known as Buergers Disease, which causes veins and arteries to contract and is often fatal. His baseball career was over.

Saecker awarded master's degree.

John Rawls Saecker, a Suffolk native, received his master of science degree in biology from University of Richmond on Aug. 15. He will enter the Medical College of Virginia Dental School this fall. Saecker, a 1972 graduate of the University of Richmond, is the son of Wellington Mills Saecker and the late Marcella Rawls Saecker. He is married to the former Hope Bradshaw.

Bill fishing new to him, but he outpointed field

When Dale White of Suffolk decided to compete in Jim Motsko's $20,000 White Marlin Open Tournament in Ocean City, Md., he had never been bill fishing before.

Despite his lack of experience, White showed the competition he could pull in the big ones. While competing, White caught and landed four white marlins, a blue marlin that weighed in at 305-1/2 pounds and a dolphin that weighed 29-1/2 pounds.

All told, White brought home two valuable trophies, four citations, 10 blisters and lots of good memories.

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