National Ho-Hum Week

"Everybody is really excited about it. We're all taking part."

"Same here, it's about the only thing anyone's talked about all month."

Is this the sort of conversation you expect to hear regarding National Forest Products Week (October 15-21) or National Hardwood Day (October 20)? No, neither do we and that's the shame of it.

Its always been a mystery to us why more people in this business don't take part in and support these promotions. It's not as if we didn't need all the favorable publicity we can get. Do you know anyone in any wood-related business who hasn't lamented that the environmentalists get their message across while we don't?

Yet here are two excellent promotional programs that never seem to get the widespread support that could help counter the enviro nonsense that America is down to is last tree. The American Forest & Paper Association, llll l9th St., N.W., Washington, D.C., (202) 463-2700 sponsors National Forest Products Week, which was

DAVID CT]TLER publisher

first decreed by an Act of Congress in 1964. National Hardwood Day is sponsored, appropriately enough, by the National Hardwood Lumber Association, P.O. Box 34518, Memphis, Tn. 38184-0518, (9ol) 377-1818.

While it's too late to do much to tie in with this year's activities, we've included names, addresses and phone numbers so that you can contact AF&PA and NHLA to see what you can do in the future. Promoting to the public and educating those who influence what people think is not a once a year effort. Annual events are great, but educating and promoting should go on 365 days a year.

To the towns and clubs and companies that have participated over the years in these promotions, we salute you. To those of you who offer only lip service, complaints and a closed wallet to those who work to aid the business that supports you, we suggest you wake up and get with the program.

Surelv we can do better.

Depot Headed For Mississippi

Home Depot has chosen highly competitive Gulfport as the site of its first Mississippi location.

Klumb Lumber, Jackson, Ms., has agreed to sell the chain its 4}-year lease on 12 acres of land on Interstate l0 and will relocate its wholesale distribution center to another location about four miles away.

Before Home Depot can begin construction of a 135,000-sq. ft. superstore, the lease transfer must be approved by the land owner, the Harrison County School Board.

Gulfport is already home to a number of independent and chain stores, including a smaller Lowe's, with a larger replacement Lowe's and a WalMart now under construction.

MLA Names Oklahoma Rep

The Mid-America Lumbermens Association has named Gaylon Stacy as its Oklahoma regional manager.

Stacy replaces Bill Champ, who left MLA after eight years to join Texas Wholesale, Dallas, Tx. He will be responsible for coordinating various services to Oklahoma dealers, including educational programs and government relations.

Widely known throughout Oklahoma for his early broadcasting career, Stacy served as executive vice president for the Oklahoma Lumbermens Association from 1975 to 1987. He was executive director of the Higher Education Alumni Council of Oklahoma before joining Metro Tech Vocational Technical Center as marketing director in 1990.

A former member of the board of education for Edmond Public Schools, he also served four years as an elected member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from Edmond, where he and his wife, Jane, have resided for more than 30 years.

Top Timber Thief Convicted

The alleged ringleader of a timber theft scam that defrauded Keadle Lumber Enterprises, Thomaston, Ga., of an estimated $1.6 million has been convicted of racketeering'

After a six-week trial, the jury pronounced former Keadle forester Joe Garrard guilty of selling nonexistent timber and other crimes in a conspiracy to defraud the mill where he worked. He was fined $25,000 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years probation, during which he is barred from working in the timber industry.

He was charged with 90 acts of wrongdoing, but only needed to be found guilty of two to be convicted of racketeering.

The same jury also convicted Decatur, Ga., timber dealer Kenneth Fletcher, who was sentenced to a year in jail, four years probation and a $25,000 fine.

The men are currently free on appeal.

Four of the 18 individuals indicted in August 1992 in the Keadle case still await trial. Six have been found guilty, six have pleaded guilty, and two died before they could be prosecuted.

A typical theft involved delivering to Keadle under phony contracts timber that actually came from their own land, so Keadle paid twice for the same wood.