Editing 79-07-B5 (section)

=== Transcript ===
When you read in the daily press that some part of our country has been declared
a disaster area you assume that fire, flood, earthquake or some other natural calamity
has struck. The declaration becomes official notice that victims of the calamity
qualify for various kinds of federal aid. Such a calamity is usually a pretty
obvious thing as we've all seen numerous times on the TV news. And, of course, the
victims are well aware that a disaster has taken place.

Recently, Cloud Lake, Florida received an official notice from the federal
government that it had been declared a "major disaster area". The Treasury
Department notification came to Town Clerk Dorothy Gravelin. Under a bold type heading
"Disaster Notice", she read that her town -- population 128 -- had been declared a major
disaster area by the President of the United States.

Now Town Clerk Gravelin hadn't heard of any trouble. She looked out the window
and everything appeared to be normal. Picking up the phone she called Tallahassee and
several other nearby towns to ask if they were disaster areas too. Evidently they
had been spared; only Cloud Lake had suffered.

In the meantime, word had spread through the community, but no one could recall
any disaster and none of them could figure out how they'd missed it.
Clerk Gravelin's next call was to Washington. She finally reached the Florida
coordinator in the U.S. Office of Revenue, who didn't know what the disaster might
be but would check it out.

Finally the answer came. Cloud Lake had suffered a crop freeze in January,
1977. That, of course, should have solved the mystery and ended the suspense. But
it didn't. Cloud Lake hadn't suffered any crop damage in 1977 or any other year
because the nearest crops are about 20 miles west of Cloud Lake.
But Washington had an answer for that. There probably had been some indirect
effect, such as farmers who wouldn't be spending as much money in town. There are
seven business establishments in Cloud Lake, all lined up on Southern Boulevard.
The busiest happens to be the Cloud Lake Adult Book Store. A check of that
establishment found there had been no let up in business -- in fact the proprietor just laughed
at the idea.

But Washington doesn't take such things lightly. Cloud Lake has been declared
a disaster are a and Washington wants Cloud Lake to forget its pride, get off the
dime and admit it has had a disaster. The Town Council is supposed to fill out the
government form saying "yes, the disaster had an effect on us", sign it and mail it
in. Then Washington can do its thing by sending Cloud Lake -- population 128 -- the
federal funds it is entitled to be cause of a freeze that took place somewhere in
Florida back in January of 1977.

I'm sorry I don't have word as to whether the Town Council has taken the action
or whether the federal check is still lying there in Washington. The check is for
$22.61. 

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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