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8 Pages JTHE LEADER TRIBUNE SHOP
This Weekly - LOCALLY
VOLUME NO. 80 - NUMBER & Leader-Tribune, Fort Valley, Ga., Thurs., July 25, 1968 $4.00 PER YEAR — IN ADVANCE — SINGLE COPY, 10c EACH
Peachland
Journal
BY DANIEL K. CRAHL
CITY ADDS ADDITIONAL TAX
TO PROPERTY OWNERS
Last Thursday night the city
council voted to increase the tax
millage on real property in the
city from 13 to 18, a 38.46 per
cent increase.
We believe a comment or so is
in order.
First, let me say that my com
ments are those of a citizen and
an editor. It is proper, I believe,
for citizens to disagree if they
so feel with public officials. I be
lieve I can say that, being a pub
lic official in addition to a citizen
and an editor.
I would add too, that my disa
greement does not in any way in
tend to impughn the motives or
the bbnesty of decision of the six
members of council who voted on
the measure. The mayor was ab
sent but one gets the impression
he approved and knew of the
They are all
my friends, I
lieve, and their
interest in
community and
pub li c spirited
ness is not ques
tioned or meant
to be by my be-
ent approach and solution to the
problem. T am also fully aware of
the fact that theirs’ is often a
thankless and certainly underpaid
job.
To clear the air a bit, let me
point out that on an occasion or
so the Utilities Commission has
transferred funds to the mayor &
council to help meet their budget
requirements. They have told the
mayor and council they cannot do
that for probably two years.
Their reason is sound. The are
completing . .. the payment of . cost
of installing a complete new wir
mg system for the city. They al
so have a commitment to provide
funds for overhauling the water
and sewerage system at Fort Val
ley State College, their cost being
roug y $500,000.00. They alse
have set aside *100,000.00 be use
for purchase of right of way, etc.,
on the South Macon Street pro
ject and $25,000 to purchase a new
fire truck.
Also, the mayor made a state
ment in his release printed else
where on this page that we be
lieve, in the interest of not being;
misunderstood, needs a bit of clar
ification.
He states, “In the past four 1
years the City General Govern
ment has spent one (1) million,
dollars in re-surfacing, paving,”
etc., and that is true. HOWEVER,
all but a comparatively few of the
funds did NOT come from the gen
eral fund of the general gioverar
ment. 'Hie vast majority of money
came from the Utilities Commiss
ion and the State Highway Depart
ment. Some came from the direct
grants to cities that this writer
voted for in the General Assem
bly. The funds for building the
new fire house came from the
Utilities Commission, not from the
general tax fund.
That is ns it should be. It is all
the people’s money. I am pointing
it out to keep the record straight.
It is a lonely spot to be in tof
have to decide whether or not to
vote for an increase in taxes. I
can say that because of my ex
perience in the General Assembly.
Basically the council had to 1st
vote one of two ways, to reduce
the budget or raise taxes. If they
voted for the former no other
vote would be needed that night.
If they voted to raise taxes they
then had to vote on what taxes
to raise or what new one to put
on. They voted for the latter and
then added the entire burden of
the increase to the property own
ers of the city.
I do not question their decision
to go with the higher budget. The
cost of everything is rising) con
stantly, and certainly, city em
ployees should not be begrudged,
a cost of living increase in pay.
My objection is to putting the
cost of the entire increase on the
(Continued on Back Page)
Date For City Tax
Returns Is
In additional action taken by
city council last Thursday nigjit
an ordinance setting up the dates
and procedure for returning prop
erty for taxation that is currently
on the books was repealed and one
passed changing the dates for ma
king such property returns.
In the future such returns must
be made between January 1 and
January 31 of each year.
Also at the meeting a motion
was made and passed authorizing
Mayor Sammons to sign a Depart
ment of Housing and Unban De
velopment Form 41901, stating
compliance with the 1904 Civil
Rights Law.
The agreement says, in part,
“no person in the United States
shall, on the ground of race, color,
or national origin, be excluded
from participation in, be denied
the benefits of, or otherwise sub
jected to discrimination under any
program of activity for which the
Applicant receives Federal finan
cial assistance from the Depart
of Housing and Urban
Develoument.”
The reason for the signing of
the form lies in the fact that the
city and Utilities Commission, if
federal funds are committed, are
committed to participation in a
$926,000.00 program for new wa
ter and sewage facilities at Fort
Valley State College. Also includ
ed will be an increase in the size
of the sewage system from the
college to the pumping station.
The federal government, if par
ticipation is approved, will pick up
the tab for $423,950.00 of the cost.
The college is projecting an in
crease in its enrollment from ap
proximately 1,800 at present to a
total of 3,500 by 1973. Several
million dollars in additional build
ing construction (by the Board of
Regents is scheduled in the near
future,
Additiona] business by the coun
dl gaw them ^proving an addit _
mal payment of $t)00 per year to
Thomas Pllblic Library and for the
t of a bil] from the Jay .
ceeg of $lj246 . 60 for equipment
for Little League ball .
Package beer licenses were also
a oved for Bo , bb v Hester at a
locatkMi on 0range street former .
, occupied ; (by the chubby House,
an<) for Mrs Czflrnecki at her bait
and tackle shop on East Main St.
Miss Jean Beatty
Studys Music
Miss Jean Beatty, daughter of
Dr. and Mrs. Earl Beatty, Jr., of
Fort Valley and student of Mr.
Howard Ingley, Jr. of Macon, is
studying with Nelson and Neal,
famous Australian-American dup
piano team.
A senior at Fort Valley High
School, Miss Beatty has also at
tended Florida State University
Summer Music Camp and Transyl
vania Music Camp of the Brevard
Music Center.
The seventeen-year-old musician
who auditioned for Nelson and
Neal after their concert in Warn
er Robins last January, is one of
six students chosen from all over
the United States. Upon her re
turn to Fort Valley in August,
she will present a private recital
in her home.
5 Gaines Played In
Girls’ Softball
Five games were played. Waves
defeated the Tom-Boys 7-3, Sugar
Bears beat the Dynamites 6-3 on
Tuesday night.
Thursday night saw the Tom
Boys win two. They defeated
Dynamites 7-5 and Sugar Bears
6-3. The Sugar Bears defeated
Charlie Brown 7-5.
The leading hitters for the week
were Judy Yancey and Lisa Bur
nette of Charlie Brown. Each hadj
3 for 3.
The Sugar Bears were led
hitting by Julie Giles, Marsha
Beckham and Susan Marshall.
The Dynamites had good hitting
from Corinne Irby and Donna
Dennis while the Tom-Boys were!
led by Pat Bowers, Ginger Lane
Sandy Lane, Kim Sanders and
Deblbie Bruce.
f
Chamlee Baptist
Homecoming Day
Sunday, July 28
Chamlee Memorial Baptist Church
(formerly Second Baptist Church)
of Fort Valley, Georgia will have
its Homecoming! Services on Sun
day, July 28, 1968, beginning at
9:45 a.m. and extending through
3:30 in the afternoon.
A very cordial invitation is ex
tended to former members, form
er pastors, and non-resident mem
bers are to be special guests.
Resident members ate request
ed to bring a basket lunch, paper
plates, cups and etc. so that ev
eryone may enjoy food and fel
lowship at the noon hour.
Master of Ceremonies will be
Mr. Robert Whitfield. Speaker for
the day will ibe Rev. Ralph Adams,
and a special musical program
will be held in the afternoon with
plenty of good singing and gospel
music.
Come and be with us on this
Homecoming Day.
City Recreation
Tennis Tourney
A tennis tournament will be
held on August 15, 16, 17 at the
Fort Valley High School Courts.
There will be four classes for
(both men and women.
Adult — Women - men; 18 un
der—boys - girls; 14 under—boys
-girls; 12 under—boys - girls.
Boys and girls tournaments will
be in the morning and afternoon
while the adults will be in the ev
enings. Each classification will
need at least 8 players in order
to hold a tournament in that age
group. Trophies will be awarded
for prizes. U. S. Lawn Tennis As
sociation rules will be used. The
only requirement of the players
is to supply one can of new tennis
tails and follow all rules as to
use of tennis courts. Anyone in
terested in entering, this tourna
ment should contact Mr. Judson
Williams, Tournament chairman.
READ THE WANT - ADS
A LAYMAN SPEAKS OUT FOR GOD — —
Listen
Have you made up your mind
whiom you will serve ? God says
in Joshua 24:15 ‘Choose you this
day whom you will serve’. Soon
many of you will be going out in
to this sinful world on your own,
making your own decisions. Many
of you graduated from high school
this year and will be going off to
college or mayfee accepting a job
somewhere. You will be faced
with problems, temptations, and
at times you won’t know which
way to go or turn. You will need
Christ to direct your paths, to
help you in making these decis
ions.
There will be
"two great pow
ers vieing for
your services.
JeBus will be
urging you to
serve Him. The
devil will be
tempting you
on every hand
to serve, him.
are going
to serve one or the other. Its up
to you as to which one you choose
to serve. It’s your choice, wheth
er to choose sin, the devil’s way,
which leads to eternal separation
from God; or God’s way, which
leads to eternal life in Heaven
with Him and those of your loved
ones and friends who will be there
Billy Graham said in his mes
sage a few weeks ago on young
people’s night:
“YOU will cast the deciding
vote,” so which shall it be?
Paul tells us in Romans 6:16
“Know ye not, that to whom ye
yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye
obey; whether of sin unto death,
Election Of ASCS
Committeemen Of
Georgia © to Be Held
The election of Agricultural
Stabilization & Conservation Ser
vice Committeemen in Georgia is
to be held during- the period of
September 6-18, Rufus Adams, the
chairman of the Ga. State ASC
Committee anounced this week.
Voting will be by mail.
County ASC offices will mail
ballots and a return envelope re
quiring no postage to every eligi
ble voter on record. “Ballots will
be mailed farmers by September
6,” Adams said.
Any eligible voter who does not
receive a ballot may get one at
the county office. Votes may be
cast by mail or in person at the
county office.
The current county committee
will be responsible for seeing that
all phases of the election are car
ried out in accordance with regu
lations issued by the Secretary of
Agriculture. The present county
committee will select a slate of 6
to 10 eligible nominees.
In addition to nominees select
ed by the committee, all eligible
persons nominated by petition will
be added to the slates.
All petitions must be received
in the county office by August 15
to get on the slates. Voters may
also write-in names of candidates
of their own choice on ballots.
Any owner, operator, or share
cropper may vote in the commit
tee election if he is now partici
patingi or eligible to participate in
any of the programs adminisered
by the ASC county committee.
ASC Committeemen administer
the Agricultural Conservation Pro
gram, the Cropland Adjustment
Program, acreage allotments, mar
keting quotas, commodity loans,
the feed grain program, the wheat
program, the upland cotton diver
sion program, farm storage facil
ity loans, Defense Food, and other
programs for emergency designate
ed areas.
Usher Temple
The Usher’s Temple C. M. E.
Church Bible Vaca* on will hold
its culminating -'»rram on Fri
day, July 26th, at 12 o’clock. The
public is invited to attend.
OBSERVE ALL SAFETY JLAWS
■pg. IPfaF
. A;
•
1# •: A* m
ADAMS
Council Votes Five Mill Tax
Increase For Fort Valley
Girl All-Stars Win
Over Thomaston
Fort Valley Girls; All-Stars,
sponsored by Fort Valley Kiwanis
defeated Thomaston All-Stars 2-0.
Marsha Beckham pitched a two
hit shutbut as Fort Valley only
allowed 6 Thomaston girls to reach
base.
Fort Valley scored both of their
runs in the second inning on a
single by Kay Yancey, an error
and a double by Ginger Lane.
Fort Valley also had hits from
Marsha Beckham, Pat Bowers,
Nan Hatchett.
Next game is in Forest Park on
the 29th,
Liffhtimr © © Strikes
WFPM RADIO was off the air
a11 da y Tuesday, July 16th as a
result of a direct hit by lighting
l a ^ e Monday night. Station sour
ces tell the Leader Tribune that
the main power transformers
were completely destroyed, having
been (burned to the core. The tran
sformers are special purpose, high
frenqueney 20,000 volts units.
The station is now operating at
reduced power using a pair of
transformers borrowed from the
City of (Fort Valley Utilities De
partment.
Tom Anderson To
Be Honored Here
A barbecue and meeting honor
ing Tom Anderson will be held ^t
the Perry, Ga. Athletic Fiield at
7 p. m. on Saturday, August 3.
Mr. Anderson is the publisher
of several farm journals and is a
• conservative columnist of national
distribution and recognition.
Local supporters of the
said that the public is invited to
attend the testimonial barbecue,
citing Mr. Anderson’s many con
tributions to the welfare of the
Georgia and other farmers.
Tickets for the barbecue may
be purchased at Avera’s Drug Co.
and Wheeler’s Walgreen Phanma
cy in Fotr Valey ax $1.25 each.
or of obedience unto righteous
ness?” Young people, the only
way possiblfe for you to stand up
against sin, the devil and his pow
er is to have Christ in you. John
in writing to those who have
Christ tells us why this is true.
“Because greater is He that is in
you, than he that is in the world”.
1st John 4:4.
And don’t let your decision be
to try and serve both, because it
just simply will not work. Jesus
says in Rev. 3:15-16 “I would thou
went cold or hot. So then because
thou art lukewarm, and neither
cold nor hot, 1 will spue thee out
of my mouth.” You’re not alto
gether against me and neither are
you altogether for me. To be like
this is to serve the devil; for God
is not willing to share even the
most minute area of your life with
Satan. God hates sin but He loves
you, and He wants all there is
of you, and will not be satisfied
with anything less. He had rath
er we would be outright and open
ly against Him that the world
might see and know where we
stand, than for us to 'be neither
cold nor hot.
Jesus says in Matt. 6:24, “no
man can serve two masters; Ye
CANNOT serve God and mam
mon.” Young people, this is final.
There is no compromise with God
Paul writes in 1st Cor. 10:21 andj
31, “Ye CANNOT drink the cup
of the Lord, and the cup of dev
ils: ye CANNOT be partakers of
the Lord’s table, and the table of
devils. Whether therefore ye eat
or drink, or WHATSOEVER ye
do, do all to the glory of God.”.
May I say it this way. Be sure
that what you do is alrigiht with
God. This does not leave much
room for sin or serving the devil,
does it?
There is no possible way for
any one to glorify or to honor God
when serving the devil or sinning.
Anything we do or fail to do
which bears not God’s stamp of
approval is disobedience to God,
and is doing service for the devil.
Disobedience to God is obedience
to the devil..
Young people, Jesus came to
this earth and set the example for
you to follow and for me to fol
low*. Remember Jesus ALSO was
tempted to serve the devil. Do
you recall the time satan took
Jesus to the top of a high moun
tain and showed Him all the king
doms of the world and the glory of
them? “And saith unto Him, all
these things wall I give thee, if
thou will fall down and worship
me. Then Jesus saith unto him.
Get thee hence Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and Him ONLY
shalt thou serve.” Matt. 4:9-10.
Young people, Jesus uses no un
mistakable terms here. “HIM ON
LY shalt thou serve.” So now it’s
up to you; it‘s your choice. Whom
shall it be? God says “choose you
this day whom you will serve.”
Oh, how I hope and pray your
choice will be the same as Joh
hua’s whio said, “As for me and
house, will the Lord.’ -
my we serve
Joshua 24:16.
In closing I want to remind you
again of these words from God,
“Whom ye yield yourselves serv
ants to obey, his servants ye are”
Why don’t you, right now, get
this thing settled with God. May
God help you to make the right
choice. Next week we will be talk
ing about
The Greatest Challenge you will
ever be confronted with in this en
tire lifetime.
Mayor Sammons’
Statement On Tax
Increase of 5 Mills
By DAVID I. SAMMONS
Mayor, City of Fort Valley
“In the past four years the City
General Government has spent ov
er one (1) million dollars in re
surfacing, new paving, curbing
gutters and drainage of city
streets at no increase in taxes
and/or assessment to property
owners. In addition, a new fire
station was added on the east side
of town. Many other improvements
have been made.
“Taxes in the city have not been
increased since 1953. The Utilities
Commission had advised the fi
nance chairman that due to then
expected 1968-1969 expenditures
no funds could be expected this
year.
The following items are the
main reasons for the increase.
Many city general government
employees were not making min
imum wages and some are still
not getting the minimum wage af- i
ter the raises.
“Salaries per week §351.50.
With salary increase there also j I
is an increase in social security,
also retirement and group insur
ance.
“Recreation - $5,000.00.
“Thomas Public Library - $900.
00 .”
Food and Fashion
In “Ladies Day” J
At Flint Electric
A cooking and food preparation
demonstration, luncheon, and a
fashion show are the highlights
of the Ladies Day Program plann
ed for July 26th, at the meeting
room of Flint Electric Membership
Corporation in Reynolds, Georgia,
Registration opens at 9:30 a.m.,
and all Flint EMC members, their
families and friends are invited to
attend.
“We have an interesting pro
gram planned for the ladies, and
we especially invite school girls
to attend,” said Barbara Parks,
Home Service Advisor for the co
operative.
There will be a demonstration,
entitled “Cool and Tempting
Summer Foods” presented in the
morning session, by Geneva Grif
fin and Myrtle Spradlin, regional
home economists with the Oster
Company. A covered dish luncheon
will take place at noon, and in the
afternoon Libby McCall, of Libby’s
Style Shop in Warner Robins will
present a fashion show. There will
be door prizes awarded during the
day, and the program will con
clude about 3 p.m.
Soil and Water
Conservation
BY H. W. RABURN
The waterline survey has now
been completed to the pnwerlino
on both east and west shorelines
of Houser Mill Lake.
The 18 foot waterline is taken
from the known sea level found
on the east eind of Ga. Hwy. 96
bridge over Mossy Creek. This
marker was placed there by the
U. S. Dept, of Interior Geological
Survey in 1955.
The topography of the land on
the west side of the proposed res
ervoir is steeper than the east
shoreline. The waterline survey
recently completed ran parallel to
old survey that was done eleven
years ago.
Work is going on each day, Mr.
McDonald is cutting the pulpwood
and it’s plenty thick. The Houser
Mill Lake Corporation this week
has purchased a 5/8 yard link
belt drag line and earth mover
(turner pul) to be used in moving
yardage of earth and core mater
ial. An estimate of cost of this e
quipment in this project is about
$ 200,000 according to Mr. E. E.
Wantland, president of Houser
Mill Lake Corporation, this will
be the largest body of water this
near to 1-75 in the state.
The city council of Fort Valley,
with the mayor absent, voted te
raise the tax millage on real prop
elty in the city from 13 mills to
18 mills in a meeting held on last
Thursday night.
The minutes of the meeting re
cord that three voted for the tax
increase, one against, and one not
voting. Mayor pro-tem N. W. Jor
dan, Jr., presiding in the absence
of Mayor David I. Sammons was
not required to vote in the absence
of a tie vote.
Mayor Sammons, according to
the city clerk, was attending a
meeting of the Board of Directors
of the Georgia Municipal Associ
a tion in Atlanta on Thursday night
of last week.
This is the first increase in tax
millage in the city since 1953.
The budget total for the year-
1968-69 is $391, 786, an increase
of $33,000 over the budget of the
past fiscal year. Records reveal
that the city completed last year’s
operation of the general govern
ment. ending April 1, with a defi
cit of $29,706.51.
(Counncilman William J. Liipfert
chairman of the finance commit
tee, told the Leader-Tribune that
the increase is expected to bring
in an additional $47,397, still not
enough to make up the deficit o£
last year plus the increase in the
budget.
Chairman Liipfert said that the
committee and other members, of
council had taken into study and
consideration other methods of se
curing the needed money.
Mayor Sanunans, In a state
ment printed elsewhere cn this
page, cited the increase in salaries
of city general government em
ployees, plus a grant to recreation
and one to Thomas Public Library
as the main reasons for the in
crease. He also said that the Util
ities Commission, who have on a
number of occasions made some
monies available to the city gene
ral government, had advised that
none w(ould be available for the
next two years because of com
mitment of funds for needed) ex
pansion of electrical and water &
sewer expansion programs.
The budgets for the city gene
ral government for the past four
years, plus the new one, were as
follows: 1963 - 64, $233,342.00;
1964-65, $268,953.00; 1965 - 66,
$294,310.00; 1966-67, $358,878.00;
1968-69, $391,786.50.
In 1952 former Mayor T. A. Me
Cord, Sr., and city council comple
ted a tax re-evaluation program
of property in the city and as a
result reduced the tax millage to
1 13 from 26. There has been no in
crease in the millage since that
date,
However, during the term of
former Mayor Irving Rigdon a
sanitation tax (garbage and trash
collection) was instituted and
last year this tax brought in some
$44,000 for the general govern
ment. Records also indicate that
approval and institution of licen
ses for insurance companies doing
business in the city has brought
in an additional $17,000.00.
Under the program approved at
last week’s meeting, the entire in
crease in the budget will be borne
by the property owners in the city.
It was pointed out by one city of
ficial though, that those property
owners who own rental property
will in all probability pass the in
crease on to the renters.
Councilman Clinton Hutto made
the motion to pass the proposed
increase. Councilman Liipfert sec
onded the motion, and Councilman
David Parker voted with them.
Councilman L. B. Knight voted
against it and the minutes indi
cate that iCouncilman G. C. Pools
abstained from voting.
PERSONALS—
Mrs. R. E. Haussner and sons,.
Dale and Walter Haussner, of
Panama are visiting Mrs. Haus
sner’s prents, Mr. and Mrs. W. E.
Butler, Sr.
Mrs. Harold Guinn and daugh
ter Marion Elaine, of Fayeytte
ville, Ga., visited her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. W. E. Butler, Sr. last
week. fife