Newspaper Page Text
Early County Jfnua
Volume 123 - No. 50
© Early County News, Inc.
16&17 Year-old Drivers
Face Tighter Restrictions
Tighter restrictions on 16 and 17
year old drivers in Georgia will go in
to effect Nov. 1, 1982. According to
Eldon Basham, legal assistant for the
Georgia Department of Education,
high school students should be made
aware of the changes put into law by
the 1982 Georgia General Assembly.
“In the past minors were treated as
adults regarding speeding violations
-points were issued against a person’s
license and a minor’s license was sub
ject to the same revocation pro-
Preacher Striken Dead
In Pulpit Here Sunday
A visiting preacher was striken
dead by a heart attack Sunday while
he was preaching before the con
gregation at the Blakely Church of
God.
Rev. Arthur L. Brinson, of
Ochlacknee, Georgia, told the 35
member congregation Sunday that he
preferred to die preaching - and his
wish came true.
Relatives said the 67-year-old
preacher had been having heart pro
blems.
One Contested Race
In City Election
Qualifying came to an end Monday,
for the August 3rd City election, with
only one race being contended.
Mayor Billy Fleming and Coun
cilman Tommy Wright will face no op
position for re-election to their seats.
City Councilman David Griffin at
tracted three opponents in his bid for
Lawmen Investigate
String of Break-ins
Authorities here are investigating a
string of burglaries which took place
last Thursday night and Friday morn
ing.
Small amounts of money or mer
chandise, including beer, cigarettes,
and drinks were taken from the
businesses.
August 10 Poll Counts Most
(Editor’s Note - The following feature
article is the second of a series cover
ing the gubernatorial race by Melita
Easters Hayes of Capitol News Ser
vice, who has traveled with all the
candidates and attended many of the
candidate forums.)
Voters can’t be blamed if they are
confused by recent poll results in the
Georgia governor’s race.
Last week, both Bo Ginn and Nor
man Underwood predicted they will
be the front-runner in the August
primary. Ginn had recently released
a poll showing him with 23 percent of
the vote and a poll from two weeks
later released by Billy Lovett’s cam
paign staff showed him with 29.3 per-
Statewide Primaries Did Not Exist
By David B. Poythress
Secretary of State
When an anticipated one million or
more Georgians go to the polls in this
year’s Aug. 10 Democratic and
Republican primaries, they will par
ticipate in a political tradition that is
less than a century old.
For most of Georgia’s nearly 250
years of history, in fact, statewide
party primaries did not exist.
Party activists, and not the people
at large, selected nominees for the
cedures as an adult’s,” Basham said.
“Now a 16 or 17 year old’s driver’s
license will be suspended for one year
for the first speeding offense of 25
mph over the speed limit. This will be
reduced to 60 days if the driver com
pletes an approved defensive driving
course. If a young driver is convicted
on a second such offense, his or her
license will be revoked until the driver
is 18 years old or for 90 days after the
surrender of the license, whichever is
later. At that time he or she may app-
Rev. Brinson had agreed to be the
guest minister Sunday while the
church pastor, Rev. Ronald Warren
was in Vidalia to perform the wedding
of his son.
Rev. Warren said that the Rev.
Brinson had on several occasions said
he would rather die at the pulpit. “The
highest honor”, Rev. Warren added.
Members of the congregation
recalled that Rev. Brinson had said
during the service, if the l>ord saw
re-election to Post No. 4.
Lester Shoemaker, Dwight Evans,
and Will Gilbert, Jr., all qualified for
election to Council Post No. 4.
VOTER REGISTRATION
Residents of the city have until July
23rd to register to vote in the City elec
tion.
Burglarized were Pac & Sac on
South Main, Blakely, Texaco,
Superior Sales & Service and the State
Farm Insurance office.
A spokesman for the task force
stated that authorities are in
vestigating several leads, but no ar
rests have been made.
cent of the vote.
Meanwhile, Lovett, basing his con
clusions on two Darden polls, and Joe
Frank Harris, who based his conclu
sions on staff-conducted polls by his
campaign organization, both claimed
that Underwood’s support is slipping.
Both Lovett and Harris predicted
their campaigns will build sufficient
momentum between now and August
10 that they will each knock Under
wood out of a run-off spot with Ginn.
Not to be outdone, Jack Watson told
supporters at a Gainesville head
quarters opening, that while he has
always been a dark horse candidate,
there is plenty of hope for a runoff
slot. Watson said his polls show that
general election ballot in earlier
times. They carried out the
nominating process at conventions of
party representatives, and those
gatherings were often controlled by a
few bosses.
But in 1886, one immensely popular
Georgian bucked the system and won.
He was Gen. John R. Gordon from Up
son and Walker counties, a tall,
ramrod straight figure with piercing
eyes who emerged from the War Bet
ween the States with a brilliant and
heroic record. #
Thursday, July 22, 1982
Early County - Blakely, Georgia 31723
ly for a new license,” he said.
Other driving offenses for which a
license is immediately suspended in
clude homicide by vehicle,
manslaughter resulting from the
operation of a vehicle, driving under
the influence of alcohol or any drug,
committing a felony in which a vehi
cle is used, racing on highways and
streets, using a vehicle to flee or at
tempt to elude an officer, fraudulent
use of a license and hit and run or
leaving the scene of an accident.
fit, that he’d just as soon leave from
that pulpit and go meet his Lord, as
any other place he knew of. ”
The Rev. Brinson retired in the
mid-1970’s and afterwards preached
rarely. He became more active this
past February when his wife died.
The Rev. Brinson “built several
churches” before he retired and after
his retirement he refused to accept his
ministry pension, the Rev. Warren
said.
Mathis Asks
Georgia FHA
Cooperation
Second District Congressional Can
didate Dawson Mathis has called on
Georgia Farmers Home Administra
tion officials to “cooperate with
Georgia farmers” by allowing local
banks to have first lien on this years
crops when those banks have provid
ed financing for crop production.
Mathis, a ten year veteran of the
U.S. House, said he has heard from
several farmers who were refused
financing from FHA, and had subse
quently been able to obtain financing
from local banks. “These fanners,”
said Mathis, “are now apparently be
ing told by FHA that local banks must
take a back seat to be paid.”
Many Second District fanners were
turned away when they applied for
operating loans from FHA, and were
forced to borrow money for produc
tion from local banking institutions.
(Continued To Page 11)
Gubernatorial Race
the more voters learn about his plat
form, the more they like him. With his
recently aired commercials adding to
the momentum, Watson predicts his
support will peak just in time to topple
his opponent in the August 31 runoff.
Confused? The only thing which is
certain is that somebody is “shucking
and jiving with poll results,” as one
candidate so aptly noted last week.
The results of seven polls have been
released by candidates since August
of last year. Other polls have been
taken but have not been released. Poll
results must be reviewed with the pro
verbial grain of salt for several
reasons.
First, polls have a three to five per-
Gordon was eager to run for gover
nor on the Democratic ticket in the
1886 election, even though a promi
nent Macon attorney and state
legislator named Augustus 0. Bacon
appeared to have the nomination sew
ed up. Bacon had secured enough
commitments oi political support to
assure victory at the upcoming
Democratic convention.
With the help of Atlanta newspaper
publisher Henry Grady as his cam
paign manager, Gordon stumped the
state in pursuit of grass roots backing.
Dixie Boys Win District,
Play In State Tournament
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Blakely-Early County Recreation’s
13-14 Yr. Olds Dixie Boys All-Star
team won the District No. 8 Tourna
ment Sunday afternoon, defeating Lee
County by a score of 7-4.
Blakely-Early County’s Dixie Boys
Team will advance to the State Tour
nament in Roswell, Georgia, playing
Friday, July 23rd., at 3:00 p.m.
The Recreation Department is seek
ing donations to help defray the ex
pense of food and lodging for the
players. Anyone interested in helping
should contact the Recreation Office
at 723-3197.
Issues Facing Georgia
Rural Georgia Drug Abuse
ISSUES FACING GEORGIA’ is
published by the Cooperative Exten
sion Service and the publication pro
vides relevant, up-to-date, informa
tion involving contemporary com
munity development issues. The July,
1982 issue deals with Drug Abuse in
Rural Georgia.
In the Spring of 1981, a question
naire was administered to Bth through
12th grade students in two rural coun
ties’ public school systems. A total of
4,859 questionnaires were obtained. A
summary of the major points of the
drug survey are listed:
-Drug and alcohol abuse among rural
youths participating in the study is
lower than the national and state
cent margin of error, depending on
the pollster and the number of persons
polled. In many cases, that margin of
error could make the results quite dif
ferent than those presented and
quoted.
Second, polls are bought and paid
for by the candidate who releases
them. Often the poll is more extensive
than the mere popularity ranking
which makes headlines. That untold
story about why voters have chosen a
candidate or how they feel on issues is
used for campaign strategy.
The timing of a poll is also controll
ed by the candidate paying for the poll
and often is planned to coincide with a
big media buy. Norman Underwood
Grady arranged at one point to have
the old Confederate President Jeffer
son Davis visit Georgia and travel
■with Gordon from Atlanta to Savan
nah. The caravan was greeted wildly
at every stop.
With a groundswell of public sup
port building up behind Gordon’s can
didacy, Bacon lost many of his com
mitments and the nomination on the
first ballot, 252 to 70. Gordon was then
elected governor in the general elec
tion without opposition.
Party primary elections were
1982 All Star Team
Pictured is the 1982 All Star team that represented Blakely-Early County in the
district No. 8 Dixie Boys League All Star Tournament in Bainbridge.
Standing left to right: Greg Webb, Tony Jackson, Thomas Caesar, Coach
Frank Dennis, Chris Logan, Robert Enfinger, Patrick Smith, Kevin Tabb, Coach
Bo King, Gary McGlamory and Coach Johnny Henderson.
Kneeling left to right: Frankie Dennis, Alton Shorter, Andrew Tlnson, Cody
King, Steven Swords, Toby Warr, Todd Davis and Heath McDowell. Not shown:
Frankie Lamb.
averages.
-A majority of the students felt that
drug abuse was a problem in the local
community.
-Approximately three-fourths of the
respondents have tried alcohol at
least once.
-Approximately ten percent drink
alcohol either daily or at least several
times a week.
-Approximately one-third have tried
marijuana at least once.
-Ten percent of the students smoke
marijuana either daily or at least
several times a week.
-Approximately two-thirds of the
students reported smoking cigarettes
at least one, and 14 percent smoke dai-
showed most strongly in the polls at a
time when he was the only candidate
advertising.
Third, because different pollsters
employ different polling techniques
comparing an August 1981 Darden
poll to a January 1982 Caddell poll and
a June 1982 Hart poll is like compar
ing apples and oranges.
Fourth, polls normally eliminate a
certain percentage of the population
from the sample. A poll for a
Democratic candidate automatically
eliminates those who do not have a
history of voting in Democratic
primaries. This practice ignores new
residents to the state, the occassional
(Continued To Page 6)
established by law a few years later.
For many years, the Democratic
primary was the only primary in
Georgia and the only meaningful elec
tion. For the past 14 years, however,
the Republican party has been con
ducting primaries, ushering in a new
era of two-party politics.
Although the absence of primaries
often reduced political competition,
the variety of parties that existed in
Georgia generally gave voters some
choice in general elections. There
(Continued To Page 8)
USPS 164060 25^
ly-
-Sixteen percent indicated they had
used amphetamines at least once.
-Almost 2 percent reported ex
perimentation with heroin.
-Enjoyment and curiosity were the
major reasons given for drug abuse.
-Harmful effects was the major
reason given for not using drugs.
-Social gatherings was the most
popular place for alcohol consump
tion.
-Cars was the most popular place for
marijuana use.
-Friends were a major source of drug
information.
-Drug counselors and relatives were
both cited as sources for drug counsel
ing help.
The study was intended to provide a
practical overview of the nature and
scope of rural drug abuse.
“This publication,” stated Nancy
Kinsey, Executive Director of the
Blakely-Early County Chamber of
(Continued To Page 16)
Charles Hatcher
Here Thursday
and Friday
Ik
In spite of the fact that the front
page of last week’s Early County
News tried to have him speaking here
last Friday (our mistake), he WILL
BE HERE as guest speaker for this
Friday’s Rotary Club meeting.
In addition, everyone is invited to
meet and hear Congressman Hatcher
Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at the
American Legion in a casual at
mosphere.