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tarlu Cnuntn News Volume 124-No. 12 € Early County News, Inc. Daylight Savings Time: Set Clocks Back! Taxes May Be Up... But Savings Is There! With the adoption of the local option 1 percent sales tax, a number of local citizens were anticipating a bigger tax break than they are now receiv ing. Yes, it may be difficult to believe for some, but Early County's property owners are receiving a tax savings. The savings does not look signifi cant for several reasons. First, while the county is actually depending on less property tax money, mainly due to local option sales tax, the county's school system has received no such tax “windfall.” As a matter of fact, while the county school board is towing the line on this budget, they are still having to levy additional tax millage to help com pensate for lost or reduced federal funds. Another increasing tax burden is being bestowed upon property tax payers each year when the state "fac tors” the county tax digest. While locally the millage rates are readjusted to provide only the amount of revenue needed, the state’s .25 mill remains set, producing additional revenue each time the digest is fac tored. Needless to say, there is slowly but surely growing a state-wide awareness that the state’s habit of "factoring" county tax digests seems to be having less and less to do with actual property taxes and more to do with needed state revenue. Little Miss Peanut Pageant The American Legion Auxiliary will host tonight’s, “Little Miss Peanut Pageant.” A special treat is in store for all the little girls. "The Old Woman In A Show” will be on stage to direct and assist each participant as they journey through a magic fairyland. Mr. Jimmy Everson. Assistant Principal Early County Elementary School and Commander of the Hunter's Safety Course A Hunter's Safety Class will be held Nov. 3rd and 4th at Rick's Restaurant from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1,1961, who has not been certified, are invited to attend this meeting. All students must attend both nights in order to be certified. Drug Problem Is Serious Problem This is the third of a series of ar ticles about drug awareness in Early County, the purpose of a September 30th Town Hall meeting. The following remarks were made by Probation Officer Harris Hodges. “Our drug problem is something that I am concerned with. Mr. Ferguson, the prosecution convicts them and then I supervise them in Early County. My people see that we do have a serious problem. Our judicial circuit is comprised of 7 counties, and out of those 7 counties, 60% of the people on probation for drug offenses are in Early County. Back to the local budget, the county's property taxpayers are ac tually bearing a smaller burden percent-wise and dollar-wise of the county government's budget. The county budget has actually decreased 11 percent the past two years from $1,784,695.25 to $1,763,000.00. The amount of property tax needed to meet the budget has actually decreased from $1,418,455.25 to $800,000.00, representing 79 percent of the budget in 1980-81, to 45 percent of the budget in 1982-83. Last year property tax represented 51 percent of the county budget or $912,560.55. Looking back through the past five years at the millage rates you will see an actuaTdecrease, both on the part of the county and the school board. 1978 - 8.25 county, 7.80 school; 1979 - 8.55 county, 6.78 school; 1980 - 8.60 county, 6.76 school; 1981 - 4.76 comity, 7.15 school; 1982 - 3.82 county, 6.64 school. An interesting note is that while the county and school were adjusting their millage rates, depending on ac tual revenue needed and fluctuation in property values, the state keeps con suming a growing .25 mill from local property owners. Yes, the Early County property tax payer is receiving a savings in his, just as local officials said they would. True, the net decrease in taxes American legion will serve as the master of ceremonies. Mrs. Aileen Starr, president of the Legion Aux iliary and Misses Ellen and Kathleen Smith have co-ordinated and arrang ed the pageant. Melynda Murkerson’s students from her School of Gymnastics, will perform several unique routines dur ing the course of the pageant. Twenty-one, first graders will be presented at 7:30. These include: Andrea Berry Anglin, Windy Brewer, Valerie Bush, Angelia Cochran, Carmen Dupree, Melanie Lynn Enfinger, Tiffany Enfinger, April Miranda Evans, Christy Griffin, Amitra LaShawna Holley, Allison Howard, Laura Lynn Love, Christie Norris, Brandy Pierson, Kelly Ted der, Kimberly Renee’ Thomas, Lori Turner, Michelle Vickers, Heather Lynn Wade, Shelby Warfield, Tabaitha Dawn Wilson, Mary Beth (Continued To Page 16) Let me explain to you what proba tion is. Probation is something that can be used by the court to suspend part of a prison sentence. This allows the offender to return to his home, to his family, to his job and be a produc tive member of our society, instead of being a tax burden to us. Today it costs over seven thousand dollars to house a prisoner; it costs two-hundred and sixty-six dollars per person per year on probation. The conditions of probation are designed to make the offender less likely to end up in prison. The condi tions of probation take away a lot of everyone would like to see is not there, but facing our economy today, how many things around are the way you would like to see them? Future Citizens Feature The photo feature - Future Citizens, will appear in the Early County News and Calhoun Courier again this year. Future Citizens features photos of our community youth at no charge. It has been one of the most popular features to appear. Three times before the series of photos appeared featuring several hundred future citizens. (Continued To Page 14) Halloween Parade The Blakely Jaycees are once again sponsoring a Halloween Parade and costume contest Saturday night, Oc tober 30 at 7:30 p.m. in front of City Hall. The costume judging contest will begin immediately following the parade. (Continued To Page 16) Trick or Treat On October 30 Chief Carl Gilbert from the Blakely Police Department announced the Halloween Trick or Treat night will be Saturday, October 30, 1982 between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Mr. Gilbert states the following rules should be observed that night: 1) Small children must be accom panied by parents or responsible adult. 2) Children participating should be under 13 years of age. 3) Only those homes with porch lights on will treat. 4) It is suggested that children wear reflecting clothes. Trick or Treat night is a special time for boys and girls to enjoy. Let’s keep it a safe one this year! A special reminder to parents to be sure and check your children’s candy before letting them consume their treats. ■Drug Awareness: Third In A Series- personal freedom, but they are necessary. Somebody on probation who abides by these conditions will finish his probation, return to the community and live a normal life. I would like to go over the conditions of probation with you. One condition of probation is a fine, and in drug of fenses, these fines are usually steep. Failure to pay the fine will result in the person going to prison. Another condition of probation prevents the use of alcoholic beverages while on probation. They are also to keep away from places where alcoholic beverages are sold or Thursday, Oct. 28, 1982 Early County - Blakely, Georgia 31723 Daylight-saving time ends next next Sunday with most Americans getting back the hour they lost last spring. The official time change will come at 2 a.m. local time Oct. 31st. Clocks should be moved back an hour to 1 a.m. Early County FFA Chapter Fair Booth Wins First Place & ll * 1 B If IrA W I MM K 1 A W ■HMeHWH , I IS t SSiifc W 1 ^MSSSr * s 'll - : s h ■ «■ ,l ’ '■ w \ - ’' The Early County High FFA Chapter won first place in the Early County Peanut Festival Fair Booths. More pictures of the other winners will be featured in next week’s paper. Third Annual Dog Show Our 3rd Annual Dog Show will be held on October 30th on the Court Square. This activity is for children ages 5 and up, enter your dog in any of the following events: Best Trick, largest, Smallest, Best Behaved, Best Looking, and Ugliest. You can enter your dog in any of these events or all of them. The only requirements are that they be at least six months of (Continued To Page 16) Blood Mobile The American Red Cross Blood Mobile will be at Early Memorial Nursing Home in Blakely, Georgia on Wednesday, November 3, 1982 from 10:00a.m. until4:oop.m. We encourage each of you to con tinue your participation in order that we may once again have a successful drive. Our goal is to obtain 135 units of blood from Early County. Please donate. used. The probationer has to report to the probation office on a periodic basis. The frequency of this reporting depends on the seriousness of the crime. It can be as often as once a week or as little as once a month. I talk to these people who are on probation, I talk to their families and friends, employers, teachers, and try to find out how they are doing. I try to stop problems before they are serious enough to effect the probation. A pro bationer is expected to keep a job dur ing the time he is on probation if at all possible. We all know how our "Spring forward - fall back,” is the handy phrase most people try to remember for changing the clock on the last Sunday of April and the last Sunday of October. The fall time change will give early risers a little more daylight, at least for a while. Unsung Heroes Honored Early County’s unsung heroes were honored with a luncheon at the Early County Elementary School on October 27. These thirty dedicated school bus drivers travel our county five days a week through rain, sunshine, sleet or sometimes snow. They cope with slick red clay hills, washed out bridges and children late at the bus stop. They are interested with the lives, Beware Os Altered Money Orders Early County Sheriff Oree Thomp son is asking all area merchants to be cautious of cashing Majik Market money orders, because of a scheme being used to alter the amount payable to a larger sum. A $3.00 Majik Market money order was cashed in Dawson County after being altered to read $125.00. Money orders have been illegally cashed in Georgia, Louisiana, economy is today. We want the proba tioner to be working. Failure to support his legal depen dants, someone on probation who does not support his children, is a violation of probation and can result in going to prison. While a person is on probation, he must submit to search of his person and property by any law enforcement officer, without a search warrant. This means that any time a law en forcement officer thinks or may have an idea they may have drugs or any other type of contrabond, they can be searched without a search warrant. And most importantly, a probationer USPS 16406000 25$ 'Agriculture' safety and transportation of Early County’s most valuable product, the children. With patience and per sistence they deliver their precious cargoes to school on time and return them safely to their homes each day. Service records range from two months to thirty-two years and seven months, with a combined record of 336 (Continued To Page 16) Alabama, North and South Carolina, according to southeastern regional Majik Market representatives in response to the Dawson County case. Sheriff Thompson urges all businesses to be on the lookout for fraudulent money orders. The sheriff recommends that a drivers license number and tag number be obtained before cashing any money orders. cannot violate any traffic laws and must stay on good behavior. This is a condition of probation that most pro bationers violate and go back to prison for. Right now we are in the process of working on several new conditions of probation, and I have learned a lot since I got started in working with the drug problem here in Early County. We hope that you will talk to our judges and add what are the new con ditions of probation to the more serious charges, a short jail sentence before the probation actually starts. (Continued To Page 14)