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Hacksaw regress-Argus
Volume 103 Number 51
Judging of Christmas Lights
To Be Held on December 20
Homes and businesses in
Jackson and Butts County
are good evidence that the
holiday season is here as
owners begin to decorate for
Christmas and for the 1976
Christmas lighting contest
which will involve jwth
residences and businesses.
This year’s contest will be
judged Monday evening,
December 20, beginning at
7:00 p.m. Judging will be
continued until final deci
sions have been made on the
winners.
The judges for this year’s
event will be Mr. and Mrs.
Bill Craig, Mr. and Mrs. Jim
Jones of Forsyth, Peggy
Foye, Home Service Super
visor, Georgia Power Com
pany and Macon and Emily
Alexander, retired from the
Home Service Department of
Georgia Power Company of
Forsyth.
Mr. Craig is Commercial
Marketing Engineer with
Georgia Power Company of
Progress-Argus
Wins National
Weekly Honors
The Jackson Progress-
Argus has been designated a
Blue Ribbon Newspaper for
1977 by the National Editorial
Association.
Mrs. Martha G. Jones,
publisher of the Progress-
Argus, is in receipt of a letter
from Paul D. Coffman,
president of the National
Editorial Association, an
nouncing that the local paper
had qualified /or the presti
gious award. The letter, in
part read:
“Congratulations. Your
newspaper is one of only 332
in the entire United States to
earn the coveted designation
of “National Blue Ribbon
Newspaper” for 1977. This
award indicates that you
publish an alert and progres
sive community-minded
newspaper.”
To qualify for the award, a
newspaper must meet
twenty-five criteria, which
measure the paper’s service
to its community against a
national standard.
The designation is the first
to be accorded a Butts
County newspaper in the
103-year history of weekly
newspaper publications with
in the County.
GRIFFIN TECH IS
RECEIVING STUDENTS
The winter quarter at
Griffin Tech will begin on
January 4, 1977 and applica
tions are still being taken for
admission to the school.
There are presently open
ings in most day and evening
programs. An aptitude test is
required for students apply
ing for the day program. The
test, which is not required for
evening programs, is given
each Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.
Notice to Subscribers
Due to the spiraling costs of all items
that go into the production of a newspaper,
the Progress-Argus is forced to increase
its subscription rates to out-of-state
subscribers.
Effective January 1, 1977, the
subscription rate for readers outside the
State of Georgia will be raised to $7.28 per
year. The subscription rate for Georgia
residents will remain unchanged.
Renewal subscriptions for out-of-state
subscribers will be accepted at the present
rate of $6.24 a year until the new rate
becomes effective.
Macon. Mr. Jones is owner of
April Flowers in Forsyth and
his wife, Roger Ann Jones, is
Managing Editor of the
Macon News.
The Mimosa and Jenkins
burg Garden Clubs will host a
dinner for the judges at the
Central Georgia EMC at 6:00
o’clock on December 20. The
Cherokee Garden Club will
provide transportation dur
ing the judging process.
The city will be divided into
East and West divisions, with
identical prizes awarded
those homes considered to
have the most attractive
decorations in both divisions.
First prize winners will be
awarded $12.50; second
prize, $10.00; third prize,
$7.50; and fourth prize, $5.00.
In addition, the three best
decorated businesses will be
awarded prizes of SIO.OO,
$7.50, and $5.00, respectively.
Artis Knowles
Wins Highest
Masonic Honor
Artis Clinton Knowles of
527 Franklin Street has been
awarded the designation of
Knight of the York Cross of
Honour. This honorary de
gree, highest in the York Rite
of Freemasonry, is conferred
only on those who have held
the highest office in each of
the four bodies of the rite.
Mr. Knowles becomes one
of the comparative handful of
.about 400 of the over four and
a quarter million Free
masons in North America,
the Philippines and Australia
County's 1976 Tax Digest Is
Rejected By State As Too Low
The 1976 Butts County tax
digest has been, rejected by
the State Revenue Depart
ment as not meeting the
requirement that property be
assessed at 40 per cent of its
fair market value.
The action will necessitate
that the 1976 digest be
increased, or factored, either
by the local board of
assessors or the State
Revenue Department.
It also will mean a lengthy
delay in the mailing of 1976
tax bills, as the factor will
have to be determined, anew
tax levy set based on the new
digest, and the required
20-day period for assessment
challenges will all have to be
accomplished before a final
determination of individual
tax bills can be made.
Judge Hugh D. Sosebee, in
a temporary order issued
last Friday, authorized the
Butts County Tax Commis
sioner to accept payments of
1976 taxes from any taxpayer
Jac 1 Georgia 30233, Thursday, December 16, 1976
The Garden Club Council
advised that all homes in
Jackson will be judged as
well as those on the Griffin
Road as far as the W. A. Cook
residence. Homes will be
included beyond the city
limits on Brookwood Avenue,
those on the Monticello
Highway to the C. E.
Washington home and those
on Buttrill Road.
The same rules that
applied in past years will be
used and include:
No formal entry applica
tion need be made.
Every home within the
confines of the contest
boundaries will be judged
and ribbons placed the same
night. Checks will be mailed
the next day by the
newspaper.
Homes on the Barnesville
highway will be judged as far
west as the American Mills
plant.
to qualify this year.
Mr. Knowles served as
Master of St. John’s Lodge of
Masons in 1967; High Priest
of Jackson Chapter, Royal
Arch Masons in 1969; Master
of Ocmulgee Council, Royal
and Select Masters in 1974;
Commander of Alexius Com
mandery, Knight Templar,
in 1975.
He was elected to member
ship in Cherokee Rose Priory
and his election confirmed by
Convent General of the Order
on December 6. A certificate
of membership has been
mailed to him. There are
sixty-eight Priories of the
Order with a present mem
bership of 10,000.
who might wish to make a
payment on their 1976 tax
bills prior to the actual
determination of the amount
due.
The letter to the chairman
of the Butts County Board of
Tax Assessors, dated Dec.
7th, from Revenue Commis
sioner Nick D. Chilivis, is as
follows:
“Your 1976 county tax
digest has been received by
this office and examined in
accordance with the require
ments of Georgia Laws 1966,
pp. 45, 47, as amended,
particularly by Georgia
Laws 1972, p. 174.
I have determined that
your digest, as submitted,
does not meet the require
ments of Georgia law that
property be returned at fair
market value and assessed at
40 per cent of fair market
value; and therefore, I am
not authorized to approve
your digest as submitted. It
appears, after investigation
and inquiry thereof, that, in
the aggregate, the tangible
property appearing on your
1976 digest, except bank
shares and motor vehicles, is
assessed at less than 40
percent of fair market value
contrary to the requirement
of Georgia law.
Pursuant to Georgia Laws
1972, p. 174, Section 1,
Subsection (c), I am return
ing your 1976 digest in order
that you may make adjust
ments in the valuations of
the properties so as to
insure that the properties are
assessed at 40 percent of fair
market value and that the
values are equalized.
After you have made the
necessary adjustments in the
valuations of the properties
to achieve the 40 percent
assessment for all proper-
Local Chamber
To Sponsor
Open House
Jackson’s nine major in
dustries are holding open
house on Monday, December
20th. between the hours of
12:20 to 4:30 p.m.
The tour of the City’s
industrial facilities is spon
sored and coordinated by the
Butts County Chamber of
Commerce, Inc. and the
public is cordially invited to
visit any or all of the
industries during these
hours.
Avondale Mills, Inc.-12:30-
1:45; Delta Tank Corpora
tion, Fabral Corporation,
The Kym Company and
Quality Products-1:30-3:00;
American Mill, Inc., Fashion
Pillows and Fashion Wicker,
Inc., and Plantation Fash
ions-3:00-4:15; Addison-
Jackson Plant-3:00-4:30.
Advance Fabricators will
not be participating since the
industry will be opening at a
new location on Alabama
Boulevard after the first of
the year.
JACKSON GIRL WINS
(>.\. COLLEGE HONOR
Miss June Maddox, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Rebon
Maddox of Jackson, was one
of 33 Georgia College
students named to “Who’s
Who in American Colleges
and Universities” for 1976.
Students are nominated for
this honor on the basis of
academic achievement, lead
ership. and campus involve
ment .
• Editor’s Note: In last
week's paper the newspaper
incorrectly listed Miss Mad
dox as the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Levi Maddox. We
regret this error and are glad
to make the correction.)
ties, and the appropriate 10-
and 20-day assessment
notice periods have expired,
it will be necessary, by
operation of law, as contain
ed in Section 1, Subsection
(c), Georgia Laws 1972, p.
174, that the millage levy, as
submitted with your 1976
digest, be adjusted so as to
insure that the adjusted
county digest will produce an
amount of revenue reason
ably equivalent to that
amount of revenue which
would have been produced
had no necessary adjust
ments been made to the
county valuations.
It will also be necessary
that the governing authority
of the county submit the total
adjusted county millage levy
established for the county for
the current year at the
time the adjusted 1976 county
tax digest is resubmitted for
approval.
We will be in a position to
consider your digest for
approval upon its resubmis
sion to this office with the
necessary accompanying do
cuments.
The Property Tax Unit will
be pleased to furnish addi
tional information at your
request." ,
Very truly yours
Nick P. Chilivis
Commissioner
7 .mK
Judge Says 1976 Tax Levy
Illegal ; Hearing Dec. 20
Flint Superior Court Judge
Hugh D. Sosebee ruled the
1976 Butts County tax levy
illegal at a hearing Friday
afternoon in open court on a
petition for a temporary
restraining order.
Judge Sosebee cited the
law which requires that tax
levies be specific as to the
allocation of millage and
requested the Board of
County Commissioners to
prepare a levy in compliance
with the law.
The action was taken
before a courtroom almost
filled with taxpayers anxious
to hear the Court’s ruling on
a petition request for a
temporary injunction to stop
Bloodmobile Visits County; Donors Contribute 92 Pints
The Red Cross Bloodmo
bile program in Butts County
continued to move at a slow
pace on Monday, December
6th. when 92 pints were
collected on a quota of 110
pints.
Inclement weather, the
swine flu vaccinations and
other factors possibly influ
enced the disappointingly
low turn out of donors. The
County, however, has failed
to meet its goal in the last
several visits of the Blood
mobile and local sponsors
are concerned about the
future of the program.
Among those offering a
pint of blood Monday at the
Bloodmobile's visit to the
National Armory were:
Charlene W. Woodruff.
Richard H. Britton. Martha
W. Cochran. Janice L.
Thaxton. Lannie W. Smith.
Frank Fountain. Daftner
Fincher. Lucille J. Tyson.
Peggy H. Tingle. Hugh M.
Glidewell, Jr., William P.
Glidewell. Thomas M. Glide
well. R. Grady Brooks,
Maria B. Brannan. Patricia
E. Peek. Jackie L. Burford.
Ronald Tingle, James O.
Browning.
John L. Hall, Cheryl P.
Long. Linda B. Johnson.
Charlene B. Wise. Terrie
Mae Morgan. Merrell Price.
David P. Ridgeway, John E.
Heil. George W. Washington.
Ryland Smith. Terry Waits.
Deborah Parrish. Terri Dod
son, Sherry Lynn Barnes,
Layne T. Williamson, Bonnie
C. Cook. Vivian E. Patterson,
Robbie F. Powell, Stanley
Maddox. Larry Lunsford.
Priscilla T. Thurmond.
Darrell Pippin, Richard
Beauchamp, Carrie Davis,
Marsha S. McKibben, Jill T.
Williamson, Mary T. Davis.
Winona Cook. Kenny L.
Smith. Luke Weaver, Norma
ADDRESS
SANTA LETTERS H
to
PROGRESS-ARGUS
Following a tradition of long standing,
the Progress-Argus will once again
publish letters to Santa Claus from
Butts County children.
Letters should be addressed to Santa
Claus, C-0 The Jackson Progress-
Argus, and either mailed or hand
delivered to the office.
In order to assure publication in the
December 23rd issue, all Santa Claus
letters must be received by the
newspaper not later than noon, Monday,
December 20th.
the County Commissioners
from making rebates on 1975
tax bills.
Judge Sosebee earlier had
granted a restraining order
prohibiting the County Com
missioners from making
payments to Butts County
taxpayers as a rebate on
their 1975 tax bills. The
action to make such rebates
was taken by the County
Commissioners at a called
meeting and passed as a
resolution of the Board.
Several taxpayers, acting
as plaintiffs, had filed a
petition for a temporary'
injunction against the com
mission members and the
Tax Commissioner and,
following his ruling that the
D. Evans, Gary Michael
Thompson. G. Lawrence
Morgan, Henry F. Bagby,
Joel A. Kelso, Robert C.
Evans. Clifford L. Sanvidge,
Scott Coleman. Cornelious
Williams, Sara Anne Webb.
Mary M. Carr. Marsha
Stewart. Cathy Reasor, Car
rie S. Dupree, Eugene F.
Varner. Diane F. Cook.
Curtis Gave, Albert Dupree.
David P Ridgeway. Jr..
Vera T. Douglas. Elaine W.
Watson. Shirley I. Gay.
Donnie L. Gay, Joe H.
Brown. Jr.. Bobby W.
Hendrick. Bessie C. McKinn.
Newton Mayfield. Dan
Fears. Jr.. Vicki W. Johns
ton. Ellis P. Cook.
Melinda A. Cook. Donald L.
Cook. Alton Patterson.
Naomi H. Duffey. Walter F.
Maugham. Samuel L. Head.
Marvin W. Singley. Donald
L Folsom. Douglas R.
Brooks. A. Jack Long, Guy
H Howard, Patricia A.
Smith. Alva T. Colbert.
Clifford Johnson.
Southern Bell Raises Rates
On Business and Home Phones
The Georgia Public Ser
vice Commission today ap
proved new rate schedules
for Southern Bell Telephone
customers in Georgia. New
rates became effective
December 9. 1976.
According to Southern Bell
District Manager Barry
Mansell, monthly charges for
single-party residence sub
scribers in Jackson will
increase from $6.25 to $7.25.
In Atlanta rates will increase
from $9.75 to $11.30 per
month, and in Macon rates
will go from $7.95 to $9.25.
Single party business lines
in Jackson will go from $12.40
$6.24 Per Year In Advance
status quo be maintained
until a later hearing, Judge
Sosebee set the hearing on
the petition for 2 p.m. on
Friday.
The Commissioners may
continue to receive applica
tions for refunds on 1975
taxes, the refunds may be
processed, but no credits or
rebates may be issued until
another hearing on the entire
matter is held on Monday,
December 20th, at 9:30 a.m.
In an effort to permit
taxpayers to make payments
during the current calendar
year. Judge Sosebee instruct
ed Mrs. Mary Will Hearn.
Butts County Tax Commis
sioner. to receive payments
on 1976 tax bills, give proper
Weda C. Wilcox, Hilda G.
Maddox. Mildred .Alexander,
Jesse L. Duffey. Andrea K.
Maddox. Sara C. Craig
Lurlene Brown, Doyle Mc-
Mullen. Leila P. Smith.
George C. Johnson. Thelma
C. Miller. Bobby R. Tyus.
Edna M. Long. Donald
Thaxton. Ralph E. Alex
ander.
Among the 4-H'ers assist
ing at the Bloodmobile were
Bobby Pinckney, Greg
O'Neal. Rose Campbell.
Alice Potts. Laura Thaxton.
Pam English. Janet English.
Renne Kinard.
\\KPCHAPTER
TO MEET MONDAY
\T 2ND BAPTIST
The Butts County Chapter
oi AARP will meet Monday.
December 20th. at 2:30
o'clock at the Van Deventer
Youth Center. Please bring a
wrapped gift marked "man”
ci woman ' for the nursing
home.
to $14.40 a month.
Several statewide rate
changes were also approved.
Connection of a single-line
residence telephone which
now costs from $24 to S3O will
cost from $22 to $35.
Business service connec
tion of a single line telephone
which now costs from $32 to
S4O will cost from $29 to
$46.50.
New rates for service
connection are part of the
Company’s continuing effort
to place the cost of service on
those customers who actual
ly use it. Despite the general
increase in this charge, the
new charge reflects an actual
reduction of two dollars in
the basic rate, in some cases.
The reduction will affect
those businesses or resi
dences where equipment has
been left in from previous
service.
Residence extension tele
phone sets which now carry a
monthly rate of $1.40 each
will cost $1.65. Touchtone
service will go from $1.75-a
--month to $2.05-a-month for
residence subscribers. Trim
line telephone sets which are
now $1.20 will increase to
$1 40-a-month for residences
and businesses.
Southern Bell filed its
request for a $lO3 million rate
adjustment last June. After
five months of hearings, the
PSC granted $62 million on
November 24 and allowed the
Company a 9.38 per cent
overall rate of return, less
than the 10.3 per cent the
Company had sought. The
Commission also denied the
Company's request for a 25
cent coin telephone call.
receipts to the taxpayer and
give credit on such payments
when the 1976 tax bills are
finally computed
The Judge said he would
permit such collections as a
benefit to those who would
use their tax payments as
credit on their 1976 state and
federal income taxes.
It now seems almost
certain that 1976 tax bills will
not be computed and mailed
in time to reach most
taxpayers before the end of
the calendar year. Judge
Sosebee's ruling will permit
partial payment of 1976
taxes, however, even if the
final tax bill has not been
received.
Taxpayers
Group Meets
On Thursday
Members of the Butts
County Taxpayer's Protec
tive Association will meet
Thursday night, December
16th. at 7:00 p.m. in the Butts
County courtroom.
In a letter mailed to
members of the TPA this
week. E D. Briscoe, chair
man. announced that he will
resign his post. He has
served as chairman of the
group since its organization
some 15 months ago. Briscoe
will assume office as a
member of the County-
Commission in January
The chairman urged a full
attendance at the meeting, as
reports will be made and the
future course of the associa
tion charted.
MACON BALLET GUILD
PRESENT NUTCRACKER
Christmas wouldn't be
Christmas without "The
Nutcracker." Tchaikovsky’s
beautiful holiday ballet. The
Macon Ballet guild will
present two performances of
"The Nutcracker" Decem
ber 18th and 19th at the
Grand Opera House in
Macon
Ballet Guild members
from Macon and several
central Georgia counties will
dance in this fairy tale ballet.
The December 18th per
formance begins at 8 p.m.
and the December 19th
performance at 3 p.m.
Advance tickets are $3 and
$4 50. w ith children under 12
at half price, and tickets at
the door 50 cents more.
JOE. THE HOBO. SEZ:
A#
A good reputation is one of
the most difficult things in
life to gain and one of the
easiest to lose.