Newspaper Page Text
Karksoxt, p rngreaa-Argus
Volume 104 • Number 1
County Is Glazed By Tip |
Winter s First Major Storm
Butts County narrowly
escaped a massive ice storm
that covered several South
eastern states over the
weekend, with only the icy
fingertips of the major
winter storm brushing the
County early Monday morn
ing, leaving a thin residue of
sleet and ice as its calling
card.
Sunday dawned cloudy and
cold, perfect sleet or snow
weather for the area, and
television and radio news
reports warned all day about
the impending storm, and
traveler’s advisories were
issued to alert motorists to
dangers on the highway.
Sunday afternoon and
evening were spent uneasily,
with most citizens having
their eyes glued to the skies,
their ears attuned to the
latest weather advisory and
their thoughts zeroed in on
emergency heating and cook
ing devices and adequate
food supplies.
Monday morning about
1:30 a.m. the long-awaited
and adequately-advertised
storm began dropping its icy
filigrees of sleet and by dawn
on Monday the County
resembled a Santa Claus
village.
Butts County schools were
closed Monday by the
hazardous conditions for both
motorists and pedestrians
and iced sidewalks brought
business to a standstill in
downtown Jackson on Mon
day morning.
The fine rain that
accompanied the sleet froze
on wires, trees and shrubs
and. although the coating
was not thick enough to
cause extensive damage to
either trees or power lines,
there w r as some damage to
both.
By mid-afternoon Monday
the temperature had risen to
the mid-30’s and the im
minent threat of a crippling
ice storm seemed to have
disappeared for the moment.
Power and phone company
officials remembering the
havoc past ice storms had
brought the area, breathed a
sigh of relief at the storm’s
passing, although they had
made extensive preparations
to deal with the worst kind of
emergency.
Their team’s glory tarnish
ed by the No. 1 Pittsburgh
Panthers, fans of the Georgia
Bulldogs snaked their way
along ice-coated highways on
the long trip back from New
Orleans, with the ice storm
breathing cold waves on their
necks.
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HOWL BOUND -- This happy group of Jackson business and professional men were
caught posing Friday morning, just prior to leaving for New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl
battle between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Pittsburgh Panthers. At the bottom, left to
right, are Darrell Pippin; Pete Malone and Frank Hearn. Top tow, left to right, Tommy
Carmichael. Byrd Garland, Denny O’Neal and Larry Fletcher. - Photo by Donnie
Norsworthy
& nuts';
COLD BEAUTY -- Ice transformed this shrub into a
crystal chandelier Monday morning when Butts Countians
awoke to find themselves encased in a coating of ice and
sleet that soon melted under the afternoon sun. - Photo by
Carole Lawrence.
P.E.T. Course
Offered At
First Baptist
Jackson First Baptist
Church is sponsoring a
course, “Parent Effective
ness Training” (P.E.T.),
beginning Monday January
17th.
P.E.T. is both the title of a
best selling book by Dr.
Thomas Gordon, as well as
the name of his course for
parents available in every
state and several foreign
countries. Sales of the P.E.T.
book have exceeded one
million. Over 250,000 parents
have completed the P.E.T.
course.
Parent Effectiveness
Training is an educational
experience and basic course
in how' to raise responsible
children and teaching the
skills needed for the world’s
hardest job, raising kids.
The course is conducted in
eight sessions meeting once a
w'eek. A special reduced
tuition is available to
members of Jackson First
Baptist. Non-members are
welcome to attend at the
regular community tuition of
SSO.
Charles Carter, Consultant
with an area Child and
Adolescent State Office in
Griffin, will be available to
conduct the course. Mr.
Carter is an authorized
Parent Effectiveness Train
ing Instructor and encour
ages not only parents, but
anyone involved with youth
to consider taking this
educational program.
For further information
and registration call the
Church office at 775-3102.
Registration closes Janu
ary 10. A maximum number
of 25 will be accepted. A fee
of $5.00 is required at
registration.
Unemployment
Decreases in
Butts County
All of the counties in the
Mclntosh Trail Area, except
Pike, showed a drop in the
unemployment rate for the
month of November.
Butts County continued to
lead the other counties in the
Trail area in the rate of those
unemployed. Out of a labor
force of 4.577, 403 persons
were out of work in
November in Butts County
for an unemployment rate of
8.8 percent.
However, the unemploy
ment rate in the county had
dropped from 9.2 percent in
October.
Unemployment in Pike
County increased from 5.8
percent in October to 6.3
percent in November. But
overall, unemployment in the
eight-county Trail Area dip
ped to 5.9 percent in
November from a 6.2 rate the
previous month.
In addition to Butts and
Pike, the unemployment
rates in the remaining
counties for November were
Fayette-6.8; Henry-8.1;
Lamar-4.5; Newton-5.7;
Spalding-5.5 and Upson-3.6.
REPORT FROM
GRIFFIN STATE
PATROL POST
Sergeant Hugh Taylor of
the Griffin State Patrol Post
announced today that his
post has investigated seven
traffic accidents, made 44
arrests and issued 32
warnings in Butts County
during December.
Commenting further Sgt.
Taylor said four persons
were injured in the seven
accidents along with two
others killed.
Estimated property dam
age amounted to $14,450.00.
Jackson, Georgia 30233, Thursday, January 6, 1977
Butts County Tax Millage Set
At 24.367 Mills For 1976
by
Dale Whiten
The new County Commis
sion began 1977 by passing
several motions at its first
official meeting January 3.
Topping the list of pri
orities, Commissioners Wil
liam Mitchell, E. D. Briscoe
and Chairman Mac Collins
reset the millage rate for
Butts County at 14.867 which
includes a hospital bond
retirement assessment of .30
and a state advalorem tax of
one-quarter mill.
However, the final millage
rate for the County is 24.367
following the Board of
Education tax levy of 9.25
mills and a one-quarter mill
assessment for retirement of
school bonds.
The school tax assessment
was determined at the board
meeting January 3 which
followed the Commission
meeting.
The 24.367 mills are a
reduction of 7.383 from the
31.75 rate established by the
previous County Commis
sion.
The Commissioners also
announced that the county
had a 1976 deficit of
$617,492.54.
Broken down that figure
Georgia Lung
Group Stresses
Cigarette Harm
January is Smoking
Month, the Georgia Lung
Association announced. It’s
purpose is to focus attention
on the harmful effects of
cigarette smoking and to
unite with the Interagency
Council of Smoking and
Health’s promotion of Nat
tional Education Week on
Smoking and Health, Jan
uary 9-15.
Theme for the month will
be— “Help Yourself-Help a
Friend To Quit.” Many
people can not get over the
hurdle of complete withdraw
ing from cigarettes. Many
have smoked for so long and
would like to quit, but find it
almost an impossibility. With
two working on the same
problem, withdrawal pains
may be just as bad but would
not be as intolerable as if it
was suffered alone.
It seems many people
would quit if someone else
was working along with
them. Misery loves company
and a burden shared is easier
carried. Much in the same
way the buddy system works
for A.A. so the same system
can be applied to quitting
smoking.
There are many ways for
people to quit. There are
some good products on the
market that will help. But
none can be very effective
until a person decides for
himself that he wants to quit,
that it is necessary for him to
quit. When that decision is
reached and when a person
has a friend to reinforce it, he
should well be on the road to
quitting, Ed Kramer, Infor
mation Director for the
Association said.
With over two-thirds of
Americans not smoking and
wanting smoke-free areas,
even through legislation if
necessary, it makes a good
New Year's resolution to
consider kicking the habit.
Chances are the smoker and
his friend will be doing
themselves the best of favors
since each year 300,000 die
prematurely from cigarette
caused diseases.
included $524,018.94 of what
the county actually owed
lenders plus $17,438.60 in
terest and an additional
$76,035.00 in accounts pay
able for November and
December, 1976.
The deficit came primarily
as a result of pending
lawsuits by taxpayers which
slowed collection taxes dur
ing 1976 and some months of
1975.
In another tax-related
matter, the Commission
passed a motion postponing
the appointment of a tax
assessor to fill the position of
S. A. Washington. The
Commissioners declared the
office vacant and said any
interested person may apply.
The Commission also pas
sed a motion postponing the
acceptance for contracts
requesting the provision of
ambulance service for Butts
County.
The motion, proposed by
Collins, stated, “Due to our
lack of information on the
subject, we will table these
proposals until January 10.
Until then, we request that
John Sherrell continue to
provide the county with
ambulance service.”
Collins added that the
Rev. Parham
Retires From
Baptist Work
Rev. J C. Parham retired
January Ist as Associate
Secretary of the Education
Extension program of the
Georgia Baptist Convention.
After serving for over 10
years in this position. Rev.
Parham was awarded a
plaque by the Extension
department at the Georgia
Baptist Convention in No
vember. During his period of
service as Associate Secre
tary. he was pastor of the
Towaliga Baptist Church for
seven years.
Rev. Parham has been an
ordained minister for more
than 40years. He came to the
Extension post from the
pastorate of The First
Baptist Church, of Stock
bridge. Among his other
pastorates were Cool
Springs. Tate: First Baptist,
Cleveland, and the Clarkston
Baptist Church. Clarkston.
Rev. and Mrs. Parham, the
former Susan Brown of
Barnesville. live on Route 5,
Jackson, near the Liberty
Baptist Church. Their
daughter, Mary, is a mathe
matics teacher in the Oconee
County High School in
Watkinsville.
Rev Parham is the present
pastor of the Mt, Vernon
Baptist Church and plans to
do evengelistic and study
course work during the
remainder of his ministry.
DKATH CUTS RANKS
OF GOLF MASCOTS
Death continues to reduce
the ranks of the canine pets
that have been proclaimed as
mascots of the Deer Trail
Golf Course
First, it was Wagsy, then
Ajax, next Bo and Ben and
now Jake has gone on to his
canine reward. Jake was
struck by a car and killed on
Biles Road during the
holidays.
That leaves Sam as the
course’s official mascot, as
the canine burial ground
continues to mount. Johnny
Smolka asks all golfers and
drivers to please help him
watch after Sam.
Commission wanted to take
this action in order to study
proposals and make further
investigations and to “justify
any action on an accepted
contract” (for ambulance
service) and to allow the
Hospital Authority to make a
bid if it so desired.
In discussion on the
contracts, Mitchell said that
the discrepancy between the
proposed bids and the cost of
ambulance service in neigh
boring Lamar County
($17,000 a year) needs to be
investigated.
John Sherrell and Gerald
Davis are the two persons
bidding for ambulance ser
vice. Questioned by the
Commissioners, Sherrell
said that his bid of $60,000 a
year was firm. Davis
submitted an estimated bid
of $84,000
The Commissioners said
the decision on whom the
contract would be awarded to
would be made by January
10 Mitchell emphasized that
the Commissioners would see
to it that the county would
continue to be provided with
"prompt and adequate am
bulance service.”
Sheriff Billy Leverette
appeared before the Com
jilisraß v_ -
THE CARTERS AT WORSHIP After hearing a sermon from Georgia United
Methodist Bishop William R. Cannon at Plains United Methodist Church. Dec. 26,
President-elect Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Carter joined the bishop, other guests and
members of the Carter family for a buffet luncheon at the church parsonage. Pictured
with the Carters are deft) Rev. and Mrs. Charles Houston. Jr., hosts for the luncheon, and
(right) Bishop William R. Cannon and Mrs. Carter's mother. Mrs. Allie Smith, a member
of Plains United Methodist Church.
Seminar On
Farm Income
To Be Held
A farm income tax
seminar, sponsored by the
Butts County Extension
Service, w ill be held January
6at 7:00 p.in. at the Central
Georgia EMC auditorium.
Ed Brown, the extension
Economist and Farm Man
agement Specialist with the
University of Georgia, will
conduct the seminar.
Brow n will discuss record
keeping methods to help
simplify taxes, interpreta
tion of the new income tax
laws and other ideas to help
farmers do a better job w ith
their income tax returns.
All farmers are invited to
attend the meeting. Also
local tax practitioners are
invited to answer questions
and make comments if they
desire.
MACON TO HOLD
BOAT-CAMPING SHOW
The eighth annual Middle
Georgia Boat and Camping
Show will be held January
20 2;l in the Macon Coliseum.
The show will feature the
latest models of boats,
campers and accessories,
with a prize awarded at the
end ol each day’s activities.
missioners and stated that
immediate maintenance on
two of the department’s
patrol cars is necessary.
"We have only three out of
five cars that can be put on
the road now,” Leverette
said.
He requested that anew
<or used> motor be bought for
one car and that the
possibility of purchasing
new cars be looked into by
the Commission.
Leverette also said the
sheriff's department is in
need of smaller, essential
items such as ammunition,
flashlights and leather goods.
“I had to borrow holsters
for my men to carry their
guns in,” Leverette said. He
added that the department
does not even have any
curtains.
.Another motion the Com
missioners passed was one,
made by Mitchell, which said
that all money from the beer
and wine tax be collected by
the Commission and deposit
ed in one account.
The motion also provided
that the participating de
partments (the Jackson-
Butts County Recreation
Commission and the Associa
tion for Retarded Citizens)
LOCAL WINNER IN
HARDWARE
SW EKPSTAKES
Herman Johnson, of 280
Watkins Drive. Jackson, has
been declared a winner in the
Home Value Days sweep
stakes sponsored by trie
National Retail Hardware
Association. Johnson won a
Black & Decker variable
speed jig saw in the contest.
The sweepstakes was
sponsored locally by Jackson
True Value Hardware.
CUSTOMERS WIN
AT SHIELDS
Shields Jewelers, of Jack
son. awarded tw-o handsome
prizes to customers at a
Christmas Eve sweepstakes.
Mrs Wottie Mason, of
Jackson. Route 2, won a
man's 14-carat white gold
diamond-sapphire ring and
Hal Latham, of Jackson, won
a lady's diamond pendant.
FISHING PROSPECTS
\RK POOR LOCALLY
Bonn Gunn, fishing fore
caster for the Georgia
Department of Natural Re
sources. predicts that fishing
w ill lie slow for all species in
Butts County's two main
lakes durng the first week of
January
15c Per Copy
submit budget requests along
with the types and results of
programs and statements of
operating costs.
The Commissioners an
nounced that in “planning
meetings” on December 8
and 22 they had met and
interviewed employes of the
Road Department.
Commenting on the meet
ings, Collins said, “Due to the
financial condition of the
county, as expressed by the
clerk, the decision was made
to temporarily place Jimmy
Gilbert as head of the Road
Department and also to
temporarily lay-off five road
department employes.”
In other action, the
Commission voted to allow
garbage pick-up to remain
“as is for 30 days (or) until
negotiations with the city (on
the matter) have been
completed.”
The Commission also pass
ed a motion recognizing the
two local banks as the official
depositors for the county.
MACON LAW FIRM
PROMOTES GARLAND
Benjamin M. Garland, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin B.
Garland of Jackson, has been
admitted to partnership in
the Macon law firm of Hall &
Bix-h.
An announcement by the
firm indicated a change of its
name effective January l.
1977 from Hall & Bloch to
Hall. Bloch, Garland &
Meyer.
Garland has been associat
ed with the Macon firm for
several years, following his
graduation from law school.
JOE. THE HOBO. SEZ:
' H
The first New Year’s
resolution I always break is
that 1 won’t make any
resolutions at the start of a
new year.