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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. t -A 'Wjjf 4X Jatta-. H -!■ t limSßm' 9 ' -.u f mm', ' ■ “-MraW *l igj 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.