Newspaper Page Text
A Prize-Winning
Newspaper
M&M 1961
Better Newspaper
Contests
VpLUME 76—NO. 23
Menlo to
Discuss
Equalization
An open forqm on tax equali
zation will be held at a Menlo
town meeting at 8 o’clock to
night (Thursday) at the Menlo
gymnasium.
The session will be in conjunc
tion with a meeting on “Clean-
Up Month”.
Mayor J. P. Smith said anyone
will be welcome to express his
views of the tax subject.
The Town Council some weeks
ago announced plans to revalu
ate property in the town.
However, a representative of a
professional reassessment from
Atlanta firm met with the
Council on June 13, at which
time it was learned the cost for
such a small operation would be
prohibitive. The representative
said the cost per parcel of land
in such a small area would prob
ably be $23 to S3O. In a large
area, such as a county, the cost
might run around only sl2, he
said.
Town officials had expressed
the hope that the community
could have its own reassessment
program even if the county did
not proceed.
Bacon Tax
Case Noted
A South Georgia county has
been ordered to stop collecting
property taxes until it equalizes
assessments.
The Bacon County Board of
Tax Assessors has been ordered
by Superior Court Judge Cecil
Rodenberry to revise its tax sys
tem and present the revised sys
tem to the court within 30 days
for approval.
in tne meantime, Floyd Coun
ty residents closely watched the
proceedings because a suit simi
liar to that filed in Bacon Coun
ty has been filed in Floyd. The
Floyd hearing is set for Friday
before Judge Mack G. Hicks.
In Bacon, several taxpayers
filed suit charging that taxes in
that county are not fairly
levied and that the Boa'rd of As
sors “conspired with the County
Commissioners to raise taxes.”
The Floyd suit also seeks an
order to nullify the 1961 tax re-
(Continued On Page 2)
Tax Equalization?
County Could. Seek
State Loan for Work
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final in a series of four
stories concerning tax equalization and its possibilities for
Chattooga County. It has been pointed out earlier that tax
equalization would (1> Assure that everyone paid his fair
share of county taxes; (2) Give the tax assessors a modern
system of records on property; (3) Not increase taxes for those
paying their share notv; (4) Put on property not now taxed;
(5) Cost the county nothing over the long run-, (6) Simply
carry out the law which requires full evaluation; and (7)
Lower the tax rate.
How would Chattooga go about getting a tax equaliza
tion program? How would it get the money? Has anything
been done so far? What are the arguments against it?
These and similar questions are being asked as people
hear more and more about the program.
In some counties, the commissioner or commissioners
have initiated the action. In others, it is being done by the
board of tax assessors.
Chattooga County Commissioner John Jones this year
asked the Board of Tax Assessors to consider the feasibility
of such a program here.
The assessors, at the conclusion of their session, said
they felt the matter needed “further study”. Here is their
resolution as presented to Mr. Jones:
“We, the undersigned tax assessors of Chattooga
County, recommend that the tax equalization program be
studied more thoroughly before we will recommend that
this program be carried out. Then after further study we
will make recommendations that we feel will be of the best
interest to the people of Chattooga County.”
The statement was signed by all five members of the
board—Claude Ratliff, chairman; Herman White, O. C.
Mahan Sr., J. H. Graham and J. F. Dawson.
Mr Ratliff said later there were no definite plans for
the group to meet again soon and study the matter. The
next regular meeting of the group will be in April, 1962.
The Chattooga tax assessor
and tax collector Wednesday
challenged The News’ state
ment last week that various
pieces of property in Chat
tooga County “escaped general
taxation" last year.
However, a re-chock of the
books showed that these pieces
of property—and many others
—did indeed escape general
taxation. They were on the
books and a dollar or so of
school bond tax was paid but
no general taxes were paid.
The properties were returned
at $2,000 or less and a $2,000
homestead exemption was
claimed, leaving them free of
general taxes.
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NEWS GETS MORE AWARDS — Bill
Espy (left) and Herman Buffington
(right) of The Summerville News hang
up the three certificates which The News
won last week in the Georgia Press As-
News Awarded for Sports,
Advertising and Local News
The Summerville News won three awards—in the ad
vertising, sports and local news fields —at the Georgia
Press Association convention last week-end.
SURPLUS FOOD
DISTRIBUTION
IS TODAY, FRIDAY
Surplus government food will
be distributed in Chattooga
County today and Friday, Coun
ty Commissioner John Jones has
announced.
The distribution will be at the
fair grounds and the items will
be approximately the same as
those given away last month.
In the event it was decided
’ In the event it was decided a
’ tax equalization program would
be beneficial to Chattooga
> County, how would it be fi
nanced?
I This has been a problem in
some places in the past.
However, the Georgia General
> Assembly this year apparently
1 realizing the need over Georgia
I for such programs passed a
law whereby the state would
lend money interest-free to
counties for such work
The governor is expected to
appropriate the funds July 1.
1 Aready, 32 counties have ap
j plied and they will receive funds
on a first-come, first-served
(Continued On Page 2)
Summermlk Nms
The News was acclaimed next
to the top among Georgia
weeklies for its sports and local
news coverage, receiving second
places in these categories. And
it rated third among all Georgia
weeklies for “general advertising
excellence”.
Mr. and Mrs Bill Espy were
on hand at the convention Fri
day night to accept the Sum
merville awards. The event Was
held at Milledgeville.
“Summerville <News> rates ex
tra high on sports and outdoors,
city news, county news, women’s
society, has some swell local
news pictures and covers the
rest of the categories ade
quately,” judges said in deciding
to give The News second place
in local news coverage. The
Covington News was first and
the Carroll County Georgian
third in this field.
“The (Summerville) News is a
fresh and readable newspaper,
with its advertisements stand
ing out above the average,”
judges said in giving this news
paper third in general adver
tising excellence. “Enterprise is
shown throughout the news
paper with accompanying serv
ice and selling attention to all
accounts,” they added. The
Quitman Free Press was first
and the Carroll County Geor
gian second in advertising.
In granting The News second
place in local sports coverage,
judges noted that both it and
the Carrollton Times-Free Press,
which placed third, “came
through with a photo-finish.”
The Cobb County Times placed
first in this field.
The News competed with all
Georgia weeklies. Dailies com
prised another class.
This is the second year in
which The News has won recog
nition in the Georgia Press As
sociation’s Better Newspaper
Contest. Last year, it received
first place in society coverage
and third in typography.
Textile Employees Await
Vacations in Early July
Chattooga County’s hundreds
of textile employes are eagerly
anticipating vacations in early
July.
The six major industrial firms
will shut down for varying
periods.
Riegel Textile Corporation’s
Trion Division, largest firm in
the county, will be closed July
2-8.
Georgia Rug Mill will be closed
July 3-17.
Montgomery Knitting Com
pany will close June 30 and
open July 10.
Harriet and Henderson Mills
will close at 11 p.m. July 1 and
open at 11 p.m. July 9.
Best Mfg. Corp, will shut down
June 30, with the dipping de
partment returning on July 10
and the carton and leather de
partments returning July 17.
Summerville Mfg. Co. will be
closed only four days—July 1-4.
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GA., THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 1961
sociation Better Newspaper contest. The
News was rated the second best weekly
in the state in local news and sports cov
erage and third best in the state in ad
vertising excellence.
POLICE BEAT
Reckless driving charges were
placed against Betty J. Timmer
man, Summerville, Tuesday for
failure to yield right of way,
Summerville police report.
Edward McGuire, Martin-
Street, Summerville, has been
booked by Summerville police
on charges of larceny of gro
ceries, police records show. The
man reportedly took a sack of
groceries from the Summerville
Cash Store parking lot, located
across from the Police Station.
Driving under the influence
charges were placed against
David Chadwick, Summerville
Route 2, on Sunday, Summerville
police records show.
A juvenile was picked up by
Summerville police Sunday on
charges of larceny after a watch
was stolen from Smith Service
Station.
John Ashworth, Summerville,
was booked Saturday by Sum
merville police on charges of
driving under the influence.
A Rome man, Raymond Gains
Phillips, Rome Route 3, was
booked Saturday by Summerville
police on charges of driving
under the influence and pos
sessing whiskey.
Jessie Lee Campbell, Trion,
has been charged b> Summer
ville police with dr. ring under
the influence, police records
show.
Billy Bynum of Trion was
booked Friday for possessing
non-taxpaid whiskey, the Sum
merville police department rec
ords show.
SITE SELECTED
FOR NEW LYERLY
POST OFFICE
Seventh District Congressman
John W. Davis of Georgia today
announced that the Post Office
Department had selected a site
for the location of a new post
office building in Lyerly.
The new quarters for the
Lyerly post office will be located
on the northeast side of Alpine
J Street between Alabama Avenue
and the Central of Georgia Rail
road, he said. The lot fronts 60
feet on Alpine Street.
The post office will be built
with private capital and will be
! operated under a lease agree
ment with the Post Office De
partment, according to Mr,
Davis. Bids will be advertised at
a later date.
IST GRADERS
SHOULD GET
ALL 3 SHOTS
A reminder!
Children entering the first
grade this fall in the Chat
tooga school system must
have polio, as well as smallpox
and DPT inoculations.
Either private physicians or
the Chattooga Health Depart
ment can administer the
shots. Immunization day at
the Health Department is
Thursday.
The Chattooga Board of
Education recently adopted
the State Board of Health rec
ommendations in ivhich all
three inoculations are sug
gested. Previously, only DPT
and smallpox vaccinations
were required.
Only two of the three polio
shots can be administered be
fore school opens, because of
the time element involved. The
second shot is given two
months after the first and the
third seven months after the
second.
Scoggins Named
Gore Principal
A principal for Gore Elemen
tary School has been named,
School Supt. James Spence an
nounced this week.
He is Alvin E. Scoggins Jr.
Scoggins will replace Robert
Wehmeyer who resigned to ac
cept a position at Augusta.
The new principal is a grad
uate of West Georgia College,
Carrollton. He is single and his
parents live at Rome. They
originally lived in Chattooga
County, Mr. Spence said. Mr.
Scoggins will reside in the
teacherage at Gore.
The school superintendent
also announced the resignation
of David Massey, a teacher at
the Summerville junior high
school. Mr. Massey has accepted
a position at Gainesville where
he will have a better financial
situation and be near the Uni
versity of Georgia so he can Con
tinue his education, Supt. Spence
said.
The superintendent also an
nounced that Mrs. Edwin
Thompson and Miss Edna Perry,
teachers in recent years at
Menlo High School, have elected
to remain at Menlo next year as
elementary teachers.
Trion Man Named Head of
District American Legion
A Trion man has been elected
district commander of the
American Legion and a Sum
merville man has been elected
district junior vice commander.
Jim Leath, employe of the
Trion Post Office, was elected
Seventh District commander
Sunday when the annual con
vention was held at Cartersville.
O. R. Fletcher, who runs the
Pure Oil Station in Summerville,
was elected junior vice com
mander and also was one of the
four delegates named to the na
tional Legion convention. Mr.
Fletcher is commander of Post
129 of the Legion.
Both men are World War II
veterans.
In addition to Mr. Leath and
Mr. Fletcher, others - attending
were: James Giles, Ernest
Sprayberry, Jess Harris, Troy
Wesson, Dan Tapp, Mike Gro
gan, Charles Floyd, Bill Floyd,
Loray Byars and C. P. Thomason.
Misses Grace Weaver and Mae
Earle Strange of Summerville
attended the Legion Auxiliary
meeting, held in conjunction
with the Legion session.
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COUNTIANS ELECTED BY LEGION—O. R. Fletcher
(left) of Summerville, commander of the Chattooga
American Legion, was elected junior vice commander
of the Seventh District Legion Sunday and Jim Leath
(right), of Trion, was elected commander.
Improvements Being Made
At Chattooga Co. Hospital
A program of improvements
is underway at Chattooga Hos
pital, H. L. Abrams, chairman
of the Chattooga Hospital Board,
said this week.
The outside has been painted
and plans call for the re
pair or installation of new
guttering and downspouts. Other
essential repairs and painting of
the interior will be undertaken
as soon as funds are available,
Mr. Abrams said.
In addition, furniture in the
lobby has recently been re
upholstered; two hot water
tanks, an X-ray machine and
sterilization equipment have
been purchased; and new shrubs
and flowers have been planted.
A new electric stove for the
kitchen is to be installed this
week, Mr. Abrams added.
The board chairman said
County Commissioner John
Jones had been “most generous”
in providing extra funds for the
painting and gutter work.
“The hospital is a community
responsibility as well as an es
sential need,” Mr. Abrams noted.
“The people of the county
should take pride not only in
its excellent medical service but
also in its overall appearance.
“We have a fine plant, equal
to any its size and I know we
have an excellent staff — all
dedicated to the service of the
people of our county.”
4-H Group to
Attend State
Council Meet
Three leading Chattooga Coun
ty 4-H Club members will at
tend the state 4-H Council
meeting at Rock Eagle 4-H Club
Center next week.
They are: Barbara Copeland,
Bara Peppers and Johnny Ed
wafds, all of Lyerly. County
Agent M. H. Purcell will accom
pany the group.
Those attending will elect a
new slate of state officers and
work together on ways to make
the 4-H program more valuable
to their communities and state.
Each county may send two
boys and two girls as delegates.
(Continued On Page 2)
BTU Rally
Set Monday
The Chattooga County Baptist
Training Union’s quarterly rally
will be held at 8 p.m. Monday at
Trion Heights Baptist Church.
The Rev. Guy Patterson, pastor
of the Menlo Baptist Church,
will be the speaker. Special
music will be presented by the
Lyerly and South Summerville
Baptist Churches.
Mayor Dunson
Speaks at Rotary
"The State of the City” was
the subject of Summerville
Mayor S. A. Dunson Wednesday
when he addressed the Summer
ville-Trion Rotary Club.
Mayor Dunson told something
of the way the city is operated
and discussed last year's finan
cial statement, along with plans
for the future.
School of Journalism X
Univ of Georgia
14 Pages
Two Sections
SUBSCRIPTION RATE $2.00 PER Y
Boy Trying to Steal Vacation
Car Goofs; Gets Walloping Too
A minute later, and their vacation would have been
off!
The Woodrow Eleams, of Espy Street, Summerville,
excitedly packed their bags and loaded up the car last FHt
day afternoon. They would leave at 2 a.m. the next morn*
ing on vacation.
But about 1 a.m. Mr. Eleam heard a noise near the car.
Going outside to investigate, he found a youth sitting
up in the vehicle attempting to get it started.
Yanking the boy out, Mr. Eleam gave him a sound wal
loping. Nevertheless, the youth managed to get free and
run away. Police were still looking for him this week.
After the boy left, Mr. Eleam checked and found the
car had been “straight-wired.”
In his anxiety to get the car and get away, the boy
had never noticed the keys were in the switch!
The Eleams left as scheduled on vacation. But they
were determined to take the keys out and lock their cat
from now on.
Menlo Plans Meeting
On Clean-Up Program
Chattooga County is getting set for the biggest “clean
up” in its history.
Yards will be spruced up . . . houses will be painted ...
vacant lots will be cleared . . .
store fronts will be painted . . .
repairs will be made. . . .
In short, Chattooga County
will be “busy as a bee.”
July has been proclaimed
“Clean-Up, Paint-Up, Fix-Up-
Month” in the county and every
single person is asked to pitch
in and make it successful.
A town meeting has been
called in Menlo by Mayor J. P.
Smith for 8 o’clock tonight for
the purpose of setting up plans
for that community's participa
tion.
J. W. (Bill) King, Jr., of
Gore, vice chairman of the
Coosa Valley Area Planning and
Development Commission, will
be a special guest at the meet
ing.
Mayor Smith noted that Menlo
several years ago spruced up
and won a top state award in
the Better Home Town contest
and said he believed the com
munity could spruce up again
in a slmiliar manner.
In Lyerly, Mayor BUI Bishop
and his Council—Bert Brogdon,
Bill Cook, Gene Gravely, Will
Woods and Hobart Stallings—
are making plans for Lyerly’s
participation. Women’s clubs
will be asked to join in, as will ।
every merchant and home owner. I
The clean-up in Summerville
and Trion also is still in the
planning stages. But both Mayor
S. A. Dunson, of Summerville,
and Mayor W. B. Simmons, of
Trion, said the towns will par
ticipate.
J. T. Morgan, president of the
Chattooga-Municipal Planning
Commission, sponsor of the
clean-up, said this week further
details by the planning commis-
Officials Uncertain On
Date of Norton Inquest
Officials were uncertain this week when an inquest
may be held in connection with the death of Mrs. Helen
Rickett Norton, found dead May 29. m
Day Camp
Planned by
CYL Here
A two-week summer day camp
is planned in Summerville by the
Christian Youth League.
The dates are July 16-20 and
July 23-27. Youngesters ages
6-12 are Invited.
Registration is now underway
and blanks may be obtained at
the following places: Summer
ville Recreation Center, Mary
Lou Caldwell; Summerville First
Baptist Church; Summerville
Presbyterian Church—see Olney
Meadows, Jack Taylor or Miss
Caldwell; and Summerville
Me thod is t Church—see Mrs.
Henry Duke or Marcia Boney.
Recreation, handicrafts, sports,
games and refreshments are
planned.
This is another of the commu-1
nity service projects of the!
newly-organized Youth League. j
sion itself haven’t yet been
worked out.
The planning commission took
the clean-up campaign as ita
first major project.
Industrial research scientists
in Summerville last year noted
that a clean-up might be bene
ficial to the town industry-wise,
i ____________
DECISION ON
TELEPHONE RATE
INCREASE AWAITED
The Georgia Public Service
Commission hasn’t yet an
nounced a decision on the Sum
merville and Trion Telephone
Companies’ request for a rate
Increase.
The hearing was held Wednes
day, June 14, in Atlanta.
Protesting the increase on be
half of Summerville and Trion
were Summerville Mayor S. A.
Dunson, Summerville Council
man Charles Wright and Trion
Recorder Harry Hardeman.
NO INJURIES IN
SATURDAY WRECK
One minor automobile acci
dent was reported in Chattooga
County during the past week.
A two-ton truck driven by W.
F. Walker, Villa Rica, Route 2,
and a 1948 automobile driven by
Mrs. Leslie D. Hill, Summerville;
Route 3, collided a half mile
north of Summerville Saturday.
No injuries were reported, the
Georgia State Patrol said.
Coroner Roosevelt Young said
Wednesday he would like to hold
the inquest "right away” but
that he understood GBI Agent
Jim Hillin had such a full sched
ule right now he would be un
able to be present in the imme
diate future. He noted that Mr.
Hillin had pointed out the law
no longer requires an Immediate
inquest anyway.
The GBI agent earlier this
week told The Hews he was con
tinuing the investigation and
didn’t know when the inquest
would be held. He said he had
reqpived no subpoena for such
a hearing.
The autopsy report from the
State Crime Laboratory was re
ceived on June 12 and Coroner
Young said afterwards he was
hopeful the inquest could be held
by last week-end. Dr. C. A.
Clements, the county medical
examiner, and Sol. Earl B. Self
were both out of town much of
last week, Coroner Young noted,
and he wanted to wait until
both could be available.
The 38-year-old grandmother
was found dead at the home of
Bishop Koonce on the back Ber
ryton Road.