Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 88 — NUMBER 46
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Countywide Service Planned
By Area Churches Dec. 31
The churches in the Menlo area have scheduled a New
Year’s Eve union service Sunday, Dec. 31, at the United
Methodist Church.
At 7:30 p.m. on that date, Dr. Paul Fowler, minister of
the area Presbyterian churches, will deliver the evening
message. Following this service, everyone will share a
“basket supper” in the fellowship hall of the church. After
the meal, the group will join in song and fellowship.
A watch night service will be conducted at 11:30 p.m.
by the Rev. Hilton C. Garrett, pastor of the Summerville
First Baptist Church. This service will be concluded by altar
prayer as the new year arrives. As each person leaves the
church, he will carry a lighted candle, in an endeavor to let
a light of peace and love light his path into the new year.
The public is invited to attend this special countywide
service.
Davis Will Join
In Bible Reading
Congressman Jonn vavis
will join in a marathon inter
national reading of the entire
Bible as the new year begins.
Davis has been asked to read
Chapter 26 of the Book of
Jeremiah from the Old Testa
ment in the fourth annual New
Year’s Bible reading, sponsored
by the Voice of Prophecy,
international radio broadcast
headquarters of the Seventh
Day Adventist faith in Glen-
Important Meeting
The annual meeting of the
Chattooga County Linebackers
Club is scheduled at 7 o’clock
tonight at the Summerville
Recreation Center.
Among the items on the
agenda are the election of a
new board of directors, the
election of 1973 officers, and a
discussion of changes >to some
of the by-laws.
ON FULL RATE INCREASE
GPC Seeks Reconsideration
Georgia Power co. an
nounced Tuesday that it has
filed a petition with the Geor
gia Public Service Commission
for reconsideration of its order
granting a $17.8-million in
crease in electric rates.
“Our action may not be
popular at present,” a com
pany spokesman said, “but we
know it’s wise in the long run
to do everything possible to
assure our customers an ade
quate supply of electric power
for the future, and the future
will prove us right.”
She Summer utile New
dale, Calif.
Over 100 leading business,
religious, and government
figures have been invited to
participate in the event, which
will start on the stroke of mid
night as 1973 begins. The read
ing, which will be in some 40
different languages, will con
tinue until every one of the
Bible’s 874,746 words have
been read aloud, a task that
will take about 85 hours.
Sponsors of the event said
foreign heads of state are ex
pected to participate in the
reading for the first time this
year. Private citizens will also
be included, and officials
stated that all who request
time to read aloud will receive
it.
Last year’s Bible reading
reached an estimated 200
million persons in North
America alone, and was broad
cast over a total of 1,570 radio
stations throughout the world
The amount approved on
Dec. 14 slightly more than
one-third of the $47.9 million
the company says it absolutely
must have to assure continued
reliable service to its cus
tomers.
President Edwin I. Hatch
said the $17.8 million is far
below the minimum necessary
to enable Georgia Power to
attract the hundreds of mil
lions of dollars in capital in
vestment required to finance
construction of urgently
needed power facilities.
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1972
BROOKS RELEASES STATEMEN?
Financial Situation
Os City ‘Explained’
Summerville City Council
man Charles Brooks Wednes
day released the following
statement to The Summerville
News:
“With reluctance, I again
find it necessary to reply to a
recent newscast by the local
radio station with regard to the
decision by the Mayor and
Council to transfer money
from a checking account to a
savings account.
“The newscast stated that
the Mayor said the money
could not be drawn out for
two years, and to transfer it
would put the city on a ‘bor
rowing basis.’ This statement
was absurd, naive, and com
pletely stupid, and shows a
complete lack of business
acumen
Councilman Sewell Cash
told The News Wednesday that
he talked to the Mayor by tele
phone on Saturday and that
the Mayor denied he told the
radio station representative
that the money could not be
drawn out for two years, and
that it would put the city on a
borrowing basis.
“The decision to transfer
the money was unanimous, and
the Mayor was in full agree
ment. After 1 heard this news
cast, I asked the Mayor, in the
presence of other councilmen,
if he had made the statement
that to transfer these funds
“It puts our already serious
financial situation in a critical
position,” he added.
If the $17.8-million increase
granted by the Public Service
Commission stands, average
homeowners in Chattooga
County —using a normal
amount of electricity-could
expect to see an increase of
about 60 cents on their month
ly electric bills.
“Reductions in our present
building program,” Hatch said,
“will lead to a power scarcity
in the future.”
would put the city on a bor
rowing basis. He emphatically
denied this.
“Councilman (Sewell) Cash
was also concerned about this
error and told me that he had
contacted Miss (Louise) Mc-
Collum and was assured that
this statement would be
retracted on Tuesday. This was
not done.
“On Tuesday afternoon, I
called the radio station to ask
why this was not done. A few
minutes later, Miss McCollum
called me and informed me
that if I wanted any informa
tion about her stories, to call
her from now on. Also, she
made the statement that I
made her sick to her stomach,
that she wondered about my
March of Dimes
Campaign to Begin
The Chattooga County
Chapter, The National Founda
tion-March of Dimes, will kick
off its 1973 campaign on Jan.
2, according to an announce
ment issued this week.
For the first time in the
local chapter’s history, an offi
cial Poster Child has been
selected. She is three-year-old
Schawna Rainwater, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Rain
water.
Events scheduled by volun
teer workers during the month
long campaign include a talent
show on Jan. 22 at Chamblee’s
Roller Rink at Trion; the an
nual Mothers’ March on Jan.
26; and the Business March on
Jan. 10 and 17.
Cannisters will be placed in
business firms for donations.
The following persons have
been selected to direct this
year’s campaign: Harriett
Allen, campaign chairman;
Linda Crowe, Mothers’ March
chairman; Pam Gilreath, assist
ant Mothers’ March chairman;
Ann Bennett, industry chair
man; Phyllis Rainwater, busi
ness chairman; and Reynolds
Chamblee, who will direct the
talent show.
The primary goal of the
March of Dimes campaign is to
prevent birth defects.
Every year in the United
1.Q., and when we were going
to get down to business and
quit quibbling. She stated that
she got her information from
the minutes of Wednesday’s
meeting on the 20th. If there is
anything in these minutes be
sides the Mayor’s proposal to
put $50,000 in another bank
and my motion to transfer all
money possible from a check
ing account to a savings
account at the same location,
stipulating that at least
$250,000 be transferred from
one account, it means that
either the minutes of the meet
ing have been altered, or this
was a figment of Miss Mc-
Collum’s imagination.
“We had the acting clerk
(Continued On Page 8)
States, nearly a quarter of a
million infants are victims of
birth defects. Through pro
grams of research, medical serv
ice, and education, The
National Foundation March
of Dimes is working toward the
day when every newborn in
fant can look forward to a
healthy start in life.
Dr. Arthur Salisbury, direc
tor of medical services for The
National Foundation, said:
“Americans were the first to
land on the moon, but we are
16th in the United Nations’
ranking of infant mortality
statistics.
“If you are shocked by this
poor record, so are we at The
National Foundation March
of Dimes. Os every 1,000
babies born alive in this coun
try, almost 20 never reach their
first birthday.
"As a voluntary health asso
ciation deeply concerned with
the quality of life at birth, The
National Foundation has
launched a new perinatal
program to stimulate both lay
men and medical men to do
something about infant
mortality, and do it now.”
Local volunteers are needed
for this worthy cause. If you
have some time to spare for the
campaign, get in touch with
one of the above-named volun
teer leaders.
Yule Weekend
Reported Quiet
No Major Crimes,
Accidents in Area
Chattoogans observed the long Christmas weekend
with family gatherings, special religious services, and
visiting friends and relatives.
Both county and city law enforcement officers
reported that it was one of the “quietest” holiday
periods on record, with no
major crimes or serious acci
dents occurring within the
county or city.
Most local residents will ob
serve another long holiday
weekend as the new year ap
proaches. Many places of busi
ness will again close for New
Year’s Day.
The Chattooga County
Courthouse will close at noon
Dec. 30 and reopen Tuesday
morning, Jan. 2.
The Summerville City Hall
and the Trion Town Hall will
close Frids^ afternoon and will
not reopen until Tuesday
morning.
A countywide New Year’s
service is scheduled by the
Menlo area churches on Dec.
31 at the Menlo United
Methodist Church. A watch
night service wiil begin at
11:30 p.m.
Sheriff Gary McConnell has
cautioned local drivers to be
especially careful during the
long New Year holiday week
end when traffic will be heavy
on the highways.
The Georgia State Patrol is
predicting that 18 persons will
die in traffic accidents over the
state during the 78-hour holi
day period which begins at 6
p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, and con
tinues until midnight, Sunday,
Dec. 31.
The rest of the state was not
as fortunate as Chattooga
County during the long Christ
mas holiday weekend when at
least 19 persons lost their lives
in traffic accidents. The State
Patrol had predicted that 21
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SCHAWNA RAINWATER: POSTER CHILD
persons would die in accidents
during the 78-hour holiday
period.
Public Safety Commissioner
Col. Ray Pope said the State
Patrol will be out in force
during the New Year’s holiday
period for the purpose of hold
ing down the death toll.
Driver Licensing
Set for Changes
Drivers of motor vehicles in
Chattooga County will note
several changes in the manner
of issuing drivers licenses after
Jan. 1.
Major changes in driver
licensing will become effective
the first of the year, according
to an announcement by the
Georgia Department of Public
Safety.
Drivers license examiners of
the department are undergoing
an intensive training program
in preparation for administer
ing a new system of drivers
licensing beginning in January.
Public Safety Commissioner
Col. Ray Pope said the in-serv
ice training program for 104
examiners at the Georgia Police
Academy is the first such
program in 10 years, and is
designed to teach examiners
the new system of classified
PRICE 15c
Area Post Officet
Closed in Honor
Os Mr. Truman
Summerville, Trion,
and other post offices in
this area will operate
today on a Sunday-type
schedule, with no city or
rural delivery nor window
service, according to an an
nouncement by Post
master John T. Stubbs.
President Nixon has
declared Thursday, Dec.
28, as a National Day of
Mourning in remembrance
of former President Harry
S Truman.
drivers licenses and a new
mandatory eye examination
program for drivers beginning
in January.
Under the new changes in
licensing procedure, there will
be five classes of drivers
licenses, including passenger
cars, trucks, motorcycles,
buses, and tractor-trailer com
binations. Additionally, every
driver must pass an eye exami
nation on his license renewal
date after Jan. 1. All holders of
veterans licenses will be re
quired to pass an eye test to
renew their licenses in 1973.
There will be no charge for
veterans licenses.
Col. Pope said the changes
are the most sweeping in the
history of driver licensing in
the stale and hopes that with
in-depth training, a minimum
of inconvenience to the public
will be encountered.