Newspaper Page Text
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VOLUME XCIV - NUM .IX
Some Cable
Television
Rates Hiked
Clear-Vu Cable customers
outside the city limits of
Summerville and Trion will pay
a base rate of $7 a month for
Cable service effective Feb. 1.
the firm announced in a letter
to customers this week.
Customers in more remote
areas served by the company
will be paying $8 a month.
Boyce Dooley, president of
Clear-Vu said that approxi
mately 50 percent of the local
firm’s customers will be
affected by the rate increase
The “old” rate—ss.7s —
remains in effect in Summer
ville and Trion.
In 1977 the Summerville
City Council and Mayor agreed
to release Clear-Vu from the
firm’s contractual obligation of
obtaining council approval for
rate increases, with the pro
vision that city residents would
be charged at a rate no higher
than any other customers in
the county.
Meanwhile, the Trion
Council and Mayor have
repeatedly balked at amending
the Town's contract with
Clear-Vu to allow the cable-TV
company to set rates in Trion
without council approval.
Presently such approval is
required by the contract,
which expires in 11 years.
Further, the council says it
won’t approve any increases
unless they can be justified by
Clear-Vu.
The net effect of the situ
ation has resulted in Clear-Vu
increasing rates throughout the
county except in the two
municipalities. ,
Dooley said, “Due to the
continued rising cost of our
operations it has become
necessary to increase our sub
scribers’ basic service
chargers.” Dooley cited the
see CABLE, Page 8-A
Trion Zoning Appeal Is
Made In Superior Court
By DARRYL YOUNG
Summerville Attorney
Carlton Vines has filed a civil
complaint against the Town of
Trion on behalf of law partner
Jerry Westbrook in a three
month-old zoning dispute.
Vines’ third appeal to have
the property on the corner of
First and Fourth Streets in
Trion rezoned from residential
to general business, was turned
down by the Board of Appeals
last week. Sitting on the board
were Harold Broome, George
Scoggins and Jule Stephens.
Vines’ first attempt to have
the property rezoned was
Early Purchasing
Os Auto Tag Is
Urged By Durham
This year’s motor vehicle
license tags went on sale Tues
day. Chattooga County Tax
Commissioner Larry Durham
said the state has simplified the
rate structure this year by
charging all vehicles under
14,000 pounds gross vehicle
weight a fee of SB.
Durham said trailer tags
have been changed to one
classification and will uni
formly cost $5. Motorcycles
and vehicles weighing over
14,000 pounds will pay the
same rate as last year, he said.
Ad valorem taxes on
vehicles will remain unchanged
this year, Durham said. This
tax is based on the state’s esti
mated fair market value of the
vehicle. Durham explained that
the state has a sliding scale
based on the age of the auto
mobile on which the ad
valorem tax is computed.
Summerville residents will
pay an additional ad valorem
tax on the value of their auto
mobiles. Durham gave an
example using a $5,000 car
made in 1978. He said a
county resident would pay
$60.80 plus the $8 registration
fee and a Summerville resident
would pay an additional $26,
making his total registration
and tax fee for the car $94.
“The revision of vehicle tag
fees was approved by the legis
lature and enacted by the
Summerville New
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Sewing Machines Hum
Aero Tex workers each have a special
ized job and complete components of
garments. The long table in the back is
New Apparel Firm Here
Does Well; Growth Seen
Aero Tex Inc., a womens’
blouse manufacturer that
opened in Chattooga County
just 60 days ago, is getting
ready to expand and add addi
tional employees to its payroll,
according to company Chair
man Ray Riley. ,
Riley, a former resident of
Atlanta, said, “We have room
for a few more people; we plan
to grow as fast as the market
will allow.” Happy with the
quality of workers the compa-
turned down by Trion’s
Planning and Zoning Com
mittee, and an appeal to the
mayor and council was likewise
turned down the following
month.
In Vines’ latest attempt to
rezone the property, he has
filed a complaint with the
Superior Court, filed the day
after the Trion Board of
Appeals had denied his request.
“The case cannot be heard for
at least 30 days after filing, he
said, “and I really don’t know
yet when it will be heard.”
Trion officials maintain
Westbrook’s property is in a
State; it wasn’t done locally,”
Durham said. He added that it
took three years to enact the
new policy.
The one-rate setup is a step
in the right direction to
simplify registration, Durham
said- Presently the state is look
ing at a staggered monthly
expiration date. Over half of .
the United States is presently
using this system with varying
success in an effort to spread
the paperwork involved over
the entire year, he said.
Different states have adopted
different policies, some with
the registrar’s birthday as the
expiration date; some issuing a
two-year tag; and others offer
ing year-around regist ration,
Durham said.
The change would make it
much easier on the tax office
since property taxes and tags
are all due in the same three
month period, Durham said.
“I certainly hope residents
get their tags earlier this year,”
he commented. “Last year
about 1,000 tags were issued
on the last day. That’s one
fourteenth of the entire tags
issued in the county. I know
it’s human nature to procrasti
nate, but it makes it unneces
sarily difficult on the customer
and the employees of the tax
office. I am encouraging people
to register before the April 1
deadline.”
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747, THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1979
used to cut material. From the back of
the room the blouse goes through a
progressive stage; of completion.
ny has found in Chattooga
County, Riley said, “We’ve
attracted well qualified people
with good character and work
habits.”
Aero Tex pays its workers
on a piecemeal basis and pro
duction rarely slows down,
Riley noted.
Business is very good, he
noted, and the fact Aero Tex
has orders booked four months
in advance is a good indicator
of how steady the work is. The
residential location and it is in
the best interest of Trion for it
to remain zoned as such.
At last Thursday’s hearing
by the board of appeals,
surprise and dismay were
expressed that the Superior
Court could overrule the
town’s decision. When Vines
was asked if he could take the
matter further than the
Superior Court, he replied,
“Yes, it could be taken as high
as the Supreme Court, but the
Superior Court is as high as we
plan to take it.”
The grounds for the suit are
that the Town’s refusal to
rezone the property “inflict
serious loss” to Westbrook
because the property would be
valued at $39,000 if zoned
commercial, the complaint
said. Its current worth, zoned
residential, is SSOO, the action
said.
The suit charges that the
current zoning of the property
“is confiscatory and void and
constitutes taking private
property without just compen
sation in violation . . ,of the
Georgia Code and the Fifth
and 14th Amendments of the
Constitution ...”
“When I filed the original
zoning request, I didn’t think it
would be a big problem,”
Vines said. He explained
because of' industry located
across the street, a Riegel
parking lot next door, a beauty
shop nearby and the fact a gas
station previously occupied a
see ZONING, Page 8-A
Council Seeks Solution
Mud Plagues New Menlo Well
By DARRYL YOUNG
The Menlo City Council, at
a meeting Tuesday, discussed
problems it is having getting its
new well passed by the state
health department.
The well, under develop
ment on Leroy Massey’s
.property, is in Shinbone
Valley. To date, three water
samples have been found un
suitable by the health depart
ment for use by the city. Bill
King, the council member over
the Menlo water department,
said the main problem with the
well tests is they show too
much nyid in the well.
firm’s orders come from
nationally-known manu
facturers who distributed the
blouses throughout the United
States, he explained.
The volume the company
produces is hard to pin down.
Riley said. “The different
styles take various amounts of
time to produce so our pro
duction will fluctuate; a rough
estimate would be about 5,000
garments a week” he said.
Additional Photos On Page 6-A
Riley said his partnership
with James Sexton, President
of Aero Tex, is one with
complimentary assets. Sexton
is experienced in plant manage
ment, while Riley is experi
enced in mill and apparel plant
operations, Riley noted.
Aero Tex’s operation is
complete from the cutting of
the material to the shipment of
the finished blouses. The bolts
of material, costing about $2
per yard, are laid out on the
cutting table about 12 layers
deep. A pattern is then laid on
top of the material and all 12
layers cut at the same time
with a knife-like cutter.
Each machine operator is
responsible for a stage of the
final product. The collar is
made by one woman; sleeves
by another; and so on down
the line. The finished product
is inspected and pressed and
readied for shipment.
Riley and Sexton are both
pleased with their decision to
locate in Chattooga County.
“We’ve done very well in the
60 days we’ve been in oper
ation,” Riley said.
CB Theft Probed
The theft of a citizens band
(CB) radio out of a vehicle over
the weekend is still under
investigation by the Summer
ville Police Department.
Raymond Vanpelt of Ellen
Street advised officers that
sometime between 6:50 and 8
p.m. Sunday someone entered
his vehicle while he was at
church and took his Hy-Gain
CB radio. The radio was valued
at $135. Officers later found
that entry had been made
through the right rear door of
the vehicle.
As of Tuesday afternoon no
arrests had been made in con
nection with the incident.
After a lengthy discussion,
the council took King’s advice
and will borrow or rent a pump
capable of pumping the well
until it is free of mud. Samples
will then again be sent to the
health department for testing.
TTie council agreed to meet
a week from today to further
discuss the matter.
Besides the well, the council
plans to discuss the possibility
of applying for a Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)
grant at next Thursday’s
meeting.
Public hearings are to be
held Jan. 16 and 23 on how
federal funds might be best
Hiring Os City Manager
Said Possible Monday
At Meeting Os Council
By TOM KIRWAN
The Summerville City i
Council and Mayor are I
expected to take a “full
council vote to hire one of two i
men” recently interviewed to '
fill the new city manager post, [
Mayor Sewell Cash said Tues
day.
“Hopefully by Monday (the
day of the regular monthly
meeting), we will have an
answer,” the mayor explained.
‘‘We’re checking into
references right now.”
The mayor and council
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First Chattoogan Os New Year
The first Chattoogan of 1979 was born
at 6:27 a.m. Monday at Floyd Medical
Center. Rachel Nicole Hawkins
weighed in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces.
Here her mom and dad, Ruby Faye and
John Hawkins of Teloga, show her off
Facility Out of Danger?
State Park Here Is Included In
Gov. Busbee’s Budget Proposals
By TOM KIRWAN
Gov. George Busbee’s
budget recommendations
issued Wednesday virtually
assure James A. “Sloppy”
Floyd State Park will remain
open for the time being, a local
legislator said Wednesday.
State Rep. Johnny Craw
ford said he had spoken with
the head of the parks and
historical sites .division, Henry
Struble, earlier in the day and
was told that “as things stand
right now, the park will not
close.”
Crawford said funding cuts
for one park and one historical
site were included under
Busbee’s new fiscal year
budget. They are the Chatta
hoochee River State Park,
which is being taken over by
the federal government, and
Midway Museum, located
used in the community. Mayor
Kathryn Mac Vane will contact
County Commissioner Pete
Denson to obtain information
as to eligibility requirements.
The council would like to
obtain grant money to estab
lish a full time recreation
department in Menlo.
Opening the hour-and-a-half
meeting was the swearing-in of
councilmen Tommy Ballard,
Tommy Luther and Lonnie
Ward.
Taxes Ok’d
In other business, the
council decided to adopt the
same millage rate and business
members prior to Christmas
interviewed two hopefuls from
some two dozen applicants for
the newly-created position.
The mayor added that the
council may decide to inter
view more applicants before a
decision is made, but added he
personally is anxious to fill the
position as quickly as possible.
Stoplight Mulled
In other business, Mayor
Cash said the city had received
word from the Georgia Depart
ment of Transportation that
the City would be responsible
Tuesday. Her grandparents are Mr. and
Mrs. J.D. Hawkins of Trion and Mr. and
Mrs. Albert Downer of Teloga. The
Hawkinses have another daughter,
Karen, age 9.
south of Savannah.
Eight park and historical :
sites were initially considered
for closing by the Department
of Natural Resources after
Busbee ordered department
heads to ‘trim the fat.’
Crawford said there is a slim
possibility the legislature could
withhold funds for state park
in Chattooga County, but that
it appeared unlikely.
“I don’t believe they will
take it out ... I don’t believe
that will happen.”
“If the governor had not
included it, it would have been
hard for us to put it in (the
budget). I don’t think the legis
lature is going to cut it out.”
Meanwhile, Crawford said
the plan for proposed develop
ment of new campsites at the
park is being modified and the
opening date will probably be
license rates as last year. Ward
said, “We’re losing more busi
ness than we’re gaining,”
explaining that raising the busi
ness tax rates would be a
further detriment to Menlo.
Mary Humphrey, city clerk,
brought to the council’s
attention that “quite a few”
Menlo residents had not paid
city taxes in past yeais. She
noted one resident who had
not paid city taxes in the last
seven years. She asked the
council if a penalty charge
should be added to the tax bill
or if they had any other sug
gestions in collecting the
delinquent taxes. Councilman
i for relocation costs of a pro- ;
posed stoplight on North Com-
i merce if U.S. Highway 27 is '
widened later, as has been pro- '
| posed.
At last month’s meeting the
council had voted to install the
light in the near future if the
DOT continued to fail to
respond to inquiries from Cash
on the matter by Monday’s
meeting date.
Although the council has
already earmarked funds for
the light-which with promised
state support would cost the
city “at least $12,000”, j
put off past the April 1979 .
date as previously announced.
Originally the DNR had
allocated $114,000 for the
development of 25 campsites
and a comfort station. But ■
according to Crawford, the
DNR has trimmed that figure
to $96,000.
With $32,000 already spent
for the purchase of additional
park property for the sites,
roughly only $64,000 remains
earmarked for the program, he
said.
Under the original program,
some $55,000 was earmarked
solely for the comfort station,
which according to Crawford
doesn’t leave sufficient funds
for roadwork and other
improvements.
As a result, he said, the
DNR is working on a plan to
scale down the cost of the
Tommy Luther said he thought
a penalty fee should be levied
and notices hand-delivered by
the Menlo police. The council
members then took notice of
the residents’ names and
decided some of them are just
overlooked prior notices. The
council decided to send a
notice informing the taxes and
said it will take further action
if necessary at their next regu
larly scheduled meeting.
The council also decided to
crack down on three city
employees who have been
sitting in City Hall during
working hours. Mayor
Mac Vane will inform them if
according to the mayor-the
council had balked at final
approval until it could find out
whether the City would have
to bear the cost of relocating
the light for the proposed state
widening project.
The light is proposed for the
intersection near the Piggly
Wiggly Store, where 6th Street
and Kelly Street intersect with
North Commerce Street (U.S.
Highway 27).
The DOT has approved the
installation of the light,
although stipulating it must be
of certain specifications which
have in turn boosted its antici
pated cost.
Cash said he was dis
appointed that the DOT
wouldn’t agree to shoulder the
costs of relocating the pro
posed light if it becomes neces
sary for the road-widening
project, which has not been
approved or funded to date.
County Commissioner Pete
Denson, at a recent Chattooga
County Chamber of Commerce
meeting, said he didn’t think
the widening project could be
started for at least another two
years, if then, if it wins DOT
approval.
Cash said relocating the
light sometime in the future
could cost the city in the
neighborhood of $4,000 to
$5,000. He called DOTs
refusal to pay that cost, if
necessary, ‘‘darned
depressing.”
“We want the light,” he
explained, “and it doesn’t seem
fair we would have to pay for
moving it for a state project.
But there’s nothing we can
do.”
Cash indicated that the
DOT’S unwillingness to pay for
the stoplight’s relocation might
jeopardize the city’s decision
to install it. saying he expected
the council to take up the
matter Monday.
Rate Deliberations
Also expected to be brought
up at the council meeting
see MANAGER, Page 8-A
comfort state to free up
sufficient funds for another
necessary work.
Because plans will have to
be reworked, he said, it is
“unlikely” the campsites will
be ready by the spring.
“If we get campsites,” he
said, “the park will be in better
shape as far as being threatened
every year with budget cuts.
The problem is we don’t have
enough outside visitors because
we don’t have camping facili
ties, and the state wants it to
be a statewide park, not one
primarily used only by local
residents.”
According to the DNR,
studies showed that 80 percent
of the park’s visitors are local.
Currently the day-use park,
located just south of Summer
ville, has 259 acres open to the
public.
weather conditions are too
severe to work, they are to use
the old fire hall as a crew room
instead.
Councilman Ward made a
motion that no city money be
spent unless authorized by the
council at a regularly scheduled
or called meeting. Added to
the motion was the phrase “un
less an emergency arises.” The
motion passed unanimously.
The council also decided to
hold its monthly meeting at 7
p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m. on
the first Tuesday of each
month. The council said i‘
would change back to the later
time when the days get longer.
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PRICE 15c