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VOLUME XCIV - NUMBER XVI F icfr y"T eynl_. *’»* UMF^ J ■ *SLs & ww*** a ■ A‘< A?* X X\ A. ; i X-.L /«. The rising price of gas and the shortage that is predicted prompted Jim Thomason to pull this old relic out of the garage, dust it off Local Commuters Plan Strategies In Light Os Looming Gas Crunch By DARRYL YOUNG With dollar-a-gallon gasoline on the horizon and shortages of the precious fuel later this summer predicted, local commuters are bound to be the hardest hit by the gas crunch. A random poll of commuters who travel to and from the county to work shows, that most of them are resigned to spiraling fuel costs, but they’re not happy about it. The oil companies, one commuter whose comments were typical of those polled, said the oil companies “have just gotten too big; they are able to manipu late the prices and the market.” The poll indicates that while com muters are frustrated over the gas situ ation, they plan or already are making changes to accommodate themselves to their long daily drives. None of those contacted, however, said they are contemplating moving closer to their place of work or finding a new job closer to home. Whatever the reason for the soaring oil prices, local commuters know that some concessions will have to be made somewhere . . . whether it be in cutting out a Sunday drive, servicing their own vehicle, or cutting back on some other luxury they now afford themselves, the poll indicated. One man The News contacted was Jim Thomason, who travels from his home in Cloudland to Roper Corp, in LaFayette where he works as a tool and die man. “I don’t think gas will stop at a dollar a gallon,” he predicted. “There’s nothing a person can do about it, though.” If the shortage of gasoline gets as bad as some officials foresee, “a lot of people will be missing work,” Thomason predicted. “When a man is out of work, not only does his family suffer but the government will be hurting too.” At current gas prices, Thomason said that he has been spending about SBO a month for travel expenses and that is with a four cylinder mini-pickup that gets about 25 miles per gallon. “A couple years back, though,” Thomason said, “I used 1,800 gallons of gas in a year’s time. This was due to cross country travel as well as commuting to work.” “We’re going to be able to do as much traveling as we used to and instead of driving the 200 miles to my folks house (for a monthly visit) I will give them a phone call instead,” Thoma son explained. Even before the Arab oil embargo in 1973, Thomason made concessions in order to lower his electric heating bill Routine Items Discussed By Summerville City Council A number of items of a routine nature was discussed at Monday night’s meeting of the Summerville City Council and Mayor. Action included: ♦ A delegation representing the library system appeared to thank the council for its support of the two local libraries in the amount of S6OO monthly and $6,000 annually in federal revenue sharing funds. * Henson Construction Co. was awarded the contract to move a gas line on Georgia Highway 153 in Floyd County as part of a state widening program there. It is anticipated the Department Cheap Transportation of Transporation will pay for the cost of the work, some $40,000. * The council approved the payment of an estimated SI,OOO to the city’s engineering consulting firm in order to pay the costs of re alignment of property to be used in connection with the city’s waterworks project. * The council voted to give laundromats and car washes a “break” on their sewage bill since they con sume large volumes of water. The two specified types of firms will be charged for sewer treatment at a rate of 40 percent of their water ®he ^ummerutlle New and see if it is serviceable. Thoma son drives his mini-pickup some 60 miles to and from work each weekday. and started to use a wood heater in his home. He also said he cut down on gas consumption before the embargo when he went from driving a six cylinder car to a four cylinder vehicle. “I wonder how far backwards they will push the American people,” he commented. Even though other people in the Menlo-Cloudland area work at Roper, Thomason said that car pooling would be a problem for him because at times he has to work late on short notice. “If I went to work the same time the subway goes to LaFayette from Menlo, I’d ride it,” Thomason joked. With a more serious tone, he said that a bus system could run cost efficiently if “you could get people to ride it instead of depending on their own transportation.” But if the situation gets as bad as predicted, Thomason said he believed industry and business would try to cooperate by scheduling shifts and people so they could car pool to and from work. With a sarcastic smile Thomason said, “We might all be working 24-hour shifts two days a week pretty soon” in order to save energy. Thomason blamed the government for the present situation of high gas prices and the sacrifices the working American will have to make in the future. “Our country has let us down,” he said, citing the food “give-away” pro grams to the oil producing nations in return for higher gas prices. “We’re giving our grain away and buying their oil.” Thomason then speculated that if the United States converts grain into “gasahol,” the country would be ♦extending its supply of energy and at the same time putting pressure on the oil-rich food-hungry nations to sell their most-abundant commodity at a more reasonable rate. Driving 100 miles each way to work, Hugh Hawkins of Cloud land has already started an energy-saving program. Opting for a more gas-consuming vehicle, a van, but having five other passengers to share expenses, Hawkins and his local co workers have found away to cope with the rising cost of gas. By car pooling, what might be an $lB a day round trip to work is reduced to about $3.50 in gasoline expenses for each of the five individuals. Hawkins said that if a gas rationing plan were to go into effect, coupons could also be pooled in order to get the gas necessary to travel the long distance to the job site. (Continued On Page 10-A) bill, as opposed to 50 per cent currently charged resi dential and other commercial firms. * The council discussed a request that the city pay the costs of connecting a pro posed highrise for the elderly on North Scoggins Street. The request was tabled pending an estimate being received of the costs involved. * A pay raise for city employees was discussed in executive session, but no action was taken. A decision is expected on the matter next month, a councilman said. SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1979 City OKs Waterworks Design The Summerville City Council and Mayor Monday evening accepted final designs and specifications for the proposed waterworks overhaul project. Herb Barnum, the con sulting engineer hired by the city to design the project, said at the monthly cotincil meeting that the project mapped by his firm has boosted the estimated cost of the project to $2,011,000, a Meeting On Schools’ Rebate Money To Be Held, Board Says The Chattooga County School Board Monday voted to hold a hearing to give local residents the opport unity to say how over $200,000 received by the system in the form of a tax rebate from the General Assembly should be spent. The time and the place of the meeting was not fina lized, however it is expected to be held in the near future. The decision to hold the meeting came after Mrs. Linda Black, a Summerville resident presented a petition to the board with over 350 names of local residents urging the school system to keep the money it will receive from the rebate bill. The system will receive $238,447.14 and has the choice of keeping the money in the system for school enrichment or returning it to the residents in the form of a tax relief. In other action the board: * Discussed with several representatives from Subligna the leasing of some school property and an old gym in Subligna for the community’s use. The board asked Superintendent Bill King to meet with the board’s attor ney to discuss the proposal. * Approved payment of $6,119.85 to Murray Equip ment Company for school bus bodies. * Approved the Chattooga | Paper Rates Going Up | The management of The Summerville News $ announces that newspaper rates will be going up effec •S tive June 15. X Beginning that date, new and renewed subscriptions ¥ •X will be raised to $6.70 within the county. Out-of-the- $ county rates will vary according to the postal zone the X subscriber lives in (see Page 14-A). Single copies of the paper will be raised to 20 cents x as of that date. $ X Subscriptions currently in force will be honored under the old rate until they expire. In fact, prior to $ June 15, advance subscriptions can be purchased as g many years in advance as a subscriber likes under the g old rate. X “We are sorry to have to go up on rates,” a spokes man said, “but like everyone else, the newspaper has g X; been hit hard by inflation, especially in the area of $ •X paper costs. Our last subscriber increase was eight years $ g ago, in 1971.” Revenue Sharing: By DARRYL YOUNG Local governments face losing roughly 10 percent of their total income if Congress fails to renew the federal revenue sharing program next fall, local officials estimate. The program set up under the Nixon administration to funnel federal tax - money back into local communities, could be scuttled or seriously curtailed by Congress, under increasing demands to reduce federal spending. The county government receives the largest amount of the funds locally. Last year the county was given $200,000 in federal revenue sharing money, almost 10 percent of its total budget. If the funds are discontinued, County Commissioner Pete Denson said, the county “will be hurting.” In the past revenue sharing money has been used by the county to pave roads, supple ment local recreation depart ments, partially fund the Summerville Fire Department, and to help an assortment of social services, including day care, library and mental health programs. The most likely means of generating the money lost if revenue sharing is disconti nued would be to raise pro- 5 percent increase from the firm’s earlier-estimated $1,800,000 pricetag. Barnum said a number of modifications were added to the earlier plan which resulted in the higher pro jected cost. The additions, he said, would make the Summerville water system “a jam-up system.” The modifi cations and additions include more piping, additional water plant improvements, reno- High School basketball team 'to sell candy as a fund-raising project so players can attend summer camp. * Granted leave of absences for Mrs. Virginia Etchison and Mrs. Kay Wor sham for the 1979-80 school year. * Approved the vocational program for the Chattooga High School. * Hired four teachers for the Chattooga High School. The teachers are John Turner, Donna Colliette, David Matteson and Frank Stewart. * Approved to pay the expenses for Mrs. Sue Spivey to attend a Career Education Seminar in Nashville, Tenn., June 29-30. She will be one of only three people in the state to attend. * Reviewed the 1979-80 school calendar and approved it. School is scheduled to begin tAugust 23 and end May 30 next year. * Discussed annual basis for teachers’ pay. The legisla designed the 954 percent 'pay increase' to span 12 months with three different increases. Superintendent King requested that the board average the three increases and make only one increase, but still covering the 954 percent. The board approved the request. * Approved the Title I program for next school year. perty tax, the commissioner said. “1 think people’s taxes are high enough,” he said, “but there would be no choice.” Tax Commissioner Jerry Money said it would take a tax increase of nearly 3 mills to generate that kind of money locally. For the home owner with a $20,000 home, he said, this would translate into an annual tax increase of some $23. Residents inside the muni cipal limits of the county, it appears, would be the hardest hit if the revenue sharing program is axed. For example, the Town of Trion, like the county, faces raising taxes if the federal funds are discontinued, Mayor Jake Woods said. Trion expects to receive about $45,000 in federal revenue sharing funds this year which is being used, as in past years to partially fund its recreation depart ment. In the last couple of years, the Town has relied on revenue sharing funds to provide about half of the recreation department budget, Woods said. The City of Lyerly relies heavily on .revenue sharing to supplement its police depart ment. About 10 percent s2,ooo-of its total budget vation and repainting existing water tanks, and the installation of valves that would prevent the four existing tanks from over flowing, among an assortment of other improvements. “Summerville is going to be very proud of this water plant,” Barnum predicted. He told the council that when bids are received on the project from contractors the council may find that bids “come in out of the money,” meaning that the bids may be too high. “We’ve tried real hard to determine what the bids might be, but it’s hard to tell what the contractors are going to bid. Their prices have been fluctuating wildly,” the engineer said. He explained that the new modifications his firm is sug gesting are “deduct expendi tures,” which can be cut out of the program if bids are deemed too high by the council. Or, he said, the city could flat out reject all the bids, and reapply for a grant • I t * Ralph Stanley (R) is getting the Town of Trion swimming pool in shape to open early in June. The pool was recently coated to stop the leakage problem, which Stanley said Mayor Cash Appoints Panel On Fluoridation At the urging of a local dentist, Summerville Mayor Sewell Cash Monday night appointed a committee to evaluate the costs and proce dures that would be involved if the City begins fluoridating its water supply. Dr. Richard Miller, who shares a dental practice with Dr. W. A. Bishop in Summer ville, told the council that “fluoridation would be very advantageous to the commu- Axing Os Program Would Cut Local Governmental Income 10% comes from revenue sharing funds. Mrs. Gwen Bentley, Lyerly City Clerk said, that “services would “have to go undone” or taxes would have to be raised if revenue sharing funds were discontinued. The City has been able to hire a qualified full-time police officer for the third shift since it started to receive the federal money in 1973, she said. Before that time the City of Lyerly “sometimes had to stick with people who were semiretired or disabled who were willing to take a smaller salary,” Mrs. Bentley said. Presently Lyerly pays the third shift policeman a salary of $6,500 a year and has watchmen on first and second shift who work under the Comprehensive Employ ment Training Act. Currently revenue sharing money is used “as far as it will go” towards the policeman’s salary, with the rest of his salary covered by money in the general fund, Mrs. Bentley explained. The City of Summerville last year received about 12 percent of its income from the revenue sharing program. With a total budget of $645,910 for fiscal year from the Farmer’s Home Administration. “We could redesign and re advertise it in the event prices are too high,” he said. The City already has a commitment from the Farmer’s Home Admini stration for a low-interest loan for the project, but the FmHA has turned down a grant request from the City. Barnum said the changing financial picture of the City and changes in FmHA grant rules might allow the City to get a grant for the water project in the future, should the City decide to go that route if contractor bids are deemed too costly. One councilman seemed to sum up the general feeling of the council, commenting that the project had been approved by the City earlier and that there was no alternative but to proceed and see how high the bids come in. The council gave the engineer permission to go before the two regulatory Getting Ready For Summer nity. “I speak not only for myself,” he told the council, at its May meeting, “but for other dentists here, who feel fluoridation would be helpful, especially for the children, but also to adults as well.” Dr. Miller said he was “sold on” fluoridation, noting that the difference between the number of cavities found in fluoridated communities and those that don’t is “like 1978, Summerville received $73,254 from the federal government, and another $7,020 of revenue sharing money from the county’s funds to be used for fire protection. In recent meetings Mayor Sewell Cash has noted that federal revenue sharing funds “ may run out” and that the City must find alternative revenue sources. The legalization of wine here was apparently one step towards that goal. Revenue sharing funds are scheduled to run out next year, and according to Chatta nooga Mayor Charles A. Rose, “The reenactment of general revenue sharing is not, by any means, a fore gone conclusion.” On a recent trip to Wash ington, Rose said “We found senators and representatives saying that general revenue sharing faced a long, uphill battle before being reenacted next year.” “Even if the program gets reenacted, there is the further danger that it may be ham strung with so many new regulations that it will lose all its previous flexibility—and flexibility has always been one of the major attributes of this program,” Rose said. agencies that must review the project—the FmHA and the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Re sources. Barnum, president of Williams, Sweitzer and Barnum, Inc. in Rome, said he anticipates quick approval of the design by the two agencies. According to Barnum, after that approval is received, the project will be advertised for bidding for 30 days, followed by a 60-day period in which the City would have to review the bids. If all goes smoothly, he said, construction could begin in four months. Barnum said he expects contractors from all over the Southeast will submit bids for the project. The project is aimed at updating the city’s entire water system, with particular attention towards beefing up pumping and storage capacity and improving water pressure in the outlying areas of the system. was successful. The algae that forms in the pool when it is not in service is so stubborn, he said, that it takes muratic acid to clean it. day and night.” He said that many children in the local area are experiencing “rampant” den tal problems that with fluori dation in many cases would not have developed. “If we can’t stop decay, children will never realize their full potential,” he continued. The doctor noted that fluoride is in the human (Continued On Page 10-A) Georgia’s U. S. Senator Sam Nunn told The News through a spokesman that he supports the basic concept of revenue sharing. “Money should be returned to the state and local government officials, who know best the needs of their localities,” the senator said. Nunn added that revenue sharing gives local govern ments more control over federal money and how it is spent than federal categorical grant projects (such as Housing and Urban Develop ment grants, the county was recently turned down for) do. A spokesman for U. S. Senator Herman Talmadge said the senator has voted for programs that returned fede ral money to state and local governments. Revenue sharing, the aide said, is running into opposition in the House. Congressman Jack Brooks, of Texas is strongly opposed to revenue sharing, he said. Brooks is the chair man of the House Committee on Government Operations where the revenue sharing bill will be drafted, the spokes man said. Also opposed to the extension of revenue sharing (Continued On Page 10-A) PRICE 15c