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VOLUME XCIV - NUMBER XXXV
2 Os 3 City
Councilmen To
Run In Race
The qualifying period for
an election to fill Summerville
City Council seats opens in
nine days. Two of three in
cumbents have announced
plans to run for reelection.
Councilmen Hubert
Palmer and Dennis Cox con
firmed in recent interviews
they plan to stand for reelec
tion in the Nov. 3 election;
Councilman Boyd Williams,
who has served one term on
the council, told The News
Tuesday he will not enter the
race.
The qualifying period for
the election, which will fill
Seats 3,4, and son the coun
cil, will open Oct. 6. The quali
fying period will run through
noon Oct. 20.
The qualifying fee is SSO.
To be eligible a candidate
must be at least 21 years old,
a resident of Summerville for
at least one year, and be a
registered city and state
voter.
Unregistered city voters
can sign up for the election
during the qualifying period
at City Hall.
Retail
Sales
Strong
While economists are poin
ting to certain economic in
dicators and predicting a
soon-to-be-upon-us recession,
recent figures released by the
state show that local sales are
remaining strong.
In fact, according to
figures released by Georgia
Department of Revenue, retail
sales in Chattooga County are
steadily improving. That’s the
picture drawn through June,
the last month for which sales
figures are available.
The revenue department
says Chattooga County tax
able sales for the second calen
dar quarter (April through
June) leaped by 8.3 percent
over the first quarter (January
through March). In gross
totals, taxable sales jumped
to $16.5 million from $15.2
million, the revenue depart
ment said.
Perhaps even more signifi
cant is the fact that second
quarter taxable sales here in
creased by a large
margin—l3.B percent—com
pared to the same quarter last
year.
Second quarter totals last
year for taxable sales in Chat
tooga County amounted to
$14.5 million.
Statewide, for the same
period, taxable sales increased
by 10.9 percent, an indicator
that retail sales are stronger
in this county than the state
as a whole.
The figures reported by
the .revenue department ex
clude out-of-state purchases
which related to use tax and
indicate place of sale rather
than buying power by place or
residence. Taxable sales
figures include utility bills.
Court Date Still To Be
Set In Case Involving
Frisking Os Teen-Ager
When a civil suit pending
against two former county
deputies and Sheriff L.D.
Ragland can be heard in
federal court remains uncer
tain, attorneys familiar with
the case said Friday.
The suit alleges that one of
the former deputies improper
ly searched a 15-year-old coun
ty girl in early 1977 prior to
the two law enforcement of
ficers charging her with a
misdemeanor marijuana
possession charge which was
later dismissed, court records
show.
The two deputies, Randy
Bailey and Roger Powell, ar
rested the plaintiff in the civil
case, Judy Anne Dockery,
now 18, and three men after
they found a small quantity of
marijuana in the car they were
occupying on Jan. 7, 1977.
The deputies brought the
charges against them after
coming upon the car, parked
on the Back Penn Road, late
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| Exhibits Ready For Sum-Nelly
and James Abney of Summerville
display several of the trays they will
have on exhibit at Sum-Nelly on Satur
day, Oct. 6. Abney makes the trays in
Sum-Nelly To Be Held
Oct. 6 In Summerville
Sum-Nelly, the annual
local event synonymous with
the coming of autumn, will be
held Saturday, Oct. 6 from 10
a.m. until 5 p.m.
The event, started six
years ago, will be held “rain or
shine” near the Scout Hut on
the grounds of the Summer
ville Recreation Center. In
case of rain, Sum-Nelly will be
moved into the center.
Some 18 persons will have
tables at the arts, crafts and
bake show, Sum-Nelly
organizer Mrs. Pam Echols
said.
According to Mrs. Echols,
Sum-Nelly offers local artists,
homemakers and han
dicrafters the opportunity to
show and sell their work. It
also gives local residents a
chance to do some early
Christmas shopping; unusual
items can often be purchased
at modest prices. Helping to
keep prices reasonable is the
fact that there is no exhibit fee
Ga. High Court Hears
Trion-Cable TV Appeal
The Georgia Supreme Court last week heard oral
arguments in the Tnon vs. Clear-Vu Cable TV case.
Clear-Vu is seeking to overturn a Superior Court deci
sion which if upheld would force the firm to restore three
channels it has blacked out to Trion customers, a move
that came after the Trion council refused to give up its
current rate-approval powers.
Local attorney Pete Boney, representing Clear-Vu,
said it could be several weeks before a decision is handed
down by the high court. Summerville lawyer Ed Surles
represented the Trion council and mayor and a group of
residents seeking to force an end to the three-channel
blackout.
Clear-Vu maintains the blackout is legally permissible
under the existing contract and that it is required under
that contract to provide a minimum of four channels to
Trion customers.
in the night.
All four of the suspects
were searched, the civil suit
alleged, noting that “without
probable cause, a warrant,
consent or other justification
(Bailey) proceeded to search
the plaintiff’s body placing his
hands under her brassiere,
and in her panties, thereby
feeling and searching
aforesaid minor plaintiff’s
most intimate parts.’’
Sheriff Ragland was nam
ed in the suit Decause he was
the superior to the two
deputies and had hired them.
He was not present at the
time of the incident.
In separate formal answers
to the suit the defendants
maintain the search was
lawful and that the statutes of
limitations bar the filing of
the suit. Additionally, County
Attorney Arch Farrar, Jr.,
who is defending the sheriff
and two ex-deputies, has filed
a counterclaim seeking “ex-
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1979
his workshop and Mrs. Abney does the
needlepoint and dried arrangements
that go under the glass in the bottom of
the trays.
or percentage levied.
Some of the people and
groups that will be selling
goods at the festival will be:
Liz Abney, trays; Mrs. O. W.
Padgett of Rome,
crochet goods; Eveleyn Cor
kern of Decter, pine wood
crafts; Linda Estus, spice
wreaths, bell pulls, and switch
plates; Ann Diehl of Rome,
needlepoint, bell pulls, chain
seats, crosstitch, egg crafts
and violets; Mary Mon
tgomery, candy apples, boiled
peanuts and pumpkins; Sue
Cannon of Cloudland, pottery;
Eastern Star will sell cnili; An
nie Ruth Housch, crafts; the
Brewer children from Lyerly,
pumpkins, gourds, squash
and Indian corn; Jean Swan
son, crafts; and Pam Buhnan,
casserole holders, aprons and
pot holders.
Also, Pearl Williams and
Lucille Tudor, crochet items;
Avis Youngblood, dried
materials, crochet, baked
penses in the defense of this
action” in the amount of
SIO,OOO for each of the men.
When the case could go to
a federal jury—assuming that
it isn’t settled out of
court—appears to be anyone's
case.
Attorneys for both the
plaintiff and the three defen
dants noted that the
racketeering trial of Atlanta
pornographer Mike Theyis
has tied up the federal court in
Rome. The case entered its
sixth week Monday and when
the lengthy case will go to the
jury is an uncertainty.
County Attorney Farrar
also noted that pre-trial reac
tions in the case brought by
Ms. Dockery are still under
consideration by the court,
another factor that could
delay the case going before a
jury.
In fact, Farrar speculated
it could be months—and
perhaps years—before the
case comes to trial.
goods and canned goods;
Charlotte Dodtson, crochet
goods; Mrs. Avis Jones of
Rossville, oil and pastel pain
tings, patchwork and plastic
of paris; Summerville
Methodist Church Women,
baked and canned goods; and
Lee Pitchie of Atlanta, blown
glass.
People wishing to par
ticipate can call Mrs. Ecnols
at 857-1410 to reserve a spot.
There is no admission
charge to the festival.
New Phone
Books Are
Going Out
The new 1979 General
Telephone Company direc
tories will be received by local
customers this week or next
week, according to District
Service Manager Kenneth
McPeak.
The cover of the new phone
book features a painting of
Canadian Geese in flight. The
painting was completed by
the internationally known
wildlife artist Glen Loates.
According to McPeak,
each local telephone customer
will receive at least one direc
tory. Customers with an ex
tension phone, who need an
additional directory, can pick
one up at no cost at General
Telephone’s business office on
West Washington Street in
Summerville. Others needing
copies of the book can pur
chase them for 60 cents
apiece, he said.
McPeak said that the com
pany is now serving 10,178
telephones in the district,
representing a growth of 6.4
E>rcent over the same period
st year.
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North Georgia Electric Membership
Corp, in Trion was recently presented
with a Chattooga County Chamber of
Commerce Improvement Award.
Chamber President Henry Watson
(center) presents the award to Mrs. Mar
tha Eleam, office manager. Looking on
Oakview To Seek OK
For 55-Bed Expansion
The Chattooga County
Hospital Board Monday gave
Administrator Bob
Throneberiy the go-ahead to
seek a certificate of need for a
proposed 55-bed expansion at
Oakview Nursing Home.
Throneberry, with the
Erevious approval of the local
ospitai board, had already
submitted a proposal to the
Appalachian Georgia Health
System Agency for a 32-bed
expansion at the nursing
home. The additional 23 beds
to be added to that proposal,
he said, would require only
slightly more staffers than the
original proposal.
The Appalachian Health
System Agency in upcoming
months will review the pro
posal after holding a public
nearing. That review would
result in a decision as to
whether that panel will recom
mend to the state that a cer
tificate of need be issued.
In recent HSA action two
Sosals from private firms,
seeking to build a
120-bed nursing home in Chat
tooga County, failed to win an
HSA recommendation for a
certificate of need.
Throneberry believes that the
two disapprovals for the pro
posed private nursing homes
help assure that the HSA will
approve the awarding of a cer
tificate of need for the propos
ed Oakview proposal.
The HSA, a 75-member
board representing 23 coun
ties in northwest Georgia,
reviews developers’ plans for
health care proposals involv
ing expansion and new con
struction. The HSA says 203
new nursing home beds are
needed in Chattooga, Floyd
and Bartow counties and to
date has recommended to the
state the 25-bed expansion of
a nursing home in Rome.
However, the HSA, during a
meeting, while turning
down several proposals for
recommendation to the state
in the three counties took no
action on two proposals near
Adairsville (each involving
{iroposed 120-bed new
acihties) and, according to an
HSA staffer, the state is ex
pected to grant a certificate of
2 Boys Admit
To Role
In Vandalism
Two Summerville
juveniles have admitted to
authorities that they were
responsible for some of the
destruction to tombstones
vandalized in recent weeks at
Summerville Cemetery.
According to a report at
the sheriff’s department, two
boys, ages 10 and 11, admit
ted to officers last Wednesday
that they overturned several
of the tombstones in the
cemetery while on their way
home from school.
The matter has been turn
ed over to the juvenile
authorities and is pending in
juvenile court.
Officers said they believe
the boys were only two of
several youngsters who were
responsible for the vandalism.
Improvement Award Given
need to one of those facilities.
Assuming one of those two
proposals is accepted, and
considering the 25-oed expan
sion in Rome already recom
mended to the state for cer
tificate of need, that leaves
some 58 beds the HSA
believes are needed in the
three-county area. The local
hospital board hopes that its
expansion proposal would be
approved to fill that need.
In other action, the
hospital board tentatively ap
proved the purchase of new
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Acting Summerville Police Chief Arlen
Thomas (R) presents Bud Gilley (center)
with a plaque of appreciation for his
dedication to the police department dur
ing his 20 months as chief. Gilley resign-
Date Tax Bills Will Be
Mailed Said Uncertain
When can local residents
expect to see their property
tax bills this year?
According to Tax Commis
sioner Jerry Money, it’s too
soon to tell when tax notices
will be ready because there is
a lot of red tape which must be
completed before local ad
valorem tax bills are mailed.
“If everything runs on
schedule,’’ Money said Mon
day, “we’ll probably get them
out on time—by Oct. 20—but
the state will probably be the
big hold-up.”
The “hold-up” Money an
ticipates is the Department of
Revenue’s review of the tax
digest. Last year that depart
ment determined that local
assessments were too low and
it refused to approve the
digest. Such approval is re
quired by law before taxes can
be collected. A 10 percent
across-the-board assessment
increase had to be slapped on
each and every parcel of land
in the county Before the state
would approve the digest.
are (L-R) Sue Spivey, chairman of the
chamber improvement committee;
Virgil Fisher, district manager; Mrs.
Harold Baker, wife of the director of the
county NGEMC; and Elvin Farrar,
manager of NGEMC, and his wife,
Ruth.
lab equipment at a cost of
$9,700.
According to Throneberry,
the “current equipment is
becoming obsolete” and is ex
pensive to operate compared
to newer systems.
Currently, he said, it costs
an average of $1.38 per lab
test; with the new system the
cost would be reduced to ap
proximately 25 cents per test.
Throne berry, in recommen
ding the purchase, said the
new system “will meet our
needs for several years.” He
Former Chief Given Plaque
The county tax commis
sioner said he is uncertain
whether the county will have
to place another factor this
year on the digest.
“A lot depends on what
the state does (as to when
local tax bills go out),” Money
said. “It could be the latter
part of October or first of
November (when bills are sent
out) —that’s what we’re
shooting for right now. Oc
tober 20 is the date the law re
quires, unless you have an ex
tension.”
Just this week Money’s
staff was scheduled to send
off its working tax digest with
some 3,000 corrections—ad
dress changes, and
transfers—mostly which must
be keypunched in by hand
before a computerized
preliminary digest is ready.
Hospital Authority
Offers Assistance
To Student Nurses
The county hospital
authority Tuesday finalized
plans to offer scholarships to
selected nursing students who
agree to work at the local nur
sing home or hospital after
graduation.
Originally the authority
had considered offering the
scholarship only at Floyd
Junior College, allowing the
college to select worthy
students. Under the plan the
costs of books and the $122
quarterly tuition would be
paid by the authority, with
the student in turn signing a
contract which would provide
that he or she work at the
county facility for a com
parable period after gradua
tion.
The student would be
allowed to pay back the
scholarship money if he or she
finds employment elsewhere.
But the authority decided
Tuesday that students in
registered nursing programs
other than the one offered at
FJC will also be considered for
assistance, but the scholar
ship shall be no greater than
that given FJC students.
added that the chemicals
needed for the existing hard
ware are expected to be no
longer manufactured in two to
three years.
He said the equipment he
Croposed that tne hospital
uy—called Gilford’s Series
100—could be bought over a
period of six months with no
interest charges levied.
The board approved the
purchase with tne provision
that the staff pathologist be
contacted to see if he concur
red with the decision.
ed from the force recently. Looking on is
Mrs. Ann Gilley, and officers Charles
Owens, (L-R) George Dean, Larry Ben
nett, Houston London and Fred
Lawson.
T ‘We’ve almost got everything
ready for the first printout.
Money said. “Most of the
changes have been made and
we’re sending the last part to
Gainsville (where the digest is
processed on a computer)
tomorrow (Tuesday of this
week). We’ve made the correc
tions and what it depends on
now is the time it takes for
them (the computer service) to
print it out, and also what the
state will do when we submit
it.”
If the state in fact requires
that a factor is placed on the
digest before approving it,
Money noted, the digest
would have to be returned to
the computer service for
reprocessing—a situation that
could further delay tax bills
being sent to taxpayers.
In all, four scholarships are
planned to be given each year:
two to first-year students and
two to second-year students.
The authority set up the
program in an effort to
alleviate a shortage of
registered nurses in the area.
Throneberry said that while
both large and small medical
facilities are feeling the
crunch, smaller facilities
especially are threatened
because a registered nurse
must be on the premises at all
times. While the same is true
at larger hospitals, he said,
their large staffs ensure that
at least one RN is on duty at
all times.
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