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VOLUME XCIV - NUMBER XLII
Q C
County l ibvelopment Authority
I®
Gears Up To Issue Bonds For
Industrial Improvements Here
By TOM KIRWAN
You don't have to be an
economics professor to know
that the country is in the grips
of a credit crunch. Interest
rates have gone through the
roof— hovering between 16
and 18 percent— a develop
ment which among other
things threatens to force most
commercial and industrial ex
pansion to be put on the back
burner.
For Chattooga County, the
slowdown is coming at a bad
time. Unemployment has been
high in the past few years,
despite ongoing efforts to br
ing in new industry and new
jobs.
Local leaders, however,
say the picture isn’t necessari
ly bleak, for the county in one
respect is very lucky: it has an
economic development
City Council Sets Millage, OKs New Roof
For Summerville Recreation Department
By TOM KIRWAN
The Summerville City
Council, meeting in a busy
session Monday evening,
voted to hold its tax millage
rate stable for 1979, authoriz
ed the reroofing of the recrea
tion center on Bolling Road,
and decided to go forward
with downtown sidewalk im
provements.
The council voted to allow
the tax millage rate in the city
to remain at 5.2 mills, the
same as last year. Despite a 17
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City officials say the chert pit it owns is
probably too dangerous to be used as a
park. Councilmen Monday expressed
fears that children could be hurt if they
fell from the cliffs—or that a rock slide
could endanger visitors. The council
Summerville Business Fees
Could Go Up If Proposal
Gains Approval Next Month
The Summerville City
Council Monday resurrected
its plan to increase business
license fees in the city.
The proposed ordinance
was placed on first reading at
the regular montly meeting at
City Hall. Upon second
reading next month, the or
dinance could become city law
at the Dec. 10 meeting.
The proposal is exactly the
same one that was placedon
first reading in December of
1976, according to Mayor
Sewell Cash.
The council, a month later
however, backed down from
the proposal when a dozen or
so local merchants turned out
to protest the fee increases.
Mayor Cash said Monday
he believed that many of the
authority which can issue
bonds— at moderate interest
rates — on behalf of local in
dustries for expansion or im
provements.
The non-profit authority,
called the Chattooga In
dustrial Development
Authority, formally came into
existence 13 years ago after
getting necessary approval
from the Georgia General
Assembly.
The authority was set up
with the immediate goal of
helping to finance the Lyerly
plant of Bigelow Sanford, Inc.
As it turned out, the authority
never issued the bonds,
however, as Bigelow was
bought out by Sperry Hut
chins Co., which opted to
make other financial ar
rangements for the new plant.
In the past few years, the
percent state-ordered factor
being placed on the digest, the
council appeared reluctant to
reduce the millage rate
because the rate could not be
increased later if necessary
without General Assembly ap
proval, according to Coun
cilman Hubert Palmer, who
made the motion to leave the
city millage rate unchanged.
The motion passed
unanimously.
After hearing a plea from
Recreation Board Chairman
Too Dangerous For Park?
merchants misunderstood the
proposal two years ago, fear
ing that two or more fees
might be levied on a business
that was involved in more
than a single speciality. For
example, he said, some mer
chants apparently feared that
a grocery that sold drugs
would have to have a permit
for grocery and drug sales.
But he quickly added that
that is not the intent of the
proposed ordinance at all: a
merchant would pay a single
business fee based on his
primary trade, he said.
Councilman James Crouch
passed around a comparison
of fees charped by area cities
for certain businesses.
Although he didn’t release the
list to the media and there was
^ummeruille New
authority has been largely
dormant. In fact, to date, it
has yet to arrange its first
bond issue.
But the credit crunch is
helping to change all that. Ac
cording to authority
members, the tight money
squeeze will probably allow it
to sell tax-free bonds at an in
terest rate of less than 9 per
cent. That’s a little less than
half of the going rate on the
open market.
The authority is em
powered to sell the bonds,
with the company involved
dealing with agreeing to pay
off the issue within a specified
period, plus interest. For
banks and persons in the high
income bracket, the bonds are
Earticularly attractive
ecause they are tax free.
This week the authority
Leroy Buice, the council
unanimously agreed to pay for
the reroofing of the recreation
center. Federal revenue shar
ing funds will be used to pay
for the work.
Buice told the council and
mayor that leaks have allowed
so much water to pour onto
the gym floor that basketball
games would have to be called
off in the event of rain. Fur
ther, he noted, the nearly
brand new gym floor will sure
ly be damaged if the situation
decided tentatively to sell the pit,
although the recreation department is
reportedly talking with state officials
about the possibility of converting it for
recreational use, perhaps by including a
safety fence.
little discussion of the matter,
it was apparent the local fees
were somewhat less than com
parable cities.
Councilman Hubert
Palmer was the only coun
cilman to go on record against
the proposed increases. “Since
merchants pay taxes on inven
tories and their buildings, I
feel like they have enough
taxes,” he said.
Responded Councilman
James Crouch, the most vocal
supporter of the increase:
"People in other cities do it.
This is simply bringing them
(local merchants) up to what
other towns our size are pay
ing.”
What will local business be
(Continued On Page 3)
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747, THURSDAY,’NOVEMBER 15, 1979
met and made plans to reac
tivate.
According to chairman
Grover Jackson, one authori
ty project “has already been
arranged.” That project,
whereby the authority will sell
bonds to finance expansion
plans to Georgia Glove Mill in
Lyerly, is close to being
finalized, Farmers & Mer
chants Bank President Henry
Watson said yesterday. His
bank and an affiliate bank
have agreed to purchase
$750,000 in county develop
ment authority bonds for the
expansion, he said.
A final decision by the
company to go ahead with the
arrangement or not is ex
pected to be announced within
a few days, according to a
company spokesman yester
day.
isn’t corrected.
The 21-year-old roof was
patched two years ago, he
noted, but the maintenance
work served only as a tem
gorary repair. Upon motion of
buncilman James Crouch,
the council voted unanimous
ly to have the work done.
Buice also told the council
and mayor the recreation
board is in the process of ex
ploring the possibility of con
verting the old city chert pit
on the Menlo Highway for
recreational use— such as for
a wayside park. He said that
perhaps a state grant could
pay for the conversion.
But Buice and the council
expressed fears that the loca
tion might not be a suitable
recreational area— possible
landslides and the towering
height of the cliffs (from which
children could easily fall)
might pose problems, they
said.
In the end, it was decided
to proceed with the advertis
ing of the pit for sale by the ci
ty. Mayor Sewell Cash noted
the City was under no obliga
tion to accept the high bid for
the property. The date of the
sale was not announced but
will be advertised by the City
later.
“We can go ahead and
advertise and can reject an of
fer if the recreation board is
able to develop a plan,” said
Mayor Cash.
In other action:
* Upon recommendation
of Councilman Boyd Williams,
the council voted to repave a
downtown sidewalk so that it
is graded rather than having
steps. Williams said only one
bid had been submitted for
the work, which will involve
paving approximately a half
block area. The work will
begin at the Economy Street
intersection of East
Washington, on the northern
side, ending 102 feet
westward in the direction of
the Courthouse. Williams said
the entire block was not in
volved in the project because
there had been some objec
tions raised to doing so. Upon
completion, the new sidewalk
will be 18 feet wide and four
inches deep.
* The council approved
the purchase of four waste
paper receptacles for the
downtown area, at a cost of
$546. The new containers will
replace cans that have been
stolen.
♦ The council agreed to
reduce the S7O water bill of a
disabled Pennville man. A
councilman quoted the man as
saying that ne has since mov
ed from the house where the
large monthly bill was issued.
Councilman Palmer said the
man had told him that he
reported a leak to his out-of
county landlord but that the
leak had never been repaired.
* The council agreed to
issue a permit for the
Chamber of Commerce’s
Christmas parade, tentatively
set for Nov. 30. According to
chamber parade planners, the
date would be changed to
Nov. 29 in the event Chat
tooga High School has a play
off game on Nov. 30.
Watson equated the bond
purchase as being similar to
the bank loaning money. In
stead of holding a note the
bank would hold the bonds.
In a second development,
the authority discussed the
possibility of helping a New
York firm that is eyeing the
purchase and renovation of
the old Fabrics America
Building, Watson said,
however, that the ar
rangements concerning that
plan are in the barest of initial
of stages and that nothing has
been finalized.
But Watson, and other
leaders familiar with recent
developments, say they are
encouraged with the turn of
events and believe the local
development authority will be
a key in the drive to create
new jobs here.
* No vote—either for or
against— was taken after
Mayor Cash read a request
that the council support the
drive to raise the state’s
drinking age to 21. Ralph
Presley, mayor of College
Park, made the request in a
/’ 4 tP "-
• George Sitton appeared
before the council seeking to
have a clogged sewage pipe
flushed out by the city. The
council agreed to have a fire
truck and a city crew at the
problem pipe the next day.
Sitton had complained that
the city pipe was backing up
during periods of heavy rain.
♦ The council agreed to
buy, at a cost of $3,200, a bor
ing machine. Councilman
James Crouch, who made the
motion, said the City would
not have to contract boring
work out as is presently done
if it had such a machine. The
machine, most often used to
drill holes under streets for
natural gas lines, would also
save the city money because
pavement would no longer
have to be torn up and then
replaced so often, he said.
Chattooga Indians Face Dalton Friday
For Region 6-AAA Championship
The Chattooga Indians
take on the Dalton Cata
mounts this Friday night at
the Little Big Horn for the
M HA .U ‘K]
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■ X WI jL
The brakes on the 1974 International
tractor trailer above failed Monday as
the truck was coming down Lookout
Mountain from Cloudland, causing the
driver (Alton W. Vandergriff, 28, of
Albertville, Ala.) to lose control of the
vehicle. The tractor trailer, loaded with
bails of cotton, turned over on its side,
struck a guard rail and traveled 125 feet
Homicide Charge Pending
After Fatal Accident Here
By PAM PURCELL
The teen-age driver in
volved in a tragic acci
dent Sunday night in Pen
nville which left a 15-year
old passenger dead may
be charged with homicide
by vehicle in the second
degree, the Georgia State
Patrol said yesterday.
Jerry Randall
Cothran, 18, of Route 1
Box 66, Summerville, was
the driver of the 1972
Chevrolet Nova which
wrecked Sunday night,
and Mandy Carroll of 25
Curran St., Summerville,
a passenger in the car,
died as a result of the acci
dent.
Three other
passengers in the car,
along with Cothran, were
also injured. Injured
were: Lisa Money, 16, of
Route 3, Summerville:
Teresa Angles, 20, of 19
Ridge St., Trion; and Jim
my Cooper, 19, of Sum
merville . Miss Money,
Cooper and Cothran were
treated at the Chattooga
County Hospital and
released. Miss Angles and
Miss Carroll were
transferred to Floyd
Medical Center in Rome.
Miss Carroll passed away
at 12:30 a.m. Monday.
Miss Angles was treated
and later released.
According to a report
filed by the GSP, the
Cothran vehicle was
traveling west on the Pen
nville Baptist Church
Road around 9:54 p.m.
Council Increases Donation
Given Annually To Cemetery
The Summerville City
Council Monday agreed to in
crease its annual donation to
the Summerville City
Cemetery by SI,OOO.
The action raises the an
nual donation to $3,000 from
$2,000.
Local attorney Ed Surles
was the spokesman for a
three-man delegation
representing the non-profit
corporation which oversees
the care and maintenance of
the city’s central cemetery.
Surles told the council that
it had been many years since
the cemetery had had an in
crease in its annual donation
from the City, and that infla
tion was outstripping income.
“We will have to raise the
cost of lots to where people
can’t afford them .. .or else
Region 6-AAA crown.
The Indians defeated Chat
tanooga Valley 7-0 in the rain
and mud last Friday night for
Tractor Overturns; One Injured
MANDY CARROLL
Sunday at a nigh rate of
speed. The car went out of
control, the report said,
skidded 99 feet and ran
off the south side of the
roadway. The car then
skidded approximately 25
more feet, struck a parked
1971 Toyota pickup truck
and traveled approx
imately 27 feet more.
Next the car struck a tree,
the report said, went ap
proximately 3 feet, struck
a chain link fence and
then traveled approx
imately 7 feet 5 inches
and struck a parked 1970
Volkswagen before com
ing to rest. The Cothran
vehicle struck the tree on
get some city help, or else the
cemetery will get mighty
shabby,’’ he said at Monday’s
council meeting.
Labor costs alone this year
were $6,500, he said.
“Practically every dollar
we spend is for maintenance
and labor,” he noted. The
cemetery corporation spent
SSOO more than it generated in
revenue this year, he added.
Plots at the cemetery are
$l5O apiece.
Surles said the corporation
had to dip into its savings ac
count—a sinking fund for
future expansion—to stay in
the black this year.
Cemetery corporation
member Sidney Cooper told
the council that at the current
purchase rate, all the
cemetery plots will be sold
the right to face the winner of
the Dalton-Southeast Whit
field game which was won by
Dalton 13-0 in overtime.
on its side before coming to rest.
Vandergriff was taken to the local
hospital where he was treated and
released. Traffic to and from Cloudland
was stalled several hours as workers
cleaned up at the accident scene. No
charges were filed following an in
vestigation by Georgia State Trooper
Bill Pledger.
PRICE 20c;
the passenger’s side and
spun around it— striking
the fence and car, accor
ding to the report.
Following an in
vestigation by Georgia
State Trooper Howard
Stallings, Cothran was
charged with driving too
fast for conditions and
driving without in
surance. He was also
charged with driving
under the influence pen
ding the result of a
blood/alcohol test.
Trooper Stallings said the
charge of homicide by
vehicle in the second
degree was also pending
the result of the test.
Trooper Stallings said
that during his investiga
tion at the scene he found
a couple of beer bottles
(one empty, one full), an
empty fifth of bourbon
and an unopened pint of
190 proof white whiskey
in the Cothran vehicle.
Cothran, according to
Stallings, stated he had
drunk two or three beers
before the accident.
Homicide by vehicle in
the second degree is a
misdemeanor, according
to Probate Judge Jon
Payne. If convicted,
Cothran could be sentenc
ed up to 12 months and/or
fined SI,OOO.
Funeral services for
Miss Carroll were held
Wednesday at 2 p.m.
from the Rome Boulevard
(Continued On Page 3)
within 10’ years. Cemetery
property acquisition in the
next few years is imperative,
he said.
With little discussion, the
council agreed to increase the
cemetery donation to SI,OOO
annually, an amount the
delegation said should be suf
ficient for now.
In related action, the coun
cil agreed that it would be the
city police department s duty
to close the cemetery’s front
gate each night and to open it
around sunrise each day. The
cemetery corporation had
already thought this pro
cedure was already being
followed, according to board
members, after a key had been
left at City Hall a few years
(Continued On Page 3)
The Indians and Cata
mounts squared off two weeks
ago in a tough-fought game
wnich the Indians won by the
narrow margin of 15-14. This
win gave the Indians the Divi
sion II sub-region title.
The game this week should
have a standing-room-only
crowd because of the interest
in the game in North Georgia.
Both teams are relatively
healthy for the contest with
Dalton having their best back,
Mitchell House back ester an
injury had kept him out of the
first game the two teams
played. Chattooga has several
players that are hobbling with
nagging injuries.
The winner represents
Region 6-AAA in the state
playoffs.
Modeling Pageant
Scheduled In Dec.
A “December Beauty and
Modeling Contest” will be
held Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7
p.m. at Summerville Junior
High School Auditorium.
Stage and photogenic com
petition will be offered to all
pre-school boys, and girls
from the age of 0 to 18.
Twenty-five percent of the
proceeds will be donated to
the Chattooga County Depart
ment of Family and Children
Services Toy Drive for Needy
Children. For more informa
tion, call Gwyn at 857-3792 or
Margaret at 857-1352 after 5
p.m.