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VOLUME XCIV NUMBER XL g §
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Lack Os Eas $ ent
Map Causes U^od
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Project Delays
Summerville Mayor Sewell Cash said Monday the long
discussed Town Branch Flood Project is being held up because
city officials have yet to obtain an easily readable map showing
the required easements of the proposal.
According to Cash, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the
designers of the project, have yet to forward a map which clear
ly spells out its easement requirements.
“A month ago we were promised we would get them," said
the mayor, who said the delay is causing the project to be stall
ed. "It’s taking them more time than we anticipated. I suppose
the hurricane in Mobile several weeks ago is slowing them
down. The easement map is what we re waiting for. We don’t
have the specific easements for each landowner and this has
been a hold-up.”
As a result, he said, the City can’t tell property owners with
land adjoining the branch how much in easements the project
will require, and as a result landowners are reluctant to sign
over the easements for the project.
"People won’t sign unless we can do this,” the mayor said.
The city has been given an engineering map which spells out the
details of the project in degrees and minutes, but the mayor
said the map has little practical value to persons not trained to
read it.
“If you’re not an engineer, you can’t read it,” the mayor
said. Cash said he hopes to get an easement map within the next
few weeks.
He also said that he is optimistic that the corps has decided
to modify its proposal so that Tutton’s Rock Shop will not have
to be torn down as part of the project. The shop was at first
targeted as the only commercial building to be displaced by the
project, but the mayor said that the Corps now believes a revi
sion "can be worked out” so that the building will not be
disturbed.
If the buliding can be left where it is. Cash agreed, it would
probably help hold the cost of the entire project down by
avoiding relocation and possible legal costs.
Efforts Toward New Industry
Here Said 4 Very Much Alive’
By TOM KIRWAN
Efforts to bring a new in
dustry to the old Fabrics
America building are very
much alive, according to
Chamber of Commerce Presi
dent Henry Watson.
Watson, president of
Farmers & Merchants Bank,
said Monday week he will
have ‘‘on my banker’s hat”
next week when he meets with
representatives of a New York
textile firm which has plans to
locate a plant here if suitable
financial arrangements can be
worked out.
He and Stan Lathen, a vice
president of the First National
Bank of Chicago, are hoping
their banks will be able to
negotiate the financing
package that will allow Stevco
Knitting Co. to buy the now
deserted local plant, renovate
it and get it into operation.
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Volunteers Stay Busy
Toy drive volunteers Emmett McCamy recently contributed in Summerville.
(L-R) Bessie Brown and Lamar Eller in- More contributions are being sought,
spect some of the hundreds of toys
More Toys Sought Here
In Drive For The Needy
Toy drive for the needy
contributions have been ade
quate so far this year but
more are needed, according to
Juanita Ham, who is helping
to coordinate the effort.
‘This has been a good year
as far as the number of toys
residents have given us,” she
said. “Compared to last year
the response has been good.
But we still need more toys;
we still have a lot of needs.
Volunteers have been busy
in several previously-vacant
offices above McGinnis Drug
store, repairing and restoring
hundreds of toys. The space
was donated by the pharmacy,
Sumimmrilk New
The two bankers will meet
with the president, the chair
man and the controller of the
company at the Dec. 5
meeting, said Watson.
The project “is not a
surefire thing,” Watson cau
tioned, “but it's coming pret
ty close.”
“I'm optimistic about it,”
he added. “I think it has a
very real possibility of becom
ing a reality. But it doesn’t
become a reality until you
close the loan.”
Watson said the firm is
“under experienced manage
ment” and that it’s over 40
years old.
The company head
quarters are in New York Ci
ty.
The firm, which is listed on
the American Stock Ex
change, manufactures circular
Mrs. Ham said.
“Our volunteers have been
great,” said Mrs. Ham.
“They’ve been working so
hard, and they are doing a
marvelous job/’
Toy drive workers include
Chattooga County Food and
Nutrition program par
ticipants, Department of
Family and Children Services
volunteers, and a host of other
individuals.
"There has been a lot of
response from the churches,”
she added, “and the schools
are going to help us too.”
“We could use more dolls
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1979
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Street Decorations Go Up
Jake Gibbs, a lineman with Georgia Power Company,
hooks up a Summerville Christmas street decoration in
the downtown area Tuesday in preparation for annual
Christmas Parade Friday night (see story, 1-B), when
the lights will be turned on. The Chattooga County
Jaycees hung the ornaments on the poles Monday
night.
knit fabrics used in women’s,
men’s and children’s sport
swear.
Stevco has manufacturing
plants in five U.S. locations.
In all, it employs 1,200 people.
According to Standard &
Poor’s Stock Guide, the com
pany lists current assets of
$24 million and current
liabilities of sls million.
The guide lists Stevco’s
long term debt at $8 million.
The figures published in
Standard & Poor’s were cur
rent as of April 30, 1979.
According to Watson, the
company would require “$2.5
million or less” in order to buy
the Fabrics America site and
building, renovate it and buy
machinery.
The building has been va
cant since 1977, when Fabrics
America closed its plant here.
and more wheeled
toys—bikes, tricycles and the
like,” Mrs. Ham responded
when asked what toys are
most in demand.
She estimated that some
500 children in an estimated
200 families will receive toys
through the program this
year.
Toys can be brought to the
Department of Family and
Children Services offices on
South Commerce Street dur
ing office hours. Ar
rangements for toys to be
picked up can be made by call
ing 857-3487.
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JAKE WOODS
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DONNIE HAYES
Trion Registration
Books Close Tues.
For Jan. Election
Unregistered Trion
residents have until Tuesday
to add their name to the
town’s registration books in
order to vote in a municipal
election to be held Jan. 3.
So far the election, in
which five posts will be filled,
has lured only a few can
didates.
Incumbent Mayor Jake
Woods has qualified to run for
re-election and is being oppos
ed by Councilman Donnie
Hayes.
Steve Dyer is so far unop
posed for the council seat cur
rently held by Hayes. Two
other council seats— those
held by Hoyt Williams and
Don Henderson— have failed
to draw a single candidate, as
of Wednesday afternoon.
A two-year city recorder
term must also be filled in the
election. Earlier this year
M.D. Brewster was appointed
to the office temporarily
following the death of
recorder Tom Grubbs.
The qualifying period for
the election ends Dec. 14 at 5
p.m.
State Supreme Court
Upholds Judge’s Ruling
Against Cable-TV Firm
Officials of Clear-Vu Cable,
Inc. said yesterday they were
unsure what the company’s
next step would be after the
Georgia Supreme Court
upheld a trial court decision
restraining the company from
blocking off three channels to
Trion customers.
"We’re not sure what we’re
going to do,” said attorney
Pete Boney, who argued
Clear-Vu’s case before the
high court. “It’s still sinking
in.”
At any rate, a week after
the decision had been handed
down, the blackout was still in
full force. Clear-Vu has 10
days from the date of the deci
sion (Nov. 21) to ask the
Supreme Court to reconsider
its opinion.
Mayor Jake Woods said he
and members of the council,
who along with a handful of
other Trionites pressed for the
injunction, said he was pleas
ed with the outcome of the
case. "We are grateful to the
multitude of Trion’s citizens
who have given us such
strong support in our battle to
have Clear-Vu Cable honor the
terms of the exclusive fran
chise granted it by Trion in
1970," Woods said.
“The answer to the ques
tions of all Trion's Cable-TV
subscribers as to when the ser
vice of these three channels
will be restored lies first with
Mr. Boyce Dooley (the firm’s
president and manager) and
Mr. F. H. (Pete) Boney, and
then the courts. If Mr. Dooley
'*r. Boney will abide, by
tile* unanimous decision of
Georgia’s highest court, we
believe that the service of
these three channels can be
restored .. .within a few days.
However, Clear-Vu Cable, Inc.
can stall and delay this
resumption of service by ask-
★ ★ ★ ★
Here’s Text
Os Opinion
Here is the text of the
Supreme Court’s opinion
issued in the case of Clear-Vu
Cable, Inc. v. Town of Trion et
al.:
Qn January 22, 1970, the
Mayor and Council of the
Town of Trion entered into a
franchise agreement with
Boyce Dooley granting
Dooley an exclusive franchise
for a period of twenty (20)
years to erect, maintain and
operate an antenna television
(cable) transmission and
distribution facility in the
Town of Trion. Boyce Dooley
assigned the franchise to
Clear-Vu Cable, Inc., a cor
poration of which he is the
president and general
manager. Clear-Vu Cable then
constructed the facility and
began services furnishing
twelve (12) channels to all
customers in Chattooga Coun
ty, including the Town of
Trion. (Plaintiffs alleged, and
defendant admitted, that
(Continued On Page 5-A)
Grand Jury In Ala. To
Hear Whisenant Evidence
Former local resident
Elbert Joe Whisenant, charg
ed with two counts of first
degree murder, is awaiting ac
tion from the DeKalb County
(Ala.) Grand Jury, which con
venes the week of Dec. 10, ac
cording to DeKalb County
Chief Deputy Cecil Reed.
Whisenant, formerly of
Summerville, allegedly shot
and killed his father, John
Whisenant, and his step
mother, Meredith Whisenant,
at their home in Ider, Ala. The
younger Whisenant was
reportedly seen leaving the
dead couple’s residence short
ly after the shooting.
The Whisenant couple's
bodies were found at 5:30 a.m.
Friday, July 20. Whisenant,
47, a former resident of
Welcome Hill, was found in
the driveway of his next door
neighbor. He had been shot in
the head, arm and back.
Authorities found Mrs.
Whisenant, 43, dead in her kit
chen, where she had apparent
ly been canning green beans.
ing the Supreme Court to
reconsider its decision
upholding (Superior Court)
Judge (Paul) Painter’s order
to which all seven justices of
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County employees Gwyn Woffard, Kim
Guinn and Faye Gaylor load up over
10,000 tax bills for mailing Tuesday. The
tax millage this year is 14 mills for
Planning Committee Is
Appointed At Hospital
A planning committee was
appointed Monday night dur
ing the regular monthly
meeting of the Chattooga
County Hospital Authority.
The committee includes Jo
Ann Suggs, Shirley Me-
Crickard, Dianne Farrar,
Jeanne Mincey, Katheryn
Camp and Dr. Herman
Spivey.
The committee was ap
pointed to make all long-range
plans for this hospital.
The committee can also ap
point additional members
from the community to serve
on the panel.
In other business, hospital
administrator Bob
Throneberry advised the
authority that an additional
cost of $3.11 per person for in
surance premiums per month
for nursing home employees
will be paid by the nursing
home. This is for hospitaliza
tion insurance for the nursing
home’s 37 full time
employees, said Throneberry.
In other action the authori
ty: •
♦ Agreed that there will
not be a meeting of the
authority in December unless
an emergency arises.
* Was advised that the
next Consumer Information
Breakfast will be held Feb. 2.
She had been shot once in the
chest area with what
authorities believe to have
been a .38 or .357 Magnum
pistol.
Whisenant is being held in
the DeKalb County Jail in
Fort Payne without bond, ac
cording to Reed. Robert
French, a well-known criminal
attorney in Fort Payne, has
been appointed Whisenant's
lawyer oy the court, said
Reed. If indicted by the Grand
Jury, Whisenant will probably
go to trial sometime in
February, Reed said.
Whisenant, 29, was ap
prehended Nov. 1 while asleep
on a couch at his wife s
residence in Indianapolis,
Ind., according to Reed. He
was arrested by FBI agents
following an intense nation
wide search.
“There is still no motive
for the shootings,” said Reed.
‘‘The details are still sketchy.
All we can do now is just wait
for the Grand Jury’s
decision.”
the Supreme Court have
agreed, and then taking all the
time allowed for the transfer
of this case back from the
Supreme Court to Judge
Trunkload Os Tax Bills
* Heard from Chairman
Charles Williams, who recom
mended that the authority
send a letter of commendation
to Randall Smith on his com
pleting state certification re-
Man Still Hospitalized
A Lyerly man remained in
Floyd Medical Center
Wednesday as a result of in
juries sustained when he was
struck by an automobile as he
attempted to cross a highway
last Thursday evening.
Charles Copeland, 67, was
taken to Chattooga County
Hospital following the 8 p.m.
accident Thanksgiving night.
He was later transferred to
Floyd Medical Center in
Rome, where he was admitted
for further treatment.
According to a report filed
by the Georgia State Patrol,
Copeland had just gotten out
of an automobile that was
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Sidewalks To Be Fixed
City officials say much of the sidewalk on the north
side of East Washington Street (shown here) will be
repaved in the next week or so.
Painter for hirn to order a date
by which this service must be
restored.
Clear-Vu was granted the
(Continued On Page 5-A)
maintenance and operation of the
schools; 11.65 for maintenance and
operation of the county; .9 mills for
school bonds; and .25 mills for state tax.
quirements for nursing home
administrators.
* Was advised the
Christmas party will be held
Dec. 7 at the Chattooga Coun
ty Memorial Home.
traveling north on Ga.
Highway 114 (Lyerly
Highway). Copeland walked
from behind the vehicle, the
report said, and attempted to
cross the highway. At this
time, said the report, J. B.
Millican, 58, of Route 1, Sum
merville, was traveling south
on Ga. Highway 114.
Copeland walked into the path
of the Millican vehicle, said
the report, and was hit by the
car.
Following an investigation
by Georgia State Trooper Ed
die Lumsden, no charges were
filed in connection with the ac
cident.
PRICE 20 c