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VOLUME XCVI — NUMBER
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Highland Improvements Eyed
Highland Avenue is slated to be widened — and have a
sidewalk installed — under a plan being considered by
the Georgia De?artment of Transportation and the Ci
ty of Summerville. The busy road is shown here Friday
afternoon.
City, DOT Planning
To Widen, Improve
Highland Avenue
Plans to widen and put a
sidewalk along Highland
Avenue were unveiled by the
City of Summerville last
week.
Summerville Mayor Sewell
Cash said Friday the long
discussed proposal, whic%l
would affect the entire length
of the road from Washington
Street to U.S. Highway 27
north, ‘‘hopefully” wilf’ be
started next spring.
Cash said the Summerville
City Council at a called
meeting Friday morning ap
proved the project. He noted
that the council decision was
unanimous; Councilman Ira
“Junior’’ Pollard was not pre
sent but had previously con
sented to the plan, the mayor
noted.
The narrow, congested
road, a one-mile stretch often
used by motorists to by-pass
the downtown area, has Eeen
the object of concern by
school officials. A couple of
years ago Donnie Hayes, prin
ci{ml of North Summerville
Elementary School, asked the
City at a council meeting to
maie improvements.
Mayor Cash said that City
officials are acutely aware the
roblem has existed for years,
gut that until now the City
would have had to have paid
the entire cost of the project,
which he said was too expen
sive. But under a tentative
agreement with the Georgia
Department of Transporta
tion, he said, the City can af
ford to move ahead with the
program.
According to Cash, the
DOT has agreed to shoulder
75 percent of the cost of the
project, with the City picking
up the balance, plus costs
related to the movement of
utilities and obtaining
easements and rights-of-way.
Cash said the entire project
should cost in the
neighborhood of about
$160,000, but he stressed
repeatedly that the figure was
not firm since no survey has
been taken yet.
That indicates that the Ci
. .
J. B. White Retires;
.
Dinner Is Scheduled
J. B. White of Summerville, a ranger with the Georgia
Forestry Commission, retired on Monday, Aug. 31, after
35 years of service with the commission.
A retirement dinner honoring White will be held on
Tuesday night, Sept. 29, at the Holiday Inn beginning at
7:30. Ti:e Holiday Inn is located on I-75 at tile White-
Cassville Road Exit number 127, between Calhoun and
Cartersville.
The cost of the meal will be $4.25 per person. The
Forestry Commission (J;hone 857-1312) needs to know the
number of those attending the dinner by today, Sept. 24,
S 0 tltfé preparations can be made. Spouses andy friends are
invited.
The Summeruille News
ty's portion of the project
woulJ) be roughly $40,000,
representing 25 Sercent of the
project. According to the
mayor, the councfi did not
decide on Friday where the
money would be drawn from,
but he added that he expected
it would come from funds in
the City's malt beverage fund
and from its state aid fund.
The malt beverage fund
derives its income from city
taxes on beer and wine in the
city; the state aid fund is built
from monies sent to the City
by the state for the
maintenance of roads in the
municipality.
Besides stressing that it's
too early to know exactly how
much the project will cost, the
mayor said it's similarly
premature to know exactl
what the project will entai{.
Until the BOT completes its
survey, he said, such specifics
are unknown.
Generally speaking,
however, he said tge council
envisions the road being
widened and a sidewalk being
poured on the east side of the
road (that is, the side on which
the school is located).
The roadway would remain
two lanes under the plan, with
a turning lane instaHed in the
vicinity of the school to ease
chronic traffic congestion
there in the morning and mid
afternoon, he said.
How much would the
typical landowner in the
residential area stand to lose
from his front yard?
“At this point under the
fireliminar[y plan we won't
now until the survey is done,
and the DOT comes back and
tells us what is necessarg,"
the mayor said, noting that
the council could, if it chose
to, reject the DOT project at
that point if it didn't like the
specigcs. The road (right-of
way) is approximately a total
of 40 feet in some places, or 35
feet in other places... we
assuredly woul«fn't foresee
taking any more property
(from one side of the road) in
see CiTY, page 6-A
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747, THURSDAY,, SEPTEMBER 24, 1981
County Taxpayers Face Large Increase
County Commissioner
Wayne ‘‘Pete’” Denson Tues
day announced a 2.5-mill tax
increase for the maintenance
and operation of the county in
1981.
Denson, in a prepared
statement (reprinted nearby)
said that despite cost-cutting
efforts the overall expense of
running the county has grown
and that the increase was
necessary in order to maintain
services at current levels. The
new rate is 13.5 mills.
The 2.5-mill increase
represents the largest single
year increase of the Denson
administration.
Coupled with recent school
board dzcisions. the announce
ment translates into a whopp
ing tax increase for local pro
perty owners. Earlier this
month the school board upped
its millage rate over last year
by 2.65 mills.
Added to the county's
2.5-mill increase, the overall
Three Summerville Incumbents
Will Seek Re-Election Nov. 7
Summerville Mayor Sewell
Cash and Councilmen James
Crouch and Ira Pollard Jr.
confirmed this week that they
will seek re-election in the up
coming City election.
The current terms of the
three city officials expire this
year, and local residents will
50 to the polls on Nov. 7 to
ecide whether the in
cumbents or their challengers
will help run the municipality
for the upcoming term.
Cash has served on the
council continuously since
1972, being elected mayor in
1978.
Crouch initially served on
the council from 1956 to 1960
and was elected again 2 years
Elementary Principal Files Lawsuit
For Damages As Result Of Beating
Summerville Elementary
School Principal Tom H()fg,
in a Superior Court suit filed
earlier this month, is seeking
over $1 million in damages
from O.R. Fletcher, who
leaded no contest to a simple
gatt,ery charge alleging he
beat up the educator early in
1980.
The office of Fletcher's at
torney, Bobby Lee Cook Sr.,
was contacted by The News
for comment, but Cook was
away this week defending a
case in Jonesboro and could
not be reached. A defendant in
a civil suit must respond in
writing to the allegations
within 30 days.
The suit alleges that Flet
cher, 51, owner and operator
of Fletcher Service Station in
Summerville, entered Hogg's
office around 7:30 a.m. on
March 14, 1980, ‘. .. scream
ing at the Plaintiff (Hogg) and
then proceeded to literally
jump bodily upon the Plaintiff
land‘i)ng on top of the Plaintiff,
who was still seated,
separating the Plaintiff’s
right shoulder, then the
Defendant proceeded to wrap
his arm around the Plaintiff’s
neck while still on the Plain
tiff's lap and severely beat the
Public Invited Here
To 2 Open Houses
Local residents will have
the opportunity to learn more
about their community at two
open houses that have been
scheduled for the upcoming
week.
The two events are
unrelated, but they are similar
in that they are free, open to
the public, and focus on ser
vices being provided the area.
One open house involves
the City of Summerville's
newly-renovated water treat
ment plant; the other involves
the senior citizen center here.
The City is sponsoring the
water treatment plant open
house from 1 to 5 p.m. It is
located in Berryton.
“I 1 want the public to see
what they own,” commented
Mayor gewell Cash about
modernized facility. In all, ap
Millage Rate Jump Looms
SCHOOL
COUNTY SCHOOL BONDS STATE TOTAL
1980 11.0 12.26 0.4 .25 23.90
1981 13.6 14.00 13 .20 2}).()5
Increase - 5.15 Mills
increase comes to 5.15 mills,
or 29.05 mills in 1981 com
pared to 23.90 mills last year.
Overall, the 5.15-mill dif
ference represents a 22 per
cent increase in the total
millage rate.
The tax levy showed that
the county requires
$1,547,591 in 1981 to pay the
general county liabilities and
legal expenses, a $263,128 in
ago.
Pollard has served as coun
cilman since 1974.
Drive Nets New Voters
Nearly 100 new Summer
ville voters have been signed
up in recent weeks during a
registration drive here.
Under the direction of the
Summerville City Council, the
drive netted 94 new voters.
Registration officials
visited two recreation centers
and the public housing facility
for the elderly and handicap
ped on recent weekends in an
attempt to sign-up new
voters. l
Plaintiff in the face and did so
willfully, wantonly, malicious
ly, and wrongfully with intent
to kill the Plaintiff . .."
The suit alleges that Flet
cher’s actions ‘‘did willfully,
deliberately and maliciousl);/
cause Plaintiff great pain, suf
fering and personal injuries
hereinafter more particularly
described, all wiLEout cause,
justification or provocation on
the part of the g’laintiff.
Later in 1980 Fletcher
plead nolo contendre to a sim
ple battery charge in connec
tion with incident and drew a
12-month prison sentence,
which presiding Superior
Court judge (now retired)
Robert Coker suspended on
the condition that Fletcher
leave Hogg alone thereafter.
Coker furtier fined Fletcher
$250.
When a defendant in a
criminal case enters a nolo
contendre plea, it means that
he is not adpmitting uilt but is
stating that he wifi offer no
defense. The person is then
subject to be judged guilty
and punished as if he had
pleaded guilty or had been
convicted. The principle dis-
proximately $2.5 million was
spent on the project, which
focused not only the plant but
the water system in general.
It was started in January,
1980.
The Chattooga County
Senior Center, located in the
old fairgrounds building, will
hold an open house tomorrow
(Friday) from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
The center serves as a
gathering place for the coun
ty’s elderly residents during
the weekdays, offering a wide
range of activities including
arts and crafts, games, nutri
tion wograms and singing.
“We'd like the public to
come out and see our center
and learn about what we're do
ing,” said Eloise Parker, the
center’s manager.
crease over last year.
The levy showed that the
net value of property in the
county for 1981 sufiject to
general county purposes is
$114,636,393 ($95,145,434 in
1980) after deducting
homestead exemptions. The
net value of property subject
to taxation for school bond
purposes was $79,624,5680
($72,466,897 in 1980); pay
Persons running for mayor
must be at least 25 years of
age and an owner of real pro
A total of 61 new voters
registered at the Fairway
Recreation Center, while 17
new voters were netted at the
Bolling Road center. Sixteen
Rlleo(gle registered at the
c¢Ginnis Memorial Apart
ments.
A total of 1,418 people
were registered for the f;st ci
ty election.
Voters have until noon
Oct. 17 to register at City
Hall.
ference is that the defendant
retains the option of denying
the same charge in another
legal proceeding.
According to Hogg's
criminal affidavit, Fletcfier
came into his office asking
him ““What are you trying to
do to m daughter?"’
Fletcher's tfi:ughter Martha
Mincey, then a teacher at the
school, earlier had not had her
teaching contract renewed by
the Chattooga County Board
of Education. The warrant
said that Hogg ‘‘tried to ex
plain the issues when subject
(Fletcher) beat him around the
head and face’’ and broke his
glasses.
The lawsuit, filed on
Hogg's behalf by Rome at
torney R. Everett Anderson,
noted that Hogg was taken to
Bigelow-Sanford Owners Change
A grou of senior
managers at Bigelow-Sanfurd
have purchased the company
from its current owner, Seerry
and Hutchinson of New York,
it was announced Friday.
Operations of the Bigelow
plant here are not affected by
the move, according to James
Meredith, plant manager.
In Greenville, S.C., at
Bigelow headquarters, C.R.
Goulet, chairman of the com
pany, said: ‘‘Bigelow’s
organization, management,
group, character am% goals
will remain unchanged. Over
the Fast five years, Bigelow
has been one of the most suc
cessful and profitable com
panies in the carpet
industry.”
Bigelow is one of the five
largest carpet companies in
the United States, with sales
of approximately S2OO
million. It has 3,000
employees, with about 820
located at the plant here.
Founded in 1825, Bigelow
has long enjoyed a reputation
as a maker of high quality
carpets for residential, com
mercial and institutional use.
In recent years, it has become
a t,echnol)(,)gical. design and
style leader as well.
ment of school bonds is pro
jected to cost $103,512 for the
year ($36,233 in 1980). The net
value of property subject to
taxation for general school
purposes is $72,277,088
($74,608,931 in 1980);
$1,011,088 ($1,119,134 in
1980) is required to pay the
general liab(isities and filgul ex
penses of the school board in
1981, the levy stated.
perty within the city. Further,
cand);dates must have lived in
the city 2 years prior to quali
fying. All candi(fates must be
a registered city and state
voter.
The qualifying fee for
mayor is SIOO.
Candidates for the council
are required to be at least age
21. A one-year residency in
the City is also required.
The qualifying fee for the
council races is SSO per can
didate.
The qualifying period
()f)ens on Monday, Oct. 5. It
closes at noon on Oct. 17, a
Saturday.
Terms of office are each 4
years.
the hospital and has been
under continual medical treat
ment as a result of the assault.
Permanent damage resulted
to Hogg's right shoulder
‘“...t0 the extent that this
right-handed individual can
not even raise his arm above
chest high, can not dress or
hammer a nail and soon may
not be able to move said
shoulder and arm at all,”’ the
suit stated.
Hogg, 51, is seeking
$250,000 damages for the loss
of use of his arm and for
future loss of use, and
$250,000 for pain and suffer
ing. He also is seeking nearly
S7OO for direct medical and
hosi)iwl expenses and $132
for loss of wages. Additional
ly, he is seeking $500,000 in
punitive damages, plus at
torney and court fees.
1
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Group Of Managers Buy Bigelow
Operations of the Bigelow plant (the
Summerville facility is shown here) will
not be affected after a group of senior
managers purchased the company from
Commissioner Explains
Chattooga Levy Action
County Commissioner
Wayne “Pete’’ Denson issued
the following statement Tues
day when he announced the
1981 tax levy. — Editor
“After a careful considera
tion of the budgets for Chat
tooga County, Georgia, for the
years 1978, 1979, 1980 and
projected 1981, I have deter
mined that it will be necessary
to increase the tax millage in
Chattooga County, Georgia,
for county purposes 2.5 mills.
This will make a total county
millage of 13.5 for the year
1981. The millage rate in
crease is required because as
each of you must know the
cost to the county has increas
ed as each of our individual
costs have increased. | have
attempted, since 1 took office
in 1977, to maintain the
millage rate as low as possible
and in doing so 1 have suc
ceeded in raising the net rate
only 1.85 mills total in the
past four years.
“The county operation and
expenses have increased so
much that we must maintain
an even and balanced budget
according to law. In the past
four years | have reduced the
general administration ex
penses for the county from
$644,000.00 in 1978 to
estimated $299,000.00 in
1981. While this decrease is of
significant value in that it
reflects the cost-cuttin
measures | have implenwntog
including the reduction of the
work camp staff and county
emf)l()ye(-s, I have not fared so
well in other departments.
The Courts, for instance, have
increased from 1978 at a
figure of $188,000.00 to a pro
jected figure in 1981 of
$327,000.00. This increase is
due in part to more terms of
Court and with the projected
increase for 1981 I have taken
into account the juror pay in
crease implemented by the
last Grand Jury which re
({'t‘lires that we raise the pay of
these jurors. In addition, the
Sheriff's Department budget
was $175,000.00 in 1978 and
projected in 1981 1 anticipate
the Sheriff's Department ex
pense to amount to
$327,000.00. This expense is
not necessarily all that is
budgeted under the Sheriff’s
Department but includes all
funds charged out to them
under county expense. As
most of you know, we are in
volved in a jail condition suit
filed by the Legal Aid
Association. 1 have had to an
ticipate certain increases
which may be caused by this
suit and which have uf);cudy
been caused by this suit in jail
improvements in this 1981
budget figure for the Sheriff’s
Department. This is a situa
tion that the Sheriff could not
anticipate and I also could not
anticipate the remodeling ex-
Lmnsos and other costs that we
ave incurred since the date of
filing of this action. I hope
this action will be resolved
Sperry and Hutchinson, the firm best
known for its S&H Stamps. Its carpet
operation is one of the leaders in the in
dustry.
PRICE 20c¢
shortly and additional ex
pense not placed uron the tax
payers by its results.
"“As most of you know, the
cost of gasoline and other
Fotrnleum ?mducts necessary
or road paving has
skyrocketed to the county in
the last several years. The
county's cost in matching
state grants has increased
tremendously in the last
several years and if we are to
maintain any type of current
and useable road system we
muse continue to spend funds
necessary to keep roads
rc?‘)uir(‘d and resurface those
which are in need. The road
budget has increased from ap
proximately $678,000.00 1n
1978 to $1,140,000.20 in 1980.
I am attempting through cut
backs in employees at the
work camp and other areas to
reduce Sw cost of road
maintenance; however, | feel
that the citizens demand de
cent roads over whicn to drive
and that these roads should be
maintained in some type of
order to prevent the deteriora
tion of L‘:is whole system. In
addition, a great part of this
cost has been in repairin
vehicles. The county's worfi
force of trucks and equipment
is quite run-down and many
trucks are in need of repair. 1
have attempted to repair
those that I fi*lt were useable
and to discard those that were
not. Since taking office I have
been able to purchase two
trucks and several items of
heavy equipment; however,
we need additional equipment
and additional trucks w'l’li('h I
hope to purchase in the next
two years to prevent repair
costs exceeding the value of
the truck.
“I have reviewed the other
expenses and information
from the audits of 1978, 1979
and 1980 and in preparing the
1981 budget, I have determin
ed that fi\ifl millage rate in
crease will be necessary in
order to maintain the same
general level of services to the
county that is curruntly being
produced; and, in addition to
account for certain increases
in the system which must
necessarily occur due to infla
tion and additional expenses
placed on the county next
year. | feel that all citizens de
mand certain basic and
necessary services from Chat
tooga County being am
bulance service, landfill,
library, road services, sheriff's
department and other ad
ministrative procedures in
cluding the Courts. These ser
vices must be maintained and
in order to maintain these
basic services this millage
rate is the least figure that Lfie
county can operate with for
this year.
“1 anticipate within the
next two wvv{(s publishing the
budget for Chattooga County,
Georgia for 1981 and this will
be “for projected expenditures
see COMMISSIONER, page 6-A