Newspaper Page Text
Hotel Construction?
--See Page 6-A
VOLUME CI — NUMBER XXXVII
9%
Survey Results Announced
Results of the opinion survey published in the Sept. 4
edition of The Summerville News were announced to
day. Those responding to the unscientific sampling of
opinion rated county government at the bottom of the
scale with The News and the Chattooga County Library
at the top end of the 21 categories. For complete results,
turn to Page 1-B.
Board, County
Weigh Tax Data
It may be several more
days before tax rates are set by
Chattoolfa County Commis
sioner Harry Powell and the
county Board of Education.
Joel Cook, chairman of the
school board, said Tuesday
during sale of the junior high
property on Rome Boulevard
that the board still had not
received information on this
year's tax digest. He said a
special meeting likely would be
called to set the tax rate when
the data is obtained.
“We don't have anything
right now,” said Mrs. Harry
Powell Wednesday morning,
when asked about the tax rate.
““‘He (the commissioner) talked
with Mr. (Ed) Surles (county
attorney) this morning and
they don't have anything on
that - right now...not
angthing today. No news at all
today.”
The commissioner Wednes
day morning was tied up with
attorney Ben Ballenger
discussing today's court case
involving a lawsuit against the
county (see related story).
The News reveale(f last
week that Powell and the
school board may face some
complex and potentially
significant problems in setting
this vear's tax rate.
TINY INSECTS DIFFICULT TO KILL
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CUTAWAY VIEW OF FIRE ANT MOUND AFTER FREEZE
Extension Service Photo Illustrates Chambers, Tunnels
The Summerville News
ONE PROBLEM
One main problem involves
the fact that three major in
dustries in the county have un
til the first week in gctober to
appeal their assessments
although preliminary figures
on this year's tax dyigest are
already available.
Another problem concerns
what might happen if the
assessment on the industries is
afipealed and then upheld. At
the maximum, a reduced
assessment could lower the
overall digest for county pur
poses by up to $6.5-million, and
the school digest by more than
$2-million.
Such action could mean a
loss in revenue of more than
SBO,OOO for the county and
$27,000 for the schools.
However, if no appeals are
filed, these potential problems
evaporate.
The gross maximum coun
tywide digest is listed at
$182,596,473 and the max
imum school digest is listed at
$127,758,061.
Both are slight increases
over 1985 — but a maximum
reduction in the county digest
could put the 1986 totals below
last year's totals.
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA — THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1986
Oak View Expansion Facing
Another Delay After Okay
Developer Could
Appeal Decision
The Chattooga County Hospital Authority Monday
night found its plans to expand Oak View Nursing Home
frustrated for another 30 (fays. despite state approval of
the proposal last Friday. |
The Authority learned that
Rome developer Charles
Williams has until Oct. 20 to
appeal the State Health Plan
ning Agency's decision to re
ject his proposal to build a new
nursing home and to approve
the Authority's expansion
plans.
Meanwhile, new Authority
members Billy Gilbert and
Sherry Bishop were sworn and
the panel elected Katherine
Camp as its new chairman, suc
ceeding Charlie Williams, who,
along with Ira Pollard, left the
Authority Monday night.
THREE REASONS
Michael Clark of the State
Health Planning Agency said
Oak View Nursing Home's
planned expansion was approv
ed for three main reasons. The
Authority’s application had
better documentation for pro
viding lonfterm health care
services, Clark said. In addi
tion, exganding the existinfi
nursing home's size would ten
to make the operation more
cost-effective and improve
operating efficiency, Clark
said. The Home's relationship
with the adjacent hospital per
mits Oak View to sflare the
staff and services of the
hospital, resulting in reduced
costs and fostering improved
quality of care, Clark added.
The Agency approved ex
ansion of the nursing home
From 90 to 153 beds, rather
than to the 160 beds originall
sought by Oak View, Clari
pointed out. The state gave its
okay to a 63-bed expansion
rather than to a 70-be(f expan
sion because the Agency'’s pro
{'ections indicated a need for on
y 63 more beds by 1989, he
said. The agency bases its pro
jections on the county’s an
ticipated elderly population,
Clark said, using a formula of
47 beds per 1,000 people age 65
and over.
REVIEW
Developer Williams — no
relation to the outgoing
Chattooga Football
--See Page 144
Authori‘:f' chairman — can file
an apge to the %&ency‘s deci
sion, Clark said. Williams may
seek an administrative review
challenging last Friday's deci
sion by t%xe full 10-member
State Health Planning Review
Board, Clark said. If %Villiams
were to agpeal, he would have
to do so by Oct. 20, the state
spokesman continued. A three
member panel, composed of
members of the original board,
would hear the apl}‘)eal and
render a decision thereafter,
Clark continued. If Williams
still disagreed with the deci
sion, he could go into court,
Clark added.
“I figured they would,”
Williams said Monday after
learning of the state Koard's
decision. ‘“That’s the way the
ball bounces.”
Williams said he would like
ly decide this week on whether
to ?jppeal the decision. First, he
said he had to discuss the mat
ter with Caremore Inc., the
firm Williams had hc:fed would
operate the proposed new nur
sing home, and Chattooga
Countfl Commissioner Harry
Powell.
COMMISSIONER
Powell has been an
outspoken advocate of the
Williams plan and a critic of
the Oak View expansion plans.
Powell has s ofien at public
hearings on t.%e issue and he
has written the state to oppose
the Oak View measure. He has
said the Williams home would
improve the county's tax base
and add more employees to the
private payroll in tfm,e county.
Williams had proposed
building a new, private 63-bed
nursing home on Bolling Road
at an estimated cost of
$1,425,000. Funding would
have included $285,000 from
Williams and a $1,140,000
commercial loan. It was to
have been known as the Win
dy Hill Health Care Facility.
Caremore, which Williams
see OAK VIEW, page 10-A
By TOMMY TOLES
Editor
If you like a **hot time'' and
dancinF, forget about traveling
to Atlanta or Chattanooga.
Just stay in Chattooga Coun
ty and step on a fire ant
mound.
That experience is
guaranteed to make you move
aster than you ever thought
possible angl to invent more
dance steps than Chubby
Checker. You might even
become a candidate for the
centerfold in a skin magazine
because you'll come out of
whatever you're wearing at the
time.
Fire ants, once the ex
clusive scourge of the extreme
Southeastern part of the
United States — meaning
places where the mercury never
plunged below 10 degrees in
the winter — have gund a
home in Chattooga County and
they're expanding northward
yearly.
ATYPICAL
Agricultural experts, who
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. s B i
NEW AUTHORITY MEMBERS SWORN BY CHARLES WILLIAMS (R)
Billy Gilbert, Sherry Bishop Join Panel
NO BIDS FOR NEW OFFICES?
‘Sold For $240.,200!’
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
The old Summerville Junior
High School property was auc
tioned Tuesgay morning for
$240,200 — some $24,000 more
than the Chattooga County
Board of Education had hoped
to receive.
The board tentatively ?lans
to use at least part of the
money to build a new central
office building near the new
Summerville Middle School on
Bolling Road. However, the
board may not advertise for
bids on the structure, a pro
cedure that is within state f;w.
according to the Georgia
Department of Education.
The 4.6-acre tract was sold
to three different interests
Tuesday.
LOTS SOLD
Fare and Sue Hurley, Sum
merville, purchased lots one
once thought that the ants
couldn’t stand frigid
temperatures, now have dif
ferent views of the insects.
Some think the cold-tolerant
ants are a hybrid variety and
others think they may be
“‘atypical”’ variants of the same
strain of ants.
Whatever they are —
t,h%y're in Chattooga County,
and have been for several
years.
Farmers in South Alabama
and South Georgia years afio
were complaining about the
fire ants causing damage to
their e(}uipment. harming
crops, killing newly born pigs
or calves ang inflicting painful
bites and stings on anyone un
fortunate enough to step on
one of their mounds. At the
time, the imported fire ants
seemed to be a problem that
wouldn't make it much farther
north than the ‘‘gnat line” in
middle Georgia, mainly
because of cold weather. That
hope has proved to be elusive
and without merit.
Ted Clark, Chattooga Coun
ty Extension Service agent,
and :;fhotographer last week
visited one farm on Wildlife
No Foul Play i
--See Page 24
and two fronting U.S. |
Highway 27 for $75,000 each, |
ang lot three, containing the ‘
superintendent’s office, and old |
lunchroom, for $41,000. ;
Gene Hurley purchased lot |
four, containing the math and |
science building, for $25,000. |
Summerville Presbyterian
Church, PCA, purchased tract 1
five, adjoining the football '
field, for $24,200. ‘
Prior to the auction, J. L.
Todd Auction Company had
appraised the property value at
$215,000. Board members had
hoped for as much as $78,000 ’
for the superintendent'’s office ‘
and lunchroom, but were pleas
ed that all the progerty sold for |
some $24,000 higher than 1
appraisal. :
J.L. Todd Auction Co., |
Rome, conducted the auction |
for a 7.5 percent commission — |
or $18,015. Todd salesman Joe |
Tarpley commented Wednes- 1
day that the board “‘made up”
the cost of the auction com- !
pany's commission. |
Lake Road between Highway
27 and Highway 100 an(F found
an abundance of fire ants. Both
were stung and bitten by the
fire ants.
AT HOLLAND
The ants were first reported
in the Holland community of
Chattooga about four years
ago, Clark said. They have
marched steadily northward
and eastward. They have been
found recently at Pennville
near the Chattooga County
Memorial Home, the Exten
sion Service agent said. The
Wildlife Road colonies were
found less than a mile from the
Summerville city limits and the
odds are good that colonies
have been established in many
parts of the county, Clark in
dicated, alt,hough their mounds
may not have been spotted as
yet.
The ants have proven as dif
ficult to eradicate as the com
mon cold — especially since en
vironmentalists succeeded in
havix;\% the federal government
ban Mirex several years ago.
Mirex bait had been effective in
killing the ants rather quickly
but its use is no longer allow
see FIRE ANTS, page 6-A
COMMISSION
*“People complained about
how much the school board
paid for the auction, but it ac
tually didn't cost them any
money, because we brought in
a higher selling price than
planned.”
A Summerville auction
company had offered to sell the
property for a 5.5 percent
commission.
Attorney Arch Farrar Jr.
represented the board in clos
ing the sale of the five tracts.
After agreeing to terms of
sale, board members discussed
plans for construction of a new
central office building. Board
Chairman Joel Cook said
Wednesday the facility will be
called the “Chattooga Board of
Education Building." After
viewing sites at Chattooga
High School and Summervi%le
Mi%dle School, the board ten
tatively agreed Tuesday to
locate the offices near the en
trance of the 40-acre middle
see ‘SOLD FOR', page 8-A
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FIRE ANTS HAVE INVADED CHATTOOGA
Clark Wary Of Mound After Being Stung
PRICE 20c¢
State
Lists
Reasons
Oak View Nursing Home
should wait until the 30-day ap
peal period exrires for fz)me
developer Charles Williams, ac
cording to a certified letter
from tie State Health Plann
ing Agency. The letter was
received Tuesday by Betty
Wolstein, executive director of
the nursing home and Chat
tooga Count% Hosii‘t:l.
Everette B. Jenkins, depu
ty director of the agency, said
should “‘a bona fide request for
an appeal be received, you will
be promptly notified and the
Certificate of Need will be
suspended until the appeal is
resolved. You are strongly ad
vised not to make a substantial
, obligatior‘x)d og funds until the
| time period for requesting an
appeal has e)?irfi"
The letter from Jenkins also
Wearurdd Aetaitc of the Ages
| ey's decision on the nursing
| home issue.
! SERVICES
| Referring to services pro
i &osed to be offered b{’ the
| Williams home and Oak View,
| the agency said:
1‘ “Both projects could g‘xz
| vide the proposed services.
| application submitted by Oak
| View is superior because Oak
| View g)r;)fi)oses to offer services
| specifically geared towards the
| needs of nursing home pa
| tients. In addition, in this in
| stance, an lfae:g)a.nsion project
| was considered to be a superior
| alternative to development of
| a new facility to meet the iden
| tified bed need. Consequently,
| the Oak View proposal coufll
| better meet this need than the
| Windy Hill proposal.”
| The agency also said the
| Oak View proposal was less
| costly than Williams' Windy
| Hill unit:
| “The Oak View proposal
| represents a less costly alter
| native than the Windy Hill pro
| posal. By expanding the ex
isting Oak View facility,
| economies of scale will be
| achieved whereby the facility
| see STATE LISTS, page 16-A