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Che Summerville News
Santa In Coveralls?
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
THERE WOULD be no
sign of Santa Claus’ visit in
many homes around Chat
tooga County Christmas
morning were it not for a
self-described ‘‘roughneck’
from the Georgia Kraft
Corp. maintenance depart
ment, Rome.
For the past seven years,
John Drennan, Trion, has
afrpeared on the doorsteps
of some of the neediest local
families with just the right
gifts from Santa, just in
time to avoid the heartbreak
of a toyless Christmas
morning.
In making his rounds,
Drennan often learns of
more pressing needs and
helps pay utility bills.
‘*Apparently, there are a
lot of children in this coun
ty who would get practical
ly nothing for Christmas if
somebody didn't 0
something,” Drennan said.
“Seeing some of them would
tear your heart out.”
* * *
EVERY CHRISTMAS
Eve, he loads his shortbed
pickup truck with dolls and
BB guns, calculators and
baby strollers, and visits
homes across the county.
However, he doesn't wear
red and he doesn’'t come
down the chimney. As one
of 200 Georgia Kraft
maintenance employees, he
is more likely to%e dressed
in blue coveralls. When he
knocks on the doors of
needy families, he in
troduces himself as Santa's
representative.
For the seventh year,
No Handicap . . .
. . . Daniels Serves Jails, Prisons
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
Jim Daniel of Summerville
has gained a national reputa
tion as a Christian speaker,
minister of music and as an ex
hibition golfer.
Although he lost his
eyesight in 1964, he has con
tinued to lead an active
lifestyle which includes sports,
ministry and even carpentry.
Since the early 1970 s he has
channeled his energies into a
fulltime lay ministry, traveling
to churches and prisons across
the country.
CARING
It takes a lot of love and
caring to risk your life volun
tarily in a prison cell block.
“The guards take you to an
80-man cell block, lock the
doors behind you and leave for
several hours. You're on your
own,” said Daniel.
“The first time I got an
eerie feeling when they slamm
ed the door behind me,” he
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PRISON MINISTRY NEARLY 20 YEARS OLD
Simple Gospel Message Of Caring
HELPS NEEDY CHILDREN
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DRENNAN PREPARES FOR JOURNEY
Even “Tough Guys' Care About Kids
members of the Kraft
Maintenance Employees
Organization have pooled
their time and resources to
bring Christmas into the
neediest homes in Chat
tooga, Polk, Floyd and
Cherokee counties.
The organization 5
made up of millwrights, pipe
fitters, and electrical
workers.
said. Now I never think about
14
“The prisoners know that
they're locked up 24 hours a
day with people they can't
trust,” Daniels said. I tell
them I know someone they can
trust — Jesus Christ.”
Walking into the cell block
involves a lot of trust on
Daniel's part as well. He lost
his eyesight more than 20
years ago. Although most
would assume the lay minister
was at a dangerous disadvan
tage, Daniel views his blind
ness as an advantage in prison.
EYE CONTACT
“If they can't make eye con
tact with you, they can't in
timidate you,” Daniel said.
“They really open up to me
because it's like talking to so
meone in the dark.”
He frequently visits the
long-term cell block at the
Tucker Unit of the Arkansas
State Prison System.
*“The inmates are generally
looking at 50 years to life,” he
said.
Most are murderers.
Thursday, December 25, 1986
“THESE ARE the
biggest-hearted bunch of
roughnecks I've ever seen in
my life,” Drennan says of
his co-workers. “‘Can you
imagine tough guys like
that caring about kids?”
Maintenance workers in
the organization collect
scra;l)l brass, tin and co(fper,
much of it donated by
Georgia Kraft, throughout
“I just reach out and grab
an arm,”’ Daniel said. “I don’t
know who I'm getting. I just
ask them to take me to their
cell where we can talk. It's an
act of faith and trust on my
part. I goin prayer. I gounder
the protection of the Holy
Spirit.
“To this day, I have not
been let down by an inmate."’
At the Tucker unit, Daniel
was the first person ever allow
ed to enter a long term cell
block with a guitar.
“There are a number of
lethal weapons you can make
from a guitar,” Daniel said. He
makes an effort to visit
prisoners during the holidays
when many are most moved to
regret over their past mistakes.
“It's got to be bad for
them,” Daniel said. “Most of
the time when they were free,
they didn't think that much
about Christmas; it was just a
time to frolic and party. Now
that they're in jail, they have
more time to be contemplative
UP OVER $60,000
Insurance Tax Take Rises
Chattooga County and the
four cities within the county
received some $60,000 more
this year than in 1985 from an
insurance premium tax, accor
ding to Warren D. Evans,
Georgia commissioner of
insurance.
Evans office is authorized
to collect the taxes on or before
Oct. 15 each year and to
distribute them in full to cities
and counties by Dec. 15.
Chattooga County received
$270,766.73 this year, com
pared to $228,280.69 in 1985.
Summerville received
$100,240.22 for 1986, com
pared to $90,946.10 last year.
Trion received $35,588.37
this year, compared to
$30,186.79 last year.
Lyerly, meanwhile, received
$9,900.34 this year and
$8,400.68 last year.
Menlo was sent a check for
$12,551.27 this year, compared
to a check for $10,649.01 last
year.
TOTALS
The total. amount
distributed in the county this
year was $429,046.93, com
pared to $368,463.27 last year,
the year to raise funds for
the project.
“Each member of the
organization 8180 con
tributes what we call sl2 a
year,”" Drennan added.
“Georgia Kraft kicked in
SI,OOO this year as well.
A P
“EACH AND every year
we contact the Department
of Family and Chifiiren Ser
vices (DIgACS) to see which
families are truly in need.
We help those who are down
on their luck, where the
children will get very little
or nothin%l for Christmas.
Then we check to see what
the children want Santa to
bring. We're not talking
Shet%and,ponies. here, but if
it's realistic, we get it for
them."
Drennan purchases the
toys in Chattooga County.
“One merchant gives us
8 0 זֶתססזס(נַּ] discount every
year because it's for a wor
thy cause,” he said.
The organization helps
whenever a need is found. A
few weeks ago, during a
visit to ask two pre-school
boys what they wanted
from Santa, Drennan notic
ed that the house was ex
tremely cold.
* * *
“I ASKED the mother
why there was no heat and
she said they didn't have
the money to have the gas
turned on,” Drennan recalls.
“T went to DFACS and told
them about it, since they
have energy assistance
funds. The caseworker ex
plained that the funds could
cover utility and heating
bills but no funding was
available to turn utilities on.
I was able to write out a
check for the gas company.
see SANTA, page 5-B
about it. They're locked in an
environment that causes them
to stop and think, ‘I don’t have
the freedom to go and wish
anybody a merry Christmas; I
can't see my family.’
FAMILIES
“Whether they've ever
thought about their familes
before or not, it's on their
minds at Christmas. It's one
thing that comes up in our
prayer request time during the
season. ‘Remember my family,
remember my wife in prayer.’
With the men pausing to think
so much this time of year, it
takes just a simple message of
the Gospel and caring to reach
them.”
According to Daniel, a lot of
his most fruitful teaching in
the County jail occurs over cof
fee after the formal Bible study
time is over.
“If you'll look in the Bible,
there are more recorded in
stances where Jesus
see NO HANDICAP, page 10-B
an increase of $60,583.66. |
Statewide, checks totaling
$107,581,762.85 in the local *
premium tax were mailed to
cities and counties, Evans said.
That represented an increase of
12.25 percent over the amount
sent last year.
The law authorizing the col
lection and distribution of
these taxes was passed during
the 1983-84 sessions of the
Georgia General Assembly.
This %aw authorizes city and
county governments to pass
local premium tax ordinances
and resolutions; and directs the
State Insurance Commissioner
to collect these taxes from in
surance companies that do
business in Georgia.
LEVY
Local governments can levy
taxes of 1 percent on life and
health insurance premiums,
and up to 2.5 percent on pro
perty and casualty insurance
premiums. These percentages
would apply to t?xat city or
county's share of total
premiums written in the state
durm% the rreceding calendar
year. Each local government’s
share is determined in accor-
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Santa Claus keeps busy on Christmas Eve delivering
gifts to good boys and girls in Chattooga County and
around the world. However, on a recent trip to check
things out in the county, Santa found time to take care
of 6-month-old Jennifer Aldridge. daughter of Mr. and
SPONSOR YULE PARTY
Oak View Residents ‘Adopt’ Tots
By KAY ABBO'TT
Staff Writer
Holland Day Care
kindergartners are receiving
extra E)\'e and attention this
holiday season. They have been
“adopted’ by residents of Oak
View Nursing Home. The
residents are enjoving the
priceless treasure of feeling
needed as they build relation
ships with the H-yvearolds
Since October, the children
dance with a population חי
mula which is written m the
law (code section 33-8).
FIRST YEAR
IN 1984, the first yvear local
governments were to have
received this money, a legal
challenge by several insurance
companies prevented the In
surance Commissioner from
distributing the funds on Dec
15 as scheduled. For several
weeks thereafter local govern
ments were faced with uncer
tainty over whether they would
ever receive these funds that,
in many cases, had already
been budgeted: funds totaling
over S7B-million.
On Nov. 27, 1984, the In
surance Commissioner ruled
that the challenge to the new
law was “'without merit.”" That
ruling was upheld by Fulton
County Superior Court on Jan.
7. 1985; thereby enabling the
Insurance Commissioner Lo
release the funds to the cities
and counties.
Commissioner Fvans said
that since then, the local
premium tax law has not been
challenged.
04סיו '/ /0104') 562
Santa Claus Provides All Sorts Of Services
have traded visits with their
adoptive “grandparents.” The
friendship exchange began
when Holland students were
invited to trick or treat at the
facility on Halloween.
The children soon invited
the residents to visit their
school in the Holland com
munity. Those who were able
to travel boarded the nursing
| *+-=+ ]
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Residents of Oak View Nursing Home
have “adopted’ a class of kindergarten
students from Holland Day Care Cgenter.
Since October, the class has visited the
facility on several occasions. The students
sing carols during a Christmas party at
Oak View. Pictured are residents Haney
Rav, Lena Johnson, Bryvant Ward and
home van and toured the day
care center. They spent time in
each classroom at the school.
leading the children in songs
and games for several hours.
Last Thursday afternoon,
the residents were excited
about giving a Christmas par
ty for their adopted grand
children. A Christmas tree was
decorated with handmade or
Residents Adopt Kindergarten Students
Mrs. Johnny Aldridge, Lyerly. In addition to a bottle
of warm formula, Santa also planned to leave Jennifer
some dolls, rattles and clothing this Christmas season.
(Staff Photo by Kay Abbott).
Della Smith. Children (not in order) are
Shannon Henry, George Ware, Core¥
Evans, Leslie Cook, Michael Ratliff,
Michael Ledford, Justin Morris, Justin
Ward, Chris Hines, Robert Hines, Tonya
Smith, Alisha Steele and Latashia Aker.
(Staff Photo by Kay Abbott). °
naments. Each ornament was
adorned with a resident’s pic
ture. Bags of fruit, nuts and
candy awaited distribution.
Several afternoons of work
went into the bags, which
residents decorated with
reindeer antlers made of pipe
cleaners. Designs had also been
neatly drawn and colored on
see OAK VIEW, page 5-B