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MORELAND TELLS OPTIMISTS
DOT Reviews U.S. 27 Options
from front page
town but I understand — and
I looked today as I rode
through from the mid-center of
Summerville south, the fine
homes and the yards that
would be affected. That con
cern was reflected in our public
hearing recently. There was
some significant input to us
about ‘why don't you build a
bypass?’ Our engineers gleeful
ly received that word because
they were kind of dying to
come off Taylor's Ridge with a
road that would tie back in up
here somewhere maybe a little
bit north of where we are (at
The Round Table).
THREE PLANS
“So we've got back into
serious consideration of three
plans, I(Fuess. now: the plan
presented at the public hearin
which was a five-lane curb ans
gutter section on through Sum
merville from here south on
back through Summerville to
the (Chattooga) river
bridge . . . we have under con
sideration now just some minor
improvements to that road
now and coming off at the top
of Taylor's Ridge and bringing
the through traffic around.
And we've had a resolution
from the City of Summerville
asking us to try to confine the
construction to the right-of
way and build a four-lane pro
ject down there.
“We have all of those under
consideration,’” the DOT com
missioner said. ““We're trying
to determine whether that
(four-laning) can handle the
traffic and what we oughta do.
I thought I wanted to look at
it again myself and 1 will
That’s one of the real questions
we have and one we‘ll%e trying
to get resolved in the next lit
tle while. If you have any
strong feeling on that question,
I'd be glad to have it today or
for you to drop me a letter and
let me know..."
During a show of hands
asked for by Chattooga Rep.
Johnny Crawford at the
meeting, it appeared that a
slight majority of those at the
meeting favored the roadway
through Summerville, rather
than a bypass.
“ROADBLOCK"
Moreland also took the op
portunity offered by a ques
tioner about the ‘'roadblock™
at Chickamauga National Bat
tlefield Park to criticize the Na
tional Park Service. Cost of
providing a multi-lane highway
through the park would be less
than $4-million, he said, while
cost of a western bypass would
be more than $32- 0
$35-million.
“We're dead in the water
with it,”” Moreland said with
more than a hint of frustration
in his voice. ** ... I just think
they're not using common
sense.”’ He explained that an
old agreement existed between
the old state highway depart
ment and the Park Service that
the Park Service would have to
approve any improvements
through the park — and the
Park gervice refuses to okay a
multi-lane highway.
“A WASTE"
Referring to the proposed
western bypass, Moreland
said, ‘I thinfi it's a waste of
money . .. I don’t believe we'd
hurt that park. One of the
reasons for the battle there was
over the road.”
He pointed out that when
he first visited the Manassas
battle field park in Virginia, it
had a two-lane highway
through it and now has a four
lane iighway with median
through the park.
Morelantf) said Seventh
District Congressman George
“Buddy” Darden and U.S.
Sens. Sam Nunn and Wyche
Fowler need public input on the
issue to encourage them 0
“break it loose.”” Moreland said
he planned to return to
Wasfiington, D. C., next year
in an effort to get Congress to
force action by the Park
Service. י
On another subject,
Moreland said he didn't foresee
widening Highway 140 from
U.S. Highway 27 to I-75 in
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Floyd and Bartow Counties in
the near future, although it
does have a significant amount
of truck traffic. “‘There's only
50 much work you can do,”" he
said.
However, he indicated that
the DOT may allow tandem
tractor-trailer trucks to use the
Highway 140 route, giving
Chattooga industries more
direct access to I-75.
SALES TAX
Moreland congratulated
citizens of the county for pass
נָּוֹח! the one percent local option
sales tax last year, saying that
on his visit to Chattooga just
before the vote, ‘I committed
to gou that day with the state
DOT - using your tax
money . ..to add money 0
those programs of com
munities that passed the tax.
“...1I told you that da
that we would match you witK
state highway dollars, dollar
for-dollar, with your local tax
dollars,”” Moreland added.
“Well, you passed the tax, and
since that time, my records in
dicate we've placed under con
tract sl4-million worth of work
with a total value of that
sl4-million is $7.7-million when
it's completed. So far, we've
paid out $1.9-million, almost
$2-million for work actually
done.
AHEAD
“As I understand it, you've
collected just over a mil{ion 0
we're running Lust a little
ahead of you,” the DOT com
missioner said. ‘‘We intend to
keep that commitment.”
The DOT has מג 5
preconstruction process about
$4.9-million more in projects
that should be placed under
contract in 1987, Moreland
said.
“We sure ought to be cat
ching up with t%le bridges in
the city and county,” Moreland
said. “‘'l notice we've got about
four under construction and
nine to be contracted for next
year.”
Moreland said he felt the
one percent local option sales
tax is “‘a trust, a trust to the
local officials that were collec
ting it, and since we were back
ing it with some engineering
expertise and with the state
monies entrusted to us, and we
take that very seriously and
we're going to work with you
to see that program through to
a conclusion. And if it's not go
ing as you think it ought to go,
I hope you'll tell me today or
drop me a letter and let me
know."”
72 MILES
Moreland also referred to
the DOT's county-city contract
program, saying that he thinks
all city roads have been paved
in the county and there are
around 72 miles of county
roads unpaved. ‘... That’s
still an ongoing program in our
department.”’
Georgia's interstate system
is one of the best and safest
parts of the nationwide
system. Moreland said in
discussing another subject.
“QOur fatality rate on the in
terstate system is approx
imately one per 100-million
miles traveled. However, our
fatality rate on our two-lane
state highway system...is
four fatalities per 100-million
miles . . . " He added that the
safety record of state-built
four-lane highways is also
“very, very good."”
The goal of the DOT is to
build more four-lane highways
across the state, Moreland
said, to connect centers of
population and economic
activity.
“It's not an easy task,”
Moreland said. ‘‘Mainly, we've
got a money problem. About
half the money we use is from
federal funds and there's very
little federal funds for this type
work. Most of the federal funds
are for the interstate
gsystem ;. .
“BUSY PEOPLE”
“We're a traveling people,
we're a busy people,” Moreland
told Optimist Club members.
“The statistics I saw indicated
that on our interstate system,
we have the third highest
travel in the country, vehicle
miles of travel. Only California
and Texas have more vehicle
miles traveled on their in
terstate ...and on overall
miles traveled, we're fifth . . . "
The DOT commissioner
referred to a recent proposal
that the state gasoline tax be
raised by five cents per gallon
and make a big pus?\ to com
plete the proposed
developmental hifghway
system. ‘I think we'd be able
to put something like
$l9O-million or S2OO-million a
year into the task. I'm not op
timistic that can be done now.
It looks like we have picked up
some significant opposition to
that. Maybe it wasn't the right
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MAYOR SEWELL CASH PRESENTS “COVER”
To Former Basketball Rival Moreland
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DOT COMMISSIONER MORELAND
Outlines Highway 27 Proposals
(10) New Case 580 Super E wheel loader Backhoes
equipped with case or wobble, stick control,
$32,500 each. Approx. 50 other pieces of construc
tion equipment. Call collect for prices and
description.
o
Remco Equipment
Ringgold, GA.
(404) 935-2378
Nights and Sundays (404) 861-4914 or 891-9522
thing to do, I don't know. But
in any event, we will continue
to strive to do the pro
gram.,. "
One of the DOT's main
goals is maintenance, and keep
ing existing roadways in good
condition, fie said. l¥e pointed
out recent contracts to resur
face Highway 27 not now in
volved in construction, as well
as Highway 114 and part of
Highway 337 in Chattooga
County.
1-59 to 1-75
In the&uestion and answer
segment, Moreland also said an
east-west roadway through
Northwest Georgia from 1-59
in Alabama to I-75 is part of
the DOT's developmental
roads proposal. But he caution
ed that it would take additional
money to begin and complete
the project.
CASH
Summerville Mayor Sewell
Cash, a eguest at the meeting,
presented Moreland with a key
to the city, along with a resolu
tion of appreciation from the ci
ty for t%e DOT's assistance,
and a fake ** ‘“Time’ '’ magazine
cover featuring Moreland.
Moreland, is his initial
remarks, referred to havinfi
played basketball against Cas
while in high school. He
described Cash as a good
mayor.
Yule Dinner
Children of the late Fletcher
and Pearl Parker will hold a
Christmas dinner at 6 p.m.
Saturday in the fellowship hall
of Perennial Springs Church.
All friends and re%atives are
invited.
PUBLIC NOTICE
JAY'’S SURPLUS :cnei
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
LAST DAY
SATURDAY, DEC. 27, 1986
We Are Not Interested in Making a Profit
—Just Selling Everything!
Dealers, Flea
Market Oper
ators, Bargain
Shoppers. This
is your day. No
reasonable offer
will be refused!
County Still Owes
$825.,000 In Loans
Chattooga County still ow
ed at least $825,000 in loans
and interest to local banks as
of late last week, according to
Chattooga Commissioner
Harry Powell.
However, the president of a
Summerville banfi has praised
Powell's performance in handl
ing the county's finances and
indicated that the commis
sioner "“will be able to get the
county free of debt, except for
long-term bond indebtedness."”
$699,000 LOAN
County records indicate
that Powell obtained loan for
$699,016.66 on Jan. 1 this year,
ayable on Dec. 31, from the
g‘armers and Merchants Bank,
Summerville.
Records also show that
Powell obtained a $75,000 loan
on Nov. 24 this year from the
First National Bank, Trion,
due on Feb. 23, 1987.
Both loans would be plus in
terest, apparently estimated at
around $50,000 by Powell on
the larger loan and stated as
$1,262.16 on the smaller loan.
The larger loan is based on
seven percent interest and the
smaller loan calls for an in
terest rate of 6.75 percent.
Asnearly as courd be deter
mined from county records,
those were the only two loans
outstanding as of late last
week, in addition to the coun
ty's longterm bonded
indebtedness.
The records also indicated
that the county apparently has
a savings certificate of
SIOO,OOO drawing interest of
13.25 percent with a maturity
date of Dec. 29, 1986. And it
also appears that the county
has another SIOO,OOO savings
certificate drawing 12.10 per
cent interest and maturing on
March 10, 1989. It also ap
parently had a $300,000 sav
ings certificate drawing 14.625
percent interest that matured
on June 10, 1986.
MONEY MARKET
The county also apparently
had a money market account
which it used to pay half a
sl-million loan Powefi obtain
ed in early January, 1985 from
Farmers and Merchants Bank,
Summerville. The other half of
the note apparently was paid
from the county’s general fund.
The note was due and was paid
on Dec. 31, 1985.
The Summerville News, Thursday, December 25, 1986
The money market account
at Farmers and Merchants
Bank ap7parent.ly had earned
$11,449.72 in interest for the
county as of early July, 1985,
according to county records.
A SIOO,OOO loan Powell ob
tained on Dec. 5, 1985, was
repaid on Dec. 31 of that same
year, records showed. It was
obtained from Farmers and
Merchants Bank.
A $300,000 loan was ap
parently authorized by resolu
tion on Segt. 11, 1985, and it
was payable on March 31,
1986. But it was not clear from
the county's records whether
or when the loan was repaid, or
if it was actually obtained by
the county.
A SIOO,OOO loan was obtain
ed by Powell from the First Na
tional Bank, Trion, on Dec. 5,
1985, and repaid on March 5,
1986, the county’s records in
dicated. Six percent interest
was charged.
RETURNS
It also appeared that the
county was asked to return
$18,757.13 in bank shares tax
last year for 1982 and
$20,304.10 for 1983 to the
Farmers and Merchants Bank,
based on federal law which in
dicated that that portion of the
tax should not have been paid
the county.
On at l};ast three occasions
in November of this year, it ap-
Feared that the county alleged
y had insufficient funds to
cover checks written on at least
two accounts, the jail bond ac
count and the general fund ac
count, county records indicate.
Henry Watson, president of
the Farmers and Merchants
Bank, on Dec. 2 wrote Powell
that the bank was ‘‘very much
impressed with the improve
ment in the county’s financial
position and we commend you
for this excellent performance.
Your efforts toward good
money management are very
encouraging to us. With con
tinued efforts, it appears that
you will be able to get the coun
ty free of debt, exce(i)t for long
term bond indebtedness. This
will certainly be a tremendous
accomplishment for you.”
BIDS SOUGHT
When Powell assumed of
fice on Jan. 1, 1985, he wrote
to eight different banks to in
quire about borrowing
Insulated Coveralls,
Boots, Knives, In
sulated Underwear,
Overalls, Jackets,
Coats, Rainwear,
Jeans, Fashion Pants,
Sweaters Cam
ouflage Clothing and
Hundreds of Odds
and Ends.
sl-million and seeking bids on
the interest rate to be charged.
Records indicate he wrote the
National City Bank, First Na
tional Bank, Rome Bank and
Trust Co. and Georflia State
Bank, Rome, as well as the
C&S Bank, Atlanta, and First
National, Farmers and Mer
chants and First Federal, all in
Chattooga Countg‘.
At that time, Farmers and
Merchants Bank offered an ar
rangement whereby the coun
ty would pay an interest rate
of 5.7 percent but if those
funds were reinvested with the
bank, they would draw 8.55
percent for the county, accor
ding to a letter from Watson to
Powell dated Feb. 11, 1985.
‘Sun Dogs’
Dazzle
Residents
Chattooga Countians
may have noticed some
strange lights in the sky
last Saturday afternoon.
It apf)eared that two
bright lights were on
either side of the sun and
that all three were sur
rounded or connected by
partial rainbows.
The display is common
ly known as ‘“‘sun dogs,”
according to the I?.S.
Weather Service. It was
caused by sunlight shining
through layers of at
mospheric ice crystals at a
certain angle.
Scientifically, the
display is known as a
parhelion.
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