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Letters To The Editor
County Not Owned By One Man
Dear Editor:
Chattooga County residents will be having
to pay a fee each month for fire protection
because our County Commissioner refused to
help the fire department share the operating
cost and now they most likely will have to pay
a fee for their chi{dren to participate in the ac
tivities at the Recreation Center because Mr.
Powell said there would be no more funding
after 1986,
According to The Summerville News, Com
missioner Powell recent.lt') called the city of
ficials “‘idiots.” He probably thinks the entire
county is made up with a bunch of ‘‘idiots”
because nothing is being done about what he
is doing.
Disharmony In County
Dear Editor:
You and the owner of ‘‘The Summerville
News' may be a party to damaging the growth
and well-being o? Chattoo%a &unty.
I refer to your ongoing feud with our coun
ty commissioner.
The growing feud between our school board
and school superintendent can't help but show
our county in a very poor light.
Seeks Prayers Of County
Dear Editor,
I realize that a letter of this type must be
shocking to the paper, but I can assure {ou I
am sincere and fionest in it. My family has a
L)roblem that is very desperate. To me it is
opeless in the hands of man. So may I ask that
every one in the reach of my letter tKat has any
Interagency Council Thanks
Dear Editor:
On behalf of members of the Interagency
Council we would like to express our gratitude
for contributions made to the County Food
Pantry.
We would like to commend civic orfaniza
tions, church groups, schools, textile mills, and
individuals for your benevolence prior to and
during the holiday season.
With your continued support we will be able
More On David Owens Case
Dez}r Editor, % .
appreciate The News printing my first let
ter bu{)‘t)hey can't print thepothersiec)z;use I us
ed names. I understand this but I have asked
The News to print them and not use names.
Anyone who wants to know anything can write
me or mg' wife. I thought you people needed to
know why it wasn't printed and you wouldn't
think I was lieing. ’lgne News also has a copy
of the letters.
We thank the ones who wrote us. If you are
interested how injustice was used, write us and
we will gladly send you copies of whatever you
want.
I have contacted higher authorities through
the prisoners legal counseling for a complete in
vestigation of &is. I asked for a re-trial Nov.
20, 1986 and haven't heard anything. I would
appreciate it if you people that know me or
don’t, that I have painted for or worked for
would take a few minutes to write the parole
board in my behalf.
If you have anything bad to say, send it,
because I can't be put any deeper under than
politics and many has already J)one. I will pro
ve I am innocent if it takes every dime I make
and have to walk to the White I)-]Iouse. not for
myself but for my wife and kids.
The one responsible for the fire should and
will be punished. The jury made a bad mistake
is all. A lawyer that will take what I have and
use it can easily prove I am innocent.
The DA himself stated that arson was not
proven. Why then am I here? I had two
witnesses where I was, now jury, if you were
put on the stand, which you will be, tell what
evidence did the state produce that showed I
was guilty.
Tfig state only had a person that was drunk
that night, and they saw no fire, and it dark,
had just woke up and went outside. Very good
eyesight to recognize someone 35 ft. away at
midnight, a car blocking their view in that
condition.
Why wasn't my clothes sent to the lab to
see if t}‘;ey had in them what was said started
the fire?
I had the same clothes on in court I had on
that night. Why wasn't the picture of the in
side of the kitchen shown with pots and pans
on the sink, table and stove? The gicture was
shown in the preliminary hearing”
Why wasn't the statement I was supposed
to have given shown to the jury? Because I
didn't give one or sign one. Where was the
paper signed that my rights were given?
PREGNANT? UPSET?
UNSURE OF WHAT T 0 DO?
CALL 857-1457
North Ga. Crisis Pregnancy Center
128 NORTH COMMERCE STREET
Is Here To Help YOU
Free Pregnancy Testing Maternity Clothes
Confidential Counseling Baby Clothes
Alternatives to Abortion
(Sponsored by Dorcas Sunday School Class
Summerville First Baptist Church)
The people of Chattooga Countl¥ need to
think hard about what is going on. They need
to realize they can do something. This is their
county. It doesn't belongl to one man. They do
have the ability to stop this and we aren’t talk
ing about violence because violence is never the
answer to antyt.hing.
Can you afford apother bill each month? Can
you afford your home insurance premium to be
raised? Can you afford to pay a fee each week
for your children to participate in activities at
the recreation center?
If the people don't care enough to speak out
and fight back, where will it end?
Mrs. S. A. Reed and Mrs. J. F. Abernathy
We of Chattooga County must pull together
in the same direction to improve our future here
in beautiful Chattooga County.
Yours,
Joe Akren
(Editor’s Note: The News doesn’t have a
“feud” with any public official. We simply
report what public officials do and say in the
performance of their duties).
power with God help me. There is no other waK.
I pass churches on Sundays, cars are park
ed out front. This must surely mean there are
Christians in our county who can pray.
Sincerely,
Name Withheld By Request
to assist the needy of our county.
It is impossible for us to list the names of
all donors since thex are numerous and through
oversight we could omit someone. 1
Please accept this as a personal thanks to |
all contributors. !
Sue Elliott ]
Vice President
Chattooga County Inter Agency Council i
Because they weren't given. I never was
arrested. :
How did the state know about a letter my
lawyer had that would prove I was railroaded?
Wasn't it told under oath the kitchen received
severe damage? Now wouldn't the wall have to
burn at least half way out in order for the kit
chen to even start burning?
The fireman said the kitchen was burning
when he arrived. He knocked the window out
to spray the flames so he could go in and finish
putting it out. Now if the fire was started on
the outside wouldn't it have to be put out first?
Why wasn't the car moved that was about 6
ft. from the kitchen window? No reason to move
it, the fire inside. The hole in the aluminum
siding was not cut but melted from the rugs
that ?ell to the ground. This was done to throw
off suspicion of action taken inside.
On the last day of my trial how did two pro
bation officers know to be in the courtroom onl
about 15 minutes before the jury came out witi
a verdict. Why? Because they were called as
soon as the jury went out. The jury was out onl
50 minutes. The probation officers had enougK
time to get in their car, drive from LaFayette,
get a parking place and in the courtroom.
Which would be about 35 or 40 minutes. Amaz
ing how instincts are?
1 will get this case back in court as soon as
I hear about the investigation and all. I will
have my mail line open here, since I am on
medical hold, my home address and the parole
board. I would appreciate any thing anyone of
you can do to herl)p prove a innocent man is
behind prison walls.
You can write my wife or me and we will
gladly answer. My son is going on six months
old and I haven't seen him. I have two girls by
my ex-wife, 12 and 7, I haven't seen in 11'2
months. Take care of my girls. I love them.
Slow poke take care of my big boy. I love you
both and will be home.
Write to David and Lisa Owens
P. O. Box 731
Summerville, Ga. 30747
David Owens
EF197685 C-31 ;
GD2CC P. O. Box 3877
Jackson, Ga. 30233
Dept. of Pardon and Parole
Fif‘t)h Floor — East Tower
Floyd Veterans Memorial Building
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S. E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
PROPERTY SOLD TUESDAY
$1.5-Million Collected
In Taxes Since Nov. 17
With the deadline for pa{
ing 1986 property taxes little
more than a week away in
Chattooga County, almost
$1.5-million has been collected
so far. And two tracts of pro
perty were sold ’l‘uesda{ to
satisfy delinquent tax bills,
A total of $1,477,615.69
had been collected by the office
of Hugh Don Hall, Chattooga
tax commissioner, by the end
of business Monday. %‘hat total
includes not only 1986 taxes
but also some tax for prior
years,
The deadline for paying
1986 property tax is 5 p.m. Fri
day, gan. 16. That is also the
deadline for paying taxes in the
City of Summerville.
The county began collecting
taxes on Nov. 17, 1986.
ESTIMATE
The county %overnment
hopes to receive $2,233,300 in
1986 propert{ taxes, according
to a tax levy statement
gublished last fall by Harry
owell, Chattooga com
missioner.
The amount collected so far
by Hall will be allocated to
county %overnment. the coun
tv schools and the state. Of the
Recreation Fee
from front page
representation on the board if |
it provides half the budget. |
Hankins said, however, |
that the $200,000 sum he toss- |
ed on the table for discussion |
involves only operational costs, |
not the city's capital invest- |
ment in recreation. If the coun- |
(t{y wants representation, he in- |
icated, it would have to *'buy |
in" to the investment as well as |
provide operational assistance. |
“3 wisgewe wouldn't have to |
charge,”” said Ms. Mann. |
“There's going to be some pro- |
blems. It's not going to be on |
him : (Powell)...lt's the |
children.” 1
Board member Terry |
Money said if the board ac- |
cepted a $25,000 contribution |
from the county, it would be |
difficult for the panel to set up |
a fee system later on. ;
SOME FEES i
However, Elsberry said the |
recreation department will pro- |
bably end up with a fee system |
of some type with the amount
of the fees depending on the
size of the county contribution.
“It doesn’'t matter which way '
we go, we'll probably end up |
with a fee system.”
Hankins said the city has
received little criticism for in
stitutuing a subscription |
system for fire protection since
Commissioner Powell refused
to offer a commitment of funds |
to the city for 1987. The |
criticism from county residents |
has been directed at Powell, |
Hankins indicated.
“I hope they flog him ... "
Ms. Mann sai(i
Stanley posed a series of
questions to the board about
how fees would be established
for various activities. He later
said that Cherokee County
uses a flat family fee system.
“We need to get into that,”
Hankins said. |
Ms. Mann said she would
favor that concept over in
dividual fees for activities.
CITY TAXES }
Hankins said city tax
payers are financing the opera
tion of recreation facilities but
most of the use is by non-city
residents. City residents cur
WEDNESDAY
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May Result in Extra Charges.
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Wednesday $ 1 500
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L
QL g 1 [
PHONE 857-2456
236 N. COMMERCE ST. SUMMERVILLE
amount collected, the county
will receive 59.49 percent of the
taxes collected in the incor
porated areas and 54.65 per
cent of the taxes collected from
the unincorporated areas of the
county. County schools and the
state, which receives a quarter
mill, will get the rest. (A mill is
$1 tax on each SI,OOO worth of
assessed property).
The scgoo?: and the county
don't receive the funds as soon
as thefy are collected. There is
a brief delay between the time
they are actually paid and
when they are deposited in the
schools' or county's coffers
because of computer process
ing time required to ensure
that taxpayers receive proper
credit for their payments.
PROPERTY SOLD
Ed Surles, county attorney,
said Tuesday that the county
sold for taxes two of five tracts
of land which had been adver
tised for sale to satisfy delin
quent tax bills. Owners of the
other three tracts paid their
back taxes prior to the sale
Tuesday morning, he said.
Botfi] the tracts sold for
taxes were vacant lots, he said.
One brought S6OO and the
rently are paying about two
mills more in county taxes than
non-city residents, he pointed
out.
“We don't have a choice.
We're running a losing
system,”’ Hankins said.
“There's no profit and the Ci
ty of Summerville citizens are
paying for it."”
FIELD
In other action, the panel
decided to get under way with
development of a new baseball
practice field near the Bolling
Road recreation complex. The
work is expected to be done by
recreation and city employees.
The board decided on a practice
facility after the City Council
said it wouldn't go ai'ong with
spending a considerable
amount of city funds on a new
playing field.
Approval was granted to a
Bible scudy group to use the
Scout Hut %;tween Bolling
Road and Lyerly Highway on
Friday nights at a monthly
cost of S4O.
FUND-RAISERS
In response to a request
from the old A.C. Carter
School Alumni Assn., the
board decided that no fund
raisers could be held on recrea
tion property unless the pro
ceeds benefit the recreation
department or county school
students.
Repairs will be sought for
the recreation department roof
since it is still witfiin a five-year
warranty period, the board
indicated.
Cost estimates will be ob
tained for a new door and
frame at the Bolling Road
center. Rust has %eavily
damaged the current doorway.
Stanley reported that 252
boys and girls are currently in
volved in the department's
basketball program.
The board authorized
Stanley to obtain prices on
summer recreation equipment,
including items for softball and
baseballg.
All of the midget and mite
football equipment has been
turned in to the department,
Stanley said.
other brought SI,OOO. Both
were bought by Summerville
real estate executive Huih
Henderson, Surles said. The
sales Erice brought slightly
more than the amount of taxes
owed on the property, Surles
added.
More tracts will be adver
tised for sale in the future, the
attorney said, inting out
that the process t}())(r) selling pro
perty is quite involved.
4 .
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57 dackso
1K ! !
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On Sale Through Saturday, Jan. 17
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The Summerville News, January 8, 1987
Dog Bites
Resident
Summerville police this
week were still lookinfi for ared
chow chow dog that bit a man
when he tried to separate the
?nil:r\al and his dogs during a
Ight,
Officer Gene Nix said
David Driver, Elizabeth Street,
was bitten on the hand by the
chow chow. Driver shot at the
animal with a .22 caliber pistol
and thinks he hit the dog.
which ran away, reports said.
Driver thought the animal
took refuge in a house sur
rounded by weeds on Elizabeth
Street, reports said.
from page 3-A
comg)any before his death in
1959.
Floyd Superior Court Judge
Robert Royal sealed the agree
ment in accordance with state
law. Neither side revealed how
much was paid for the minori
ty stock.
After the settlement was
reached, the two lawsuits were
dismissed.
One newspaper broker was
quoted as saying that a daily
newspaper similar to the News-
Tribune recently sold for
sls-million.
5-A