Newspaper Page Text
Time Change Sunday
--See Page 2-A
IVOLUME CIII - NUMBER XLI
Lyerly Evacuated As
Gas Truck Overturns
No One Injured; Transfer Goes Smoothly
The City of Lyerly avoided
what couldy have been its fiery
destruction Monday afternoon
when a tank truck f(])aded with
more than 9,000 gallons of
highly explosive propane gas
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CONNECTIONS MADE TO TRANSFER PROPANE FROM OVERTURNED TRUCK
9,000 Gallons Of Gas Removed Without Incident In Lyerly
Fund Drive Eyed
Powell Gives Hospital SIO,OOO
The Chattooga County
Hospital Authority Monday
night decided to explore the
g?ssibility of a community
nd drive to raise $140,000 by
the end of this year after
receiving cont;inuedy bad news
about the hospital's finances.
Eugene McGinnis, chair
man of the Authority, also
made a surprise announcement
that Chattoo%a Commissioner
Harry Powell had made a
SIO,OOO payment to the
hospital for indigent care costs.
McGinnis and Dan
Sweitzer, executive director of
Commissioner Candidates Offer Different Styles
Wright Says He Proposes More Specifics
He is offering a more detail
ed platform and is outlining his
views on specific issues while
his Democratic opponent is not
following that course, accor
ding to T. Fondren Wright,
Republican candidate for Cfiat—
tooga County commissioner.
ergght; was talking about
Jim Parker, Lyerly, who
defeated incumbent gommis
sioner Harry Powell on Aug. 9
to garner the Democratic
nomination for that post.
STANCE?
“I don’t know how he real
ly stands on the landfill . . . "
Wright said. “I don't know
what he’s come out for, really.
I've tried to &ick up on where
he stands. You can look at
what he says and it seems to go
both ways. I understand that
he’s been asked about it (land-
‘l2 Summerville News
overturned near the center of
town.
The truck, owned by Jordan
Gas Services Inc., Centre, Ala.,
was turnilelg east off Highway
114 onto McLeod Street in the
the hospital and Oak View
Nursing Home, met with
Powell at his office last Friday
to discuss physician recruit
ment and the hospital’s status.
EQUIPMENT
The Authority also:
* Authorized Sweitzer to
spend up to $65,000 on new
equipment for the 63-bed addi
tion to Oak View.
* Changed laundry service
contractors.
* Renewed its liability and
workmen's compensation in
surance for another year.
fill) and he has said he wants to
see and get in (office) to see
what he can do.”
Continuing, Wright said,
“I've been to places where Jim
was asked wl‘l)ere he stood on
the issues; he said he really
didn’t know where he stood —
he’d have to get in office to see
what he coul§ do. From my ex
perience of watching and listen
ing to see what Harry (Powell)
dig. he (Jim) could do pretty
well anything he wanted to
do."’
NO PROBLEM
As a Republican county
commissioner, Wright said he
wouldn’'t have any trouble
working with other Democratic
officials in the county, or with
state officials, who are primari
ly Democrats.
“I don’t feel I'd have any
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA — THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1988
downtown area when the
wheels on its right side drop
ped into a ditch. That caused
the vehicle to flip onto its side
next to a store building and
clip a GTE telephone pole.
* Heard a report that a
number of citizens had offered
their services to the planned
new volunteer program for
both facilities.
The Authority has about
three choices if it wants to take
care of some $140,000 in
outstanding bills and show pro
spective physicians that the
community is serious about
keeping the hospital open,
Sweitzer said. It can borrow
the money, develop a communi
ty fundraiser or slash services,
including total closure of the
see FUND DRIVE, page 17-A
problem whatsoever working
with any official. I know most
of them personally and I would
work with them honestly and
with openness and integrity,”
Wright said. Party afffiirat.ion
wouldn’t matter as commis
sioner because he said he would
be the commissioner of all the
people and would assist them
in every wa}‘; possible,
re%ardless of their political
affiliation.
One of the hottest issues in
the county is the location of a
new landfill, Wright continued.
“My views are pretty clear on
that. I oppose it being located
in the Perennial area.'
Drainage from the site all flows
toward Raccoon Creek, the
source of most of Summer
ville's water, he said after in
specting the location.
see WRIGHT, page 16-A
School Scores Improve
--See Page 8-A
© Copyright 1988 By Espy Publishing Co., Inc. — All Rights Reserved
PERSONNEL
The Chattooga County
Sheriff's Department received
a call about the incident at 4:11
%.m. Monday, said Trooper Bill
eHart of the Georgia State
Patrol. Summervill%l's Fire
Department received a call to
the location at 4:32 p.m. Before
the evening was over, the area
was swarming with lawmen,
more firemen, members of the
Chattooga Rescue Squad and a
representative of the Georgia
Public ‘Service Commission
(PSC). :
A “gop-off” valve on the
top of the truck began leaking
visible whisps of gas shortly
after the accident, resulting in
it being hosed/down by Sum
mervilfia firemen and Jordan
Gas Co. employees.
Glen Ezefil, manager of the
Summerville store for Jordan
Gas Co., was on the scene
throughout the operation.
EVACUATION |
Sheriff Gary MgeConnell
assumed overall control of the#
safety plan, directing that all
homes and businesses within
400 to 500 yards of the acci
dent be evacuated im
mediately. Through traffic was
also diverted off Highway 114
and onto back streets of the
town while crews worked to
transfer the gas to anéther
truck and then right the over
turned vehicle.
Approximately 300 people
were evacuated and kept out of
the town for about three hours,
the sheriff said Wednesday.
The truck was pulled off its
side and onto its wheels bet
ween 7:30 and 7:45 p.m. by a
crane from Morrison %onstruc
tion Co., Rome, he added.
Rodney Hannah of GTE in
Summerville said telephone
crews used a bucket truck to
lift cables away from the over
turned truck while it was being
lifted by the crane. There was
no loss of telephone service, he
said, although the clipped pole
had to be replaced tfle next
day.
Tony Joe Coley, 42, Pied
mont, Ala., was driver of the
tank truck, said Trooper
DeHart. Coley was enroute to
Jordan’'s storage tank east of
Lyerly at the time of the
mishap, Sheriff McConnell
said.
PRESSURE
Another tank truck was
dispatched from Centre by Jor
dan Gas to off-load the gas. It
arrived shortly before 5:30 p.m.
Monday and crews began Fum
ping the propane out of the
see LYERLY, page 15-A
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MR. WRIGHT
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These Summerville youn, rs are checking out the
source of light in their jafi%fafi% f’ff‘prepal‘éflfflf
for Halloween. Tom, 4, left, is dressed like the
friendliest bear you've ever seen, and his sister, Lind-
Halloween Parade Monday Afternoon In Summerville
Little spooks, ghosts and goblins
will pop out of their homes next Mon
day afternoon and evening and haunt
Summerville merchants and Chat
tooga County residents until they
come forth with all sorts of goodies
and treats.
The Retail Merchants Council of
the Chattooga Chamber of Commerce
will sponsor its annual Halloween
parade in the downtown Summerville
area to provide safe treats for local
children. Youngsters and parents
should assemble in the shopping
center parking lot adjacent to the
Farmers and Merchants Bank at 4
R/.[m. The parade will start at 4:30 p.m.
onday.
PARADE ROUTE
The assembly will travel north
along Commerce Street to First
Avenue and then travel south along
the other side of the street back to the
point of origin, said Sue Spivey, ex
ecutive vice president of the Chamber.
Chambers and civic groups in other
towns have sought information on the
Halloween event, which has grown in
numbers annually. Many communities
have looked on the parade as an idea
Parker Pushes Cooperation, Communication
When Jim Parker talks
about running for Chattooga
County commissioner, he ta]is
about communication and
cooperation. There won't
always be agreement between
county officials if Parker is
elected Nov. 8, but there will
certainly be a lot of discussion
about community concerns, he
said.
“There’d be something
wrong if we always agreed, but
discussing possible solutions
would be the best thing for the
county,”” Parker said. He said
he knows there will be some
decisions that will leave him
“with two black eyes no mat
ter which way I go,"” but that
‘‘as county commissioner, the
buck stops here.”
Parker, the Democratic can
didate for county commis
sioner, will face Republican
Getting Ready For Halloween
Goblins Await Big Day
Fondren Wright in the Nov. 8
general election. Parker
defeated two Democratic op
%onents in the Aug. 9
emocratic primary includin
incumbent Igarry P‘{owell. ang
David Tidmore.
Parker won the primary
with more than 57 percent of.
the vote, avoiding a runoff.
That kind of victory in the
Democratic primary gave
momentum to his bid for the
commissioner’s office, but did
not seem to make Parker
overconfident.
Parker said he has been
working hard to keep his red
and white campaign signs up.
He reasserted his independence
from political debts and said
the rumor that he has received
thousands of dollars in con
tributions is wrong and unfair.
“Negative,”” said Parker
that provides youngsters a chance to
“trick or treat” and avoid the dangers
of going door-to-door in search of
goodies.
Summerville police will provide
security and the Chattooga Sheriff's
Defartment will supply treat bags to
all third graders Frld‘:iy and some will
be availa%‘le next Monday.
CHAIRMEN
Robert Floyd and Jim Richie, Sum
merville merchants, are co-chairmen of
this g'ear’s parade. They are being
assisted by Pat Rutherford, Linda
Reece, Betty Mundy and Kathy Floyd.
Tony Jones is in charge of judging.
Prizes will be awarded for the best
costumes.
In the past, employees of many
stores and institutions throughout the
county have dressed in lfalloween
costumes to enjoy the festivities along
with their children.
X-RAY CANDY
For youngsters who do go door-to
door for canngy and other treats Mon
day evening, Chattooga County
Hospital will again X-ray all treats
from 6 to 9 p.m. to help ensure that
when asked about those
rumors. *‘l'm not beholden to
anyone now, nor will I be in the
future.”” Nieces and nephews
bought the lumber and painted
the now familiar red and white
signs, he said.
Parker said he recognizes
that severe problems wifin face
the county in the next few
years, including the financial
crisis of Chattooga Hospital,
the landfill, updating the com
missioner’s office, replacing
county equipment that may be
beyond repair, water service,
and tax evaluation.
HOSPITAL
The lorfi-term solution for
the ho?it hinges on getting
more doctors in Chattooga,
Parker said. He would also lfite
for the county to help pay for
see PARKER, page 16-A
Flying High
--See Page 1-B
say, 5, is a good fairy. Thg,%i are the children of Mr.
“and Mrs David Show, TN. Washington St {Staff*~
Photo By Tommy Toles).
they aren't laced with pins, razor
blades or other dangerous metal ob
jects. The service will be free.
A haunted house will be featured
in Alpine Saturday and Monday,
beginning at 7:30 p.m. both days.
North Summerville Baptist Church
will sponsor a spook house from 7:30
to 11 p.m. today, Saturday and next
Monday. The church'’s fall festival will
be heldy from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
FESTIVALS
Several communities and school
organizations will also sponsor fall
festivals this weekend.
Meanwhile local fire officials and
lawmen issued tips on how to prevent
tra%edies during Halloween.
arents should keep matches,
candles and lighted jack-o-lanterns out
of the reach of small children and away
from flammable materials such as fur
niture, carpets, draperies and decora
tions, said John Echols, chief of the
Summerville Fire Department.
All costumes shmfid be made of a
fire-retardant material and shouldn’t
restrict a child's ability to see clearly
or to move easily, he a(i'ded, Costumes
see GOBLINS, page 16-A
PRICE 25°¢
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MR. PARKER