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The Official Legal Organ of Chattooga County Georgia
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3 Q'G|A /" A 1991 Published Every Thursday By
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Address all mail to: THE SUMMERVILLE NEWS, P. O. Box 310, Summerville GA 30747
TELEPHONE (404) 857-2494
Our Opinion
Hold It Down, Boys
The strained relations between Sum
merville Councilman Earl ‘“Red” Parris
and City Manager John Simmons need to
end. Now.
It is no state secret that Parris wants
to get rid of the city manager’s post. And
if Simmons happens to be the one in that
chair at the time, so much the better, Par
ris seems to think.
We should not return to the days when
each councilman got involved in the day
to-day operations of city departments.
Councilmen need to set policy and stay out
of the hair of the departments’ supervisors
and employees. If something comes to
their attention about those departments,
it needs to be brought to the attention of
the city manager, mayor, or the full coun
cil in a monthly meeting.
City voters may have an opportunity
to vote later this year on whether they
want to replace the city manager’s posi
tion with a fulltime, untrained mayor. Un-
Release Board Votes
Georgia's attorney general has urged
the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles
to release documents that show the voting
patterns of its members.
The board responded to a request from
the Atlanta Newspapers for the patterns
by stating that they were a ‘“‘state secret.”
Mike Bowers recommended that the infor
mation be released.
As we understand it, the newspapers
did not request documents that showed
specific votes by the board’s members,
merely their pattern of voting.
Georgia's open meetings law exempts
the ‘‘deliberations and voting” of the
board from the statute. But the open
records law is unclear on the subject. The
written record of the board’s votes does
not appear to be exempted specifically.
The Summerville News requested infor
mation on specific case votes on Oct. 15,
1991. We wanted to know how members
voted on paroling Roy Dale Chatterton,
Ronald “Danny Boy” Adams and Ken
neth Ivey — all convicted of local crimes.
Wayne Snow Jr., chairman of the
board, wrote back stating that the board
felt the open records act did exempt board
voting records under the confidentiality
segment of the law. We disagreed but did
not pursue the issue in court.
Now that the Atlanta Newspapers
have followed up on the matter, it is possi
ble that the issue may be resolved in court
or by the legislature.
Gov. Zell Miller, a former member of
the panel, said opening the records would
endanger members of the board and their
families.
Interestingly enough, the board told
the Atlanta papers that releasing the in
formation would ‘‘lead to politicizing the
board’s duties.”
We respectfully disagree with Gover
nor Miller’'s opinion relating to the infor
mation endangering board members and
their families. In our view, it would en
danger them no more than current
criminal court processes endanger victims,
judges, prosecutors, jurors and witnesses,
and their families.
Convicted criminals have long had
every opportunity to take revenge on all
those court officials. The record shows
that the problem perceived by the board
of pardons and paroles is so small as to be
insignificant.
The argument against “politicizing”
the board is specious. The board should be
more accountable to the residents of
Thursday, February 13, 1992
til that time, Councilman Parris needs to
quit trying to ‘“‘get” Simmons directly or
indirectly. And the city manager, we think,
won'’t get involved in any future effort to
recall Parris, if one develops after the
180-day waiting period.
Parris also made a serious ethical
mistake when he voted in a recent person
nel matter before the council. It was clear
that he had made up his mind in the case
before hearing all the evidence. It was also
widely known that the employee involved
in that personnel matter had campaigned
tirelessly for Parris.
We encourage him to exercise better
judgment in the future in such matters,
and to restrain himself when the urge to
take a gratuitous swipe at the city
manager presents itself.
Elected public officials who live in glass
houses themselves shouldn’t throw too
many stones.
Georgia, many of whom are victims of the
criminals that the board releases on parole.
According to the Atlanta Newspapers,
the board followed its own release
guidelines only 61 percent of the time bet
ween September, 1990 and August, 1991.
It also gave less time to prison inmates 14
percent of the time.
The state does have a serious prison
overcrowding problem, although the
prisons themselves are awaiting state
funds for staffing.
It is clear that the board must release
some inmates earlier than the end of their
sentences for that reason — to avoid a
federal takeover. But it appears that the
board fails to follow its own guidelines 39
percent of the time.
When cold-blooded murderers, drug
traffickers who have tried to bribe law en
forcement officers, and people who entice
teens to their death are released from
prison, the public has a right to know the
voting records of individual board
members.
It is long past time to open up the
board’s meetings and release records.
o
News Clips-
FUSION AND CONFUSION
If this world was originally made out
of chaos, we now have all the material to
create several more. — Dows (la.)
Reporter.
* * *
DEFINITION
Retirement: When you wake up in the
morning with nothing to do and go to bed
with it only half done. — York (Pa.)
Synopsis.
* * *
TAKE HEED
When politicians agree, the angels may
rejoice but the voters just wonder what's
cooking. — Boston Globe.
* * *
OVERDOING
Most people who hand out small talk
seem to think it must be done in large
quantities. — I.)oth?'n (Ala.) Eagle.
*
TEACHER'S LAMENT
No one is ever too old to learn, but
many people keep putting it off. —
Chicago Tribune._
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DUI Solutions?
CHATTOOGA COUNTY has a serious
problem. Drunk drivers.
A total of 226 motorists was arrested
in the county in 1990 on charges of driv
ing under the influence (DUI) of intox
icants. That’s according to the annual
report of the Georgia Department of
Public Safety.
Compare Chattooga’s 226 arrests with
only 71 in Floyd County during that same
time. Or 250 DUI arrests in Walker Coun
ty, which has a population more than twice
as great as that of Chattooga. Cherokee
County, a metro Atlanta county, reported
only 161 DUI arrests.
* * *
I DON'T have the latest 1991 statistics
at my fingertips, but it is clear that alcohol
has caused a major problem on our roads
and highways.
Gov. Zell Miller has proposed some
significant legislation that might help
reduce the problem statewide in the future.
One would make it harder for chronic
drunk drivers to get back their license; the
other would suspend the license of anyone
charged with DUI for 30 days.
On The Funny Side
By Gary Solomon
Clinton Affairs
GOOD MORNING, ladies and
gentlemen, and thank you for coming. I
decided a press conference would be the
quickest way to answer the question that
is on everyone’s mind. Namely, *‘So, Gary,
since you've actually met Bill Clinton,
what do you think about —
Reporter: You mean this isn’'t where
Salomon Brothers is responding to
charges of alleged investment
improprieties?
Me: Even better. This is where Gary
Solomon finally responds to the question
he’s been asked for weeks. Namely, ‘“So,
Gary, since you've actually met Bill Clin
ton, what do you think about —
o v 8
REPORTER: Excuse me, sir, but ex
actly who are you?
Me: A: Ha, ha, ha. You press types are
such kidders. But back to the issue at
hand. Most people don't realize I once liv
ed in Little Rock and have personally met
Bill Clinton. As soon as they wrangle that
tidbit out of me, the first thing they ask
is, “‘So, Gary, since you've actually met
Bill Clinton, what do you think about —
Reporter: You lived in Little Rock?
When?
Me: From 1974 to '7B. Bill — I call him
Bill — was just a fledgling politician then,
running for Attorney General of Arkan
sas. I, meanwhile, worked for a small but
powerful advertising agency downtown.
Viewpoint
By Tommy Toles, Editor
THE SUMMERVILLE News and
most other newspapers in the state have
already started publishing the photos of
motorists convicted for the third time on
DUI charges. That's under another of
Gov. Miller’s drunk driving laws.
I'm not sure what the final answer is,
or if a final answer is politically feasible.
It’s easy to think of ways to punish drunk
drivers but most of them would be tossed
out as unconstitutional.
* * *
AND IT IS highly doubtful that
Georgia or neighboring states will return
to the prohibition of alcohol.
The fact is that there are some people
in our midst that cannot handle any
amount of alcohol consumption. They
become addicted and all the laws in
Georgia won't keep them from getting
behind the wheel of a car — any car —
when they decide to drive.
* * *
UNTIL SOMEONE comes up with a
workable method of keeping drunk drivers
off our roads and streets, we'll continue to
pay the penalty with the deaths of inno
cent people and high insurance rates.
We could make or break a candidate,
depending on how we packaged him. These
people were always coming around the of
fice, begging for a bone. Once my readers
find this out, they always want to know,
**So, Gary, since you've actually met Bill
Clinton —
* * *
REPORTER: What were some of the
accounts you handled for the agency?
Me: Is that really important? Wouldn't
the public much rather know what I think
of Bill Clin —
Reporter: Answer the question, please.
Me: Uh, well, Flintrol Flying Insect
Control Systems. Ben Pearson Cotton
Pickers. Some off-brand potting soil.
Reporters: Oh, please. .. -
Me: But the point is that politicians
like Bill Clinton and others recognized that
I was too sharp to be there long. They
sensed that right away. That's why they
sought my counsel.
? * * *
REPORTER: Bill Clinton came to you
for advice?
Me: Not advice, exactly. More like sup
port. An endorsement. He obviously knew
that without my help, he would never
reach the top. And because I served as
something of a guru to him, people want
to know, “‘So, Gary, since you've actually
met Bill Clin —"
see ON THE FUNNY SIDE, page 5-A
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Y Julie’s
s Notes
/. By Julie Griffis
Love Songs
SOME OF THE world’s greatest love songs are in so
meone’s country music collection.
There’s Dolly Parton’s “I’ll Always Love You,” Willie
Nelsons’ “Always On My Mind,” and Dolly and Ricky Van
Shelton's ‘‘Rocking Years,” just to name a few.
Unfortunately life isn’t a country music melody, so we
have other songs, like Patsy Cline’s ‘“‘Crazy,” Vince Gill's
“Never Knew Lonely,” and Kenny Rogers’ ‘““The
Gambler.”
And some hit even closer to home, such as The For
rester Sister’s “Men,” (you can’t live with 'em and you
can’t shoot 'em). ‘
* * *
TAKE GEORGE Strait. He's got the right idea. All
his exes live in Texas, which is why he lives in Tennessee.
There's Hank Williams’ ‘“Your Cheatin’ Heart,” (it will
tell on you and so will half your neighbors).
Some of the classics need a little updating in these
modern times. Tammy Wynette's infamous *“D-I-V-O-R-
C-E” is due for a sequel titled, “C-H-I-L-D S-U-P-P-O-R-T.”
Another prime candidate for a facelift- would have to
be Loretta Lynn’s “The Pill.” Since everyone’s into safe
sex, a rewritten version could be called “The Prophelac
tic.” Of course even the best of songwriters might have
a problem finding words to rhyme with it.
* * *
THERE’S GARTH Brook’s “The Thunder Rolls,” (and
so will heads), and ‘“‘Shameless.” There’s also another
Loretta Classic, “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ With
Lovin’ On Your Mind.” That pretty much says it all. And
don’t forget George Jones’ ‘‘He Stopped Loving Her To
day.” He had to, he died.
And most women over 30 like Ronnie McDowell’s
“Older Women.” It seems we make beautiful lovers, and
cookers, cleaners, wash women, gophers, etc. :
There’s a fairly new song by Travis Tritt titled
‘“Anymore.” It sounds like he’s saying ‘I don’t love you
anymore,”’ but if you listen closely, he’s really saying the
opposite. See, it’s like he’s tired of lying and saying he
doesn’t love her anymore, because he goes love her, soie’s
finally admitting it.
e e
YEA, YOU GUYS say we women never say what we
mean.
Probably the most sexist country music song is Tam
my Wynette's ‘“Stand By Your Man.” The title sounds
innocent enough. The melody is nice and flowing. It’s those
words. Kind of makes you want to slap the radio.
“Stand By Your Man,” no matter what.
So, “Stand By Your Man” even though he has a
“Cheatin’ Heart,” which along with the neighbors told on
him, and now the “Thunder” (heads) are going to roll,
because he “‘just came home a drinkin’ with somebody else
on his mind,” and he has six exes who've never been to
Texas and all live in the same town as you. This is all just
‘““Shameless” and you’re ‘‘Crazy.”
* * *
REMEMBER THIS on Valentine’s Day. You can’t live
with 'em and you “probably shouldn’t” shoot 'em. But it’s
a thought.
Just Kidding, Chip! Happy Valentine’s Day (XX0O0)!
WED LIKE TO
REMIND YOU THAT THE
UNCENSORED CONTENT
OF THIS NEWSPAPER IS
MADE POSSIBLE BY
THE CONSTITUTION OF
THE UNITED STATES.
THE CONSTITUTION
"The words we live by A