Newspaper Page Text
16-A
The Summerville News,
February 24, 2000
Funds
from front page
* Grubbs Construction Co.,
Brocksville, Fla., $14.99 per cu
bic yard or a $749,500 total.
GENERATOR
Also, the commissioner said
hehad received one bid for a pro
pane-powered generator to oper
ate the county’s emergency radio
communications system atop
Taylor Ridge.
Nixon Power Services Co.,
Atlanta, submitted a bid of
$10,370. That price includes a
Kohler generator and a transfer
switch.
After checking with other
locations that had%oug_ht gen
erators similar to that offered by
the Atlanta firm, he decided to
buy the equipment from Nixon,
Parker said.
The generator is supposed
to run about 28 hours without
being refueled, Chattooga Emer
gency Management Agency offi
cials said in mid-January.
AUTOMATIC
If power fails at the commu
nications building and tower on
the ridge in the future, the gen
erator would turn on automati
cally, Parker said earlier. It also
would flip the transfer switch to
keep the generator’s Ipower from
flowin%into the utility’s power
firid, which could endanger un
nowing utility crews. It also
would prevent electricity from a
repaired electrical utility from
flowing into and overloading the
generator.
A small generator used dur
ing the ice storm had to be re
filfed about every two and one
half hours, making it difficult for
local emergency management
agency officials to keep it in op
eration constantly.
10 WEEKS
The generator likely won'’t
help the county for the remain
ing winter weeks, the commis
sioner indicated, because the de
livery time is estimated at about
10 weeks.
ADOPTION
OPPORTUNITY
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Pam, Black, 8, and her sis
ters and brother, Lisa, 6,
Valeria, 5, and Markus, 3,
were born 2/91, 2/93, 6/94
and 5/96. Pam is a shy child
who becomes more outgo
ing as she becomes com
fortable in a new situation.
She enjoys reading and rid
ing her bike. In the 3rd
grade, Pam is having diffi
culty because she often
doesn’t do her work. She
has behavioral problems pri
marily at school where she
has a difficult time getting
along with her peers and
accepting teachers as
authority figures. Pam is in
counseling to help address
these problems. Pam
responds much better to
positive reinforcement and
guidance than to negative
consequences and correc
tive actions. Lisa is an out
going child who gets along
with everyone she meets.
She enjoys swimming and
playing with her dolis. Lisa
is in the Ist grade. Valeria
is a quiet child who takes
her time adjusting to new
people and new situations.
She enjoys playing with her
friends and riding her bike.
Valeria is in Kindergarten.
Markus is an affectionate
child who loves hugs. He
likes to be on the go and
ride his tricycle. Markus
attends Headstart. He en
joys attention and if he
can’t get it in a positive
way he’ll seek it in negative
ways. These children are
very close to each other and
must be placed together.
They are currently separat
ed in two foster homes but
visit often and enjoy seeing
each other. A two parent
family who can give each
child the individual attention
they need and deserve is
wanted.
IF INTERESTED IN
FOSTER CARE OR
ADOPTION, CALL
CHATTOOGA CO.
DFCS AT 857-0817
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R T R R S TA T T SATR TR SRS
Chattooga County Department
of Family and Children Services
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Adam Hale, a Papa John’s manafier on loan
from a Chattanooga store, fills up his
vehicle’s tank so he can begin delivering
pizzas. A company spokesman said many
Vehicle Owners Facing High
Fuel Prices Due To OPEC
Retailers, Wholesalers Upset About Rising Costs
By D. J. LAAN
Staff Writer
If the gasoline gauge on the
dash of your vehicle shows the
tank is nearing empty, you might
find yourself at any one of sev
eral Chattooga County gas sta
tions or convenience stores pre
paring for a fill-up.
But are you prepared to pay
the price?
As the price for each gallon
of fuel rises from the 90-cent
range last summer to more than
$1.25 or $1.30 a gallon in most
North Georgia counties, con
sumers said they are wondering
about the final price ceiling.
The culpnt, according to
Chattooga County’s retailers, is
the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries, (OPEC),
which raised the cost of oil from
S2O %er barrel in June, 1999 to
$25 this January. That increase
is being passed on to American
motorists.
GASOLINE RETAILERS
Gasoline retailers through
out the county have received in
creased lg)rices from their whole
salers, they said.
Henry McCarl, a University
of Alabama economics é)rofessor
and an exg)en on OPEC, said 40
percént of the world’s oil produc
tion comes from Middle Eastern
oil producers.
“OPEC producers are cut
ting daily operational output and
raising (frices to the highest price
for crude oil seen in American in
nine years,” he said.
» OPEC
OPEC leaders are supposed
to meet on Monday, March 27 to
discuss raising production quo
tas at the insistence of many na
tions, including the United
States, McCarl said.
In the meantime, he said
gasoline prices will likely con
tinue to spiral upward through
April when prices at the pump
could reach as much as $1.50 or
$1.60 per gallon for regular fuel.
FORDS
Ralph Barnes at Carl Black
Ford, Summerville, said the
gasoline increases have not ef
ected the dealership’s sales of
larger vehicles at this point.
“Our largest best seller is the
Ford Excursion and folks are
coming in asking for it every
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SPRING PANSIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE
WE HAVE A VARIETY OF SHADE, FLOWERING,
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VEGETABLE PLANTS
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¢ 3-Gal. Potted Dwf. Fruit Trees . . . . . . Ea. $12.50
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¢ Bradford Flowering Pears . . . . . 7-8 Ft. Ea. $20.00
¢ 1-Gal. Purple Flowering Leaf Plum ... .. Ea. $1.99
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COME BY RED BARN ... SHOP.AND SAVE!
‘Gassing Up’ On The Job
day,” Barnes said. “I think the
economy is good and people are
not as concerned about gasoline
issues.”
Even if the fuel price in
creases continue for several
months, Barnes said he still
thinks larger vehicle sales will
likely continue.
RATES UP
Federal Exgress said it had
increased rates by three percent.
Officials at two local pizza
restaurants, Papa John’s and
Domino’s, said tfieir drivers are
beginning to feel the squeeze of
the rising gasoline prices.
“I don’t think lphave visited
one store that I supervise that
drivers haven’t been voicing
their concern about these rising
prices,” said Jeff Murr, district
manafier of Papa John's, Sum
merville. He said driver’s tips are
also being affected by rising
gasoline grices. Drivers have in
icated that customers might be
spending less on gratuities be
cause they're spending more
money at gasoline pumps.
LOCAL DISTRIBUTORS
Terry McCollum, a longtime
employee with Bagle{ Distribu
tors Inc., Summerville, said his
comgany unfortunately acts as
the “bad middleman” in passing
the gasoline J)n'ce increases on to
retailers and ultimately the con
sumer.
“No one likes this increase,”
McCollum said. “And our suppli
ers have told us that it is lfi(elly
that the gasoline prices will
reach the $2 mark before it’s
over,” he said. He, too, attributed
the dramatic and rapid increases
to action by OPEC.
WINTERS’ FIRM
Joyce Allen, a bookkeeper
with Bankson Oil Distributors,
Summerville, said Ronnie Win
ters’ company also is finding it
self in the middle of OPEC’s
moves. Winters was out of town
Wednesday.
“When the invoices f’ou re
ceive in accounts payable have
doubled in fewer than two
months, it’s alarming because
you have to pass those increases
on to your customers,” she said.
Ms. Allen also commented
ona larie protest this past week
in Washington D.C. by truck
drivers who are angry about the
increased prices.
delivery employees are feeling the pressure
of lost income from %aying more at the
gasoline pump. (Staff Photo By D. J. Laan).
“They have to make a living
with their trucks and when the
fuel prices go up too much, you
have a lot of angry folks,” she
said.
PROTEST
Indelp))endent truckers drove
their big rigs through
Washington’s streets to Capitol
Hill last week to protest the in
creased price of diesel fuel. They
demanded a tax break to offset
the increased operating costs.
More than 200 truckers joined
the convoy which included two
trucks from Georgia, the Na
tional Truck Association said.
Police escorted the massive
protest as truckers “rode” their
vehicle’s horns from Delaware
and Maryland to the Capitol’s
steps.
EMPLOYEES QUIT?
“If this gasoline lgrice in
crease keeps going up, Domino’s
Pizza will see aIF their drivers
quit,” asserted Denise Cooper
assistant manager of the local
store.
“This is ridiculous — we are
livin]g in the richest nation in the
world and we are getting
gouged,” she said.
Although Domino’s pays its
employees mileage, it does not
compensate drivers for increased
gasoline ogeratini expenses
caused by the price hikes at the
pump.
The whole thing just makes
me disgusted,” she said.
SALES GOOD
Gordon Allen, president of
Allen-Smith Chevrolet, Summer
ville, said most of his customers
haven’t yet commented on the
§asoline increases.
I sold four Suburbans this last
Saturday, which is the top of the
line in Chevrolet’s big cars,” he
said. “None of the customers
buyins the large vehicle was con
cerned about gasoline prices. The
19-foot-long vehicle has a 44-gal
lon tank.
It cost Suburban owners
$45.92 for a fill-up on Feb. 1,
1999 (at $1.04 per gallon).
20 PERCENT
It would cost the sports util
ity vehicle owner $57.20 to fill it
with regular gasoline at $1.30 per
gallon. That’s almost 20 percent
or $11.28 more this year tfian last
year _Ffir fill-up.
rou§hout Geo?ia, auto
mobile dealers are holding about
an 81-day supply of vehicles as
compared to a 71-day supply in
Februar{. 1999, stated American
Motor Club statistics. With deal
ers havin%a larger inventory of
cars, a reduction in the sale of
bigger vehicles or SUVs might
cause economic problems if the
gasoline increases continue and
consumers decide to buy vehicles
with more miles per galf:)n, some
officials said.
TECHNOLOGY
Allen said computer tech
nology and advances in gasoline
engineerinfi have moved mod
ern-day vehicles into a new era
as compared to cars and trucks
in the 19705, when the last ma
jor gasoline crunch hit the United
States.
“Many of today’s larger ve
hicles afiet between 20 to 30 miles
per gallon on the road,” he said.
Chevrolet’s 2000 Impala is a
larPe car and gets around 30
miles per gallon. The 1970 s Im
pala only got about 12 miles a
gallon.”
SMALL CARS
Allen said smaller cars usu
ally post good gasoline mileage
ratings.
“We have a Chevy Metro
that }hets almost 50 miles per gal
lon,” he said “and I'll bet if these
gasoline prices rise much more as
18 predicted, our inventory will
get low on these hifiher-rated
gasoline-engine vehicles.”
Several businesses that use
de_livex vehicles have already
raised their prices to compensate
for the increased fuel prices.
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Staff photo by D. J. Laan
GASOLINE PRICES SOARING
Golden Gallon Regular $1.29 In Summerville
SAVE? SAVE: SAVE!
*x PLUS %«
FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
GET AN ADDITIONAL -
STOREWIDE
anp up ro 30% orr
ON SELECTED ITEMS
12 MONTHS - SAME AS
CASH WITH |
NO DOWN PAYMENT!!!
T e e A R S OT S
These Savings Are On Brand-Name Furniture Such As: PULASKI, JAMISON,
RIVERSIDE, UNIVERSAL, VAUGHN, BENCHCRAFT, FRANKLIN, CRAFTMAS
TER, and Many Others. Save On SOFAS, RECLINERS, DINING ROOM,
DINETTES, LIVING ROOM, BEDROOM, LAMPS, TABLES . . . Everything!
NOTHING HELD BACK... .
YOU MAY NEVER SEE ANOTHER OFFER
LIKE THIS AGAIN:!
ot || N .
| ffi@tfi'fi | == I
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* tte E_—_qu % l -
| U. 5.27 NORTH - LAFAYETTE, GEORGIA - (706) 638-5700
Coverdell Rips
Cut In Funds
President Clinton has pro
posed cutting Georgia's trans
rortation money by 545-million
n his fiscal {’ear 2000-2001bud
gs; said U.S. Senator Paul
erdell, R-Atlanta.
The federal fiscal g'ear will
start Oct. 1 and end Sept. 30,
2001.
“I am extremely concerned
that President Clinton would
submit a budget that risks so
many important Georgia trans-
Egrtation é)rojects," Sen.
verdell said this week.
YOUR VALUE DEALER
FOR THIS AREA . ..
e NEW CARS * NEW TRUCKS * NEW VANS
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e USED CARS AND TRUCKS
“Celebrating Our 50th Year of Service”
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Chattooia County would
not be directly affected by the
Proposed cuts, according to in
ormation provided _lg the Geor
gia Department of Transporta
tion (DOT). One project in Floyd
County and four in Bartow Coun
ties would be eliminated, the
DOT indicated.
“The pro{ected $45-million
cut . . . would be taken from
Geo:-‘gia priorities and used in
stead to increase Amtrak subsi
dies and for new spending pro
grams,” Sen. Coverdell added.