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WEATHER (Week of Dec. 12-17) Hitfh: 67 Low: 18 (Dec. 13) (Dec. 15-16) Rainfall: .03 in. (Dec. 14) %\)t Clinton Chronicle Vol. 70 — No. 50 Clinton, S. C., Thursday, December 19, 1968 INDEX Classified (> Deaths N Editorials 10 Hospital New^ x Society 2 Sports 7 GINGER CROCKER AND COLLIE LEKN ... In Scene From 1967 Pageant (Photo By William M. Shields) Annual Christmas Pageant The young people of the First Presbyterian Church will again reenact the ever-new Christmas story in colorful pageantry for four nights before Christmas. Under the direction of Dick Swetenburg, a rustic stable to house the “holy family”, and a twenty foot high scafolding for the angelic choir will lie construct ed. Special lighting for the entire scene will be installed by Tarry Bolick and Marion I lers. The abundant greenery for the entire scene is again provided by Death Copeland. The costuming for all the 20 to 30 participants in the pageant is under the direction of Mrs. Thomas Dollis. Mrs.Callie Gault will supervise the make up department. The Saturday nightperfnrm- ance from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. under the direction of Billy Glenn and Mrs. Tony Benson, will lie pre sented by the young people in the Junior high Youth Fellowship. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings the Senior high Youth Fellowship will provide the actors for the entire production, and will work under the direct ion of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Benja min. Ttie hours for the perform ances will vary each evening: Sunday it will begin at 6:00 and continue until 8:00; on Monday it will begin at 7:00 and continue till 9:00; and on Tuesday, Christ mas Eve, the pageant will begin at 6:00 and conclude just liefore 8:00 when the annual Christmas Eve Candle Light Service begins in the Sanctuary. The animals used in the scene are provided i by Ernest Patterson and James Addison. This annual event is one of the i high points in the activitiesofthe young people of the First Presby-; terian Church. Local Churches Plan Christmas Programs Sunday First Baptist The Junior Youth Choir and Adult Choir will present the Christmas cantata The Radiant Christ”, by Noble Cain, at the Sunday morning service, Dec. 22, at First Baptist Church. On Tuesday evening, Dec. 24, a program of Christmas carols and Scripture lesson will be led by Bruce Galloway. The 7:30 p.m. service on Tuesday will take the place of the regular Wednesday evening prayer ser vice. The public is invited to all services at the church. 1st Presbyterian The Adult Choir of the First Presbyterian Church in Clinton will present a cantata, “Rejoice, Earth and 1 eaven,' by Dietrich Buxtehude this Sunday morning at the 11 o’clock worship service. Buxtehude is an important sev enteenth-century composer whose works were greatly ad mired by Johann Sebastian Back. A Chamber orchestra and organ will accompany the twenty-one voice choir. The prelude will be a 1 andel sonata for violins and organ. Two Bach chorales arranged for trumpets and organ will be heard for the postlude. Violinists will be Mrs. Oliver Webber and Mrs. James Phillips of Spartanburg; cellist is Mr. I ans Schmettau of Spartanburg; trumpetists will be Mr. Thomas Bishop, Spartanburg and Mr. Ro bert Powell, Clinton; timpanist will be Mr. James Adair, Clinton. Organist-director is Mr. Charles T. Gaines. CAROL, Cl'APEL Cl OIRS The Carol and Chapel Choirs of the First Presbyterian Church will present “Lo, a Star" by Ro bert Graham, a Christmas Can tata for children’s voicesonSun- day, December 22nd at 5 p.m. The public is invited. Joanna Chruch Presents Cantata Sunday Evening The cantata “The Manger King" will be presented by the adult choir of Joanna Baptist Church Sunday, Dec. 22. The program will start at 6:30 p.m. It will feature solos, duets, quartets, women’s and men’s choruses from the 20-voice church choir. The adult choir is directed by Harry Bouknightwith Mrs. Carson Nabors at the piano. The score is based in part on familiar Christmas carols and hymns. Christmas Eve Service Slated The annual Christmas Eve ser vice at the First Presbyterian Church willbe heldTuesday, Dec. 24, at 8 p.m. in the church sanc tuary. A service of lessons and carols has been arranged. Following a candlelight pro cession by the four choirs of the church, Mr. Alfred L. Bix- ler, minister, will lead the con gregation in prayers and then will read selected scripture pas sages pertaining to the Christmas story. During the service, the Carol, Chapel, Youth, and Adult Choirs will sing Christmas mu sic, and the congregation will join in the singing of carols. Following the “FallelujahCho rus" from Messiah, the congre gation will participate in the tra ditional Service of Lights, a beau tiful service during which every one present lights his candle, and holds it high while singing “Si lent Night". Miss Nancy Jones will be the flutist on one anthem. Music by the Adult Choir has been selected from Handel’s “Messiah.” Mrs. Gloria Wysor is director of the Carol and Chapel Choirs. Mr. Charles T. Gaines isOrgan- ist and director of the Youth and Adult Choirs. The public is invited to attend the service. Mayor: City Can Afford Proposed New City Hall Azalea Dept., House Gutted By Blaze The furniture pmductiun de partment uf Azalea Mobile Homes and a nearby frame house suf fered extensive damage Tuesday, Dec. 10, in a wind-swept fire of unknown origin. The fire was reported about 2 p.m. It gutted the furniture pro duction building and the rear por tion fell in. The front part of the building was saved. Wind apparently swept the flames onto a residential build ing nearby and it was described as a total loss, according to a spokesman for the Clinton Fire Department. Two trucks from the Clinton volunteer department answered the calls. The first truck was engaged m fighting the fire at Azalea Mobile Domes on South Livingston Street when the near by house also caught fire. The second truck was called to fight the house fire but efforts were unsuccessful None of the other buildings at the mobile home plant were dam aged, according to the Fire De partment spokesman. One of the trucks was on stand by at the scene until about 6 p.m. Courthouse Closes The offices in the Laurens County Courthouse will be closed Dec. 24 - 25 - 26 for the Christmas holidays. Clinton Mayor Harry Layton told Clinton Rotarians Tuesday that the city can easily afford the proposed new city hall with out an increase in property taxes. Discuss ng the $500,000 pro ject planned for a lot owned by the city on North Broad Street, Layton said the city already has approximately half f the neces sary funds, accumulated in a building fund over the years from the city's share of revenue from the Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas Authority. He said council proposes to have a general obligation bond issue of about $250,000 to fi nance the remainder of the pro ject. Layton said these bonds could be retired from revenue from the Gas authority. The mayor said, "We could retire them m five years, with ease. However, our current plans are to market the bonds for a 10- year issue, with a provision that they can be called, without pre mium, at any time within 10 years. He said, "We won't have to use all of the city 's revenue from the Gas Authority to retire these bonds. We have been putting the full amount into the building fund but in the future, that won't be necessary.' City Clerk and Treasurer Brooks Owens explained, Last year, we received $117,000 from the Gas Authority. We expect those revenues to remain stable or increase. The revenue could approach $120,000 or $130,000 within the next year or so. Un less there's some major catas trophe, we should be able to ap ply $30,000 to $40,000 of this revenue toward other needed pro jects, in addition to the city hall financing. ,. - . ■■vr ... ... Owens also explained that the city would receive a more fa vorable interest rate on 10-year 1 bonds than it would on bonds of \ shorter duration. ■ Owens said that over$16,000 in Hospital Rate ' Increase Set \ Effective Jan. 1, there will be ! a $2 per day increase in the room ‘daily service charge at Bailey jMemorial Hospital The hospital's board of trus tees took the action at a recent meeting. The increase will mean that semi-private rooms will range from $21 to $26 and pri vate rooms will be $31 to $32. Hospital Administrator Fred Crawford said, “Even with the in crease, we Ye still in line with other area hospitals. This in crease was necessary to meet the increased cost of operation. The minimum wage goes up again in February, from $1.15 an hour to $1.30 and the cost ofevery- thing else also keeps creeping upward.'' architects fees already have been paid. He said the city has a total of $220,907.40 in its building fund. He also said that after the first of February, the city will have a general bonded endebtedness f about $54,000. lie said, "1 don t know of but two other towns n South Caro lina that have a general obliga tion debt that D w. Discussing the need for ttie building, Owens pointed out that the state is tightening down -n requirements Dr jail facilities. He said, “Our jad was approved on its last inspection but itdidn t pass with flying colors. And the day may not be far off when we will not be allowed to operate with a volunteer fire department any longer. After a town reaches a certam size, this affects n- surance rates. Mayor Layton said, "Clinton has an excellent image through out the state. This proposed building is in keeping with that image. It s colonial style, in keeping with the architecture at Presbyterian College, some buildings at Thornwell and at Whitten Village. The bond issue would have to be approved m a municipal re ferendum. A majority of the free holders (property owners) in the city limits must sign a petition requesting the referendum. All registered voters residingwithin the city limits will be eligible to vote in the referendum. MAYOR LAYTON Fireworks Must Carry State's Approval Mark Only fireworks labeled “Com mon Fireworks' arepermissable in South Carolina, Laurens County Sheriff Eugene Johnson said this week. He said his deputies are check ing fireworks stands in the county in an effort to eliminate any con traband fireworks. The 1962 S.C. Code of Laws spells out the law pertaining to fireworks, listing the explosive power allowable in various types of fireworks. Concerning firecrackers, the law says the external dimen sions must not exceed one and one-half inches in length and one-quarter inch in diameter and may not exceed two grams each in weight. Permissible fireworks must be certified as “Common Fire works” on all shipping cases and by printing on the fireworks. It is unlawful (1) To offer for sale or to sell permissible fireworks to children under the age of 14 years unless accompanied by a parent; (2) To explode or ignite fire works within 600 feet of any church, hospital, asylum or pub lic school; (2) To explode or ignite fire works within 75 feet of where fireworks are stored, sold or offered for sale; (4) To ignite or discharge any permissible fireworks within or throw the same from any motor vehicle; and (5) To place or throw any ig nited fireworks into or at any motor vehicle. Clinton Lions To Host Rally PC Holidays Begin Friday Christmas holidays for Pres byterian College students are scheduled to begin officially this Friday, after the final examina tion of the fall semester. The 25-day vacation period will end next January 13. That day, students will complete registra tion for the second semester of the 1968-69 session and will be ready for the regular class schedule to start the next day. Classwork then will continue un interrupted until the spring holi days, set for March 7-17. Lions Clubs of District 32-A Lions International will hold their Third Annual Mid-Winter Rally at Presbyterian College in Clinton on Saturday, January 18, 1969. Approximately 500 Lions and their ladies from over the Dis trict are expected to attend. International Director James D. Foster of Falls River, Wis- Chronide To Publish Early Next Week The Chronicle will be published for distribution on Tuesday, Chnstmas Eve, next week. It will have a special section devoted to Christ mas stories plus Christmas messages and notes of appreciation from Clinton-Joanna merchants. Deadline for advertisements will be noon, Satur day, Dee. 21. Deadline for news articles and pictures will be 10 a.m., Monday morning, Dec. 23. , ,. -i-: i . ■ " V ■ k ' 5 5 ’ ' * c". ..D: w# •>>: 120,000 GIFT — A $20,000 gift to ward Presbyterian College’s proposed new physical eduation center is made by J. Austin Dilbeck of Atlanta, shown at left presenting his check to C. W. Anderson, chairman of the Laurens County campaign raising funds for the center. PC President Marc C. Weersing looks on with ob vious approval. Dilbeck, board chair man of the Georgia Casualty and Surety Company, is the newly elected chairman of the PC board of visitors. His gift to the physical education center is credited through the Geor gia Synod campign, which now has raised $981,674 for Presbyterian Col lege, even as the South Carolina Sy nod moves forward with its minimum $2 million drive. consin, will be the featured speaker at a banquet in Green ville Dining Fall at the close of the Rally. The local Lions Club will serve as host to the Rally. Rembert Truluck, past District Governor and a past President of the Clin ton club is serving as General Chairman. District 32-A is made up of 54 Lions clubs in upper South Carolina, with a total member ship of 2730. The District is divided into 4 Areas and 8 Zones. Clinton is in Area C, Zone 6 which is the geographical cen ter of the District. W. B. “Bo” Etters of Spartan burg is District Governor; John B. Armstrong of Fickory Tav ern is Deputy District Governor; and Robert Armstrong of Lau rens is serving as Zone chair man. The rally will get underway with a social hour at 5 p.m. Special music and special en tertainment for the event will be furnished by student groups from Presbyterian College. According to Chairman Tru luck, response thus far indicates this will be the largest rally ever held in the District. * * * Water Damage Caused In Fire Water damage resulted Mon day afternoon in a fire in the Jacobs Building on East Caro lina Ave. A fire reportedly started in one ofthe rooms of Shields Photo graphy Studio, setting off a sec tion of the building's sprinkler system. The sprinkler system quickly doused the fire but it took about 20 minutes to cut off the sprink ler system. Shields said be suffered very little loss of Christmas orders. School Holiday Laurens County School District 56 students began their Christ mas holidays Wednesday, at the end of the regular school day. They will report back to school on Jan. 2.