The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, July 15, 1971, Image 1
‘Blind’ man
Vol. 35—No. 12
Newberry, S. C. 29108, Thursday, July 15, 1971
$3 PER YEAR
NATIONAL PRESIDENT VISITS—Ar
turo Carrion, of Puerto Rico, president of
the National Exchange Club, was guest
and featured speaker' when Exchangites
from the upper state gathered at Kauf-
mann Hall of Newberry College Tuesday
night. Howard Cook, 3rd from left, Dis
trict Director of Exchange, welcomes Mr.
Carrion to the city. From left are Newber
ry club vice president George W. Summer,
Immediate past National President Robert
G. (Bobby) Scarborough of Charleston,
Cook, Carrion, and Jack Wilson, member
of the Pendleton Exchange Club, who
served as master of ceremonies.
(Sunphoto)
City council votes increase
for out-of-town customers
is rosarian
BY ELOISE RAMSEY
To the majority of folks in
Whitmire July 1st was just
another day in our lives but to
one of our citizens it was a
red letter day—a date that will
long be remembered; for it was
on that July Thursday that Mr.
Claude Eugene Singley became
a member of the All American
Rose Society.
Now Whitmire is blessed with
several successful rose growers
and of these we are justly proud
but Mr. Singley is a bit unique
in his pursuit of this hobby.
What makes him different?
Well, Mr. Singley is a victim
of near total blindness.
On April 9th, 1965 Mr. Sing
ley was forced to give up his
job in the weave room of the
local J. P. Stevens plant where
he had been employed since
August 1936. Industrial Blind
ness was the name given as the
cause of job termination.
We had heard of Mr. Sing-
ley’s hobby and how, although
handicapped, he was to become
a member of the A.A.R.S. so
on a recent Saturday a friend
and I visited him and spent a
delightful afternoon discussing
not only the cultivation of roses
but a variety of other topics.
When we arrived Mr. Sing
ley had just finished mopping
his kitchen and a clean, fresh
smell greeted us as we entered
his neat as a pin home. It is a
compact little house where he
lives all alone and does his own
housework.
In the course of the after
noon we learned many interest
ing facts about this amazing,
amateur gardener.
Mr. Singley was born in 1918
in the Bush River Community
of Newberry County and the
place of his birth has given
him the nickname by which he
is known to the majority of
his Whitmire friends. It seems
City council Tuesday night
accepted recommendations of a
study committee and raised wa
ter and sewer rates to custo
mers outside the city limits of
Newberry.
The Uitlity Study Committee,
chaired by Councilman C. A.
Dufofrd, Sr. recommended that
outside residential and commer
cial consumers be charged 100
percent above consumers liv
ing within the corporate limits
of the city. Minimum billing
charge was set at $6.00 per
month instead of the present
$4.50.
The committee recommended
a minimum billing for sewer
service charge at 100 percent
of the water bill, or $6.0 Oper
of the water bill, or $6.00 per
month. This applies to custo
mers using city water. For
those using the city sewer but
not water a service fee of
$108.00 per year had been ini
tiated with that am >ayable
in advance.
The committee also recom
mended that effective imme
diately all customers request
ing new water or sewer service
be required to purchase elec
tricity from the city if the city
deems that selling electricity to
the customer is economically
feasible.
Incorporated in the resolution
was the discontinuance of cus
tomer deposits for utilities. In
lieu the owner or agent of the
property being sreviced will
sign a formal contract assum
ing full responsibility for all
utility cahrges not paid by oc
cupant and providing that un
paid bills will constitute a lien
against the property.
Councilman L. D. Gardner
suggested that further study be
given to the recommendation
and action be taken at the next
meeting.
Councilman Dufford explain
ed that the recommendation was
to be effective on Sept. 1 and
if action was not taken, he
doubted if the city could set
up bookkeeping procedures by
that time.
Councilman C .D. Coleman
said that the fee of $108.00 seem
ed high and was afraid it would
work a hardship on people in
financial strain. He questioned
the purpose in making the fee
payable in advance.
City Manager K. W. Riebe
said that when the customer was
served with both water and
sewer, water service could be
easily terminated for non-pay
ment, but cutting off sewer ser
vice was another undertaking.
He stated that only a few cus
tomers were served with sewer
service only. He stated that the
city had experienced difficulty
in collecting from several of
the customers.
Councilman Coleman moved
the adoption of the resolution.
All members of council voted
for passage except Councilman
Cecil Kinard who voted against
the measure.
Mayor .C A. Shealy, Jr. pre
sented certificates to three city
employees during the meeting.
Alvin Jackson received a cer
tificate for participation in a
workshop on motor vehicle ma-
nagment; Edward H. Shealy,
certificates for completion of
courses in waste treatment
plant operations and for trainee
permit for wastewater treat
ment plant operation; and
Danny W. Cook for completion
of courses of instruction in
wastewater treatment plant ope
rations.
In other business council
heard first reading of a pro
posed ordinance to provide for
showing of family type movies
in the city limits on Sunday
nights after 8:30. The body had
previously allowed movies to be
shown during afternoon hours
on Sunday.
Accepted a bid of $1,440 for
purchase of an arc welder. This
item had been budgeted at $1,-
050, according to the city ma
nager.
Heard first reading of pro
posed ordinance to annex three
acres located on Kinard Street
owned by Newberry Convale
scent Center, Inc. The city
(Continued on Page 6)
Academy building
drive underway
At a meeting held at New
berry Academy on Thursday,
July 1, for tne purpose of dis
cussing building plans, the pa
rents attending voted unani
mously to begin a building fund
campaign. Mr. Jack Davis, Dr.
Thomas Riggin, Parent’s Coun
cil chairman, Mr. Franklin Swy-
gert, and Mr. Herbert Baucom,
Headmaster, will compose a
steering committee to formu
late plans for the campaign.
It was agreed that the drive
will begin immediately and that
each family in the Academy
will pay a share of the amount
to be raised. The campaign
got off to a good staid with a
substantial amount pledged by
the Board of Directors and by
individual families during the
meeting.
The building will be erected
on the Academy’s Smith Road
site. Work is already in pro
gress with the clearing of the
lot and the foundation complet
ed.
The patrons of Newberry Aca
demy welcome the interest of
the community and solicit their
help in efforts to further qua
lity education in Newberry
County. Anyone interested in
contributing to this campaign
may do so by sending a con
tribution to Newberry Academy
Building Fund, Newberry Aca
demy. All contributions are tax
deductible.
Named chairman
planning group
C. D. (Pete) Coleman of New
berry was elected chairman of
the Central Midlands Planning
Council at a meeting last Thurs
day in Columbia. He had served
previously as vice chairman.
The council is made up of 26
members representing New
berry, Richland, Fairfield and
Lexington counties.
Other members from New
berry County on the council are
C. E. Hendrix and Ollie Moye.
Babb on carrier
USS MIDWAY - Navy Sea
man Randall J. Babb, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Carson M. Babb
of Route 1, is now deployed to
the Western Pacific aboard the
attack aircraft carrier USS
Midway for duty with the U.S.
Seventh Fleet.
(Continued on Page 6)
WHO’S THE GARDENER—This healthy tomato plant
with two large tomatoes was found growing, of all places
at the corner of Boyce and Nance streets, in the sidewalk
next to city hall. Knowing that a number of city employ
ees are avid gardeners, could it be that some one is trying
to tell them it isn’t such a big thing to grow large toma
toes? (Sunphoto)