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PAGE 2-The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C. t Thursday, December 14,1972 Nnuberrij 1101 Boyce Street, Newberry, South Carolina 29108 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY 0. F. Armfield, Jr., Owner Second-Class Postage Paid at Newberry, South Carolina SUBSCRIPTION RATES: S3.00 per year in advance; six months, $2.00. Letter to Editor “WE THE PEOPLE” The City of Newberry and Newberry County belong to its citizens, but we, the people, have had no vote in the million dollar Nance Street project. This project is soon to become a reality at the expense of the taxpayers. Nance Street Property own ers who opposed this senseless four lane highway worked with undaunted courage down to their last efforts to save its citizens from this burdening debt which is bound to come. The City of Newberry will be engulfed in a debt which will fall on the heads of the next generation. Our petitions failed—Why? Mayor Clarence Shealy stated publically to a WIS TV news reporter that a petition had been presented to the City Council bearing 750 names but in order to petition for a re ferendum the petition must have 1700 names of Newberry pro perty owners. Courageous tax paying citizens immediately set to work and in no time had more than Mayor Shealy’s required number of signatures. What be came of that petition? No one seems to be able to locate it. Anyway, City Manager Riebe, Mayor Shealy, and the “Yes” members of the City Council saw to it that no referendum would be. Therefore, the citi zens of Newberry were denied the right to vote on one of the biggest, if not the biggest pro jects ever undertaken by New berry. Any project involving as much money as this needed to have been the concern of all the citizens of Newberry. If— and I say if the large amount of money the city will have to produce for this highway by way of part payment on right of way purchases and re-locat ing utility poles, etc.,—if—this money were applied for our badly needed hospital it would be a start on a much needed community project. I would like to take this op portunity to thank Councilman Cecil Kinard and Councilman Claude Partain for their “Nay” votes against the Nance Street project. In appreciation of their efforts these two considerate and honest thinking citizens were awarded an outstanding vote by Newberry citizens when each were candidates for re- election. After reading a recent public letter written by Rev. Gaulden, I was interested in his reasons for the defeat of the ill-fated school bond issue. At the time we voted on the school bond is sue I was a teacher in the Newberry Schools. The teachers administrators, and many won derful parents worked “after hours” to get the school bond issue passed—but, the bill was defeated—many have said that the Nance Street project help ed defeat this worthwhile issue. At this point I would like to As replacement costs for property destroyed by fire or any other reason continue to rise, under insurance becomes a serious problem. Usually a property owner blames his agent instead of him self in the event of an uninsured loss. That's why we caution our customers period ically that rising replacement costs require addi tional insurance protection. Call us. “YOUR PRIVATE BANKERS” 1418 Main Street Phone 276-1422 say again what I have previous ly said concerning the dangers of a four lane highway to our school children. The children living northwest, west and south of the highway will have to cross this highway in order to reach Boundary, Speers, and the Newberry High School. Chil dren from the central, east and northeast of Newberry will have to cross the highway in order to get to Gall man Junior High. Let us pray that such accidents and deaths which have taken place on the Aiken By-pass will not happen here in Newberry. Yes parents of Aiken, S. C., protested to the State Highway Department but that was too late after two chil dren were killed. I can happen here especially with the road right up to one’s front door step. I know I have painted a dark picture, yet I hope our Newberry mothers will take a long look at this hazard. Progress—no, this road is not a sign of progress—it is a sign of destruction. The destruction of our homes, our property, trees, shrubs and flowers for which most of us worked and saved to own. Some houses will be completely tom away while others will have their front porches torn away with their front door opening on the high way. I trust that this will never happen to those who wished this terrible thing on us and that the value of their property will never be lessened. Because of such a senseless project. Every property owner along the entire highway route would have agreed to the widening Nance Street, such as was done for Johnstone Street but a four lane highway seems so uncall ed for. If it were to be a landscaped and grass planted Boulevard to beautify Newberry that would be a different story also, but do you know what the proposed road is to be? It is to be two lane down the middle. Drive paved lanes on each side with a dirty, trash catching gravel lane down the middle. Drive from Joanna to Clinton and You will see what I mean. This sort of road is what we are getting— and, the gravel median will always be an eye sore. Nance Street is not your an swer, Gentlemen. Nance is not a crowded street, even with the high school traffic. With our competant traffic directors, the street is cleared of the high school traffic within 12 to 15 minutes. I cannot close this letter with out mentioning the fact that so many property owners feel that they have been dealt unfairly with in the payment they are receiving for their property. Some bare lots are being paid more than residential and church property and some are being paid more for their back yards than we are receiving for our frontyards. Too bad that Newberry will loose some of its beautification reputation on the strength of this ugly highway down one of its residential streets. Its “Best Jail in the State” reputation is a loser too. Worse still Newberry will be in debt so deep that one day we will wake up to find our nice little town dead broke. Then I can say to you—“I told you so.” Juanita Hitt 1809 Nance St. Newberry, S. C. YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY In a recent announcement re garding the amendments to the Social Security Act, additional information was promised by J. C. Bagwell. Manager of the Greenwood Social Security Dis trict Office. This is the first of several articles on the ma jor changes, and concerns wi dow’s and widower’s benefits. An entitled widow or widow er who does not draw social security benefits until age 65 will receive 100 percent of the primary insurance amount of the deceased if the deceased did not draw reduced social se curity benefits before death. Also, the reduction amount for the widow or widower who draws at age 50 to 60 is a bit different and will result in a small increase in this age group. When a deceased spouse was receiving reduced benefits at death, the widow’s or widower’s benefit will depend on their age and also on the amount the deceased was drawing at death. The entitled widower former ly could not receive benefits un til age 62. Now he may receive at age 60, the same as a widow. Widows now in benefit status who began receiving at age 65 will get an increase in their January check, due February 3, 1973. Some widows who start ed receiving benefits before age 65 will also get an increase, but generally less than 100 per cent of the husband’s benefit. If you are already receiving widow’s benefits the adjustment will be made automatically. You do not need to contact the District Office. If you are a widow age 60 or over getting checks only on your own wage record and you have never filed as a widow, it is possible you may now be eligible for a high er benefit based on your hus band’s wage record. These wi dows should check with the So cial Security Office. 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