Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 18

4B August 18, 1981 TUESDAY THE CLARION-LEDGER Group of Pearl businessmen pushing for beer sale vote shoppers away from Pearl stores. criteria for beer sales. By MARDY FONES Board of Aldermen let the resolution go that in the six months following the introduction of beer sales, the county seat's share of sales tax revenues has increased by an average of $3,000 per month compared to revenues for the same six-month period in the previous year. Although tills is the first beer referendum in Rankin County's largest city, voters in November narrowly defeated a referendum to permit the sale of liquor and wine. A special election for beer sales may be held every five years under state law, A liquor and wine special election may be held every two years.

Galloway says he personally opposes beer sales in the city, but that he will get behind a pre-election ordinance proposal for beer regulation, similiar to one adopted by the previous Brandon Board of Aldermen. Brandon's beer ordinance, adopted about six weeks before the city's December beer election and slightly modified after the issue was passed, established Under the Brandon ordinance, beer cannot be sold by drive-through businesses; beer may not be consumed on convenience store premises; convenience stores must have 50 percent of their total sales in food to sell beer, no beer may be sold to people who are intoxicated, insane or younger than 18; businesses selling beer must have state and city liquor licenses; and beer can only be sold at stores in commercial areas. "A husband asks his wife to pick him up a couple of six-packs, so the housewife just goes a few blocks further to Brandon and buys beer and groceries," McDonough said. Most Pearl residents are within a 10-minute drive of convenience stores on Lakeland Drive in Jackson that sell beer. Despite the availability of beer in other muncipalities, Pearl Mayor Vaughn Galloway says he doesn't believe beer sales in Pearl would do much to boost revenues.

"Beer isn't going to pave streets," Galloway said. "I just don't think it will bring enough business into Pearl to make a difference." The previous administration cut 27 percent from the city's budget in March because of shrinking sales tax revenues and inflation. But sales tax tallies from nearby Brandon show a different story. Brandon City Clerk Stan Wood said flat, refusing to vote on the issue. McDonough says his group hopes to be able to ask the Board of Aldermen to call the city's first beer sales election within 30 to 45 days.

The special election would need a simple majority of those casting ballots to pass. McDonough said he's prepared for a barrage of anti-beer-sale sentiment, but he doesn't plan to take it to heart. "I just can't get too ashamed of wanting to buy a cold Coors beer," McDonough quipped. "Some people just think everything is bad." McDonough said that without beer sales, Pearl businessmen would be in an uphill battle against stores in neighboring Brandon, where the brew is sold. "You can drive up to Brandon now and see the difference (in sales)," McDonough said.

Some businessmen maintain that the recent opening of the Crossgates Village Shopping Center on U.S. 80 between Brandon and Pearl is pulling Clarion Uicr Slaff ntrr The bwr bug is back in Rankin County-Less than a year after beer sales started ringing up on cash registers in Brandon grocery stores and restaurants, a group of Pearl businessmen is busy gath-eruig the 1,400 signatures necessary to hold a similar special election in Pearl. John McDonough, a Pearl real estate broker who is serving as chairman of the informal group gathering the signatures, says the response, so far, has been good. "We've had the petitions out for about a week in eight or nine grocery stores and restaurants," McDonough said. McDonough presented a resolution to the former Pearl Board of Aldermen on behalf of the Pearl Chamber of Commerce in May asking the city fathers to call a special election on the question of allowing the sale of beer in the city.

With their eyes on re-election, the previous Group gets grant for National Public Radio process, Mrs. Young said one was con By LYNN WATKINS Mrs. Young said the group originally ducted that indicated strong community support for a National Public Radio station in the area. A National Public Radio station broadcasts from Senatobia but covers only a limited area, Jennings said. The group's application to operate the station was filed with the Federal Communications Commission in January 1981, Mrs.

Young said. Local funding sources include two grants from Communications Improvement Inc. Trust, formed to hold money from the dissolution of Communications Improvement a non-profit group that held the license for WLBT-Channel 3 in Jackson until the FCC awarded the license to the current owner, TV-3 Inc. Miller estimated Community Improvements' contribution will amount to between $500,000 and $1 million. Millsaps College also donated office space for the venture.

CHUCK CAKPBELL JEWELERS Formerly employed by Douj Simpia Jewelers 20S N. Pearl 3S5-1032 NOW OPEN requested $82,000 from the corporation. "We had hoped to be on the air by the end of this year, but because federal funds were frozen, we were delayed," Mrs. Young said. The grant money is to be used during a 25-month start-up period covering construction and initial broadcast, Mrs.

Young said. The Maxwell Group was formed in 1979 for the express purpose of setting up a public radio station in the Jackson area. The group does not plan to depend on continued federal funding but hopes community support will help pay the station's operating costs when the federal funds run out, Mrs. Young said. "We want to be broader-based.

We're not just rock, we're not just gospel, we're that and more," Mrs. Young said. "And if the community is paying for it, maybe they'll be more closely allied to it." Although a community survey was not required during the federal licensure tlarion-Lfdgrr Staff Writer A private, non-profit group hopes to add a National Public Radio station to Jackson's list of cultural attractions by late next year. The J.C. Maxwell Broadcasting Group recently was awarded a 175,000 grant by the national Corporation for Public Broadcasting to establish the non-commercial FM station, which will transmit from the Tougaloo College Campus, according to Aurelia N.

Young, the Maxwell Group president. In addition to locally produced material, the station will air National Public Radio programs, concert music, operas and drama, children's programs, and news and public affairs shows. Covering a 90-mile radius, the station will broadcast on the 90.1 FM frequency, project director Ralph Jennings said. Once established, the station's annual operating budget will be about $150,000, Treasurer Don Miller said. TUESDAY ONLY! 1 P.M.

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7 You say your house is like an oven? You say you're tired of those high electric bills CALL NOW 856-2700 All, from page IB cipline approaches are successful, Robinson said. As expected, the board also adopted two policies placing stricter control on consulting work by school district employees and keeping closer track of consultants hired by the district. Forten-berry recommended the changes following board suggestions last spring that he take steps to put tighter controls over consulting work in the district. The policy governing the district's employees limits them to 12 days of consulting work annually and requires them to get approval from their supervisor and the superintendent before accepting consultant work. Records of consultant work being done by district employees will be kept in Fortenberry's office.

The second policy requires Forten-berry to keep records on all individuals or companies hired to do consulting work with the district. In another matter, the board accepted Fortenberry's recommendation that the district develop an alternative to requiring students to purchase workbooks and other instructional materials at school. amount to IBM's low bid for a new system still makes that bid lower than others from three computer firms, including Honeywell. The district uses the computer to keep enrollment and staff information, handle finances and purchasing and keep track of class scheduling and student grades. No decision has been made on what to do with the Honeywell computer the district is already using.

The board also voted to reject bids for the renovation of Barr Elementary School, 1593 W. Capitol and readver-tise the project. The low bid on the project was $869,869, some $200,000 more than the funds available for the renovation, which is being done to allow the building to be used as a school once again. It has served as an administrative of ice for several years. Peggy Brewer, a teacher at Marshall Elementary School, was approved as principal of the school.

Fortenberry said principal A. C. Owens unexpectedly turned in his resignation last week. School officials said Owens received a job offer in a field other than education. Board attorney Richard Dortch said several lawsuits have been filed across the state challenging requirements by districts that students purchase some school materials.

"There is a problem in terms of the legal requirement that the district provide a free public education," Dortch said. "There's a distinct possibility" that such a suit would be filed against the Jackson Public Schools if they did not provide some alternative to students besides purchasing of school materials, he said. Dortch said the district has not developed a specific plan to deal with the problem. The board's action gives For-tenberry authority to develop a plan for addressing the situation; The board also accepted Fortenberry's recommendation that the district purchase a new $870,000 computer system from IBM despite an ongoing computer contract with Honeywell Inc. Fortenberry said that the Honeywell system no longer meets the needs of the district.

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