Scott County Times from Forest, Mississippi • Page 5

The Scott County Times, Wednesday, April 4, 1990 1 Paott SA Williamson Chatter for Youth by Anita Webb 4-H Program Assistant Education and Basic Forestry. The age requirement is 6 to 18 years, and each child under 16 years of age must have an adult accompanying them. Each child 16 years of age and older must have a valid fishing license. Each participant must furnish their own fishing equipment and bait. Prizes will be awarded for (1) Largest Fish, (2) Smallest Fish Caught, and (3) Most Fish, for Each Age Division.

Only one prize will be awarded per person per age division. For more information or to sign up to participate, call Anita Webb, Scott It's time to take a kid fishing! The Scott County 4-H Extension Service and the U.S. Forestry Service will be hosting a "Take A Kid Fishing Day" on April 21, at Marathon Lake. The program will be as follows: Registration 8:00 a. m.

9:30 a.m.; Water Safety Rules Regulations followed by Fishing techniques; Fishing Tournament, 9:35 12 noon; Lunch (bring a sack lunch), 12 noon; Weigh in Fish. Earth Day Events to begin at 12:30 until about 1:30. Awards and Prizes given at 1:45. Earth Day events include Nature Walk, History of Marathon, Aquatic 469-4961. Please call to pre-register by April 19.

Several Scott County 4-Hers will have art work to compete at Mississippi State in the Mississippi Energy Extension NEED Contest. Local 4-Hers include: Cassandra McCarter, Becky Measells, Bob Christina Holifield, Cole Pope, Jessi Pope, Stephanie Black, and Natalie Black. Keep up the good work Scott County 4-Hers! Mississippi State University does not discriminate on basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap, or veteran's status. (Continued (mm Page t) and misconduct. Judge Williamson was an aggressive Distrcit Attorney, organizing and obtaining funding for the East Mississippi Narcotise Unit, which resulted in record indictments and convictions of drug traffickers in this district.

Judge Williamson tried more cases to jury verdict than any other District Attorney in the State of Mississippi during his tenure and achieved a conviction rate in excess of 95 percent. As a civil trial lawyer and criminal defense lawyer, Judge Williamson was very successful. As a civil trial lawyer, he has won jury trials in State Courts over the State of Mississippi obtaining, what were at the time, record verdicts for his clients in various State and Federal Courts. Judge Williamson continued to be active and successful as a trial lawyer until he gave up his practice of law in July, 1987 to become Judge of this district. Judge Williamson further commented in his announcement: "When my opponent resigned over under my administration.

"I have great respect for the office I seek, the people's office of Circuit Judge. Decisions respecting service in the office of Circuit Judge should be made with maturity, and commitment. My view of and commitment to this office is the same today as it was when I first sought it in 1986., Throughout his career, Judge Williamson has been involved in leadership roles in the legal profession. Prior to becoming Circuit Judge Williamson served on the Worker's Compensation Legislative Committee of the Mississippi State Bar Association. Judge Williamson served two terms on the Board of Governors of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association and was serving a term as the elected State Treasurer of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association when he first ran for the office of Circuit Judge in 1986.

By appointment of the State Supreme Court, Judge Williamson currently serves on the Mississippi State Bar Association Complaint Tribunal, presiding over matters involving lawyer discipline a year after the Federal Court enjoined the elections, I remained steadfast in my decision to serve as Circuit Judge. I sought and obtained the appointment; then Gloria, our families, and I went through two years of on-again, off-again elections. Then, only last April, with the election finally opened, you elected me to serve the remainder of this term. After four years of election campaigns, and my record of service as your Circuit Judge, I feel that I have earned your continued trust and ask for a full term in the upcoming election. "I now seek your vote of confidence.

Gloria and I will campaign for my reelection in an honest and open campaign run in conformity with the Canons of Judicial ethics. I will campaign by my continued conscientious and dilegent service as your Circuit Judge in the Courtrooms of this district and by fair and impartial treatment to all. On the basis of that service, I ask for your vote in the democratic primary on June 5, 1990." county t-n program Assistant, at Molpus issues statement on lottery push Secretary of State Dick Molpus last terms, getting 7,500 signatures meant percentage as low as 1 Dercent. whirh it would be today under the old Mississippi provision, Molpus noted. The national averge is 8 percent.

"I would favor a Mississippi initiative amendment that required the national average, or 8 percent of the total vote in the most recent governor's election, to place an issue on the ballot," Molpus said. Today, that would seem about 57,000 signatures. "Then initiative takes its proper place," he said. "It does not become a tool to be manipulated by special interest and fringe groups, but it becomes a weapon of the people when they are not heard by their Legislature takes steps with restraint law getting 14-18 percent of the number who usually voted in state general elections. Today, 7,500 voters represents just over 1 percent of Mississippians who voted in the 1987 general election.

"Clearly, what was a reasonable re-quirememt 75 years ago is too small today," Molpus said. Seventeen states allow the initiative for constitutional amendments. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia allow it for legislation. Another 27 states allow referendum, which gives the people the opportunity to repeal laws already passed by the Legislature. In none of these instances is the TIME TO THINK SPRING -lomato Plants- law, showed safety belt usage of only 17.4 percent in the state.

Safety belt usage in Mississippi was one of the lowest rates in the nation and less than one-thrid of the 55 percent rate for Florida, which had a mandatory law. Roy Thigpen, director of the Division of Public Safety Planning, pointed out that New York, Illinois and Michigan experienced an average reduction of 28.2 percent in fatalities and injuries the first year following adoption of safety belt laws. Based on that figure, combined with Mississippi's fatalities (722) and injures (25,867) during 1988, the new law-should reduce fatalities by approximately 200 and injuries by approximately 7,300 during the first 12 months with an economic savings of approximately $164 million. Another 1989 survey conducted by the Occupant Protection Research Project revealed that only 13.4 percent of children under the age of five were in child restraint devices or wearing safety belts in Mississippi. The national average was 82 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"During 1989, 13 children under five were killed and 722 injured in Mississippi motor vehicle accidents," Thigpen said. "We feel that the amended child restraint law will result in greater use of restraint devices and fewer deaths and injuries to our small children." Correctly used, child restraint seats reduce fatalities by an estimated 71 percent and injuries that require hospitalization by an estimated 67 percent, according to the Occupant Protection Research Profect. 11 Varieties. Inspected by Division ofPlant Industry HP BOOKS HOW TO SELECT, GROW AND ENJOY ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, HERBS PLUS MORE. week expressed concern about potentially serious problems that could arise from an initiative-referendum law now headed for the courts.

"I support initiative and I support referendum," said Molpus, noting his opposition is based on the small number of signatures required to place an issue on the ballot. "In this lawsuit, there is potential for short-term gain, but there is also the potential for long-term harm," he said. Mississippi's initiative-referendum amendment, written by the Legislature in 1914 and approved by the people in 1915, allowed 7,500 registered voters to place a constitutional amendment or legislation on the ballot. However, in 1922 the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down initiative and referendum. Molpus made his remarks about that law after he rejected a petition of 7,500 signatures requesting that a constitutional amendment favoring a state lottery be placed on the ballot this November.

"I have no choice but to reject this petition on legal grounds," said Molpus, citing the 1922 Supreme Court action. But Molpus said his opposition to the present initiative-referendum amendment goes beyond its legality: "I am concerned that such a low threshold of signatures would harm the very people initiative is designed to help the average citizens. "The process would be open to abuse by those groups who could get just 7,500 signatures and raise huge sums of money for slick media campaigns to write advantages for themselves into law. The losers would be the average citizens working people, parents of schoolchildren, the elderly whose voices would be muted by the big money barrage." However, Molpus said he could support a state initiative-referendum amendment that required a larger number of petition signatures. In 1914 ASK US ABOUT PATIO GARDENING Scon Central School 4 Students attend Senior Day held on East Central campus March 29 Magnolia Pol Planis Hanging Baskets WUau Whit St.

i box 103 Fornt. MS 480-3300 Hon. thro Sat. VEGETABLES HERBS Annuals Perennials FLOWERS Annuals Perennials TREES SHRUBS Most All Plants Plants Shrubs Are Grown In Mississippi The safety belt and amended child restraint laws are two steps taken by Gov. Ray Mabus and the Mississippi Legislature this year to ensure safer highways.

A multi-agency campaign called "Live with the Law" will educate Mississippians about these new laws. "This educational effort will emphasize the effectiveness of safety belt usage," Commissioner of Public Safety Louisa 0. Dixon said. "If these new laws are known by the public, fewer deaths and injuries will occur on Mississippi highways. This means economic savings for the taxpayers." The safety belt law, which went into effect March 20.

requires that the operator and front-seat passenger of any vehicle designed to carry 10 or fewer passengers buckle up. Mississippi's child restraint law of 1983 requires that any child under the age of two in a motor vehicle must be transported in an approved restraint device or system. This year's amendment, effective July 1, increases the maximum fine of violators from $10 to $25 and broadens the law to make it apply to any driver who transports a child under the age of two. The 1983 law applied only to a parent or legal guardian. The public education campaign is a combined effort of the Department of Public Safety, Highway Department, Department of Education, Department of Health, State Tax Commission, University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Occupant Protection Research Project and Public Safety's Division of Public Safety Planning; The campaign, releases, televison and radio public service announcements, newspaper fillers, signs on all major highways leading into the state notifying motorists that Mississippi has a safety belt law, cards with information on the laws and proper use of safety belts and child seats that will be mailed with car tags and renewal notices, and posters that will be distributed to the state's 1,260 motor vehicle inspection stations and Mississippi Highway Partol substations.

"It is necessary that state agencies pull together on this project in order to reach these goals," Dixon said. Studies have shown that proper use of safety belts reduces the risk of serious injury by 40 to 55 percent. "When we reduce injuries, we reduce taxpayer costs for law inforce-ment officers, emergency medical personnel, hospitals, worker compensation claims, Social Security and survivor benefits, and rehabilitation costs," Dixon said. A survey conducted by the USM Occupant Protection Research Project during 1989, when Mississippi was among 16 states without a safety belt Over 700 area high school students attended Senior Day activities held March 29 on the East Central Community College campus in Decatur, according to Dr. Phil Sutphin, dean of students.

Registration began around 9 a.m. followed by various forms of entertainment which were presented in Huff Auditorium. With the colege's Jazz Band and Conehatta Blues Connection performing, a slide show given featuring color photos of seniors representing each school in the five-county district. i An assembly program followed with participants including Dr. Eddie M.

Smith, college president; Dr. Sutphin; Hal Land, student body president; ECCC basketball cheerleaders and "Academic Probation," a rock 'n' roll group which won the college's spring semester talent show. Campus tours were later provided and the visiting seniors were able to visit various departments and meet with academic, technical and vocational instructors. The college provided an outdoor cookout with hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream sundaes being served on the East Mall. Following the cookout, the "Collegians," East Central's vocal-' instrumental pop group, provided entertainment during a concert held in Huff Auditorium.

After the Collegians' performance, tryouts were held for cheerleader and athletic teams. Member Mississippi Nursery Association. PLANTS FOR RENT. SEE US FOR YOUR LANDSCAPENEEDS. Time's Running Short 5 HP TILLERS Reg.

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