Kingsport News from Kingsport, Tennessee • Page 8

Drive Pending For City School Buses i i Unless city-county school unification is on the way by next fall, the Klngsport committee for school buses will launch a public campaign to obtain school bus service Inside the city, members said in a report last week. The committee said "it appears that the only way to obtain buses Is by working through the general public and not through the school system or PTA." The committee said It had hoped to find out parents' opinions on the school bus idea by holding a poll this year through the cihools, but the school board wouldn't permit It. PTA groups had agreed to sponsor the poll, asking families to give their opinions about school bus service, the number of children per family, distance to school, method of transportation now being used, whether or not free buses would be used If provided, benefits of the service to the family and the family's opinion about tax increases to support bus service. The committee said the school board had turiKd down the Idea of the opinion survey, terming the answers "predictable." The board "felt that any Information pertinent to busing Is obtainable through enrollment cards and other records and the questionnaire proposed would be superfluous," the report said. Next fall, the committee said, it will take its case to the people through a city-wide information program on its efforts to obtain school buses.

A city-wide survey on busing Is also planned, with the League of Women Voters as sponsors. The group said the poll Idea was rejected in March, at a meeting attended by Forrest president of Dickson PTA; Mrs. Howard Earies, president of John Sevler PTA; Mack Moore, PTA Council president; Vaughn Chambers, John Sevler principal; Mrs. Nancy Smith, Dickson principal; Dr. Fritz Overa, Dobyns-Bennett principal; John Faust, school board chairman; Dr.

Ralph Evans, school superintendent; Jo Ann Edwards and Susan Arapakos, League of Women Voters and bus committee representatives. At the meeting, they said, Faust told them the school board members "like the idea of having-bus transportation, but have always had priorities when requesting additional funds from the city. Higher teacher salaries, improved curriculum and public kindergartens." Faust also stated that the "cost for the first year borne entirely by the city would be prohibitive," the committee said. board has not tried to figure the cost on a pro-fated basis, only giving a figure of over for the first year," said the committee. "Our figures are for the 10-year- perlod." The committee said the board also "does not feel that the city government or the citizens would approve a tax Increase for school buses since the School Board favors other improvements.

"They believe that people with low Incomes live close enough to their elementary schools to walk and would not benefit as much from free buses as higher income residents who can afford to make transportation arrangements." 2 IN CITY NAMED TO COUNTY GROUP Two Kingsporters were among those appointed to the Sullivan County Historical Commission recently. Mrs. Fred Alken, 509 Green Meadow president of the Rocky Mount Historical Association, and Kermlt Lady, 1118 WUcox Klngsport Association, were both appointed by the Sullivan County Court. Dr. W.

K. Vance, a retired physician of Bristol, Term, and a member of the Historical Committee of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, was also appointed to the commission. Previously appointed members of this Commission are- Mrs. Hal T. Spoden, chairman of the group, Kingsport; Mrs Joseph Caldwell, Blountville; John Dcnton, Island Road near Blountville; C.

E. Donaldson, Bristol; William F. Freehoff, Klngsport (who recently resigned); Harry Garrett, Kingsport; and Mary Perry, Sullivan County near Bristol. The group has been preparing a list of historical sites in Sullivan County to be considered for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and on the Tennessee Register of Historic Places. INTERSTATE'HIGHWAYS t-li-12 ETWO DCVELOfED iON A OR nseo rofl fros COMING ALONG Interstate Highway 81 has moved up another big notch state planning.

This latest chart from the Tennessee Department of Highways shows the stretch through Sullivan County now in the "construction under way" phase with the target date for completion in late 1973. Throughout the state 159 miles of interstate is now under construction with a total of 783 miles now open to traffic, according to the highway department Too Poor To Pay Fine? Court Has New System ByBRADJOLLY Times-News Staff Writer Visitors to City Court during the last couple of weeks may have been puzzled at the sight of convicted public drunks and reckless drivers answering questions about their incomes, appliances, and number of dependents while the court clerk.notes their answers on a mimeographed questionnaire. Fallowing some of the question sessions another procedure you don't see on "Perry Mason" is taken. The offenders are asked by Judge Carr Hagan when they expect a windfall that will enable them to pay their fines and in some cases payment schedules are worked out. The questionnaire, which was composed by Judge Hagan and City Attorney William Weber, is called an "affidavit of indigency" and its purpose is to determine if a man is able to pay his fine.

Hagan said Weber have adopted the form to comply. withU.S. Supreme Court decisions against giving jail terms to those who can't pay fines. He said he knows of no other municipal court outside of Nashville that uses such a procedure. There are 17 questions on the form which include: How are you supported; When you expect to get a job; How much money do you have (cash, at home, in the bank, savings, credit union, others); Do you own your own home; What's it worth; Total owed on mortgage; Do you own any automobiles; Do you own a TV, stereo, air conditioner; and, My total debt payments per week are The waiver, which indicates a man would rather serve time than make payments is included at the bottom of the page- "I understand my right not to be imprisoned to work off my fine, if based on the above the Court finds that I do not have the means to pay a fine imposed against me.

I want to waive this right and I understand the consequences of this waiver may mean that I will have to work off any fine levied against me at the rate of $5 per day in the City of Kingsport Workhouse. 1 understand and know what I am doing. No promises or threats have been made to me and no pressure of any kind has been used against me." Judge Hagan said he and Weber patterned the questionnaire after one used in courts in Nashville. He said his City Court and the Nashville Metropolitan courts are attempting to comply with an order from the judge of the U.S. District Court for the middle district of Tennessee which meets in the state capital.

That order was the result of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion "that takes the position that it is unconstitutional to imprison an indigent because he can't pay a fine," he said. Judge Hagan said he found out about the order "by word of mouth" and has received no memo from the state Attorney General's office regarding new methods of dealing with indigents. He said he assumes that other municipal court judges throughout the state are as yet unnotified of the order and, as far as he knows, Kingsport may be the only city other than Nashville using such a questionnaire. Bristol Municipal Court Judge James Hamrick said no questionnaire is used in his court and no real attempt is made to determine if a defendant is indigent.

Indigents are jailed in Bristol, but the situation is a bit different from Kingsport. Bristol passed a city ordinance which allows Hamrick to give jail sentences up to 90 days. Those convicted do not work off their fines; they're given sentences instead of fines. Mrs. Gene Conger, recorder of City Court in Johnson City, said Judge Eugene Christian doesn't attempt to determine if defendants are indigent but often gives grace periods on fines if a man says he's broke.

She said some ck serve time. Hagan and Weber are in effect anticipating the results of court orders. The judge said the Federal District Court order from Nashville' was "not as persuasive" as a directive from the Tennessee Supreme 'but it's all we have (o go on until our Tennessee Supreme Court speaks." If nothing else, the questionnaire is establishing that many City Court customers own no TV or air conditioner and have income or cash. Several men have answered "no" or "none" to each question. They seemed surprised to find they are not prosperous enough to go to jail.

School Union To Be Aired Thomas M. Divine, a member of the State Board of Education, will speak to the Kingsport Citizens Advisory Committee Thursday night on "Consolidation of City and County Schools," James H. Walker of the city's professional planning staff has announced. The meeting, to be held at 7:30 p.m., in the City Hall council room, is open to the public. It was Divine who first proposed four years ago, while he was Kingsport vice mayor, that the city begin thinking about the possibility of some day consolidating Kingsport's school system with that of Sullivan County.

A concrete proposal that the county survey the possibility was made by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen this year, after the complications of operating a separate school system were found to affect the city's tentative plans for annexing fringe areas. The proposal is still under study by the county. It is opposed by the Kingsport PTA Council. Divine, a retired Tennessee Eastman Company public relations director, was elected to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in 1967 after years of service as a member of the Kingsport Planning Commission and president of Holston Valley Community Hospital. A former teacher in a Chattanooga prep school, he has been a member of the State Board of Education for many years and was appointed to a new nine-year term on the board last year by Gov.

Winfield Dunn. You Drink Don't Walk (Especially On A Highway) By LINDA GREGORY Times-News Staff Writer The fourth and final meeting of this month's defensive driving class was marked by a struggle between instructor, Jack Alvis, and an ancient film projector for control of the film. After claiming a decisive victory over the projector, Alvis began the class by showing an informative film on one-car collisions, entitled "The Mystery Crash" (so called because there's usually no one left to tell what happened after the crash). The film depicted several different one-car crashes in which much metal and glass was crunched and thrown over the highway. Several dummies were also seen being thrown from side to side in the vehicles as well as on to the highway.

Wearing your seat belt was stressed in the event of such a crash especially if yoji're In the back seat. "Don't you be a back seat dummy!" said the film as one of the mannequins washurled from the rear of a car into a tree. Alvis then conducted a review of six conditions which can cause an accident such as bad weather. He also held a short discussion on driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol warning against their effects on the driver's awareness. During the second half of the class Alvis lectured on the traffic hazards created by pedestrians, railroad trains, and bicycles.

During the discussion of accidents involving pedestrians, Alvis said that many of these victims were intoxicated. "Which shows that drinking and walking don't mix," quipped Alvis. After showing a second film and summarizing previous material, Alvis handed out the long awaited "diplomas" for the course. Twenty-four class members earned their certificates of completion for the defensive driving course. LINE Action Line solves problems, gets answers and cuts red tape.

Write to Action Line at the Kingsport Times-News, Kingsport, Tenn. There is never any charge. Q. I am getting married and will be living In Jacksonville, N. C.

this summer. I will lack several hours to finish high school and need to find an accredited school. My high school will let me do this but the high school in Jacksonville is not accredited. Can you help me? D. Kingsport.

A. You'll have to do some driving but there are two nearby schools accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. New Bern High School, Trent Park, New Bern, N. C. is 39 miles from Jacksonville and Adkin Senior High School in Kinston, N.

C. is ilmiles away. Q. I am a widow and need to earn some extra money. I read some advertising in magazines for different companies asking for people to do addressing and mailing envelopes for them.

Do you know if these things are on the level? Can you give me names of any good companies like this that will supplement my income? R. Rogersville A. Most are out to get your income, rather than supplement it. Action Line doesn't have names of any companies that are reliable In this area or business. Many of these companies are asking for a $5 or and they return a list of companies you might apply to that might possibly employ you.

Some are selling books on how to start a business at home. And a few just take your money and don't send you anything. DID YOU KNOW -You can get high by inhaling hair spray, nail polish remover or insecticides. The perils of this are covered in the free booklet "Volatile Substances Some Questions and Answers" 7700-043. You may order it by writing the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.

C. 20402. Sports, Civic Events In March Rec Program March was a busy month for the Department of Recreation, according to W. C. McHorris, Director of Parks and Recreation.

Special events at the Civic Auditorium for March included the Junior Achievement Trade Fair, a Bridal Fair, a Gospel Sing, two Symphony Orchestra programs in cooperation with the Bristol ballet group, a Holston auto banquet, the Ketron High School Prom, and a Church of God all-day program. Numerous parties and showers, as well as bridge classes, and several business meetings were conducted in the club rooms while the main auditorium was used for special events. The John Sevier Recreation Center is going full steam, said McHorris, with the boys gym being used four nights per week and the girls gym being used three to four nights or days a week. The Sevier Center presently has a trirnnastics class, a Tops Club, a Sevier Day Care Center for kindergarten and nursery children, an arts and crafts program and a Senior Citizens group. "Two shuffleboard courts have been painted in the hallway and repairs are underway for the roof in the auditorium which will allow country music shows to be held there," said McHorris.

MeHorris said plans are also being made for a drama class along with a regular crafts program for men with power tools. An estimated 13,136 people attended i events during March at the Teen Center, Sprankle Gym, RossN. Robinson Gyms, and Sevier Recreation Center. Safety Group To Hear Talk Terry Temple, Regional Manager of Welsh Manufacturing Company will be guest speaker at the Kingsport Safety Council meeting this Thursday. Temple will present a program on "Respiratory Protection." The meeting, which will begin at noon, will be held at the Elks Club on Highway 81.

III HI Venereal Disease: 6 Too Much Apathy' By BRAD JOLLY Times-News Staff Writer "Tonight's subject is one of those things everybody usually just whispers about," J. B. Keith, president of Sullivan Central High School's Parents-Teachers-Students Association, told an audience of about 40 persons, including about 10 students, who attended the group's educational session on venereal disease. Representing the Health Department was Mrs. Dianne Smith, a former Central student, who said, never thought I'd come back to discuss VD in front of my old and introduced a film, "VD: Every 30 seconds." The film, which is soon to be purchased by the Washington County Health Department, is aimed at the young and begins with a scene stowing a teenage couple walking on a beach at sunset.

Other scenes include patients exhibiting VD-caused deformities such as rashes and limps and doctors discussing the "VD epidemic." According to the film, syphilis is the more deadly of the two common American varieties of VD and can cause brain damage, paralysis, blindness and heart trouble. A common symptom of syphilis is the chancre, a sore which appears on the body of the male shortly after sexual contact, usually at the Rabies Clinics Start May 1 Sullivan County, cited by the State Health Department as a rabies danger point this spring, will begin 'public vaccination fcllnics for pels on May 1, Dr. J. W. Erwin, Bounty health director said today.

The state has warned that rabies in sTtunks is becoming a "serious public health problem" centered almost entirely In the Upper East Tennessee area. So far 58 rablrt skunks liave been reported from this area including Greene, Hawkins and Sujlivan Counties. In 1971, only three positive heads were reported for the year in Sullivan County. Already this year there have been 17 positive heads reported: 13 skunks, 1 cow, 1 groundhog, 1 sheep and 1 fox. Most of these have been found in the vicinity of Weaver Pike, the health department said.

An estimated 20,000 dogs live in Sullivan County. Last year over 14,000 dogs and cats were vaccinated. "It is hoped that this year the total will exceed 14,000 because of the seriousness of the rabies problem in Sullivan County," Dr. Erwin said. "Tennessee state requires that all dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies.

The County Board of Health Regulations requires that dogs, cats and other household pets be vaccinated against rabies. The law and regulations require that all dogs, cats, and pets will wear at all times a collar or liarncss to which will be attached an identification tag of vaccination for the current year." Officials have blamed the outbreak of rabies on an overpopulation of skunks and it is in no way connected (o fox rabies problem. Skunks are especially dangerous because they normally live closer to human dwellings than do foxes. Also the skunk virus can be up to 1000 times greater than the virus from rabid foxes. "The threat of human exposure through wild animals cannot easily be eliminated as vaccination of these animals is impossible.

However, the greatest rabies danger to humaas is indirect, through nets which have been bitten by rabid skunks or other wild rabid animals," Dr. Erwin added. point of contact. Chancres may disappear within two to three weeks, but additional symptoms, such as loss of hair or skin blotches, may crop up in males within four to eight weeks after contact. These symptoms may also disappear.

Gonorrhea also is more easily detected in men. The male often feels a burning sensation while urinating two to eight days after infection. According to the film, 80 per cent of the women with gonorrhea don't know they have it. It can cause sterility in both sexes. "Don't try medicine recommended by a friend," a doctor says near the film's end.

"You may choose to see your family doctor. In many states he's not required to notify your parents. And tell him where you got infected it's the only decent thing to do." The doctor also said venereal disease cannot be transmitted via toilet seats, doorknobs, because the germs can't survive without "warm human tissue." Following the film a panel composed of Mrs. Smith, Central High Principal Kenneth Goff, and Dr. Elmer Greene, a Bristol physician and school board member, answered the audience's questions.

Mrs. Smith said 19 cases of venereal disease were reported in Sullivan County in January through March, compared to 81 cases in 1071. Dr. Greene said the statistics sliow only reported cases and that many private physicians don't report cases treated even though this is against state law. "But we probably don't have as many cases in Sullivan County as places where there are a lot of servicemen, transients, or young people," Greene said.

A.Central student said she fell that "the kids" weren't mainly at fault but that the problem was "mainly concerned with prostitution." She suggested that legalized prostitution might bring about more preyentative medical examinations. "Not th'dt we're innocent," she said. Qoff said blaming the problem on prostitution has been a major cause of the epidemic. "A prostitute could be infected by her first customer after examination," Dr. Greene said, "you would have to examine them after each contact to be effective." "Why couldn't blood tests to made of all students in county schools," a mother in the audience asked.

"You can't just give anyone a blood test," Goff said. Dr. Greene said although a "sexual revolution" has caused the VD epidemic, "We're still in the dark ages concerning some things. Many parents would object to teaching about VD, particularly in junior high school." A teacher mentioned another teacher in the county who taught a health class without mentioning venereal disease. "We don't need that type of teacher," Dr.

Greene said, "kids today want facts." Dr. Greene said he examined junior and senior high textbooks used in county health classes and said the information on venereal disease in them is adequate, "if it is taught." He also said sex education teaching in Tennessee is governed by a two-year-old law which "focused on films and slides some people found offensive. The lawmakers wanted to avoid the showing of explicit films lo first and second graders." Dr. Greene said he did not approve of "scare tactics" in VD education and said a man in the film who couldn't remember his name was "a rare case." A man in the audience had one question: "There's nothing to fear if you're not promiscuous, right?" And school board chairman Nat Barnes said the school board "has always felt the health classes could take care of any health problems." "This meeting had a lot of publicity," Goff said as the program ended, "and it's very evident from the attendance that there's a great deal of apathy. Where are the other 2,000 parents?" STUDENT LEADERS Three Kingsport youths are the new student leaders at East Tennessee State University.

Don Bivins, right, son of Howard Bivins, 1552 Highpoint Avenue, is president elect of the United Student Body Ward Huddleston, left, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ward Huddleston, 1016 Whipporwill Lane, is vice-president elect. The new secretary is Madolyn Freeman, center, daughter of Mrs. Marjorie Freeman, Rt.

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