Time capsule

As reported 38 years ago in The Columbia News, Feb. 3, 1966.

Four Evans youths die

Grief engulfed two families and the residents of Columbia County Tuesday morning as rescue workers pulled four young boys from the ice-coated waters of a small pond about one-half mile off Old Evans Road.

Three of the boys were brothers and identified as Paul Anderson, 16; Bobby Anderson, 15; and Michael Anderson, 13. The fourth boy was Richard Myers, 13. All were from Evans.

The boys had left home after lunch to play and failed to return home that night. One of the boys' father, on a tip from a his sons' friend that the four had left home with a wooden box to play on the ice-covered pond, investigated and spotted a cap belonging to one of his sons beneath the ice.

The Sheriff's Department, the Martinez Volunteer Fire Department and other volunteers rushed to the scene to begin search operations. When Fire Department Chief Hartwell Morris pulled the first body from the water W.H. Anderson, the Anderson boys' father, cried out, "Oh my God, that's Mike."

Skid marks on the ice lead officials to believe that the boys were playing on the ice when the tragedy occurred.

Tax digest jumps

Columbia County has received the figures set up by the state in the county's Gross Tax Digest for 1966. This figure was derived at under the uniform ratio of assessments for all counties in the state, using 40 percent of the total 100 percent value for locally assessed property.

In a letter to the county officials the State Revenue Commissioner stated, "This is to inform you that 40 percent of the total 100 percent value for locally assessed property as set forth in the State Auditor's Study of Property Valuations, 1965 for Columbia County is $21,792,800. This is what your Gross Digest for 1966 should be."

Under the present 25 percent assessment, the county's assessments have been

$10,598,291, which means that the tax assessors must come up with $11,194,609 before the state will approve the digest.

Basketball tournament

Dame fortune smiled on one member school of Columbia County's two entrants in the Chronicle-Herald CSRA Basketball Tournament as Harlem's boys and girls continued to win in tournament play.

As fate would have it, the pairings pitted county rivals in the Harlem-Evans girls game Monday night, with the Harlem lasses coming away 50-42 victors.

Leading the way for the Harlem girls were Carolyn Rutherford with 24 points and Brenda Holliman with 18.

Pam Miller led the Evans scorers with 22 points.

The same night saw the Evans boys eliminated from tournament action when they lost a heart-breaker to Hephzibah, 65-60.

Harlem's Bulldogs added victory number two Tuesday night as they smashed Glascock County 73-63. This win puts Harlem in the quarter-finals tonight as they tangle with highly favored Aquinas.

Band boosters barbecue

The Evans-Martinez Band Boosters Club will sponsor a barbecue supper Saturday, Feb. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Evans School Cafetorium.

A spokesman for the group noted that due to the price of pork the club has decided to prepare barbecue chicken with the usual menu of rice, hash, potato salad, etc. The meal will be prepared by Mrs. Jeff Brown.

An added feature of the evening will be a basketball game between the Evans Knights and the Thomson Bulldogs.

It was noted that the band was in bad need of more equipment and music. The spokesman said, "Our band has a reputation as one of the finest band in the entire area, and we would not want their progress hindered by lack of equipment. Our band needs all the help it can get."

Proceeds from this project will also be used to pay on the loan for the uniforms.