Time capsule

As reported 33 years ago in The Columbia News and The Martinez-Evans Times, Aug. 10, 1977:

Visit to Braves

Mr. and Mrs. Lee Bagwell and their children, Jimmy and Lee Borum and Laura Lynn Bagwell, attended two Braves games in Atlanta. Mrs. Bagwell brought home a prized souvenir: A ball fouled off the bat of Biff Pocoroba.

Porn law rejected

The Columbia County Planning Commission voted down a proposed zoning ordinance regulating adult businesses in the county, and instead recommended enforcing existing laws regarding pornography.

The proposed ordinance would have restricted adult businesses to areas zoned for commercial use and prohibited their location within 600 feet of the property line of certain businesses.

Commissioners reprimanded

The Martinez-Evans Citizens League voted Monday night to draw up a resolution stating the league's disapproval of the manner in which the Board of Commissioners has called meetings lately. Three commissioners were present when the vote was taken at the league's regular meeting.

The League's resolution is a reaction to the manner of calling the impromptu meeting at which the tax mill rate was set. The meeting followed the adjournment of a scheduled commission meeting. Despite the fact that the commissioners had stated that no discussion of the tax mill rate would be held, after reporters and other members of the audience had departed, commissioners reconvened for this purpose.

Tax vote called

Columbia County commissioners voted to purchase water from the city of Augusta and turned down a tax increase for 1978.

The decision to buy water was made in an effort to buy time for the county's water treatment facilities. These facilities are inadequate for current demands and must be expanded by 1980, according to the state water control board.