Newspaper Page Text
i. 9 Million Cans Os Beer Sold!
Perry’s annual booze report indicates folks
are consuming slightly less whiskey and wine
than they did a year ago, but they’re drinking
a lot more beer.
Statistics released Tuesday by Mayor
James McKinley for the period March 1, 1977
through Feb. 28,1978, show that city beer tax
amounted to $115,825.
Total beer revenue for the same period
during the previous annual period amounted
to $107,920.
Revenue for liquor during the latest period
was $23,394, down slightly from the $23,524
collected during the previous annual report.
OUR 108TH YEAR NO. 13
“Wild West Territory”
Amusement Park
Coming To Perry
Plans to build a
regional amusement
park in Perry were an
nounced last week by
Wild West Territory Inc.
The plans were
disclosed during the
regular March meeting of
the Perry Hotel-Motel
Tax Advisory Com
mission.
Commission Secretary
Tony Edmondson stated
in the minutes of the
meeting held March 21,
that "A representative
from Wild West
Territory, Inc. was
City Officials React
To Emergency Room
Reaction came swiftly
this week on the an
nouncement that the
Perry Hospital
emergency room would
close down effective April
7.
Mayor James
McKinley told The Home
Journal, "I am very
disappointed in the an
nouncement and I think it
is tragic."
McKinley further
stated, "For many years
the Perry Hospital has
rendered an invaluable
service in the area of
health care for the
citizens of Perry and of
the surrounding area.
The E.R. service is a
much needed operation in
view of the expanding
population of our city as
well as the traveling
public who visit our area
and may require
emergency treatment. It
is really a downgrading
of our medical facilities
and I am very concerned
about this decision."
WATSON REACTS
Councilman Draper
Watson stated concerning
the decision, "I find it
very ironic that we read
about two new doctors
coming to Perry one
City Collects $166,771 In Yearly Booze Taxes, Licenses
The Houston Home Journal
present at this meeting
and explained his com
pany's plans for building
a tourist attraction at the
old Safari Campground
location."
The old Safari Cam
pground property is
located near the in
tersection of 1-75 and
Georgia Highway 224.
Edmondson stated the
establishment would be
similar to tourist at
tractions such as Ghost
Town in the Sky and Six
Gun Territory. The
completion date for this
week and the next week
we read that the E.R. will
be closed in Perry. It
greatly disturbs me. It
seems the two new
doctors would be able to
ease the strain on our
current doctors. With two
more doctors, surely our
medical staff would be
able to pull E.R. duty less
often.
Watson further stated,
"It seems we are
upgrading our medical
staff with man power and
we are de grading our
medical facility by losing
our emergency care. As a
rapidly growing com
munity, we have new
families moving in all the
time that do not have a
family physician unfil
there is a serious ac
cident or illness. At that
time they will be told to
go to Warner Robins for
emergency care and that
just isn't right in my
opinion. I am opposed to
the E.R. closing and I will
do all I can to keep it open
in Perry."
CALHOUN RESPONDS
Mayor protem Barbara
Calhoun stated, "I hate to
see the E.R. close
because 1 think it will be a
step down in our overall
Wine revenue also showed a slight down
ward trend, with $4,211 collected during the
current annual report, and revenue of $4,410)
reflected in the previous report.
Fees for alcoholic beverage licenses
collected during the current report period
includes $6,820 for beer licenses, $2,420 for
wine licenses $10,500 for liquor licenses and
$3,600 for licenses to serve mixed drinks.
“The main reason I release this report
every year is to point out to our citizens the
alarming rate of consumption of alcohol
within our city,” McKinley said. “Another
reason is to inform citizens of the amount of
revenue the city collects from the sale of
Georgia’s Number One Weekly Newspaper
project should be in the
spring of 1979."
Edmondson said the
Tourist Group
Opposes Closing
The tourist-convention
committee of the Perry
Area Chamber of
Commerce met in a
special, called meeting
Tuesday afternoon to
medical facilities that we
have to offer the public. I
wish the Hospital
Authority would find
some means of providing
an E.R. staff here in
Perry the way it is done
in Warner Robins. It is a
very serious situation."
BAGGARLY:
"KEEP ITOPEN"
City Councilman Al
Baggarly said, "An awful
lot of hard work goes into
getting a hospital and all
of a sudden we don't have
full facilities. On the
surface, I think it is a
mistake for us to close up
the E.R. for the local
people and for the people
passing through Perry
that believe a facility is
available. I think the
decision is a detrement to
the tourist industry in
particular and the
citizens of Perry. Most
people will have a family
doctor but I think it is a
shame that the E.R. just
won't be available to
everyone. I don't know
what the answer is and I
know it is a losing
proposition to operate an
E.R. but I would surely
be in favor of doing
something to try to keep
it open."
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY GEORGIA, MARCH 30, 1978
commission was
receptive to the idea as to
the promotion of Perry's
hotel and motel industry.
discuss the an
nouncement of the
closing of the Perry
Hospital emergency
room to on-call medical
service effective April 7.
Riley Hunt, chairman
of the committee, told
The Home Journal, "We
realize the hardship the
E.R. is creating on the
doctors in our area, and
we certainly appreciate
the dedicated service
they have provided our
community in this area.
However, we would like
to point out to the
Hospital Authority that
four-fifths of the motels
are located in Perry, and
that 30,000 tourists pass
through our community
daily. Also, most of the
industries in our county
are located near our
hospital, and these
employees represent a
large majority of our
work force."
Hunt said the com
mittee is going to
recommend to the
Hospital Authority that
they hire physicians to
staff the E.R. in Perry on
weekends. He pointed out
this is done in Warner
Robins and that the
committee feels the
Authority should do the
same thing at the Perry
facility.
Hunt further stated,
"We feel justified in our
request for keeping
our E.R. open to the
citizens of our com
munity, as well as to our
overnight guests and we
hope the Houston County
Hospital Authority will
make arrangements to
staff our facility as they
have the Warner Robins
Hospital.”
alcoholic beverages.”
McKinley said the revenue from the sale of
liquor was collected on 29,243 gallons. Based
on Perry’s current population, which is
believed to be about 10,000 McKinley said the
figures would indicate an average con
sumption of 2.9 gallons of liquor for every
person in the city.
The current annual report shows total city
taxes from the sale of beer, wine and liquor as
$143,431, compared to $135,854 during the
same period on the previous report.
Total revenue from the sale of all alcoholic
beverages and licenses on the current report
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Tourist Attraction
This landmark cedar in front of Watson-Hunt
Funeral Home on Main St., believed to be more
than 100 years old, is becoming more and more of
a tourist attraction, according to Draper Watson.
Watson said he has observed a number of
tourists posing for pictures in front of the tree.
Riley Hunt said the tree has been struck by
lightning, and that some of the top limbs had to
be removed.
Perry City Councilman
Booked On DUI Charge
Veteran City Coun
cilman HE. (Gene)
Smith was charged with
"driving under the in
fluence of alcohol" (DUD
on March 15, according to
Perry Police Depf.
records.
According to the
police report, Smith was
arrested at the Perry
Post Office at 5:50 p.m.
on March 15, and was
taken to the police dept,
where he was given an
Spring Fashion Revue Friday
Spring fashion Revue Friday, March 31 at
Holiday Hall, Holiday Inn. Doris Martin will be
the commentator. Tickets on sale at Horace &
Mildred and Leigh Casuals, Tots and Teens,
Dukes Beauty Shop, New Hope Grocery or from
any member of the Progressive Women’s
Society.
intoximeter test.
Records show he
registered a .20 on the
meter and .10 is con
sidered under the in
fluence.
Police Dept, records
also show that the
Councilman has had
previous DUI cases in the
city dating back to 1975.
Smith beat two
challengers to be re
elected to his post on
Council last December.
reflects fees of $166,771, compared to $159,294
collected during the previous annual period.
McKinley said the amount of beer con
sumed in Perry during the latest annual
report was the equivalent of about 1,930,4181
12-ounce cans. He said revenue collected on
wine was from the sale of 2,808 cases.
According to the mayor, 12-ounce cans and
bottles of beer are taxed at the rate of six
cents each. He said the city tax levy on each
barrel or bulk container of beer is $6.
The report indicates that liquor is taxed at
the rate of 80 cents per gallon, and that wine
tax is $1.50 per case.
Emergency
Room Service
Ends April 7
Beginning April 7,
there will no longer be on
call physician service
available at the
emergency room at the
Perry Hospital, ac
cording to an an
nouncement this week by
Dr. Edward Strickland,
chief of the medical staff
of the hospital.
in making the an
nouncement Dr.
Strickland pointed out
that persons who have a
family physician in Perry
will be able to seek
emergency treatment at
the hospital here when
they call their physician
when the emergency
arises. He said that
persons without a Perry
physician to call who
have emergencies must
go to the Warner Robins
Hospital E.R. The
Warner Robins E.R. will
be taking all emergencies
now in the county.
A statement issued by
the Houston County
Hospital Authority this
week stated, in part,
"The Perry medical staff
has unanimously passed
a resolution that effective
Apr. 7, 1978 they will not
be able to provide on-call
emergency service for
the Perry hospital E.R.
In view of these cir
cumstances, the Hospital
Authority has no alter
native but to close the
Perry E.R."
The statement further
reads, "The E.R. service
at the Perry Hospital will
be transferred to Warner
Robins. No on-call
physicians will be
available at the Perry
Hospital for emergency
treatment of patients.
Thi?» action becomes
necessary in view of the
ever increasing work
load on the Perry
physicians in their
private practice and the
burden that is placed
upon them to likewise
fulfill emergency room
on call coverage."
Dr. Strickland told The
Home Journal, "The
medical staff is simply
not physically able to
take care of our own
patients 24 hours a day as
well as cover the
emergency room for
2 SECTIONS 30 PAGES
others. We want to urge
everyone who has an
emergency to call their
" local physician. All other
emergencies will be
taken care of at the
Warner Robins E.R.
where they have a
fulltime E.R. staff on
dufy 24 hours a day. Os
course, the ambulance
service will continue to
operate from Perry just
as it has in the past," he
said.
Discussions between
the Perry medical staff
and the hospital authority
about the E.R.have
apparently been going on
for the past 18 months.
According to the
statement issued by the
authority, the Perry
medical staff offered an
alternative to closing the
E.R. by offering to staff
the E.R. on weekdays if
the authority would hire
outside physicians to
staff the E.R. on
weekends. The authority
stated it was not finan
cially able to staff the
Perry E.R. coupled with
the expense of providing
E.R. facilities at the
Warner Robins Hospital.
The statement further
pointed out the Warner
Robins hospital E.R. is
staffed with qualified
E.R. physicians
providing coverage 24
hours a day, 7 days a
week.
According to Max
Poole, administrator of
the Perry Hospital, the
Perry E.R. is losing
about SI,OOO a week and
that to staff the E.R. with
full time physicians for
weekends only would cost
another $65,000.
Dr. H.E. Weems of
Perry told the Home
Journal, "As far as
patients of Perry
physicians are con
cerned, this closing of the
E.R. will not effect them.
In the event of an
emergency, the patient
will call their physician
and he will make
arrangements for their
treatment just as he has
always done In the past.
All the other emergencies
will just have to be
treated at the Robins
Hospital by the E.R.
medical staff."