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HOME JOURNAL
HIGHLIGHTS
Deaths
Patricia Bailey Brown, Mattie
Pearl Wheeler, Pearl Joyner
Aultman. For a complete list
ing, please see 3A.
HAVE A GREAT DAY
SGT. ROBERT SCOTT!
We hope that you will be
coming home to stay soon.
FIRE HAZARDS
Fire Chief Gary Hamlin gives
tips on how to avoid fire haz
ards during the Christmas
season. For a story, please
566 3A
J ENTERTAINMENT
Get the latest scoop on who’s
hot and who’s not on the en
tertainment page. See Jackie
Cooper's reviews on page
6 A.
INDEX
MARKBLUMEN IB
CALENDAR 3A
CLASSIFIED 6B
DEATH NOTICES 3A
EDITORIALS 4A
POLICE REPORT 2A
REMEMBER WHEN 4A
SPORTS IB
SHERIFF’S REPORT 2A
JIM SHIPLEY 4A
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Commissioners complete training
By BRIAN HITE
Staff Writer
Three members of the Houston
County Board of Commissioners
recently completed a training pro
gram for newly elected officials.
Commissioner Larry Snellgrove,
who was sworn into office in Au
gust, along with full-time chair
elect J. Sherill Stafford and Archie
Thompson, who will be taking
over the seat currently occupied by
Sam Buzzell, took part in the eigh
teen hour mandated course offered
by the Association County Com
missioners of Georgia (ACCG).
The program's purpose is "to pro
vide those elected officials an op
portunity to get first hand, a basic
idea of the requirements for the
coming term".
Hardy chosen
'Man of year'
by Kiwanians
By MIKE PRINCIPATO
Staff Writer
Alton Hardy was chosen Perry's
45th "Man of the Year”, by local
Kiwanians Tuesday, December
11th.
More than 90 members attended
the ceremony held this year at the
New Perry Hotel.
Hardy , a former Perry High
School graduate, was honored for
his more than 50-years of dedicate
service to the community.
Hardy's contributions to Houston
County are extensive. With the ex
ception of one term, he has served
as a Perry City Councilman for
more than 25 years.
Since coming to Perry in 1940,
he has been a driving force for civil
rights in the county and throughout
the state.
Please see HARDY, page 10A
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Journal photo by Mike E. Terry
Decorating the Christmas tree!
Principal Paul Hartman of Tucker Elementary School looks on as second grade students add their
decoration to the school Christmas tree. Hartman cuts the tree every year and students put on the
decoration they make themselves. Master decorators include Lionel Davis, Megan Gibson, Jamacia
Cummings, Mario Hart, Randi Taylor and Patrick Cope.
Thompson related that the course
was very helpful for him.
"We got some good facts while
we were there. Other officials gave
their perspectives and related their
experiences to us so that we may be
more aware of what to expect," he
said.
The newly elected commissioner,
who will take over his new post on
January first, believes that the
course may make the transition a
little easier.
"I feel a little bit more comfort
able, plus 1 have been going to a
lot of commission meetings since
being elected," Thompson said.
Commissioner Snellgrove staled
that he, too, was pleased by the
program, even though he has al
Journal photo by Mike E. Terry
Derry Watson, Alton Hardy (Kiwanls Man of the Year),
and Malcolm Reese.
ready faced many of the situations
discussed.
"It was enjoyable and I feel like it
was beneficial," Snellgrove said of
the school, which was held in co
operation with the University of
Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of
Government and the Georgia Center
of Continuing. Education.
Professionals from a variety of
fields spoke to the group of newly
elected officials on various topics
during the 2 1/2 day school. One
speaker of interest to both Thomp
son and Stafford was Michael Bow
ers, the Stale Attorney General,
who lectured on ethics in
government.
Stafford was pleased with the
outcome of the school, citing the
exposure to other stale officials as
one of its finer points.
"It provided us with the names
and faces that will be able to assist
us with future matters," Stafford
stated. "There was an interface be
tween the commissioners and con
stitutional officers. It was refresh
ing, too, to see people from all
walks of life there."
Over one hundred and fifty people
attended this school, the only man
dated course the commissioners will
have to lake. There are, however,
opportunities at times to take other
course work in a variety of areas.
For now, though, each of the
commissioners expressed that their
main priority was to gel to the job
Please see COUNTY, page 10A
E-911 costs
could rise,
officials say
By MIKE PRINCIPATO
Staff Writer
Houston County's 911-Emer
gency service could cost residents
much more than the originally es
timated $1.50 surcharge.
Commissioner Jay Walker an
nounced Thursday the Public Ser
vice Commission is expected to
pass the surcharge issue shortly.
However, Operations Supervisor
Ron Olt announced the originally
estimated cost for the central dis
patch facility was insufficient.
When pressed for an exact price
breakdown, Oil said real figures
were not available.
"We arc looking at this thing
very closely trying to shave every
dollar of cost we can," said Olt.
The discovery of natural gas un
der the proposed land site was one
Please see 911, page 9A
■
Local Gl's will
get ride home
for Christmas
School board, local groups
mobilize to transport troops
By ALAN WILLIS
Staff Writer
In a special called meeting Friday, the Houston County
Board of Education voted unanimously to allow the use of
one bus for the transport of approximately 60 National
Guardsmen from Ft. Stewart to Houston County.
The Board of Education received a
December 7 request for assistance
from Adjutant General Joseph W.
Griffin, who said that the Guard
"docs not have adequate assets to
transport the 4,(XX) soldiers home
for this short pass period." Other
area Boards have also agreed to
help.
Because, as Griffin admitted,
"there are no provisions to allow
me to reimburse you for any ex
penses incurred in providing this
assistance," there arose a complica
tion.
According to Harold Chapman,
Superintendent of Houston County
Schools, there is a law against the
transport of anyone other than
school children or 4-H club mem
bers. However, according to Chap
man, "the biggest problem was the
expenditure," because Sam
McCullough of the Slate
Department of Education had given
the go-ahead for this one-time
situation.
However, the Perry Area Cham
ber of Commerce and the Warner
Robins Chamber of Commerce
agreed to split the cost of
transporting the soldiers, before
they even knew what that would be.
Please see BUS, page 10A
’lt - HR JHKm
Journal photo by Alan Willis
Charlotte King and her husband Wayne
Charlotte King; A lesson about
loving, coping across the miles
By MIKE PRINCIPATO
Staff Writer
Sitting at home waiting for word
of a loved one is never easy. Wail
ing is made that much harder when
lingering clouds of war set just
upon the horizon. The husbands,
wives, and family members of
Perry Guardsmen face this kind of
emotional hardship. Many of them
face it alone.
Mrs. Charlotte King is one of
many Houston County wives and
mothers now facing the reality of
the Guard's leaving.
King's husband, Wayne and her
son, Jeff are both Perry guardsmen
currently stationed at Fort Stewart.
"You literally lake over as head
of household. It’s not so much the
money as it is the empty places,"
said King.
"We used to have a big family
meal every Sunday. Since they left
we haven’t been able to. The empty
placcs.Jt's harder now."
The King family has lived in
Community pitches
in to help in effort
By JAN HAMPTON
Managing Editor
When local guardsmen from
the 48th Brigade roll into town to
celebrate Christmas with their
families, it will be the result of a
community team effort.
Members of the 48lh Brigade,
who are training at Ft. Stewart
near Savannah, asked local school
systems if buses could be sent to
bring the guardsmen home for a
two day Christmas pass.
Local civic groups were quick
to join in the effort.
"We decided to do whatever we
could to help," Ron Smith, a
member of the Warner Robins
Chamber of Commerce said. "We
contacted the Perry Area Chamber
of Commerce and agreed to split
the cost with them."
The chambers will fund the
cost of insuring the bus during
its journey. Fuel for the bus has
been donated and the bus driver
will drive the guardsmen at no
charge.
Houston County since 1970.
Wayne and Jell have more than 15-
years combined National Guard ex
perience. Most of their experience
has been in Perry's 48th Brigade.
Charlotte is a former nurses aide
currently working at Longhorn
Meats in Perry.
"One of the hardest adjustments
is the regular duties. If the plumb
ing broke he was here. Servicing
the car is also a problem," said
King.
In many respects the difficulties
Charlotte King faces is very much
like many families in Houston
County and throughout the state.
She is an ordinary housewife and
grandmother with an ordinary hard
working family. However, there is
one small exception. King has
found a useful and rewarding way to
fill some of her empty places.
She is devoting some of her lime
to help create a local support group
Please see KING, page 10A