Newspaper Page Text
Haw a Hajppj N®w ¥®ad
WEEKEND
EDITION
250
Perry & Houston County’s
officai Legal Organ
HOME JOURNAL
HIGHLIGHTS
Deaths
Harold Hines Craft, Wash
Plant Jr., Barbara T.
Richardson, Micah Jeremiah
Browning. For a complete
listing see oaae 3A,
Thanks for serving
... Guardsman Sgt. William E.
Fambro, Perry. We hope you
had a safe trip to California.
Please see 10A for a list of
leading businesses who are
sponsoring your free subscrip
tion.
Paper on regular
schedule New Years
Although the paper was deliv
ered one day early for Christ
mas, The Houston Home
Journal's Midweek Edition will
be distributed to subscribers
and news racks on a normal
schedule next week. However,
the newspaper will be printed
early Monday evening in order
for employees to have New
Year's Day off. Deadline for
news and advertising to appear
in the Jan. 2, 1991 paper will
be 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31.
INDEX
MARK BLUMEN 1B
CALENDAR 3A
CLASSIFIED 6B
DEATH NOTICES 3A
EDITORIALS 4A
POLICE REPORT 2A
REMEMBER WHEN 4A
SPORTS IB
JOHN TRUSSEL 2B
BOBBY TUGGLE 2B
TV WEEK 1C
ALAN WILLIS 4A
WOODS 'N WATER 2B
TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL:
987-1823, OR 987-5203
READ IT, THEN RECYCLE!
This newspaper is
printed, in part, on re- gj* *-» ...
cycled paper and is re- A
cyclable. For locations *•, V
of recycling stations, call
987-1823
Celebrations
will mark the
arrival of '9l
By ALAN WILLIS
Staff Writer
New Year's Eve is rapidly ap
proaching (perhaps too rapidly) and
people in Perry are preparing to see
out !990 and welcome 1991. For
those who have not yet made any
plans for the celebration, the fol
lowing options are available.
This year’s annual party at the
Holiday Inn's lounge. Streamer's,
will feature Horizon with Frankie
and the Volcanos. The band plays
music from the 19505, 60s, and
70s. One cover charge will gain
admission to two sections of the
party, on in the actual lounge and
the other in the banquet hall, where
the band will be playing. The parly
is scheduled to begin at 8:00 and
end at 2:00. Some 300 people are
expected to attend.
The Quality Inn's lounge, Ri
ley's, offers three packages for New
Please see PARTY, page 8A
ffThe Houston Home ff
Jourrii iss
ATHENS bA
Banner year for agricenter in 1990
By ALAN WILLIS
Staff Writer
"Getting [it] open was the first
b.g success," said Johnny Webb of
the Georgia National Fairgrounds
and Agricentcr.
Webb looked back at the success
of the first year of the Agricentcr,
pointing out that "the largest single
event was the fair and it was
fantastic."
"The Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricentcr arc the
talk of the nation when it comes to
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Journal photo by Mike E. Terry
Kay Ferry chats with 104 year old Charlie Hose, one of her favorite people.
...Kay believes the world can be changed with a smile and some love.
Making a big difference with a little love
By MIKE PRINCIPATO
Staff Writer
In a world where few can say they actually love
their job, Kay Ferry is a notable exception.
Ferry is the current Activities Director for the New
Perry Nursing Home. Her job entails coordinating a
long and ever changing list of activities for residence
whose interests are as diversified as as their ages.
"It's more than just a job. It has to be. These
people arc family. They have their good days and their
bad," said Ferry.
"Anyone can come into a nursing home and
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Journal photo by Mike E. Terry
Mike Robert takes some time to get away and try his hand at fishing. For a story
about Robert and his favorite past time, please see page 28.
"We will have the first Georgia
National Stock Show" -Webb
fairs," said Webb. He pointed out
that Wilson Sparks, and his entire
staff, "did a great job."
The fair may have been the
largest single event, but it was the
Agricenter's first success. In June of
1990, the center hosted its first
show, a Regional Junior Angus
Show. Since then, there have been
120 event days. 320,184 people
perform the function of the job satisfactorily. But it's
more than that. The job is more than money and a
place to work. It's a place to make a difference in the
lives of very special people."
Ferry and her husband Don have lived in Houston
County since 1980. Don is a Robins retiree, who
now works in civil service management.
They have four sons, and two grandchildren.
"My family loves my job," said Ferry. According
to Ferry some of her best ideas come from family
members. Please see FERRY, Page 8A
have attended those events.
Other people have come the
fairgrounds, for many reasons.
Among them have been groups
looking at the center with hopes of
duplicating it. According to Webb,
inspectors have come from Canada,
Australia and The Soviet Union.
With all the success of 1990,
Webb is looking forward to 1991.
"We have events beginning in
January," he said. Among the first
major events will be World
Championship Wrestling. That
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event will be taped and aired on
television.
The first week of March will
mark a major event for Georgia and
for the Fairgrounds. "We will have
the first Georgia National Stock
Show," Webb said. The show will
include a professional rodeo.
According to Webb, stock shows
have been common in Georgia "but
not on this scale."
While the Fair and the Stock
Show may overshadow other
events, they are not to be
Sherill Stafford:
County outlook is
bright for new year
By MIKE PRINCIPATO
Staff Writer
"The County-wide outlook for
1991 is bright," says Commission
Chairman elect Sherill Stafford.
According to Stafford, the coming
year will be an exciting one.
Stafford, who will replace
Representative elect Jay Walker as
commission chairman January first,
is the first commissioner to hold
office on a full time basis.
" Our responsibilities [county
commission's] in the coming year
will be serious ones and yet I have
high expectations the county as a
whole will do quite well," said
Stafford.
According to Stafford, three areas
of major emphasis in the coming
year will be solid waste man
agement; cost efficiency in govern
ment; and county planning propos
als for the year 2000 and beyond.
The county is currently under stale
and federal mandate to reduce its
solid waste by 25-pcrcenl by the
year 1996.
According to Stafford, current
commissioners are well qualified to
meet the challenges facing the them
in the coming year. However,
Stafford reminded board members
the way to move the county ahead
was through team effort.
Stafford applauded board efforts to
work together in the past.
"I have known and respected each
member for some time. I look for
ward to working with them for the
betterment of the county," said
Stafford.
Salary gap leaves the
D.A.'s office in a bind
By MIKE PRINCIPATO
Staff Writer
According to District Attorney Ed
Lukcmire, current disparity between
county attorney's salaries has left
his office with a position he can't
fill.
The vacancy in the D.A.'s office
occurred when former special
prosecutor Bob Turner transferred to
the Solicitors Office. Turner is
scheduled to leave his post January
first.
According to Lukemirc, the posi
tion is virtually unfillable at the
present pay rate.
Lukcmire petitioned county
commissioners to waive job guide
lines in an effort to fill the vacancy
earlier this month..
However, Lukemire's request was
turned down following County
Personnel Director Steve Engles
request that guidelines remain in
tact.
"The problem does need to be
looked at; but I'm against changing
overlooked. The Agricentcr will
host many horse and cattle shows,
including the Royal Lipizzar
Stallion Show. Perry will also
witness a Fisharama, clogging and
square dancing, and a Contemporary
Gospel Music concert.
"Based on the feedback we are
getting, the Fairgrounds is now
establishing a reputation as a nice,
fun place to come." Webb expects
attendance in 1991 to be even
better, and he expects "Georgia
crowd to be a good bit larger."
Other areas of concern facing
county commissioners in the com
ing year are the 1991 County Bud
get: E-911; parity for county attor
ney's,
and possible closing of HCCI fa
cilities in Perry.
Jay Walker:
County is on
cutting edge
By MIKE PRINCIPATO
Staff Writer
"We are setting on the edge of the
county's greatest growth period,"
said Representative elect Jay
Walker.
Walker commented on the future
of Houston County during a
farewell luncheon given his honor,
Thursday, December 27th.
According to Walker, the county
can expect a surge in county-wide
growth. Walker believes this
growth will make the growth of the
80's seem minor by comparison.
However, Walker cautioned those
present that rapid growth would de
pend greatly on the county's ability
to fund rapid expansion in county
services.
"The county must be willing to
meet the challenges facing it in the
coming year," said Walker.
"The decisions you make in the
coming year arc going to be diffi
cult ones. They could very well
Please see WALKER Page 8A
guidelines without consideration.
The guidelines are in place to insure
the county gets qualified personnel.
We may have a problem across the
board if we change the guidelines,"
said Engles.
Commissioners heard testimony
from Public Defender Terry Everett.
Everett agreed in principle with
Lukcmire.
"The problem is not in getting
qualified personnel but in keeping
them once their on board," said Ev
erett.
According to Lukcmire, two
things need to be addressed.
"You're not going to find good
quality help with- the experience
needed for, the money the county is
willing to pay. Secondly, 1 have
both stale and county employees in
my office. Slate pay and county pay
are not commensurate. Stale em
ployees have a merit pay system.
The county's just doesn't keep pace.
Please see PAY, Page 8A