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■THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1991
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■ The Houston Home f
i Journal
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The Houston Home Journal
OFFICIAL ORGAN, CITY OF PERRY AND HOUSTON
COUNTY, GEORGIA, SINCE 1870
PUBLISHED EACH WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING
807 CARROLL ST., P.O. DRAWER M, PERRY, GA. 31069
TELEPHONE: (912) 987-1823
| The Houston Home Journal (USPS 252-780) is published biweekly for $lB fj
| per year by the Houston Home Journal, Inc., 807 Carroll St., Perry, Ga.
| 31069. Second Class Postage paid at Perry, Ga. POSTMASTER: Send
1 address change to The Houston Home Journal, P.O. Drawer M, Perry, Ga. I
! 31069.
ROY H. PARK, President & Chairman o! the Board, Park Newspapers
JAMES B. KERCE
Editor & General Manager
JAN HAMPTON TERESA HAWK
Managing Editor Advertising Manager
M .-1,.,. 1.1. l * * *. I. I !
Find use for ’spec building’
Nearly 10 years ago when the City of Perry announced
plans to build a "spec building" at our industrial park on
Valley Drive, the decision was hailed as a step forward in
efforts to lure industry and new jobs to the community.
General consensus among city officials and community
leaders was that the prefabricated, 31,500 square foot
building would quickly attract an industry. With its loca
tion near the interstate and a rail line, the spec building
seemed a sure-fire good investment for Perry.
But, that’s not the way things have turned out. Instead,
the building has stood empty —slowly deteriorating.
Now it is an eyesore. A white elephant, which probably
turns prospective firms away from the industrial park.
Knowing this, city officials are wisely studying alternate
ways to use the structure by removing it from the park. (A
top state development official recently agreed when he said
that the building, in its current condition, was a detriment
in locating industry in the park. He recommended removal
of the structure.)
After an inspection of the building between Christmas
and New Years, we agree the pre-fab unit should be re
moved.
But, how could the city use the facility elsewhere? Sev
eral options come to mind.
One, suggested by Mayor Jim Worrall, would be to use
the structure as a recreation center. He sees it as a building
revamped to house the city's new rec. department and
possibly a basketball court.
Other options might include:
—Relocating the building to another location in town and
using it to house part of the police and fire departments, so
those services would be more quickly available to different
parts of town;
—Since the city is presently strapped for office space
and is considering adding to the present city hall, the spec
building could be converted into offices and storage space
for city workers. (A city-owned piece of land on U.S. 341
N. would be an ideal location for the building.);
—And, finally, the city could simply sell the building to
a private firm and possibly use the money to help finance a
new spec building which would be more in line with what
potential industries want when they consider relocating in
Georgia.
There are probably many other uses for the building. But
one fact is outstanding, the structure is a valuable asset to
Perry.
To upgrade the building will be expensive for sure, but,
no where as expensive as building a similar-sized structure
from scratch would be.
We would hate to see it just torn down and carted off as
scrap.
'Are You Ok?' is ok
With the start up of Houston County's new "Are You
Ok?" (R-U-O-K?) system, area elderly and home bound
residents can breath a little easier, because someone will be
monitoring their safety daily by telephone.
Part of the impending E-911 system, the computerized
telephone service is capable of checking on thousands of
residents each day by making automatic phone calls to
those registered with the service.
Those registered with the service will get a computer
generated call at a certain time each day. The person an
swering will be asked if she or he is ok, or is help needed.
If a resident asks for help, a person monitoring the com
puter will pick up the phone. If no help is needed, the
computer goes on to the next number.
If a subscriber fails to answer, the system hangs up and
tries again. If a client has not answered after three calls, the
system sounds an alarm, printing out vital information, in
cluding medical history, place of residence, and family
doctor. Subscribers may also designate family members
they wish to be notified in case of an emergency.
The system is free to subscribers. However, it is re
stricted to those over 55 with no one else living in the resi
dence, elderly couples over 60 with no one to check on
them and those with severe disabilities living alone.
Those who qualify may begin the service by calling the
Perry Police Department or Houston County Sheriffs De
partment.
PERRY, GEORGIA’S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 187 Q-FOR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
©CBDWMC-MWW.W.
TAKE A BOW, BUZZ...
THANKS FOR THE SEASON
Taking a different lane on life's road
At the turn of this century in the
rugged mountains of North
Carolina, a man named Miles
Fields was struggling to make his
mark in this world.
Miles was a self taught carpenter
with a wife and a five year old son.
And although this handsome young
man was known throughout the
hollows and hills of Buck
Mountain as a hard working man,
Miles was also known to drink too
much from time to time.
One morning Miles got up early
and set out for work.
He passed his five year old son,
Charlie, at the farm’s grist mill
"Daddy, can you help me get a
drink of water?", the young child
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Street talk Question: What's your New Year's resolution?
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Isreal Aguilar:
"I haven't thought much
about it."
Mrs. Fred Baker:
"I don't have one. I don't
keep them anyway."
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Perry viewpoint
■■ ■■'
Jan Hampton
Managing Editor
asked.
"I don't have time for you,"
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Vivian Prince:
"My resolution is just to be
happy."
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Robbie Griffin:
"I'm a college student. My
New Year's resolution
would be to do well in
school."
Miles told his son. "Why don’t you
get your mother to help you get a
drink of water. You're a big boy,
why don't you get a drink of water
on your own."
Later that morning, Miles' wife
Flora couldn't find Charlie
anywhere. She searched the hillsides
and enlisted the help of neighbors
to hunt for the little boy.
Finally in desperation, a neighbor
went to the work site where Miles
was building a house.
"Mr. Fields," the neighbor said
with terror in his voice. "We can't
find your son Charlie anywhere.
We've combed the countryside. We
don't know what to do."
Please see HAMPTON, Page 5A
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Becky Cotton:
"New Year's resolution. I
don't have one."
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Wesley Willis:
"I don't have one. I
haven't thought much
about it."
I
** / >'
Jim Kerce
HHJ Editor
A guideline
for living in
the new year
The following piece was passed
along to me by our good friend
Clyde O'Kelly. O'Kelly is a retired
horseman and trainer and a sharp
observer of human nature, who fre
quently sends notes to the paper
expressing his opinion, or suggest
ing we write editorials on certain
subjects.
With the new year just starting,
O'Kelly passed along the following
piece and suggested it contains a
good guideline to living in 1991.
He allowed as how the message
makes "good horse sense” and is
"stable thinking." We agree.
Hope you will enjoy the mes
sage.
Heaven's Grocery Store
I was walking down life's high
way a long time ago. One day I saw
a sign that read: Heaven's Grocery
Store.
As I got a little closer, the door
came open wide. And when I came
to myself, I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angles, they were
standing everywhere. One handed
me a basket and said: My child,
shop with care.
Everything a Christian needs was
in that Grocery Store. And all you
couldn't carry, you could come back
the next day for more.
First, I got some Patience. Love
was in the same row. Further down
was Understanding. You need that
everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom, a
bag or two of Faith. I just couldn't
miss the Holy Ghost, for he was all
over the place.
I stopped to get some Strength
and Courage to help me run this
race.
By then my basket was getting
full, but I remembered I needed
some Grace.
I didn't forget Salvation, for Sal
vation—that was free. So, I tried to
get enough of that to save both you
and me.
Then I started up to the counter
to pay my grocery bill, for I
thought I had everything to do my
Master’s will. As I went up the
isle, I saw Prayer, and I just had to
put that in.
Peace and Joy were plentiful,
they were on the last shelf. Song
and Praise were hanging near, so I
just helped myself.
Then I said to the angel, now
how much do I owe? He just smiled
and said: Just take them everywhere
you go.
Again I smiled at him and said:
How much do I really owe?
He smiled again and said: My
child, Jesus paid your bill a long
time ago.—Author unknown.
***
Fair facts
In a telephone conversation with
Johnny Webb, publicity director for
the Georgia Agricenter, we picked
up several interesting tidbits about
the first state fair held at the center.
Webb gathered the information
through a survey of around 600
people who attended the fair. Some
of his findings include:
—The average person attending
the Georgia National Fair drove
42.5 miles to get here. (Webb dis
counted those who obviously
stopped in off the interstate out of
curiosity, such as a man who re
ported he was from Germany.);
—Most fair goers came from
jarger cities nearby. Webb said that
included Macon, Columbus and
Atlanta. And,
—The thing most liked about the
fair was how clean the grounds
were, followed by numerous re
sponses about the quality of live
stock shows and exhibits in the
various buildings. A large majority
of those polled responded "they
liked it all."
Webb also found out that Georgia
Please see KERCE, Page 5A