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Pastel (Biftig
LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville
VOLUME 136 , NUMBER 202
Thursday
October 19, 2006
The Home Journal’s
FRONT
PORCH
IN SPORTS
■ Houston County, which has
just cracked the football polls
- coming in at No. 10 - will take
on a former No. 1 today.
Also, the Lady Bears and
Warner Robins are preparing
for the opening round of the
GHSA Sectionals and a slew of
local golfers are well in conten
tion at the 21st annual Georgia
Women's Team Championship.
-See 1B
IN BRIEF
Benefit to help
violence victims
The second annual Uniting Against
Domestic Violence benefit for the
Salvation Army Safe House is 6 p.m.
Saturday at the Flint Energy Building
on Ga. 96 in Warner Robins.
The evening of entertainment
and enlightenment is free and also
includes a silent auction fund-raiser.
Guest emcee for the evening is
Warner Robins City Councilman and
Executive Director of Happy Hour
Steve Smith.
Featured speakers include Capt.
Glenn Queener of the Salvation
Army Safe House, Dottie Stafford of
HODAC. Linita Berryman of Rainbow
House. Det. Karen Stokes of the
Warner robins Police Department
and Sharon Wolfe, president of
Saving Families. Saving Lives.
For more information contact the
Salvation Army Safe House at 923-
6294.
Democratic Women
to meet Saturday
The Middle Georgia Democratic
Women will meet Saturday at 9 a.m.
at Audrey's Bistro and Bakery on
Margie Dr., across from the Galleria
Cinemas. Mary Modena, President
of the Bibb County Democratic
Women will speak about Lt. Gov.
Mark Taylor ’s campaign for governor.
Local candidates may be present at
this meeting.
Chef Audrey will be serving break
fast for $5. Let Beth Perera know
if you plan to attend. Her e-mail
is beth@)chefbeth.com or telephone
her at 478-953-1933.
Houston County Board
of Health to meet
The Houston County Board of
Health will meet at noon today in
Room 113 of the Houston Career
and Technology Center, which is
located at 1311 Corder Rd. in Warner
Robins.
BIRTHDAYS
Today
■ Pam Carroll
■ Julia Williams
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2004
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October 19, 2006
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Below the Fold: Warner Robins City Council approves two rezonings and two annexations
County objects to two Peppy annexations
Total denied - more than 1,200 acres and 3,300 homes
By RAY LIGIITNER
Journal Staff Writer
The Houston County Board
of Commissioners, during
their meeting Wednesday,
unanimously objected to two
proposed annexations by the
city of Perry totaling more
than 1,200 acres and 3,300
homes.
Commissioner Tom
McMichael objected to both
because of the Planned
Use Development) zoning
because, he said, it “is not
AH in fuin, fund raising
IT
" W Ai
Contributed Hex Gambill
The joke’s on him: shackled and handcuffed, Willie Talton is led into the roast by armed law officers - turnabout
for this retired lawman.
WR Rotary Club roasts Willie Talton
By REX GAMBILL
Contributed
F 4 ormer chief deputy sher
iff and current state Rep.
Willie Talton was put on
the “Rotary rotisserie”
Tuesday night at the
Wellston Center, but it
was for a good cause.
The Rotary Club of Warner
Robins put on its annual roast
and this time the target of all the
friendly barbs was one of the club’s
own.
Rotarian Dick Walden squeezed
off a few of his own as the master
of ceremonies, describing Talton as
“a singularly undistinguished and
easily forgettable individual,” and
suggesting that tickets to the roast
had to be sold at a “deep discount”
in order to fill the room. He also
presented the former lawman with
his own bag of Dunkin Donuts
before introducing the first roaster
- a Warner Robins city councilman
and fellow Rotarian by the name of
Terry Horton.
A veteran of several Rotary roasts,
Horton claimed only to be speaking
because Gov. Sonny Perdue can
celed out, adding “He and Mark
Taylor were down in Florida look
ing at a piece of property.”
Never one to waste an oppor
tunity at a podium, Horton pro
ceeded to poke fun at not only
Talton but also Walden and the
other roasters (Example: Of roaster
See ROASTS, page 6A
WWW.HHJNEWS.COM
in keeping with the nature
of the neighborhood. That’s
farmland. We don’t need a
PUD in farmland.”
McMichael said the devel
opment is “not in the spirit
of a PUD. They’re just cram
ming a bunch of houses in
there.”
Commissioner Larry
Thomson who made the
motions objecting to each
proposal, said “the areas
the developers are calling
greenspace is swamp.”
The county also object-
Master blend
Excerpts from the roast of Willie Talton:
"Willie has always prided himself in his neat business attire. Suit, tie,
starched shirt. I was really surprised when he showed up here in a 1970 s
suit that doesn't fit. He must have borrowed that tie from (fellow Rotarian)
Homer Childs. It has so much food on it he has to keep it in the fridge.”
“Willie asked Mrs. Talton one night if, in her wildest dreams she ever
thought that she would be married to a state legislator. She replied, 'Willie,
I hate to tell you, but you weren't in my wildest dreams.’”
- Terry Horton:
“You ever see how much money he’s got in his mouth? He has about
$50,000 between his two gold teeth.”
- Chuck Shaheen
"No wonder you never shot your gun in the line of duty - you were always
late.”
- Larry O’Neal
"Willie was smart; learned his job through and through
Then said to Chief Rape - “Boss now I’m leaving you.
With the sheriff I think I’ll be better compensated
‘Cause you know that Cullen and I are related.”
“If you ever told Willie you were feeling uptight
He would say ‘Everything’s gonna be all right.’
If you chased down a punk and he put up a fight
Willie said 'Everything's gonna be all right.’
The sheriff said 'Willie, our budget’s too tight.’
Willie said ‘Everything’s gonna be all right.’
Cullen liked Willie as did all the guys
And his rank and his pay Were both on the rise
His paycheck and his head began to get large
‘Til Willie began to think he was in charge.
Two ladies came into the station one night
When they left one said ‘I thought the sheriff was white.’
When Cullen heard about it he was ready to fight.
Said Willie: ‘Everything’s gonna be all right.’”
"That’s farmland. Wfe don't need a PUD
In farmland... They're last cramming a
bunch of houses in there.”
- Commissioner Tom McMichael
ed to both because of the
increased density and impact
on the county roads. “The
density is troubling, “ said
Commission Chairman Ned
Sanders, “especially with
the limited road capacity in
Two SECTIONS • 22 PAGES
the area.”
The smaller of the two
tracts is 200 acres at the
southwest corner of
Saddlecreek and Arena
roads off U.S. 341. Plans call
for about 500 homes all of
- George Nunn
f&w EhAymtff'Mmy? Nw/srwm
one entrance on U.S. 341.
Two commercial tracts are
planned at the Saddlecreek
Road intersections with
Arena Road and with U.S.
341.
The county’s primary
objection to this annexa
tion is that it is not con
tiguous to Perry city limits.
“If the property is not cur
rently contiguous, it cannot
be legally annexed,” County
Director of Administration
Steve Engle told the city
See OBJECTS, page 6A
The Eagle has floundered
PY Council puts
rezoning on hold
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
Journal Staff Writer
The completion of the
Wooden Eagle subdivision on
the corner of Sandefur and
Lake Joy Roads was held up
again Tuesday when Perry
City Councilman James Moore
insisted on more time for dis
cussion before a vote.
The proposed rezoning has
been a bone of contention
between the Houston County
Commissioners and the Perry
City Council, as well as rais
ing objections from some mid
county residents.
The ordinance was a complex
one, since part of the 85.367
acres is now in the city and
part in the county.
If approved, it would have
annexed and rezoned 41.10
acres from its present county
zoning of R 2 and R 3 to Perry’s
Planned Unit Development
zoning.
A remaining 44.367 acres of
the development has already
been annexed into the city
limits, and would be rezoned
from Perrv R 2 and R 3 to Perry
PUD.
PUD zoning essentially
allows developers flexibility in
the overall number of lots on
a parcel of land, with require
ments for buffer zones and
green space. McGlamry had
agreed earlier with city officials
that the development would
include two playground type
parks and one “greenspace”
park.
See RE ZONING, page 6A
WR takes action
on 4 agenda items
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Warner Robins approved two
rezonings Monday that will cut
the lot sizes in half.
Councilman Dean Cowart
made that point in the discus
sion of the 90.144-acre tract on
Old Perry Road.
The change in density fromß
-1 (3.4 an acre) to R-3 (7,500-
sqaure-foot lot) cuts the lots in
half, Cowart said.
This latest subdivision on
Old Perry Road will be called
Morgan Ranch. Mayor Donald
Walker noted this tract is part
of almost 900 acres originally
zoned for planned urban devel
opment PUD in the county.
The change in density was
needed because a large swatch
of the land in the area is des
ignated flood plain and is not
buildable.
Walker said city utilities are
already in the area, going to
See ACTION, page 6A