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♦ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2006 8A Run-off election to cost the county $12,917 By RAYUGHTNER Journal Staff Writer For the one run-off race for the Public Safety Commission on the Dec. 5 ballot, it will cost Houston County $12,917. That money will go to pay 140 people to man the 28 polling places. “I dare say 1,500 people will vote,” Commissioner Tom McMichael said. “It’s absolutely absurd the state requires us to pay all these people to stare at the walls all day,” McMichael said. Commission Chairman Ned Sanders said it was something “we will discuss with the legislative delega tion.” The commissioners float ed ideas including a plural ity instead of a majority for elections and fewer pre cincts. “The bottom line,” Commissioner Jay Walker said, “there’s a better way.” BAY From page 4A moving forward socially, politically and economically. South Africa still confronts tribal divisions and a host of fractious issues, but the TRC is regarded as a success and a model for national reconciliation. Rwanda has implemented its own recon ciliation process, with mixed results. I recall reading about a tribunal two years ago that gave a confessed killer (a Rwandan Hutu) a reduced sentence, over the objections of Tutsi villagers who had lost family members in the 1994 massacres. The man, however, had to publicly confess his crimes, ask forgiveness from those who suffered and accept his criminal sentence. The greater public goal was a PLANS From page iA The city council formally approved the annexation and rezoning on Monday. City officials told the devel oper, Neal Krajewski from Nealco Developments, “san itary sewer is not available in the area at this time.” Preliminary site plans were also approved for Bob Anderson’sWillingham Drive and MJS Development’s Wellston Hills subdivision. Anderson withdrew another request for a site plan for the Old Perry Road subdivisions once told sanitary sewer was not available yet at either location. A timeline for sewer ser vice was not available from the city utilities engineering department. Krajewski said he is pur chasing the site from First Genesis, contingent on the rezoning. QUEST From page iA change. And they did. As Halloween drew near er, the next idea came. He purchased two buckets for his door-to-door travels. One was for his candy and one for spare change. The project raised SBB in spare change. That might not seem like much, but Germandsen, said he believes that every one of these coins counts when it comes to helping. As far as the role he’s played, it’s modest, he said, compared to what Davis and other children who are ill have to go through. “I really like kids,” he said. “I like to help out kids. Kids like Robert need to be able to play and have fun. “’Little Robert,’ still needs help,” he added. “I did not have a lot, but it is impor tant that people help, even if it is a little.” Cathy Holland, Robert M.L. Davis’ grandmother had some strong feels about The costs include paying for 29 precinct managers, 58 assistant managers, 38 election clerks, 24 janitors, three election night helpers, one supply pickup helpers one technician as well as the 84 touch screen units, 28 pickup/return supplies and 28 cell phones. The Board of Elections was also given approval to hire at least four work ers to assist with the logic and accuracy testing on the direct electronic recording units to be used during the election. Testing was ten tatively set for Nov. 22 for machines used for absentee voting and Monday for those in the Dec. 5 election. In other business, the commissioners approved the reappointment of Lynwood Barrett and Judy Ross to three-year terms on the Board of Adjustment and Appeals. The ad hoc board meets only as needed and has not met in some time. township where both Tutsis and Hutus recognized the rule of law and agreed to live together without blood vendettas. Iraqis know that decades of dictatorship have splin tered their society. Last June, Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki presented a rec onciliation plan to the Iraqi parliament. Maliki's plan included a controversial proposal that would provide amnesty for some Iraqis who have fought and killed coali tion troops (including U.S. troops). At a press conference in June, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said that in his opinion there were only two classes of “irreconcilables”: “those who want the old regime back (i.e., Saddam’s regime) and those who are al-Qaida terrorist supporters.” He plans to put about 58 1,500-square-foot homes on the site. He asked for 6,000 square foot lots but city planning officials said that variance is not in the code. They will work with Krajewski to do some street realignment to make the lots 7,500 square feet. The city offered variances per lot for those that cannot meet the standards due to the topography of the site. Krajewski assured adja cent residents of Highland Drive his development - Carly Court subdivision - would not affect them. He said many of the man-made drainage ditches on the site would be piped and filled in, with the exception of the Bay Gull. He said the new houses will surround a detention pond on the site. The pond would be piped to drain into Bay Gull. whUTSi grandmother said, will be an important exam. More than nine months ago he was sent home under hospice care. A recent exam gave Cathy and ML. Holland new hjwever, for the Hunter’s efforts, “ Hunter melted my heart to have only been 7 years old and thinking about my ‘Lil’ Man’. Most 7-year-old do not spend their time worry ing about other kids. “It is amazing that ‘Lil’ Man’ could touch Hunter’s heart so much that he would collect money for Robert.” The board also approved sls Kroger gift certificates for all county employees for Christmas. The county received a 5-percent discount off the face value of the 675 sl6 gift certificates. Kroger was the only bidder though offers were solicited from Winn Dixie and Publix. The gift certificates, which will be distributed the week of Dec. 11, exclude alcohol, tobacco and lottery tickets. Walker challenged his fellow commissioners to donate their gift cars to the Salvation Army, “something Gail (Robinson, county com missioner) and I do every year.” The board also approved renewing the county health insurance with Blue Cross, after negotiations to reduce the rate increase from 18 percent to only 9 percent. Voluntary life and short term disability insurance will change however from Boston Mutual to UNUM. The Washington Post quot ed Khalilzad as adding, “All wars must come to an end, and the hostility has to be replaced by reconciliation.” Let’s hope Khalilzad is right. Reconciliation encour ages cooperation, which Iraq desperately needs to advance politically and economically. Which leads to this holiday observation: Thanksgiving focuses on sharing a mutual bounty ~ the harvest. And it is broad cooperation that produces the most bountiful harvests. To find out more about Austin Bay, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Glasses or contacts controlling your life? I Add Bio,.- laa&iteai to your life, ffow wlmtsfell m Ito theecmseeeven /utternon Ikr M : cw/d Iseiore with jmiHE—fjnnr Onnmoflhtmdm IreomenlMps you enjoy mrydaylimy Bj PWWjltif I Oar experience ensures von get optimized results. Dr. Eisner has I perform! «s«r of thousands of User correction procedures - mnv of than on mr friends I MdHaulv! More Central Utomns tar had their neen^tedneaJmi£htednm L anl | the cmhmtm of experience, mi one-on-one interaction that Dr. Eisner LOCAL RESCUE From page lA Tuesday, and for some time prior, the family had been living in a 68-year-old trail er and under deplorable conditions. “This is a mom and dad with no job, trying to hold the family together,” said Toni Henson-Slade,” who was credited by Neal Reagan of Perry Furniture Outlet as the force behind this fairytale surprise. He, too, played a mqjor role, however, in the form of pro viding a household full of furniture, as well as cabi nets full of food. “The dad has been laid off,” Henson-Slade contin ued. “The dad has been looking for work as a plumber but just hasn’t found anything yet. They were living in the best con ditions they could find but it was horrible. “The beds the children slept on were soiled and the insects have all but taken over the place. It just was not a good place for chil dren. “The mom was cooking Please don’t forge r . This Christmas season please help poor and suffering souls in our community. Your gift today will let someone in desperate need know they haven’t been forgotten. Remember to give. YES, 1 want to help provide food and shelter for needy people in our community: □ 320 to help feed a hungry person. □ 535 to help provide toys for needy children. □ SSO to help feed and shelter a hurting family. □ S to help as much as possible. namT MAHRESS 1 cm"ViTiTvYi meals on a hot plate. It was just unimaginable, the conditions. We came up with this idea through generous donations.” Henson-Slade heads a ministry that works through music and special donations to find families in need. “The family did not ask for our help. We found them,” she added. “We believe so much that if you have the means to bless someone, an opportunity is out there. It is not a hand out, but more a hand up.“ Henson-Slade added the McDowell’s situation was much like last year in that they - the organization she represents - found 75 fami lies to adopt and sponsor. /S. ‘Jewelry Repair & Cleaning / \ ‘Watch Repair -graving Hours: WAI/iy / ‘Appraisals Mon. -Fri. .Estate Jewelry 9:3oam-s:3opm \ / Sat. \/ ‘Class Rings 9.30am-2pm [ CMP AND MAH, WITH YOUR GIFf TODAY DAVID OVERTON JEWELERS 905 Downtown Carroll St. • Perry Doing the most GOOD Please send vour tax-deductible gift to: The Salvation Army P.O. Box 2408 Warner Robins, GA 31093 To make a gift by credit card I 800 SAI. ARMY HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL “Our mqjor project last year was to give family support money for medical bills,” she said. “We were so blessed that we raised, $26,000, towards medi cal expenses for this per son and family. Everyone deserves a second chance!” If you wish to become part of this program or help out, call Henson-Slade at 478- 396-8405, or contact her at tonihenßonslade@cox. net. Suberic today! Call 987-1823 * - *•' fjgyng 4