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NEWS Man recovering from shooting; suspected car thieves caught; man gets 40 years. BELOW THE FOLD: Standing room only for impact foe discussion in Perry; Impact ftu/s also a topic at I 41 % \s^ByP «##<*# p Volume 138, Number 16 FRONT PORCH "Where neighbors meet" HHJ history 50 years ago: efforts, according to a Houston Home Journal report, are being made to organize an amateur baseball team in Perry to com pete in a six or eight-team league. Reportedly several businesses have expressed an interest to foot the bill for expenses. Also, the 15-year-old teen charged with the murder of a 16-year-old (as written up in Wednesday's Houston Home Journal) is freed on a $2,500 bond. Some additional details also become available. Reportedly the 15-year-old from Houston County shoots the 16-year-old from Montezuma after he - the latter - takes away a gun from one of other Houston County youths (there were two others from Houston County and six total from Macon County) travelling with the 15-year-old. 30 years ago: Vandals and thieves reportedly continue to “wage campaigns of waste and destruction” on Houston Cdunty schools. The latest victim as of this issue is Perry High School, which is broken into with three electric typwriters valued at $1,222 stolen. This was reportedly the 48th incident of vandalism in the schools but the article doesn’t specify over what period of time. Also, a news story regarding the same subject cannot be found, but an unsigned editorial (call ing it disturbing, which was an understatement) by the newspa per references this: ‘‘news that a nuclear-armed B-52 bomber had been vandalized last week ...” 10 years ago: The Board of Education announces that Charles Allen Holloway from Texas has been selected the new superintendent of schools. Also, voters accept - 87 percent vote “yes" - to approve a 1 percent special use sales tax. The money was to go toward two projects, one of them being the new courthouse. - Compiled by Don Moncrief Birthdays Feb. 23 ■ Gwen Moore Feb. 24 ■ Will Bridger Feb. 2B ■ Deonta Lowe E-mail birthdays to: hhj@evansnewspapers.com or donm@evansnewspapers.com. Mail to: 1210 Washington St., Perry 31069 attn: Don Moncrief. Or, call 987-1823, Ext. 231. Anniversary Feb. 23 ■ Julie and Danny Evans Award-Winning Newspaper Better Newspaper Contest PERIODICAL 500 11111111111 l B™s 510 80 0 0 01 1 4 COOI Georgia fstewspaper Project Main Library University of Georgia ATHENS GA 308G2-GCG2 ALL FOR AOC 301 February 23,2008 S'E RV-INCi lIOUSK.N ( oi MV SINCT i S 7() LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, CITY OF PERRY, CITY OF WARNER ROBINS AND CITY OF CENTERVILLE I*o3 A \ ip Je pml Jfff / - * 4i9K 2 4 . .gM J* i § v jjlk J r fm Wj*' . j w M fieri 3k aBBy JEffiM jrjßßii tSEEEE ~ i llaMLifliflSro Hr at ij '*Vmc HUHI «m ®y ■ si ~ ,<.> Wfc ..igMfea-BBBE- ' - .7''?K<3ssSfe. ait . J* l v s ■, Ba l Jfif fy&JJj, : : W™" oqßk ~-y -9 fetV' ..w.i ?•; & c ' 1 - ~ SRMKMtsBxi ,-rfeik ,? BBwiwS6Hg y ■ vV-;, %*.,,•_jrftajsfci. i- -.... -—..wH a£Sia A group of 122 Westfield Youth Sports participants and their families enjoyed Westfield Night Out at a recent Mercer University basketball game. Wearing their “Westfield green”, the group cheered for the Mercer Bears and were introduced over the public address system. Standing room only for impact fee discussion By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Staff Writer If Perry needs new fire stations and parks to serve a growing population, as more and more subdivision are built, who should bear the cost? Those who support impact fees believe that since the impact comes from new construction, builders and developers should pay the cost through a fee on each new structure. Those who are doing the building and develop ing strongly disagree, and their representatives on the city’s Impact Fee Advisory Committee have already won one round with a vote not to have impact fees at all. Local realtors, develop ers, builders and those in the building supply indus tries were out in force last Tuesday evening, packing meeting room for the City Council work session and meeting, and were repre sented by a speaker from the Middle Georgia Board County commissioners address impact fees, more at Eggs, Issues By DON MONCRIEF Journal Managing Editor While the City of Perry debates whether or not it will have impact fees, the county’s position is: Not now. “It’s a controversial subject,” said Houston County Commission Chairman Ned Sanders. “Perry has just started looking at it. Jones County has looked at it. We’ve looked at it. In fact, I carry a folder on it in my office. “(But), a definite date for imple mentation of impact fees? There is LIFESTYLE Scout Pack 419 holds Pinewood Derby. Your pet’s dental care. More. Saturday, February 23, 2008 of Realtors and the Warner Robins Homebuilders Association. However, their time to speak out in detail has yet to come. Impact fees, according to Mayor Jim Worrall, will be the sub ject of more than one public hearing before there is any final vote, and the city is a long way from putting them into effect at this point. The big issue for the city council is to keep up with the city’s need for fire protection, and as the city grows geographically with only one fire station, fire insurance rates will be high for those in the developing areas. Fire Chief Joel Gray said the most pressing need is for a firehouse with apparatus in the Matt Arthur School area. This would actually be a multi-purpose facil ity for both fire and police protection, and designed in such a way that bays could be added to house not just fire trucks but also possibly an ambulance if the county none. There is not a definite date becaue there is not a consolidation of feelings at this point and time that we need impact fees.” Sanders added the caveat that if the county were to get a large deveopment, that might change. “Let me talk generalities,” he said. “If we get a large development in the neighborhood of 5, 10, 15 or 20,000 homes, which we could get depending on circumstances, then we would take a look very hard at the implementation of Impact Fees. If and when we get to that, we will address it. (But) as of right now j 4 i fly AagH Chummy bear wanted to locate an EMS team there. '' ' ' 5 ' Mi;... J* Realtors Donny Free and Scott Free confer with City Councilman Joe Kusar during a break in Tuesday night’s Perry City Council meeting. Scott Free spoke in opposition to impact fees on new development, which the city is considering. SPORTS Westfield girls fall at state; Hornets advance. Perry-WR soccer results. More. The city is anticipating the future to need to build there is no specific need for it.” Sanders made his comment(s) during the Eggs & Issues break fast held Thursday at the Museum of Aviation and hosted by the Wamr Robins Area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to addressing the attendees on Impact Fees - that coming dur ing the question and answer ses sion - he gave a slideshow detailing things such as the county’s dollars ($95,905,786) and how they’re bro ken down (i.e. $47,520,363 is in the general fund, $3,028,550 is in capi tal investments, et cetera). He also Wm -nr m ; rj ■■£_ i-ML» www.hhjnews.com fire stations in several See IMPACT, page $A talked about millage rates, point ing out the fact Houston County at 22.17 has the lowest among Bibb (32.72), Twiggs (36.43) and six or so others, as well as gave an update on the county’s roads/construction projects (keeping that portion of his talk inside a minute - although he said he could talk about it “all day” - to win a “friendly” bet among the other commissioners in attendance. The other commissioners in kind took their turn briefing the audi ence on a range of other topics See EGGS, page SA Contributed Journal/Charlotte Perkins