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CU O € O 1-1 4 ;-4 100th Anniversary Issue Inside
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Master plan unveiled for
county industrial parks
by Cornelia B. Nichols
Peach County Development
Authority members received an
update on plans for North Peach
and South Peach industrial parks
at the February meeting recently.
Providing the update was Frank
Meaders of Hensley-Schmidt
engineering firm in Marietta, the
architects of the master plan for
development of the parks.
Plans are to divide the Byron in¬
dustrial park into 16 five-to
VI-acre sites at an estimated cost
of $737,600 to include 5500 lineal
feet of paving, gas, water and
sewerage. The engineer recom¬
mended construction of a
speculative building because “you
have to have a product to sell.”
He added that industries usually
are on a short time frame and
want to move into a location
shortly after they decide to set up
operation.
“The client is number one; It's a
lot of give and take, more give on
your part,” he noted.
Advising the evaluation of the
Authority’s immediate financial
needs with the needs of the pro¬
spective client, Meaders suggested
to members that sometimes they
might have to reject a client.
South Peach Industrial Park’s
planned development includes
twelve 2.3 and 5.9 acre sites.
Estimated cost of development is
$320,000 with 2750 feet of paved
road, Meaders noted. Robert
Turk, Executive Director of the
Authority and James Lewis,
Authority member, are working
with the City of Fort Valley and
county officials regarding place¬
ment of utilities and paving of the
area, it was noted.
Discussing a speculative
building at the North Peach site,
Turk told the group that Jim
Topple, contractor, advised a
masonry rather than a metal
building. According to Topple, a
three-sided structure with a dirt
floor and one side left open would
be suitable and adaptable to any
future tenant. That would cost
about $12 per square foot to
build; finishing - for which the
Authority would not be responsi¬
ble - cost would be $10 per square
foot.
Topple, who has his own means
of financing construction and
many contacts to market his pro¬
duct, would require a two to three
year guarantee on interest
payments instead of the four to
five year guarantee that the
Authority thought might be re¬
quired awhile back before Topple
County has not paid its fair
share, says Airport Authority
by Cornelia B. Nichols
Figures recently given to The
Leader-Tribune relative to the
contributions of the four
municipalities - Fort Valley,
Perry, Peach County and Houston
County -- to the maintenance of
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GROUND BREAKING CEREMONIES FOR THE NEW BYRON ELEMENTARY
School addition were held Wednesday, February 16th. Peach
Co. School Supt. B. J. McClendon (standing on tractor) told the
onlookers that the neW building should put to rest any fears of
closing the middle school in Byron. Projected completion date
for the school building is September 1988.
PHOTO BY PETE NICHOLS
suit
fCcaber-Sribwic
Peach County’s best news and advertising source ... since 1888
was contacted.
Topple, who in earlier years
was associated with Pattillo Con
struction Company, has built
speculative buildings in Jesup as
well as Canton.
Byron Mayor James Williams
reported to the Authority that
the infra-structure in North Peach
Park is 60% complete. An eight
inch water line is being laid to the
site and construction of a lift sta¬
tion should begin soon. much
Saying “We’re pretty on
schedule,” the mayor estimated a
com pletion date of the last of
March or the first of April.
Development Authority Chair¬
man Stan Lomax commended the
mayor for the city’s progress as
the Authority had been commend¬
ed earlier by Meaders for “biting
the bullet and getting the
utilities and road in place at the
North Peach Park site.
In other action the Authority
decided to participate in a red
arpet tour of ten Middle Georgia
Cl ities scheduTcfd for April 6. Total
cost of the tour is $25,000; Peach
County’s share is $1750.
Si I think it’s essential,” noted
Turk, reminding Authority
members that 40 plant managers
would be in attendance.
Authority’s contention that
Peach County is behind in its
payments to the joint project. Ac¬
cording to Houser, Peach County
allocated nothing in 1982, $3,980
in 1983, and $4,200 in 1984. In
1985 the county allocated $4,200
plus $7,500 for the hangar.
Payments in 1986 totaled $4,810
and the county gave $4,200 in
1987. This brinies the county’s
total allocations to $28,890, tne
Authority omcer comenus.
Peach County's allocations con¬
trast with $39,324.75 from the Ci¬
ty of Fort Valley; $48,251.75
from Houston County and
$46,824.25 from the City of
Perry, Houser’s records reveal.
Compared with Houston County’s
contributions, this leaves Perry
with a $1,427.50 deficit, Fort
Valley with a deficit of $8,927 and
Peach County with a deficit of
$19,361.75.
“If all had paid as much as
Houston County our bank
balance would be $29,716.25
more than it is,” reported Houser.
A member of the Authority
who wished to remain
anonymous, pointed out to Peach
County residents who may ques¬
tion the usefulness of the airport,
that the 700 jobs that Northrop
Corporation will bring into the
area would not be prospective if
the airport had not been in this
area.
tt If the Perry-Fort Valley Air¬
port had not been there they (Nor¬
throp) would have located
elsewhere,” he said.
This same source also noted
that the total budget increase
brought the requested amount
from each municipality to
$11,000 for 1988. This was not an
$11,000 increase, as was reported
last week.
The new requested allocation of
$11,000, he added, represents only
.004% of the county's total 1988
FY budget of $3,302,954 - a
percentage “which will be more
than offset by the 700 jobs that
Northrop will bring in.”
the Perry-Fort Valley Airport ap¬
parently were incomplete, accor
ding to John Houser,
Secretary/Treasurer of the Perry
Fort Valley Airport Authority.
Houser provided figures dating
back to 1982 to support the
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RONNIE WOMACK, SECOND FROM RIGHT, EXPLAINED
to the Peach County Commission his plans for
the asphalt company that will be located on
Smith Road in north Peach County. The coun¬
ty planning and zoning commission
unanimously approved location of the plant
there, after which a public hearing at the coun¬
ty commission meeting drew no opponents to
Drug habit supported by forgery
by Cornelia B. Nichols
A Centerville man has been
charged with six counts of forgery
in Peach County after he allegedly
cashed checks belonging to a
Cleveland Byrd, address
unknown. Peach County Sheriff
Johnnie V. Becham said Monday
afternoon that the suspect is
wanted in Houston County for
the same offenses.
Ronald Allen Murray, 28, of
Centerville, was charged Friday,
January 29, with forgery after he
cashed a check at 3 G Grocery
Store. Forged checks totalling
$74 have been turned in on the ac¬
count of Cleveland Byrd.
According to the sheriff, Mur¬
ray took some checks from a
repossessed mobile home and
started cashing them in the Middle
Georgia area. The check cashing
formed a pattern, Becham said, in¬
dicative of the suspect’s support of
a drug habit.
“He bought two dollars worth
of gas and had $15 left for crack,”
the sheriff said that the suspect
told him.
“These drugs are creating a pro¬
blem for everyone,” he continued.
“Everyone wants to get rid of it..
. (it has) become an epidemic. We
need to utilize all our resources
(to eradicate the problem),” the
sheriff added.
Murray was lodged in the
Byron jail until he was turned
Commission promises
study on Montrose St.
by Cornelia B. Nichols
The Fort Valley Utilities Com¬
mission promised Mrs. Brenda
Rodgers that a professional study
would be done to determine what
action the Commission can take
to alleviate the drainage problem
on Montrose Street.
Fort Valley
wrestles
with trash
by Cornelia B. Nichols
It is generally agreed that
disposal of trash will be a problem
for governing bodies until the end
of time. The Fort Valley City
Council had its latest bout with
the problem last week at the
regular council meeting Thursday
night. told
Councilman N. W. Jordan
council about complaints that he
had received from the Fort Valley
Shopping Center regarding trash
blowing onto adjoining property
-- a joint city/county problem
since the city owns the dumpsters
that are on county property
Continued un Hage 12A
Utilities Department Director
Glen Taylor told the Commission
that a limited study could be done
before the March meeting of the
Commission. Commission Chair
man Bob Hunnicutt reminded
Rodgers that not much money is
available for storm drains.
Commissioner Frank Spearman
noted that another pumping sta¬
tion might be needed. He stated
that the street is higher than the
lots, which causes water to settle
in a few of the yards. He added
“there’s no easy solution to the
problem.” Commissioner Joe
Frank Rinehart reminded Rodgers
that her neighbors had not
wanted a ditch cut between their
houses and the street when they
appeared before the commission
with this problem some time ago.
The city still hopes to get some
help from the state to correct the
problem. Mayor C. W. Peterson
said that he hoped when paving of
the street is completed the state
will see fit to consider Montrose a
connector between state routes 96
and 49. in that case the state
might help fund correction of any
drainage problem. As he noted,
the ditch on 96 has reached its
capacity and cannot take any more
runoff water after a heavy rain.
“It’s an answer that hangs in the
air determined by several factors, H
said Peterson in reference to the
solution of the problem.
A Prin-Wiiuuni
Ncwtpaptr
1986
Better Nrw> paper
Volume 101, Issue 7
Wed., Feb. 24, 1988
22 Pages, 2 Inserts
the change in zoning from RR1 to M2. The
company, one of whose owners is James W.
O’Neal, second from left, will pave the road
from the Colonial pipe line to Ga. 11. Also in
the picture are County Commission Clerk Tom
Franklin, far left, and Commissioner Chester
Wilkerson, Jr. PHOTO BY PETE NICHOLS
over to the Bibb County Sheriffs
Office on February 5, Denise
Jackson of the Byron Police
Department reported.
Peach County Investigator 41
Terry Deese is handling this coun¬
ty’s investigation of the case.
4
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To have you? chib, otqsnizatien, community
ovent or official meeting listed hn col 825-2432.
TAX-SAVINGS PROGRAM AT LIBRARY -
Faye Popper, Financial Consultant
with Merrill Lynch in Macon, will pre¬
sent a program on Tax-Savings Ideas
for Investors at Thomas Public
Library, Monday, February 29 at 7:30
p.m This is a free program.
LIBRARY AUXILIARY will meet .,
Wednesday, March 2 at 3 p.m at the
Thomas Public Library. Hostesses
are Mrs. Marlon Maddox and Mrs.
Malcolm Taylor President, Mrs. Hank
Wilson, urges all members to attend.
AL-ANON a newly formed Al-Anon
group will be meeting every Wednes¬
day night at 8:30 p.m. at St. Andrews
Episcopal Church, 305 Central
Avenue, Fort Valley. Al-Anon is a
group of family or friends of
alcoholics working together with
Alcoholics Anonymous.
TCT PREPARATION WORKSHOP - for in
service teachers Saturday, March 5,
from 8 a m. to 4 p.m., in the Farm and
Community Life Center at Fort Valley
State College. For pre-registration in¬
formation, contact one of the follow¬
ing departments: School of Educa¬
tion 825-6386; School of Arts and
Sciences 825-6454; External Degree
Program 474-2869 (Macon) or
926-6125 (Warner Robins).
CONGRESSMAN RICHARD RAY’S AID HERE
- Arthur White, Jr., Congressman
Richard Ray’s District Representative
will be at the Fort Valley City Hall
February 24th from 10-11 a.m. White
will be available to talk with anyone
wishing to voice their opinion on
legislation. Constituents may also
call toll free 1-800-282-5007 for
assistance and information.
CARWASH TO BENEFIT HABITAT -
rescheduled (weather permitting) for
Saturday, February 27 at 10 a.m. at
Hardee's in Fort Valley.
PEACH COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY -
will meet Thursday, February 25 at 11
a.m. In the conference room of Peach
County Hospital
PEACH COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION -
will meet Tuesday. March 1, at 7:30
Continued On 10A