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Wed., October 2 , 2002 /Y</< li ( mini i/ s s mm e of Im ill iictos, ml mnl s/iorl s 10(1 t/curs...
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GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT A
UNIV OF GA
ATHENS GA 30602
Governor to at bus tour here
BY DAVID WAIJiNCEUS
L T Staff Writer
Blue Bird and Peach County
Development Authority
(PCDA are moving forward
with efforts to approach
Governor Roy Barnes with
plans for expansion. Barnes is
scheduled to appear at a bus
tour in Fort Valley later this
week.
Richard Maddox, CEO of
Blue Bird Body Company,
addressed city and county offi
cials in a called meeting
Monday night asking for a
“Memorandum
Understanding". This memo
randum would bo delivered to
Governor Barnes’ office
Tuesday ‘October 1st).
The letter outlines expecta
tions of city and county alike to
grant 100 jiercent Freeport for
Peach &
Inside
Out
The Fort Valley State University R0TC
Dept, is accepting applications for the
2002 Homecoming Parade scheduled
for October 19,2002. Deadline to regis
ter is Friday, October 11,2002. All orga
nizations must register to participate.
For more information call 478-825-
6340.
The Byron Bunch Square Dance Club
announces their 18th CURE (research
for Childhood Cancer) fund raiser.
They will host an annual Hobo Dance
on Saturday, Oct. 5th from 6-11 p.m. at
the Byron Gym. There will be a Hobo
dress-up contest. Admission is $5 and
all proceeds go to CURE. Hobo stew
and combread will be served. Call
Linda Chadwick at 827-0103 for details.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meets
every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
at 7:30 p.m., St. Andrews Episcopal
Church, 309 Central Ave., Fort Valley.
For information call 478-825-8133, 825-
7337 or 825-3498.
BYRON TOPS CHAPTER meets every
Thursday evening, 7 p.m. at Byron
United Methodist Church. For more
information call 956-3935 or 218-2919.
PEACH COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 1982 will celebrate their 20th
reunion Saturday, October 19, 2002.
Classmates interested in obtaining
information for the busy weekend
planned, can call Sue Green Zuniga in
Bonaire at 478-922-8452.
SASANQ'JA FESTIVAL at Massee Lane
Gardens, Oct. 1-31. Hands on discus
sion every Wednesday in October at 1
D m.; Senior Citizens Day is Oct. 22; fall
fashion show Oct. 16. Call 478-967-
2358 for admission fees and informa
tion on events.
Peach County High School Class of
1985 will host a class reunion meeting
October 12, 2002, noon, Thomas
Public Library. All members asked to
be present and on time. For more infor
mation call Phyllis M. Davis 478-827-
1878.
MORE INSIDE PAGE 2A
m m Perspectives 4A f Trojans paddle Patriots
I Op-Editorial - - 5A Lady FVMS TYojans & BMS on softball top Legals/Classifieds Religion/Obits 3B-4B 7B-9B
► Pages 1B & 2B -
Vol No.«3
» Y-
I
Rehabilitation here
Don’t go out of town. You can get
physical rehabilitation therapy
right here in Peach County.
MPage 6B
Bluebird enticing them to
expand the existing business
in Fort Valley. Freeport grants
a tax exempt status on materi
als and inventory produced by
an industry within the county,
Peach County has already
made plans to implement a 60
percent free port for businesses
with plans to eventually allow
100 percent. Freeport exemp
tion status has already report
edly harmed Peach County
with the loss of businesses
that considered plant locations
here. Along with Freeport
Bluebird is asking for tax
abatements for additions that
could be made if the Governors
office grants money for expan
sion. PCDA and Blue Bird
began working with the
Governors office and the
Department of Industry and
Trade in January of 2002
Chief’s
woes not
over yet
BY DAVID WAIJINCEUS
L T Staff Writer
Police chief and budget
work sessions sparked
heated discussion within
the personnel committee
last week.
Beth Collins, council
member and personnel
committee chairman.
called a special meeting
Wednesday to address
concerns for the city.
( olhns expressed concern
over Police Chief Jerry
Stripling's actions w'hich
led to his suspension for
testing positive for alcohol
while on duty. She recom
mended that changes may
need to be made to involve
committee members.
Martha Harris, city
administrator, deals with
. , , , .
cepa men ear s as i lr
supervisor. aI " ns a
administered discipline
for Stripling as described
by the city's personnel
manual. Several commit
tee members expressed
they felt no changes were
needed or at least it would
inhibit an appeal process
to involve council mem
bers. Norman Fitzgerald,
Mayor pro-tern, asked
Collins why she felt a sus
pension was not in order
for Stripling. She replied
that he had compromised
ment. Collins stated that
she had spoken to several
people expressing that
Stripling can still and
should be charged with
driving under the influ
ence. Fitzgerald retorted,
-Sound, like , bunch of
white people want to get
_
PitAM iv rn ro
CHIEF, Pact 2A
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applying for grant money
available as an incentive to
attract industries to the State
of Georgia. PCDA would act as
a vehicle to receive revenue
bonds issued to improve exist
ing equipment for Blue Bird,
Blue Bird in turn would lease
the equipment for the amount
of bond payments paid by
PCDA. Industry and trade
recommended to Blue Bird
and PCDA that we show a
commitment on a local level to
keep Blue Bird in Fort Valley,
Armed with this commitment
Blue Bird and PCDA can pro-
___
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AN ISLAND OASIS? No, actually this backyard paradise scene was created by Wade Simerly and wife
j ane . Mr. Simerly, who is retired, said “The sound of the water is a serene backdrop for a cup of coffee!”
PHOTO BY DAVID WALENCEUS
at odds over
BY DAVID WALENCEUS
L T Staff Writer
—----———
Though the City of Fort Valley s per
sonnel manual says Department Heads
do not rec eive overtime, one in fact, did
received $35,000 in overtime pay.
Budget work sessions began last May
for city council members and long hours
were spent justifying amounts requested
by all departments,
It was soon after when some council
members had learned Richard Powell,
Public Works Director had received
$35,000 in overtime pay. Fort Valley’s
personnel manual states that depart
ment heads are not eligible for overtime
c j t i n g Fair Labor Acts. Labor Acts were
passe d by unions to protect the rights of
hourly employees from losing potential
Cowell came under fire after the last
phase of an inner city ditch project could
n ’ t be completed by private contractor
a
due to fund shortages. Faced with the
problem the city proposed to complete
the work in-house Under that proposal
Ltrehou” Powell would hi,lbnTdedtcomplex be comnensated for the
the project. Powell had relayed to some
that he wasn’t willing to preform the
work without compensation. Several
council members stated they had no rec-
Domestic violence
October is Domestic Violence Awareness
month. Find out who, where, what and why
inside this week.
g Page 7A
ceed with applications for
grant money to equip Fort
Valley’s plant with up to $70
million worth of improve
ments. This would also mean
630 new jobs. Blue Birds con
tinued existence is not threat
ened in Peach County but may
suffer reductions in production
if changes aren’t made. Blue
Bird has already announced
plans stopping production of
school busses in Fort Valley,
Other States have approached
Blue Bird offering incentives
to relocate their main facilities
and Barnes has already lost
ollection of discussions including Powell
in the total for overtime pay when coun
cil approved the project. Concern for the
taxpayers money and possibly repeating
the mistake has council considering clar
if y i n g its poliev regarding pay and
department heads.
Fort Valley council members share
the responsibility of making changes in
Byron industrial park rehashed
BY FAYE JONES - The Leader-Tribune
~-TT-- Mayar Robert Wright, members 7 - of 7
B3 T°? 2? Dt * v ' e,0 . P me "t * TL™’ Authority met , in a
mee *'" g °" Th 'f’ 26 > 2002at
u^h^aytr^ore Cit^Clerk Betty
Sif ^ ichael 11 ®- Def'ck £ h dls Hayes Mlke and f ha nibley, councilmen Mike
' r ’
!r na y ’ Betty ^ Hortman 811(1 Jesse HaH.
I SfTf h ° 8 ? lopment re P resentin j? Chairman the Jimmy Byron
were
™ ' Jimmy Garvin Stan Childres and
^ im ^P 1 ^- Gthers attending were City
esta *?, ^e f? broker A Jack JT7 Upshaw !?* and ^ twoassis
The primary purpose of the meeting was
to address the progress or lack of in the
m
Mercedes and Hyundai plants
to Alabama. Incentive to move
now and quickly is in front of
County Commissioners and
City Council members agree
ing to Blue Bird’s requests,
County Commissioners voted
unanimously to allow chair
man James Khoury to sign the
“Memorandum of
Understanding”. City Council
also voted unanimously to
allow Mayor John E Stumbo to
sign on the city’s behalf.
PCDA members met on
Tuesday morning (October 1st)
in an emergency meeting to
policy for the benefit of controlling func
tions for city services. One of the ways it
does so is by committees formed in each
department to recommend answers to
full council for consideration. Personnel
committee members will scrutinized the
policy to see if changes are necessary.
Council member Beth Collins heads that
committee,
development of the Byron Industrial Park.
Upshaw a PP roac hed both bodies with a
proposal which would allow him to market
,ots in the park for one y ear * ” If 1
mee t your expectation within a year. I will
gone and there Wl11 ** no hard feelings.”
B^ IT $3 d^thT
anxious to see the park up and running,
He reiterated several times that he Was
not casting stones at members of the
Byron l^velopment Authority, but he stat
ed they did now have the time nor experi
ence to market the park. ’’1 think I may see
things you all may not see. I have a good
M "”"' »" d <*j™ '
want to work with people who will work
Pi IASI tvrsi to
BYRON, P\(,f 2A
I
Ribbon cutting
A new technology lab was dedicated
at Peach County High School this
week. A ribbon cutting was held.
g Page 2A
approve and collect signatures
for their part of the agreement
with a deadline of 2 pm. The
last component of the agree
ment came with a signature
from the tax assessors board
member agreeing to work,
with county officials institut
ing tax abatements.
Governor Roy Barnes has
plans to visit Fort Valley and
Blue Bird Thursday (October
3rd) and may have announce
ments for Peach County that
could bring economic changes
for some time to come,