Newspaper Page Text
The Houston Home Journal
Bobby Branch, President-Editor-Publisher NNA ER
AuoclHion ■ Founded TRM
Official Organ City Os Perry And Houston County. Georgia
maxim: THOMPSON JIMMY CHAPMAN PHIL BYND
AmmMl* EAil.r ProNuctloa M«> Sport, Editor
DORIS XAPPIELD JANICE COLWELL
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EMILY MONTGOMERY V
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NEWSPAPER /
"An Award Winning Georgia Weekly Newspaper"
PAGE 4-A
The City Council passed a garbage
collection fee Tuesday night and
certainly their action is going to be
controversial with some citizens. In
the past, Perry has collected garbage
at no fee and beginning June 1,
residences will have to pay $1.50 a
month and businesses $7.50 a month.
It is our opinion that Council had no
other choice but to impose this fee or
to levy additional ad valorem
(property) taxes on the citizens of
Perry. We do not want to see more
property taxes and we feel a garbage
fee, although not desirable, is the
answer to the City’s pressing
financial needs at this time.
We should point out that Coun
cilmen James McKinley and D. K.
Houghton voted against the garbage
fee. McKinley gave his reasons as
imposing a burden on many citizens
who live on a limited income and also
From what we could gather from
Tuesday’s meeting of the Houston
County Commissioners, there ap
pears to be some “gap” of sorts
between some County officials and
members of the Sheriff’s Dept. Could
be a communications gap, we are not
sure.
County Warden Allen Stone told
Commissioners of several incidents in
the past few weeks that he had a
problem in getting cooperation from
the Sheriff’s Dept, on matters con
cerning violations of County laws. At
least one of the incidents can’t be
reported on at this time because it
might jeapordize possible legal
action that may be taken.
We find it difficult to understand
Perry's Peter Meens
Peter Meens is an employee of the
City of Perry. But he is not just an
employee. He works as an assistant at
the City’s sewerage treatment plant
and does a fine job. But a few months
ago he decided he wanted to put more
into his job so he began studying for a
test that would make him a licensed
seweraged treatment plant operator.
He did this on his own time and with
his own money. The other day, at his
own expense, he went to Atlanta, and
Perry Enters Contest
The Perry Chamber of Commerce
has entered the annual State
Chamber’s “Stay and See Georgia"
contest
Stay and See is a Georgia wide
program that is designed to help
communities further develop their
tourist industry and tourist - related
businesses. Through the Stay and See
program, Perryans will work
together to make Perry an even
better place for tourists to visit and a
better place to live.
Perry will be involved with three
areas in this year's contest "Clean up
and Beautification, "Points of In
terest" and "Accomodations and
Facilities".
We would like to see a community
effort put forth in this most important
con f est that could result in con
PERRY, GEORGIA. THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1972
New Garbage Fee
Gap In County?
that local businessmen will be op
posed toil because they were opposed
to an increase in business licenses
recently. Houghton gave his reasons,
we think, that he had talked about a
garbage fee over a year ago and was
voted down on it and had been
“knocked” down on many previous
occasion in proposals he has made to
save the City money.
At any rate, we really can’t see any
other alternative the City has at this
time. A garbage fee will be shared by
all citizens and is probably the most
equitable that can be imposed at this
time. It is not going to be a popular
thing with many citizens. But the City
is faced with the simple fact that a
means to create more income must
be devised immediately. The garbage
fee is the answer ... At least for the
time being.
why there should be such a “gap” of
cooperation and communication
between certain County officials and
employees. If indeed, there is a
“gap” then something should be done
immediately to do away with the
problem. County officials must work
together and without complete
cooperation with one another,
progress is difficult.
We call on the County Com
missioners to look deeper into the
apparent “gap” between those we
have mentioned. If a gap is there,
then they should take steps to find
out why and what can be done about
it.
-8.8.
passed the test.
Such dedication is commendable
and City Council Tuesday night
presented Mr. Meens with a cer
tificate of their appreciation for his
efforts and dedication to helping
make Perry an even better place to
live. We commend Mr. Meens for his
interest in the City. Perry is fortunate
to have many dedicated City em
ployees and department heads and
Peter Meens is one of them.
-8.8.
siderable publicity and recognition
for Perry. An effort between the
chamber, the City and the citizens of
Perry, in a community-wide clean up.
fix-up campaign would be a good
start, in our opinion.
We should not forget that tourism is
the number one industry in Perry.
And it is growing more and more each
day with the addition of more motels
and the influx of more tourists into
our community. What better way to
promote the tourist industry than
through the Stay and See Contest? We
hope the community will get behind
this effort and when the Chamber
calls on you for support, get the job
done. Let’s make Perry number one
in the Third District this year in the
Stay and See contest We can do it
with a little help from everyone.
' *
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The View From Here H|| Hjj^H
jHHBr
When I rode around the countryside
taking the photos used on the “Spring
Scenes” feature page a few weeks
back, I managed to identify all of the
people involved, but the cattle in one
picture just wouldn’t cooperate and
they were left unidentified.
Any farmer worth his salt knows his
own cattle, however, and the minute
Gene Brumbaugh picked up the
paper, he told me later, he took one
look and said, “Aha! That Maxine’s
been taking pictures of my cows
without my permission!” We had a
good laugh over that while I took
more pictures in his strawberry patch
and took home a few baskets of the
goodies.
The Brumbaugh families, Gene and
Sue and their children and Gene’s
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Brum
baugh, moved here some years ago
from Ohio, and I don’t know when I’ve
seen a happier bunch of farmers
anywhere. They grow strawberries in
their young orchards; grow
vegetables: raise cattle; breed, train
and show dogs, including their
specialty, Schnauzers. I don’t know
what else they do (in whatever time
is left over) but they’re always busy
and always friendly.
+ + +
Reading about rats biting two
people in and around Perry, an adult
and a child, brought back a few
childhood memories for me. Although
you don’t hear much about them any
more, “wharf” rats have been around
for a long time and will likely con
tinue to slink around barns and
outbuildings, and occasionally go
foraging into a house when they can’t
find food outside.
When I was a small child one of the
pests climbed up in a chair beside my
bed, reached over and bit a couple of
my fingers. I yelled bloody murder, of
course, andmy folks came rnning and
the rat ran away. My parents poured
spirits of turpentine on the fingers
and I went back to sleep with no ill
Houghton Waves Banner
We notice Councilman Dot
Roughton is still waving the banner
for “Women’s Liberation” We think
that is a fine thing. The Councilman
has found himself a good and worthy
cause in the eyes of many women. Os
course, on the other hand, the
movement is not so popular with the
men.
The only danger we see in Coun
cilman Houghton’s shift to the
“Women’s Lib” movement is the fact
effects turning up later.
Daddy went out next morning and
brought back one of those wire mesh
cages that animals can enter but
can’t get out of, and with a little bait
he soon had a big rat inside bound for
destruction. I believe he caught
several and the problem ended.
Now, this was during the depression
years and we were poor, but our
house and the premises were clean.
You don’t have to live in a crowded,
filthy ghetto to be invaded by hungry
rats.
I hope these two rat bites don’t
bring any harm to the two local
people who were bitten. And I hope
that the incidents aren’t repeated.
They can be very frightening.
+ + +
When I saw two old friends from
Cordele Friday night, and several
more Saturday night and could only
recall the name of one (last name and
not even his first, called him his
brother’s name!) I realized I’d been
gone longer than I realized. We’ve
live in Perry for six and a half years,
and now I know more Perry people
than Cordele folks. Even so, I won
dered why it was so hard to recall
their names when their faces were
definitely familiar.
Then I recalled that hardly a day
passes that I don’t meet at least one
new person in my line of work.
Leaving out weekends and vacations
(which I shouldn’t, because I meet
new folks then, too) that makes a
minimum of 250 new people a year I
meet, and I’m afraid my brain
doesn’t store all of them neatly away
by name and appearance, computer
style. I’m only human, and every now
and then my brain reaches the
saturation point and won’t absorb any
more.
So if you walk up to me and I look
blank, please don’t make me guess. I
refuse, even if I have to point-blank,
ask your name. I’ll do it, sure as my
name is - uh - uh-.
that he might just find himself
liberated from his bachelorhood by
some enthusiastic member of the
movement. Roughton of course, is a
bachelor, having never gone down the
path of wedded bliss.
Maybe it would be a good thing if
the Councilman does finally yield to
matrimony. Very interesting We
hope we get invited to the wedding.
BOBBY £*•'
BRANCH
OUT ON A
BRANCH 'T
GOOD OLE HOUSTON County politics are
heating up so fast, so soon, that the political pot
might just reach 100 degrees before the ther
mometer does. This is a big political year in
Houston County and most politicians find them
selves in the position of either having to run again
or get out of the political chaos.
The Democrats are running against each other
in some races and the Republicans are putting
their heads together to come up with opposition.
The August 8, General Primaries will tell the
story of who will be matched up against each
other on November 8, unless there are some run
offs, of course.
Down at the courthouse, officers who will have
to run for their positions include Ordinary Clint
Watson, Sheriff Albert Hudson (who already has
some opposition), Clerk Tommie Hunt, Tax
Commissioner Joyce Griffin, Judge Willis Hunt,
District Attorney Avon Buice and County Com
missioners Frank Rozar. Commissioners Cullen
Talton and Edward Bryant won’t be running
again because they will be seeking other offices.
Bryant for Mayor of Warner Robins and Talton
for Sheriff. And of course, Commissioner Alton
Tucker is thinking seriously about running for
State Representative from the northern part of
the County.
The County Commissioners office could be as
wide open as it has ever been in recent years and
that’s interesting. The only Commissioner from
this part of the County on the Commission is
Frank Rozar and he will probably seek re
election. But there are rumors going around now
that another southerner (that’s slang for those
who live in this portion of the county) may run for
the Commission. Former Commissioner Stewart
Bloodworth hasn’t said he would or would not
wage a campaign for the Commission. He was an
outspoken, many times controversial figure on the
Commission when he served. But maybe he was a
little ahead of his time then. Perhaps he will run.
Perhaps a little outspokenness is needed at this
time.
This just may be the year that someone forgets
to close the gates, and all the politicians ( and
those who think they are politicians) stream into
the open field to graze upon what they consider the
green pastures.
This will certainly be the hottest summer
Houston County has had in many years ... Even if
the temperature doesn’t ever reach 100 degrees.
I WROTE HERE a couple of weeks ago about a
column I had read in Bo McCleod’s newspaper,
The Donalsonville News. Bo was writing that
week about a Jallop supper the folks in Seminole
County were holding and it appeared Jallops were
a favorie dish in that part of the state. I didn’t
know what Jallops were and I wrote a piece
about it
Well, I still don’t know what they are but I have
a gallon of them in my freezer at this time,
compliments of the Sage of Seminole, Bo Mc-
Cleod. I appreciate the Jallops and I suppose now
my next step will be to find out what they are and
then how to prepare them for the table .. Does
anybody know? ...I’m hungry for Jallops ... I
think.
Letter To The Editor
Dear Sir:
Several weeks ago I had to
come to Perry when my
father was stricken with a
coronory on his way home
from Florida. He was in the
Houston Perry Hospital for a
day or so before he passed
away.
Since I am the President of
our Dixon Chamber of
Commerce, I know that
many times you hear only
the troubles of your com
munity. I would like to
I've Been Through Two Warv'l 1 M.n
Three Children And A Bankruptcy.. And You’re
Telling Me I Don't "Know What Life Is All About
mention that the hospital,
the staff and especially the
pink ladies were very
thoughtful to my family in
the time of our trouble and
that the management of the
New Perry Hotel were most
gracious to us all.
I would hope that we in
Dixon, Illinois treat our
visitors in trouble as well as
we were treated there.
Sincerely,
Paul Berrettini