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Commissioners Ponder Proposal
Perry May Get State
Prison Work Center
By Bobby Branch
Houston County and City
officials met Tuesday with
Georgia director of offender
rehabilitation, Ellis Mac-
Dougall, at the Houston
County prison camp to
discuss the possibility of the
location of a state work
release center here.
County Commission
chairman Robert Byrd told
the gathering that the
meeting was called to listen
with “open minds" to Mac
Dougall's proposal. Byrd
pointed out that the county
owns 147 acres at the site of
the Houston prison camp in
Perry, on Kings Chapel Road
and that it is a possibility the
state work release institution
could be set up and
established on the county
property,
Mac Dougall said the first
consideration for putting the
work-release institution at
the Ferry site would be a
willingness by local industry
and business to hire
prisoners. He explained that
the work release program
places prisoners with a
maximum of 2 years prior to
their parole in jobs during
the day and they spend the
nights in the minimum
security institution. He said
the state has about 8,000
prisoners and that many of
them are skilled in all phases
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State corrections head Ellis MacDougall makes a point as he explained to
local officials at a meeting here Monday the operation of a state work release
center for prisoners. Looking on from left is Commissioner Frank Rozar and
Senator Stanley Smith.
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County and City officials met with state
correctional chief Ellis MacDougall at the prison
camp in Perry Monday afternoon to discuss the
possibility of locating a work-release center for
prisoners. Talking in front of the prison prior to
of work and that others are
not skilled in any type work.
MacDougall said the
purpose of the program is to
get men established in a job
so they can build up con
fidence and a bank account
before they are released
back into society. He noted
that the program is working
well in other areas of
Georgia where it is being
tested,
Mac Dougall told the
Commissioners that
financing is available for a
building and that eating and
laundry operations for the
work release center could be
combined with the prison
camp in Perry. He said if the
County operates the center,
the inmates will pay $4 a day
from the paychecks to the
county for room and board.
He said with 50 men the
program will pay for itself.
He pointed out that the state
will allow a maximum of 300
men in one location for the
program.
MacDougall said his
department is very in
terested in establishing a
work release center in
middle Georgia. He said
meetings with the Bibb
County Commissioners have
not proven “fruitful” to the
location of a center there.
Perry City Councilman
Dan Britton asked Mac-
Dougall about the possibility
of municipalities employing
the prisoners for sanitation
dept, and other City jobs. He
indicated the program could
mean a great deal to Cities
with the limited labor forces
in the area
The Home Journal
checked with some industry
in the area and they in
dicated it would be difficult
to place men in jobs because
of the vast amounts of shift
work and restrictions and
qualification placed on
employees. Also the matter
of unions was brought out by
one local industry official.
However, none of the in
County Tax
Rate Is Cut
tty Maxine Thompson
County operating millage
and hospital bond in
debtedness was set at 12
mills by Houston County
Commissioners Tuesday, a
reduction of three-fourths of
a mill.
On this basis, the 12 mills
would produce revenue of
$1,563,356. Revenue from
the meeting are, from left, Commissioner Cullen
Talton, Commissioner Frank Rozar, Commission
Chairman Robert Byrd, Senator Stanley Smith
Perry Mayor John Barton, Commissioner Alton
Tucker and State Rep. Vince Moyer.
dustries indicated they had a
policy against hiring such
people if they could meet the
requirements.
Chairman Byrd said a
survey of local industry will
be conducted right away
with the aid of the Warner
Robins and Perry chambers
of Commerce. He said the
county is “very interested”
in pursuing the idea of the
work release center and that
the matter will be taken
under study.
MacDougall said his staff
will be back in touch with
County officials soon to
discuss more in detail the
location of the center in
Perry.
other sources including beer
and wine taxes and some
fees is expected to be
$721,500, making a total
anticipated revenue of
$2,284,856.
The commissioners have
already approved budgets
totaling $1,908,983, leaving
about $1(75,873. From this
amount $100,635 must go for
hospital bond indebtedness.
This leaves about $275,238
to provide for ambulance
services, resurfacing streets
and roads in the county, and
possibly give the five per
cent increase to some 200
county employees. A
retirement program for
eligible county employees
under study by the com
mission would cost about
$20,000 in county funds.
Chairman Robert Byrd
said that he “understands”
the city of Warner Robins is
agreeable to the operation of
an emergency ambulance
service, and that while Perry
was undecided at one time
about providing this service
his informal contacts with
councilmen here indicate
they may be interested.
He said the hospital
authority is trying to work
out details for getting am
bulance service operable by
December 1, when the
county's funeral directors
will cut off ambulance
service.
Retiring WRAMA Commander, General A. J.
Beck, was honored with a going away breakfast
Wednesday morning by the Perry Chamber of
Commerce at the New Perry Hotel. They
presented Gen. Beck with a desk set and Mayor
John Barton gave him a key to the City. From left,
/ /^NABONAL^\
The Houston Home Journal
V NEWSPAPER^/
PAGE 2-A
City Council Discusses
Mosquitoes, Gas Rates
By Bobby Branch
Councilman James
McKinley "bowed out’’ at
Council meeting Tuesday
night as the leader in Ferry's
fight to wipe out the
mosquito population He
pointed out that the Mayor
had assigned him the job but
that he now wanted to turn it
back to the street depart
ment and Councilmen Dot
Houghton and Henry Casey.
McKinley turned over a
long and detailed report by
the Environmental
Protection Agency that
conducted a study on Perry’s
mosquito problems. Among
other things, the report
recommends the City pur
chase a fogging machine and
drain certain areas in town
that are breeding
mosquitoes. McKinley said
he has arranged for a
demonstration of the type
fogging machine the report
recommends the City buy
and it will be held in the next
few days.
In the meantime, the City
will continue to spray for the
insects by airplace at a cost
of $305 per spraying.
Although no action was
taken against the
mosquitoes, the City is
moving forward in the battle
against the pesky bugs.
City Changes From
Calendar To Fiscal Year
On a motion by Coun
cilman H. H. Hackworth at
Council meeting Tuesday
night, the Council voted to
change the City's accounting
system to a fiscal year (July
1,1972 to June 30, '973) from
the present calendar year.
Hackworth said the state and
federal governments use this
system and that it would
work out better for the City
from the standpoint of grants
and the collection of taxes.
City- attorney Larry Walker
said he checked the state law
and found no restriction why
the City could not change to a
fiscal year. Council
PERRY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1972
unanimously voted to change
it.
Councilman Hackworth
then said that he felt as
though the Council should
prepare a new budget for the
second half of the year to
coincide with the new fiscal
year. Council agreed they
would begin working on a
new half year budget right
away.
Councilman James
McKinley said he thought the
revision of a 6 months budget
would be a good idea. He said
he could think of several
things in the present budget
that needed revision. Hack
worth then said he noticed
that a sinking fund was not
included in the ad
ministrative department’s
budget, to point out one
factor that needed
clarification.
From all indications, the
City will now go back into
“pow wows” over a new 6
months budget to coincide
with the new fiscal year.
Houghton Wants
Park Ordinance
Councilman Dot Houghton
reported that someone broke
into the Houston Recreation
Park Monday night and
destroyed one of the steel
doors. He asked the city
attorney to draft an or
dinance that would set a fine
for anyone caught on the
premises of the park after
closing hours.
A young black drowned in
the pool at the park recently
after the park was closed.
Houghton Says Paving
Figure Wrong In Budget
Councilman Houghton said
Tuesday night his street
dept, is charged with
spending $56,000 for paving
in the City. He said that is not
true and that the figures are
misleading. He gave a run
down of the paving and
showed that most of the
money was spent last year
and not in the present year.
He also attacked, again, the
Chamber president Joe Poole, Mayor John
Barton, Gen. Beck, military affairs chairman of
the Chamber Tom Daniel. Gen Beck has been one
of the most popular WRAMA Commanders in
recent years.
paving of Woodlawn Drive
adjacent to the drive-in, or
as he calls it Cadillac Drive.
Council agreed to adjust
the figures.
City Needs Flag Poles
I>arry Clark, an advisor for
the Perry DeMolay chapter,
appeared before Council
with several DeMolay boys
Tuesday night and asked
that the City study the
possibility of installing some
flag poles around town so
that the DeMolay could
display American Flags on
special days. He pointed out
that they had been using the
old parking meter poles but
that many of them were bent
and in need of repairs. Clark
also noted that there is no
place in front of City Hall to
display the flag.
Councilman Dot Houghton
said he would look into the
situation and promised to get
two flag poles installed along
the sidewalks of the City Hall
for special flag display.
Industry’s Gas
Rates Going Up
Councilman James
McKinley read a letter from
Perry’s gas engineer, Robert
Gray, that recommended an
increase of 2.84 cents per
1,000 cubic feet of gas for
interruptible gas customers.
He explained that in
terruptible customers were
big business and industry
that use a lot of gas
get a lower rate by agreeing
to cut down on their gas
consumption when the
supply to the City runs low.
McKinley made a motion
to accept Grey’s recom
mendation and the rates will
go up this month.
READ THE HOME
JOURNAL WANT
ADS
Perryan Gets
Special Award
At WRAMA
Frank Cason of 1218
Crescent Drive in Perry has
been given a Special
Achievement Award for
Sustained Superior Per
formance at Robins Air
Force Base. The award
includes S2OO cash.
Cason works as an Inertial
Platform Repairer. Com
ments on his work and his
attitude show the basis on
which the award was made.
“Mr. Cason’s work is
consistently performed with
less than one percent rejects
and a direct effectiveness of
95 to 100 percent,” is one
comment made with his
award presentation.
Other remarks are, “He is
well adjusted to shop en
vironment and gets along
well with superior and fellow
employees. He observes
safety, security, fire
prevention and good
housekeeping practices and
regulations.
“Mr. Cason’s direct labor
effectiveness is always
better than 100 percent with
less than 1 percent rejects.
He has better than average
knowledge of electronics and
always takes advantage of
additional training that is
available. He organizes work
before beginning, checking
to make certain that all
necessary parts, tools and
technical orders are
available and test equipment
is in good working order.”
FIRE
REPORT
Perry Fire Dept.
Grass and trash fire at
home of Mrs. Hazel Hay,
Hay Road, July 11.
Brush and woods fire on
Northside Road July 12, no
damage.
Car fire on U.S. 41 south,
owned by Mrs. Joe Borders,
July 13. Slight damage.
Stove fire at home of
Louise Jones, Wolcott Street
July 16. Slight damage.
Considerable damage to
auto by fire on July 16, car
owned by Shorty Pen
nington.
Standby due to gas leak at
home of Bill Richardson,
U.S. 341 south.
Centerville
July 12, Heritage Avenue,
bulldozer caught fire. No
estimate on damages.
July 13. Heritage Avenue,
minor fire damage to
residence of W. K. Farris.
Bonalre-Kathleen
No activity.
Hayneville-Grovania
No activity.