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By Highway Dept.
Mayor Says Traffic
Study Underway Here
By Maxine Thompson
Mayor John Barton told
Perry counoilmen Tuesday
night that the State Highway
Department had been asked
some weeks ago to look into
the traffic problem here on
U.S. 341 north at the Grant
Plaza shopping center.
Recommendations he had
received in the mail were not
clear, Mayor Barton said,
and he planned to go to
Thomaston to discuss the
problem with state officials
on Friday morning.
The Mayor said that the
library board had requested
a change in their contract for
the mechanical system at
the new library under
construction from electrical
controls as called for on the
original contract to a
pneumatic control system.
Gene Smith, member of the
library board who was
present, confirmed the fact
that this would not involve
any change in cost. Any
change in contract, however,
must be approved by
council. The change was
unanimously approved.
A letter from the Perry
Housing Authority by Lewis
Meeks stated that there were
currently two vacancies on
the Authority and gave
recommendations for filling
them which were also
unanimously approved by
the council.
W. E. Beckham, Jr., who
was originally appointed to a
two-year term which expired
Perry Hospital May
Furnish Meals To W.R.
By Joe Hlett
The Perry Hospital may be
furnishing meals for both
itself and its larger brother
in Warner Robins in the very
near future, at least it may
be doing so if ARA has its
way. This unusual un
dertaking was proposed last
Monday night at the Houston
County Hospital Authority
meeting in Warner Robins.
Since the Warner Robins
Hospital is undergoing ex
pansion, in the next few
months the present kitchen
facilities will be unavailable.
So a search is presently
underway by the Hospital
Authority to determine the
best means of supplying the
Warner Robins Hospital with
meals. This is where ARA
comes in. ARA represen
tative Terry Crump made a
strong proposal that the
meals be prepared at the
Perry Hospital and then
ARA be allowed to transport
the hot meals to Warner
Robins using trucks. The
meals would be kept warm in
microwave ovens.
Crump was unable to give
a concrete cost proposal for
his plan but indicated that
the cost would be calculated
on a per meal basis. Asked
by Authority members of
ARA facilities near Houston
County, Crump said that
Wesleyan College in Macon
was served by his company.
Crump also remarked that
many hospitals throughout
the nation use his company’s
services the nearest being
the University of South
Carolina Hospital in
Charleston. Other colleges
mentioned as being serviced
by ARA restaurant facilities
PERRY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, AUG. 3, 1972
July 17,1971 was reappointed
to a five-year term to end in
1976. Meeks pointed out that
Gene Trotter was originally
appointed to a three-year
term in October 1970, and
then I.eon McWhite was
appointed to fill his unex
pired term. McWhite
resigned when his business
transferred him to St.
Missouri.
W. A. “Pete” Whitehurst
was appointed to fill this
unexpired term.
Mayor Barton announced
that the city received a gas
refund in the amount of
$4,039.21 this week. He also
explained that a previous
gas refund has been credited
to gas customers in the bills
they received on August 1
and is represented by the
credit shown in red print on
the bills. The amount
received this week is not
returnable to customers
because the city paid it but
did not charge customers for
it.
Councilman H. H. Hack
worth told council, “I think it
would be well to exercise
extreme judgement in ex
pending large amounts of
money and holding the line,
and we should stick with an
austerity program as I think
we’re getting a little short on
cash - things look like we are.
Maybe it would be better for
the city in general if we kind
of tighten up the purse
strings.” He said that the
included UCLA, Florida
State and North Carolina
State.
Crump also noted in his
presentation that many
people have the idea that
ARA retails only packaged
sandwiches and drinks.
However, he added, the
packaged food division is
only one division of ARA.
Crump said that ARA also
has over 400 restaurants
throughout the nation.
Acting Hospital Authority
Chairman Louis “Smokey”
Harper of Perry appointed
the Hospital Authority
Finance Committee headed
by fellow Perryan Billy
Beckham to investigate the
situation and make a report.
A total of $5712.65 was
written off as uncollected
during the month of June
1972 by the Perry-Houston
County Hospital. Hospital
Authority Finance Com
mittee Chairman Billy
Backhsm of Perry also in
dicated that the Warner
Robins-Houston County
Hospital had to write off
$12,528.04 during June. The
figures were released at the
Houston County Hospital
Authority meeting in Warner
Robins last Monday night
Os the approximately $5700
written off at the Perry
hospital, $4733.90 was listed
under the profit and loss
columns. Other figures
were: Indigent- $384.25;
Medicare (Indigent)- $65.00
and Medicaid (Indigent)-
$10.25. All of these figures
were for patients admitted to
the hospital.
Out patient write-offs
were: P & L - $431.10; and
Medicare (Indigent) - $88.15.
auditor’s report on the city
should be ready soon.
A spectator asked the
Mayor when the city is going
to start repairing roads now
that the city water departs
ment has done something
about its pipes. Mayor
Barton said the matter had
been discussed in pre
council meeting and all of
the councilmen had received
complaints.
“I’m going to meet with
the contractors tomorrow,”
Mayor Barton said, “in
regards to this situation. 1
agree with you it’s getting
lousy. Some of the streets
are full of dirt and in almost
intolerable conditions. I’ll
assure you we’ll move to get
these things repaired before
the length of time that it has
been on it.”
Ambulance
Service???
By Joe Hiett
As December Ist ap
proaches, Houston County is
still without concrete plans
for ambulance service. The
county’s funeral homes
recently advised Houston
County Commissioners that
on December Ist all am
bulance service provided by
the funeral homes would
cease. The funeral homes
said that due to excessive
costs and stringent federal
guidelines, they could no
longer provide the service.
Two months ago the
County Commissioners
dumped the ambulance
service problem into the
hands of the Houston County
Hospital Authority. Hospital
Administrator Myron Mc-
Donald has been researching
the complex problem and
last Monday night at the
Authority meeting gave an
update on his research.
McDonald asserted
"Within two weeks I will
have formulated answers to
present for consideration.
This is going to be an ex
pensive proposition, but we
have the cost specifications
pretty well set. The Middle
Georgia Planning Com
mission is assisting us and
several other counties are
trying to solve this
problem.”
At this point Paul
Stalnaker referred to a
March 1971 issue of Parade
magazine that gave a
description of ambulance
service.
Several Georgia hospitals
were noted to be in the same
stage of planning as Houston
County. Valdosta Hospital, it
was maintained, was
already in the ambulance
service business.
Several questions
remainded unanswered after
the meeting. As acting
chairman Louis “Smokey”
Harper said, "We only have
four months left before the
operation has to be un
derway.” No one on the
Authority is quite sure who is
to be in charge of the service.
The question of personnel
training was discussed, as
was the question of whether
to use 1971 or 1972 model
ambulances.
Paul Stalmaker summed
up the feelings of several of
the members when he said,
"Someone needs to know
what is going on.”
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Supporters of Perry U.S. Senatorial candidate Sam Nunn
gave a barbecue in Columbus last Thursday night in honor of
the local front runner. A number of Perryans attended the
barbecue including Mayor John Barton (right). Also talking
to the candidate is former Governor Marvin Griffin (left)
Directors Nix Work Release Center
-f
P erry Chamber Wants
Prison Camp Moved
By Bobby Branch
The Board of directors of
the Perry Area Chamber of
Commerce voted last
Thursday to go on record as
being opposed to the location
of a state prison work
release center in Perry. Two
weeks ago, state prisons
director Ellis McDougall
appeared before a joint
meeting of county and city
officials at the prison camp
here and outlined the
possibility of the county
County Buys Equipment
By Maxine Thompson
Houston County Com
missioners accepted low bids
on several purchases
Tuesday morning at their
regular meeting in Perry.
Young Ford Tractor of
Perry’s low bid of $3,774 for a
new Model 2000 new all
purpose tractor and several
accessories was accepted.
Hutchings Ford Tractor of
Macon submitted a bid of
$4,175 for the items.
A bid of $485 by Shaheen
Office Supply Company of
Warner Robins was accepted
for one special purpose fire
safe tabulating card file with
eight drawers with a total
capacity of 62,000 cards to
hold voter registration
cards. Whiting’s of Warner
Robins submitted a bid of
SSBO and American Office
Equipment Company’s bid
was for S6OO.
Lewis Truck and Tractor
Company of Perry submitted
the low bid of $2,290.05 for a
getting a work-release
center on the site of the
present prison camp on
Kings Chapel Road in Perry.
The Perry chamber
directors took matters a step
further when they voted to
also adopt a resolution
asking the County Com
missioners to halt any ex
pansion of the present prison
camp and move the facilities
to some other location other
than in the City limits of
Perry.
1972 half-ton pickup truck
and was present to hear his
bid accepted. Lewis said the
vehicle was in Atlanta and
Extension
District Set
Gene Grimes, District
Agent Chairman of the
Georgia State Extension
Service told Houston County
Commissioners Tuesday
that the state extension
service is being re-districted
from six to four districts.
Grimes, who moved to
Athens from Tifton, will
move back to Tifton in the
change. Dr. Larry Torrance
will be over this district,
which will consist of 43
counties. Grimes will not
oversee Houston County
after September 1.
He praised the com
missioners of this county so r
their cooperation.
The directors pointed out
that the 147 acre site of the
prison camp here on Kings
Chapel Road has blocked all
growth and development of
the City of Perry in that
direction.
Board member and former
chamber president Wendell
Whipple said, “There are
hundreds of acres of land out
that way and that is about
the only direction Perry has
to grow, but with the prison
camp sitting in the middle of
would be available here
Wednesday.
Other bids submitted were
McLendon Auto Company,
Perry, $2,435.42; Moody
Ford Co. of Warner Robins,
$2,422.39; Moody Motor Co.,
Perry, $2,451.50.
A letter from Judge Paul
Armitage of the Houston
County Juvenile Court and
the State Court in Warner
Robins reminded com
missioners that he had been
given approval for the
amount of $250 he requested
in his budget for a new IMB
electric typewriter to
replace the worn-out
machine in his office.
Judge Armitage said he
had no idea how much such
typewriters cost at that time,
and now that he found the
actual cost to be $486 he
requested an increase in his
budget to cover its purchase.
Commissioners approved
the request.
who was honored at the barbecue. Griffin has endorsed
Nunn’s candidacy and has been making speeches in his
favor. A large crowd of enthusiastic Columbus supporters
attended the affair for Nunn. The Perry candidate was en
dorsed this week by the Columbus newspapers, “The Ledger-
Enquirer.”
the area no one is anxious to
develop the property.”
The County Com
missioners have expanded
the prison camp in recent
months. A chapel was added
and other improvements
have been made. McDougall
pointed out on his visit
recently that Houston had an
outstanding prison work
camp.
There is no way of telling
just what affect the Perry
chamber’s proposal will
have on plans the Com
missioners are now studying
to construct a new prison
camp and build a new
building and move the
present outdated Houston
County jail from downtown
Perry to the prison camp
site. Plans for the new prison
complex have now almost
been completed and the
Commissioners are expected
to decide on the future of the
prison camp here soon.
In other action, chamber
t
Vote Twice In
U. S. Senate Race
Voters will have to vote
twice for their choice for
U.S. Senator next Tuesday.
There is a place on the ballot
to cast a vote for the
Senatorial candidate of your
choice to fill the unexpired
term of the late Richard
Russell. That term in office
will run from Nov. 7, 1972
and expire Jan. 3, 1973.
Voters will then have to
cast their vote for a full six
president Joe Poole said the
chamber’s housing com
mittee is looking into the
possibility of constructing
housing in Perry in the
$12,000 to SIB,OOO price range.
Poole pointed out that there
is a housing shortage in
Perry and that much of the
labor force working here
lives in neighboring com
munities.
Lewis Meeks reported that
he and several other
members of the chamber
went to Washington D.C.
recently to find out what
steps would have to be taken
to make Houston County
soybean and peanut farmers
eligible for Federal crop
insurance. The chamber
agricultural committee now
has the crop insurance
program under study.
The directors voted to go
along with the City of Perry
in a joint effort to get Perry
designated in the “certified
cities program.”
i...-H
year term for the Senatorial
candidate of their choice. If
voters fail to vote twice in
the Senate race, a number of
complications could develop.
A candidate could win to fill
the unexpired term and not
win in the other race. But
poll managers feel voters
will generally take the time
to pull two levers in that race
instead of one.