Newspaper Page Text
f
The Houston Home Journal
Official Organ City Os Perry And Houston County, Georgia
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER A
r«.e...ra NNA SUSTAINING vjdlaHS 1975
>,r ft MEMBER—I97S HrtUr Vv. pap.-r
BOBBY BRANCH
PRESIDENT EDITOR PUBLISHER
PHILBYRD JIMMYCHAPMAN JOE HIETT
Sports Editor Production Manager News Editor
JANET LEWSADER JANICE COLWELL
Classified Advertising Bookkeeper
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS., JUNE 34, 1976,
V
Drug Squad Needs Dog
Houston Peach Drug Squad director
Ted Pender wants to buy a specially
trained dog that can smell out marijuana
just about anywhere and we think the
county ought to put out the $2,500 for the
dog
After hearing a considerable amount of
information about the dog, we are con
vinced the animal's presence on the drug
squad can greatly enhance the chances of
law enforcement officers in tracking
down marijuana pushers. The dog will
Hospitals In The Black
One of she bright spots in Houston
County has been the recent good news that
our hospitals are finally operating in the
black column instead of the red, minus
column Not only this fact, but the fact
that both hospitals in the county now offer
♦he finest medical care available is en
couraging.
All this is due to a lot of people working
to make it happen The Houston County
Hospital Authority, under the leadership
of Billy Beckham, has played a vital role
in this surge toward excellence. People
like Perry Hospital administrator Max
Watch Those Chain Letters
Several Perryans have brought to our
attention that ''chain'' letters seem to be
enjoying a rebirth here. One recently
recieved by a local resident asked that the
recipient buy a savings bond and mail to a
name on the list Os course the recipient
responded by tearing the letter to shreds
and throwing it in a waste basket.
But another, more numerous chain
letter carries no list of names, and the
envelope has no return address. Os
course, postage is due, making the victim
The American Dream
For the carping critics ot America, for
those who want to make our Bicentennial
a truly meaningtul celebration, and
perhaps for those who have lost some of
their enthusiasm tor the great American
dream, Editor John Sllnkman of
Washington, D C., has some words of
wisdom. Mr. Slinkman, incidentally, is
Editor of the monthly magazine of the
Reserve Officers Association of the
United States And in a recent message to
his readers, Editor Slinkman wrote this:
"It is important to remember that the
Constitutional Convention was made up of
hard headed men, fully aware that human
beings are not perfect Indeed, the whole
document was designed to provide
balances of power to insure against the
perversion by power seeking individuals
of the governmental system it created
"Accordingly, they realistically wrote
in the enacting clause (which, over the
years, has come to be called "the
preamble") that their objective was to
form, not a perfect' union, but a more
perfect' one."
This distinction, Mr. Slinkman
Judicial System Wanting
Outgoing president ot the State Bar of
Georgia W Stell Huie had some good
advice to his fellow lawyers at the recent
state convention in Savannah.
"The bar faces a great challenge in
attempting to adjust to much ot the
change which is taking place in our
society," he said
"The public is crying out for judicial
reform and it is going to be increasingly
more difficult for the State Bar to
maintain its role of leadership.
"Many laymen are now saying that
judicial reform is too important to be left
up to lawyers and judges.”
Good For Exchangites
The Perry Exchange Club will present a
“Freedom Shrine" to the County Com
missioners next Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
to be placed on the wall on the main floor
of the courthouse. The "Freedom Shrine"
is a collection of 28 historical documents
of the country ranging from the
Mayflower Compace to the instruments of
surrender of World War 11.
PAGE 4-A
also serve as a psychological screen to
students and others who hide marijuana
in lockers and other places. The dog can
sniff out any amount of marijuana hid
almost anyplace, according to Pender
We hope the County Commissioners will
give serious consideration to the purchase
of this dog to aid in the Drug Squad's
continuous battle against the mounting
drug problem in Houston County.
B.B.
Poole and Robins administrator Charlie
Hall have also been leaders in this
massive effort But it goes even further; it
goes right down to the people working
everyday in the hospitals and their
dedication to their duties; and it goes
further still to the fine staff of doctors
working in both hospitals.
It is indeed a team effort that has
brought our hospital complex where it is
today. We congratulate them all for the
outstanding job they are doing serving the
medical care needs ot Houston County.
B.B.
have to pay for something he didn't want.
Postmaster Lawrence Hunt says the mail
service takes a dim view of such goings
on, and we fully agree.
Chain letters that solicit anything, in
eluding money, stand a good chance of
being investigated by authorities for
possible violations of the law. If anyone
here in Perry is originating such "chain”
letters, you would be well advised to cease
and desist.
—J.H.
shrewdly observes, is vitally important as
we, this year, celebrate our 200th an
niversary; for the very simple reason that
there is not, nor will there ever be, the
"perfect" Union because man is not
perfect.
Our founding fathers, being wise men,
were not under the illusion that anything
less than perfection is intolerable. Today
we have among us some very foolish
persons who are demanding what they
call "a second revolution" and are
seeking to disrupt the Bicentennial
celebration because, they bitterly com
plain, we have imperfections in our
system!
No nation in history has set for itself
higher goals than the United States. And
because our goals were great, our
achievements have also been great Thus
we have enjoyed more blessings than any
other people on earth.
Perhaps we will never achieve all that
our founding fathers hoped tor this nation.
But so long as we maintain and cherish
that great American dream, and keep
seeking to achieve greater things, we will
continue to prosper accordingly.
Huie's remarks came against the
background ot a report to the state bar
organization that seven attorneys were
disbarred last year.
The disciplinary board of the
association reported receiving 1,677 cases
during the year.
It is true, of course, that most laymen
are perplexed when it comes to the in
tricacies of the law and tend to become
impatient with legal "technicalities "
But the public can and does judge a
great deal of the judicial process by a fair
and common sense yardstick and has
often found the system wanting...
We congratulate Exchange Club
president Larry Mosteller and the other
members of the club for this gesture.
Now, the public will be able to view exact
photographic reproductions that made
this country great. The Exchangites here
are to be commended for their Bicen
tennial spirit and interest in the com
munity.
JACK BE NIMBLE...
- \
HHJ NEWS EDITOR
< 3Hie Qfonted Side
BY JOE HIETT
"I'm a ramblin wreck from Georgia
Tech"-- As all intelligent football fans are
well aware, my loyalties lie with that
grand institution on North Avenue in
Atlanta Georgia Institute of Technology.
Perry librarian Mrs. Alice Gilbert was
kind enough recently to secure a copy for
me of "Dress Her In White And Gold" the
story of Georgia Tech's growth through
the years.
Needless to mention, I thoroughly en
joyed the book. I noticed that one of the
presidents of the school was previously a
state school superintendent, M.L. Brit
tain, for which Brittain Hall at Tech is
named.
But the most interesting portion dealt
with the development of the Tech fight
song. The origin of the "ramblin wreck"
is obscured, but is known to have been in
existence back in the late years of last
century. To show the difference in moral
outlook between 1895 and 1975, one only
need read printed versions of that grand
old, rousing fight ditty.
The words that follow immediately
after "I'm a ramblin wreck from Georgia
Tech ...and a hell of an engineer!"
Back in 1895 that four letter word was
omitted each time it occurred in the song,
and a blank space was left!
There is a rumor going around that a
'Tone streaker" may attempt to disrupt
the July 4 celebration here in Perry.
Personally I don't put much stock in the
rumor, but it wouldn't surprise me if some
group of some kind doesn't attempt to
mar the Bicentennial celebrations
\
- »
INFLUENCE
For not only has the
word of the Lord sounded
forth from you in
Macedonia and Achaia,
but your faith in God has
gone forth everywhere, so
that we need not say
anything.
-I Thess. 1:8
Dr. K. Owen White tells
the story that the manager
of a business in Canada,
owned by an English
company, was a sincere,
faithful Christian. Hard
times fell upon the
Canadian branch and an
auditor was sent over with
instructions to close the
business down if he felt it
advisable.
The local manager
received him cordially,
*
throughout the nation.
In a recent speech at the Southern
States Work Conference in Daytona
Beach, Florida, Georgia state school
superintendent Jack Nix called for
governments to "return to the people the
control and direction of their schools and
the education of fheir children..."
He added, "I think it is time for
teachers and administrators to open up to
parents, to welcome the community into
the schools, to listen to what parents and
taxpayers have to say about what they
want for fheir children and their dollars."
Nix makes some good points, and
frankly I am somewhat surprised to hear
such language coming from a govern
mental official. Whether it was simply
rhetoric or not will only be told by passage
of time.
Perhaps one of the most frequent
complaints I hear is from taxpayers with
no children in public school who thus have
no input in school decisions. Some have
their children in private schools, yet must
pay school tax millage. They obviously
and expectedly feel they should not have
to pay school tax, but our tax structure is
based upon all segments paying to fund
programs that assist only portions of the
public.
Nevertheless, Nix has the right idea, as
far as I am concerned. The thought of
bureaucrats, local or otherwise, spending
tax monies without answering to the
public is unnerving. It is high time that
the citizens help determine the focus of
present and future programs, both in
education and other areas.
others which returns to
bless you also.
John Ruskin sat wat
ching a lamplighter who,
with a torch in his hand,
was lighting lamps on a
distant hill. The man
himself could not be seen
but the lights would gleam
as each one was lit. Ruskin
said to his friend: "That is
what I mean by a real
Christian. You can trace
his course by the lights he
leaves burning."
YOUR
OPINIONS
ARE
WELCOME
WRITE
THE
EDITOR
opened the safe, and said:
There are all the books.
The auditor sat down and
opened the one on top,
which was a small, black
bound booklet. On the first
page he read: "The tenth
of all that I possess I give
to the Lord "
He looked at the neat
figures that followed and
said I don't quite un
derstand this. The
manager said: I'm sorry.
That is my personal ac
count book.'' Without a
word, the auditor put the
books back into the safe
and cabled to London:
"Keep the branch open.
This man can be trusted.''
When you live as Christ
would have you live you
lead a path of blessing for
Houston Drug Squad Director Ted Pender says we
have a drug problem in Perry and Houston County. He
says marijuana is flowing into Houston County weekly
and is being sold by an untold number of dealers from
the TOO pound big dealer right down to the small time
operator who handles ounces. He's concerned about the
problem and he and his department are doing what they
can to fight the endless battle of drug abuses of all kinds
here.
Pender can go on and on about the local drug problem
but the thing that bugs me most about what Pender says
is the fact that he predicts next year that around 75
percent of Houston County's 7th grade students on up to
high school will be exposed to marijuana and other
illegal drugs. Some unpredictable amount of those
students will purchase the drugs and try them for the
first time; consequently, a certain number of those who
try the drugs will then begin using them on a regular
basis.
But the biggest shocker of al I is that no one really has
the solution to the problem. What will your 12 year old
do next fall when he or she comes into contact with
marijuana?
Somebody's sayin': "Any time things appear to be
going better, you have overlooked something."
Sometimes we just can't win here at the paper. We try
hard to cover everything requested of us but we just
don't make all the rounds all the time. I apologize to
those groups, and they are few and far between, that we
have missed covering, and I ask your publicity
chairperson to call on us in the future.
Not that anyone out there cares, but one of our
problems is just not having enough people to be
everywhere at one time. Joe Hiett and I cover, without
fail, every meeting of the County Commissioners,
School Board, Hospital Authority and Perry City
Council. I am now formulating plans so that we can
provide on the spot coverage of the Centerville City
Council and the Warner Robins City Council in an
overall expansion project to provide even more "hard"
news to our readers. But still, the primary goal of The
Home Journal is to provide coverage locally of what I
call "people news." People news is news about local
clubs, schools, church groups and just people.
During the summer, we have two additional
photographers available to assist us in covering local
functions of news value and they are on call anytime we
need their assistance. Barry Rogers, a senior at Perry
High School, and Harvey Gilbert, a junior at Westfield
Schools, are both on the staff here this summer.
All 1 ask is if you feel you have a newsworthy event
upcoming in your organization, church or family, is to
give us a call as far in advance as possible. Os course, I
cannot always guarantee we can be there but someone
of the staff will certainly make an effort to cover your
event.
People news is really what The Home Journal is all
about, so call us when you have something you think
we may be interested in covering. We are a
community newspaper here to cover the community.
The Perry Post Office has received a letter asking for
information about a Samuel P. Croft. A former Army
friend is trying to contact him. Anyone with information
about Samuel Croft should contact Postmaster
Lawrence Hunt at the Perry Post Office.
-
Never Have So Many
Done So Little For So Much
the SOVEREIGN STATE of AFFAIRS
C I HEAR THAT CONGRESS ( REALLY ? | piONT )
> WANTS TO RAISE r V EVEN! fcNOUU
( THE LIMIT ON THE j [WE HAP )
V-a. NATIONAL ._/ ONE /
DIDN'T \ C SURE,.. 1 KNEW THAT
( ICKCW WE HAD ) V But ... I didn't K.NCAW
V A NATIONAL J WE HAD A LIMIT