Newspaper Page Text
Perry an Seeks $200,000
Judge Releases Sheriff
From False Arrest Suit
Superior Court Hudge
Willis B. Hunt, Jr. has
released two sheriffs, a
bonding company and an
insurance company as
defendants in a case
involving the wrongful
arrest and confinement
last year of Perry
resident Donald Peck.
Peck, 35, a purchasing
agent for Blue Bird Body
Co. in Ft. Valley, was
wrongfully identified as a
participant in illicit drug
sales in the Perry area,
arrested, taken to jail for
45 minutes, and released
on bond on May 19, 1977.
Peck subsequently filed
a $200,000 law suit against
Houston County Sheriff
Cullen Talton, Peach
County Sheriff Reg
Mullis, Houston-Peach
Drug Squad agent Casey
Windham, the USF&G
Bonding Co., and the
Hartford Insurance Co.
In his decision released
last Friday, Judge Hunt
stated, "After a review of
the entire file including
pleadings, i n -
terrogatories and the
responses thereto, af
fidavits, and depositions,
and the applicable law as
reflected in the various
briefs, it is my opinion
that summary judgement
should be granted to
defendants Talton,
Mullis, GSFB.G and
Hartford."
Although the joint
Houston-Peach Drug
From Hotel, Motel Tax
Mayor Seeks Funds
For Civic Center
The Perry Hotel Motel
Tax Advisory Com
mission met and
discussed a variety of
subjects on Feb. 22,
according to a report
released by Tony Ed
mondson, commission
secretary.
The report states that
members of the com
mission reviewed copies
of the Plains Monitor and
discussed whether they
would pay about $375 for
a full page ad promoting
Perry. Commissioners
decided not to place an ad
in the newspaper at this
time.
A motion by Ed
The youth of the First Baptist Church of Perry
will be in charge of the events during the week of
March 12 through March 18th following along
their theme of "I'm Out To Change My World”.
They will host a special fellowship immediately
following the Sunday evening worship service.
All members are urged to take notice of these
special events and attend.
The annual “Miss Panther Pageant” spon
sored by the Perry High Thespian Society is
scheduled for Thursday, March 16 at 7; 30 p.m. at
the Perry High Gym. Tickets are $2.00 for adults
and SI.OO for children.
Public Recreation Booster Club will hold a
Barbeque on Saturday March 18 at the
Agricultural Building in Perry from 5 p.m. to 7
p.m. Advance ticket sales $2.00 per plate - Call
Brenda Heard, 987-0246 for information.
The Pilot Club of Perry, Inc. will hold a Bake
Sale on Saturday, March 11 in front of the Coffee
Cup beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The public is invited to attend the Perry
Woman’s Club meeting at the Crossroads United
Methodist Church on March 20 at 7:30 p.m. A
local attorney will speak on Wills and Estates.
The Sorelle Club will meet Wednesday, March
is at 3:45 o.m. at Ochlahatchee Club House.
Squad has been
disbanded since Peck's
arrest last May, it would
appear from Judge
Hunt's decision that
Windham will remain as
a defendant.
"Because of defendant
Windham's connection
with the Drug Squad at
the time of the incident
which later led to the
plaintiff's arrest, I would
deny his motion for
summary judgment,"
Judge Hunt wrote in his
decision last Friday.
"However, I would grant
a certificate for Im
mediate review in his
case. Prevailing counsel
may submit appropriate
orders."
A week after Peck's
arrest, the charges
against him were
dropped completely. On
May 31, 1977, Peck, his
attorney Bob Richardson
and District Attorney
Investigator Gary
Trawick held a joint news
conference to disclose the
facts and sequence of
events in the case.
Trawlch said it ap
peared that a man 18-20
years old, slender and
blond-haired, sold an
undercover agent
marijuana and gave
Peck's name and ad
dress.
Richardson said, "The
charge against my client
was one count of drug
sales. That charge is
mondson and seconded
by Yates Green was
made that the advisory
commission pay the City
of Perry's annual dues to
the Andersonville Trail in
the amount of SIOO. Vote
was unanimous to pay
this expense.
Charles Evans In
formed colleagues on the
advisory commission
♦hat he had secured
prices on book matches
for advertising Perry.
After discussion per
taining to these prices
and the type of matches
to be used, it was decided
that Evans should obtain
more prices plus a proof
baseless, and we have
established that Don is
not the man they were
trying to arrest He is not
a criminal or drug
pusher."
Peck then gave a
lengthy statement to the
press. He began, "This is
a rather small town.
Those charges are ab
solutely false. The effect
an arrest can have are
devastating, at least it
was in our case.
"My children were
subjected to harassment.
Rumors came up that will
come up in any town this
size. Prior to this
situation, we were trying
to sell our home, but no
sign was put up.
"That afternoon we
placed a sign up," Peck
continued. "There was a
rumor the next day that
Blue Bird had fired me
and we were leaving
town. This is typical of
what can occur."
Peck said he was not
read his rights when he
was arrested, and that he
was taken to the County
Jail on Kings Chapel
Road and was behind
bars for 45 minutes while
a next-door neighbor
tried to explain that Peck
could be released without
posting bond because he
was a property owner.
Eventually $2,000 bond
was posted and Peck was
released.
DA agent Trawick said
from a vendor for further
approval by the com
mission.
A copy of the Interstate
News, which is a
newspaper printed in
Roswell, was available at
the meeting. Com
missioners discussed the
possibility of placing an
ad in this newspaper not
to exceed the cost of SIOO.
Seabie Hickson,
chairman of the com
mission, called attention
to a letter from Mayor
James McKinley to
Kenneth Reeves of the
Georgia Department of
Transportation con
cerning an item in the
January meeting per
taining to directional
signs to be installed from
the Houston County
Correctional Institute
directing persons back to
1-75.
The reason for the
request was because
some traffic violators on
1-75 have been taken to
the correctional institute
for booking or paying
fines and have a difficult
time returning on their
journey back to 1-75.
in another letter from
Mayor McKinley to
Chairman Hickson, the
mayor suggested that the
commission set aside 20
to 25 percent of the an
nual funds received from
the hotel-motel oc
cupancy tax, or any
amount which is not used
for promotion of tourism
in Perry, for the future
purpose of constructing a
civic or convention center
in Perry.
No action was taken on
this recommendation
during the meeting.
in other action on
March 1, members of the
advisory commission met
with Wes Clounts and
Richard Roberts of the
University of Georgia to
make recommendations
on promoting the hotel
motel industry in Perry.
that someone else used
Peck's name and address
in making the sale to an
undercover agent.
"It was a mistake,"
Trawick said. "Mr Peck
was able to document his
whereabouts at the time
of the sale. The
description of the seller is
nowhere close to that of
County To Crack
Down On Mobile
Homes Decals
County Commissioners
apparently plan to crack
down on persons who fail
to purchase mobile home
decals.
In their regular
meeting in Perry
Tuesday, the county
governing body directed
County Clerk Lamar
Brown to study methods
and procedures for en
forcing mobile home
decal regulations.
Specifically, Brown
was asked to explore
ways of providing funds
to pay the salary and
provide a vehicle for a
person to enforce decal
regulations.
The action came after
Tax Commissioner Mrs.
Joyce Griffin told
commissioners she had
no way of knowing how
many mobile home
owners had not pur
chased their decals.
Mrs. Griffin said
property taxes on mobile
homes will reflect in
creases this year. She
said a 10 percent property
♦ax penalty would be
imposed on mobile home
owners who have not
purchased decals.
Mrs. Griffin also ex
plained that she had
County Receives
State Road Funds
Senator Ed Barker of
Warner Robins and
Representatives Ted
Waddle of Warner
Robins, Larry Walker of
Perry, and Roy (Sonny)
Watson of Warner Robins
announced today that
Houston County will
receive state Department
of Transportation grants
to resurface Story Road,
Hunt Road, Dunbar
Road, and Airport Road,
a total of 8.25 miles.
The projects will be let
for contract April 21 and
TALENT
CONTEST
SLATED
If you live in Perry or
have a 987 phone ex
change, you may enter in
a talent contest spon
sored by Crossroads
Productions and
Publications. The en
trants fees will be $5.00
per group and $2.00 per
single.
The categories will be
Drama which will include
skits, monologues,
pantomimes. Music
which will include in
strumentals and vocals.
Auditions will begin
Tuesday evening, March
14. Please call Rose Cook
at 987-4770 for ap
pointmenf.
The public is invited.
There will be an ad
mission charge of
studenfs, SI.OO and
adults, $2.00.
Mr. Peck. There is
nothing I can say, and
really I don't know how to
rectify something like
this from happening in
the future."
Peck suggested an
arrested person be given
a list of his legal righfs so
they will not be so
bewildered.
Trawick agreed,
saying, "It might help if
the Drug Squad alone
makes all its arrests. The
officer only knew he was
to arrest a Donald Peck."
The alleged drug sale
for which Peck was
arrested occurred on
Sears Road in the parking
lot of Kellwood Co., ac
cording to Trawick. The
undercover agent who
made the purchase was
not available for the
arrest because he was out
of town in Florida.
engaged in a pilot
program billing property
owners for city property
taxes in Centerville, and
that the program had
been very successful.
"The only expense that
we noticeably incurred
was a few tax receipts
that had to be mailed
back to the customer,"
Mrs. Griffin said. "This
did not involve much
cost, possibly $25, since
most of the tax money
was paid by mortgage
companies."
Commissioner Charles
Carter said he was very
impressed with the
program and made a
motion to send letters to
Warner Robins and Perry
informing the cities of the
results of the pilot
program, and offering to
bill property owners in
their cities for a small fee
to be negotiated by the
county and the two
municipalities.
Carter's motion was
approved by unanimous
vote. Commissioners also
voted to appoint Buddy
Averett as director of
solid wastes, replacing
Joe Harrell, who retired
on Feb. 28.
must be completed by
October 15.
County To
Sell Surplus
Cars, Mowers
Acting on a motion by
Commissioner Alton
Tucker, the Houston
County governing body
voted Tuesday to declare
five tractors, one 1974
Ford sedan and a number
of mowers as surplus and
serviceable, and so open
sealed bids on the items
at 1:30 p.m. on March 21.
Commissioners in
structed county per
sonnel to advertise for
sealed bids on the items
in local newspapers.
\
Mr. and Mrs. Larry
Moody of Columbia, S.C.
announce the birth of
their son, Blake Carlisle,
born March 6, 1978. He
joins big brother Clay in
the Moody home.
Maternal grandparents
are Mr. and Mrs. Larry
Burnett of Fla. and
paternal grandparents
« are Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Moody Sr. of Perry.
Great grandmother is
Maude Carlisle of
Perry.
City To Enter
Clean Up Drive
Perry council voted
Tuesday night to apply to
Keep America Clean Inc.
for the creation of a Clean
Community Commission.
Councilman Draper
Watson made a motion to
create the commission
after a presentation by
Bill Hatley and Jake
Redmon of the Perry
Beautification Com
mittee.
Watson cited a genuine
need for the commission
in Perry. He said it would
save city money, promote
pride in the community
and bring the city closer
together.
The councilman
recalled that a plan to
make Perry a cleaner
and more beautiful city
was outlined for city
council and members of
the Beautification
Committee on Feb. 6 by
Mrs. Carolyn Crayton,
coordinator of the Macon-
Bibb County Clean
Community Commission.
Going into detail on the
program, Hatley said
before the program could
get underway, a letter
sponsoring the program
would be required from
mayor and council.
Hafley said another
part of the project would
require the training of
three local persons at a
workshop to take place in
Montgomery, Ala., 12-14
June. He said the three
Houston Soil Values ,
Water Tables Told
A series of maps
illustrating Houston
County soil values and'
water tables were
presented to county
commissioners during a
regular meeting in Perry
Tuesday morning.
Drew Bynum, county
soil conservationists, said
the Map Information
Assembly and Display
System (MIADS) was
compiled for the county
by the Soil Conservation
Service of the U.S.
Department of
Agriculture.
Bynum said the color
coded maps illustrated
seasonal high water
tables; limitations of soil
for use as septic tank
absorption fields; soil
limitations for dwellings
without basements; soil
limitations for local roads
and streets and soil
limitations for light in
dustrial structures.
The maps also indicate
the suitability of soil for
use for crops and
pastures.
Commissioner Charles
Carter said the county
could have avoided a lot
of problems if the maps
had been available three
years ago. He said the
maps contained valuable
information, and com
mended Bynum and the
Soil Conservation
Department for com
piling them.
Bynum said the pur
pose of the maps was to
present soil in
terpretative information
that could be used for
resource planning and
development.
He said the maps were
developed from the
published soil survey of
Houston County issued in
July, 1967.
Bynum said the maps
were made by laying a
grid of four hectares
(about 10 acres) over the
soil survey and deter
mining the dominant kind
of soil in each grid or cell.
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS., MAR 9, 1978,
persons should represent
local government, local
business, and a local civic
club.
He said in order to
achieve certification
council should designate
a coordinator and make
provisions for secretarial
help, office space,
telephone, office supplies
and funds amounting to
SI,OOO to $1,500 for the
first year.
He said council should
also provide funds to send
the three representatives
to Montgomery for
framing.
Hafley said committees
should be appointed to
represent schools,
merchants, fast food
restaurants, motels and
service stations.
He said sanitation
workers should be briefed
and that city ordinances
should be revised and
enforced.
According to Hafley,
the Perry Beautification
Committee will be the
sponsoring organization
for the project, and that
the committee concurs in
the project and will work
with the Clean Com
munity Commission.
Watson said he had
talked to D.K. "Dot”
Roughton about the
project, and that
Roughton had agreed to
place dumpsters in
shopping centers to
collect paper for
He added that each cell
may contain one or more
kinds of soils.
Bynum said the
dominant soil of each cell
was processed in a
computer translating the
soil characteristics and
behavior for the uses,
thus displaying the in
terpretations as maps.
He said the soil survey
was made cooperatively
' ‘ HE
Mr. and Mrs Head
Perry Couple Mark
50th Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. W.W.
Head of 616 Pineridge
Drive, Perry celebrated
their Fiftieth Wedding
Anniversary Februarv
28, 1978. A dinner in their
honor was held at the
Officer's Club in Warner
Robins on Saturday,
March 4 and a reception
followed at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. William
Elmore in Warner
Robins.
Hosting the delightful
evening were the couple's
daughters and their
husbands, Mr. and Mrs.
William Elmore (Helen)
of Warner Robins, Mr.
and Mrs. William Raper
(Sandra) of Uvalda, Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Peavy
(Martha) of Byromville
and Mr. Billy Draughon
of Chattanooga, Tenn.
Following the dinner, a
recycling. He said funds
paid for the recycled
paper could be used to
pay a commission
director.
Mayor Pro-Tern
Barbara Calhoun said she
did not like the idea of
approving the plan before
it was determined what
the commission direc
tor's salary would be.
Mayor McKinley and
Watson voiced the
opinion they could obtain
a dedicated full or part
time director from
among the many retired
persons living in Perry.
Mrs. Calhoun asked if
the question of the
director's salary would
come back before council
before it was approved.
Watson said that it would.
"I'm asking this
question because we
don't normally obligate
city money in this
manner,” Mrs. Calhoun
said.
When the mayor called
for a show of hands, all
voted in favor of the
motion except Mrs.
Calhoun, who voted
against the project on
grounds that the total
amount of city funds to be
expended on the project
had not been disclosed.
Mayor McKinley ap
pointed Watson to
monitor the program and
keep council informed on
its progress.
by the U.S. Soil Con
servation Service and the
University of Georgia
Agricultural Experiment
Stations.
According to Bynum,
the maps for Houston
County were selected by
local supervisors Richard
Johnson and Cohen
Walker of the Ocmulgee
Soil and Water Con
servation District.
reception was held at the
home of Mr. and Mrs.
Elmore in Warner
Robins. The dining room
of the home was
beautifully decorated for
the occasion. Centering
the dining table which
was covered with a
yellow lace cloth, was the
three tiered yellow an
niversary cake embossed
with dainty white flowers
and topped with the
numerals "50". Relatives
and friends who called to
greet Mr. and Mrs. Head
were served punch and
cake.
Mr. and Mrs. Hea •>
former Thelma Peyion,
were married February
28, 1928, in Forsyth,
Georgia. They have
twelve grandchildren and
one great grandchild.
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