Newspaper Page Text
I The Houston Home f
Journal
Perry, Georgia's Hometown Newspaper & Houston County's Legal Organ Since 1870-A Park Newspaper
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24,1989-119th YEAR, N 0.41, 4 SECTIONS, 30 PAGES, PLUS SALES INSERTS
Personnel
director is
employed
By OLIN HUBERT
Staff Writer
The Houston County Board of
Commissioners voted Tuesday
night to hire Stephen S. Engle, as
the county's director of personnel
and grants.
Engle, 31, is currently assistant
city manager of Dublin. He will
replace John Gay, who is leaving to
open his own insurance agency
May 31.
A native of Charlotte, N.C.,
Engle has a balchclor's degree in
political science and a master's in
public administration, according to
County Administrator Charles
Clonigcr.
"He has great experience with
grants and excellent overall connec
tions with municipal government,"
said Commissioner Houston Porter
in recommending that Engle be
hired.
Engle will probably assume his
duties at the end of June, Clonigcr
said.
The commission held its second
budget hearing Tuesday night, after
beginning the process on Monday.
The commissioners heard from
Personnel Director John Gay, Tax
Assessor Juanita Mason and Direc
tor of Management Information
John Wingfield.
So far the commissioners have
trimmed $128,000 from the 514.1
million requested by the department
heads.
They agreed Tuesday to purchase
two vehicles out of this year's con
tingency fund, so that their costs
don't have to be included in the new
budget.
The commissioners still have to
find further cuts of $860,000 to
meet projected revenues.
'One-way'
for streets
must wait
By MELISSA CRADDOCK
Staff Writer
A Georgia Department of Trans
portation engineer said Monday that
there is no need for "one-waying"
Ball and Washington Streets yet,
but in the future some changes will
have to be made.
David Sludslill of the DOT traf
fic safely division in Thomaston
said that the fork off of Sam Nunn
Boulevard isn't enough of a prob
lem to warrant the change. "At one
time, we had looked at one-waying
those two streets," he said. "At the
moment, it's not that bad."
City officials have raised con
cerns over dangers of the intersec
tion before, but note that there is
great opposition from the business
community, who would be affected
by tbc move.
Studstill said, "If it becomes too
Continued on Page 8A
Posthumous honor
Dr. Hendrick recipient of top Rotary service award
By RALPH MORRIS
Managing Editor
The laic Dr. A. G. Hendrick,
who thought of himself as a "good
country doctor, available when
needed," has been selected by the
Perry Rotary Club to receive its
prestigious Community Service
Award for 1989.
Dr. Hendrick's wile, Mildred,
will accept the award posthumously
for her husband at the club's Ladies
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Patron of brewing
A statue of Kmg Gambnnus, the legendary patron of brewing, stands
forlornly in the acant courtyard at the soon-to-be-closed G. Heileman
brewery Workeis discuss their affiliation with the brewery - and their
dashed hopes. See Page IC.
Local deaths
Mary Thomas—Pauline Morris Moody, 73.. — Death notices appear on
Page 3A.
Thought for the Day
"Perry youths are the greatest at helping out worthy causes,"—Pete
Dewberry, Perry, Ga.
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MELODY BACUS 4A TIM LEWIS 3D
THE REV. BERKELEY 4A LIFESTYLE 1C
BIRTHS 6A PEOPLE 'N PLACES 6A
PEGGY BLEDSOE 2D POLICE LOG 2A
CALENDAR 3A RECIPES ID
CLASSIFIED SB SCHOOL NEWS 4C
DEATH S 3A SHERIFF'S REPORT 2A
808 EVANS IB SOCIAL NEWS 6A
EDITORIALS 4A SPORTS 1C
ENTERTAINMENT 5C STREET TALK 5A
JIM KERCE 4A RUBY THARPE 6A
ERIC JANSSON 6C MILDRED WARREN ID
LEGAL NOTICES 7C WE SALUTE 5A
Night dinner on June 26 at the
Houston Lake Country Club.
The club heard nominations for
several very deserving community
leaders in Perry, and selected Dr.
Hendrick, who died on July 20,
1986, at the age of 85 for his many
contributions to the community.
Dr. Hendrick was a physician for
more than half a century. He came
to Perry in 1941 to establish a
medical practice.
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HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870--FQR OF YOUR NEWS EVENTS CALL 987-1823_
Dr. Hendrick often said he only
wished to be "a good country doc
tor, available when needed," Mrs.
Hendrick said Monday.
"He went night and day," she
said. "He was such a good doctor
that he could look at you when you
walked in the door and tell you
what was wrong with you ."
Dr. Hendrick was an active civic
leader, serving on the boards of
many community organizations. He
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MIDWEEK EDITION-2..
Council will study feasibility
of starting city rec program
By MELISSA CRADDOCK
Staff Writer
Perry City Councilmcn decided
Tuesday night to look into the
possibility of starting a city recre
ation program.
During the city’s second budget
meeting, Councilman Ralph Gentry
said recreation "is something the
city really lacks."
"We need to either get into
recreation or gel out of it," said
Councilman Bobby Glover.
The council members decided to
ask the recreation director from
Douglas, Ga. to make a presenta
tion on recreation to the city to sec
City trash users
to face fee hike
By MELISSA CRADDOCK
Staff Writer
The City of Perry will be paying
an estimated SIOO,OOO to dump
trash at the county landfill next year
—a cost that will most likely fall
onto the residential garbage cus
tomer.
During the city's fiscal year
1990 budget meetings, city coun
cilmcn were informed that because
the city has to close its sanitary
landfill, it will have to pay a sls
per ton dumping fee to bring raw
garbage to Houston County’s
landfill. This is a new item in the
budget.
The rates will probably go us
about S 2 per customer to accoun
for the dumping fees, gas and wcai
and tear on the trucks to make the
13-milc each way trip.
"This is hitting the budget prclt)
hard," said City Manager Marion
Hay at the Saturday budget meet
ing. Hay presented a list of garbage
collection fees in other cities for the
council to compare with Ferry’s
56.25 fee for twice a week pickup.
A twice-a-week pickup costs:
57.50 in Fort Valley, S 9 in Warner
Robins, and SIO.BO in Albany.
Oncc-a-weck pickup costs: $8.25 in
Centerville and S 6 in Cordcle.
Councilman Hcrvia Ingrain
asked about the feasibility of the
city buying and running a new
landfill. Under the new regulations
Mayor Jim Worrall said that ii
would cost a minimum of S3C
million to establish a landfill in
Perry.
Houston County will be helping
the city close its old sanitary land
fill on Elko Road, and open its new
dry Pash landfill on Toomcr Road.
The dry trash landfill will be
able to accept limbs, leaves and
grass.
The city estimates S7OOO ir
dump fees that it could reap from
the private dumping at the new dry
Pash landfill. That figure is dowr
from $14,000 expected to be col
lected from dumping at the city
landfill in fiscal year 1989.
The Mayor and City Counci
will hold a budget hearing or
Continued on Page 8A
was a member of the county Health
Department board for 35 years.
In August 1984, shortly before
his retirement, the Houston County
Commission issued a proclamation
calling Dr. Hendrick "one of the
most valuable citizens ever to live
in Houston County."
He was selected by the Perry
Kiwanis Club as a "Man of the
Year" and honored by Kiwanis ln-
Contlnued on Page 8A
if it would be feasible.
Alter the city council hears the
"facts and figures," it will make a
decision on what to do about recre
ation,
"You need it (a recreation pro
gram) to make it a well-rounded
city," said Hay. "Not only for the
little fellows, but for adults and se
nior citizens loo," he added.
The council decided to plan to
move forward on construction for
tiic Ro/.ar Park community building
this coming year. A SIOO,OOO item
in the budget has been carried over
from 1988-89 for construction of
die building.
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Gardnei dtson blows out candles on 80th birthday cake
At his side is wife Laura Mae at surprise party
Helping people led
to Watson's success
By OLIN HUBERT
Staff Writer
When Gardner Watson turned 80
last Saturday, he could look back
on a career that has been as pros
perous as it has been long.
He can look back on a career that
stretches back into the 19205.
Born in 1909 in the little village
of Wellston, Watson would one day
open the first funeral home, first
cemetery, first flower shop and first
service station in the Warner
Robins that Wellston would be
come.
When Gardner was just 11, he
was in a tragic train-car accident in
which his father and grandfather
were killed. He and his brother were
in the hospital for three months.
"Both my legs were broken, and
it took 70 stitches to patch up my
Dr. Hendrick (left) received Kiwanis Club honor
...He was presented a lifetime membership
'The biggest disappointment for
new industries coming in is recre
ation." said Mayor Jim Worrall. He
said that he gels comments all the
time on how great the city is, but
that it doesn’t have a good recre
ation program.
If the city decides to start a
recreation program, it will have to
hire a full-time director and most
likely increase city taxes. "I think
we have to bite the bullet," said
Councilman Buddy Roper. "I'd
rather have to (raise taxes) on recre
ation than on anything else."
"There arc a lot of grants (for
Continued on Page 8A
head," Watson said.
When he was 15, Watson went
to work sweeping the floors and
spending nights at the Hart Mortu
ary in Macon, owned by J. Freeman
Hart.
It was a relationship that was to
shape his life.
"1 think Mr. Hart got me where 1
am today,” Watson said. "1 loved
Mr. Hart and wanted to work for
him. I was his pet. He taught me
everything about the funeral busi
ness." ,
Watson learned so well that he
was licensed as a funeral director
and cmbalmcr when he was 20.
In those days the Macon Peaches
baseball team played in Macon, and
the mortuary w<as next door to the
hotel where the ballplayers stayed.
Continued on Page 8A