Newspaper Page Text
f The Houston Home f
Journal
Perry, Georgia's Hometown Newspaper & Houston County's Legal Organ Since 1870-A Park Newspaper
SATURDAY, MAY 27,1989-119th YEAR, NO. 42, 3 SECTIONS, 32 PAGES
Sewer rate hike on tap for homeowners
By MELISSA CRADDOCK
Staff Writer
Perry homeowners in the coming year will probably sec a sewer rale
increase that was originally proposed for last year.
During the Perry City Council's third fiscal year 1990 budget meeting
Wednesday, council members discussed the proposed increase that was
never implemented in the fiscal year 1989 budget.
"We managed to gel by without it, but wc won't be able to next
year," said City Manager Marion Hay.
Rates right now arc set at 55.09 minimum on sewer with S 12.61 as
Students
become
patriots
By MELODY BACAS
Staff Writer
Perry Middle School students
learned some about patriotism and
America this week as the school
celebrated "I Love America Week."
The week, which has been a
Memorial Day tradition for the past
three years, had a variety of activi
ties that help students learn more
about the history of this country
and be proud of that history.
Military personnel from Robins
Air Force Base in Warner Robins
talked to students Wednesday about
the flag and what the flag means.
"You've going to have to be re
sponsible and live in this country.
There’s more to life than boom
boxes and break dancing," Tech.
Sgl. Oliver R. Love said to the
students. "There’s this country."
Master Sgl. Bonnie Lex read an
essay of what the American flag
might say if it could talk.
"1 am a symbol. 1 am an em
blem. I am the flag of the greatest
nation on the face of the earth," she
Continued on Back Page
Cheronskee's art talent blooms
By RALPH MORRIS
Managing Editor
A Chcronskec, like a Picasso,
may one day be worth a fortune.
Thai is, if the artwork of Perry's
12-ycar-old budding artist continues
to astound everyone.
Chcronskec Johnson, a sixth
grader at Morningside School, is
receiving praise from teachers and
art judges who believe the youth
has "the right stuff” to one day be
come a noted artist.
Cheronskee’s latest work, a
seven-fool drawing of the Statue of
Liberty executed to intricate detail,
was on display Thursday night as
ihc background for a school musical
put on by the students for the PTO
meeting.
Chcronskec worked on the draw
ing in his spare time at school for
about a week. Morningside teach
ers, including his art instructor
Consultants
advise the
Democrats
By MELISSA CRADDOCK
Staff Writer
Local Democrats learned how to
gel their message across through
the media Wednesday night at a
seminar at the Perry Holiday Inn.
In the first of a scries of 10
seminars organized by the
Democratic Caucus, politicians
from Houston, Peach, Laurens,
Twiggs and other Middle Georgia
Counties heard communications
consultant Dcloss Walker talk
about dealing with reporters.
Walker of Walker and Associates
in Memphis, Tcnn. advised the
audience members on everything
from interview and press conference
techniques to responding to a news
story with errors in it.
Walker is the press agent for
Continued on Back Page
Q ~ PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FQR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF YOUR NEWS EVENTS CALL 987-1823 ~ jj
Mrs. Beverly Wade, Tammy Adams, Nicole Peterman, Keeland HIM, Benita Durham
...Chris Gibson, James Crowe, teacher Trena Sawyer with the handmade’ flag
Perry people
Cheronskee Johnson,
young artist
Mrs. Kay Blackmon, say it is a
great piece of work for someone
Cheronskee's age.
"He's always been a good artist
and a good student," said Mrs. Kay
Simmons, who is also one of
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Sissy Gann, Rep. Lauren "Bubba" McDonald, D.M. Mullls and Rep. Larry Walker
...Local Democrats met in Perry for the first of ten sessions to be held in Georgia
the highest allowable or "cap" rale.
We re not sure what it would be," Hay said of the expected increase.
Taking used potable water, processing and depositing it into the creek
safely "is one of the most expensive functions of government," Hay said.
State and federal laws mandate that water must be 98 percent pure before it
can be dumped in the creek.
I'o double the capacity of the water treatment plant, the city has
applying for a $1 million Georgia Environmental Authority loan to ex
pand Perry s water treatment plant. The loan is expected to be approved
and announced in the next week.
Cheronskee's sixth-grade teachers.
Chcronskec started drawing at
the age of three, when he sketched a
bicycle for his mom, Laura Ann, he
wanted.
She kept the sketch. Today, she
is one of his strongest and proudest
supporters, along with his dad,
Clarence.
Two of Cheronskee's drawings
have won first place at the Houston
County Fair.
His first, first-place winner, a
sketch of an underwater sea house,
came when Cheronskee was in the
third grade. The second first-place
winner, which he drew for Hal
loween in the fifth grade, was a
colorful sketch of a threc-hcadcd
dragon in outer space.
For his drawings and artwork,
Chcronskec won the art award for
the fifth grade.
Continued on Back Page
■■■l
WEEKEND EDITION-250
Agents here
to promote
fair housing
By MELISSA CRADDOCK
Staff Writer
Perry real estate agents will soon
be taking steps to promote fair
housing in the city.
At this month's Perry Board of
Realtors' meeting at the New Perry
Hotel, Debbie Barrett outlined the
fair and equal housing requirements
of the "Affirmative Marketing
Agreement," which all Perry real
estate agents have signed.
All Realtors arc required to post
a fair housing poster in their office
and to place publisher's statements
regarding equal opportunity housing
in their print advertisements.
The new fair housing logos will
soon be seen in Perry realty offices.
Continued on Back Page
In other budget matters, council members debated whether the city
should require land developers to install and pay for eight or ten-inch water
lines to provide the water capacity needed for f uture growth. Now, smaller
pipes, which arc adequate for for a short time, can be laid.
I he city manager said that he would find out whether or not that
would be a feasible program.
Hay said he will meet with department heads to go over specific budget
items to be adjusted or cut. There arc still a lot of cuts to be made," Hay
said. He will present his recommendations to the council next week.
Benefactor's gift
to help purchase
X-ray equipment
By MELODY BACAS
Staff Writer
An unidentified benefactor said
he will donate $15,000 to Perry
Hospital for a portable X-ray ma
chine, hospital authority members
announced Wednesday night at their
board meeting.
The machine, called a Mobile
R-F System (C-Arm), was ap
proved by the hospital authority as
long as cost didn't exceed $43,000.
Estimated cost is $30,400, accord
ing to authority members.
Perry Hospital Administrator
Steve Johnson said the X-ray ma
chine can be used almost anywhere
in the hospital from emergency to
intensive care. The administrator
said the name of the benefactor may
be released later when the machine
is actually bought, if the business
man will allow it.
Johnson also gave an update on
hospital expansion during the
meeting. He said constriction
workers arc pouring the flow for
the ICU unit and should be working
of floors in the emergency room
area this weekend.
"Those are major milestones in
this project," Johnson said. "We're
looking for it to be ready for a
walk-lhough at the August meet
ing."
Houston Medical Center
Administrator Karl Wcinmcister
gave a brief review of the Strategic
Planning Process meeting in
Warner Robins Tuesday night.
The SPP meeting is to plan for
the Houston center for the next five
years, he said. There will be four
more similar meetings, all closed to
the press. The final outcome will
be presented to the authority for
approval after the meetings arc
over, according to Hospital Com
plex Accountant An Christie.
The authority also approved a
flexible benefits plan for employees
of the two hospitals, which will
cost at total of SB,OOO to start. An
insurance representative said the
flexible benefits plan is similar to
Continued on Back Page
Chamber nominates
five for commission
By MELODY BACAS
Staff Writer
Fundraisers and the welcome
center were the two topics of dis
cussion at the Perry Chamber of
Commerce Board of Directors
breakfast meeting Wednesday.
James Pleydell-Bouverie spoke
briefly about plans for the new
welcome center and the chamber
board, in executive session, selected
five people to serve on the
Convention and Visitors Commis
sion, approved by city council re
cently.
They arc Lewis Meeks, Marsha
Southerland, John Slczak, Bill
Westbrook and Pleydell-Bouverie.
Four people will be nominated
by the city to complete the com
mission, Pleydell-Bouverie said.
All nominations must be approved
by the city, he said.
"At this point, the chamber is
New district supt.
The Rev. Carter Berkeley
will become the district
superintendent of the Americus
District on June 22, in charge
of 84 Methodist churches in 16
counties, including Houston.
See Page 3A
Barton is honored
Former Mayor John Barton
has been honored by the Vet
erans of Foreign Wars Post in
Perry for his 'unselfish devo
tion' to his fellow man, to the
city of Perry and the VFW or
ganization. See Page 3A
Thought for the day
"Tough times don't last, but
tough men do."— Coach Ron
nie Royston, Perry High
School.
Local death notices
Charles D. Bowman, 61 . Death
notices appear on Page 3A
Index
BOBBY BRANCH 4A
BUSINESS 5A
CLASSIFIED 68
ENTERTAINMENT 7A
808 EVANS IB
FISHING REPORT 2B
RALPH MORRIS 4A
POLICE LOG 2A
SHERIFF'S REPORT 2A
SPORTS 1B
STOCKS 5A
JOHN TRUSSELL 2B
BOBBY TUGGLE 2B
TV WEEK 1C
MARTHA WHIDDON 6B
not obligated to anything. The
chamber has a large say about the
future," Pleydell-Bouvcric said,
adding decisions like whether to
move chamber offices to the new
center will have to be discussed in
the next few months.
"This will be developing rapidly
over the next few months and there
will be decisions to make," he said.
The welcome center project, in
cluding the site, will be decided by
the Convention and Visitors Bureau
Commission.
Gary Bishop, one of the people
working on the budget for next
year, said the financial outlook of
the chamber is positive even
though it needs $5,000 more to
meet the 571,000 budget.
He said most of the expenses arc
at the same cost or below cost of
last year. The only exception is
Continued on Back Page