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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 13, IMI
4A
Perry viewpoint
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The Houston Home Journal
OFFICIAL ORGAN, CITY OF PERRY AND HOUSTON
COUNTY, GEORGIA, SINCE 1870
PUBLISHED EACH WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY MORNMG
807 CARROLL ST., P.O. DRAWER M. PERRY, GA 31069
TELEPHONE: (912) 987-1823
The Houston Home Journal (USPS 252-780) is published biweekly for $lB
per year by the Houston Home Journal, Inc., 807 Carroll St., Perry, Ga.
31069. Second Class Postage paid at Perry, Ga. POSTMASTER: Send
address change to The Houston Home Journal, P.O. Drawer M, Perry, Ga.
31069.
ROY H. PARK, President & Chairman ot the Board, Parti Newspapers
JAMES B. KERCE
Editor & General Manager
JAN HAMPTON TERESA HAWK
Managing Editor Advertising Manager
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'Road Closed' sign needed
The City of Perry would do drivers who use Thompson
Road as a bypass around pan of the city a real favor if it
would put up a sign on U.S. 41N and 341 N informing
travelers that the road is closed at the Northrop plant.
The road was closed when recent heavy rains caused a
stretch of the four-lane highway to collapse, completely
closing the road.
It is frustrating to turn onto this bypass thinking the
repair work is possibly finished, only to find—after
driving a mile or more—the familiar "Road Closed" sign
within a few hundred feet of the cave-in. Out of town
travelers getting off 1-75 at Exit 43A must also be confused
and frustrated by finding an alternate route to Fort Valley is
blocked by repair work.
The solution to avoiding a driver's guessing game on
when the repair will be finished is simple and
inexpensive— put up a "Road Closed at Northrop Plant"
sign on U.S. 41N., and a sign on U.S. 341 Nat Airport
Road which indicates that Thompson Road is closed to all
through traffic.
School vote bears watching
A recent vote by parents to hold classes year round in an
elementary school in North Georgia bears close watching
by other educational systems in the state.
By an overwhelming 92 percent margin, parents in
College Park voted to have about 500 College Park
Elementary School pupils attend classes through the entire
12 months of the calendar year. Currently all Georgia
school systems follow a nine-month, 180-day school
calendar.
The new system will create four quarters separated by
three three-week breaks and a six-week summer vacation.
The aim in College Park's case is to boost student
achievement. Principal Gary Field believes his pupils will
do better on a year-round calendar because they'll have
less time during the summer to forget what they learned the
previous year.
While the concept of a 12-month school calendar has
been in place at the college level for many decades, lower
level schools across the nation have stayed with a nine
month calendar—mostly for an outdated reason. In years
past, when the United States had a more agricultural-based
economy, kids were needed at home during the summer to
tend crops, help around the farm and do harvesting chores
in late Summer.
Over the course of their three-month vacation from
school, youngsters —especially grade school kids with a
shorter memory and attention span—forgot much of what
they learned the previous year.
Except in isolated areas, children are no longer needed to
help on the farm. Instead they just "while away" 90 days
from June through August. It seems a shame to waste
those three months.
If the College Park plan works it could accomplish two
goals. First youngsters would no doubt learn more, and
secondly, working parents would not have to worry about
what Johnny or Janie is doing to keep from being bored
over a three-month vacation from school.
While the concept of year-round school flies in the face
of tradition, it bears close study by parents and educators
in Houston County and across the state. The College Park
plan may well be the educational wave of the future.
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Billy Payne: A Bargain At Any Price
The two counties are becoming one
Recently, I made my first trip to
the Georgia State Capitol building,
where is was struck by the, fact that
within two hours in the gallery of
the House of Representatives, two
members spoke of the fact that
there are "two Georgias."
I returned late Monday night and,
on Tuesday, began my normal
round of meetings. I heard again, as
I often do, that there are two Hous
ton Counties.
I, for some reason, cannot find
these other areas. I have inspected
map after map and can find only
one Houston County in Georgia
and only one Georgia in the United
States.
It occurs to me that there is a
Georgia in the Soviet Union. By
why would our State legislators be
so overly concerned with a hospital
bill that would effect Soviet Geor
gia. Furthermore, how could they
enact one.
My point, if it is not yet clear, is
that repeating "there are two Geor
gias" or "there are two Houston
Counties" is ridiculous. There is
only one of each. When Atlanta and
the rest of Georgia woik together
the whole State is better off. Like
wise, when north and south Hous
ton County work together, the
whole County is better off.
This fact was made clear by my
assignment in Atlanta. While I had
a number of things to look into,
the primary purpose for my going
was to cover the State's official
recognition of General Richard
Gillis and the Warner Robins Air
Logistics Center.
Robins Air Force Base, in Middle
Georgia and miles away from At
lanta, is the single largest industrial
complex in the State. Its vitality
eventually effects Atlanta, though
less dramatically than it does
Tell us what you think
Write a letter to the editor!
P.O. Drawer M, Perry, Georgia 31069
or faring your letter by our office on 807 Carroll Street
Alan Willis
HHJ staff writer
Warner Robins or Perry.
Robins Air Force Base has a sig
nificant effect on Perry, no one
would doubt that. And events in
Perry have a significant impact on
Warner Robins. Any one who
doubts that will be proven wrong as
Northrop comes up to force.
Fortunately, the legislators who
represent Houston County realize
that if one of the County "wins" so
does the other end. Veteran Repre
sentatives Larry Walker and Sonny
Watson both expressed that opin
ion, and it was shared by freshmen
legislators Sonny Perdue and Jay
Walker.
Community leaders closer to
home are also beginning to notice
cooperation is better, in many
cases, than competition. With the
arrival of Sherrill Stafford in the
County Commissioner’s office the
lines of communications between
the north and south Houston
County have greatly improved.
In Perry, the Chamber of Com
merce has repeatedly noted that in
their search for an Executive Vice-
President, they are looking for
someone who cooperate with and
jsami
work with the Houston County
Development Authority.
All these signs of improvement
lead to wonder how much longer we
will hear talk about the "two
Houston Counties." Hopefully not
long at all. Still, there is, both in
Perry and in Warner Robins, ten
sion when the subject is bridged.
That tension means there is always
the possibility of moving back
ward, into a more separatist point
of view.
All the good I have said about
Houston County beginning to see
that working together is for the best
cannot really be said for Georgia. It
would take a major change in the
way most people in Georgia think
to bring about a belief Atlanta and
the rest of Georgia are actually part
of the same State and that what is
good for one is, generally, good for
the other.
It is true that it takes more time
and effort to look for the long-term
proposals which will help all sec
tors of the State. Some times the
short-term answers are easier.
However, those short-term answers
can have lasting, negative side-ef
fects.
It is only after long-term solu
tions to the State's problems begin
to be sought that it will become
obvious that what is good for
Georgia is good for Atlanta and
vice-versa.
That, it seems to me, is what it
took in Houston County. Our leg
islative delegation and community
leaders have shown foresight in
searching for long-term solutions
that will bring benefits to all of
Houston County.
Jan Hampton
Managing Editor
Abe knew how
to say it with
passion, style
Presidential prose just isn't what
it used to be. Where is the passion,
the conviction with which our
forefathers spoke about America?
Oh, President Bush may speak
about a "just war" or shout "We
will prevail" but does his words
make our souls quiver? I think not.
And I’m not picking on President
Bush. Infact, I think he is one of
the more intellectual Presidents of
our time. He has my respect and
there are many Presidents I cannot
say the same about.
But what has happened to the
days when the words a president
spoke truly moved the nation?
As I sit at my computer writing
this column, it is the birthday of
America's 16th President, Abraham
Lincoln.
Lincoln was bom in a log cabin
in Kentucky. He didn't receive a
formal education.
Abe came from a poor family
which was always on the move
looking for a better life.
And once at a very early age, Abe
was kicked in the head by a mule
and thought to be dead.
But my could Abraham Lincoln
write. Back in Lincoln's day, press
secretaries and speech writers
weren't as prominent as they are
today. A President was expected to
do much of his own writing. ,
Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg
Address on the back of an envelope
while enroute to the battle site.
His appearance in Gettysburg
didn't cause a lot of hoopla. Infact,
President Lincoln's speech was
considered secondary to other items
on the program.
Today his words are etched into
the ages.
"...But, in a larger sense, we can
not dedicate, we can not consecrate,
we can not hollow this ground. The
brave men, living and dead, who
struggled here, have consecrated it,
far above our poor power to add or
detract. The world will little note,
nor long remember what we say
here, but it can never forget what
they did here. It is for us the living,
rather to be dedicated here to the
unfinished work which they who
fought here have thus far so nobly
advanced. It is rather for us to be
here dedicated to the great task
remaining before us, that from
these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which
they gave the last full measure of
devotion, that we here highly
resolve that these dead shall not
have died in vain, that this nation,
under God, shall have a new birth
of freedom, and that government of
the people, by the people, for the
people, shall not perish from the
earth."
Even in personal correspondence,
Lincoln's style and dynamic words
always shine through. He wrote
this letter to the wife of a Southern
prisoner of war whom he released.
"...You say your husband is a
religious man; tell him when you
meet him that I say I am not much
of a judge of religion, but that, in
my opinion, the religion that sets
men to rebel and fight against their
government, because, as they think,
that government does not
sufficiently help some men to eat
their bread on the sweat of other
men's faces, is not the sort of
religion upon which people can get
to heaven.”
And measure by recent Presidents
the eloquence of Lincoln's second
inaugural address. "...With malice
toward none; with charity for all;
with firmness in the right, as God
gives us to see the right, let us
strive on to finish the work we are
in; to bind up the nation's wounds;
to care for him who shall have
borne the battle, and for his widow,
and his orphan, to do all which may
achieve and cherish a just and a
lasting peace, among ourselves, and
widi ill nations.”
Ah, what prose and passion.
Happy birthday, Abe.