Newspaper Page Text
MIDWEEK
EDITION
250
Perry & Houston County's
official Legal Organ
WEDNESDAY, July 29,1992
HOME JOURNAL
HIGHLIGHTS
Homecoming to be held
at local church
Henderson Baptist Church will
host homecoming services
August 9. For more informa
tions, please see page 2A.
Allied LP Gas opens
store in Perry
The Perry Area Chamber of
Commerce held a ribbon cut
ting for Perry's newest business
Monday. For more please see
page SA.
Ochlahatchee
season ends soon
A review of the Ochlahatchee
baseball season is featured in
the sports section. The story is
on page 7A.
INDEX
AGRICENTER EVENTS 6A
PEGGY BLEDSOE 1B
CALENDAR 6A
CLASSIFIED 11A
EDITORIALS 4A
ENTERTAINMENT 3A
HOME & GARDEN 2B
EMERY WARNOCK 4A
LEGAL NOTICES 4B
LIFESTYLE 1B
BRIAN LAWSON 4A
POLICE" REPORT 2A
REMEMBER WHEN 4A
SPORTS 7A
COSBY WOODRUFF" 7A
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Kersey is new hostess at Welcome Center
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
For many visitors to Perry, Ch
eryl Kersey is the first person they
meet.
As the hostess/supervisor for the
Perry Welcome Center, Kersey is
responsible for greeting and help
ing travellers as they visit the Wel
come Center.
"We get about 60 visitors on
most days and around 100 on Satur
days. My job is to help them by
answering questions, directing
them to our wall of brochures, pro
viding directions or just letting
their kid's run around the facility
while they sit down for a minute.
It's interesting, you learn so much
just by talking to people," Kersey
said.
The Perry Convention and Visi
tors Bureau Authority voted Thurs
day to accept the personnel commit
PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
f The Houston Homev
Journal
Local farmer says no to sludge
By EMERY WARNOCK
Staff Writer
One Houston County farmer has
decided he will not go through hav
ing sewage sludge from two water
plants in Macon sent free to his
farm in an attempt by the Macon
Water Authority to recycle its
waste.
Albert Snyder, owner of ABS
Farms, said he was not going to go
through with the Macon Water Au
thority’s plans to ship the sludge to
his land which is one-third of the
authority’s planned sites.
“There is really no fertilizer value
in the sludge. I’ve got to spend
money anyway,” Snyder said.
He explained he made a tentative
agreement with the authority. Sny
Perry’s new ambassador
Griffin to play in
softball tourney
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
Cindy Griffin of Perry is headed
to Lexington, South Carolina to
play in a nation-wide softball
tournament and serve as a goodwill
ambassador for Perry.
Griffin was given a package by
Mayor Worall containing keys to
the city, information about Perry
and a cap and pin from the Agriccn
ter.
"Cindy, take these keys and
spread the word about the good
people of Perry," Worrall said as he
made the presentation.
The package is part of the tradi
tion of the United States Slow
pitch Softball Association which
requires each participant to present
gifts and information from her city
to another player selected through a
drawing.
"There are 127 teams from all
over the United States playing in
the tournament and it will be a lot
of fun. I'm excited because it’s a
once in a life-time opportunity,"
Griffin said.
Griffin plays first base for the
Bloomfield Mavericks, a team
comprised of players from five
counties. The Mavericks begin
practice in February and play virtu
ally every weekend until August.
The world tournament will be the
Two important community activites
are scheduled that need support
Give Blood
The Red Cross Bloodmobile will
be at Crossroads United Methodist
Church Tuesday August 4.
All of the people who gave blood
during last year’s drive are asked to
return to the church again this year.
This year’s quota is 42 pints.
Donors may come to the Fellow
ship Hall between the hours of
2:30-7:30 p.m.
This is a project of the Cross
roads’ mission committee.
tee's recommendation to promote
Kersey to the full-time position.
In addition they voted to approve
the hiring of Geraldine Davis as the
new permanent part-time hostess.
Fay Riddles, executive director
of the Perry Convention and Visi
tor’s Bureau, said of Kersey, "She's
done such a wonderful job as a
part-time worker, I know she's
ready for her new position. She's
an asset to Perry, the visitors really
like her, she's bubbly and she really
knows the area"
Stephanie Copeland had worked
as the Welcome Center's supervi
sor/hostess from its opening and
when Copeland decided to leave she
urged Kersey to apply for the job.
"Stephanie was such a big help.
She is a great teacher and she com
municated things so clearly I had no
trouble picking things up. When
2 SECTIONS—IB PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS
dcr added the usage of sludge would
create something “political” and de
cided to back down with his agree
ment.
The Macon Water Authority, who
has planned to send 8,000 tons of
sewage sludge to 3,000 acres of
farm sites, would ship the sludge
from its Rocky Creek and Lower
Poplar Street treatment plants to
sites just five minutes off an Inter
state 75 exit.
Gene Holcomb, executive director
of the authority, could not be
reached for comment and is out of
the office until Thursday. Houston
County Commission Chairman
Sherrill Stafford was unavailable for
comment.
1
Mayor Jim Worrall presents Cindy Griffin with a key to the City.
climax of their season. Griffin, who
w’ill attend Macon College in the
fall on a softball scholarship, is the
only player on the team from Hous
ton County.
"This is my second year with the
team. You have to qualify for this
tournament by winning a number
Donations needed to
Perry Lions Club members are
asking for donations for a yard sale
that will be held August 8 at the
corner of Macon Road and Com
merce Street next to Stanley Furni
ture.
Proceeds will be used for eye
glasses for the poor.
“People can make donations by ei
ther taking it over to B.T. Burton at
Perry Paint Center or by contacting
■Nr 2: IZSSm :■-*
New Welcome Center Supervisor/Hostess Cheryl Kersey
she told me to apply for her job, I
really wanted to but I hesitated be
cause of my daughter. I decided it
City has, may again seek sludge permit
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
The growing debate over the
City of Macon's decision to
transport and dispense sludge on
four farm sites in Houston County
is being watched closely by Perry
officials who arc interested in using
the substance as a fertilizer around
the city parks and ilowcr beds.
Houston County locations that feet Farms with 791 acres, Bruce Advanced Waste Management of
were considered in the plan include Douglas Farm with 653 acres and J. Richmond, Virginia was hired by
ABS Farms with 1,215 acres, Per- Bloodworth Farm with 347 acres. Please see SLUDGE page 9A
of tournaments. This year we've
won five and finished second in
five. We'll play at least two games
but they're not sure yet how many
games it will take to win the
tournament," Griffin said.
The Griffin family will depart
Please see GRIFFIN, page 12A
r Lions Club yard sale
Burton at 987-9734 to have it
picked up at their house, prior to
the sale,” Charles Parker said.
Parker said the Lions will be ac
cepting donations for the annual
sale until August 7. Proceeds from
all events locally arc used for eye
glasses.
“If you have something and would
like to donate it to the Lions Club,
we would appreciate it,” Parker
said.
was time for her to be around other
kids and 1 knew 1 could do the job.
Please see KERSEY, page 12A
PERR^A
City Manager Marion Hay was
emphatic about his support for the
use of sludge.
"I personally don't sec anything
wrong with it. We should be able
to use it in Perry," Hay said.
As recently as a year ago, Perry
asked the Environmental Protection
Division for permission to use
' ll
The front door of the Genesis House. Pastor Milton Wynn and
members of his church, founded the boarding house to provide a
place for homeless men to live safely and get back on their feet.
P&Z votes to change
zoning to allow local
homeless shelter
City council will make the final
decision at their next meeting
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
The Perry Planning and Zoning
Commission voted unanimously
Monday night to approve the re
zoning from R-2 to C-2 of the
area incorporating the Genesis
House boarding facility on Cathy
Circle to Courtney Hodges
Boulevard.
The commission looked at the
matter after Pastor Milton Wynn
of Greater Word of Deliverance
Church opened a boarding house for
homeless men on Cathy Circle.
The house is owned by Lill Smith
of Perry, who agreed to lease the
property for the Genesis House.
Wynn was at the meeting and
agreed to discuss with his nearest
neighbor the decisions only
sticking point, a question over a
zoning boundary that did not follow
the property line on city maps.
Wynn said he was happy with
the commission's decision.
"I am very pleased with this de
cision. I think and hope it is an
indication of the importance of
what we are doing; that this house
can be a vital asset to the commu
nity. I was pleased with the unan
imous vote and I hope the city
council vote will be unanimous as
well," Wynn said.
The city council will to vote on
the commission's recommendation
after a period of public advertising
on the matter.
Perry Building Inspector Bill
Chambless explained the commis
sion's decision, "The re-zoning is
not a 'spot zoning' which is the
zoning of one specific area for the
benefit of one individual in away
that is inconsistent with the city's
master plan for growth. The area
along Courtney Hodges is expected
to become entirely commercial
122ND YEAR—VOLUME 61 I
sludge as a fertilizer to grow grass
at the old city landfill. According
to Waste Water Superintendent
Danny Walker the EPD officials
who oversee the waste water plants
were in support of the idea but the
officials who oversee the landfills
opposed it.
Please see PERMIT, page 12A
properly in the eorning years and
ihis re-zoning is consistent with
that planning."
Wynn's locating the Genesis
House on Cathy Circle represented
a problem lor the commission be
cause the area's zoning as R-2 only
allowed for single and two family
dwellings. A boarding house falls
outside of that zoning and a com
promise was required.
The commission is facing a law
suit brought by an attorney for
Chcri Lucas who had asked for a
special exception permit in order to
run a care facility for alcoholic
women at a residence on Swill
Street. The commission refused the
special exception after weeks of
heated debate and angry protests by
other Swift Street residents who
opposed Lucas' plans.
One of the primary concerns the
committee raised as it spoke to
Greater Word of Deliverance Rep
resentative Percy Skinner Jr. was
the distinction between a care facil
ity and a boarding house. Williams
explained the house would serve as
a place for a group of men selected
by the church to live, sleep and cat
in. No medically related services
would be performed at the Genesis
House.
With what seemed a clear dis
tinction from the Lucas request, the
commission began to look at ways
to re-zone the area to allow for the
Genesis House without compromis
ing city zoning regulations. The C
-2 zoning allows for hotels and
motels in addition to other types of
businesses. A boarding house is
viewed as similar to a motel under
zoning regulations.
"The committee tried it’s best to
deal with re-zoning of the area con-
Please see CHANGE, page 12A