Newspaper Page Text
MIDWEEK
EDITION
250
Perry & Houston County's
official Legal Organ
|~WEPNESPAY f SEPTEMBER 23,1992
County decides to delay raising taxes
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
The Houston County Commis
sioners met to set the county prop
erty tax millage rate Tuesday night
but they're going to have to try and
do it again next week.
Following an hour and a half of
discussion, and often impassioned
protests, opposing the proposed
millage increase from 9.14 mills to
9.69 mills, the commission voted
to review their budget prior to vot
ing on the increase.
Hospital
opens a
new wing
Physical therapy wing
is state-of-the-art
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
Seeking relief for a degenerative
disc, Carl Joiner stretches and
strains under the critical eye of
Maya Bradford. In an area adjacent
to Joiner, Lill Scott is receiving
electrical stimulation therapy on her
sprained ankle. The sounds of
Joiner's efforts echo in the large ,
gleaming white room signaling the
opening of Perry Hospital's new
physical therapy wing.
The project, first designed by Di
rector of Physcial Therapy Renee
Hatcher's husband and long dreamed
about by hospital staff and patients
crowded together in old physical
therapy room, is now complete.
The facility has already begun serv
ing 18-24 patients daily.
"It is exciting. Our patients have
already shown a more positive out
look as they make their initial visit
to the facility. Most of them are
eager to try all the new equipment,"
Hatcher said.
Joiner is in the middle of a series
of exercises designed to strengthen
his abdominal and back muscles.
"I do sit ups, do trunk flexibility
exercises where I twist to the right
and to the left and I do one where I
pull my knees up to my chest. Ido
it when I first wake up, then here
and then when I go to bed. My back
is a lot stronger than it was, when I
started I couldn’t do very much," he
Leaders
purchase
new clock
Chamber gives funds
in honor o f Mullins
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
In recognition of W.G. Mullins'
contributions to Perry, the city's
chamber board approved a SI,OOO
donation at their regular meeting
Wednesday to help the city pay for
a courtyard streetclock to be located
at the corner of Ball and Main
streets.
Perry City Council voted to spend
$7,900 to pay for the clock. A
plaque dedicated to the memory of
W.G. Mullins, who died Wednes
day, will be placed near the clock.
"Mr. Mullins was instrumental in
supporting downtown revitaliza
tion, he helped develop several sub
divisions in the area and we are ded
icating the SI,OOO in his honor,"
chamber President Trudie Warren
said.
With the funeral of board member
Bobby Arcos held Wednesday also,
the board held a brief and subdued
meeting.
"We have lost a dedicated member
of the chamber and the city has lost
a good citizen. AH of us are sad
dened by his passing," she said.
The board iso approved the nom
inations of five individuals to serve
as board members beginning in
January. The five elected board
PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
f The Houston Home!
Journal
Several citizens expressed anger
and frustration over the proposed
rate increase.
"You cannot continue to increase
the burden on homeowners in this
county. Your shortfall, if you left
the millage rate where it is, would
be about 5600,000. You had bud
geted with roughly five percent
growth, instead you got two percent
growth. The simplest solution I can
think of would be an across the
board three percent cut out of the
* „■
mm IKai
(HHJ photo by Jim Kerce)
Work has commenced in the physical therapy facility at Perry Hospital. Lilli Scott of Fort
Valley, seated, receives treatment on her injured ankle from Barb Carroll, left, and Physical
Therapy Director Renee Hatcher.
said.
Among the pieces of new equip
ment are a scries of hydro fitness
weight machines which arc designed
to produce increased endurance and
improve muscle strength. The ma
chines are based on an isometric
principle and resistance is provided
by how much speed and force is
generated by the patient, thereby in
creasing the safety factor. In addi
tion, the facility has a treadmill,
aero cycle, private treatment cubi
cles for increased privacy, a cervical
and pelvic traction unit designed to
Several city and chamber members gathered Monday to review plans for a new
streetclock to be placed on the corner of Ball and Main streets. A plaque dedicated
to the memory of W.G. Mullins will be placed near the clock for Mullins' contributions
to housing in Perry and revitalization efforts of downtown Perry. Chamber members
presented the city with a SI,OOO donation to help pay for the clock In honor of
Mullins.
members are, Hervia Ingram, Eliza
beth Flowers, Skip Dawkins, Ellen
Bunker and Jim Sexton. The
members-elect of the board will at
tend the board's retreat in November
to help begin setting the agenda for
1993.
Chamber Executive Vice-Presi
dent Peggie Williams reported to
the board on her visit to California.
Williams joined Representative
Larry Walker and Houston County
Development Authority Director
Dick Ulm in an effort to bring an
aerospace related industry to Geor
gia. ~
"We are still in the early negotiat
2 SECTIONS—I 6 PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS
budget. That way everyone would
shoulder the burden equally," local
resident Annette Johnson said.
"We arc three months into this
budget, I tell you in all sincerity
you cannot cut $600,000 without
chaos. I firmly believe that,"
County Commission Chairman
Sherrill Stafford said.
During the comments made by ci
tizens about the increased tax bur
den, Commissioner Houston Porter
asked what the millage increase
provide relief for compressed nerves
and whirlpools including two for
the entire body and one for limbs.
Perry Hospital Administrator Jim
Peak said, "I think the facility rep
resents a true improvement in
health care for the citizens of Perry.
It shows commitment on the part
of the hospital and the hospital
authority to ensure Perry Hospital
continues to grow and improve."
Construction on the project began
May 28 and the facility began
serving its first patients three weeks
ago. The total cost of the facility
ing stages and the company has vis
ited several sites in Middle Georgia.
I think they have a favorable opin
ion of Perry but we are at least a
year away from seeing the company
move here," Williams said.
The Georgia Power community
video promoting Perry will be
filmed Oct. 5-7. The video will
feature shots of local industries, fea
tures on the area schools, recreation
activities and general shots of
Perry.
The chamber will be sponsoring a
seminar Oct. 27 addressing the
impact of the American Disabilities
Act on local businesses. The sem
would translate in dollar terms.
"On a $50,000 house the half a
mill increase would be $9.90, on a
SIOO,OOO property the increase
would be $20.90," County Director
of Management Services Steve En
gle replied.
The commissioners appeared to be
split on the question of the millage
increase. Commissioner Archie
Thompson, who voted against the
July budget, is likely to join Sncll
grovc in opposing the hike. Stcw
which includes a respiratory therapy
unit as well, is $147,000 for the
new building attached to the
existing structure and over $27,000
for equipment.
Among the staff employed in the
Physical Therapy unit arc Hatcher,
the director, Bradford, a physical
therapy technician, Barbara Carroll
physical therapy coordinator and
athletic trainer Lisa Attcrbcrry.
"We were giving optimum patient
care where we were jjefore, but we
enjoy the work more now because
Please see WING, page 10A
inar will be conducted twice, begin
ning at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Attor
ney Tom Daniel will host the event
at a still undetermined location.
Williams will be in Washington
today and Thursday as part of the
Washington Fly-In. The annual
event is designed to provide busi
ness and chamber representatives
from Middle Georgia an opportu
nity to meet with Congressman
Richard Ray and other government
officials.
"It provides us an opportunity as a
group to share our concerns and to
meet with leaders in Washington,"
Williams said.
PERRY, GA.
art and Porter both expressed the
feeling that a decision needs to be
made and the increase is not dra
matic when measured against the
disruptions dial could be caused to
the three month old budget.
The board approved Stafford's
suggestion to meet with the county
department heads and review the
budget to sec if cuts can be made.
"1 understand people’s frustration
BOLD conducts
lottery meeting
in Perry Monday
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
Between 300-400 lottery oppo
nents came together Monday night
for a rally at First Baptist Church
of Perry.
The event was sponsored by the
Rchoboth Baptist Association
which represents 43 Baptist
churches in five surrounding coun
ties.
Around the state, the group
known as BOLD, Baptists Organiz
ing Lottery's Defeat, have held ral
lies in an effort to marshal opposi
tion to the lottery measure on the
Nov. 3 ballot.
The group plans to hold a total of
nearly 200 rallies before Nov. 3.
They have reportedly set up their
meeting schedule so that ultimately
there will be no meeting location
more than a 25-30 mile radius from
any comer of the state.
Speakers including Mayor Jim
Worrall, retired Macon Pastor Dr.
Jimmy Waters and Charles Skid
more, public relations director for
the Georgia Baptist Convention ad
dressed the problems associated
with the lottery.
"In every state where there is a
lottery at the present time the lot
tery fund has not enhanced educa
tion. In Massachusetts, they went
to a seven day a week sale of lottery
tickets and two months later the
state assembly voted for a SSOO
million tax increase. In Georgia 29
percent of the money will go to the
Please see BOLD, page 10A
Physician opens
new Perry practice
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
It's been a busy week for Dr. Ger
ald Brantley, Perry's newest physi
cian. On Tuesday and Wednesday
he was in Atlanta, taking the state
medical board’s, on Thursday he
saw his first patient in Perry, over
the weekend he helped supervise
construction on his new home and
he's still putting the finishing
touches on his newly constructed
office on Keith Drive.
Although it sounds like a lot to
keep track of, Brantley is used to
Please see OPENS, page 10A
■ » I — J ■ w ' ■
Diabetic support group
for children will meet
By BRIGETTE HAMILTON
Managing Editor
Being a teacher and mother of a
diabetic nine year old, Becky
Crockett has seen the need for a lo
cal family support group for dia
betic children and their parents. She
began preparations this summer for
just such a group and the first meet
ing will be in Perry Sept. 28 at 7
p.m. at the ag building on Carroll
Street.
Crockett urges all parents of child
diabetics to come to the meeting
with their children to help plan fu
ture events for the group.
"We began a steering committee
during the summer. At this point
we’ve set up some goals, but at the
122ND YEAR-VOLUME 77
and they deserve a response to what
they arc saying. But the budget
was tight to start with and there is
no way we can cut $600,000 out of
it," Stafford said.
"The people won tonight, the
budget process will be different next
year," Thompson said.
The commissioners will vote
Monday at 7 p.m. in the Warner
Robins Annex on the millage in
crease.
INDEX
AGRICENTER EVENTS 5A
PEGGY BLEDSOE 2B
CALENDAR 5A
CLASSIFIED 6B
EDITORIALS 4A
HOME & GARDEN 2B
BRIGETTE HAMILTON 4A
TIM LEWIS 2B
LEGAL NOTICES 3B
LIFESTYLE 1B
GUEST COLUMN 4A
POLICE REPORT 2A
REMEMBER WHEN 4A
SPORTS 7 A
COSBY WOODRUFF 7A
TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL:
987-1823, OR 987-5203
READ IT, THEN RECYCLE!
This newspaper is
printed, in part, on re
cycled paper and is re- T®
cyclable. For locations
ofrecydmgstations.call
987-1823
Dr. Gerald Brantley
first meeting we want to pass out
surveys for the parents and kids to
find out what activities, such as ex
hibits, equipment research and
camps, they would like to have,"
Crockett said.
Also, Crockett said a support
group for children is not available
in the Middle Georgia area and will
be beneficial in helping diabetic
children learn more about their con
dition.
"Young diabetics have their own
unique group of needs and they
probably wouldn't feel as comfort
able with an adult diabetic support
group.
Please see GROUP, page 10A