Newspaper Page Text
k-THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1992
4A
Perry viewpoint
' - ~
The Houston Home Journal
OFFICIAL ORGAN, CITY OF PERRY AND HOUSTON
COUNTY, GEORGIA, SINCE 1870
PUBLISHED EACH WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING
807 CARROLL ST., P.O. DRAWER M, PERRY, GA. 31069
TELEPHONE: (912) 987-1823
The Houston Home Journal (USPS 252-780) is published semi weekly 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, Prwklent A Chairman of the Board, Park Newspapers
JAMES B. KERCE
Editor & General Manager
BRIGETTE HAMILTON TERESA HAWK
Managing Editor Advertising Manager
Exit polls, projections
The treatment of presidential elections by the television
industry has produced what some see as a problem.
Only a few years ago the commercial networks, to be
first and build viewing audience, began the practice of
polling voters as they left voting booths.
Network newscasters could, presumably, tell viewers
how the people were voting, what the outcome of the
election was likely to be.
The first fault found with this news-scoop was that
when results for eastern states were announced before
polls in western states closed, that influenced voting in the
western states.
Because of objections, NBC and CBS moderated news
scoop efforts. ABC paid less attention to complaints.
Congress has threatened to intervene, and may, in the
end, have to set television news guidelines.
Exit polls on election-day also produce questions and
objections. There is a desire among some to be on the
winning side. Undecided voters can be influenced by
hearing that the candidate they favor is being beaten. That
revelation-or prediction-can change the choice of some.
Television already dominates election campaigns. Since
there are now so many illiterates in this country-and that's
only a recent turn of events-television is the only source of
information and knowledge 30 or 40 million potential vot
ers get in campaigns.
Television should not influence voters on election-day,
whether with guesses about the outcome or by reporting
results in states where the voting has ended in states where
voting continues. If the industry doesn't provide for safe
guards against this election-day influence, Congress very
likely will.
Clinton signifies a moral
decay from within
Dear Editor:
The American people have elected a President and first
lady who have admitted smoking pot (they didn't inhale), a
President who admitted a long standing extra-marital affair
(she forgave him), a President who demonstrated against
his own country on foreign land that was Communist at the
time (he's been forgiven).
Never mind his abysmal record in Arkansas. I guess
none of these things were important. Talk about moral de
cay from within.
C.Hale
Perry, Ga.
Correction officers are proud
of the work they do
Dear Editor:
The executive board of the Georgia Correctional Officers
Association feels compelled to write this letter. It is not in
defense of those who have been accused of wrongdoing,
but to enlighten the public as to the rest of the story.
The Department of Corrections manages 30 state pris
ons, 12 detention centers, 18 diversion centers, six boot
camp prisons and five transitional centers. It employs more
than 12,000 people, with approximately 6,400 of these
being front line employees: the correctional officers. These
institutions house more than 25,000 criminal offenders.
About 57 percent of these offenders have been classified as
violent, and about five percent have been classified as
having mental disorders.
As of September, the Department of Corrections had
recorded zero homicides within the prison system this year.
There had been only 53 assaults on staff members by in
mates using a weapon, and 165 without a weapon. There
had been 332 weapons seized in searches, where in past
years, this number has exceeded 1,000.
Please see LETTERS, page 10A
fsfdfdf
Walker named house floor leader in ‘B2
10 years ago
Nov. 11, 1982
State Rep. Larry Walker, D-Perry,
was named House floor leader by
Governor elect Joe Frank Harris.
The appointment placed Perry’s
representative in an influential and
powerful position in state govern
ment, making him the governor’s
closest aide.
The appointment took effect with
Harris’ inauguration in January.
* * *
County tax officials were kept
busy Thursday by property owrncrs
who were confused about the tem
porary tax bills they had just re
ceived.
Houston County Tax Commis
sioner Joyce Griffin said the latter
part of last week was hectic as she
and four employees in the Perry of
fice answered questions about the
bills.
"We stamped all the bills with a
notice that adjustments will be
made next year,” she said. “Most
people didn’t understand why they
arc getting one bill now and will
get another one later. Next year,
when we send the adjustment no
tices out, it’ll be even worse.”
* * *
“Leadership makes the difference”
was the 1983 slogan for the Perry
Area Chamber of Commerce, and
President Elect David Pierce whole
heartedly believed it
“I anticipate that the leadership of
Perry will make the difference this
coining year in making our com
munity a better place to live and
work,” Pierce said.
15 years ago
Nov. 10, 1977
The Houston County Commis
sioners voted at their Tuesday night
Don't reduce the military, just shift focus
There has been lots of talk the
past couple of years about reducing
military spending. Well, I can’t
claim any military service, but I’ve
always considered the military an
organization that serves the public.
After all, what more can an individ
ual do for fellow citizens then de
fend the country for them?
Most of us have heard various
ideas on how the military might
evolve to prosper in these times of
“relative” peace. I’m partial to the
concept of not reducing military
personnel, but shifting the focus of
their work towards relief work.
When not engaged in combat, the
military could use their organiza
tional capabilities to tackle some of
our domestic problems here at
home. Feeding the homeless and
Remember L
when? I
News items from past issues
meeting in Warner Robins to in
struct Warden Allen to demolish the
old County Jail in Perry as soon as
possible.
The former jail was located on
Carroll Street adjacent to “The
Village” mini-shopping center.
* * *
As many as 1,500 tractors
assembled in Perry Saturday morn
ing at the Perry High School gym
nasium.
Leighton Kersey, one of the coor
dinators of the Middle Georgia
farmers’ strike organization, told
the Home Journal Wednesday that
plans for the strike were continuing
unless Congress gave American
farmers 100 percent parity for their
crops by December 14.
* * *
The Home Journal learned late
Wednesday morning that the Federal
Aviation Administration approved a
$52,000 cost over-run grant to the
Perry-Fort Valley Airport. The
grant would substantially remedy
the lack of funds with which the
Airport Authority had been faced
with for a year.
25 years ago
Nov. 9, 1967
Houston County citizens voted 2
to 1 Tuesday to keep the right to
elect the county school superinten
dent rather than have him appointed
by the board of education.
The count showed that 2,327
voted against appointing the super
intendent and 1,001 voted for the
constructing low cost housing arc
but two ways in which their
numbers could be utilized.
It would probably mean massive
reorganization for military person
nel, and, let’s face it, not everyone
one would be pleased. However, it
would save reductions in personnel
and the United States would find it
self with an organization helping to
solve domestic problems without
appointment method.
* * *
Perry’s city council Tuesday night
set up machinery lor the Dec.s city
election and received the resignation
of Councilman Emmcttc Carter,
who was to run against Mayor
Richard B. Ray.
Carter’s resignation left lour
council posts to be filled. Mayor
Ray announced he would be a
candidate for re-election.
* * *
Houston County Commissioners
Tuesday raised rates for county wa
ter systems customers about 30
percent tint! heard a report from suite
revenue representatives that a tax
appraisal firm had fulfilled its con
tract under the lax equalization pro
gram.
50 years ago
Nov. 12, 1942
C.C. Pierce resigned as Sheriff of
Houston County alter serving in
this capacity for 18 years. Mr.
Pierce had accepted a position as
book-keeper with the Davis Ware
house of Perry. His resignation
became effective Dec. 15, 1942.
* * *
“It is imperative that Houston
County farmers save their farm ma
nures,” County Agent W.T. Mid
dlebrooks said this week, pointing
out that there will be a shortage of
commercial fertilizers next year due
to wartime uses.
* * *
In order to reuiin their right to use
mileage ration books already issued
them, passenger car and motorcycle
owners in Houston County were
told they must file with their Local
War Price and Rationing Board the
new application form and tire
inspection record, S.L. Norwood,
Chairman of the Board, declared.
an enormous outlay of cash. Ide
ally, most of the money would al
ready be figured in with the military
budget.
We’d also benefit if skirmishes
flared up between our allies and
other countries, or between the
U.S. and other countries. The U.S.
military would still be whole and
intact.
Remember the Persian Gulf War?
Although not everyone agreed with
our reasons for getting involved, I
think we were all happy there were
enough military personnel to get in
and out of there quickly.
It’s something to think about
when the next round of budget ne
gotiations begin and the military
budget is out there on the chopping
block.
a The Houston Home a
Journal
aJS^amiltonl
A few tips to
follow when
eating out
Whatever ever happened to the
good old days when you could ex
pect service with a smile? Or the
days when the motto "the customer
is always right" always applied,
even if the customer was wrong?
I've noticed lately that almost ev
ery restaurant, convenient store or
department store I enter ends up be
ing a bad encounter.
Example: I went to a local restau
rant last week with two co-work
ers. At noon there were only two
tables with customers seated, but
by 12:30 it began filling up. Os
course we placed our order before
12:15 but had to I wait 45 minutes
for my lunch even though everyone
else around me and at my table were
already eating. Also, two of the
orders at our table had to be sent
back and corrected.
Did the manager offer us any
compensation for the inconve
nience? Os course not. All we heard
was the ch-ching of the cash regis
ter when she rang up our tickets.
Now, this is one area I do know
something about since I waitressed
in college. If a customer is dissatis
fied with the food, server or service
in general, it is the manager's duly
to put a smile on that customer's
face before they leave that particular
restaurant, whatever it takes.
So, the next time you get a raw
deal at a restaurant, remember, Rule
number one: the customer is always
right. Believe me, you are paying
for a good meal and good service
when eating out. It certainly
wouldn't cost you S 5-6 for a ham
burger and fries at home. Demand
to get what you pay for or. don't.pay
for it. Ini theory, managers are sup
posed to have the training and expe
rience in handling such situations,
but unfortunately that is not always
the case.
Three restaurants 1 can think of off
the top of my head that do follow
this basic rule (at least when I’ve
been there) are T.K. Tripps in
Macon, Richards in Warner Robins
and Harvest Moon here in Perry.
As far as rude management goes,
stay away from The Rookery on
Cherry Street in Macon. Both times
I've been there I've had problems
with the service, bill and food and
the management was way less than
pleasant. The local restaurant which
was the scene of the story above
was the Huddle House, which just
re-opened and may explain part of
that problem.
Also, if a restaurant won’t allow
substitutions on a dinner don’t go
back, because they're feeding you a
load of bull if they say it isn't pos
sible. Food can always be specially
prepared to suit your tastes or to
avoid allergic reactions.
For example, MSG, a popular ad
ditive in Chinese cooking, gives
several people awful allergic reac
tions. Unlortunately, it is used in
almost all prepared sauces but if a
customer requests it be left out,
new sauce will be made to order. I
know, I used to be a waitress at a
Chinese restaurant.
Also, if a server says he can't sub
stitute a baked potato for fries or
bring you ranch instead of blue
cheese with your hot wings, go
somewhere that will. They don’t de
serve your money.
Eating out is supposed to be a
pleasurable getaway, not an ordeal
where you pay for something you
don't want or something that isn't
any good.
Also, with the economic hard
ships many of us arc facing, restau
rants should be more in-tune with
their customers than ever. A man
ager should consider it an honor
you are willing to spend what spare
cash you may have at their work
place.
Since I cat out a lot and have ex
perience in the restaurant business,
I may write you a few more guide
lines in the future.
Now, on to other businesses. Just
because you walk in a store you are
not required to spend money. I hate
being bugged to death by salespeo
ple. I can think of more than one
occasion I've left a store without
making a purchasing I was plan
ning on just because some girl with
a nametag bugged me to death
about buying something I didn't
want or treating me like I didn't
Please see HAMILTON, page 10A