Newspaper Page Text
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HE HOUSTON HOWE JOURNAL WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 16, 1992
Perry viewpoint
, r
The Houston Home Journal
OFFICIAL ORGAN, CITY OF PERRY AND HOUSTON
COUNTY, GEORGIA. SINCE 1870
PUBLISHED EACH WEDNESDAY ANO SATURDAY MOfIMNG
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, Prw*id*m A Chairmen oI th« Board. Par* Nawapapar*
JAMES B. KERCE
Editor & General Manager
BRIGETTE HAMILTON TERESA HAWK
Managing Editor Advertising Manager
k .. )
Clinton's money
One of the sources of new money President —elect Bill
Clinton seeks to inaugurate in his new programs, it has
been learned, is to come from reducing the exemption on
estate taxes.
The current exemption is $6(X),000. Two bills spon
sored by Representative Dick Gephardt in the U.S. House
and Senator George Mitchell in the Senate would slash that
to 5200,000.
That would mean Americans who had managed to attain
a total wealth over 5200,000 by the time they died, after a
lifetime of effort, would be unable to leave their children or
estate as much as they had hoped. It would deprive sur
vivors of some of the inheritance they now receive under
the higher tax exemption.
One hopes this tax hike isn't enacted. Estate taxes are al
ready severe, since they're computed without taking into
account inflation or the size of families. The middle class,
as well as all others, would be hurt by such a tax increase.
Democracy abroad
We in America are inclined to believe, almost reli
giously, everyone in every country should have the right to
vote at once. We call that pure democracy.
But in this country, when our independent democracy
began, we didn’t extend the right to vote to all. One had to
own property, as one example of the limitation. It was be
lieved by wise founding fathers that only those who had
demonstrated responsible citizenship, and who could read
and write, should choose the nation’s leaders.
In the most primitive countries in Asia and Africa today,
most inhabitants can't read or write and even more impor
tant, haven't the slightest inkling of what democracy is all
about-what citizen responsibilities are required to make
democracy successful. Early Americans knew a good bit
about this-having come, for the most part, from England
and democracy there.
In some countries, ruthless leaders or gangs can easily
intimidate ignorant masses and thwart the working of
democracy.
It behooves Americans to move cautiously in demanding
just what developing nations should do, and when they
should do it. That's not what we like to believe. But in
most cases (as in our own country) democracy, to be suc
cessful, requires a minimum level of education and under
standing among the electorate. It must sometimes walk be
fore it can run.
Newspaper and garbage
collection take a holiday
Dear Editor:
The Happy Hour Workshop for mentally handicapped in
Warner Robins thanks all those who have faithfully
brought newspapers and cardboard to the Kiwanis collec
tion station across from the Sing store in Perry. It has been.
a good year for recycling.
Now, it is time for holidays. Collections will be sus
pended from December 23, 1992 through January 4, 1993.
Please save your newspapers and boxes. Collection will re
sume in January.
Also, for all Perry mobile toter users, no city garbage
collection will be made on Christmas Day and New Year's
Day. City crews will be back on the job January 4, 1993.
They too thank residents for their cooperation and for sepa
rating yard trash and house hold debris. It is a big help.
Bill Hafley
Clean Community Commission
Local high school band was
unable to march in parade
Dear Editor:
In response to Anissa demon’s column on Wednesday,
Dec. 9, "Parade brings PerTyans and good times together":
The Perry High School Band always looks forward to
the parades in town. They especially look forward to the
Please see LETTERS, page 12A
“Believe Me... We’re Going To Be Great Friends! Why
Don’t You Just Wait Here While I Run Down And Get
You Something To Eat...”
High schools to have vocational wings
10 years ago
Dec. 16, 1982
Plans to build vocational wings at
Houston County's three public high
schools were approved by the
school board.
The state allocated 53,669,300 for
the construction and Houston
County was to provide 5648.356 in
local money for the project.
"Vocational education is some
thing we really need in this
county," board member Bill
Edenfield said in response to the
fact the new wings would increase
operating and maintenance costs.
* * *
Lewis Meeks was named Man of
the Year by the Perry Kiwanis Club
at the club's annual Ladies Night
banquet.
The award is presented by the club
each year to a local man, regardless
of whether or not he’s a member of
the club.
Meeks had served as chairman of
the Perry Redcveloment Authority
and vice president of the Perry
Downtown Development
Association. He was also a past
president of the Perry Area
Chamber of Commerce and had
served on the Board of Directors for
the United Way of Houston
County. He was currently serving
on the Houston County Hospital
Authority and Small Business
Administration.
* * *
The Perry division of the Houston
County United Way went over its
fund raising goal for the first time
ever. Jim Kerce, division chairman,
said 55.863.44 was raised in the
Perry division-106.0 percent of the
division's $5,500 goal.
15 years ago
Dec. 15, 1977
Approximately 100 Perry mer
chants met Monday and Tuesday in
an effort to get together on a joint
agreement on closing times
Wednesday in a show of support to
the farm movement here.
Media exploited in effort to whitewash Hiss
Though there is convincing evi
dence Alger Hiss is guilty of hav
ing passed State Department mate
rial to confessed spy Whitaker
Chambers for the communist
Comintern, and though he was
convicted by a jury of doing so, an
other attempt was recently made to
whitewash Hiss.
The effort exploited the liberal
media effectively, much of which
declared Hiss had been found not
Remember L
when? I
News items from past issues
It was voted to close stores be
tween noon and 2 p.m., although
several merchants closed their doors
all day long. Wendell Kersey, a
Henderson farmer, said those stores
that did not close all day would be
boycotted by farmers.
* * *
According to engineers H.L.
Tribble and Elmo Richardson, the
county's 45 mile long water system
expansion was progressing on
schedule. Still several residents
voiced complaints about the rate of
construction and size of pipes in
front of their homes. The expected
completion date of the project was
April 1978.
* * *
The Houston County Grand Jury
recommended the employees of the
three constitutional officers receive
pay raises during the next budget
hearings scheduled for May.
The three officers. Tax
Commissioner Joyce Griffin,
Probate Judge Clint Watson and
Clerk of Superior Court Tommie
Hunt, earlier this year unsuccess
fully asked the commissioners for
budget adjustments after learning
that most other departments' em
ployees received substantial pay in
creases.
25 years ago
Dec. 14, 1967
Sam Nunn Jr. of Perry was elected
as the 1968 chairman of the seven
county Middle Georgia Area
Planning Commission. He suc
ceeded W.P. Thompson of Macon
who had been chairman since the
group was formed two years ago.
Nunn served as vice chairman under
Thompson since the inception of
the commission.
* * *
Guest I
column I
guilty. Not true, certainly not
proven.
he effort was launched by John
Lee St. John, s'B", 185 pound
halfback from Perry High, was
named to the Class A All-State
football team.
Ed Harley and Lynward Barrett
won honorable mention on the
team. Region 1-A, of which Perry
was a member, placed more players
on the team than did other regions.
* * *
A federal court that recommended
changes in county apportionment
suggested Houston County might
earn more representation in the
General Assembly after the 1970
census.
At the time, Houston County had
two representatives in the lower
house of the General Assembly and
was linked with Twiggs. Peach and
Crawford counties in a senatorial
district.
Depending on the increase in pop
ulation from the 1960 census, the
county may have been entitled to
another legislator i the lower house
and possibly a separate senatorial
district.
50 years ago
Dec. 17, 1942
Federal control of cotton produc
tion and marketing appeared to have
won the overwhelming approval of
a big majority of cotton farmers in
all cotton producing states except
Georgia. The vote in Houston
County was 239 for and 117
against quotas with only 50 percent
of those eligible voting.
* * *
The registration of male citizens
of Houston County, who were born
during specified periods, were in
structed to take place in the office
of the Local Board of Perry registra
tion.
* * *
Friends and family members of
those serving in the armed forces
wondering what to send overseas
were given suggestions of things
they needed including house slip
pers, wrist watches, handkerchiefs,
pocket knives, soap, lighters, tooth
brushes and postage stamps.
Lowenthal, described as a leftwing
film maker and sometimes lawyer
for Hiss by Accuracy In Media,
who asked the keeper of USSR
archives in Moscow to look over
the list of U.S. agents to see if
Hiss’ name was included.
Dimitri Volkogonov later replied
he could not find Hiss' name. He
admitted he had not himself studied
the files. Lowenthal found an outlet
for his quick claim of exoneration i
ff The Houston Home f
Journal
m M n ' ssa I
iClemonsl
,J|PP Staff writer
Forget the mall
and give from
the heart
Christmas trees, Christmas
parties, Christmas songs on the ra
dio, Christmas cards in the mail,
Christmas candy at the supermarket
checkout, Christmas television
programs, Christmas cantatas,
Christmas everything. Yes folks
Christmas will be here in nine
days.
Are you ready? I’m not. Mon
day night was my first attempt at
reducing my Christmas gift list,
and that happened by accident al
most.
A friend of mine asked me to
go out Monday night, and he asked
me what I wanted to do. 1 thought
and thought. I said why don’t we go
Christmas shopping. He said great.
I figured shopping with a man is a
good lest of a relationship anyway.
We went to the Macon Mail. I
thought the mall wouldn’t be
crowded since it was Monday night.
People are supposed to be at home
watching Monday Night Football
anyway, right? w’rong. They were at
the Macon Mall.
It all began when I creeped
down row after row in the parking
lot. I don’t waste my time trying to
get parking spaces near the store en
trances. I always go for the end
spaces where 1 know there will be
ample parking because most people
are too lazy to walk. 1 got to the
end of the first row. No luck. Then
the second. No luck and so on. 1
had to park out in Egypt and walk
in the cold w ind.
At that point mail ordering
from a catalogue began to look at
tractive. There’s only one problem
with that. There’s only nine more
days before Christmas.
My date and 1 walked from
store to store trying to find the per
fect gifts. Amazingly enough it
worked out quite well. We got a lot
done, but there’s still more to come
for me.
I can see it now. This weekend
will probably be my only free time
to step back into the Macon Mall
fast lane. Only this weekend will be
a hundred times worse. Forget the
food court. Better bring a brown
bag from home. Ever tried finding a
place to sit and eat w hen everybody
and their mother is at the mall?
I’ve said all that to say this.
Why go crazy at a lime that’s sup
posed to be wonderful and
rejoiceful? Christmas has gotten so
commercialized it’s pathetic. I’m
guilty of participating in the fast
lane rut. We’re too busy worrying
about what we got who and what
we’re getting that we’ve forgotten
the real meaning of Christmas.
1 say we go back to simple,
old-fashioned Christmases. I’ve
heard my parents and other people
their age talk about getting apples
and oranges in their stockings. Kids
today would probably croak if they
got such a gift.
We need to step back and do a
reality check. W'hat is important?
Forget the big gifts and remember
our family and friends are what
count. The best gifts to give are
those with meaning and come from
the heart. Why not write your feel
ings on paper and frame them. That
would probably mean more to
someone than a pair of socks.
Have you tried writing memo
ries or a life journey with someone
in a notebook? You could decorate
the notebook, and it’s inexpensive.
Let’s give from the heart. People
are what really matter.
the New York Times, which when
reporting on the claim didn't note
the important fact that Lowenthal
had been a lawyer for Hiss.
Much of the media quickly ac
cepted the claim Hiss had been ex
onerated.
Not so fast.
The files of the communist
International (Comintern)-for I
which Hiss spied according to
Please see GUESt, page t>A