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WEEKEND EDITION 25$ Perry & Houston County's official Legal Organ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1993 911 committee discusses party line problems By ANISSA CLEMONS Staff Writer For the past year and a half the Houston County 911 Committee has battled the controversy concem ing party lines and the unavailability of the Enhanced 911 service for the party line users. Once again the issue was dis cussed at Thursday’s 911 committee meeting. Currently 911 can’t access a party line user’s address and phone number on the computer when they call 911 . Despite not receiving the County approves solid waste management plan By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer Following two public hearings and a great deal of hard work, the Houston County Commission voted Tuesday to approve a solid waste management plan that will unite the governments of Perry, Warner Robins, Centerville and Houston County. The Joint Solid Waste Plan de tails steps that will be taken for the county to attain a 25 percent reduc Health board changes cooking rules for beef By ANISSA CLEMONS Staff Writer The Houston County Board qfr Health voted to change the cooking requirements of beef patties by restaurants and businesses in Hous ton County. The new stipulations are in re sponse to the recent outbreak of foodbome E. Coli infection in the western part of the United States caused by consumption of infected ground beef patties. This type of E. Coli usually leads to hemorrhagic colitis, according to Environmental Health Specialist Bert M. Tilton. He said recent studies of ground beef lots show a three percent con tamination rate. “It can kill and cause a lot of serious problems,” he said. Tilton said after inspecting sev eral restaurants in Houston County, “Most restaurants already cook their beef patties at a high enough de gree.” He said, “I’d like to see a change BOE chairman meets with parents to discuss concerns By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer More than 50 concerned parents, educators and citizens gathered at Leisure World Clubhouse in Warner Robins Thursday night to discuss the whole-language approach cur rently being used in the Houston County School System. The group, which has been meeting since September, has con cerns about the new way of teach ing language arts in kindergarten through third grade. The new lan guage arts curriculum, which has been in place since last year, em phasizes teaching reading and writ ing skills in an integrated method. The parents’ concern comes over what they term a “lack of system atic phonetic instruction.” “There are a variety of reasons why we are all here tonight, but we are very focused in what our objec tives are,” said Kim Sadler, aspokesperson for the group, “Our concern is that while there are many good things in the whole-language curriculum, there appears to be a de-emphasis in systematically teaching phonics.” The group has appealed to the Enhanced 911 service, party line users have to pay the $1.50 fee for the service on their phone bill. Party line user Olin Taylor said, “If we can't get the enhanced ser vice, I don’t think we should have to pay the $1.50. “Maybe a $1.50 doesn’t mean much to you, but I’m retired and on a fixed income.” GTE party line customers have been offered the option to switch to Please see 911, page 6A tion in the amount of solid waste going into the county landfill. The plan is in response to the state set ting a goal of a 25 percent reduction of solid waste intake by 1996 for all Georgia landfills. Upon approval by other local governments, the plan will be sent to the Middle Georgia Regional Development Center in Macon. The plan will be reviewed to ensure Please see WASTE, page 6A in our own rules.” The former rules stipulate beef pattTeT'Be" coolceH’To fW degrees Fahrenheit. After Tilton suggested beef patties be cooked to 155 de grees Fahrenheit to kill the bacteria, the board agreed to do so. Tilton and other board members also stressed concern for institu tions that aren’t inspected by the county such as private clubs and social picnics. Tilton said ii is essential beef patties be cooked to 155 degrees Fahrenheit whether they’re cooked at home or in a restaurant. He said it’s not safe to eat “pink” hamburg ers, and people need to make sure the beef is fully cooked. The Thursday night meeting was the first for new member Betty Bynum. Bynum, an assistant prin cipal at Miller Elementary, was ap pointed by the Houston County Commissioners to represent the Please see RULES, page 6A school board and various members of the school system administration but is unsatisfied with the results they have received from those enti ties. Sadler said the group has con tinually requested statistical data to support the use of a whole-language curriculum to no avail. “The reason our focus is the sys tematic instruction of phonics is that we have enough statistical support to prove to us that it is necessary to have a correlation be tween letters and the sounds they Group not satisfied with language arts program By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer Since school began last fall, a group of Houston County parents has been questioning the adoption of anew language arts curriculum in the Houston County School System. In order to better address and ex press their concerns, the group has been meeting monthly to examine ways to challenge the school board’s adoption of a whole-lan PERRY. GEORGIA’S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870--FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALLI9B7-1823 f The Houston Homeff Journal 2 SECTIONS—IO PAGES, PLUS SALESC^PgffW? — —— — — nri % —TT — ' - C ii nuir -“f* • ~r~" & mT ~ Mg A Afc ,i~. i ..... .Mfik \ u j&is ./j|j .|K. 'I I ■K.yJri v! [9 mlm m Ml fIML. ’wmW-.x-| |r • v - IPm - y I <>'<c byjiSl' f ! cWOroKjsLMIH. .4 > jr:,v I. i ■ Jksa AjC" <* riMil l / JV. <*, ■ jguMf m pr- ? 1 i§^, J - T s s ! _v K -■ : V44/.. (HHJ photo by Eric Zellars) Westfield senior Danny Perfect prepares for his ninth annual Houston County Market Hog Show to be held “Today art' tiTe* 1 Wgrtoewter. The ptrt>fk?~4s-<HK>ouraged-to auction to be held around 4:30 p.m. Perfect prepares for county hog show By ANISSA CLEMONS Staff Writer Most high school seniors spend their time thinking about the col lege they're going to attend or their plans for the weekend, but for Westfield senior Danny Perfect these thoughts aren’t the only ones on his mind. For the last three months Perfect has come home from football practice to spend time getting his hogs ready for the Annual Houston County Market Hog Show. Along with feeding and watering his three hogs, he said, "I have to walk them every day to build up their muscles." On show day Perfect said he'll make. This is what should be taught to our children in the early grades,” she said. “With the inte grated approach currently being used, there does not seem to be any available data to back up the deci sion to use this approach.” Board of Education Chairman Zell Blackmon attended the meeting and expressed to the group the board’s standing on this issue. “The credibility for what we are doing lies in our teachers, and I am Please see CONCERNS, page 6A guage approach to teaching reading and writing. Led by Kim Sadler, a parent with two children in Hous ton County schools, the group is primarily voicing concern that their children are not being taught phon ics in a systematic approach. Rather, with the whole-language approach, phonics are taught as an integrated part of the entire curricu lum. Please see GROUP, page BA trim the hogs’ bellies, ears and neck. He'll wash, powder and oil them before he shows them. He said his hogs will be judged on showmanship and how they look. ”1 think they're the best hogs I've ever had. They have a lot more muscle than my other hogs in past years,” Perfect said. The Feb. 20 show will be Perfect’s ninth and last as a 4-H par ticipant. Houston County 4-H Coordinator Durham Bell said, "He's been with the program a long time. He's been a real leader in the program. We're going to miss him and his involvement." Although Perfect will be at Good morning, Perry Deaths Margaret Ellen Glose, Perry; Charles William Lollis 111, Perry; Orena Covnor Hull, Perry; Clara Mae Waddell, Perry; James Leroy Boswell, Perry. For de tails, please see page 3A. INDEX • AGRICENTER EVENTS SA ROBIN BOOKER 4A CALENDAR 5A CLASSIFIED 4B_ DEATH NOTICES 3A EDITORIALS 4A PERRY SCRAPBOOK 4A POLICE REPORT 2A SPORTS IB JIM SHIPLEY 4A STREET TALK 4A JOHN TRUSSELL 2B BOBBY TUGGLE 2B BRIAN LAWSON IB WOODS ’N WATER 2B PERRY, GA. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College next year, he said he intends to help his younger cousin raise hogs for next year's show. He's won several awards over the last nine years, and he thinks he has a good chance of winning a ribbon this year in the county. The hog show is open to Houston County residents between the ages of nine and 18 and involves participants from 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA). Bell said, "Raising hogs and showing them helps teach (the par ticipants) about animal husbandry." He said they learn about the dif ferent types of feed and its protein Houston state reps, are liaisons to the public on specific topics Members of the General Assem bly representing Houston County have agreed to appoint liaisons to be contacted when someone is in need of information. The delegation does not want to limit anyone’s access to any mem ber of the General Assembly, but liaisons will provide people with an Houston County Commissioners Houston County Board of Education City of Warner Robins City of Perry City of Centerville Houston County Hospital Authority Warner Robins Air Logistics Center 123RD YEAR—VOLUME 15 value. "It also teaches them about the demeanor of other animals and the differences in personalities of each animal." Raising hogs teaches them re sponsibility and discipline because it takes a lot of time and effort ac cording to Houston County Young Farmer Coordinator Tim Lewis. He said the students must record feed ing and exercising notes as part of their hog raising. About 35 young hog raisers will compete in the show. Students are allowed to pick one of their hogs to be sold at an auction held after the show. initial contact if they need informa tion. If the liaison person contacted cannot provide the necessary infor mation, the delegation requests that citizens feel free to contact any other members of the delegation. The following legislators are ap pointed as liaisons for the listed group: Representative Sonny Watson Senator Sonny Perdue Representative Sonny Watson Representative Larry Walker Representative Robert Ray Representative Larry Walker Representative Johnny Floyd (404) 656-5115 (912) 923-0044 (404) 656-9217 (912) 922-9065 (404) 656-5115 (912) 923-0044 (404) 656-5024 (912) 987-1415 (404) 656-5024 (912) 825-7202 (404) 656-5024 (912) 987-1415 (404) 656-0152 (912) 273-1760