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MIDWEEK EDITION 25C Perry & Houston County's official Legal Organ WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1993 Community mourns death of leader and former editor ml y& ' 3gSy| Mrs. John A. Hodges HFgoocl morning, Perry - - - Deaths Ruby Couch Hodges, Perry; Wyndell Keith Clark, Moreland; Lucille Coates, Kathleen; Tho mas E. Brummitt, Kathleen; Elton Thomas, Alamo; James Leroy Boswell, Perry; Jerry Dean Williams, Roberta; Robert W. Morris, Fitzgerald. For details, please see page 3A. INDEX AGRICENTER EVENTS 11A PEGGY BLEDSOE IB CLASSIFIED 10A CALENDAR EVENTS 11A JACKIE COOPER 3B DEATH NOTICES 3A EDITORIALS 4A BRIGETTE HAMILTON 4A LEGAL NOTICES 3B LIFESTYLE IB^ TIM LEWIS IB GUEST COLUMN 4A POLICE REPORT 2A REMEMBER WHEN 4A SPORTS 8A BRIAN LAWSON 8A Applications are being accepted for Head Start The Middle Georgia Community Action Agency is currently accept ing applications for Perry Head Start through May 22, 1993 for the 1993-1994 school term. All children must be three years of age on or before Sept. 1, 1993 and meet Head Start eligibility re quirements. Parents with special needs children are encouraged to ap ply. Please see START, page 10A Sports Center owners plan to re-locate soon By ANISSA CLEMONS Staff Writer Owners of the Sports Center, coming to the former Kmart Shop ping Center, plan to be completely moved to their new location within the next month. “We will begin moving in the next 10 days to two weeks,” accord ing to part-owner Ed Barfield. The owners plan to move the boats from their old location on Valley Drive to the new location some time in July, Barfield said. “We plan to display the boats in a 40,000 square foot area,” he said. The inside of the new location is currently being re-constructed so half will be office space, and the other half will be retail space. Please see CENTER, page 10A PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870--FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS. CALL 987-1823 ■ The Houston Home! Journal By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer Mrs. John A. “Ruby” Hodges, a 92-year-old Georgia journalist and noted Perry historian, died Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Perry Hospital of a heart attack. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. today at Perry United Methodist Church. The Revs. Jim McLendon and Tom Johnson will officiate. Although married, Mrs. Hodges was known as “Miss Ruby” to ev eryone in Perry and south Houston County. She was widely revered for her commitment to Perry and her involvement in civic and political affairs. Formerly of Talbotton, Miss %ss***■. ■; '/IBM. - •••. ... V,y* ✓ 11 T 8 1 ipm >Vli ■ (HHJ photo by Eric Zellars) Kids welcome Mr. Sunshine Phillip Thomas, Dallas Carter and TJ Ross take time out to enjoy an early spring day at Meadowdale Learning Center. The warm weather gives the students a chance to go outside and take a break from the cold, winter days. -. a. iit • ' ' m w • dmUwh. m fti. jsp jisii lißftftltt w wUBSmm "v. ••••a-:., SSiL # * :• f . ■ ' • ' ;• Mi ■; ■ . - ■■■ vj'-y^saWßyI.:'. 1 .:'. W JS-v : _ Mayor Pro Tem James Moore signs a proclamation at Kings Chapel this week In honor of Exceptional Children's Week. Principal Kim Shoening and some of the school's students are pictured with Moore. School recognizes special students By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer Exceptional can mean different things to different people, but to Houston County educators, excep 2 SECTIONS—IB PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS "She was a very strong-willed person who would do anything she could for Houston County and Perry. She had a razor-sharp mind and a natural instinct as a journalist. She was a collector of facts who prided herself on being extremely accurate. "-Jim Kerce, HHJ editor and general manager. Ruby first came to Perry in 1924 when she married John Hodges, then editor and publisher of The Houston Home Journal. Upon her arrival, she became the associate ed itor of the paper and spent the next 22 years working to make the paper tional refers to children requiring special educational -vices. Because the Cit, of Perry and the Houston County School Sys a mainstay of Perry. When her hus band was elected to the ordinary court system, Miss Ruby became the editor of the paper, a position she held until the paper wls sold in 1946. Although the Hodges sold the tem are committed to providing special services to exceptional chil dren, the week of Feb. 22-26 has Please see SPECIAL, page 10A [PERRY, GA. newspaper in 1946, James B. Kerce, editor and general manager for the Journal said she continued her daily association with the paper until the 1960 sand was a regular contributor to its pages until just prior to her death. She is credited with producing an award-winning centennial edition dealing with Perry’s past, present and future. “She was a very strong-willed person who would do anything she could for Houston County and Perry,” Kerce said. “She had a razor sharp mind and a natural instinct as a journalist. She was a collector of facts who prided herself on being extremely accurate.” When asked once what her main Marketplace turns Nunn Blvd. to bad place for wrecks By ANISSA CLEMONS Staff Writer Wreck number 11 occurred on Sam Nunn Boulevard last Friday since the opening of Perry Market place on Nov. 17. Lillian Lewis of Unadilla was crossing the south side of Sam Nunn Boulevard to enter Perry Marketplace when Vance Roosevelt of Perry, traveling south on Sam Nunn Boulevard, hit her right side. Lewis was charged with failure to yield the right of way according to police reports. Annual rodeo is coming to Agricenter this week By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer It’s that time of year again where Perry, or at least part of it, is trans formed into part of the Old West as the rodeo rolls into town. The Georgia National Fair grounds and Agricenter will host the third annual rodeo Thursday through Saturday with six competi tive events scheduled and three country music concerts on tap. Since ticket sales are up and a large crowd is expected, promoters say this year’s rodeo will be the best yet. “We have somewhere between 200 and 300 participants scheduled this year,” said Johnny Webb, deputy director of the Agricenter. “We have a lot of local participa tion this year, as well, which is al ways good for us.” Webb said there is more excite ment about the rodeo this year be cause there is added prize money in volved. With six events scheduled and prize money at stake, Webb ex pects the competition to be top rate. “Everyone seems to love the Hardage files response to $8 million lawsuit By ANISSA CLEMONS Staff Writer In an official response to a civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Jan. 21, Perry Policeman John Hardage answered allegations con tained in an $8 million lawsuit filed on behalf of the children of An thony Hill. Hill died from a gunshot wound fired by Hardage after Perry Police were called to Bonner Drive Satur day, May 10, at 7 p.m. in reference to a vandalism/domestic dispute be tween Hill and his girlfriend. Hardage denies Hill attempted to withdraw from an oral confrontation or that he prevented Hill from doing so. The lawsuit claims Hill held a metal folding chair in front of him self for protection from the blows of Hardage’s night stick. Hardage 123RD YEAR—VOLUME 16 accomplishment was in the news paper business, Miss Ruby told re porters her “claim to fame” was keeping the paper running during the Depression and World War n. Miss Ruby always had a love for Perry and a desire to see the town grow and prosper. Those who knew her loved and respected her, not only for her contributions to Perry but for her outstanding char acter. “To me, Miss Ruby was the epitome of the perfect lady,” said Frances Annis, judge of Probate Court. “She was a loyal friend, and I was proud to have her as a friend.” Judge Annis said Miss Ruby Please see LEADER, page 12A This time last year, Sam Nunn Boulevard had only two wrecks since Nov. 17. Despite plans to place three separate traffic lights on Sam Nunn Boulevard since con struction of Perry Marketplace, con tinuous roadblocks have plagued the project. According to District Engineer Van Etheridge, when the project was originally bid, the prices were too high. Since that time, the pro ject has been bid with another pro- Please see WRECKS, page 10A rodeo,” he said. “People dress up in their country and western outfits and seem to really enjoy them selves, so we expect a great week end.” Wanda Evans, a Perry resident competing this weekend, said the added prize money provides much higher interest in the rodeo. “You can make a lot of money in the rodeo if you win,” Evans said. “You have to have a good horse and a great run to win, but if, you stick with it, you can bring in a lot of money.” Evans also said the lifestyle of people involved in the rodeo is en joyable and attracts a lot of specta tors. “The people in the rodeo are the nicest people you’ll ever meeL The competition is always tough, but you make a lot of friends along the way.” The rodeo will begin at 7:30 each evening. Three events will be held and then there will be a concert during the intermission before the Please see RODEO, page 12A answered, “It is admitted that the plaintiff did at some point have a metal chair in his grasp, but it is denied that the chair was for protec tion.” Hardage also denies using exces sive force which the lawsuit al leges. He also denies other allega tions listed in the lawsuit. According to police reports, Hardage fired after being physically assaulted by Hill. Reports also stated Hardage called for back-up, but the shooting occurred before another police officer could arrive at the scene. Houston County District Attor ney Ed Lukemire and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined there was no criminal intent in the crime.