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WEEKEND EDITION 250 Perry & Houston County's official Legal Organ SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1993 w Good morning, Perry Deaths Edward McCants, Bonaire; William Van Roekel, Perry. For details, please see page 3A. INDEX AGRICENTER EVENTS 3A BRIGETTE HAMILTON 4A CALENDAR 3A CLASSIFIED 4B DEATH NOTICES 3A EDITORIALS 4A PERRY SCRAPBOOK 4A POLICE REPORT 2A SPORTS 1B JIM SHIPLEY 4A STREET TALK 4A JOHN TRUSSELL 2B BOBBY TUGGLE 2B BRIAN LAWSON 1B Set your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night Perry residents who don’t want to be late for church or Sunday’s Dogwood Festival events should make sure they set their clocks ahead one hour before retiring tonight. Daylight savings time returns this Sunday, springing clocks around the nation up one hour and offering citizens an additional hour of daylight for recreation or work in the evenings. Daylight savings time will continue through the last Sunday in October. Originally adopted during World War I by Great Britain, daylight savings time was utilized as an economy measure. The United States adopted it in 1918 and re pealed it in 1919. Many cities, however, continued to use it year round, and the federal government re-instated it from time to time as a measure of energy conservation. Then, in 1967, Congress established daylight savings time as an annual occurrence effective from the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. The law was amended in 1986, moving the beginning of daylight time from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday. Bad weather is putting farmers in a bad spot By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer Rain , rain, go away. That is the plea of farmers in Houston County who are anxiously awaiting enough dry weather to get their com crop planted. Because this area has seen so much rain recently, farmers have had to halt field prepa ration and are unable to get their crops planted at this time. "We are way behind in planting, and the farmers are getting under standably anxious," said Duren Bell, Houston County Extension Agent. "The wet weather has forced the farmers to halt their prepara tions, which may affect the crops the farmers originally planned to plant." According to Bell, most of the com crop for this area should be in the ground by now but less than 10 percent has been planted. The delay in planting will make farmers more susceptible to drought later in the summer. "Basically, we are in a hurry-up and-wait mode at this time," said Bell. "We are having to wait on dry weather, but once the ground dries out, we'll have to hurry up to get the crops planted." Bell said the peanut, cotton and soybean crops are not in danger yet because it’s best to plant them around mid-April to the first of Please see BAD, page 6A Fun in the sun! Students take time out to enjoy the weather Nothing guarantees fun like the sunshine, and local students in Perry took time out from classes to enjoy the nice weather Thursday. Photo at right: Meadowdale pre schoolers, including Phillip Thomas and his teacher Missey Ray, enjoyed a street dance held at the center in celebration of Month of the Young Child which observes the need for quality early childhood care and education programs. Bottom photo: Fifth graders in Bob Perry's classes at Tucker Elementary, Including Timothy King, Tommy Dean, Gia Buckles, Octavis Taylor, Carla Pearce and Kyle Padgett, culminated a two-week unit on space by having a space fair for the whole school to enjoy. All 21 students participated in the fair by making projects, writing stories about their projects and reading books on space. With 10 booths set up, the fair allowed students to see how the various principles of space apply to certain events. (HHJ photos by Eric Zellars) JL ■ ■ |u£'. l ’ k . County's ASAP program needs funds to survive By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer The Adolescent Substance Abuse Program in Houston County is dangerously close to being closed down due to a lack of funds. Loss of such a program would strike a hard blow to a court system at tempting to reach juveniles before they commit serious criminal of fenses. ASAP has been operating in the county for the past three years under a state grant. However, state offi cials have indicated that the original seed grant is being discontinued and counties wishing to keep the pro gram will have to furnish their own funding. Judge Herb Wells has al ready appealed to the Board of Commissioners for financial sup port of the program, but the board could find no available funds to di rect toward the program. PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-PQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823 f The Houston Homeff Journal: 2 SECTIONS—IO PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS TmiiiFwPnick- jMfr r ’jjfo I jgr* H I Hum*, ! L ■ . WSM ,'W' ; • "I understand that the county doesn't have any money, but I sure would hate to lose this program," said Wells. "We do a lot toward get ting these juveniles help early on before they get into more serious trouble. To lose this project would certainly lessen our ability to do that." ASAP uses drug pre-screening and screening to test juveniles to determine whether or not there is any drug use, abuse or addiction. Because the youths are screened immediately upon leaving the courtroom, they have no warning that they are to be screened. "If we order a screen, these kids are not prepared for it and can't clean up prior to the testing," said Intervention Officer Jill West. "Based on the pre-screen results, we then determine what type of treat ment may te necessary for the ju venile." West explained that the program works to spot a juvenile's drug use early to prevent more serious prob lems down the road. If drug use can be detected in a juvenile early enough, and treatment can be ad ministered, perhaps the juvenile will not reappear in the court sys tem in the future. "We keep hearing about how the county may have to build anew jail, but we feel like a program such as ASAP can help prevent many juveniles from going on to be a burden to society as they get older," said West "If we can make a difference in more juveniles' lives early on, maybe all these new jails and prisons would not be neces sary." Please see ASAP, page 6A PERRY, GA. HSH^^^HB7O Police investigate rash of burglaries at several motels BY BRENDA THOMPSON Staff Writer A rash of burglaries which broke out among local hotels and motels late last week is currently under in vestigation by the Perry Police De partment. According to reports, approxi mately $2,700 in cash and property has been stolen from various occu pants of six Perry hotels and motels in recent days. Several victims re ported that they were asleep in their rooms during the burglaries, and at least one claimed the perpetrator used a key to gain entry. Although still under investiga tion, Perry Police Chief Frank Si mons says the similarity in reports strongly indicates a probability of the crimes being related and that the department is presently following up on several suspect leads. No ar rests had been made at press time, however. Don't forget Dogwood! Parade and Family Day highlight weekend Perry’s Fifth Annual Dogwood Festival is in full swing with several activities planned for the weekend. Although the pageants and the Street Dance have already been held, Perryans are encouraged to visit the downtown area today for "Celebration on Carroll Street" which will include the annual Dogwood Parade and Arts & Crafts on Carroll Street. Also downtown Dogwood queens crowned Thurs. and Fri. By ROBIN BOOKER Staff Writer A large crowd turned out at Perry High School Auditorium Thursday and Friday nights to witness the crowning of the five 1993 Dogwood Festival Queens. Thursday night’s pageant featured the crowning of Little Miss Dogwood Jenison Cooper and Junior Miss Dogwood Janna Leech. Erica Sipps and Ashley Whiddon Local chamber will woo industry reps during tour BY BRENDA THOMPSON Staff Writer Perry and other cities and towns throughout the mid-state will be rolling out the red carpet for prospective industrial residents next week. Sponsored by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and state wide economic developers, the 34th Annual Red Carpet Tour will be in Macon Wednesday, April 7, bringing with it chief executive officers of more than 50 expanding and re-locating U.S. companies. The purpose of the event is to give the mid-state a chance to showcase itself as a prime business location and to outline its benefits as a choice home for new industry. Although the tour is a week long event held annually, it does not always come to central Georgia. In fact, Peggie Williams, executive vice-president of the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce, says it has been several years since the mid state has been featured. This year’s tour will be traveling into Macon via train from Atlanta. Upon arriving in Macon, the tour ing prospects will travel up Cherry Street in golf carts, led by the Cen tral High Sugar Bear Band, to a re ception at the Hay House. A lun cheon and presentation on central Georgia will follow at the Macon Auditorium. According to Williams, Houston County will join 13 other central Georgia counties in sponsoring a cooperative presentation to the 50- 123RD YEAR—VOLUME 27 I The first report of a burglary came from three Michigan college students staying at the Hampton Inn in Perry late last week. The un known perpetrator is said to have gotten away with $lB5 in cash and personal property valued at $775. No evidence of forced entry was found by investigators. Soon after the first call, local police responded to a call from a Florida couple staying at the Days Inn in Perry. The couple reported that someone forced entry into their room through sliding glass doors while they were sleeping. The perpetrator reportedly stole the gentleman’s pants containing $250 in cash, the woman’s purse contain ing $450 cash and $350 worth of jewelry. The next burglary report came on March 28 from Perry’s Red Please see RASH, page 6A merchants will be open and several are having special sales in honor of the celebration. Featured at the gazebo will be the Easter Bunny who is visiting Perry during the festival to have his pictures taken with children. At 10 a.m. the City of Perry will hold the dedication ceremony of a new Courtyard Street Clock at the comer of Main and Ball streets. The Please see WEEKEND, page 6A tied for second runner-up for Little Miss Dogwood and Krystle Kennedy was first runner-up for Little Miss Dogwood. Second run ner-up for Junior Miss Dogwood was Tiffani Harris and first runner up was Kimberly Jacaway. Miss Macon Ivy Adams emceed Thursday night's pageant with en tertainment provided by several lo- Please see QUEENS, page 6A plus prospects as well as to a like number of state hosts representing such organizations as the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Georgia Power and Oglethorpe Power. Making up the Houston County regiment will be representatives from the Warner Robins Chamber of Commerce, Perry Mayor Pro tem James Moore, and representatives of the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce. In addition to Williams, Perry Area Chamber of Commerce board members assisting in the event will include: Jimmy Faircloth, chamber president; John Sundquist, chamber president-elect; Skip Dawkins, manager of GTE; Trudie Warren of Flint Electric; Jack Ragland of Macon College and Betty Gocken of A and I Travel Agency. Williams added that the local chamber will have a special booth inside the auditorium highlighting business in Perry, offering local representatives an opportunity to talk directly with industrial prospects. The event will conclude at the Grand Opera House where perform ing artists from all over the mid state, including Perry’s own Perry Players, will present a grand finale. “Groups from throughout central Georgia have been meeting since October to plan this event,” Williams said Thursday afternoon. “It is a very important day for our Please see TOUR, page 6A