Newspaper Page Text
WEEKEND
EDITION
250
Perry & Houston County’s
official Legal Organ
SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1993
Plans for lights on Sam Nunn delayed
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Although it is officially known
as Sam Nunn Boulevard, Perry resi
dents are beginning to refer to one
of Perry’s main thoroughfares as
“suicide lane”.
And for good reason.
In the past five months, more
than 20 accidents have produced
tons of twisted metal and dozens of
injuries for people traveling this
busy stretch of road, the last
accident reported having occurred
Friday morning.
Just like a great number of the
previous recent accidents, Friday’s
incident transpired at the intersec
tion of Sam Nunn and Perimeter
Road. Both drivers complained of
injuries and received extensive dam
ages to their vehicles.
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(HHJ photo by Eric Zellars)
Marie Daugherty poses in front of one of the more than 300 colorful azaleas which adorn her yard on Main Street. An indisputable
green thumb, Mrs. Daugherty and her thousands of blooming flowers and trees have ushered spring in with a kaleidoscope of colors for
the past 30 years.
Spring flourishes in Daugherty's yard
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Despite the unseasonably cool
days of late week, spring is alive
and well in Perry, Georgia.
Especially along the city’s Main
Street and at the home of resident
Marie Daugherty.
A kaleidoscope of colors, Mrs.
Daugherty’s acre and a half home
stead is home to nearly every type
of annual and perennial imaginable,
more than 300 azaleas, dozens of
trees and thousands of vacationing
butterflies, bumble bees and hum
Citizens group holds public meeting
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
Citizens for a Safe Georgia met
publicly for the first time Thursday
night as the group steps up its ef
forts to keep Medusa Cement
Company from getting a permit to
burn hazardous waste at its
Clinchfield plant.
The group has been meeting for
several months to plan strategies
for blocking Medusa's application
for the permit. Although there have
been two public meetings with the
Environmental Protection
Department, the group meets
weekly to determine more effective
means of getting their message
* As further proof of the serious
ness of the traffic problem along
Sam Nunn Boulevard, a local insur
ance company, Pettersson and
Associates, wrote a letter to the
Perry City Hall on April 2
informing the city of an increasing
number of claims being filed
because of accidents on that street.
According to Bemo I. Pettersson,
Jr., the letter’s author, his company
has responded to 25 claims
involving personal injury and
property damage during the months
of February and March.
Furthermore, Pettersson stated
that he and others at his firm agree
that traffic lights need to be in
stalled and, in fact, arc considering
shopping out of town “to avoid the
possibility of being involved in an
ming birds. It is, in essence, a true
celebration of spring and a sight to
behold for a multitude of neighbors
and tourists alike.
An indisputable green thumb,
Mrs. Daugherty has ushered in
spring with much eager for more
than 30 years, ever since she moved
to Perry from Dayton, Ohio. It is
undoubtedly her favorite of the four
seasons and the time of year she
works toward the year through.
Except for the monthly heavy
pruning assistance of church friend,
across to the EPD.
The meeting, which lasted about
two hours, involved group mem
bers sharing ideas of how to fight
Medusa getting the permit and relat
ing stories of how property values
are affected when a plant bums haz
ardous waste. Additionally, group
members stressed the health con
cerns they have if Medusa's applica
tion for the permit is granted.
"If this was a perfect place in a
perfect world, then I might think
the burning- would be safe," said
Jim Williamson. "However,
Medusa does not have a good track
record with what they already do, so
PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
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2 SECTIONS—IO PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS
accident”.
According to City Manager Mar
ion Hay, who, along with the entire
Perry City Council, agrees that traf
fic signals are desperately needed
along Sam Nunn, the rate of acci
dents in the past five months have
more than quadrupled over the same
period last year. He attributes much
of the problem to the increase of
congestion created since the open
ing of the new Perry Market Place
shopping center and has been work
ing feverishly to get something
done.
A state thoroughfare, Sam
Nunn Boulevard has been on a list
of Department of Transportation
projects for many months, Hay
said. However, a series of
Please see LIGHTS, page 5A
Henry Askew, Mrs. Daugherty does
every bit of the necessary gardening
and upkeep on her yard. She works
on it an average of two to three
hours a day and is a frequent patron
of local lawn and garden retailers.
In addition to a perfectly mani
cured lawn which she cuts herself
and the hundreds of azaleas, Mrs.
Daugherty’s beautiful yard is the
breeding ground for a host of dog
woods, boxwoods, wisterias, yel
low irises, gerber daisies, roses,
petunias and hundreds of other col
why should they be dusted to safely
bum hazardous waste?"
The group is planning to attend
an environmental rally sponsored
by Greenpeace on May 3 in
Atlanta.' Members of the local
group have been asked to attend the
rally and have speakers prepared to
share the group’s concerns.
In addition to attending the
Atlanta rally, the group plans to re
quest an audience with Governor
Zell Miller to request that he take
the stand of not accepting hazardous
waste from other states into
Georgia.
"At one time this was Gov.
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A Friday morning accident at the intersection of Perimeter Road and Sam Nunn Boulevard became
the most recent in a string of more than 20 accidents plaguing one of Perry’s main arteries over the
past five months.
orful springtime varieties. Her land
scaping is breathtaking, front and
back, and she even has a small gar
den spot for a host of scrumptious
tomatoes, peas, potatoes, spinach,
onions and cucumbers.
Mrs. Daugherty attributes her
love for flowers and gardening to
her mother whom she says could
put a stick in the ground and make
it grow. She must have inherited
her green thumb skills, also.
Like mother, like daughter.
Please see SPRING, page 5A
Miller's stand, and we have a right
to ask him to stick by what he said
earlier,” said Williamson.
Although there seemed to be
some diversity among the group
members concerning whether or not
they believe Medusa will eventually
get the permit, the consensus of the
group was to continue fighting the
permit process.
"I think we can beat this thing,
and I am prepared to fight this to
the very last second," said Sheila
Gillette. "We can’t sit back and ac
cept this. We have to keep fighting,
and I believe we can keep this from
Please see GROUP, page 5A
PERRYGA.
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Sheriff Talton returns
home after heart surgery
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
Houston County Sheriff Cullen
Talton is resting at home and hop
ing for a quick recuperation follow
ing a heart bypass on April 13.
Talton, 59, was hospitalized at
the Medical Center of Central
Georgia following a routine check
up on April 9. He had suffered a
mild heart attack last December, but
had returned to work in February
and seemed to be progressing in his
recovery.
Although the sheriff had been
undergoing therapy three times per
week following the December
attack, the bypass was still
necessary earlier this month. While
he is still sore and in pain, Chief
Deputy Willie Talton said the
sheriff is recovering and hopes to be
back on the job in a couple of
Kirkley is new postmaster
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Meet J.E. “Butch” Kirkley,
Perry’s new postmaster.
A native of Eastman, Kirkley
assumed supervisory duties at the
local post office at the end of
March. He replaces former postmas
ter Thomas McKleroy who was re
cently appointed postmaster of
Warner Robins.
An employee of the United
States Postal Service for more than
20 years, Kirkley brings an impres
sive resume to his new job in
Perry. He has held many positions
within the postal system from car
rier and clerk to supervisor.
He served 10 years as
superintendent of postal operations
in Eastman prior to his Perry
appointment and has served on a
Good
morning, Perry
Deaths
George William Oakes Jr.,
Perry; Emmitt Wimberly, Perry;
Lillie Kelley Law, Oglethorpe;
John Wesley Mills Jr., Albany.
For details, please see page
3A.
AGRICENTER EVENTS 3A
ROBIN BOOKER 4A
CALENDAR 3A
CLASSIFIED 4B
DEATH NOTICES 3A
EDITORIALS 4A
PERRY SCRAPBOOK 4A
POLICE REPORT ?A
SPORTS IB
JIM SHIPLEY A
STREET TALK 4A
WOODS 'N WATER 2B
123RD YEAR—VOLUME 33
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Cullen Talton
months.
"He came home Monday and is
Please see TALTON, page 5A
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Butch Kirkley
number of special temporary
assignments, the longest of which
Please see KIRKLEY, page 5A
Perry chamber
expects festival
to turn a profit
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
When all is said and done, orga
nizers of the Perry Area Chamber of
Commerce’s 1993 Dogwood Fes
tival fully expect to be operating
in the black.
“Although we will not have the
tabulations finalized until next
week, I am happy to report to you
that this year’s festival was a great
success,” chamber Executive Vice
President Peggie Williams told
members of the organization’s
board during their monthly meeting
Wednesday afternoon. “We will be
operating in the black and will,
consequcndy, have seed money for
next year’s festival.”
The Fifth Annual Dogwood Fes
tival was held April 1-5. Williams
added that a committee has already
met with Carroll Street merchants
to begin reviewing this year’s festi
val and to start planning for the
sixth annual event.
In other business, the Perry Area
Chamber of Commerce Board:
•Welcomed two new chamber
Plßaso see CHAMBER, page 5A