Newspaper Page Text
MIDWEEK
EDITION
250
Perry & Houston County's
official Legal Organ
| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28,1993 2 SECTIONS—2O PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS 123RD YEAR—VOLUME 34
Perry could lose over SIOO,OOO in industry taxes
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
If Perry attorney Tom Daniel has
anything to do with it, existing and
future industries in Perry and Hous
ton County will no longer pay
taxes on much of their inventory.
Dubbed “freeport” tax exemp
tions, such exemptions were legal
ized by a state law enacted in 1976
and gives cities and counties the
option of alleviating or reducing the
need for local manufacturers,
distributors, wholesalers and
Good
mornmg, Perry
Deaths
Andrew C. Cooley, Macon;
Kimberlee Joyce Lands, Perry.
For details, please see page
3A.
INDEX
AGRICENTER EVENTS 11A
PEGGY BLEDSOE 2B
JOYCE COMPTON 1B
CLASSIFIED 6B^
CALENDAR EVENTS 11A
JANICE KERCE 3B
DEATH NOTICES 3A
EDITORIALS 4A
BRIGETTE HAMILTON 4A
LEGAL NOTICES 3B
TIM LEWIS ~ 3B
POLICE REPORT 2A
REMEMBER WHEN 4A
SPORTS 6A
Local tag office
employees are
getting ready
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
Employees in the Perry office of
the Houston County Tag
Department are planning to have a
very busy week as the deadline to
purchase tags quickly approaches.
Business in the tag office has
been steady this week, with people
waiting in line around 30 minutes.
However, as the deadline looms
closer, tag clerks expect the lines
and the wait to be longer.
"The lines have not been too
long yet, but we know things will
pick up toward the end of the
week," said Tag Supervisor Peggy
Patrick. "It looks like we're in (or a
very busy week."
The deadline for purchasing tags
is Monday, May 3 at 5:00 p.m.
Ordinarily the deadline would be
May 1, but since that day falls on
the weekend, the deadline has been
extended.
Commissioners
attend annual
convention
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
The Houston County Board of
Commissioners recently attended an
annual meeting of commissioners
in Jekyll Island and came away
from the convention with a great
deal of insight into how other coun
ties handle situations and operations
similar to those in Houston
County.
The annual meeting allows
commissioners from across the
state to gather for a few days and
share information and advice on
how various situations are handled
by each county. Commissioners are
able to choose different seminars to
attend during the convention and
learn about topics ranging from
taxes to healthcare.
"This is a very beneficial meet
ing for us to attend because we can
learn so much from others encoun
tering similar problems to ours as
well as professionals in various
Please see ANNUAL, page 12A
PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
■ The Houston Home*
Journal
warehouse operations to pay taxes
on any raw materials, goods-in
process and/or finished goods
destined for out-of-state shipment.
The percentage of exemption is
left up to individual counties and ci
ties and Daniels says that Perry and
Houston County are among the
minority who have not yet elected
100 percent freeport. At present, the
city and county exempts 20 and 40
percent, respectively.
According to Daniels the push
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(HHJ photo by Eric Zellarsj
Who’s the king?
New Hope residents James Dinkins, left, Willie “Slick” Hill, Lee Henry and James Bynum take
their daily games of checkers seriously although they admit it’s also fun. The four men have
been enjoying the recent weather while the games decide who’s the King of the Hill.
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Jim Bisbee, Brian Bowen, Jim Boyd, Dennis Hooper, Erik Lorack, Andy Mathis, Bill O'Neal and A!
Pearson are gaining state-wide recognition for their performance of "A Little Tin Box."
Perry Players will perform
at Ga. Governor's Mansion
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
The Perry Players are taking to
the road these days and drumming
up quite a bit of publicity for them
selves. Performing "A Little Tin
Box" from "Fiorello!”, the thespi
ans have made a name for them
selves and are being invited to share
their talent with the rest of the
state.
As part of Perry's contribution
to the Red Carpet Tour a couple of
weeks ago, the group wowed the
crowd with their musical perfor
mance and caught the attention of
many dignitaries in attendance.
Representatives from Governor Zell
Miller's office were even on hand
and invited the group to perform at
the Governor’s Mansion soon.
for 100 percent freeport tax exemp
tions locally is urgent, primarily
because the area is simply not
competitive with other adjoining
counties in regards to attracting new
or expanding industries.
Daniels, as legal representative
for several local industries and a
professed proponent of economic
development, will join a meeting of
the Perry Area Chamber of
Commerce’s Existing Industries
Committee Thursday morning at
"Originally they invited us to
perform on May 8, but there was a
scheduling conflict, so we’ll be go
ing up there at a later date," said
Perry Players President Dennis
Hooper. "We were disappointed that,
the original date was cancelled, but
encouraged that they still want us
to perform at another time."
Although the Governor's
Mansion performance has been can
celled, Hooper said the troupe is
looking forward to performing in
Thomaston soon for the Upson
County Arts Association.
As the group continues to share
its talent, they are also preparing to
begin renovations on their new the
atre building at 909 Main Street.
They are currently in a second set of
the chamber for the purpose of
planning a strategy of approaching
the city and county regarding the
freeport issue.
“The state preaches over and over
that most of your growth comes
not only from new industry, but
from existing industry,” Daniels
told members of local chamber dur
ing their monthly board meeting
last week. “And we have some in
this county that may choose an
other economically feasible location
consultations with an architect to
determine the best use of the space
in the building and are still raising
money to pay off the building.
"I flip-flop from being ecstatic at
how much money we've raised and
being discouraged at how far we
still have to go," said Hooper.
"We’ve never had a place to call our
own, so we are really looking for
ward to getting in this building."
Hooper also said the outside
recognition from other areas has
caused more Perry people to take
notice of the group’s hard work.
"Many times people here don't
realize what they hgve, and when
others recognize our how hard we
are working, it's a validation that
Please see PERFORM, page 12A
if things keep happening to them
freeport may make a difference in
whether or not they stay.”
While city and county leaders
say they agree that a 100 percent
freeport tax exemption is a valid
topic of discussion, it may be easier
said than done. The fact is the oper
ating budgets of both governments
would suffer substantially; Perry to
the tune of more than $103,000 and
the county to the tunc of more than
$216,500.
RAFB on closure
list, officials say
no need for alarm
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
The Associated Press announced
yesterday that Robins Air Force
Base has been put on a list of bases
under consideration for closure, ac
cording to a statement by
Chairman of the Base-closing
Commission James A. Courter.
Houston County Commission
Chairman Sherrill Stafford spoke
with representatives of Senator Sam
Nunn and Rep. Roy Rowland's of-
Hospital, HHJ will put
out tab for health fair
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
They say that an ounce of pre
vention is worth a pound of cure.
The staff at Perry Hospital is taking
that saying to heart and working
toward providing Perry with a
health fair stressing the prevention
of illnesses.
In preparation for the Health Fair
to be held May 15, the hospital is
providing a special tab in the May
P&Z trying to stimulate
more residential growth
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Saying that residential building
is suffering in Perry, members of
the local planning and zoning
commission are focusing this week
on new regulations and provisions
which they hope will stimulate
growth in the area.
One such provision, anew zon
ing classification that will allow a
cluster development option, neared
finalization Monday evening during
a regularly scheduled meeting of the
commission. The cluster
development provisions are the first
of several proposed land ordinance
amendments designed to stimulate
residential development growth.
“In recognition of the need for
increased residential development
flexibility in Perry, we are propos
ing to revise the city’s land devel
opment ordinance to include cluster
development provisions,” Perry
Building Inspector Bill Chambless
said during the meeting. “It is our
hope that these proposed amend
ments will provide significant in
centives for developers considering
Perryan addresses commission
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
The Houston County Board of
Commissioners heard a request
from Perry resident Ray Shipes
concerning putting a weight limit
sign to be posted on Sparrow
Street. Shipes requested the weight
limit sign due the poor road bed
that extends to Raven Avenue.
According to Shipes, the road is
in poor condition partly due to a
tractor trailer being driven over the
road and parked in the Sparrow
Road neighborhood. Shipes told
commissioners the truck not only
damages the road but is also an eye-
With already tight budgets, both
would have to make the loss of rev
enue up somewhere, leaders say.
“I think we all agree that reduc
ing or eliminating freeport tax is a
good thing,” Houston County
Commission Chairman Sherrill
Stafford said Tuesday. “The ques
tion is whether or not we could fea
sibly do it with the loss of rev
enues. . .Houston County is already
so tight in terms of budget that ev-
Please see LOSE, page 12A
fices yesterday concerning the an
nouncement and was told there was
no real cause for alarm.
"This whole thing got started
when a member of the commission
made the statement that perhaps
other bases should be under consid
eration to be closed and he used
Robins as an example," said
Stafford. "We have been told not to
Please see ALARM, page 12A
12 edition of The Houston Home
Journal. The tab will include arti
cles written by hospital physicians
and information on the various
events to be held at the fair.
"The hospital offers the fair as a
free service to the community be
cause we feel it is our responsibil
ity to provide this service,” said
Please see TAB, page 12A
Perry for future growth.”
A cluster development is a resi
dential subdivision within which
individual lot sizes have been re
duced to permit the creation of
common open space for the resi
dents of the subdivision and is a
Please see GROWTH, page 12A
All zoning
petitions have
been put on hold
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Residents with re-zoning and
variance requests could be waiting
up to 60 days before any action is
taken by the Perry Planning and
Zoning Commission.
Members of the Perry City
Council placed a complete morato
rium on all re-zoning petitions dur
ing their regularly scheduled meet
ing last week. The moratorium will
remain in effect for all re-zoning
matters until anew ordinance
Please see HOLD, page 12A
sore to the neighborhood and fre
quently causes noise disturbances in
the area.
The board decided to table mak
ing any decision on the issue until
Commissioner Calvin Maye can
get more information on the sub
ject
In other business the board:
•Tabled a discussion on re-clas
sification of the position formerly
held by Lt. Jane Chapman from
grade 20 to grade 11, Office
Manager. This change will save the
county $6,800 in salaries.