Newspaper Page Text
WEEKEND
EDITION
25$
Perry & Houston County's
official Legal Organ
SATURDAY, MAY 1,1993
At
Good
morning, Perry
Deaths
Julius Marion Neal Wootson,
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. For de
tails, please see page 3A.
INDEX
AGRICENTER EVENTS 3A
ROBIN BOOKER 4A
CALENDAR 3A
CLASSIFIED 413
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
WOODS 'N WATER 2B
Perry banks are
sponsoring
blood drive
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Perry bankers are out for blood.
Literally.
In an effort to collect much
needed blood for the American Red
Cross’ area blood bank, employees
of local banks are planning a com
munity blood drive Tuesday, May
4, at CB&T Bank.
Entitled the Perry Battle of the
Banks, the blood drive will be held
from noon until 5:30 p.m. in the
bank’s community room. Five
local banks-Bank of Perry, Bank
South, CB&T, Crossroads, and
Trust Company-are competing to
see who can solicit the most
donors.
According to Belinda Baker,
drive organizer and chairman, it is
hoped that the Battle of the Banks
Blood Drive will become an annual
event. The bank with the most
donors will be presented a plaque by
the American Red Cross. Each bank
has a goal of 25 donors.
Noting that the last community
blood drive in Perry attracted only
18 donors, Baker emphasizes the
importance of donating.
“Our area blood banks are in
Please see DRIVE, page 6A
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Hundreds of Houston County residents spent a large part of Friday standing in line to purchase their car tags. Although the
deadline to buy tags is not until Monday, so many people have waited until the last minute that long lines and long waits are expected
Monday as well.
Citizens stand in long lines to purchase auto decals
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
In spite of warnings that the
lines would be long for those wait
ing until the last minute to pur
chase tags, hundreds of Perryans put
the purchase off anyway and are
paying the price by spending up to
three hours in long lines and warm
weather to take care of getting their
tags.
Although tag officials predicted
ithe lines would be long before the
Monday deadline hits, the lines that
kafiF.Jp /
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(HHJ photo by Brenda Thompson)
Walter Davis of Perry is a true Good Samaritan who is offering to help disabled residents by
constructing wheelchair ramps at their homes, free of charge.
Davis wants to help others by
building wheelchair ramps
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Who says there aren’t any Good
Samaritans left in today’s society?
Monday morning a gentleman
called the Home Journal offices to
place an advertisement. Not to sell
or to promote anything, but to offer
his assistance, free of charge.
The gentleman’s name is Walter
Davis and what Walter wants to do
is build, deliver and install
wheelchair ramps for disabled
neighbors who would otherwise go
without. He even plans to supply
the materials.
began forming as early as Monday
have grown each day and are ex
pected to be even longer Monday.
Most of those in line said they have
never seen the lines so long in
Perry.
"I didn't even know there were
this many people in Perry," said
Frank Parisi. "I didn't think I was
waiting until the last minute be
cause I came down here Monday,
but the lines had already started by
then."
PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCi~iB7O-FOR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
f The Houston Home!
Journal
2 SECTIONS—IO PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS
His sole purpose, he says, is to
help others.
Davis has been classified as 100
percent disabled since 1975 when he
underwent surgery to have one of
his lungs removed. He says he
knows what it’s like to be down
and is quick to credit the grace of
God and the help of other people
with his survival of 74 years.
“Between my wife Mildred and
myself, we have undergone 17
operations,” Davis said this week
during an interview from his
Howard Street home. “Without the
Eursula Best seemed to be enjoy
ing her time in line, although she
said she didn't plan to have such an
experience next year.
"I'm here today because I am a
procrastinator and always put things
off until the last minute," Best said.
"This is the first and last year I've
ever waited this long on my tags,
though. I’ve been meeting a lot of
people here in line, though, so it's
not too bad."
Ronnie McDowell has waited in
help of others we could have never
made it. Now, we just want to give
something back.”
At present, Davis says that he
has the materials to construct two
handicapped ramps. All the lumber
is treated and was acquired from
Shoney’s Inn in Perry.
“They are remodeling and I no
ticed that the lumber they were tear
ing out was in perfect shape. The
man said I could have it all since I
was planning to remodel my house,
but it turned out to be more than I
Please see DAVIS, page 6A
line for the past several years and
admitted that each year he says he'll
get his tags early but never does.
"I always wait until the last
minute. Every year I tell myself to
do better next year, but I never do,"
he said.
The deadline for purchasing tags
is Monday at 5 p.m. Although the
deadline is actually May 1, the dead
line was extended because May 1
falls on Saturday.
newspaper since 1870
Although base not
on closure list,
HCDA to get data
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
When the Houston County
Development Authority met
Wednesday, the question on every
one's mind seemed to be the fate of
Robins Air Force Base.
Rumors have been circulating
around the mid-state this week that
the base was on a list of bases be
ing considered for closure, but sev
eral attendees of the development
authority meeting downplayed the
rumors as having no basis of truth.
According to authority Director
Dick Ulm, the base is in no danger
of being closed and public fears
need to be allayed.
"Robins Air Force Base has not
been put on any closure list and
never has been considered to be put
on that list," said Ulm. "Our base
has a vital mission that it is per
forming, and there is no cause for
alarm or undue concern that our
base could be closed."
New committee formed
to study consolidation
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
In an effort to deliver services
more efficiently and consolidate
services within the county, the
Houston County Efficiency in
Governmental Services
Commission has been formed.
The 14-mcmber commission
met Wednesday to discuss its mis
sion and goals and to develop a
strategy which will help consolidate
services in Houston Courtty.
Created by the 1993 Georgia
Assembly, the commission will
also address more effective means of
providing and delivering services
while dealing with the tax cap.
Authority approves funds
for local hospital projects
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
The Houston County Hospital
Authority gave the go ahead
Wednesday for more than $360,000
in projects at Perry Hospital.
The largest expenditure discussed
was for anew air conditioning and
heating unit to replace the current
timeworn system which serves the
older portion of the building. The
system has been in place since the
hospital opened in 1969.
An architectural firm is presently
reviewing the project and is ex
pected to issue a proposal for the
Authority’s review in the coming
weeks. Total cost is estimated at
$325,000.
In other business, the Authority:
•Approved medical equipment
expenditures of $39,750 for Perry
Hospital. Among the items to be
purchased are a video colonoscope
at a cost of $17,500 and two Lanier
Medword transcribing systems and
Former Perry business
owners face fraud charges
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Three former Perry business
proprietors are facing possible
prison time this week after being
brought up on bank fraud charges in
U.S. District Court in Macon.
Donna Collie, former proprietor
of Deep South Antiques in Perry,
and Bill and Martha Ivey, former
owners of Capri Restaurant, were
arraigned Wednesday on charges of
misuse of social security numbers.
Although the three were collec
tively indicted on 23 counts, Collie
was the only one to plead guilty.
Collie is to be sentenced in the next
60 to 90 days, while the Iveys arc
123RD YEAR—VOLUME 35
Ulm said a group of area leaders
has formed to gather data concern
ing the need and importance of the
base in the event it becomes neces
sary to prove the base's vital role to
this area. According to information
supplied by the commission exam
ining the base closings, a vote will
be taken on May 21 to determine
which bases will be on the list.
June 1 is the last day a base could
be added to or deleted from the list,
and the commission will make its
recommendation to the president on
July. 1.
"If we're not on that list on June
1, then we're homefree and have
nothing to worry about," said Ulm.
Additionally, the authority dis
cussed ongoing work with the Perry
Economic Development Committee
to better market the Industrial Park.
"We are working diligently and
cooperatively to find better ways to
Please see HCDA, page 6A
"The tax cap is a reality that is
going to be with us, and we arc try
ing to find ways to deal with it
more efficiently," said Senator
Sonny Perdue. "Houston County
has done a great job in years past,
but as the county grows, it be
comes increasingly difficult to meet
county needs without more revenue.
This commission will be chal
lenged with finding better ways to
do things to hopefully save money
for the county."
The commission is expected to
examine the delivery of services in
planning and zoning, law cnforce-
Please see STUDY, page 6A
laser printers at a cost of $11,150.
•Were updated on the status of a
new surgery and labor/delivery
wing proposed for Perry Hospital.
Please see FUNDS, page 6A
Perry Hospital reports
increase in activity
March activity levels at Perry
Hospital were the highest in two
years. Hospital Administrator Jim
Peak told members of the Houston
County Hospital Authority
Wednesday.
According to Peak, the average
daily census was 34 patients per day
and x-ray procedures numbered
1,491. Both were the highest
recorded in a couple of years.
Additionally, the local hospital
conducted more than 140 procedures
on 98 different surgical patients and
emergency room visits increased to
1,370.
scheduled to go to trial in June.
The Iveys and Collie reportedly
moved to Fort Valley and joined the
Perry business community in the
spring of 1991. Claiming to have
moved here from Jacksonville,
Florida, they set up shop here
almost immediately, the Iveys
signing a lcase-to-buy contract for
the Capri Restaurant with then
owner Connie Blum and Collie
becoming the proprietor of a
business called Deep South An
tiques.
All three were reported to have
started out making small purchases
Please see FRAUD, page 5A