Newspaper Page Text
WEEKEND
EDITION
250
Perry & Houston County’s
official Legal Organ
SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1993
Good
morning, Perry
Deaths
William Gordon Foster Sr., J.C.
Holmes, Charles Eugene
Cunningham, Hugh Lawson
Sr., please see details on page
3A
Happy Mom's Day!
The Houston Home Journal
joins several local businesses
in wishing Perry area Moms a
very special day Sunday,
please see page 5A
Life at school
Perry Elementary students get
a taste ot lite at the middle
school level, please see page
3A
On stage
Perry High thespians took to
the stage Thursday night in their
annual Spring musical, please
see page 5A
WHS season ends
Southland defeated the Hor
nets 5-1 Wednesday in the
GISA state playofts., please
see page 1B
Hummingbirds
Take a close look at the migra
ting patterns of hummingbirds
in our state in today's Woods &
Water, page 28.
- INDEX —— -
AGRICENTER EVENTS 6A
ROBIN BOOKER 4A
CALENDAR 3A
CLASSIFIED 4B
DEATH NOTICES 3A
EDITORIALS 4A
PERRY SCRAPBOOK 4A
POLICE REPORT 2A
SPORTS IB
JIM SHIPLEY 4A
STREET TALK 4A
JOHN TRUSSELL 2B
BOBBY TUGGLE 2B
BRIAN LAWSON 1B
WOODS'N WATER 2B
MISS YOUR PAPER?
We hope not, but if your carrier
should err, please call early.
987-1823
Our circulation department is
open from 8-10 a.m. to help.
.TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL:
987-1823, OR 987-5203
READ IT, THEN RECYCLE!
This newspaper is *
printed, in part, on re- /ilgsllgplv
cycled paper and is re
cyclaWe. For locations VoL
of recycling stations, call
987-1823
Perry policemen
nab Cordele
murder suspect
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Thanks to the heads-up work of
the Perry Police Department and a
local corrections officer, an alleged
kidnapper and murder suspect is
back where he belongs this week.
Carl Leonard, 47, of Cordele was
apprehended by local police in a
Perry neighborhood around
midnight Friday, April 30. Leonard
was wanted by the Crisp County
■ Sheriffs Department in the April
29 kidnapping of Gwen Ward, a
convenience store clerk from
Cordele. Ward was found dead
Wednesday and Leonard has since
been charged with murder.
According to local police, afl
area corrections officer spotted
Please see SUSPECT, page 6A
WHmE&k 'V
Sfly* ' '
M SL • ’■‘it ' gLAgAaCT
j- |jp g u gP? j|||§ /’ § ' * . , t
Gone Fish in’!
(HHJ photo by Eric Zellars)
Glenn Hancock, a street foreman with the City of Perry, and his two-year-old daughter,
Renea, enjoy a little fishing during the City of Perry’s annual employee picnic last Saturday
at Rozar Park. See related photos on page 6A.
City, school board meeting planned
to discuss future of Perry Annex
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
The future of a historical Perry
landmark will highlight discussions
at a called meeting between the
Perry City Council and the
Houston County Board of Educa
tion next week.
The meeting, which is scheduled
for 8 a.m. Tuesday at the New
Perry Hotel, is in direct response to
concerns that the Perry Annex may
be headed for destruction.
The City of Perry and the county
school board have been attempting
to negotiate on several land matters
in recent months, the gist of the ne
gotiations centering around their
common need for larger facilities.
Both have reportedly considered uti
lizing the Perry Annex for their ex
pansions.
-as
A...
•S .. *1 ' >' £ - v a t'' 7 .^TO-.u.v
-l^s|;
15* m lv; ' r -k, * i
■ • ||l %| ■ *
>' ■ ' m : . % plgBL. jljßr w - * <.
Mother’s Day will be extra-special for Mary Jo Crivellone, daughter-in-law Michelle and
grandchild, Storm Arrianna, as they celebrate the return home of Kelly Rowland from naval duty.
PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FOR COVERAGE: OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
f The Houston Homeff
Journal
2 SECTIONS—IO PAGES. PLUS SALES CIRCULARS
Thus far, however, negotiations
have been random and unsuccessful
and have consequently spawned con
firmed rumors that, if no other op
tion can be worked out, the Perry
Annex could indeed be headed for
demolition.
Of several options reportedly
discussed, the one most talked
about appears to be the sale of the
school board’s office on Washing
ton Street to the City of Perry for
expansion of city hall. The school
board would, in turn, consider reno
vating the Perry Annex for their of
fices. The problem seems to be that
neither organization can agree on a
fair sale price for the present board
of education building
The option which could spell
demolition for the Perry Annex is
one which would make the annex
properly a part of the Perry
Elementary campus and was
confirmed recently by School Board
Chairman Zell Blackmon. The
board, he says, realizes that the
annex facility is a historical
landmark, but that preserving the
building must be “cost effective”.
Blackmon added that, if the building
remains in tact, it will undoubtedly
require major and costly renovations
and repair.
The purpose of Tuesday’s meet
ing, according to both organiza
tions, is to sit down face to face and
to present and explore all options,
something both sides say they have
not done to date. They say they
hope some sort of agreement will
be spawned.
PERRYJa^
NWSTn
Perry mourns
loss of leader,
Hugh Lawson
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
The Perry community is mourn
ing the loss of one of its best
known and most loved native sons
this week.
A prominent businessman and
church and civic leader, Hugh Law
son Sr. passed away early Wednes
day morning following a brief ill
ness. Funeral services were held
Thursday afternoon at First Baptist
Church in Perry with burial follow
ing in Evergreen Cemetery.
At 76-years-old, Lawson had
lived a full and active life high
lighted by numerous accomplish
ments and achievements and a very
memorable personality. He has
been repeatedly described as a “real
character” and one whose memory
will live on forever in the hearts of
all who knew him. He was a very
well-respected businessman and
community leader who always kept
his finger on the pulse of the Perry
community and, in fact, at times
actually seemed to be that pulse.
Born in Houston County on
August 3, 1916, Lawson had
resided in Perry all his life, the only
times he was away being during
World War II when he served in the
United States Army and another
brief period when he attended a
business college in Atlanta.
He was a member of the First
Baptist Church in Perry for 70
years, was ordained a deacon when
he was 21 and even served as the
Board of Deacon’s chairman for 25
years. He was also a member of the
church’s Barnabas Sunday School
Class.
In the civic and business worlds,
Lawson worked as the bookkeeper
and office manager of Tollcson
Lumber Company in Perry for
more than 40 years, was a Perry
City Councilman from 1945 until
1952 and a very successful real es
tate developer. He helped develop at
least two areas in Perry, including
the Lawson Subdivision, and had
been a trusted member of the Hous
ton County Board of Tax Assessors
since 1966.
Additionally, he was a long-time
and faithful member of the Perry
Kiwanis Club and a former recipi
ent of that club’s coveted “Man of
the Year” Award.
But, perhaps, most importantly,
Hugh Lawson Sr. was a friend to
the whole community; a dedicated
soul who didn’t let retirement keep
him from being active in his
church, visiting the sick, or
spending at least an hour at the post
office each morning to keep himself
abreast of hometown happenings.
He was a man who refused to let
Sailor’s return best
Mother’s Day gift
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
Mary Jo Crivellone may have
never given much thought to what
her favorite color is. This year she
knows it’s yellow.
Looking forward to the mother
of all Mother’s Days, Mary Jo is
anxiously awaiting the arrival of
her son, Kelly Rowland, later today
as he returns home from Navy duly.
The tree in her front yard is covered
in yellow ribbons and banners adorn
the front of her house to welcome
Kelly back to Perry.
His homecoming will mark the
end of his time on The Kitty
Hawke, stationed in the Persian
Gulf, and will mark the beginning
of his life with his wife of one year
and his new little girl. Kelly was
sent to the Persian Gulf in
November of 1992, which was the
123RD YEAR—VOLUME 37
jgplpv wm \ -•- *
jm ■ ■
This photo of the late Hugh
Lawson and his wife, Louise,
appeared in the most recent
church directory for Perry’s
First Baptist Church. Mr.
Lawson, a very active commu
nity and church leader, was a
member of the local church for
70 years.
time play too many tricks on him
and was always ready for a jovial
battle of wits with people like
Houston County Superior Court
Judge George Nunn and long-time
Kiwanian and pal Marion Brown,
just two of his many close friends.
“A gentleman. An outstanding
citizen. A great friend,” said Brown,
“That’s what Hugh was.”
And with those words Lawson’s
childhood friend and lifelong buddy
broached a time of heartwarming si
lence; a silence that said better than
words ever could .. .’’Hugh Lawson
Sr. will be missed, but he will
never be forgotten.”
County schools
to get textbook
funds next year
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
Although there were concerns
earlier this year that Houston
County would not receive state
funding for textbooks, local legisla
tors informed boardmembers
Tuesday night the county will actu
ally receive more than $350,000 in
funds to purchase textbooks.
Among the top issues discussed
at a Tuesday night meeting of the
Board of Education and several local
legislators was the one of textbook
funding. Previously the board had
heard the state was not allocating
textbook funds for next year.
However, Senator Sonny Perdue in-
Please see BOOKS, page 6A
last time he saw his wife, Michelle.
He’s never even seen his daughter.
Storm Arrianna.
"This will be such a special lime
for our family. Kelly is coming
home just in time for Mother's
Day, which is wonderful me," said
Mary Jo. "Even as wonderful as
that is, he'll be here in time for his
wife's first Mother’s Day, and that
will be so special."
Mary Jo tears up whenever she
speaks of Kelly and attempts to ex
plain the bond she has with her
son. His birth as a much awaited
for event that Mary Jo wasn't sure
would ever come to be since the
doctors hold told her she couldn't
have more children. When Kelly
was born, though, he happened to
arrive on just the right day - Mary
Please see SAILOR, page 6A