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<i, MAT* LIBRARY ■TH* *S. fiA 30602 page 3a Houston rimes-Journal 1 Section, 10 Pages Inside Today Church News 3A Outdoors 7A Classifieds 8A Editorials 4A Calendar 10A Obituaries 2A Sports 6A Around Town Briefly... Boosters To Sell Hams For PHS Athletic Dept. The Perry High School Athletic Boosters are selling Smoked Boston Butt Hams to raise funds for Perry High's Athletic department All hams will be pre-sold for $9. The hams will be distributed Saturday, April 2 at cannery on the PHS campus next to the football field. Tickets can be purchased at Hildebrand's Office Supply on Carroll Street or from any booster. Look-A-Like Contest To Benefit HODAC Houston Drug Action Council (HODAC) will hold a Pet/Owner Look-A-Like Contest Saturday, April 23. The fund raiser will be held at the Houston Mall from 1-3 p.m. Besides Perry Mayor Pro Tem Charles Lewis, other judges include J. Sherrill Stafford, Houston County Commission Chairman; Centerville Mayor Matt Keene, Dick Walden, president of the Warner Robins Chamber of Commerce; Henrietta Mclntyre, act ing mayor of Warner Robins; Mike Maze, weatherman for WMAZ Channel 13; and Eric and Mark, Q -106 radio morning team. All proceeds raise are to benefit HODAC’s Rape Crisis Program of Houston county. Mosquito Season Is Upon Us Once Again! Public Works Superintendent re minded citizens this week that mosquito season is here and the city is currently spraying between 6-9 p.m. at least every seven days. "Although people like to walk during this time, it's the most effec tive time to spray for mosquitoes because it's when they are most ac tive," Sharp said. Sharp is also asking residents to control mosquito breeding by keep ing yards and roadsides clear of any container that can hold stagnant wa ter-such as old tires, cans, buckets, etc. A Cooking Class For Diabetics To Be Held The Houston County Office of the University of Georgia Extension Service will be offering a series of diabetic codring classes called die "Right Bite: Extension in the Kitchen." Classes will meet every Monday for three weeks beginning on April 11 at the Houston County Ag Building on Carroll Street. Peggy Bledsoe, Houston County Extension Agent will cover such topics as how to use artificial sweeteners and how to make fa vorite recipes taste great while us ing less salt and less fat. Class par ticipants will get to taste recipes made with less fat, sugar and salt and learn how to prepare them. people with diabetes, as well as their family and friends are encour aged to attend. Call 987-2028 to register by April 7. Space is limited so call now. 'No School!' Hinnant Tells Citizen Group Residents And School Board Officials Debate Need For New Middle School South Of Highway 96 Thursday Night By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer For over two hours Thursday night, Perry residents concerned about conditions at Perry Middle School met with Houston County School Superintendent Tony Hin nant and members of the school board. When the often acrimonious meeting had ended, nothing had changed. The Houston County Board of Education is still going to build two new middle schools north of Highway 96, while Perry resi dents were as determined as ever to have one of the two schools built south of Highway 96. The school board has approved building two new middle schools, one on Feagin Mill Road and the other on the Ferguson property off Highway 96 near Bonaire. The board owns both pieces of property considered for the new schools. The two new schools will cost the board sl2 million, with $3 mil lion coming from the state. The other $9 million will be raised us ing a lease-purchase agreement with the county. Board member Tiena Fletcher told parents Thursday night the lease-purchase agreement would not result with an increase in taxes, with the payments being met by capital set-asides already in the bud get and funds released by recent state grants for technology. "After two hours of meeting, the parents left as dumbfounded as they came in," said Chiquita Jenkins, a parent at Perry Middle School. "There was nothing established, nothing answered, nothing gained. Mr. Hinnant walked around the is sue and never answered questions." Among other concerns raised by the parents Tuesday night was the prospect of bussing students south Dogwood T-Shirts Unveiled To Media At Tues. Breakfast By PAULINE LEWIS Staff Writer The official Dogwood Festival T shirts were unveiled at a media breakfast hosted by the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, March 22. Chamber President Peggie Williams and Dogwood Chairman Melodie Burras presented the shirts and discussed the upcoming annual Spring festival with local media. The shirts, designed by Brent Giles, are on sale for $lO and are available in sizes large and extra large. Giles, from Byron, also designed the logo for the Christmas-at-the- Crossroads celebration T-shirts. Burras also displayed the 1994 Official Dogwood Doll, Tiffany, designed by Muriel Meadows, whose idea initiated the Dogwood Festival s'x years ago. Burras gave an overview of the ac tivities planned for Dogwood Festival week On Sunday, March 27 from 1-5 p.m. is Family Fun Day at Rozar Park. Kids Run, horseshoe pitch ing, races, Easter Egg Hunt, horse back riding, and other planned games will be featured. Burras emphasized that the carni val will be in operation all week and encouraged the public to patron ize iL Official Organ For Houston County, City of Perry & State of Georgia of Highway 96 to one of the two new schools. "We like Perry," said parent Melodie Burrus. "We have chosen to live in Perry. "You take them (students) away (by bussing) from what they know a core of friends, teachers and you are going to have upset chil dren. "We chose Perry on purpose," Burrus said, adding that she did not want her children bussed to Warner Robins. Hinnant conceded that there would be some children taken from Perry Middle School to fill the two new schools. However, he said re ports of 150 students were too large. There were students that were be ing bussed over 20 miles to schools, said Hinnant. However, he said ihose students were from the south end of Houston County, coming to Perry schools. He added that students being bussed to the new middle schools shouldn’t be bussed more than three miles to school. "The hope is this," said Hinnant, "to only take (and bus) those stu dents in the Houston County (High School) zone." However, he did not provide figures on exactly how many students zoned fra 1 Houston County High School attended Perry Middle School. "You people (school board) are worried about Warner Robins and not Perry," said Jenkins. "That is not true," replied Hin nant. "Where does Perry end and Warner Robins begin?" asked board member Skip Talbert. Several members of the audience answered loudly "(Highway) 96." ■lift: Melodle Burma, Dogwood Festival Chalrparaon, and Chamber Praaldant Peggie Williams, unvailed the olflelal Dogwood Festival T-shirts this week. Saturday, April 2, at noon, the Parade will proceed through the streets of Perry, led by the 82nd Airborne group of military person nel who will serve as Graud Marshal. It will be a day for food, fun and entertainment, arts, crafts, Masonic For News And Subscriptions Call 912-987-1823 Sports Page 6A Saturday, March 26, 1994 • -v •- • ■ ' V.■ ’ v .\ T ; ;•. ■ m H I : Bn ■ School Suporlntondant, with at a maatlng hald at Parry eondltlona at tha achool. "We are a county," said board member Shirley Lowery. "We are not the Perry Board of Education or the Warner Robins Board of Educa tion. "I hear the same things in Warner Robins," Lowery continued. "’You give Perry all the stuff.’" As an example, she gave the construc tion on the Perry Annex, which will house all board offices, including those currently in Warner Robins. Hinnant was also questioned about the location of the two new schools. "We don't deny Houston County is growing," he said, not ing that from June to August of last year the system added 600 stu dents in three months. "We are building facilities as quickly as we can build them. And we're building them where people are located." Tom Whitten and others asked about Houston County High School, noting little development in the area when it was built. Whit ten also noted the land around the Ferguson where one of the schools will be built property was being fanned by the Purdue family, and had few people living in the area. Hinnant responded by saying that Houston County High School was built over three years ago, be fore he took over as superintendent Hinnant also noted that to the Open House, Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, races, games, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and much more. Come and mingle with your friends and neighbors in this super annual Dogwood Festival. Look for the yellow bows all over town ! mlcrophona, answarad questions of Middle School Thursday evening to north of the proposed middle school location near Bonaire was the Land ings development project and to the south was a subdivision being con structed with approximately 400 units. "The students are there,” he said. "If the growth continues to be here," said Hinnant, "you should see a middle school down the road.” "If you build a replacement school," said Bill Loudermilk, di rector of facilitia&Swd maintenance, "and if we come © Perry that is ex actly what we are going to do, peo ple at Rumble and Tabor can claim the same privilege." However, Whitten indicated the parents did not want a replacement middle school, that they wanted to keep Perry Middle School, adding one of the school sites should be moved to the sou© of Highway 96. Hinnant told the group that Perry Middle School was scheduled for a new wing, which will have 14 classrooms. However, parents asked if the new wing would take care of crowding in the restrooms, lunch room and library. Several parents said the lunchroom serves lunch from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. to serve all the students at the school. Loudermilk told the parents the new wing would include new re strooms. He also said the lunch room was "within tolerance" and Family Fun Day Will Kick-Off Dogwood BY BRENDA THOMPSON Staff Writer There will be no excuses for being bored this weekend. After months of planning and talking about iL the Sixth Annual Dogwood Festival is finally here. The event kicked off Friday night with the first of two Miss Dogwood pageants and holds in store another pageant tonight and a day of fun and games to the entire family on Sunday. And, that’s just this weekend. Next Saturday will be chock-full of activities, too-from the Carroll Street Celebration featuring a full day of entertainment, arts and crafts and great food to a 5K Run/Walk, photos with the Easter Bunny, a bake off and a parade. BuL hey, you’ve still got a week to plan to that, so let’s just con centrate on the immediate fun and games going on here in Perry today and tomorrow. The following is the scoop. Get out your planners and get ready to some fun. •The Dogwood Festival Pageants culminate tonight with the crown ing of the Miss Teen Dogwood and Miss Dogwood. Many girls from all over Houston County are ex pected to take the stage when the Classified Page 8A Perry, Georgia - 25 Cents the library was 100 square feet smaller than it needed to be. Board member Hubert Hutcher son, a former principal at Perry High School, said that he remem bered only one meeting in the past like the one Thursday night, and that was when the schools were in tegrated. "I haven't seen any of you at board of education meetings," chided Hutcherson. "It is important at future meetings that you have, people there. That is the only way you can influence decisions." Hutcherson added that the people at the meeting needed to run for the at-large positions on the board, not ing that Perry residents could hold three of the seven slots on the board. "This is where your energies ought to go," he said. Several parents asked the board to hold starting the construction process on the two new middle schools until they could get infor mation on the school selection pro cess. "Please hold off a little while longer so that we can review the facts,” requested Burras. "We are willing to be patient if you are willing to slow down." However, Hinnant said that time was of the essence for the board to get the schools built. "For us to Please see SCHOOL, page 5A show opens at 7:30 p.m. at the Perry High School Auditorium. •Family Fun Day, at which fes tival chairwoman Melodie Burras expects a crowd of 3,000 to 4,000, will be Sunday at Rozar Park and includes the following: -1 p.m.: Softball and tennis tournaments featuring a host of lo cal teams and players get under way. -1-4 p.m.: “99 Ways Oldies” will broadcast live and give away many great prizes. -1:30 p.m.: Easter egg hunt to be held for three age groups-nine and 10 years; seven and eight years; and six and under. Approximately 1,000 eggs will be hidden and five prizes per age group will be Awarded. No pre-registration is required, although children are asked to bring their own baskets. -2 p.m.: Kids Run For Fun, sponsored by the Perry Exchange Club, will be held for children ages 12 and under. Registration fee is $6. -2 p.m.: Horseshoe Fun Pitch for all ages is scheduled. Prizes and ribbons to be awarded. Pre-registra tion required. For more informa tion, call Davis Cosey at 987-2443. Please see KICK-OFF, page 5A local citizens and parents discuss the over crowded