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Houston Ttmes-Joumat Volume 124 No. 37 1 Section, 10 Pages inside I Today | Calendar 5A Editorials ~4A Legal Ads 2A Obituaries 2A Outdoors 7A Sports ~..6A Rack Rates Will Be $52/yr Buy a Subscription For $25 + tax & Save $25.75 Blackmon, BOE 'communicating' on school issue By PAULINE LEWIS Staff writer Chairman Zell Blackmon and members of County Board of Education continue to try to soothe the ruffled feathers of a group of concerned citizens who feel that a new school should be built in the Perry area. At a meeting held at Perry City Hall at 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening, May 3, Blackmon and several BOE members used a map of Houston County as well as figures pertain ing to students per school in trying to persuade local educators, chamber members and other interested per sons that building two middle schools in the upper part of Hous ton County is the proper thing to do. He also said that the school board has plans to eliminate the metal buildings at Perry Middle School by adding 14-16 permanent class rooms and increasing kitchen and cafeteria space. These changes are similar to others planned at all Houston County middle schools over the next five years. Perry's improvements, however, are expected to be in place sooner, Please see BOE, page 10A Pentagon says no to pay center in the mid-state When the Pentagon released the winners of its revised plan to con solidate about 300 far-flung accounting offices into 25 larger regional centers this week, there was no mention of Houston County, Bibb County, Warner Robins or Macon, even though all were once considered top contenders in the race for the multi-million facilities. Officials for Houston and Bibb counties had been working hard on two proposals to attract one of the new “pay centers” for several years and were both considered front-run ners when the Bush administration was controlling the competition. Neither local site made the final cut, however. According to Paul Nagle, presi dent of the Macon Economic De velopment Commission, who helped on both proposals, the pri mary reason for the local sites falling from their earlier top-con tender statuses was that the Pen tagon changed their approach for se lecting the centers in March of 1993-the original rules calling for the centers to go to cities that of fered the best financial deals. Macon and Warner Robins had been prepared to give the Pentagon a rent-free, 1.3 million square foot building, partially paid for by a special regional tax, on either of two available sites. Following President Clinton’s election, however, the Pentagon said their choices would be based partly on using existing military buildings, “quality labor supply” Please see CENTER, page 10A 4k _ _ Page 3A Nunn speaks on possible BRAC delay BY BRENDA THOMPSON Staff Writer Sen. Sam Nunn said this week in a formal statement that the pos sible delay of the 1995 Base Clo sure round raises many serious questions and problems. Nunn’s statement came just hours after published reports that the Clinton administration is con sidering delaying some military base closure decisions until after the 1996 election. “It (the possible delay) should be carefully evaluated before changing t _____ ___ M | fIL ' v I i| Hey, Perry, It’s peach time! Many of the area peach producers are gearing up to harvest their early variety of peaches In the coming week. Weather essential to peach crop's success BY BRENDA THOMPSON Staff Writer Local growers of Georgia’s fa vorite fuzzy fruit seem to be in some pretty peachy moods here lately. And, for good reason. They’ve had a near perfect growing season and are almost two weeks ahead of schedule in harvesting their earlier varieties. “Everything I’m hearing about the local peach crops is good,” Worrall proclaims May 10 ’Perry AARP Chapter Day' By PAULINE LEWIS Staff Writer The month of May has been des ignated nationally as Older Americans Month. This is a time to be mindful of the persons of our population who have given much of their lives to the services of our society and who continue to serve in productive roles, whether in paid or volunteer status. There are 700,000 members of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in Georgia. The 3,000 in the Perry area emphasize that they are devoted to "bringing life-times of experience and leader ship to serve all generations." Those over 50 years of age in our municipality arc a major source of insight and direction for our nation, Official Organ For Houston County, City of Perry & State of Georgia Everything's Peachy! Saturday, May 7, 1994 "The longer we delay...the longer it will take to achieve real savings and the more the other parts of the budget...will suffer" Sen. Sam Nunn the current law. The longer we delay closing unneeded bases, the longer it will take to achieve real savings and the more the other parts of the budget—readiness, pay, pro curement, and research and devel opment-will suffer,” Nunn’s Houston County Extension Agent Duren Bell said this week. “We’ve had a great spring-it got warm early and stayed warm.” Echoing Bell’s positive senti ments, Steve Lane of Lane Packing in Fort Valley says that he is very happy with his early peach crops. As one of the area’s largest peach producers, he heralded the 1994 crop as decidedly better in both quality and quantity over those harvested state and local community, with their community services and activ ities enhanced by their affiliation through AARP, especially the "local AARP chapter". Perry Mayor James E. Worrall said, "It is fitting that a day be pro claimed for us to express apprecia tion for the outstanding local ser vices and activities of all AARP membership, especially for those who serve in the Perry AARP Chapter 1744, providing services to our people by trained volunteers for tax aide, 55 Aiive Mature Driving, legislative forums, widowed per sons service, health care advice, se nior issues of the work place, mi nority affairs and women's con cerns." For News And Subscriptions Call 912-987-1823 Sports Page 6A Wednesday, May 4, statement said. “Wo also must consider whether it is beneficial or harmful for clouds of uncertainty to hang over base communities until 1997.” Locally, Peggie Williams, presi dent of the Perry Area Chamber of last year. According to Lane, his company should begin picking in the coming week, with the*first batches of peaches expected to make it to the stores next weekend. Although there are several differ ent early varieties of peaches avail able in the area, Lane said his first harvests will be of the Spring Gold and Empress varieties. He also Please see PEACHES, page 10A mm y * Him Si iJH Those present for the signing of the proclamation designating May 10 at Perry AARP Chapter Day were Don Norris, left, Mayor Jim Worrall, Ray Bethune and Walter Remblsz. Bethune and Remblsz are Instructors for AARP's 55 Alive Mature Driving course, and Norris Is a past chapter president. Classified Page 8A Commerce and a representative on the 21st Century Partnership Committee, the Middle Georgia coalition battling to keep Robins Air Force open, said that she, her self, has mixed emotions about the possible delay. “All this is very expensive for the communities involved,” Williams said this week. “We’ve al ready been through one round and were looking toward a final review in 1995. Now, we might be look ing at having to wait another two years.” New Hope area may benefit from grant By PAULINE LEWIS Staff Writer If a proposal from Perry City Council is approved, part of the New Hope community could re ceive a face-lift from the state. During the council's regular meet ing Tuesday, May 3, Councilman Hervia Ingram, with the aid of a marked map showing the exact lo cation of property involved, rec ommended that the designated area be the location for a proposed FY 1995 Community Development Block Grant Application. The property involved is part of the New Hope community, extend ing almost the entire length of W.F. Ragin Drive from General Courtney Hodges Boulevard to Perry Marketplace, and from one to two blocks west, and to Fanny Gresham Branch to the east. It is expected that the cost of $900,000-51 million, will be spread over a two-year period, with DOT bearing a portion of the cost. Ingram's recommendation was ap proved unanimously. Councilman James Moore an nounced that council would review the city budget May 9 and a Budget County says 'no' to name proposed for local airport BY BRENDA THOMPSON Staff Writer While members of the Houston County Commission said yes to four ex-officio members of the Perry/Houston County Airport Au thority, they issued a definite ‘no’ to at least one suggested name change for the Perry-based air park. In briefing his fellow commis sioners during a regularly-scheduled meeting Tuesday morning at Perry City Hall, Commissioner Archie Thompson told the county board that the newly-organized Airport Authority had met on Monday night and had requested their ap Perry, Georgia « 50 Cents According to reports from a se nior Pentagon official who wished to remain anonymous, the Clinton administration is considering adding a 1997 round of base closures to soften the impact of next year’s scheduled round. Additionally, many say such a delay might ease some political and election tensions. After all, if President Clinton, who is up for re-election in 1996, decides to seek an additional round in 1997 he will need congressional Please see BRAC, page 3A Hearing is scheduled for May 20. Councilman Charles Lewis' rec ommendation that the City of Perry assume the responsibility for man agement functions of the Perry- Houston County Airport, was ap proved. It will be a hands-off type of management involving some book work, with no additional per sonnel required. Staff support per sonnel will attend the Airport Authority meetings. In other business: •Councilman Charles Lewis ap pointed Joyce Carlton to the City of Perry Beautification Commission. John Sundquist approached the council before the regular meeting requesting the City of Perry "look at the possibility of expanding the city limits." The discussion leading up to his remarks concerned factors involved in Perry’s continued growth. City officials stated that plans in that di rection are already under study. •Following the second reading, approval was given to the applica tion for Intoxicating Liquor By-the- Please see CITY, page 3A proval of four ex-officio members to act in an advisory capacity to the Authority. Three of the proposed members- Leon Huffman of Perry, Dennis Herbert of Fort Valley and Tony Sellier of Fort Valley—were all members of the Perry-Fort Valley Airport Authority, the authority which was in place before the Peach County and Fort Valley govern ments decided to discontinue their interest in the facility and before the 1994 Georgia Legislature officially created the new Perry/Houston Please see COUNTY, page 3A