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Houston Times-Journal
Volume 124 No. 52
2 Sections, 16 Pages I
Inside
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Calendar 3A
Classifieds 7A
Death Notices 2A
Editorials 4A
Lifestyles IB
Sports 6A
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Political forum
to be held at
Ochlahatchee
Clubhouse
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Members of a local neighbor
hood watch program will be turning
their watchful eyes toward county
politics during their monthly meet
ing this Thursday.
According to Leslie Belcher,
chairman of the Devonwood Neigh
borhood Watch program, all resi
dents of the local subdivision as
well as the six candidates vying for
the Houston County Commission’s
post two seat have been invited to a
special political forum scheduled for
7 p.m. Thursday, June 30, at the
Ochlahatchee Clubhouse in Perry.
“Since most of the publicity for
the upcoming elections seems to
center around the candidates of the
larger state and national-level races,
we thought it would be good to
give our residents the opportunity
to learn more about those in the lo
cal county race first-hand,” Belcher
said in a telephone interview Mon
day. ‘This will give the candidates a
chance to tell us what they stand for
and will allow us to ask them some
questions about things that directly
affect us.”
The format for Thursday’s meet
ing will be very casual, with each
candidate being allowed approxi
mately five minutes each to cam
paign for themselves. Following
the individual speeches, the floor
will be opened to questions with
each candidate answering as they de
sire, Belcher said.
Those candidates expected to at
tend the forum include: Republican
James Carter of Kathleen, Democrat
Billy Hunter of Bonaire, Democrat
Ronald Wayne Ragin of Perry, Re
publican Nora Reese-Laughlin of
Warner Robins, Republican John
F. Wylam of Warner Robins and
Democrat Randolph E. Wynn of
Warner Robins.
Devonwood is a subdivision of
69 houses located in Houston
County, just outside of Perry’s city
limits. Residents have been holding
organized “Neighborhood Watch”
meetings for a little over a year
now. Meetings have included a
number of neighborly get-togethers,
traditional security-type programs
and just about any other topic of
neighborhood concern.
Mary Gentry named PHS Teacher of the Year
By PAULINE LEWIS
Staff Writer
Mary Gentry has been selected
Perry High School's Teacher of the
Year 1993-1994.
This honor was begun with a pre
liminary vote by her peers, the
PHS faculty composed of almost
60 members. Five finalists were
then asked three questions. Their
answers were sent away for judging
by an impartial panel to determine
the winner.
Gentry has been a teacher at Perry
High School for seven years, teach
Page 6B
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Stella Jones, who along with husband Ed Jones, owns a fruit stand on Sam Nunn Boulevard,
says this year’s peach crops are the best she can remember In recent years.
From onions to peaches...
Produce stands offer a variety of home-grown specialties
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
From the time the Vidalia
onions make their debut in early
spring to the finale crop of luscious
Georgia peaches in late August,
local residents and travelers, can
count on Ed and Stella'Jones to
bring them the best in home-grown
fruit and garden specialties.
As the owners of “Ed’s Fruit
Stand”, located in the parking lot of
Harold’s Amoco on Sam Nunn
Boulevard in Perry, that’s their job
--five straight months a year, seven
days a week and 13 hours a day.
And, they both seem to gen
uinely love it. . .despite the long
hours, and the inclement weather
which has pounded Middle Georgia
quite frequently in the past few
weeks.
“We get hot and, lately, wet at
least three times a day,” Stella
ing chorus, plane geometry and two
classes each in applied math 1 and
2. Her students in applied math are
enrolled in vocational classes.
Prior to coming to Perry High
School in 1987, she taught at
Northside Middle School in Warner
Robins from 1981-1987.
She piloted applied math in
Houston County four years ago; It
is now in every high school in
Houston County and will soon be
in every high school in the State,
mandated as a required course for
Official Organ For Houston County, City of Perry & State of Georgia
Jones said while looking up to
wards the sky on a cloudy Monday
afternoon. “But, it’s still very en
joyable. We meet a lot of really
nice people from all over the nation
and many of them come back year
after year."
laHes of Fort Valley, the
Jonqßd they chose the fruit stand
businX as their post-retirement ca
reer five years ago. They specialize
in many of the area’s most famous
locally-grown fruits and veggies--
from peaches, watermelons, toma
toes, cantaloups and onions to, of
course, peanuts--all of which, due
to a very favorable growing season,
seem to be of greater quality and
volume this year.
“They say everything is doing
better this year,” Mrs. Jones said.
“Especially, the peaches. They just
seem to be getting bigger and big
vocational students.
She enlists the aid of teachers in
literary events and coaches music
events for the entire school. She is
chairman of the Fine Arts
Department which includes chorus,
band, Spanish, French, drama,
speech, art, and special education.
A native of Unadilla, she is a
graduate of Unadilla High School,
attended Shorter College one year,
received her BA degree in Math
from Tift College in 1981 and her
Master degree in Math Education
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Sports
Page 6A
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ger. I think it’s probably the best
crop we’ve had in the past three to
four years.”
Of all the produce they sell,
however, both the Jones say they
have the most fun with their hot
boiled peanuts. A true southern del
icacy foreign to most people out
side of the deep south, northern
travelers are usually at least willing
to give them a try.
“It’s funny to watch them; most
of those that try them for the first
time say they taste like beans,”
Mrs. Jones said, laughing. “And,
some really like them and buy a
couple of bags to take home every
time they pass through.”
Ed’s Fruit Stand is open from 7
a.m. until dark seven days a week
April through August. All produce
is fresh and comes directly from in
dividual local farmers and/or the
farmers’ market.
from Georgia Southwestern College
in 1991.
One of Mary's greatest thrills in
teaching was to have Lynn
Hawkins, one of her former math
students, return to Perry and stu
dent teach under her at Perry High
School.
Her parents are Harry and Carolyn
Hamrick of Unadilla. Her mother
is a retired special studies teacher;
her dad owns a furniture store and is
still active in that business. Her
brother, Jim Hamrick, also lives in
Agricenter to
host fireworks
extravaganza
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
The skies over Perry will burst
with color and wizardry this Satur
day evening as a full day of family
fun at the Georgia National Fair
grounds and Agricenter culminates
with what has been dubbed the
“fireworks extravaganza of the
year”.
Called “Big * Bang * Boom!”,
the event is being produced by C.C.
Event Productions of Tampa, Fla.
and will also include 12 hours of
continuous entertainment from
rides, games and arts and crafts ex
hibits to great food, live music and
GSP predicts 19 deaths on
state roads during holiday
The State Patrol is predicting
that 19 traffic deaths may occur in
the upcoming July 4th holiday
period beginning at 6 p.m., Friday,
July 1, 1994, and ending at
midnight, Monday, July 4, 1994.
Another 746 injuries are
predicted in 1,980 accidents during
the 78-hour holiday period. Last
year 15 deaths occurred in the same
holiday period, but Patrol analysts
say record traffic volumes this year
so far have pushed the expectation
higher. An average of 15 highway
deaths have occurred each July 4th
over the past 10 years.
Georgia Public Safety
Commissioner Colonel Sid Miles,
Police arrest two, search
for one in thefts at S&E
By BRIGETTE LOUDERMILK
Editor
What was reported to police as three separate break-ins at a Perry
car lot last week turned out to be false.
According to Captain Steve Heaton of the Perry Police Depart
ment, during the investigation Perry detectives determined that two
car stereos and a go-cart were all stolen from S&E Sales sometime
between June 20 and June 21. Police received three reports last week
of break-ins at S&E Sales, located on Courtney Hodges Blvd., from
pwner Steve Wiley.
According to Heaton, Jessie Askew Jr„ 20, of 808 Haliburton St.,
was arrested last week on forgery charges and through interviews
with police, it was determined he was involved with both cases of
entering autos and the theft of the go-cart.
Police have also charged a juvenile with the three thefts and his
case has been turned over the juvenile authorities.
Both Askew and the juvenile have been charged with one count of
theft by taking and two counts of entering autos.
Another adult is also responsible for the theft of the go-cart and po
lice have obtained a warrant for his arrest Heaton said police expect
to pick up the third suspect “in the next few days.” He is expected to
be charged with theft by taking.
Captain Heaton stated "the detectives did an outstanding job in
solving the case and recovering the stereos."
Jerry Whitney, owner of Perry Pawn Shop and the go-cart (which
was located on Wiley's property), recovered the go-cart last week.
Unadilla.
Mary Gentry is married to Greg
Gentry, son of Ralph and Annette
Gentry, a farmer and City
Councilman, and a nurse, respec
tively.
Greg has been teaching math at
Perry Middle School for two years,
and prior to teaching, farmed with
his dad.
Greg's brother, Phil, will be
teaching agriculture at Houston
County High School next fall. He
Please see GENTRY page 5A
Classified
Page 7A
Perry, Georgia - SO Cents
a host of special contests in which
guests can celebrate the July Fourth
weekend.
Gates open and festivities kick
off at 11 a.m. and will continue un
til 11 p.m., with the fireworks dis
play scheduled to begin around 9:30
p.m. To be presented by the “First
Family of Fireworks”, Zambelli In
ternationale, the pyrotechnic salute
will also be synchronized to music
being simulcast by WDEN 105-
FM.
Other events slated for the day
include:
Please see FIREWORKS, page 5A
in announcing the predictions, said,
“Unfortunately, failure to use seat
belts and the use of alcohol while
driving will be the biggest culprits
again this year.” Last year eight,
more than half, of the deaths were
alcohol leiatcu. Ir. sc: en deaths, no
safety equipment (seat belts) was in
use.
In a typical good news-bad news
scenario, improved economic
conditions are pushing travel
volumes higher, but on the down
side, this creates more risk for
accidents, injuries and deaths, said
Col. Miles. “With the increase we
are seeing in travel this year, we
Please see HOLIDA Y, page 5A
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Mary Gentry