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Head to the polls! Houston Board of Elections opens new voting precincts The Houston County Board of Elections has created eight (8) new voting precincts for the purpose of downsizing the number of voters in overcrowded precincts. All eligible voters who registered on or before June 20th will be receiving Voter Identification cards which will direct the voter to their correct voting location. All 24 voting locations in Houston County will be open on July 19, 1994 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. One last look at commission hopefuls BY BRENDA THOMPSON Staff Writer Alter several weeks of intensive campaigning, the six Houston County Commission Post Two candidates are readying themselves for the first round of cuts this Tues day. ■ Democrats Billy Hunter Billy Hunter of Bonaire has lived in Houston County for the past 35 years, having moved here from his native home of Fitzgerald while still just a teenager. He is a former Warner Robins area fireman and also spent a nearly two decades in various law enforcement positions in the county, from chief deputy for the Houston County Sheriffs Department to Chief of Police for the Warner Robins Police Department. He resigned his position as chief of police in 1983 in order to become the owner of the Houston Mattress Factory, a business he retains today. In addition to his small business interests, Hunter also serves as the bus route supervisor for the Houston County Board of Education. In this position, he is responsible for designing and overseeing the routes of all 101 county school buses and the 11,000 school children they transport to and from school daily. He and his wife, Sara Williams Hunter, have been married for 32 years and have two children. Donna Hunter Churchwell, 29, of Bonaire and Bryan Hunter, 25, of Peach County. The upcoming election for the County Commission Post Two seat marks the third political race in which Hunter has been a contender. (As a Democrat, he made it to the run-off elections of both the 1984 and 1986 Houston County Commission races.) When asked why he wants to represent Houston County on the local board of commissioners, Hunter had this to say: “I love this county. I’ve been here for 35 years. I married here, reared my children here and it is home,” he said. “1 feel like I now this county well and really think that my presence on the commission would make a difference.” Wayne Ragin Although his pursuit of higher education and career has moved him from state to state during much of his adult life, Ronald “Wayne” Ragin, a native of Perry, says he chose to return to his hometown in 1990. “Of all the places I have lived over the years, none have been like home to me; none have made me feel the same sense of attachment that I feel in Houston County,” the 39-year-old Ragin said recently. ‘That’s the main reason I moved back here and have gotten involved in so may civic and community organizations. I can remember being a kid and my family having neighbors who were always concerned over what happened to us. I just want my children to live in the same safe and open environment that I lived in-an environment where people are truly concerned about one another.” A 1972 graduate of Perry High School and a 1976 graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., Ragin currently serves as an employee relations manager for a local defense contractor. He is a former legislative assistant, having served three and a half years working for Sen. Sam Nunn in Washington and has also served as a personnel representative for various county governments and has run political campaigns for several successful politicians in neighboring Tennessee. For more than a decade, he served as a representative for a national pharmaceutical company. Outside of work, Ragin is very service and community oriented and is a member of the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce, the Perry Evening Optimist Club and the Perry Economic Development Committee. He is a certified volunteer mediator for the Houston County Juvenile Court System, serves as a coach for the Perry Recreation Department, is president of the American Cancer Society in Perry, was a member of the 1992 Leadership Perry Class, was appointed by the state to serve on the local Efficiency in Government Commission and was a loan executive for the United Way of Houston County from 1990 until 1992. He and his wife, Patrice, have been married for 13 years and have three children, Ronald, 10, Tara, 7, and Portia, 3. Randv Wynn Randy Wynn, a native of Macon, has lived in Houston County for the past 25 years and is currently an attorney with offices in Warner Robins. He attended Macon College and then managed full time careers in retail and finance while putting himself through law school. He graduated in the top 25 percent of his class with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Mercer University in Macon and later received a Juris Doctor Degree from that same university’s Walter F. George School of Law. He was even included in Who’s Who Among American Law Students and has had his law practice here for the past five years. Outside of the business world, Wynn says he enjoys spending time with his family--his wife of 23 years, Linda Ward Wynn, and their five children, Randy Jr., 21, Scott, 19, twins Sheri and Carrie, 18, and Susie, 16. Additionally, he says he devotes much of his time to developing and guiding youth activities and has coached both youth softball and basketball. He is also the current Parliamentarian of the Houston County Chapter of the Democratic Party of Georgia and is a member of the Warner Robins Chamber of Commerce and a two-year contributor to the Robins Air Force Base 21st Century Partnership. When asked what he could promise Houston County residents if elected, Wynn said this: “I moved my family here in 1969. Average working folks, 1 worked at night and went to law school during the day, all the while supporting a family of seven,” Wynn said. “I have worked hard all my life, and, if elected to this commission, I will work just as hard for you-the residents of Houston County.” Listed below are the names and addresses of voting precincts throughout Houston County: In Centerville at: 001 CENT--Centerville Elementary/Gym 450 Houston Lake Blvd. In Warner Robins at: 002 NSES--Northside Elementary/Gym 305 Sullivan Rd. 003 NSMS--Northside Middle/Gym 500 Johnson Rd. 004 NSSH--Northside High/Gym 926 Green St. Making the cuts will be the Houston County voters who head to the polls this coming Tuesday for the General Primary Elections. Voters will choose either a Demo cratic or Republican ballot and make their selections between can didates for that particular party. The 005: LIND--Lindsey Elementary/Gym 81 Tabor Dr. 006 ELBC--Elberta Center/Cafeteria 400 Elberta Rd. 007 PKWD--Parkwood Elementarv/Gvm 503 ParVwood Dr. 008 RECR-W.R. Recreation Dept/Mclntyre Rm. 800 Watson Blvd. 009 ANNX--County Annex Building/Lobby 200 Carl Vinson Pkwy. 010 MILL--Miller Elementary/Gym 101 Pinevalley Don’t forget to mark your ballots in the General Primary Elections Tuesday, July 19, 1994 V $ If i UK Igß /' ' Jm Dr. Oil WATS--Watson Elementary/Cafeteria 401 Dover Dr. 012 PERL-Pearl Stephens/Gym 215 Scott Blvd. 013 RUSS--Russell Elementary/Gym 101 Patriot Way. 014 WRMS-Warner Robins Middle/Gym 425 Mary Lane. 015 CVFS--Crestview Fire Station 129 Water Dr. 016 HCHS-Houston County High/Gym 920 Hwy 96 £B Republicans James B. Carter James B. ‘Jim’ Carter of Kathleen has lived in Houston County for the past seven years. He was bom in California, grew up in Coos Bay, Oregon, is a former military man whose lengthy and distinguished career has taken him all over the world and currently serves as a site security manager for the Northrop plant in Perry. He is an honor graduate of Saint Martin’s College in Olympia, Washington with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. He enjoyed a 20-year, highly-decorated military career from 1965-1985 and has since embarked on an equally impressive civilian career, starting with the Boeing Corporation in Seattle, Washington and the Northrop Corporation in California. After scouting the area and liking what he saw, he says he and his family chose to transfer to Northrop’s Perry site in the summer of 1988. When not working, Carter, who says he has always been a firm believer in community involvement, has served as both a member of the the architectural standards committee and a director for a local home owners’ association, is a past vice-president and the current president elect for the Perry Lions Club and is a member of the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife, Irene, have been married for 23 years and have one daughter, Kathryn, 21. When asked about his interest in being a county commissioner, Carter had this to say: “I have never run for office and am not a politician,” he said recently. “But, I am very interested in the operation and future of our county. Do I think I can change everything? No, certainly not. Will I work with and for all the citizens of Houston County? Most definitely. I think I can offer some leadership for the county in this position and feel very strongly about becoming more involved in my community.” Nora Reese-Laughlin Nora Reese-Laughlin, a native of Warren County who moved to Warner Robins in 1984, says she has been interested and actively involved in politics since her 1978-1981 college days at Fort Valley. In fact, she has worked on campaigns for several well-known local, state and national-level politicians, from a number of mayoral, city council and county commission candidates to former State Rep. Robert Ray and U.S. Congressman Richard Ray. She says she became a Republican in 1984, after more than eight years as a Democrat, and has since become one of the most active Republicans in Houston County. She was even one of the founders of the Houston/Peach Young Republican Party and is an active member of the Republican State Committee. In addition to her interest and involvement in politics, Reese- Laughlin says she will bring many other types of experience to the commissioner’s table as she has also worked as a teacher at the Robins Air Force Base Youth Center, has served two years as a school board administrator in Hancock County and has worked as a public relations director for Cordova Square in Warner Robins. Additionally, she also has experience as the executive director of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and is currently an active lobbyist and the owner of her own marketing and consultant business in Warner Robins. She and her husband, Robert Laughlin, have four children, Krystle,l2, Rosalyn, 7, Robert Marshall, Jr., 6, and Melinda, 4. When asked about her hopes of being elected to the county commission, Reese-Laughlin said: “First and foremost I am a good listener with a solid background and the desire to serve all people in every segment of our county,” she said recently. ‘To me, Highway 96 is nothing but a line on the map. I realize that the people of communities like Hayneville and Elko have the same problems as those in Centerville and Warner Robins and I truly feel I can represent them all with a fresh outlook.” John F. Wylam John F. “Jack” Wylam, a reured Air Force colonel, has resided in Warner Robins for the past 22 years and is presently a building inspector for neighboring Peach County and the owner of of his own building and general contracting company, Wylam Enterprises, Inc. A native of Ohio, Wylam first came to Houston county in 1972 as a member of the 19th Bomb Wing at Robins Air Force Base. Before retir ing at the rank of colonel four years later, he decided to make his home in Warner Robins and lauds the area as “the best kept secret around”. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio University and has also done some post-graduate work in business at Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts. His fust non-military job in the area was as an engineer for Brown and Williamson, Inc. He remained with Brown and Williamson for nine years and while employed there also started Wylam Enterprises, Inc. Outside of work, Wylam is a member of the Air Force Association, the American Legion, the American Association of Retired Persons, the Retired Officer’s Association, the Shrine and the Masonic Order. He and his wife, Ann, have been married for 42 years and have two children, John Wylam and Beth McCrary. They have three grandchildren. When asked why he wants to sit on Houston County’s Board of Commissioners, Wylam said this: “I’ve spent way too much time waiting for others to take the initiative and have instead decided to do it myself,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of ideas that could go a long way in improving quality of life for us all. I want to spread those ideas and am confident this county commission seat is a good forum from which to do that.” Among his many ideas is the possibility of starting a state “farmers’ market” at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter. Saturday, July 16, 1994 Houston Times Journal - South of Hwy 96: 017 BON--Bonaire Elemtary/Gym 100 Elm St Bonaire. 018 KATH-1052 Hwy 247/Old Post Office Hwy 247 Kathleen. 019 ARMY—Perry National Guard Armory Macon Rd. Perry. 020 TUCK--T ucker Elementary/Gym 1300 Tucker Rd. Perry. 021 MORN—Morningside Elementary/Cafeteria 1206 winners of the General Primary will then participate in a run-off election this August if necessary and the fi nal General Election scheduled for November 8. In the race for Houston County Commissioners, three will appear on the Republican ticket and three Morningside Dr. Perry. 022 HAFS--Hayneville Fire Station Hwy 341 S Hayneville. 023 LJFS- Lake Joy Fire Station 410 Lake Joy Rd. 024 HEFS —Henderson Fire Station Hwy 41 S Henderson. Any voter who has any questions or who has not received an ID card should contact the Board of Elections Office at 987-1973 prior to the General Primary July 19, 1994. on the Democratic ticket. To assist local voters in making their party decision, the Houston Timcs-Journal has over the past three months featured each individ ual candidate in separate front page articles and is today supplying readers with a second short profile on each. .. „ !» ,• Vr. .pwfoaa r s m, iUR'i 'fin Sß 'BHHI ppvp In Page 5A