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Wsdnesday, July 20,1994 "H0u5t0n Times-Journal Page 8A FEMA, from 1A ***&!£? SI pp ' :> p FEMA assessment engineer Paul O’Connell (second from left) converses with Public Works Supt. Hugh Sharp (far right) at one of the sites In need of repair. Listening on are DOT represntatlve Daniel Smith and Interim City Manager Janice Williams. » Corporation announces Vought purchase July 12, 1994 Northrop Gurmman Corporation announced today it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Carlyle Group, LP, under which Northrop Grumman would acquire Carlyle’s 51 percent interest in Vought Aircraft Company for $l3O million cash. Northrop Grumman currently owns the balance of the outstanding common shares in Vought. The agreement is subject to Precinct, from 1A to park along Linder St. They were then forced to journey to the rear of the school to enter the gymnasium’s doors. Several elderly people were having difficulty getting to the booths, as a result, prompting numerous complaints towards the media as to why another area wasn’t chosen. But in defense of the issue, one elections official said the procedure isn’t as simple as it looks on the surface. “The polling sites are decided by looking at what is available in the boundries of a particular precinct,” said Jo Anne Shipes, elections supervisor for Houston County. “The board can not designate certain rooms or buildings for use.” Paul Hartman, the principal at Tucker, could not be reached for comment regarding why the gym was designated instead of the school’s lunchroom. The customary lone site, the Georgia National Guard Armory, was deleted this election due to guard activation. When news surfaced that the armory could not be used, the board then asked local supervisors to “downsize”, or make more locations, for the convenience of voters. As each of the sites were being chosen, a public notice detailing the plans ran in The Houston Home- Journal in late 1993. The board then voted on each location seperately. When the board finally approved the three locations, a second notice began appearing in The Houston Home-Journal on Dec. 7 of last year. That notice told of a public meeting that the board was planning for input on the selected sites. However, only one person, Tucker principal Paul Hartman, attended the meeting. Despite Hartman’s disagreement with the location, the Houston County Board of Education approved unanimously the two elementary school locations for use in the election. When contacted Tuesday, Shipes said no other problems had arose concerning the two other locations. The elections supervisor did say that when final balloting is over, all locations will be studied. “It’s really hard to tell what problems we have until the election is over,” Shipes said, from her office on Tuesday. “But as soon as the election is behind us, we’ll look into the complaints and make an evaluation from there...” Turnout, from 1A hoping that we’ll at least hit the 30-percent mark with those eligible to vote.” Polls opened at 7 a.m., and were scheduled to remain open until 7 p.m. A full election review will appear in Saturday’s Houston Times-Journal. completion of a definitive agreement and Hart Scott Rodino antitrust review. “Vought is a perfect strategic fit for Northrop Grumman, especially at this time,” said Kent Kresa, Northrop Grumman chairman, president and chief executive officer. “It strengthens and expands our position as a major supplier in the aircraft subassemblies business.” Mr. Kresa noted that Vought is debt free and currently has about S9O million in excess cash beyond its current needs. He said Vought has done an excellent job of streamlining its operations, and that the acquisition would be “accretive” to Northrop Grumman’s earnings, beginning immediately upon closure of the transaction. Northrop Grumman purchased a minority interest in Vought in 1992, with an option to purchase the remaining outstanding shares over a three-year period beginning in September 1995. The company said it reached agreement with Carlyle to acquire its shares now so that it could Vought in its plans to integrate its existing aerostructures activities with those of its recently acquired Grumman Corporation subsidiary. “The purchase of Vought now will enable us to achieve even greater efficiencies and cost reductions as we streamline our aerostructures businesses,” said Mr. Kresa. Vought, headquartered in Dallas, Tex., is a major manufacturer for commercial and military aircraft. The company had sales of just under $1 billion in 1993, and this year is expected to record sales of approximately SBOO million. Sales beyond that are expected to be in the SSOO million to S6OO million range, largely due to the substantial Letter, from ia The Federal Government should help establish, by co-insurance, large risk pools for those people who are ineligible for coverage by the usual means. Unless we are willing to address meaningful tort reform, medical malpractice will continue to add 10 to 15 percent in direct and indirect cost to our health care. Finally, the government, rather than embarking on grand schemes of social engineering, should re-examine its own policies throughout the spectrum of the health care system. As an example, it now takes over two hundred million dollars to bring a new drug to market, in no small measure due to the federal bureaucracy. These costs have to be recovered in the price of drugs. The ultimate question is who do we want to control our money and our health care? Real reform is for the patient-the consumer to control his money and his health care, not politicians, government, doctors, hospitals, etc. James C. Dudley, Jr., M.D. |i|jp NOW OPEN • Field Guides -Seeds -Binoculars -Feeders • Bird Houses • Unique Gifts l/S l JULY A AUGUST ARE THE PEAK ISSHeS/ HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER MONTHS. “Wo Specialize In Squirrel 41 Proof Feodora ” Bird Watcher P&flP J SUPPLY J} COMPANY \n J j© Everything for Wild Birds. / M* ' , MON.-SAT. 10AM-7PM jsS Mercer Crossing Shopping Center ! Across from Macon Mall o,m 757-0730 completion of Vought’s work on the current B-2 production program and planned reductions in its commercial aerostructures business. It has 5,200 employees at its Dallas-area facilities. Vought is involved in major subassembly production for Boeing 747, 757 and 767 airliners. It is also developing and building the wings for Gulfstream’s new G-V business jet. The company’s military business includes work on the Air Force’s C-17 transport and B-2 bomber aircraft. Vought is also offering the Pampa 2000 trainer in the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) competition. Northrop Grumman said that, consistent with its current practice, it will insure separation of Vought’s JPATS entry from the Grumman Corporation S2IIA candidate and the Northrop Grumman EMB-312HJ candidate. Northrop Grumman, headquartered in Los Angeles, has 45,000 employees. The company previously said it expected to record 1994 sales of just under $7 billion; it now expects 1994 sales to approximate $6.4 billion prior to an acquisition of Vought, as a result of treating the Special Purpose Vehicle segment as a discontinued operation and other accounting adjustments associated with the Grumman consolidation. The company’s major products include the B-2 stealth bomber, Joint STARS and E-2C airborne surveillance systems, the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 strike fighter (Northrop Grumman is principal subcontractor to McDonnell Douglas Corp.), airframe structures and control surfaces for military and commercial products, including Boeing’s 747, 757, 767 and 777 jetliners. thought,” Williams said. “We were able to find a very good equipment operator that will allow the bridge to be lifted for repairs instead of having to cut (the bridge).” That route will allow officials to avoid hours of labor costs, according to the city manager, which is usually the most expensive part of road and bridge repairs. Because of the bridge being such a vital link to the Perry Industrial Park, especially PPG, Williams said the city virtually had no choice in delaying repairs. 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July 24,1994, or while supplies last. perry JNBPfII Brooks Auto Parts 111 fun r 805 Commerce Street WI WKF® 987 2922 We Keep America Running. presently forced to park their vehicles on one side of the bridge and either walk or, in some instances, ride their bikes to the other side. Work on the bridge began Tuesday morning and is expected to be completed by week’s end, according to Williams. Paul O’Connell, an assessment engineer for FEMA, said Monday that his team will need additional information before findings are referred to a second group and financial assistance determined. “The first thing we will need is a DOT (Department of Transportation) assessment of the bridge,” O’Connell said. “From that, FEMA will determine what to do and how to do it...” Other areas that will require immediate attention: • Repairs to the shoulder of the road along Park Ave. • Replacing a road bed beside Big Indian Creek. • Replacing 2, 54-inch sections of pipe along Tucker Road by the city’s maintainance bam. If monies are available for the Perry projects, O’Connell said, FEMA should be able to reimburse the city immediately due to repairs being deemed “vital” to the economy. Today’s “great deal" at some auto parts stores may not seem like such a bargain tomorrow. Because cutting comers on price usually means taking shortcuts on quality, too. 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