Houston times-journal. (Perry, Ga.) 1994-1999, July 30, 1994, Image 1

Houston times-journal., July 30, 1994, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text$2,500 Donated Page 5 Houston limes-Journal Official Organ For Houston County, City of Perry & State of Georgia Volume 124 —*• No. 61 Perry, Ga this week In today's issue... In Sympathy The community’s sympathy is extended to the families of those who recently died. They include: Frances Parker Jones. For more information please see Page 2. Farewell, Saturday... This edition marks the last Saturday publication of the Houston Times-Journal. Be ginning next week, the news paper will be published each Wednesday. Hospital Auth. Meets The Hospital Authority of Houston County will hold a special called meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Board Room at Houston Medi cal Center in Warner Robins. Lion's Club Donates The Perry Lion’s Club has made a SSOO donation to aid the Perry area disaster assis tance effort resulting from the aftermath of hurricane storm Alberto. Page 2. Dr. Marks 20th Year Dr. Edward Strickland set up practice in atrailoronthe Perry Hospital grounds almost 20 years ago. Today, it's a differ ent story. Page 5. Late Master Honored Timothy Matthew Furlow, the first master of Houston Lodge, is honored posthu mously by present members. Page 3. Candidate Hits Town J. Tyron Spearman anc! his busload of supporters pulled into Perry this week on the first leg of a multi-city blitz. Page 3. Hospital Gets Trainer Mike Edgar feels like he is in the 'Big City’. Page 6. Softball Season Starts Both Westfield and Perry High Schools will start their softball seasons, with the first day of practice being Monday, Aug. 1. Page 6. Index JIMMY SIMPSON 4 OBITUARIES 2 CLASSIFIED LS EDITORIALS 4 LEGAL NOTICES 8 LOCAL CALENDAR 5 SPORTS MISS YOUR PAPER? WE HOPE NOT, BUT IF SO CALL 987-1823 SAVE $8 per year over the rack price of the Times-Journal by getting home delivery! NOW JUST $lB Per year-call 987-1823 TODAY AaSiiisih n Gwen Hill (foreground) gives one of several hundred packets of food stamps to an eligible recipient, as Cynthia Mallard prepares for the next qualified applicant. ‘Flood 3f ‘94’ DFCS expected to top SBOO,OOO in issuances to county residents By JIMMY SIMPSON Staff Writer A projected SBOO,OOO in food stamps was expected to be distributed in Houston County by late this afternoon man effort to assist flood victims. Officials with the Houston County Department of Family and Children Services reported late Friday that more than 2,000 households had already sought financial assistance for groceries. “I’ve been with the department (of Family and Children Services) for 28 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Houston County DFCS Director Larry Aaron, as he witnessed the continuous long lines just outside Heritage Hall at the Georgia National Fairgrounds. A team of 18 DFCS workers from those areas not stricken by flood waters arrived Wednesday morning to begin allocating the stamps. Aaron said he and others originally estimated 1,400 households would be reviewed by week’s end. That number was almost shattered in just the first day after 1,154 households were screened and $216,000 in food stamps distributed. “It has surprised us that the turnout has been as strong as it has,” Aaron said, adding that most persons are having to wait only Houston Lake problems continue; no immediate resolution on table By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer The county is doing all that they can do to help restore the dam at Houston Lake, Houston County Commission Chairman Sherrill Stafford told a Good Morning, Perry breakfast, sponsored by the Perry Area Chamber of Cpmmerce, on Wednesday. The dam at Houston Lake burst during the recent flood, draining the lake. Damage to the dam has been estimated at $750,000 to $3 mil lion, said Stafford. "It's a quasi-public area,” said Stafford, noting that the private na ture of the lake complicated the county’s ability to help rebuild the dam. Stafford said the even with low interest disaster loans, the prospect of rebuilding was "not en couraging." There are around 70 homes built around Houston Lake. The area was used during the Civil War to make uniforms. At the Houston County Devel opment Authority meeting Thurs day, Tim Martin, executive director of the authority, said that Houston Dog Days Fishing Page 6 Saturday, July 30, 1994 County victims’ requests shatter previous numbers By JIMMY SIMPSON Staff Writer Houston County residents were digging a little deeper than usual into the pockets of one federal agency this week in the aftermath of “The Flood of ‘94”. Those searching for financial aide after their homes were destroyed, or their wages lost due to the unavailability of work, were expected to request about around “a couple of hours” to get into the building and have their claims reviewed. An approximate eight out of nine households have been receiving approval for the stamps, said Aaron. “Some people aren’t qualifying,” said Aaron, “but most of the ones who come out, are (being approved).” The biggest setback to most families hasn’t been the loss of homes, said officials, but the loss of wages as a result. While the large turnout is in line with any other first-day activity, Aaron said officials are most concerned with crowds that will most likely wait until today to take Lake was important to the devel opment of the county since it was used to help sell the county's qual ity of life to developers. "These are more than private recreation areas," said Martin. Stafford also told the Good Morning, Perry gathering that the county would do something about freeport taxes before the end of De cember. Currently, the county charges freeport taxes, which are taxes on inventory. "It is something that needs to be done," said Stafford, "although there are those who disagree with that.” Other news from Good Morning, Perry: •The $1.50 county tax on the phone bill is not a new tax, said Stafford, who said the tax has al ways been there. He said the phone company had went to a different format for their billing, and the new format allowed the county tax to be brought out. •The county's tax digest is due out in September. Property tax rates are set according to the county tax digest Stafford said that previous tax $150,000, or 23.1 percent, more food stamps than normal in one month-- this time, in just a four day period. That figure, according to Larry Aaron, Director for the Houston County Department of Family and Children Services, surpasses the $650,000 usually distributed in a 30-day period in the county. advantage of stamps. “We plan to cut off (the issuance of stamps) at 3 p.m. (today). If we have a line, then we could possibly extend the time, but only on a hour-to-hour basis,” said Aaron. If local officials felt there was a need for an additional distribution day, he continued, permission would have to be granted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutritional Services. Those trying to obtain financial aide for perishable items today at the fairgrounds are again asked to bring proper identification, including driver’s license and social security numbers. digests show that Perry has $177.4 million in assessed property, or 16.1 percent of the total county di gest. In comparison, Centerville has $34.2 million in assessed prop erty, or 3.1 percent of the county total; Warner Robins, $472.3 mil lion, or 42 percent of the county to tal; and the unincorporated areas of the county, $419.3 million, or 38 percent of the county's total. •Bill Chamblis, with the City of Perry, said the flood was five-and-a half feet over the 100 year flood mark. He added the flood was prob ably a 500 year flood, meaning floods of that size had a .02 percent chance of happening. •Over 400 houses were damaged in the flood, said Stafford. Also 35 major roads or bridges in the county received flood damage. The 911 of fice received over 17,000 calls the first two days of the flood. •The county will give the mu nicipalities around SIOO,OOO for recreation this year, said Stafford. The amount is around $28,000 less what they gave Perry, Centerville and Warner Robins last year. Dr. Celebrates Page 5 S3O million bond signed, project moves forward By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer The I’s have been dotted, and the T’s crossed on Frito Lay’s Kathleen plant's expansion. On Thursday, July 28, company officials signed documents releasing just under S3O million in bonds, funding the ex pansion. The expansion, announced in Oct., 1993, will add a new chip line to the Frito Lay facility. Around 100 new positions will be created by the expansion, which will raise total employment at Frito Lay to approximately 550 workers. "We will own the facility," said Mike Long, attorney for the Hous ton County Development Author ity. Frito Lay will lease the facili ties back from the authority, with the authority using the lease pay ments to pay off the bonds. After term of the bonds is over, owner ship of the facilities will revert back to Frito Lay. The bonds will be paid back over a 20 year period of time, with an interest rate of 7.85 percent. Long said the authority was doing the bonds this way because it gave fa vorable tax benefits to the Pcpsico, which owns the majority of Frito Lay stock, jnd which is purchasing the bonds. Company officials indicated in October that the authority's will ingness to underwrite the bonds was a major factor in their deciding to expand the Kathleen facility. The expansion at the Kathleen facility is the second major expan sion since the plant opened in May, 1988, with 190 employees. In 1991, the plant added a tortilla line that brought employment up to 450 workers. In other developments, Tim Martin, executive director of the au thority, told members that Robins A ‘so’s Kind of Girl’ 4 &«| % i ' \ 1 • nn x * p Hiis 1 f # -:Mp"JKSKK S ■ -'M& % 'ss&s£ i ;f;f. y W?/ \ BBpMKMjr #& ..:';i|SlpP&*M [Tl| i ) *.^-»-. ; -v-.- %<Tr # jHmBB \ JB • / f® 1' 'wfßir ■BB M I j m v % JP ? i 1 ' 1 | x % *■, $$ I ‘ / Five-year-old Brittany Ollls steps back In time to display that famous “poodle skirt" attire of the 50’s. While Brittany may not remember the music of that era, she did know how to dance to the tunes at a recent theme party at Graffiti Hair Salon. Brittany Is the daughter of Chris and Lynn Ollis.. Perry, Georgia - 50 Cents The expansion will add a new chip line to the Frito Lay facility. Around 100 new positions will be created by the expansion, which will raise the total employment force to approximately 550 workers. Air Force Base was in a good posi tion coming into BRAC '95. "The numbers look excellent," said Martin, who added that the base's versatility should help the base. He cited an Air Force Magazine story that said Congres sional handicappers chose RAFB as the least likely candidate for re alignment in 1995. The story noted that the other air logistic centers in the Air Force had specific missions. Martin also told the authority that the county had lost out in its bid for a J.M. Mullis distribution center that would employ over 500 workers. The county was including among an original 66 possible sites. But when the company re duced the number of sites to nine, the county was not on the short list. "It was not a total rejection let ter," said Martin. "The kickout fac tor was the type of labor (in the county). They were looking for a university community where people had to work to go to school." Even though the authority was not able to land J.M. Mullis, it did receive a response from a mass mailing it did to the top 100 firms in the South. Martin also said the authority had received around 10 in quiries about the brewery building.