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Viewpoints Houston Times -Journal P. O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll Street • Perry, Ga. 31069 Phone: (912) 987-1823 Th* Houston Timss-Journal (USPS 000471) Is published semi-weekly for SIB.OO per year by Houston Publications, Inc., 807 Carroll Street, Perry, Ga. 31069. Second Class Postage paid at Perry, Ga., POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Houston Times-Journal, P. O. Drawer M, Perry, Ga. 31069. ISSN: 107 S-1874 Bob Tribble, President Jim Kerce, Editor and General Manager Eddie Byrd, Advertising Manager News: Jimmy Simpson, Pauline Lewis. Sports: Veto Roley. Composition: Lori iimpson Classified Advertising: Melanie Bullington. Bookkeeping: Judy Morrow. Patrol city streets, neighborhoods Perry residents enjoy a relatively low crime rate compared to similar size cities, thanks to an unusually fine police department. Few can dispute that observation. However, a local pawn shop owner did so last week when he blasted the department for spending more time helping other law enforcement agencies patrol 1-75. In his allegations, business owner Pete Griffin charges PPD units are neglecting patrols aimed at protecting Perry homes and businesses against would-be burglars. (Griffin's business has been broken into numerous times in the past.) While we agree with city officials’ belief that Perry has an excellent’ police department, Griffin's charge that the department has no business helping other agencies nab speeders on 1-75 has considerable merit. After all, the interstate highway is not a city street, but rather a federal road. As such, it is the responsibility of the Georgia State Patrol and, to a degree, the county sheriffs department — not a local police department. Those agencies should have adequate manpower to police 1-75, except in the event of a major traffic problem. In the event of an extremely bad accident, or significant traffic tie up, we agree with Perry Police Chief Frank Simons' belief that the local department should respond. However, we disagree with the notion that city units should be parked on 1-75 overpasses, or patrolling the highway in an effort to nab speeders. Instead, it would seem there is plenty for police patrols to do on city streets to help curb reckless driving, the spread of drugs and to protect homes and businesses against crime. Your view on the issue Billings Granger Recent controversy has resulted in at least one business owner charging that policemen are spending more time giving speeding tickets than patrolling to curb crime. Police Chief Frank Simons says his department is doing everything it can to provide adequate patroling in both, residential and business areas. We asked local residents: "Do you believe the Perry Police Department spends too much time stopping motorists instead of checking homes and businesses for burglaries?" Here are dieir responses: Jim Carter: “No. I think the Perry Police Dept, does an excellent job balancing the needs of our citizens. They have to selectively use their best judgement, and I see them working very diligently." Ken Granger: “No. I’ve never seen them stop anyone, other than a car dial was part of a drug bust. I've also seen them respond to an alarm going off at a business. I think that they're always available.” Anna Franklin: "Yes. 1 see them stop a lot of out-of-town people, but not a lot of local, ones...” Keshia Billings: “Yes. They seem to do a lot of unneccesary stuff when they're patroling..” Carlos Lester: “Yes. That's one of die problems in my neighborhood- diey don't patrol die area like they should." Annie B. Hunt: "No. The police are pretty good about going through our neighborhood... They patrol pretty faithfully. I feel sorry for them a lot of times because diey're in danger of their lives.” Take advantage of flu-shot offer The county health department would like to make sure every resident in Houston County enjoys a flu-free winter this year. To assure the possibility that can happen, the department has launched a massive campaign to administer flu shots to every resident who wants to protect themselves against the virus. Although the department vaccinated about 7,000 people last year, they are hoping to give shots to upwards of 10,000 residents this year. Who should receive the shot? Just about anyone, according to Dianne Banister, nurse manager for the health unit. She especially encourages those over the age of 55 to get the vaccine. In an effort to make the shots as widely acceptable as possible, the department is charging only $5 for each vaccine. For an additional $lO, residents can also be vaccinated against pneumonia. However, officials of the department stress that no one will be refused because they are unable to pay. Although receiving a shot isn't a pleasant experience and it can cause soreness in some people, we encourage residents to take advantage of the department's offer. After all, the alternative can be much more unpleasant than temporary discomfort. Hunt Franklin 1^ Lester Carter eIOBH of it. north Kom, I r haiti v ' fHA^ s mT Can people stand the success of state lottery? From what we read in the daily press and hear on television, all is great with the Georgia lottery. More people are playing (gambling), more dollars are coming into state coffers to be dispersed into education and everyone is having a marvelous time playing the numbers game. Our pastor told recently of a church member who admitted to him that he had played the lottery for the first time, had won SSOO and had given SSO to the church. Yes, we are being bombarded through the state press with what appears to be the good stories, but rarely do you see any news media touching on the downside of this gambling craze. Without a doubt the state lottery is having a negative effect across our state. It is an economic depressent that is taking far more money out of our counties than it is bringing back in, not to mention the habitual gamblers that are being created along the way. Let me give you three examples that were published in a recent issue of The Christian Index. In Burke Homeowner says lake too small for public use Dear Editor: In regards to the recent editorial and readers’ reaction comments in your paper on September 21, 1994, I would like to make the following comments. As a twenty (20) year resident of Houston County and a thirteen (13) year resident of property adjacent to Houston Lake, I feel that both the editorial and the readers’ reaction comments were very biased in nature. As a single landowner on Houston Lake, I am sure that my response represents the Perry airport: It changes, but remains the same The Perry-Houston County Airport is posed on the frontier of a new era. When I came to the Home Journal in October, one of the meetings I was assigned was the airport authority meeting. At that time, Register Aviation was the fixed base operator with a contract running through April, 1994, and four governments were in charge of running the airport: Perry, Fort Valley, Houston County and Peach County. Needless to say, many things have changed since then. The paper is now called the Times-Journal, and I am no longer the county re porter, well, that is no longer my "full" beat, but the sports editor. And, the airport now only has two governments controlling the authority: Perry and Houston County. In light of the last change, the airport has also changed names, going from the Perry-Fort Valley Airport to the Perry-Houston County Airport. Even with the changes at the airport, many tilings remain the same. For instance, most of the airport is still in Peach County. Included in the Peach County land at the air port is the airport tarmac and all of _ jgfft Bob '| Y Tribble I County, residents spent about $5 million on lottery tickets the first year. The state returned $2.4 million to the county in prize money, and the public schools received less than a half million dollars, a loss that is equal to the closing of an industry in the county with an annual payroll in excess of $2 million. In Screven County citizens spent more than $4 million on lottery tickets the first year. They received less than $2 million back in prize money and the schools received about $250,000. Net loss to Screven County in one year was about $2. Lowndes County lottery players spent $8.7 million on tickets during the first year. $4.1 million Letters to the editor vast majority of the property landowners and the private business that are adjacent to Houston Lake. It is our understanding that if the county is involved with the Veto L Roley I is Staff Writer I the hangars where planes are parked. Currently, ad valorem taxes on planes go to the county where the aircraft is kept, which is Peach County and Peach County no longer supports the airport. Of the land that it is in Houston County, most of it is restricted be cause of F.A.A. rules and regula tions. This means that any busi nesses located at the airport will pay taxes to Peach County, not Houston County. There is a move to change state law to allow ad valorem taxes paid on aircraft paid to the government that operates the airport, instead of the location of the airport. That change would make the taxes on aircraft come to Houston County; but, in die grand scheme of things, that is chump change. The airport aulliority has an nounced its intentions to develop the airport. And, there are some good opportunities to develop the ,Houston Times-Journal Page 4A was returned to the county in prize money and the schools received $1.6 million, with a net loss to the gambling game of $3 million. Again, that’s just like an industry closing with a $3 million payroll employing 200 or more workers. From the above three examples, it appears that the average county with a makeup such as the three mentioned, in all probability is losing 35-40 percent of every dollar that is spent on lottery tickets. Our county (Meriwether) fits the economic makeup and popu'ation of Burke County, so it would be a safe bet to assume that $5 million plus was spent on lottery tickets here and that our county had a net loss of $2 million plus after all was said and done. Last Friday afternoon when stopping by a convenience store for gas an unusual amount of cars were there. Upon going into the store to pay for the gas, I found a long line with 15-20 people waiting to purchase lottery tickets. It was payday and one man bought $43 worth of tickets. That had to be a construction of the dam, it is simply because there is a written obligation that was made many years ago which stated that the county was responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the dam. The funds that will be secured to complete this project are both F.E.M.A. and G.E.M.A. monies. These are emergency funds set aside to assist in disasters that we have experienced in the recent flooding. Neither the property owners, Houston Lake Country Club airport since many companies like their facilities located near airports, making quick visits by top execu tives and small deliveries possible. In fact, if you go around many airports, you will see them sur rounded by companies. And, with a 5,000 feet runway that will support most small-to-medium cargo planes and such like, the possibility exists for such to happen at the Perry air port. But, unless the boundaries around the airport are changed, Houston County will see no taxes from any development. Perry, which can annex the airport even though it lies partially in Peach County, could collect city taxes on any new development out there. The other change that the author ity says they want to make is in fixed based operator. Currently, the FBO is Register Aviation, which claims to be losing money at the airport. There has been a lot of bad blood in the past between Register Aviation and the airport authority. Currently, that bad blood looks to be winding up in a courtroom, with the two sides discussing who owns what. large part of his salary, judging from his appearance. As I left the store my feelings of two years ago were solidified when we were in the middle of a campaign to defeat the lottery. My belief then and now remains the same, and that is, the folks less able to spend their hard earned dollars on lottery tickets would be the ones more likely to do so. Friday’s line proved that. As our governor sends out his weekly press releases during tliis election year on the great things lottery money is doing in our schools for education, my thoughts still remain with the multitudes of poor people across this state who are wasting their needed dollars on a false dream that they will become rich. But if this is what they choose to do with their money, there’s not much we who opposed the lottery can do about it. From the economic and moral standpoint I don’t know how much more of lottery’s successes we as a county and state can afford. owners, or the citizens of Houston County will see additional taxes or be assessed more property taxes if both F.E.M.A. and G.E.M.A. fund this project. For sure, if the money spent elsewhere in the state to take care of our disaster, it will be spent elsewhere in the state to take care of other pressing problems. The history of Houston Lake is over one hundred (100) years old and has been a landmark in this county. I feel that the citizens of Houston Please see Letters, Page 5A The primary disagreement is over the T-hangars at the airport, with the authority saying the hangars belong to the airport and Register Aviation saying it belongs to them. Lowell Register, who owns Register Aviation, says that the hangars were on the original bill of sale for the FBO, a bill of sale okayed by the authority seven years ago. The authority, or. the other hand, contends that what Register bought was the remainder of the hangar lease from when they were built in 1973. The authority says the hangars were to go back to the air port after 20 years. Whether Register owns the hangars or whether the airport owns the hangars, the question has to be decided before the airport can move forward, since the hangars are one of the fuel sources of cash for a FBO. The airport wants the hangars to induce a new FBO to come to the airport, while Register wants the hangars to help him make back some of his original investment. Back when I came to the news paper, die airport authority was fun to cover since many things were happening. That, also, remains true today.