Newspaper Page Text
- Wednesday, October 19,1994, Houston Times-Journal
Page 4A
Viewpoints
Houston Times -Jonrnol
P. O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll Street • Perry, Ga. 31069
Phone: (912) 987-1823
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paid at Parry, Ga., POSTMASTER: Sand addreas changes to the Houston Times-Journal,
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Bob Tribble, President
Jim Kerce, Editor and General Manager
Sherri Wengler, Advertising Manager
Newt: Vetoßoley, Pauline Lewis. Sports: Phil Clark. Composition: Lori Simpson.
Cltstifltd Advertising: Melanie Bullington. Bookkeeping: Judy Morrow.
Your view
Comments on firefighter flap
Editor:
In reference to the article concerning the county firefighter walk-out,
I have a few comments.
For the information of your readers, Houston County Fire-Rescue
Department is the sole agency providing this service in the
unincorporated parts of the county. There are eight (8) fire stations
throughout the county providing twenty-four (24) hour coverage for
fire, medical, and rescue calls. Each station has a numerical
identification. The eight (8) stations are not autonomous and are not
independent fire departments. The use of geographic names is no longer
officially sanctioned. The agency is headed by the Fire Chief. Each
station has a Deputy Chief in charge, answerable to the Fire Chief.
In reference to the walk-out at Station 800, although unfortunate, it
was necessary for the Fire Chief to implement these changes. Because
there was no one qualified to assume the position of Deputy Chief it
was in the best interest of the public, and the firefighters, to put an
experienced person in charge. Mr. Harris was offered the position of
Assistant Chief until he became better trained, he refused. He said it
was all or nothing.
As stated in your article, the citizens in Station 800’s response area
still have good fire department coverage. Stations 500 and 400, as well
as those remaining at Station 800 will provide protection for the area.
The county fire department also has a mutual-aid agreement with the
City of Perry Fire Department. Station 800 will be rebuilding its’ staff
with new personnel.
Although this is an emotional issue, the hard facts must be faced.
Both federal and state laws mandate certain levels of training and
equipment for all fire departments, paid and volunteer. Houston County
Fire-Rescue Department has grown in size and increased responses over
the last decade. The future will demand even more.
Sincerely,
James T. Adams
Deputy Chief Houston County Fire-Rescue
Cleanup day help is sought
Editor:
Once again, the Glass Awareness Committee from Anchor Glass
Container Corp. has donated prize money for “Spooky Safari Day”.
The semiannual event is scheduled for October 29th from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. at the Recycling Safari located at 151 Maple Street, Warner
Robins.
Everyone has a chance to win a prize just by bringing glass and/or
aluminum to the Recycling Safari on Spooky Safari Day.
Here’s how it works. The Glass Awareness Committee has donated
five S2O cash prizes. Everyone bringing recyclables to the Recycling
Safari on Spooky Safari Day will receive one-half of a numbered ticket
to keep. The matching half will be placed in a container. At the end of
Spooky Safari Day, five winning tickets will be drawn. The numbers
will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. Ist and will be posted in City Hall
on the same date. Award winners may collect their S2O dollar bill by
producing a matching ticket number at the Clean Community
Commission office, 151 Maple Street, by the close of business on
Nov. 16, 1994.
The Glass Awareness Committee has also donated SSO to be given
as a bonus to the organization that receives the most donations (in
weight) to the account on Spooky Safari Day. The members of Mount
Calvary Lutheran Church collected 532 pounds of recyclables in April
and were proud recipients of the added bonus.
Come on citizens and organizations of Warner Robins! Recycle on
Spooky Safari Day. Increased prices will be paid for glass containers
and aluminum beverage cans and you could be one of the lucky prize
winners!
Bill Hafley
Perry Clean Community Commission
Statement misquoted by writer
Editor:
This letter is in regards to the article that Jimmy Simpson wrote in
the October sth edition of The Houston Times-Journal on local
firefighters protest. The article quotes David Harris as saying “We
realize that we’re untrained, but we’re willing to learn.” This statement
was misquoted. David said, “He was untrained as being Chief of this
fire department” as we all knew when we asked and supported his
decision to become chief.
Out of the 13 firefighters that walked out because of the decision of
Jimmy Williams to place Jim Adams as our Chief 11 out of 13
firefighters had 10 or more years experience at firefighting, rescuing and
first responders. David Harris has over six years experience.
I would like to set the record straight and let the community know
that we are trained firefighters, and rescue specialists with a
combination of over 130 years of experience and I feel that for Jimmy
Williams to let that much experience and training, training that was
paid for by citizens of our community, to go by the wayside is and will
be a big mistake not only to the members of the community but also
to the members of the Meadowdale Fire Department who volunteered
their time to train and to serve die community in emergencies.
We apologize to our community for the decision that we made in
this matter and we ask for your support so that this matter can come to
an end quickly, and we can return to our duties and continue serving our
community. Sincerely,
Freddie Little
Meadowdale Volunteer Fire Department
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Liberty has some strange outcomes
Monday, as so often happens, I
got a call from a man disturbed at
what was going on in his commu
nity.
Seemed one of his neighbors
would curse the neighborhood kids.
After this had gone on for some
years, with the man working to get
the neighbor to stop his cursing of
his children.
Finally, with little recourse, the
man took his neighbor to the
Magistrate Court in Warner
Robins. There the judge scolded the
neighbor, but did little else.
The man called me Monday
complaining that the court system
did nothing to stop his neighbor
from cursing his children. And,
although it’s frustrating to the
neighborhood, I don’t think that
there is anything that the judge
could have done.
We live in a highly rights-ori
ented society. We understand per
fectly when someone says that it is
my right to do something.
In the 60s and 70s, the United
States Supreme Court ruled that
language that was offensive could
not be banned simply because it
was offensive. There had to be a
compelling state interest before a
government could order someone to
keep their mouths closed.
Obscenity laws, which were chal
lenged by the radical left, were, for
the most part, thrown out.
The theory is simple. In order to
make sure the rights of the major
ity, the mainstream in America, the
Remember when: A view
5 Years Ago
10/17/89
The USAF Thunderbirds per
formed at the Robins Air Force
Base Open House, Oct. 21-22.
Work begins on a 50-bed min
imum security addition to Houston
County jail on Kings Chapel Road,
Perry.
The Perry City Council voted to
spend $95,000 to monitor gas.
The first plans commissioned by
Macon architect Charlie Wolf on
the Perry Welcome Center are
shown to the Convention and
Visitor Bureau Committee.
The Mossy Creek Festival is
recognized throughout Southeast
after first 10 years. Paul Warner,
Perry craftsman, will show his
wood-turned items.
10 Years Ago
10/17/94
Fifty members of PHS band
played for U.S. President Reagan
in Macon, on his campaign swing
Chamber involved in many activities
The new membership direc
tory update will be available
within three weeks. The directory is
used by newcomers and chamber
members to do business with
chamber members. Refer to it
often, and support your fellow
businesses.
Location map marketing
opportunity: For business mem
bers to advertise on two signs at the
Georgia Agricenter to the thousands
of people that attend events
throughout the year. Check the
north wall of the clock tower to sec
one of the signs.
Leadership in Perry:
Nominations are being accepted for
the 1905 class. Details on the pro
gi.nu available by calling Ih
Chamber.
Industry Appreciation Day
Veto
Roley
Staff Writer
rights of the fringe had to be fer
vently protected. And, there is some
truth in that theory since the erod
ing of liberty will not take place in
the mainstream, but on the edges.
It could get to a point where
"mainstream" is so defined as to
make some groups, like the reli
gious right or the liberal left, fringe
groups. Some groups, in fact, are
arguing today that there is a move
in today's society to move the reli
gious right out of the mainstream
of American society.
But that doesn't take care of
neighbors cursing children on the
street. If anything, that makes the
problem worse since it appears that
there is nothing that we can do to
protect our children from such be
havior.
And we grow frustrated. And we
start to believe that the system is
against us. And we wonder what
happened to this great country of
ours.
And, like the truth found in the
argument that fringe liberty must
be protected, there is some truth in
this also.
We sometimes imagine that the
law is fair, that it does not favor
through the South.
Perry Players’ “Oklahoma” blew
the house down. Jeanne B. Deibert
was director, Carol Strandburg, mu
sical director and Sally Stanley,
choreographer.
Houston County BOE received
$3,879,262.25 from a one percent
local option tax collected between
November 1983 and July 1984.
The Perry chapter of Ducks
Unlimited membership was one of
the state's largest at 160 members.
The annual banquet and auction was
held. Bobby Tuggle, past president,
was named a national trustee. There
were 237 active members in
Greenwing Program.
25 Years Ago
10/15/69
The Houston Home Journal is
sold. Bobby Branch became the edi
tor - publisher. The new owners
were Bobby Branch, Lewis Meeks
and Ogden Persons.
Crossroads United Methodist
CV
Peggy
Williams
President,
Perry Art a C of C
will be held Oct. 25. The Perry and
Warner Robins Chambers and the
Houston County Development
Authority will host a golf outing
and dinner for county industries to
show support and appreciation. By
the way, 80 percent of new jobs
created come from existing indus
try.
The Goals Conference will
me i Nov I 5 for Chamber board
members, committee chairmen, city
officials and other key community
4A —Houston Times-Joupubi
one group over the other. But, the
law is never fair. The law always
favors one group above other
groups. Property owners, for in
stance, are favored above thiefs. The
law rules that property owners have
a right to their possessions, and
punishes those who try to steal
those possessions.
Sometimes, those on the fringe
are favored above those in the
mainstream. And, all a cursing
neighbor gets is a scolding from a
judge who can do nothing more.
All that does is frustrate the main
stream neighborhood, which dews
not want the man to curse.
But, it’s really not the law’s re
sponsibility to regulate such behav
ior. It used to be common courtesy
that we, as Americans, did not go
out of our way to offend each other.
Sure, we had the right to offend;
but, we did not exercise that right.
And, that, in many respects, is a
big problem in America. We know
that we have the right to do some
thing regardless of how it might
impact our neighbors, and we do.
Our neighbors can either move or
get used to our boorish behavior.
* * *
Ever so often, I get on a single
track, and lose the forest for the
trees. Such a time happened
Monday afternoon, as I went about
to take street talk.
I took my camera and my pad,
and walked down to the Post Office,
where I asked five gracious Perry
Please see ROLEY, Page 8A
of the past
Church launched a campaign for
funds to aid in construction of
first unit of its new building.
Perry issued building permit for
East Gate Shopping Center.
Owners are H. P. Persons, Jr. and
Thad Murphy of Macon and archi
tects are Terry and Kiley of
Savannah. Cost of the project is
$300,000.
50 Years Ago
10/18/94
The Sorosis Club discussed
plans for a community club house.
The 89th exhibition of Georgia
State Fair was held in Macon, Oct.
23-28.
PFC J.D. Stembridge became
the second Houston County man
killed in action in WW 11.
J. W. Watson, Perry, wrote “It
is not smart to cuss; let’s check our
vocabulary and find words more be
coming to mankind and more pleas
ing to our Heavenly Father.”
Gray’s Service Station installed
a large truck tire vulcanizer.
teaoers to estaonsn tne chambers'
priorities for 1995.
A ribbon cutting will take
place Oct. 18 at 11 a.m. at the
Butler Brown Gallery. Join us and
welcome this new business to
Perry.
Welcome new members for
September: the Butler Brown
Gallery, Butler Brown, owner; The
Regal Touch, Julie Brown, owner;
Decorating Den, Pam Crosby and
Becky Griffin, owners; Hamby
Automotive Network, Inc., Larry
Hamby, owner.
Thanks to all our chamber
members that invest their re
sources of time and money to pro
mote business and enhance the qual
ity of life for the Perry area though
their chamber of commerce. We ap
preciate you!
Street talk!
The fifth annual Georgia National
Fair was the most successful i n
history. This week, we asked area
residents what they thought of the
fair:
1811181 T, KM
I mm
Holly Burkett (holding
Andrew)
“It was a lot of fun. The kids enjoyed
themselves.”
/
Adam and Jeremy Burkett
"It was fun." (Adam) "It was nice."
(Jeremy)
innmir r jjf ™
imp** i
Ron Nolen
"I thought it was wonderful. A great
family outing. Something that our
community should really be proud
of. It was a nice time.”
Tom Whitten
"I thought it was great. I worked the
(Perry) Chamber of Commerce
booth and the Northrop booth. It
seemed like people had a real good
time. I think it was good wholesome
family fun. I didn't see too many
people who weren’t having a good
time.”
*> ; ........
Rodney Davis
“I think it was fun, especially for the
kids. It should've been in the
summer; but, it was great.”
■ -'WHhptt JaKea ’S-,
_v;.
Frederick Williams
"It was great. It was fun. I
especially liked the waterslide.”