Newspaper Page Text
Wi
Perry, Ga.
this week
Volume 125—N0. 77—14 Pages
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16,1994
50 CENTS
Subscription drive now
under way for Journal
Over the next few weeks a
team of telephone sales people
will be calling your home seek
ing subscriptions on behalf of
the paper. The calls are in con
junction with a subscription
drive the Times-Journal is con
ducting.
During the drive, the paper
will be offering new and re
newal subscriptions at our
regular price, with part of the
money going to the local Scout
ing effort and to help fund
Perry’s Senior Citizens' Cen
ter.
If our operators fail to call,
you may take advantage of our
offer be calling 987-1823.
Youth Basketball
The Perry Parks and Recre
ation Department is holding
youth basketball registration
through Nov. 19. For more in
formation, call the Parks and
Rec office at 988-8131.
Accident Kills One
A Hawkinsville woman was
killed Monday when her van
overturned, ejecting her onto
the street. See the story on
Page 3A.
Two Parent Families
Children do better with two
parent families, or so says Bob
Tribble. See if you agree, turn
to Page 4A.
The Tax Man Cometh
Perry will be auditing personal
tax accounts in the upcoming
weeks. Over 119 accounts will
receive a visit from the auditor.
Find out the details on Page
7A.
Advances To Quarters
The Hornets showed Friday
night that they would be a force
in the G.I.S.A. playoffs, whip
ping 5-5 Brookwood 34-0. See
the details on Page SA.
Close But No Cigar
Perry High School warred with
Harris County; but, the Tigers
pulled it 3ut in the end, ending
Perry's playoff dreams. See
the story on Page SA.
Young Heart Patient
Tracey Deatherage recently
returned from Atlanta after
undergoing open heart sur
gery. Read about her brave
struggle on Page 3B
Indian Chior Performs
An Indian Chior will perform at
Perry United Methodist Church
on Dec. 1 Page 1B
WIMMSM
The community's sympathy
is extended to the families of
those who recently died. They
include: Effie Mae Jessup and
Ida Goss Little. See details
page 2A.
'vision Sunday 1 set
at Crossroads—sA
Houston roues- Journal
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, City of Perry and the State of Georgia
I hjbhßb ■BJi
Spaghetti supper at Westfield
Laurie and Lawton Pearson sell tickets to their neighbors Joshua and Caroline Mad
dox for Westfield's first annual spaghetti supper Sat., Nov. 19. Angie Maddox,
holding Laliie Maddox, looks on at the sale. Tickets can be obtained by calling 987-
0547.
Opening the holiday
Pilot Club fashion show and dessert is Thursday
The Pilot Club of Perry invites
the community to the opening
event for the holiday season in
Perry. The second annual Holiday
Fashion Show and Dessert is
planned for Thursday evening,
November 17 at 7:30 p.m.
The dining room at the Northrop
Corporation, 200 Thompson Road,
will be turned into a holiday wonder
with beautiful gold and glitter and
the sounds and smells of
Christmas.
A Christmas Tree donated to the
Pilot Club by The Daisy Patch will
be the focus of the decorations. For
a SI donation, someone will take
this beautifully decorated tree as
Perry honors veterans during ceremony
By VETO F. ROLEY
New* Editor
Perry honored its veterans Fri
day, Nov. 11, in a ceremony at the
National Guard Armory.
Perry Mayor Jim Worrall told
the small gathering of veterans and
citizens that Veterans Day was a
time to "remember the freedom and
heritage that we have, and why we
have it."
VFW Commander Charles
Evans lamented the fact that sol
diers were remembered when there
was fighting, but soon forgotten
when the guns fell silent. He urged
the crowd to remember die veteran
Act of kindness brings praise from dad of student stranded on 1-75
By BRIGETTE LOUDERMILK
Special to the HTJ
When David Dupont was returning to col
lege in Tennessee from his mother’s home in
Florida a few months ago he had no idea that
he would be faced with disaster.
But, even more importantly, Dupont’s mis
fortune turned into a positive experience and
taught him a valuable lesson-the lesson that
the kindness of strangers does indeed still ex
ist.
Dupont was driving on Interstate 75 in Perry
when his van broke down. Not knowing
where he was or where to go, feeling low in
spirits and being low on cash, Dupont took
off walking on a hot August Sunday, hoping
to find help. It was a walk that, led him to
Elko residents Mr. and Mrs. Willie McDow
ell.
Dupont walked from the interstate to a local
convenience station and asked about wrecker
services. Since it was a Sunday and most
businesses were closed, the store employee
called Jimmy McDowell, an employee of a
Loss ends Perry High season
Full local sports coverage appears on — s-7A
their very own. The tree graces the
window at Impressions on Carroll
Street until the evening of the
Fashion Show. Any Pilot Club
member has tickets for the
Christmas Tree. You do not have
to be present to take advantage of
this give-away.
Children's fashions will be
brought to the show by The
Sugarplum Tree. Boys and girls
will model the prettiest in children's
holiday wear.
New participants in this year's
fashion show are the clothes
Carnival from Unadilla and Moore's
from Perry. Others supplying
fashions and models are Sharing
Elegance Formal Wear of
in times of peace.
"Most (veterans) were ordinary
citizens who assumed their duty
when it came," said Evans.
Evans also saluted the families
that were left by veterans, saying
that many times these families also
bore sacrifice for the country with
the absence of husbands, fathers and
suns.
Brig. Gen. Alan Bruce reminded
the audience of the qualities the
military installed in young men,
noting that often parents said of
their children diat they went into
the military young boys, but came
back young men.
I*, JBbBI jB
Mary Ann and Jimmy McDowell
local towing service.
McDowell picked up Dupont and his van.
He offered to take Dupont to a motel, but
since the young college student did not have
much money he told McDowell he'd just sleep
in his van.
"It was just so very hot and knowing he
didn't have any money, we just couldn't let
Henderson, the Tog Shop, and
C&C Photography. The Diasy
Patch will lend its expertise in
decorating the dining room.
The Pilot Club of Perry has
always been very visible and active
in the community giving its
support to all local projects. The
proceeds from the evening will be
distributed to local organizations
such as the Older American Council
building fund, Loaves and Fishes of
South Houston County, Porject
Agape Love, Perry Players,
Hospice of Houston County, the
Alzheimer's organization, school
projects, scholarships to children’s
summer camps and others.
"They have a significant geo
graphical opportunity," said Bruce.
"They travel. They find out that the
U.S. really is the best place in the
world to live."
Additionally, veterans learned
about teamwork, organization skills
and leadership, said Bruce. In that,
they learned of personal sacrifice.
"The good of the group is almost
always stronger than the good of
the individual," he said.
Teamwork and personal sacrifice
taught patience, said Bruce, adding
that the military taught that patient
waiting usually was rewarded.
him sleep in his van. He said he had his
grandmother's credit card number but we
wouldn't let him use it. David became just
like another one of our kids and when he left
to go back to college I felt like one of my
own had left," Mary Ann McDowell said.
She also said that putting up one more per
son was really no great sacrifice considering
the size of the McDowell family. During
Dupont's stay at the McDowell home on
Grovania Road in Elko he met their four chil
dren, several grandchildren, a niece, her hus
band and their children and Mary Ann's brother
and his family who were visiting from
Florida.
"When Mr. McDowell said he'd take me to
his home, I wasn't too sure about it. But, I
owe the family a really big thank you.
"There aren't many people today that are as
nice as the McDowells. I was really lucky.
They have a really big family and everyone
was very nice. They told me to make myself
at home while I was there, lhey fed me, gave
me a place to sleep and we worked on my van.
Stats show local
crime rate under
control—Simons
By VETO F. ROLEY
News Editor
Perry Police Chief Frank Si
mons told the Perry Rotary Club
Monday, Nov. 7, that his depart
ment was doing a good job, despite
getting some recent complaints.
Simons added that while he
wanted the city to be satisfied with
their Police Department, "if every
body is happy, I am not doing my
job."
In 1992, Simons said his de
partment solved 35 percent of the
burglaries and 53 percent of the
robberies reported. He said that
compared very favorably to the na
tional rate of solving 13 percent of
the burglaries and 24 percent of the
robberies.
In addition to solving a large
number of crimes, Simons told the
club that the number of crimes were
coming down. In the first 10
months of 1989, there were 128
burglaries, of which 29 were
cleared. Through Oct, 1994, Si
mons told the club that there were
82 burglaries, of which 29 were
cleared.
Through the same time period in
1989, he said there were 22 rob
beries. Through Oct., 1994, Uiere
were 13 robberies.
"It indicates that we are doing a
good job," said Simons. "The
numbers are coming down some.”
One reason the numbers are
down, said Simons, was commu
nity policing, which he said was no
more than large cities doing what
small towns were doing.
Simons told the club the Perry
Police Department was doing sev
eral things to keep in contact with
the public including the D.A.R.E.
program, neighborhood watch pro
grams, greeting the public and eat
ing at local schools. He added that
the Weapons and Violence Educa
tion program should be in the
schools by Jan. 1, 1995.
Simons said there had been sev
eral conflicting reports about die ef
fectiveness of the D.A.R.E. pro
gram in combating drug use among
school children. "But I know the
impact with kids," he said. "The
program tends to provide kids with
a better outlook about die Police
Department."
Simons joked that when his of
ficers went into city neighborhoods,
the school children greeted his offi
cers by waving at them, "using all
of their fingers."
Another reason die Perry Police
Department is successful, said Si
mons, was diat the department mir
rored the city.
Simons noted the city was 65
percent white and 35 percent minor
ity. He said his force was two-diirds
while and one-diird minority. "We
try to make our department mirror
the community we serve," he said.
Simons also said die department
Classified 5B Pauline Lewis 1B
Deaths 2A Veto Roley 4A
Family 1B Sports 5A
Legals 4B Social news 1B
Letters 4A Bob Tribble 4A
j t 4 lijj ji if +
Chief Frank Simons
benefited from officers who had col
lege degrees, noting that one-third
of the department held a degree.
"If you are not going to hire
people that other agencies want,
than you are going to hire people
no one else wants," said Simons.
The Rotary Club also heard a
classification speech from new
member Beth Woods, manager at
Please see CHIEF, Page 7A
Sen. Perdue
is named to
top position
State Senator Sonny Perdue of
Bonaire was elected Senate Majority
Leader for the 1995-96 term of the
Georgia General Assembly by the
Senate Democratic Caucus at a
meeting held Tuesday at the State
Capitol.
Sen. Perdue succeeds Senator
Walter Ray of Douglas who was
nominated as Senate President Pro-
Tern.
As Majority Leader, Perdue will
hold the second highest elected
position in the Senate leadership.
He will be responsible for
sponsoring and working for passage
of proposals recommended by
Howard in setting the Senate's
legislative agenda. He will
continue to serve on the Democratic
Caucus Policy Committee and will
also be a member of the influential
Senate Administrative Affairs
Committee.
"Sonny Perdue has been an
important asset to die Senate over
the past four years and I know he
will make some important
contributions as our Majority
Leader," said Lt. Governor Howard.
Perdue was nominated for the
post by Senator Jack Hill of
Reidsville.
Perdue was first elected to the
Senate in 1990 and has chaired the
Senate Higher Education
Committee for the past two years.
"I had a little money and tried to offer it to
diem, but they wouldn't take it," Dupont said
of his experience.
Not only did the McDowells take Dupont to
their home, they also paid for and installed
another transmission in the van. When the
van was ready to hit die road again, the Mc-
Dowells sent him on his way with food for
the rest of his trip.
David Dupont’s father. U.S. Air Force Lt.
Col. Marty Dupont was touched by die kind
acts of the McDowells and relieved that his
son found help from such good, kind people.
In a letter Ll. Col. Dupont sent die McDow
ells he stated, “It is hard for me to express to
you in words how genuinely appreciative and
thankful I am for what you did for my son.
When 1 stop to think about all the nasty,
crazy people out diere that could have taken
advantage of a young, innocent kid in a jam
with no money, it scares me to dcadi. . . .
“You are die kind of people dial make this
country great-decent, compassionate and gen-
Please see ACT, Page 7 A