Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, November 30, 1994, Houston Times-Journal
Page 4A
Viewpoints
Houston Times-Journal
P. 0. Drawer M • 807 Carroll Street • Perry, Ga. 31069
Phone: (912) 987-1823
The Houston Times-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: 1075-1874
Bob Tribble, President
Jim Kerce, Editor and General Manager
Sherri Wengler, Advertising Manager
News: Brigette Loudermilk, Pauline Lewis. Sports: Phil Clark. Composition:
Tammy Floyd. Classified Advertising: Melanie Bullington. Circulation: Eric
Zellers. Bookkeeping: Judy Morrow.
Your opinion
Kudos to sheriffs department
Editor:
Myself and family would like to tell the Houston County Sheriff and
his department how much we appreciate their diligence in working over the
Veterans Day holiday weekend to bring to a conclusion the investigation
of the latest of our business burglaries. Acting on the slightest of leads
and fearing that these weapons might disappear to the streets of New York,
the Sheiff formed a "posse”, assigning Sgt. Mickey Dees the very difficult
task of engineering the criminals demise.
He was very much up to the task. Working from late Thursday evening
he brought together a task force of officers that we. the people of Houston
County should be proud of.
The "posse" included Lt. Robert Chirk, Sgt. Mike Alderson and Jack
Martin; Investigators were Manny Quinones and Wayne Franklin;
Corpral Tony "Chico” Brown, Patrolmen Mike Stokes, Richard Martin,
Ed Powell and the Mid Stale Task Force members Tommy Spires and Joe
Sendek. Together, these men as a well organized turn of the law, covered
three cities and two counties to bring to an end to what apparently was
becoming a small band ot thieves and "fencers" trying to get larger, it
turns out that through their laird work and sacrifice over the holiday
weekend there were other crimes solved by the surest of these criminals.
Not only that, just consider the "ounce of prevention" they have given the
community, if just lor a tew days
There is also great appreciation to be given to these officer's lsumlies
for their sacrifices, especially when they would much rather jump into a
sports car and get out ot town away from the crime with their husbands
and families. But in the end. that is what makes the difference of a law
enforcement officer and those who want to be one
We thank you all very much tor the things recovered.
We also hope that with a "few ounces of prevention" you men can
enjoy a very nice, quiet holiday season with your families as they need that
as much as you do.
Thanks to tn* Sheriff
and the Department,
Pete, Martha, Qua and Jason Griffin
Reader concerned with dam
Editor:
l have been attending the Houston County Commission meetings for
the pasi tew months I ;un interested in hearing what the proposal is/was
in regard to die Houston l .ike Dam. This issue has been addressed publicly
in two meetings. The first was at the meeting in Perry on Nov. Ist It was
on the agenda to be voted on. but wasn't because "there wasn't enough
information to vote on the matter " It was my observation that the
Commission saw the number of residents that turned tout to express their
view and felt that they weren't prepared to address die issue at that tune.
Duding the meeting it was mentioned that the public would have "some"
access to the area
The Houston Lake Dam wasn't on the agenda for the November 15th
meeting. One person from the gathered citizens made a comment on the
issue, but there was no other discussion. The Chairman called for an
Executive session to discuss "Land Acquisitions" that was closed to the
general public, but it appeared that the owner of the Houston Lake
Country Club was in attendance Did this have to do with the Dam
situation ’ It appeared that it did
I would like to see this situation discussed in an open forum for all
residents tat are interested to attend before die commission votes, instead of
behind closed dix>rs It we ;ire expected to help pay for the repairs, we
should be made aware ot w hat "some" access means and how it would
benefit die general public, in lieu of only the land owners around the hike
being the beneficiaries of our tax money.
Will a boat ramp accessible for the residents of Houston County to
launch their boats with adequate parking; or possible a beach area near the
country club or golf course, be allowed? The land owners around Houston
Lake would not ;dlow' the Public to access their hike in the past. It has
been considered private until now when they need funds to repair it to its
former condition.. They have had all of the privileges of a private hike
until now, let them repair it themselves.
Will they open up the Country Club for non-member residents of
Houston Co., to go there for lunch or dinner? I understand that their
property has decreased in value since the flood, but again I ask you why
Please see LETTER, page 9A
Libraries are a necessity
Ten things you can do to support your
public library
1. Support state and local initiatives to increase library
budgets.
2. Volunteer your time to help your community library.
3. Participate actively in library fund raising events.
4. Use your community library-check out books,
schedule meetings there-help to keep it an active part of
your community.
5. Introduce a child to the library. Help the child register
for a library card and learn to use the library.
6. If your library has a Friends of the Library group, join
it. If not, set one up.
7. Ask your library staff what you can do to help.
8. Participate in surveys about library services. Attend
Library commission meetings. Communicate your com
munity's needs to the library stall .
9. Donate a book or money to the library in honor of a
friend or cause.
10. Be vigilant against any attempts by local government
to cut library funding or staff.
~~THE FEAMUT GALLERY 7 H
—— = —/ 60YS/ \
/TooksovccA 17% Tim T 0
/GRAZED TO y- — I
/ l ME. J MOVE \ SH-OT. /
Fifty years later, I'm still proud
to be a part of the community
I'm proud of Perry and the im
provements and growth it has expe
rienced during the past 50 ye;irs. ,uid
I hope its citizens are. too. I can
now say 50 years because last Fri
day (the day after Thanksgiving,
1004), 1 have lived in Perry and
have experienced its many changes
for the better
Our family moved to Perry on
Friday following Thanksgiving,
1044 The weather was just about
like it is this week - cold, rainy and
windy.
We bought the only house m
Perry that was tor sale..the same
house 1 live in today Marion
Houser w<as the Realtor and a Mr
Dixon was die seller [here were
only 1500 people in Perry at the
tune and it didn't take l<x> long to
P&Z to present ordinance to city in 1989
-5 Yrar\ Ago
Nov. 29, 1989
Council stxni to read historical or
dinance Perry's Planning and zon
ing Board members say they are all
but ready to submit to City Coun
cil an ordinance that would provide
for the establishment ol a historic
district in llie city. As has been dis
cussed by the board in the past, the
ordinance would provide guidelines
for determining what areas, build
ings and landmarks are of historical
significance in Perry.
As soon as the ordinance is
“cleaned up”, said City Building In
spector Steve Howard, it will be
ready to present to the mayor and
City Council members.
* * *
It’s beginning to lixik a lot like
Christmas at the Crossroads.
* * *
Race for two city council seats
draws near. District 3 Post 2 cur
rently has Jim Hendrix, supervisor
widi Boeing Aircraft in Macon, and
Charlie Allen, Robins AF Base re
tiree, vying for the position. Dis
trict 2 Post 2 left open by Coun
How have we lei ii get to the
point where the existence of our li
braries has been threatened?
It would be like living in a town
without a newspaper. . .there would
be no way to store a written history
of our community, state, country or
world around us.
Maybe I'm just partial since the
library has had a strong influence
on my life and my career choices.
As a child, I learned to read at the
age of four—admittedly, my instruc
tion came from Sesame Street and
The Electric Company. Still, I
loved to read.
I can remember checking out
books from the school library to
read on the playground. My class
mates ;uid I would research topics in
encyclopedias for essays. During”
the summer I joined reading clubs
at the local library.
Then, as 1 got older 1 began buy
ing books to read. I have a com
plete collection of Sherlock Holmes
know most of the families ;uid their
relationship to each other.
There were three main white
churches - Baptist, Methixlist and
Presbyterian. Greater Union Bap
tist Church was the only brick
church Perry Baptist Church had
about 500 names on the church
rolls and about half of them were
residents The Presbyterian Church
had 24 members until my mother
and three other persons joined the
same day.
Perry High School and Houston
High Schools were the main
Schools lor several years
There were no Piggly-Wiggly
Stores or Revco Drug Stores.
However, there were three privately
owned drug, stores. Pharmacists
were Enunit Akin. J<*“ Bedding-
cilman Eddie Wilson who an
nounced earlier this year he would
not run again. Robbie Jackson,
employee at Kcllwixkl Corporation,
will square off with James Mixire. a
branch manager with l SAP of Geor
gia - a chemical supply house. The
Perry City Election will be held
Tuesday, Dec. 5. P)B4 at the Na
tional Guard Armory from 7 a.in.
to 7 p.m
10 Years Ago
Nov. 29, 1984
Houston Schixil Board approves a
drop in tax rate on county property
- from 12.32 mills last year, to
8.83 mills.
* * *
Performance by Perry’s Valerie
Jones is to highlight Rosinni's “La
Boutique Eantasque" this weekend.
She is a 4-year member of the
Dance Works Company of Stone
Mountain, tire group presenting the
ballet. For the second consecutive
year, the Perry Players are bringing
the company to Perry as their guest
artists, to present the ballet about a
magic shop
in our local communities
Brigette
Loudermilk
News Editor
mysteries, a hardbound copy of Lit
tle Women. Doctor Doolittle and
many more too numerous to men
tion.
And, naturally, reading led to writ
ing.
In college, I was in awe by the
huge library and till the information
in it that was at my disposal. I
learned about computers and thor
ough research at that library. It was
so amazing to me that I could find
out anything about anything just
by pressing a computer key.
Even now, I frequent libraries in
search of a good book, to look up a
special recipe or to research a story.
Then, there were the reading as-
Houston Times-Joumai
Pauline Lewis |
Society editor
tield. Watt Boler, and Arthur M.
Kicklighter. There may have been
others, but those are the ones I re
member.
The community was centered
around the churches and the
schixds. Francis Nunn led the
combined choirs in presenting pro
gr.uns several times during die year.
Mr Eric Staples, for more than
30 years, was principal ami coach at
Perry High Schixil (which included
11 grades) for many yc.irs He made
a national name for his teams and
Perry Many of those young people
who came under his influence have
* * *
DAR enjoys Statue of Liberty
skit by the Children of the Ameri
can Revolution (CAR) and slides
from the Chickamauga National
Park Museum, presented by Mrs
Wallis Hurlbutt and Miss Pauline
Lewis. Chapter Regent
* « *
The Houston Home Journal
salutes Barbara Calhoun for her
contributions and dedication that
mark tier terms as mayor
* * *
25 Y’ears Ago
Nov. 27, 1969
Unadilla Manufacturing Co., (a
division of Oxford Industries) has
immediate openings for sewing ma
chine operators
* * *
Vote against liquor stores on local
option election on Wed., Dec. 3.
(Paid advertisement by Concerned
Citizens of Houston County)
* * *
Houston County farmers get
1970 ASC acreage allotments.
* * *
signments and the term papers in
college. Virginia Woolfe, D.H.
Lawrence, John Fowles, Nathaniel
Hawthorne, T.S. Eliot, James
Joyce and many other authors
helped me learn about life. They
may have been from a different pe
riod, but the lessons in their stories
still ring true today.
I researched remote, obscure topics
for term papers, mostly just to see
if I could find enough information
-I always did. There was the public
relations paper on the effects of so
cialization on gender and die history
paper on the plight of Native Amer
icans when the settlers came (1 used
a lot of Native American poetry in
that paper). Those were two of my
favorites.
And, wc won't even get into po
etry, creative writing. Roots or the
other topics 1 could discuss at
length.
Now, I know (hat not every child
will love to read as much as I did.
brought honor to Perry.
Growth came to Perry with the
permanency of Robins Air Force
Base. Ihe expansion hits been phe
nomenal through the years. Perry
has been fortunate in electing good
leaders to chart its course.
Tixlay, we have approximately
12,000 people, churches, schools
and businesses On every comer"'.
The downtown area renovated in
the Williamsburg style is at a criti
cal stage tixlay. The new shopping
centers with their variety of shops
and quick fixxl businesses have
Please see LEWIS, page 9A
Need a ride to the
Polls? Call 987-2456. Vote
Malcolm “Mac" Reese Mayor
(Paid Political Adv.)
50 Years Ago
Nov. 30, 1944
Houston Superior Court to con
vene Monday, Dec.
* * *
Growers increase cover crops m
Georgia.
» * *
Jiunes Tharpe, Jr. of Perry, Ga., is
now an aviation cadet at Rutgers
University, at New Brunswick, N.
J. He has been there seven weeks
aixl is the only boy from Georgia to
attend this college. He finished
high school at the Perry Training
Sch«x»l in June 1944. He Is a fine
athlete and is participating in all
fields of athletics at Rutgers.
* * »
The regular election for Justices of
the Peace and Constables in Hous
ton County will be held on Satur
day, Dec. 2, 1944.
Still, isn’t it important for every
child to be able to fill such a love?
What I'm going to say next may
upset some, but I'm going to say it
anyway.
In a conversation last week some
one made this point and I agree
why doesn’t the City of Warner
Robins shift some of their recre
ation budget to pay what they owe
the county library board?
Before you throw this column
down in disgust and run my name
through the mud, hear me out.
I never said recreation wasn't im
portant. I know the benefits. I par
ticipated in city recreation progrtuns
as a child. My father even coached
softball teams.
Still, I can honestly say that I
lettrned more in the library than I
did on the field or court.
You may not agree with my idea
lor funding, but I'm sure no one
wants out lihrnrv to close