Newspaper Page Text
Volume 125—N0. 82
120 Pages
WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER 21,1994
50 CENTS
Perry, Ga.
this week
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The community's sympathy is
extended to the families of those
who recently died. They include:
Virgil P. Brooks, Perry; Cecil E.
Pate, Cordele; Willie Clarence
Woods Sr., Unadilla; Woodrow
W. Cannady, Perry; Odie Mae
Stanley, Perry; Harold Eugene
Lones, Warner Robins; James
Edward Gordon, Pitts; Charlie
Louise Rumph McGhee,
Henderson; W.J. Young,
Kathleen. See details. page2A.
The city reminds all residents
to put out their garbage cans
early Friday, Dec. 23, since all
city workers will quit work at
noon that day for the Christ
mas holidays. Also, there will
be no trash pick-up Monday,
Dec. 26.
Give the gift of life this holiday
season at the next area blood
drive to be field Tuesday, Dec.
27 from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5
p.m. at Perry Hospital.
School board
decides on 3
new programs
By LARRY HITCHCOCK
News Editor
The Houston County Board of
Education t<x>k three steps to help
improve the quality of life for
students and their families at last
week's meeting.
The board decided to go into the
day-care business of a trial basis;
expand its in-school health-care
program; and provide funding for
Family Connections, a school
based social services network.
The day-care program will be
patterned after similar projects in
Fayette and Cobb counties,
according to Supt. Tony Hinnant.
No taxpayer funds will be used to
operate the program. Each student
enrolled in the day-care program
will pay 525 per week for the
service.
"We will be offering more than
after-school babysitting,” said Carol
Boyd, elementary coordinator for
the school system. "We will use
the time almost as an extension of
the school day and will provide
enrichment in addition to taking
care of the children while they are
waiting for their parents."
The day-care program will be
offered as a pilot program next
spring and then expanded in the fall
of 1995, if proves successful. Six
Houston County schools already
have day-care programs being
operated under contracts with two
private providers, Children's Friend
and Meadowdale.
"It's not that the day-care centers
aren't doing a good job," Boyd said.
"We just want to offer our parents
turd children more than just day cine
services."
Tucker Elementary, Perdue
Elementary, Lindsey Elementary,
Northside Elementary, Quail Run
Elementary and Westside
Elementary all have day-care
programs operated by private
providers.
The health-care clinics will be
added at Perry High School and
Tucker, Morningside and Kings
Please see BOE, page 5A
to santa-8-12A
Houston Times- Journal
'All I want for Christmas.. .is my parents well 1
By LARRY HITCHCOCK
News Editor
Amanda's mother, Sandra Jackson,
has incurable thyroid cancer. When
she talks, she sounds like someone
with a severe case of laryngitis and
she has trouble breathing. An
oxygen machine sits next to the
living room couch where she
normally rests.
Her father, Danny Jackson, will
find out in February just what is
causing his severe intestinal distress
and spells of nausea. He has been
told by one doctor that it may be
colon cancer, but he must await the
results of a biopsy performed Nov.
29 at the Medical College of
Augusta to be sure. He has an
appointment Feb. 13.
Pictures and paintings of Jesus
adorn every wall in the small
apartment on Sleepy Hollow Road
in Marshallville. The round coffee
table has several framed pictures of
Amanda ;md her parents.
"There’s not much they can do for
me,” Mrs. Jackson said. "There's
not much left of my neck except
my vtxral chords ;ind tumors. If they
took out the tumors, there wouldn't
be anything left to support my
head.”
She's had die cancer for 10 years,
but it's been three years since she
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Sharyl Vest, left, Family Connection case manager for
and Carol Ferguson, site coordinator for the
Family Connection program, load Christmas gifts for
several families into a van for delivery.
Family Connection program
helps families help themselves
By LARRY HITCHCOCK
News Editor
She was the single mother of six
children, two girls (ages 5 and 15)
and four boys (ages 6, 10, 11 and
13).
The family lived in public
housing, was elgible for Medicaid
and received Aid for Dependent
Children.
All the children needed clothing.
The oldest boy was in trouble with
juvenile authorities. The oldest girl
clashed with her mother and seemed
angry all the time. The three
younger boys had discipline
problems in school. The pre-school
daughter wasn’t enrolled in pre
school.
The mother felt overwhelmed and
could not control the children. To
top it all off, she was trying to earn
her general equivalence degree.
Enter the Family Connection. By
working with school officials, the
Pencil Belt Mental 1 leallh agency, .a
Pre-K progr;un ne;tr their home ;uid
the juvenile court system, the
children's school behavior has
improved; there has been a
i write letters
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, City of Perry and the State of Georgia
Young girl writes heartfelt Letter to Santa
"Dear Santa,
"I'm 13 years old and my Mom
has a rare form of cancer. They've
tried many treatments, experiments
and radiation, hut nothing has
worked. She's been sick since I was
2 1/2. 1 rarely saw my Mom when I
was little because she was always
in the hospital and I was always
staying with my aunt. When I got
to see my Mom she was always in
the bed with a bedpan and always
sick. She was usually bald because
of all the chemo (therapy).
"They were not expecting my
Mom to live long, but every
morning I would awake to check on
last had any treatment. Doctors
have told her she must decide by
next month whether to resume
chemotherapy.
She's taking a variety of
expensive medication, mostly for
pain. Medicaid pays some, but not
all of the bills. The Burke
Foundation in Macon has helped
with some of the prescriptions.
Danny Jackson has several
certificates from Winn Dixie Stores
verifying he has completed several
training courses in the grocery store
restructuring of rules at home; tne
mother has implemented new
parenting skills; the family has
been linked with several agencies
throughout the community that the
mother could not have reached on
her own; and the mother has
become an active volunteer with
Family Connection and die the Pre-
K program and she is looking for
work and is completing her CiED.
All this started when the 6-year
old boy became a discipline
problem at school ;uid his case was
referred to Family Connection on
Sept. 15.
"The progress this family has
made is just one example of how
Family Connection can work with
the schools, other government
agencies and families in need of
help to resolve their problems,"
said Carol Ferguson, site
coordinator for the Houston County
Family Connection program.
"Our mission is to bring together
the power of our community
resources to help families help
themselves. Family Connection
Please see PROGRAM, page 5A
Lady Panthers atop 3AA
Full local sports coverage appears on — 6-7 A
my Mom and / thank God for
letting me have her for one more
day.
"They have just found out my Dad
has colon cancer. He's been real
sick.
“I'll take anything I can for
Christmas and be thankful, but I
really want my parents well. I wish
everyone will pray for us. I also
pray that everyone in the world will
put the hate and fussing behind
them this year and find the true
meaning of Christmas.
"Yours truly (God's Helper),
"Amanda Jackson"
field, but he has been unable to
keep a job since his illness surfaced
and caused him to miss work.
He has applied twice for disability
and Social Security, but has been
rejected both times. He plans to try
again once he knows the results of
die biopsy.
Amanda, a seventh-grader at
Macon County Junior High, has
been the inspiration for her parents.
"Amanda's the one who keeps us
going," her mother said.
"Christmas is having my family
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Have a Merry Christmas!!
The Music Ministry at First Baptist Church in Perry invited the community to
celebrate the ninth annual Living Christmas Tree last week. Special guest Jim Murray
sang at each performance held Friday through Sunday, Dec. 16-18. Larry Wood,
associate pastor of music, directed the 50-plus voice adult choir, 65-member youth
choir and 22-piece orchestra in presenting "Bethlehem's Treasure" to full-house
congregations.
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Amanda Jackson, left, prays that her father, Danny
(center), and mother, Sandra, will have their health
problems cured. That's all the Marshallville 13-year-old
wants for Christmas.
with me," Amanda said. "Jesus
didn’t have much, but he had his
family. I just take things one day at
a time."
Index to Features
Classified 6B Joyce Compton 3A
Deaths 2A Sports 6A
Phil Clark 6A Tribble 4A
Legals 3B Wedding 2B
Letters to Santa 8A Remember when4A
Like most young teen-agers,
Amanda has not yet decided what
she wants to be when she is an
Please see JACKSON, page 5A
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