Newspaper Page Text
Page 4A
Wednesday, December 28,1994, Houston Times-Journal
Viewpoints
Houston Times- Joupuol
P. O. 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
Brigette Loudermilk, Editor and General Manager
Sherri Wengler, Advertising Manager
News: Larry Hitchcock, Pauline Lew's. Sports: Phil Clark. Composition: Lynn
Wright. Classified Advertising: Melanie Bullington. Circulation: Eric Zellers.
Bookkeeping: Judy Morrow. Photography. Eric Zellars.
Our Policies • Signed Letters to the editor welcomed. Please limit to 300
words and include address and phone number.
• Liability for an error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error.
• We cannot be responsible for return of pictures or material unless stamped return
addressed envelope is included.
Our Goal The Houston Times-Journal is published proudly for the citizens of
Houston and adjoining counties by Houston Publications Inc., Perry, Ga. Our goal is
to produce quality, profitable, community-oriented newspapers that you, our readers,
are proud of. We will reach that goal through hard work, teamwork, loyalty, and a
strong dedication towards printing ths truth.
Member Georgia Press Association-National Newspaper Association
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redree of grievances.” Your right to road thl» nawapapar IS protactad by tha Flrat Amandmont o* tha
Unit ad Stataa Constitution
Social, school church news deadlines
in an effort to better serve our readers and meet printing deadlines,
The Houston Times-Journal is asking readers to please observe
deadlines for submitting your engagement and wedding
announcements, as well as news abouty our clubs, schools and churches.
In order to meet our deadlines, all social, club, school and church news
will have to be in our office by 5:30 p.m. Friday, for publication in the
following Wednesday's newspaper.
If you are unable to come by during the day. there is a mail slot on
the front door in which to drop your items,
appreciate your co-operation.
Education
gridlock or
education
renewal?
By FRANKLIN SHUMAKE
Special to the HTJ
In January. 1999, when Governor
Zell Miller returns to Young Harris
College or Emory University to
teach the next generation of history
majors to become the political lead
ers of Georgia, he will leave behind
an education legacy unparalleled in
the history of Georgia education
The face and substance of Georgia
education will have changed.
When the "warp and woof of the
design in the master weaver's mind'
have been completed, public educa
tion in Georgia will be a birth to
death seamless educational opportu
nity which provides education for
basic skills, basic content, decision
making, career preparation, retrain
ing, and personal education oppor
tunities
In January, 1995. when Linda
Schrenko. state school superinten
dent. takes office, she will bring a
set of feelings, facts, intentions and
goais for public education in Geor
gia From her experience as a local
school educator, she will be deter
mined to shift die emphasis from
state mandates to local options. She
will be determined that the teachers
in the classrooms have adequate ma
terials, supplies, copy paper, text
books, equipment and time to teach
their children.
When the legislature convenes in
January, 1995, legislative leaders
will bring to the General Assembly
a set of priorities for improving
public education at all levels. They
have campaigned, listened to die
public, studied the elections, re
viewed the facts at hand, and they
sincerely want to see Georgia
education improve and see Georgia
become higher in* die rankings of
die states.
Parents, educators and citizens
have been watching the politics of
Governor Miller, Superintendent
Schrenko, individual legislators,
and local school board candidates as
they posture and promise. They are
anticipating that the leadership of
the state will address school im
provement system by system,
school by school, classroom by
classroom, student by student.
Will Georgia have education grid
lock or education renewal? Will the
priorities, programs and personnel-*
be so diverse among the decision
makers that nothing can happen, or
will there be enough common
threads to weave a pattern of
progress, improvement, and signifi
cant accomplishment? The official
40 days and 40 nights of die 1995
Session of die Georgia General
Assembly will probably set the
pace for die following four years.
School Improvement Issues
The public has sent a clear mes-
Guest
Column
sage about school improvement:
keep it simple, basic, local and fad
tree. Student achievement is the
bottom line. The parents and the
public want results Programs, pro
cesses, procedures and activities
will be weighed by what students
are learning The foots will be on
the instruction of individual stu
dents Each school will be measured
by die instructional success of each
student.
Group progress, group averages
and group actions will take a back
seat to the teaching, testing and
learning of each student The tal
ented. capable, regular, slow and
special education student will each
be addressed with equal effort and
equal expectation of success at a
level appropriate for each student.
Ihe issues list is long: use more
effectively the 180 days we have
rather than adding days; use tech
nology correctly and adequately
train staff to improve instruction;
merge categorized programs that
duplicate applications and evalua
tions; improve teacher education;
merge high school, college and
technical education courses for 11th
and 12di grade students; teach all
required high school courses by
satellite and many elementary
courses; re-address school sizes for
funding; examine schools which are
getting too large; review and per
haps revise how school boards are
selected, trained and readied.
Redesign the state education
agency; expand the leadership
academy and perhaps select a con
ference center to house the state
wide leadership instruction; award
diplomas at the end of the 10th
grade and move on to career prepara
tion; develop a pool of local school
superintendent prospects for 1996
when over 100 local school super
intendenLs can be employed by local
boards; redesign the state student
testing program; rely upon accredit
ing standards for schools rather than
state agency standards; provide local
functions which can be privatized,
contracted and/or eliminated; design
school choices for parents; develop
a strong program of reading,
writing and computing for all
students as a foundation for content
learning and decision making; and
revise the public school funding
process to make it adequate,
equitable and simpler to administer.
The School
Improvement I'lan
System by system and school by
school, a school improvement plan
must be developed to guide decision
mtiking and evaluation. Each school
must clearly inventory the current
status, develop options, set goals
design a plan ol action and continu
ously evaluate the progress of the
Please s eeSHUMAKE, page 8A
THE. PEANUT GAIIERr
| UPDATED WHITE HOUSE SECURITY l
/ljould you be
/ COULD YOU BE A7Y; j
V s NEIGHBOR? J
I m c
I® e&HBBHm mm. m \ ■
Storey leaves position at chamber
5 Years Ago ...
(Dec, 30. 19X9)
China: despite measures. Orient
advances.
* * *
City plans new panels City-
Manager Hays says by-pass tops
‘9O work
* * *
Perry Chamber of Commerce
Executive Vice-President Ann
Storey is leaving chamber post
Her record is recognized by friends
at reception at Perry United
Methodist Church on Thursday.
Dec. 28, as they said "good luck"
and “thank you. ” She will be
leaving her post on Dec.. 31
* • *
Division of Youth Services
literally pleading for more good
homes to sponsor troubled youths..
• * *
Middle Georgia Technical
Institute is offering much in its
night classes..
* * *
Bobby Tuggle: A New Year's
resolution: Do a lot more hunting,
spend time in the outdoors..
10 Years Ago...
(Dec. 27, 19X4)
James V. Burgess, Jr„ executive
director of the Georgia Municipal
Association, arrived in Perry
Thursday to honor Rep. Larry
Walker for his work with the
Association,
* * #
A check arrived at Perry City
Hall Thursday from Insurance
Commissioner Johnnie Caldwell
for $42,613.51, taken from one
percent tax on life insurance
premiums. City is scheduled to
receive $138,335 in insurance
premium tax money before end of
fiscal year.
* * *
Grand jury says Welfare Agency
One thing will stay the same-Jesus
Some things never change: “Jesus
Christ the same yesterday, and
today, and forever”, Hebrews 13:8.
In just a few days now the
Christmas decorations will all come
down = the trees, the holly, the
tinsels, the wreaths, signs of
Christmas greetings, etc. - and be
packed up for another year. The
parties and suppers and songs of the
season will be forgotten for another
twelve months.
But, Jesus Christ the virgin bom
Son of God will be die same the
day after Christmas, and the day
after New Year’s and each day of die
coming year. He will be at the
right hand of God listening for the
prayer of repentant sinners,
answering the prayers of Mis
obedient children, lie will be
interceding to God on behalf of
those who love Him and worship
Iliin..
As well as the never changing
Remember
when?
News items from past issues
needs upgrading.
• t •
Mayor Barbara Calhoun named
Pilot Club Woman of die Year
• • •
City readies for Oldfield grant
work.
• • *
Jake Cawthon always came
hack to law enforcement
• * •
Caffeine in coffee, tea. soft
drinks can affect health, experts say.
25 Years Ago...
(Dec. 25,1969)
Memorial Heights Baptist
Church presented each of the
prisoners at the Houston County
Public Works Camp in Perry with
a box of gtxxltes Boxes included
cake, candy fruit, stationery and
stamps. Allen Stone Is Warden and
Ray Wheel us is Deputy Warden of
the prison.
* * *
Eight persons arrested as State
officers raid nine clubs in Houston.
Moss Oaks Lounge, five miles
south of Perry on U. S. Hwy 41
was the only one in Perry.
Houston County papers, Houston
Home Journal and The Daily Sun,
were not notified of the raid;
however The Macon Telegraph and
WMAZ-TV in Bibb County
were.notified.
* * *
Georgia Power pays City
$57,482..81, representing the
utility’s local properly taxes for
1968.
* * *
Council sets policies for liquor
stores here.
* * *
Rev. A.C.
Truluck
Houston Lake Baptist
Christ, there are many things that
never change. The law of gravity
never changes. The multiplication
tables never change. The law of
sowing and reaping remains. The
law of death because of sin is still
with us. The sun, moon, stars, and
heavens in general remain. They
don’t need any change. God never
changes: “For 1 am the Lord, I
change not”, Malachi 3:6. The
Word of God never changes:
“Forever, O Lord, thy word is
settled in heaven”, Psalm 119:89.
That which is perfect need not to
change. Everything that is not
perfect needs change. We don’t
4 a — Houston Times-JournuT
50 Years Ago...
(Dec 2K, 1944)
Agricultural Census to be taken
in January 1945...
• • *
New Year’s Day antedates the
Birth of Christ by 452 years. The
celebration of New Year’s on
January 1 began 452 B.C. and
therefore, contrary to logical
reasoning, had nothing whatsoever
to do with the Birth of Christ The
English New Year was changed
from Dec 25 by William the
Conqueror, because he was
crowned on January 1.
* • •
Census report shows that 2,000
bales of cotton were ginned in
Houston County from the crop of
1944 prior to Dec. 1, as compared
with 2.628 bales for the crop of
1943..
* * *
Farmers to be assisted by
Internal Revenue men. They will
visit Perry on Jan. 4, 5 and 6.
Every farmer who has a gross
income of SSOO or more is required
to file an income lax return.
* * •
Plans for Freezer -.Locker plant
making progress.
* « *
Packages should be wrapped
securely and addressed plainly..
* * *
One of the New Year
resolutions that would mean
increase of happiness in many a
family is this: Not to speak of
mistakes which make no difference.
How arguing over nothings mars
the home harmony. An erroneous
opinion may need correction, but
what possible difference does it
make whether Aunt Jane came to
dinner on Tuesday or Wednesday, or
whether it rained Friday or
Saturday?
* * *
have to look too far then to see that
which needs changing.
Probably, the new year will come
and become old, with many
celebrating another Christinas and
the past of this new year as an old
year, and themselves remaining the
same; lost in sin while every day
there is the saviour whose birthday
they celebraied December 25 th of
last year, pleading for their change.
It is the hope of this writer that
before another Christmas comes in
the year of 1995, you will be
among those who come to know
the Christ of Christinas, Who He
was, Who Ile is, and Who He is to
be: Saviour, Lord and King.
Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year!
Thought: ’Getting to heaven is
political. It is who you know that
will get you in.’
Joyce
Compton
Be assured, God
has much good in
mind for his people
"This is My covenant with
them," says the Lord: "my
Spirit which is upon you
and My words which I have
put in your mouth, shall not
depart from your mouth, nor
from the mouth of your off
spring, nor from the mouth
of your offspring’s off
spring," says the Lord,
"from now and forever." Isa
iah 59:12
The consultants, historians and
media pundiLs arc every where
busily analyzing the past year and
prognosticating the year to come.
As we listen to them, we soar with
the optimists, crash with the pes
simists and float with the unde
cided-ists
What can we reasonably expect for
ourselves and our offspring in the
year to come * How can we and they
he prepared for die future?
God tells us in the Scripture that
He is aware of our search for an
swers, "Thou dost know when I sit
down and when I rise up; explains
our need to be cautious when we
listen to the opinions and advice of
people, "See to it that no one takes
you captive through philosophy and
empty deception, according to the
tradition of men according to the
elementary principles of the world,
rather than according to Chist,"
Colossians 2:8. God said, "This is
my beloved Son, Listen to Him."
Mark 9:7.
God has much good in mind for
His people, "for I know the plans
that I have for you," declares the
Lord, "plans fot welfare and not for
calamity to give you a future and a
hope," Jeremiah 29:11.
We can trust in the plans we see
Him working out in our lives,
whether we understand them fully
or not. "And we know that God
causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to
His purpose." Romans 8:28.
It doesn't matter if the newscasts
and the headlines are full of the
frightful, bleak and hopeless
predicaments of sinful man. God
has decreed that good news will al
ways and forever be available to us
and to our children and to our
grandchildren. "Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you good tidings of
a great joy which shall be for all
the people. . .a Savior Who is
Christ the Lord."
The only good news that doesn't
sour or change with the passing of
time is God's promise to deal mer
cifully with those who turn from
their transgressions. God has won
derfully decided that the power of
His Spirit and the testimony of
His Word will be with his people
Please see COMPTON, page 8A