Newspaper Page Text
INSI
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Volume 125, No. 14
Wednesday
April 5,1995
50 Cents
At the
Crossroads
this week
Agricenter hosts
severs! events
Officials at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and
Agricenter have announced a
busy calendar for the month
in terms of public activities at
the Fairgrounds.
Some 11,000 entries are
expected to compete in five
dog shows as part of the
Peach Blossom Cluster Dog
Show April 12-16.
Some 400 people are
expected to be involved with
the Steer Power V sale of
steers for showing exhibit
April 15.
That same day, about 150
people are expected to partic
ipate in the Georgia Lamb
Club Producers Association
lamb sale at the Agricenter.
Later in the month, about
850 persons are expected to
attend the April 20-23
Georgia Good Sams Spring
Samboree at the Agricenter.
The Southern Events
Arabian Horse Auction will
be held April 28-29.
The Magnolia Arabian
Horse Show will be held the
same weekend, April 28-30.
Both events should attract
more than 200 participants.
United We Stand
to meet Thursday
Members of United We
Stand, the organization
founded by Ross Perot, will
meet at the Warner Robins-
Houston County Library, 721
Watson Blvd., Warner
Robins, April 6 at 7 p.m.
According to publicist
Gerald M. Reed, State
Senator Sonny Perdue, D-
Bonaire, will speak to the
organization.
White Cane day
is planned
Members of Lions Club
International, including the
Perry Lions Club, will
observe White Cane Day
April 8. Locally, Perry Lions
will be collecting donations at
the intersection of
Washington and Commerce
streets from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. All
donations go to the Georgia
Lighthouse and will be used
to supply eye glasses and eye
surgery for people who quali
fy-
Persons who wish to
donate old eye glasses can
contact Tony Sheppard at
987-7285 or Jimmy McLeod
at 987-2050.
Bloodmobile to
visit area
Dan Callahan, chairman of
the Blood Procurement
Committee for the Houston-
Middle Georgia chapter of the
American Red Cross, has
announced visits to the com
munity by the Bloodmobile.
April 5 Wellston
Center, 155 Maple St.,
Warner Robins, 1-6:30 p.m.
April 6 Macon County
Blood Drive, National Guard
Armory, Vienna Highway,
Montezuma, 12:30-6 p.m.
April 19 First
Methodist Church, Merritt
(See BLOOD, page SA)
;e Section C
Holy Week
And Perry Churches
Houston Tlmes-Jmal
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
Nikitopoulos: Dogwood
is phenomenal success
By LARRY HITCHCOCK
and PAULINE LEWIS
, T-J Staff Writers
The 1995 Perry Dogwood
Festival was a “phenomenal”
success, according to Festival
coordinator Karen Nikitopoulos.
“I was amazed at how well
everything went off. I had so
much fun putting this together
and I’m looking forward to next
year,” she said.
“I had incredible support
from so many people,”
Nikitopoulos said. “I couldn’t
have done it without all the long
hours and hard work they put
in.”
The car show at Rozar Park
drew 63 entries, far more than
expected. Bill Warren, show
organizer, is already looking to
next year. One probable change
will be a separate category for
Corvettes.
The top award at the car
show, the People’s Choice
award, voted on by those attend
ing Sunday in the Park, went to
Anna White’s Volkswagen.
In the stock car category,
Jerry Bennett’s Volkswagen took
first place and Marcus Walker’s
Chevrolet was second.
Tom Lingenfelter’s 1940 Ford
Sedan took first in the street rods
and Ronnie Green was second
with his Ford Coupe.
In the muscle car division,
C.L. Miller placed first with his
Corvette and Bob Alford’s
Oldsmobile Cutlass was second.
Lionel Pellietier captured first
in the truck division with his
Ford and James Brown’s
Chevrolet took second.
Mike Hayes’ 1923 Model T
walked away with the antique
car trophy and Mike Brennan’s
Porsche was second.
Winning ribbons after the
Festival Parade were the
Agricenter, first; Newcomers
Club, second; and Classic
Creations Cloggers, third.
A ferret, a Vietnamese pig and
several dogs were winners in the
Pet Parade.
Hanna Barrett’s ferret Tango
took the most unusual pet com
petition.
Jade Prickett and her dog
Lizzy captured the owner-pet
look-alike category.
Dave Wisniewski and his dog
Tops were declared the winners
in the best obedience category.
Linda Cooper and her dog
Benny had the best trick.
Charlene Melendes and her
dog Sabrina walked away with
the best dressed prize.
Ace Hardware’s team swept
the softball tournament with a
perfect 4-0 record.
Team members included
Leisa Billings, Daral Harrison,
Trisha Bramlett, Van Herrington,
Brenda Bramlett, Greg Carroll,
Karen Holder, Malcolm
Sistrunk, Charlotte Wall, Andy
Kudzu: from the field to show stopper
By PAULINE LEWIS
Society Editor
Diane Hoots, “the Kudzu Woman”, from Warner
Robins, has turned pesky kudzu vines into friendly,
useful articles such as baskets, jelly and syrup, as
well as earrings which she makes from paper made
from kudzu leaves.
She has written a book, “101 Uses for Kudzu*'
which she plans to expand with chapters about vari
ous kudzu artists. She loves to teach the art of mak
ing useful things out of kudzu.
She has brought together a number of kudzu
artists who are participating in the current Kudzu Art
Exhibit at Middle Georgia College in Cochran.
On March 30, Hoots assembled the Kudzu Art
Exhibit, an international show, at Russell Hall at
Middle Georgia College. The show was open to the
public, but appointments had to be made in order for
personnel to open the building housing the exhibits.
Celebrating 125 years of service to the citizens of Houston County
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WATCHING THE PARADE This young man takes in the
Dogwood Festival parade from a tall vantage point in front of
the Houston County Courthouse. Thousands turned out for
activities both days.
Velesquez, Robbie Dunbar, Tony
Holder, Jill St. John and Donna
Durden.
Movie Gallery was second with
a 3-2 record, followed by Perry
Hospital and Calhoun
Construction, each 2-2; Spitballs
and Northrup I, each 1-2;
Northrup II and New Perry
Nursing Home, each 0-2.
In the tennis tournament, John
Anselmo defeated Gary Wright, 6-
4, 4-6, 6-4 to win the mens A title.
Dan Heath won a 9-7 tiebreak
er to defeat Kelly Waters, 6-4, 7-6
in the mens B finals.
Keri Eckhardt won 6-2 to cap
ture the girls 13-15 singles and
Sara Bacon defeated Abby
Davidson, 6-3, 6-4 to win the girls
12 and under crown.
Dewayne Heard and Brandon
Pfleeger defeated Brandon
Spainhour and Josh Powell, 6-4,6-
3 to win the boys 13-15 doubles
title.
Hoots was one of the Georgia crafters selected at
the exhibition at the Agricenter to be featured on
QVC. She was to deliver 500 baskets to QYC to be
sold on national television which she markets under
the name “Krazy Kudzu Products”. Because she suf
fered a broken thumb while gathering kudzu to fill
this order, her family and friends came to her rescue
and helped her to deliver 425 items to QVC.
Hoots was one of the many crafters who had a
booth at the Dogwood Festival. Her jelly and syrup
were sold one bottle or jar at the time, or in large
quantities. The flavor is a mild, pleasant taste, like a
very good apple flavor. The blooms, from which the
jelly and syrup are made, smell somewhat like
grapes. The earrings and wall plaques are made of
kudzu paper, dyed, cut and placed into patterns.
She plans to show her products at the upcoming
(See KUDZU, page SA)
11995 Festival Memories
Dogwood
Picture pages B2-3
David Martin captured the 13-
15 three-point basketball shooting
"contest, with Ceddrick Clark tak
ing second. Clark captured the free
throw contest with Tripp Morath
second.
Alicia Clarington took the 11-
12 free throw contest.
Titus Billings placed first in the
9-10 three-point contest and
Fredrick Wright was second.
David Grantham placed first in the
free throw contest with Fredrick
Williams second.
Demario Clark and Gavin Trout
split the 7-8 basketball titles. Clark
took the three-point title with
Trout second and Trout won the
free throw crown with Clark sec
ond.
In the 5K Road Race that
kicked off the Festival Saturday
morning, Gary Floyd had the best
overall time 16:07. Larry Adkins
(See WINNERS, page SA)
Airport authority
members study
operating airport
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Special to the T-J
While advertising near and far
for someone to run the Perry-
Houston County Airport, one
Authority member thinks the
answer may lie closer to home.
At the April 3 meeting of the
Airport Authority, chairman Leroy
Claxton suggested the possibility of
the Authority “running the airport
on our own.”
The Authority has been seeking a
Fixed Base Operator to take over
for Register Aviation whose con
tract was not renewed.
Claxton said by issuing bonds
more revenue could be generated.
“That would allow us to build
more hangars and we would get
more aircraft here to sell more
fuel,” he told the board.
Some members voiced concerns
over liability and the amount of
money it would take to be success
ful with this type of venture.
“In doing so, for the airport to be
successful, significant investments
would be required,” said board
member Art Grady. “It also goes
against the current trend of airport
operations which is moving more
toward leasing airports.”'
Claxton said the authority could
sub-lease various aspects of the
operation. As examples of that,, he
County to tax airport
property in Peach County
By LARRY HITCHCOCK
News Editor
The Georgia Legislature has
passed a bill that will allow Houston
County to collect ad valorem taxes
on property in Peach County.
The Perry-Houston County
Airport Authority will be allowed to
collect taxes on real and tangible
personal property at the airport,
which is located along the Houston-
Peach county line.
State Rep. • Larry Walker, D-
Perry, was the driving force behind
the measure, which is awaiting Gov.
Zell Miller’s signature.
When Miller signs to bill, it will
become law on Jan. 1, 1996.
The measure was prompted by a
County public works unit
faces backlog of work
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Special to the T-J
The Houston County Public
Works Department has two years
worth of projects already in place.
That’s what the public works
director, Tommy Stalnaker, told
Houston County commissioners at
the April 4 meeting in Perry.
There are 44 projects on the list.
Several of those are in the Perry
area. Some work at Rozar Park,
including paving and drainage “is
about 80 percent done," according
to Stalnaker.
A parking lot is also scheduled
for Rozar Park in the near future.
Also on the list for the Petjfy area
is working on 20 acres at the
Georgia Agricenter for camper
parking and digging pits at the
Perry Landfill.
The resurfacing of Valley Drive
from Airport Road to U.S. 341 is 50
percent complete.
“We hope to start back in the
next 30 days to wind that one up,”
said Stafford.
One item the public works
department will not undertake
brought disagreement from a
mobile home owner in Bonaire.
Stalnaker recommended against
spending more than $7,900 for
Classified 7B
Church 4B
Editorials A 4
Legals 4B
Home of the Georgia National
Fair and Agricenter
cited flight schools, maintenance
shops and paint shops paying fees to
provide the service.
After lengthy discussion, the
matter was tabled until the next
meeting.
In an attempt to put another
long-standing issue to rest, the
Authority agreed to prepare a site
for a hangar for Register Aviation in
exchange for Register turning over
the other T-hangars to the Authority.
Houston County Commission
Chairman Sherrill Stafford
informed the commission at it’s
April 4 meeting that the Authority is
likely to ask for county assistance in
preparing the site.
Also during the meeting, Grady
showed the group a proposed layout
for expansion which would divide
the airport into three zones for
future development.
The plan would include the fol
lowing: Area A -airport operations
and management, PXE terminal,
FBO/airport operator, private a/c
storage hangars, authority owned
maintenance hangar, public recep
tion area/parking, fuel farm; Area
B- approved privately owned
hangars, corporate owned hangars,
SFBO’s, specialty shops/business
es; Area C- industrial development,
airports expansion, large corporate
a/c operations
request from Houston County and
Perry. Peach County and Fort
Valley withdrew their financial sup
port from the airport, leaving
Houston County and Perry respon
sible for all expenses.
However, Peach County contin
ues to receive ad valorem tax rev
enues from property at the airport
which is located in Peach County.
That includes virtually all the air
port buildings.
“If we pay all the bills, we
should be allowed to collect ad val
orem taxes on property at the air
port, even if it is located in Peach
County,” _ Airport Authority
Chairman Leroy Claxton said.
drainage improvements.
Despite claims from the home
owner that health problems have
been created by the situation, the
public works director called the
problems not uncommon in areas
where cross drains are under the
roadway.
He said any improvements
would likely increase the chance of
adversely effecting property down
stream.
After viewing a video on the
Rainbow House, commissioners
adopted a resolution proclaiming
April Child Abuse Prevention
Month in Houston County.
Commissioner Jay Walker called
child abuse “an alarming situation
in Houston County ... the sad thing
is it’s not getting any better.”
“We have come a long way,
though,” noted commissioner
Calvin Maye.
In other business:
• Commissioners approved an
FY96 Food Stamp Distribution
Budget submitted by the
Department of Family and
Children’s Services. The estimated
cost of $102,000 is up from $87,500
budgeted for FY9S. Commissioner
(See COUNTY, page SA)
Obituaries A 2
Potpourri B 1
Sports A 6
Woods and Water... A 7
-*ii.