Newspaper Page Text
I
Volume 125, No. 51
2 Sections, 22 Pages
Wednesday
Dec. 13,1995
50 Cents
At the
Crossroads
this week
-• >.. ’»i ■ \ i ■ -*■
Light Show continues
The Wonderland in
Lights show continues at the
Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter
through Dec. 31. Lights are
on each day from 5:30-11
p.m. The Emporium opens
at 4:30 p.m. each day.
Also this week at the
Agricenter is a show of toy
antiques, Dec. 15-16. Call
987-3247 for details.
Christmas celebration
peaks this week
The peak of the 20th
annual Christmas at the
Crossroads comes this
week. Events include:
Dec. 13 Chancel Choir
musical special and church
supper at Andrew United
Methodist Church, Ga. 127
near Kathleen, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 14 Men’s Night
shopping and free men’s gift
wrapping at Country
Village, Perry Marketplace
Shopping Center. Sam Nunn
Boulevard, 5-8 p.m.
Dec. 14 Live nativity
pageant at Henderson
Baptist Church, U.S. 41,
about eight miles south of
Perry, 6 p.m.
Dec. 14 Christmas
band and chorus concert,
Houston County High
School, 920 Ga. 96, near
Houston Lake Road, 7 p.m.
Dec. 14 ln Adoration
of the King of Kings” pre-.
sented at Perry United
Methodist Church, Carroll
Street in downtown Perry,
7:30 p.m.
Dec. 15 Open house at
Edward D. Jones.
Refreshments and cash door
prize, 1023 Ball St., Perry,
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Dec. 15 IM&R open
house, 300 Corporate Point,
Warner Robins, 12:30-8
p.m.
Dec. 15 Live nativity
pageant at Henderson
Baptist Church, U.S. 41,
about eight miles south of
Perry, 6 p.m.
Dec. 15 Christmas
carolers along Carroll Street
and at Perry Marketplace
Shopping Center, 6-7:30
p.m.
Dec. 15 ln Adoration
of the King of Kings” pre
sented at Perry United
Methodist Church, Carroll
Street in downtown Perry,
7:30 p.m.
Dec. 16 Christmas
carolers along Carroll Street
and at Perry Marketplace
Shopping Center, 6-7:30
p.m.
Dec. 16 Live nativity
scene along Carroll Street in
downtown Perry, 6-7:30
p.m.
Dec. 17 Country
Village open house. Free gift
(See EVENTS, Page 9A)
The Houston Times-
Journal wants to hear from
you. Call (912) 987-1823
during business hours, 8:30
a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday. Fax us any
time at (912) 988-1181.
Visit our office at 807
Carroll Street in historic
downtown Perry. Reach us
on the internet or through E
mail services at
timesjrnl@aol.com.
- UNIVERSITY OF GA LIBRARIES 61*
ATTN: 808 HENNEBERGER 34* ■
Celebrating Gfl 30 1 jth Birthday!
Editorial, page 4A; Special features, page 5A
Houston rimes -Journal
OSSicial Legal Organ lor Houston County, the City ol Perry and the State of Georgia
Perryan charged in robbery of pizza deliveryman
From staff reports
A 17-year-old Perry man has
been charged in an incident
involving the robbery of a pizza
deliveryman.
According to Capt. Steve
Heaton of the Perry Police
Department, Jarvis Ingram of an
Edwards Street address was arrest
ed Dec. 7 after an employee for
Little Caesar’s was beaten with a
stick and robbed while attempting
to deliver a pizza to a house on
Edwards Street.
Heaton said the deliveryman
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Special Photo
NAMING A BOMBER Local and state officials were on hand Dec. 11 to christen
the “Spirit of Georgia,” the country’s eighth B-2 bomber during a ceremony held at
Robins Air Force Base. Perry Mayor Jim Worrall said he thinks the B-2 is a “fasci
nating” piece of machinery. “I think it is one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever
seen. It’s almost beyond words to describe it,” commented Worrall. The B-2 is tout
ed as a strategic, long-range heavy bomber. It is also said to be the most survivable
aircraft in the world. There are currently seven of these aircraft in operational service
at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. Sen. Sam Nunn (speaking to the crowd) told the
group gathered for the event that he believes more of these type aircraft are needed
for the nation’s defense. Nunn called the B-2 a “revolutionary” type of aircraft that is
cost-effective. Representatives from Northrop Grumman were also in attendance,
along with (on platform to left of Nunn) U.S. Congressman Saxby Chambliss (R-
Moultrie) and U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Columbus).
Car in Lake
Pointe
unoccupied
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times*Journal Staff
Local rescue personnel and
law enforcement officials
responded to a call on Moody
Road at Lake Pointe Dec. 8 when
a car was spotted partially sub
merged in the water around 7:15
a.m.
Divers with the Warner Robins
Fire Department searched the
area around the vehicle, a 1989
Toyota. The car had been reported
stolen about the same time as it
was spotted in the lake.
The search, however, turned
up no evidence that someone had
been in the vehicle when it
entered the water.
Local sources said the car’s
windows were rolled up, the keys
were in the ignition with the
gearshift in the neutral position,
and the doors locked when it was
pulled from the water.
All traffic flow on Moody
Road between Ga. 127 and
Woodard Road was rerouted for
approximately three hours as a
result of the incident.
• Responding to the call were
members of the Houston County
Fire Department, Warner Robins
Fire Department and Houston
County Sheriff’s Department.
Celebrating 125 years of service to the citizens of Houston County
stopped after being waved down
by several males at the end of the
street. When he got out of his vehi
cle he was beaten and robbed of
sls cash.
The driver was treated and
released from Perry Hi. -pital.
Also, a 23-year-old woman,
Melissa Grenon, has been charged
with the statutory rape of a 14-
year-old male.
The alleged incident took place
on Meens Road, said Heaton.
Grenon has been released on
bond.
Ten years later
Tax cap still generates mixed feelings
BY EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
Ten years ago, there were negative feel
ings about it. And, today, even though some
seem to want to ignore the issue, there is still
discussion about the negative effect the tax
cap is having on Houston County.
Perry Building Official Bill Chambless
and Planning Commission member Robert
Brown discussed their views recently on the
unique situation the tax cap places this coun
ty in.
“With the county growing as fast as it is, if
you are going to keep up with that growth it
requires roads and bridges, it requires facili
ties. That is an extreme burden to the taxpay
ers and with the tax cap you just don’t have a
lot of increase in tax revenue that you can
generate so you get back to raising a one per
cent sales tax so you can pay for one specific
project,” commented Chambless.
“Most of the other counties in the state are
doing that. You are getting all the people trav
eling through that are not residents to help
pay for those. I would much prefer that we
take advantage of taking other people’s
money,” he added.
The building official said he was aware
that Houston County Commissioners have
been discussing the possibility of amending
the tax cap in order to allow a vote by the
public on a one-cent sales tax referendum.
“I never heard anyone say they felt like the
tax cap should be done away with altogether.
It’s just an amendment to it,” Chambless said.
An arrest has been made in con
nection with a recent burglary at
Edwards-Harper on Carroll Street.
Trellis Harris of 828 Oakridge
Drive has been charged with the
Dec. 7 break-in.
Three juveniles are also expect
ed to face charges in that incident,
according to police.
Also, Perry investigators are
looking into burglaries at two
other local businesses.
According to Heaton, True
Value Hardware was the target of a
break-in Dec. 8 . The perpetrators
The tax cap was put into place in 1984 and
within three years was prompting county
commissioners to look into the effect it would
have on operations.
In 1987 a study conducted by John
Wingfield was released by commissioners
that said the tax cap could “stagnate” growth
in the coming years.
However, growth in Houston County has
seen a virtual boom over the past few years.
Brown sees that growth as a way to gener
ate revenue. “My real concern is they should
have raised the value on those properties as
they built those nice houses..instead of rais
ing the millage rate. The appraisal value of
properties should have offset any increase in
the millage rate,” he said.
As to the possibility of one day having a
vote on a one-percent sales tax? “Without a
lot more knowledge about it I would be
opposed to amending it unless they could
convince me that they needed it for some spe
cial project then I would say, yeah,
increase it one percent,” added Brown.
Houston County Commission Chairman
Sherrill Stafford commented that “The tax
cap certainly drives what we can and cannot
do.”
“The amount of revenue it allows to come
into the county through taxes does not equate
with the same percent increase as the actual
tax digest itself,” he added.
“If the tax digest had grown seven percent
this year, we would have got less revenue
through taxes than if it had grown three per
gained entry in the rear of the
building and hauled off bicycles,
hardware and an undetermined
amount of cash.
The Qwik. Stop store on
Houston Lake Road was burglar
ized sometime after midnight Dec.
12, according to the detective cap
tain.
Entry into the ( business was
gained when the burglar(s) used a
sledgehammer to knock a hole in
the back of the store, he said.
Electricity to the store was also
shut down.
Juniors pass writing
test at 91 percent rate
Hinnant: Scores similar to last year
By RICK JOHNSTONE
Special to the Times-Journal
The public has ; 'now had an
opportunity, albeit a* brief one, to
take a look at the Hoqston County
Board of Education meeting in the
newly refurbished auditorium at
the board headquarters in Perry.
During its Dec. 12 session,
which lasted less than one hour in
the open meeting, the Board
received results from the fall 1995
Writing Component of the
Georgia High School Graduation
Tests.
Of the 1,179 juniors tested,
1,074 (91 percent) passed.
“That’s about the same as last
year,’’said school superintendent
Tony Hinnant.
With 500 being a passing score,
189 students scored between 500-
514, and 885 students registered
between 514-600.
The superintendent explained
that students who did not pass the
test in the fall may take it again in
March, in July, and twice during
their senior year.
Each student’s Writing is evalu
ated in 4 areas. That includes con
tent/organization, style, conven
tions, and sentence formation.
As far as individual schools go,
Northside High lead the way with
93 percent of its 356 students test
Al
Home of the Georgia National Fair
and Agricenter
“They trashed part of the place
and took an undetermined amount
of cash,” commented Heaton.
A patrolman noticed something
was amiss around 4:19 a.m., he
added, after realizing the store
lights were not on.
“That store is usually pretty
well lighted and that is what led to
the realization that something was
not right,” said the captain.
That incident is still under
investigation.
ed passing. At Perry High, 184
students were tested, with 89 per
cent passing.
Perry High has now received
word that its Air Force Junior
ROTC program is now off proba
tion.
In a letter sent to Hinnant, U.S.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Susan
Pamerleau wrote that the number
of cadets enrolled in the program
is above the minimum required
level.
“I trust this year’s enrollment
will provide a firm base to ensure
continuation and expansion of tV
program,’’she wrote.
Also at the meeting, the Board
approved acceptance of two bids
for garbage pick-ups.
Alternative Waste Services will
charge SSO rent per month for
each of the two receptacles it has,
one in Perry at the bus bam and
one at the maintenance facility in
Warner Robins. Plus, there is a
$95 fee each time the garbage is
picked up.
The other part of the garbage
bids involves the service to all the
schools.
Facilities head Bill Loudermilk
said Waste Management of Macon
submitted the low bid, $128,479.
(See SCHOOL, Page 9A)
cent and that is where I think the mismatch
occurs,” Stafford said.
“We do not get the benefit of any kind of
local sales tax here for general government.
There is a one-percent local sales tax collect
ed in Houston County but this goes to the
Board of Education and their needs,” said the
chairman.
What would he like to see happen in the
future? “What I would like to see is a provi
sion to allow this county to impose a one-per
cent sales tax that could be used for general
government purposes. I’ve made some
inquiries to people at the state level who are
involved in revenue financing and there
seems to be at least some feeling that we
might be eligible to do that,” said Stafford.
Even if the commission gets the go ahead
from state legislature, convincing the popu
lace of Houston County to OK a sales tax ref
erendum most likely would be a hard sell.
Stafford said there are areas he terms
“absolutes” that need that extra revenue.
Construction of a new jail is one. And. “A
very real example where we are going to need
some funding is the proposed widening of
Houston Lake Road. We are facing a time
schedule as early as next year.
“We will be required to secure right of way
for that project,” said Stafford. “In addition to
that we’ll have relocation of utilities, includ
ing a major gas line.”
He sees the needed renovation of the cour
(See CAP, page 9A)
