Newspaper Page Text
INSIDE
Volume 125, No. 52
2 Sections, 24 Pages
Wednesday
Dec. 20,1995
50 Cents
At the
Crossroads
this week
Few days left
There are a few opportu
nities to see the Wonderland
in Lights at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and
Agricenter. The show con
tinues each night through
Dec. 31.
Lights are on from 5:30-
11 p.m., and the Emporium
with a gift shop, petting zoo
and cafeteria is open from
4:30-11 p.m.
Christmas at
Crossroads nears end
The 20th annual
Christmas at the Crossroads
is near its end. Activities this
week include:
Dec. 22 Christmas
carolers along Carroll Street
and at the Perry Marketplace
Shopping Center, 6-7:30
p.m.
Dec. 22 Live nativity
scene along Carroll Street in
downtown Perry, 6-7:30
p.m.
Dec. 23 Christmas
carolers along Carroll Street
and at the Perry Marketplace
Shopping Center, 6-7:30
p.m.
Dec. 23 Live nativity
scene along Carroll Street in
downtown Perry, 6-7:30
p.m.
Dec. 24 Refreshments
and shopping at Country
Village, Perry Marketplace
Shopping Center off Sam
Nunn Boulevard, 11 a.m.-4
p.m.
Dec. 24 Candlelight
communion service at First
Christmas Church, U.S. 41
North, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 24 Candlelight
service, Rehoboth Baptist
Church, U.S. 41 North, 7
p.m.
Dec. 24 Candlelight
service, Andrew United
Methodist Church, Ga. 127
near Kathleen, 7 p.m.
Dec. 25 Merry
Christmas
Dec. 31 Last chance to
see Wonderland in Lights
display and city decorations.
Attend this meeting
Perry Area Chamber of
Commerce President Rusty
Wood has issued a request to
all directors to be on time
for the 4 p.m. Dec. 21 meet
ing.
Wood said there are
important items on the agen
da for this meeting and a
quorum of directors is need
ed.
The meeting will be held
at the Perry Welcome Center
conference room.
Meeting called off
Members of the Houston
County Development
Authority will not have their
(See MEETING, Page SA)
Tell Us
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
timesjml@aol.com.
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Letters to Sai»u
Batman, Barbie, Sega top many lists this year —3-7 B
Houston Times-Journal
Official Legal Organ for Houston County,.the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
Excellence in schools!
Perry Elementary, Perry High named Georgia Schools of Excellence
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Times-Journal Photo by Emily Johnstone
WE ARE NUMBER ONE Perry Elementary School Principal Patsy Hutto and students flash
smiles after learning the school has been named a Georgia School of Excellence. Cheering are
(from, from left) Travis Roberts, hayley Boyd, Catherine St. Charles, Brittany Chester, (back)
Patsy Hutto, Mecia Oliver, Karen Bemis,Justin Ross, Demario Foster and Eydie Ekorikoh.
Merchants, Agricenter pleased with Christmas season response
By RICK JOHNSTONE
Special to the Times-Journal
It looks like a generally merry
Christmas for merchants in Perry
and officials at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and
Agricenter are also smiling this
season.
New court-drawn
districts OK by Perdue
By Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Editor
Ga. Senate Majority Leader
Sonny Perdue, D-Bonaire, told
members of the Perry Rotary Club
Dec. 18 that he is relatively
pleased with the new congression
al lines in Georgia.
“I think the lines which the
three federal judges drew are fair
to both parties,” Perdue said. “I
believe a moderate with a good
message could win in many of
those districts,” he said.
Perdue said the 11 districts cre
ated by the three-judge federal
panel will not be reviewed by the
U.S. Justice Department. Instead,
if there is a legal challenge to the
new districts, that appeal will go
directly to the U.S. Supreme
Court.
Should the districts stand the
legal test anticipated, Houston
County would be united in one
congressional district for the first
time since the 1991 reapportion
ment session.
At that time, Houston, like
DUREN BELL
Leaving Houston County
Celebrating 125 years o! service to the citizens of Houston County
As the days until Christmas
dwindle, it looks like some con
sumers are indeed making their
purchases in Perry.
“We’ve enjoyed growth in
Perry for 45 years,’’said David
Overton of Overton Jewelers. “It
is up a bit this year,” he added.
many Georgia counties, was split
along lines which allowed for cre
ating majority minority districts,
or districts of minority influence.
A challenge in the 11th District,
which stretches from suburban
Atlanta to Savannah, was upheld
by the U.S. District Court of
Appeals, and after a five-week
session of the Georgia General
Assembly failed to produce a
revised plan, the effort felt to the
three judges.
Meanwhile, Perdue said, the
changes to the state map, which
will also unite Houston County,
are being reviewed by the Justice
Department. These changes were
passed by legislators during the
special session before they
became bogged down in the con
gressional districts.
The biggest change proposed
would unite Perry in one legisla
tive district, the one currently rep
resented by Georgia House
Majority Leader Larry Walker, D-
Perry.
Perry, like much of southern
Bell to leave Extension Service post
By Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Editor
Houston County Extension Service Director
Duren Bell has announced his resignation.
After almost seven years in the position,
Bell is leaving to take a similar job with the
extension service in Dodge County, about 40
miles southeast of Perry.
Bell’s last day with the Houston County
office will be Dec. 22. When the Christmas
holidays are over, he will begin work in
Eastman.
“It is with mixed emotions that I take the job
in Eastman. I am glad to be going to a job where
I will be able to use my skills and background
in row-crop farming, but we hate as a family to
leave Houston County,” Bell said Dec. 15.
Not only is the downtown area
beaming over the season, business
is drawing favorable reviews at
the Perry Marketplace.
The Country Village is now
into its third season. Owner
Deborah Hilton says it has been
“really good” this year.
K . \- W| H
SEN. SONNY PERDUE
Privatization is OK
Houston County, is now split in
two districts.
Perdue said he is interested in
Gov. Zell Miller’s plans for priva
tization of state operations such
as the War Veterans Home, Lake
Lanier Islands and the five state
park resorts.
He believes the state would
realize significant savings, as
much as a 50 percent cut in
spending at the War Veterans
Home.
“Houston County has been very good to our
family. Many people prayed for our daughter,
Lindsey, when she became sick with leukemia
almost six years ago. They understood when I
couldn’t do everything I wanted to do with my
job because of being away to take care of her,”
Bell said.
He said working with the two Extension
Services and the rapidly changing community
has been a challenge, but that he hasn’t had as
much time to work with farmers as he had
hoped.
“I appreciate the help which our legislative
delegation gave us in getting a professional
position restored after budget cuts four years
ago,” Bell said.
Just as Mark Collier resigned, the position
Index \
Classified 128 Obituaries A 2
Church 108 Potpourri B 1
Editorials A 4
Legal Ads 8B Sports A 6
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
Two Perry schools have been
named as 1996 Georgia Schools of
Excellence.
Perry High and Perry
Elementary were chosen from a
group of schools located in the Bth
Congressional District.
“I’m extremely pleased and
excited for both schools,” said
Houston County School
Superintendent Tony Hinnant.
“Recognition for Perry
Elementary is past due and for
Perry High to receive the recogni
tion the time time is very exciting.
The competition is very keen at
the level.”
Perry High was recipient of the
award in 1989.
Some 98 schools statewide par
ticipated in the program this year.
“Sweeter the second time
around,” that is what Perry High
School Principal Phil Smith had to
say about his school being select
ed as a 1996 Georgia School of
Excellence.
Smith and instructional coordi
nator Fran Hartman reminisced
recently about the hard work that
“We are definitely showing an
increase this year,’’said Hilton.
The first “Wonderland in
Lights” is also faring well.
Executive Director at the
Agricenter Mike Froehlich said
going into Christmas week around
38,000 persons have toured the
Legislators divided
over sales tax proposal
By Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Editor
WARNER ROBINS
Members of the Houston County
Legislative Delegation expressed
mixed feelings during a pre-leg
islative session here Dec. 14 con
cerning Gov. Zell Miller’s plan to
remove the sales tax from food.
Majority Leader of the Senate
Sonny Perdue, D-Bonaire, said he
favors the plan Miller offered last
week.
The proposal would reduce the
food sales tax from four percent to
two percent the first year, and then
remove one percent per year for
the next two years.
“Overall, we would reduce
state income by SSOO million,”
Perdue told members of the
Warner Robins Area Chamber of
Commerce during the session.
“We have got to face the chal
lenge of downsizing or right siz
ing government in the state of
Georgia,” Perdue continued.
“Forcing us to provide the same or
similar services for less money is
Home of the Georgia National Fair
and Agricenter
went into preparing the report that
enabled the school to participate in
the program.
“There were many different
categories that we had to compile
answers for,” said Hartman.
Among those were conditions
in school, curriculum and instruc
tion, students and environment,
leadership in the school, teaching
environment, organizational vital
ity, and indicators of success.
“Around 30 teachers help com
pile answers,” she added.
“We had to redo some of our
sections. They are interested in
content and examples of doing,”
said Smith. He added that what
began as a 60-page report had to
be whittled down to 49 pages to
conform to rules.
“We made our print smaller,
then had to cut some things out,”
he noted with a smile.
What factors helped to con
tribute to PHS receiving this
award? “I think it was because of
the concentrated effort on the part
of the teachers. Over the last five
years we have really looked at
(See EXCELLENCE, Page SA)
3.3-mile course.
“We have had many positive
comments,’said Froehlich. “I
never set any goals on the number
of people. I simply ask ‘Are the
people happy?’ I think the answer
(See RESPONSE, Page SA)
hi
ROBERT RAY
Wants Speed Limit Changed
one way to do that,” he added.
Rep. Robert Ray, D-Fort
Valley, had reservations about the
proposal. He sees the changing of
(See TAXES, Page SA)
he held was eliminated, and Bell spent more
than 3V2 years as both agent for horticulture and
farming.
Bell said the Extension Service would begin
advertising for his position soon, and he
expects the office to be back at full strength by
early summer.
During the interim, Peggy Bledsoe, a long
time Extension Service agent, will handle
office management.
Bell said a decision on who will become the
next director of the office will be made after his
replacement is hired.
The family will move at the end of school.
The children will remain in school here until
then and Cathy Bell will continue to teach at
Houston County High School.
