Newspaper Page Text
Letter writer offers community a suggestion
INSIDE
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Let s do something!
Seeks Wonderland in Lights display, Page 4A
Volume 125, No. 53
2 Sections, 14 Pages
Wednesday
Dec. 27,1995
50 Cents
At the
Crossroads
this week
Light show to end
The long-running
Wonderland in Lights at the
Georgia Agricenter comes to
an end Dec. 31. Just a few
days remain to visit the
wonderland and experience
the excitement of lights and
music during this special
season.
The show is open 5:30-11
p.m. each evening with food
and a gift shop also avail
able.
Also at the National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter
this week is a three-day pro
gram for Georgia Baptist
youths who are also attend
ing a convention and rally in
Macon.
City garbage pickup
changes
Perry garbage pickup will
not run Jan. 1,1996, accord
ing to public works director
Hugh Sharp. Normal pickup
will resume Jan. 2.
Offices closed
The offices of the
Houston Times-Joumal will
be closed Dec. 29 and Jan. 1.
The deadlines for all items
for the Jan. 3 paper is noon,
Dec. 28.
Weyerhaeuser buys
timberlands
OGLETHORPE
Officials with the
Weyerhaeuser Co. have
announced plans to acquire
240,700 acres of private
commercial forestland in
Alabama, Georgia, North
and South Carolina.
Included are 90,600 acres
in central Georgia, accord
ing to Weyerhaeuser
President and CEO Jack
Creighton.
He said the purchase
would allow the company to
continue support to manu
facturing facilities in
Bamesville and Oglethorpe.
“We will provide the
same principals of sustain
ability, stewardship and pro
ductivity to these lands as
we do in sill our other tim
berlands,” Creighton said.
The Oglethorpe facility
produces pulp fiber for pro
duction of disposable dia
pers and other products.
Many of those products are
manufactured in Albany.
McKibbon honored
The owner of the
Fairfield inn by Marriott in
Perry, John McKibbon, was
honored with the
Partnership Circle Award
recently at a Marriott
International conference.
McKibbon is president of
McKibbon Brothers, motel
owners based in Gainesville.
The award is for perfor
mance in guest hospitality.
Tell Us
The Houston Times-
Joumal 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.
Houston Times-Journal
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
PPG plant to get major renovation, new equipment
By Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Editor
Excited PPG plant manager Kris McGee
told members of the Perry Area Chamber of
Commerce the good news Dec. 21.
Earlier that day, officials of PPG
Industries agreed to spend sls million on
the Works 18 speciality manufacturing plant
which opened its doors in Perry almost six
years ago.
The company said glassmaking will be
suspended for about two months during late
1996 or early 1997 to perform the work.
McGee said equipment orders were being
prepared immediately for the repair equip
ment and the new items.
“This is outstanding news for our work
force, our customers and the future of our
factory.” McGee said. “This is a major
enimnceineui of our operation, not just a
repair to the furnace, that will significantly
affect our ability to produce glass and serve
’LFPO jgf
Times-Journal Photo by Emily Johnstone
WAITING FOR LOVED ONE Kristen Roberts and mother-in-law Judy Mobley dis-
WAITING FOR LOVED ONE Kristen Roberts and mother-in-law Judy Mobley dis
cuss the fate of Chad Roberts, wife and son of the pair. Chad Roberts is stationed in
Bosnia.
Christmas vigil
Mother ; wife wait for news of
Perryan stationed in Bosnia
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
On the day 23-year-old Houston County native
Chad Roberts left for his military assignment in
northern Bosnia Dec. 21, his biggest concern was
not about the dangers that might lie ahead for him.
It was for the well-being of his wife, Kristen
Roberts, and mom, Judy Mobley.
“He wasn’t as worried about land mines and
the extreme cold as he was about us,” said his
bride of six months. “I told him not to worry, I’ll
take care of everybody.”
“He just kept telling us ‘Don’t worry,”’ added
his mom. “After he left we handled the situation
by going to Wal-Mart and eating a dozen donuts!”
Chad Roberts, a construction mechanic, is a
Petty Officer 3rd Class member of the Naval
Construction Battalion, a group also known as the
Williams honored by her friends
By Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Editor
Chamber, community and elected officials gath
ered Dec. 21 to pay tribute to Peggie Williams, who
is retiring as president of the Perry Area Chamber of
Commerce.
Friends waited in the Perry Welcome Center for
Williams, who was discussing an agenda for the
Board of Directors meeting she thought she was to
attend that afternoon.
When she arrived at the Welcome Center, she was
greeted by a cheering crowd of more than 50 persons.
Dick Walden, president of the Warner Robins Area
Chamber of Commerce, presented Williams with a
plaque, and congratulated her upon her retirement.
“We recognize the work you have done and our
unique relationship with Perry,” Walden said.
Williams admitted she had enjoyed working with
Walden and the volunteer chamber workers in
Warner Robins.
Karen Nikitopoulos, head of the Perry Dogwood
Festival, praised Williams for her support of the
Chamber-sponsored event, and her steady leadership
Celebrating 125 years ol service to the citizens of Houston County
our customers.”
McGee said the mis
sion of the plant, to pro
duce speciality glass in
short runs, will remain the
same. The Works 18 plant
is equipped with a unique
glass making machine
which enables it to change
colors and consistencies
to produce special prod
ucts, some of which are
not available elsewhere.
The company now employe s 150 per
sons, up from the 100 who first began pro
ducing glass during January 1990 after PPG
remodeled the former Briggs and Stratton
plant to their needs.
The new equipment and remodeling
process involves the existing lehr, the
annealing oven. McGee said those improve
ments will improve the process consistency
Seabees.
His wife
explained his
duties during a
recent inter
view at a Perry
campground
managed by
his mother.
“They will
bt building
four of seven
camps used for
our troops. They will take all their equipment with
them, like bulldozers, ditch witches, everything
they need to clear land for huts that the troops will
(See VIGIL, [page SA)
in planning the events.
“She identifies objectives, then
allows you to do your job,”
Nikitopoulos said.
Tom Daniel, who was on the
search committee which hired
Williams as the chamber execu
tive officer 4'h years ago, said she
had been given challenges by that
panel, and Williams had met each
of them.
The challenges included
putting the chamber membership back together after
a long void without professional leadership, estab
lishing a good relationship with the Warner Robins
Area Chamber of Commerce and the Houston
County Development Authority, and developing
good relations with city and county government.
Tim Martin of the Houston County Development
Authority praised Williams for her cooperation and
effort, her professional approach and her work.
(See WILLIAMS, page SA)
All-Area
Meet the team, page 6A
XT
McGee
sr
;; ...
CHAD ROBERTS
Seabee in Bosnia
and product yields.
Additional equipment will move the plant
farther into high technology. “We already had
top notch glass making equipment. Now we
will have the inspection equipment to go
along with it,” McGee said.
Presently, employees inspect the glass by
hand. With the new laser inspection equip
ment, “we will be able to detect minute
defects in glass which cannot be seen by the
human eye at production line speeds,”
McGee explained.
“New automatic packing equipment will
further reduce potential for injuries present
ed by manual packing, as well as scratched
glass, ’ McGee said.
He said customers are requiring greater
quality control over the product, hence the
installation of the inspection and packing
equipment.
Plans call for PPG employees to perform
much of the work during the upgrade and
Worrall: ’95 drew local
governments closer together
BY EMILY JOHNSTONE
and RICK JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal staff
The year 1995 might be
remembered as the year that drew
lawmakers closer together.
That is the opinion of Perry
Mayor Jim Worrall, who recently
reflected on the past year and the
year to come.
“This has been the best year city
council has had working together
as a team. We accomplished much
together," said Worrall.
He said the working relation
ship with Houston County com
missioners as well as the other
municipalities “is probably
stronger than it’s ever been.”
“To accomplish anything we
must work in harmony since
things are so complicated today.”
said Worrall.
He cited the landing of
Riverwood Inc. as an example of
the city and county working
together to attract that company to
the Perry Allied Business Park.
Another case of city and county
working together, according to
Worrall, is a Fringe Area Study
that is being used a kind of blue
print for future growth strategies.
The study was conducted for
city officials by an Athens firm.
A joint effort with the Houston
County Board of Education produced
results that probably saved a Perry
landmark from the wrecking ball.
“It was ari excellent move we
made with the school," said Worrall,
referring to the BOE setting up resi
dence in the old Perry High School
building on Main Street.
“The school annex is beauti
ful,” he said.
Renovations on the building
were completed several weeks ago.
Meanwhile, renovation work
on the former BOE headquarters
next to city hall on Washington
Street will soon be under way to
accommodate many city offices
that are scheduled to be moved
sometime in the next few months.
At that time the police and fire
departments will take over occu
pancy of the present city hall.
“The police and fire depart
ments have needed more space to
grow for some time,” Worrall said.
“The city has not added space in
some time.”
On the subject of the police
department, the mayor looked at
another accomplishment for the year.
He said, “We are proud of the
police department accreditation.
We hope it will continue to move
forward.”
The department received
accreditation last summer. It is a
designation held by only a small
percentage of law enforcement
agencies nationwide.
•Perry's mayor sees 1995 as a
year where the Perry-Houston
County Airport made great strides.
“It’s the best year we’ve had at
the airport. We’ll see if all the plan
ning falls into place, the new
■fU
i Min' |
t I
Williams
Index
■ »■■■ Ml ! ■■■■ ■ ! ■' . )- I
Classified 5B Obituaries .... A 2
Church ... .. 5A Potpourri ......... B 1
Editorials A 4 School Menus..... 5B
LegaiAds 2B Sports A 6
Home of the Georgia National Fair
and Agricenter
rebuild.
“Improvements made at the Perry plant
will enhance the company’s ability to meet
growing demand for speciality glass prod
ucts," McGee said.
New ceramic refractory materials to be
installed are expected to last a minimum of
six years.
Products made locally include ultraclear
Starphire glass for furniture and commercial
construction, ultraclear Solarphire glass for
solar panels, aquamarine Azurlite glass,
Solarcool Azurlite and OptiGray 23 glasses
for construction, Solextra and bronze solar
control automotive glasses and GL-20 and
GL-35 glasses for solar control and privacy
in vehicles.
PPG is the largest manufacturer of flat
glass. McGee said.
Works 18 is located along Valley Drive
Extension, adjacent to the Perry Allied
Business Park.
hangars, new
business and a
water-gas study
out there.”
“It’s good
to have the air
port in the city
limits. One
day we will
collect taxes
on airplanes,”
he added.
Worrall said the year saw a con
tinued good working relationship
with the Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter.
“The Wonderland in Lights at
the Agricenter combined with the
lighting in Perry by various mer
chants was a success in its first
year, he said.
Looking to 1996 Worrall
voiced optimism.
“I think it will be a boom year
for the city. We will have housing,
new business and industries and
airport growth." said Worrall.
Part of that growth will be
spurred by all the activity at
Robins Air Force Base, he added.
However, one of his biggest
concerns is, “...it’s going to be a
real challenge to hold the line on
property taxes.”
“The problem now is people in
the county expect city services...
they should have built in the city."
said Worrall.
Handicapping efforts in
Houston County is the controver
sial tax cap.
“We don’t have the option of
generating a local option sales
tax,” said Worrall.
A look at privatization is not
out of the picture, commented
Worrall.
“Commercial garbage pickup,
is one area that we may be able to
save money in," he said.
Worrall explained that restau
rants and other commercial sites
require weekend pickups which
ends up costing the city more
money. “There would be no cut in
jobs. We're only talking about
commercial pickup, residential
would not be affected,” he added.
One area where more revenues
could be raised would be through
annexation.
“That has been avoided in the
past but contractors are saying
there are no decent lots in the city
to build on,” he said.
Filling a couple of key open
ings on the city staff is high on the
list of priorities for 1996.
Worrall said, “I think we will
have a stable administrative staff
in the near future. We just want to
make sure the people we get are
the ones the city needs.”
The position of police chief,
vacant since last August, is slated
to be the first filled. After that is
accomplished, the mayor said
council will then set their sights on
examining the process of selecting
a city manager. That position has
also been open since last August.
jL
Worrall
