Newspaper Page Text
New plan for 1997 year
Chamber change
Program OK’d, see page 3A
Volume 126, No. 48
3 Sections, 28 Pages
Wednesday
Nov. 27, 1996
50 Cents
[ At the |
Crossroads
| this week |
Holiday on school
menu this week
Students in Houston
County public schools will
have a holiday Nov. 27-29.
. Dec. 2 Chicken
nuggets with roll or hot ham
and cheese sandwich, one
hot vegetable, one cold veg
etable, two fruits.
Dec. 3 Hot dog or
hamburger steak with gravy
and roil, french fries, rice,
one hot vegetable, two
fruits.
- an 'MkVut ' •-*•••••
Dec. 4 Taco or sliced
turkey with roll or bun, two
hot vegetables, two fruits,
gelatin with whipped topping.
Some discrepancies
found in kitchens
Officials with the
Houston County
Environmental Health
Department conducted
inspections on the following
12 restaurants during the
week of Nov. 18-22.
Chen’s Wok/Galleria,
2922 Watson Blvd.,
Centerville: the score was
74. A discrepancy was noted
in temperature control of
foods or food sources.
Ice Cream Chum,
Galleria Mall, Centerville:
the score was 95.
Jin Jin Chinese
Restaurant, 1215 S. Main
S.„ Perry: the score was 67.
Discrepancies were noted in
temperature control of foods
or food sources and storage
of cleaning products.
Kentucky Fried Chicken,
409 N. Davis Drive, Warner
Robins: the score was 84.
Red Lobster, 1359 Sam
Nunn Blvd., Perry: the score
was 85.
Second Gate Cafe, 314 S.
First St., Warner Robins: the
score was 83. A discrepancy
was noted in temperature
control of foods or food
sources.
Shakey’s Pizza, 785 N.
Houston Road, Warner
Robins: the score was 92.
Subsational, Galleria
Mall, Centerville: the score
was 95.
Texas Cattle Co., 2067
Watson Blvd., Warner
Robins: the score was 71. A
discrepancy was noted in
facility/equipment prob
lems.
Waffle House, 1426 Sam
Nunn Blvd., Perry: the score
was 89.
Waffle House, 2816
Watson Blvd., Centerville:
the score was 81. A discrep
ancy was noted in tempera
ture control of foods or food
sources.
Wendy’s of Perry, 1428
Sam Nunn Blvd., Perry:, the
score was 87.
All discrepancies were
corrected before the health
inspector left the premises.
I TellU»a
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
Cafroll Street in historic
downtown Perry. Reach us
on the internet or through E
mail services at
jjedit@hom.net.
Houston Times-Journal
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
Perry Middle School named Georgia school of excellence
Principal Pennington spread the word early Nov. 26
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
“What a good way to start our
Thanksgiving Holiday!” That was the word
from Perry Middle School Principal Bobby
Pennington about the school being named a
1996 Georgia School of Excellence Nov.
26.
Pennington said he gathered his teachers
early that morning for a meeting.
While instructional coordinator Gay
Nelson read a paper aloud to the group that
was given to her by Pennington and detailed
certain ‘criteria’ he surprised everyone in
the room by suddenly appearing behind
Nelson and waving a homemade poster
stuck on the end of a yardstick that pro
claimed the school had been named a
School of Excellence.
About 65 teachers suddenly began cheer
ing and applauding. So did a thunderstruck
Nelson when she turned around and saw the
School Board seeks
ideas on what to do
with PMS building
By Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Editor
With the proposed new Perry Middle School cam
pus still a dream, officials at the Houston County
Board of Education are already considering what to
do with the existing facility on Sunshine Avenue.
School officials announced this week plans to have
two hearings, on Dgc. Dec. 17, at the Houston
County Board of Education office along Main Street
in Perry. The Dec. 10 hearing will be at 3 p.m., the
Dec. 17 hearing will be at 7 p.m., according to a pub
lic notice published in this issue of the Times-Journal.
The hearing will allow public input regarding the
proposed closing of the existing middle school and
transfer of those students to a new middle school to be
built along the North Perry Bypass.
Engineering plans for that project should begin this
month, according to County School Superintendent
Tony Hinnant. The new school will be for sixth, sev
(See SCHOOL, Page SA)
Police to study ideas on using
bicycle mounted patrol force
By Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Editor
Perry Police Chief George Potter announced plans
this week to host at Dec. 5 hearing concerning a grant
to develop a bicycle patrol in Perry.
The city has received a grant to train and equip
police officers for bicycle patrol in the city, according
to Potter. The hearing is to allow public input on how
the funds should be spent and how the patrol can
affect various sections of town.
The hearing will be at 2 p.m. Dec. 5 in the munic
ipal courtroom of the Perry City Hall, he said.
“I encourage the public to attend and give their
thoughts on how this program should be implemented
in Perry,” Potter said Nov. 26.
Meanwhile, the crime rate in Perry appears to be
down a bit. Potter said some of this is a result of the
intensive efforts by the department to apprehend drug
dealers in the community.
He said the raid the department conducted recently
on suspected gang members also helped reduce crim
inal activity in the area.
“Any time we can stop those activities, we get fewer
criminals coming into the community to buy drugs or
participate in gang-related activities,” Potter said.
Council: Raising money by roadblock on way out in Perry
By EMILY JOHNSTON!
Times-Journal Staff
Those fund-raising roadblocks
set up by various groups in Perry
may be a thing of the past, while
dealing with a “bubbling”at the
Perry Recreation gym is continu
ing.
At the Nov. 19 meeting, Perry
city council members gave final
approval to a revised pedestrian
soliciting ordinance that will do
away with fund-raising projects of
groups used by groups such as the
Perry Exchange Club and others.
Council gave unanimous
approval to the change during its
second reading.
A state law which prohibits
w
ft/ '0
using public streets for such a pur
pose had been discovered several
months ago, leading to the new
revision of the Perry ordinance.
Building inspector Steve
Howard updated council on a just
concluded independent study
aimed at finding what caused the
floor problems at the Community
Center gymnasium.
“I think the contractor and the
flooring installer are at fault,”
Howard said.
' He said the study, which cost
$7,726 to complete, did not place
blame, but said until the moisture is
out, the slab will not stay in place.
Howard said he wanted to hear
just what the contractor and
Serving Houston County tor more than 125 years
sign.
The excitement lasted all day.
“I was elated when I got that message,”
said Pennington.
Nelson echoed that, saying, “I am just
thrilled! It’s wonderful for the school to get
the recognition it deserves.”
Seventh grade teacher Le Ann Tuggle,
who has been with PMS five years, added.
“It is wonderful. We deserve it! And, it
shows it is not the facilities we are in, it is
the things inside.”
Evelyn McGhee, who has been with the
school 38 years, said, “I’m so excited and
glad. I am glad to be here for the second
time.”
PMS was named a School of Excellence
in 1989.
Students were proud of the designation,
aiso.
(See PMS, page SA)
: » f!
Times-Journal Photo by John Smalley
CHRISTMAS COMES TO TOWN - Christmas has arrived
in downtown Perry where white lights illuminate the
streets of the city. The annual Christmas at the Crossroads
celebration begins this week. Complete details of the
month-long event are in a special section in this newspa
per. Downtown merchants named as winners in a store
front decoration contest include Window designs first
place, Daisy Patch, second place, Division of
Rehabilitation Services, third place, Rainbow's End, and
fourth place, New Perry Crafts. In the landscaping cate
gory, the Tog Shop was first while in the storefront cate
gory, Perry Antique Mall was named the winner.
Hospital to get valuable artwork
thanks to Nunn connection
By PAULINE LEWIS
and Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Staff
Perry Hospital will soon be the
recipient of art for the walls and
ceiling, thanks in part, to U.S. Sen.
Sam Nunn, D-Ga.
The Foundation for Hospital
art, founded about 20 years ago by
John Feight of Atlanta, is coming
to Perry Dec. 16-19 to repay a
ULUiiUin n cw ij
Hornets falter in qui u - GA - r,AIN
1 ATHENS, GA 3
Season ends |
Westfield falls to MDS, page 6A J
installer plan to do to correct the
problem, which first surfaced one
year ago and forced the recreation
department to seek alternate sites
for its basketball season.
“If we don’t get a satisfactory
answer by the next council meet
ing, I think we should turn the city
attorney loose,” said council
member Charles Lewis.
City officials stressed there will
be a basketball season, even if
repairs are not completed.
City manager Skip Nalley said
agreement has been reached with
the public schools to use their
facilities again this year.
Howard said tests in other parts
of the community center revealed
yV, IST
■fra H
B * HR-! H» I W flrH
Times-Journal Photo by Emily Johnstone
NUMERO UNO! Perry Middle School students and faculty celebrated
Nov. 26 after learning their school had been chosen as a 1990 Oeorgla
School of Excellence, one of 10 middle schools around the state. The
award is given one to each congressional district.
favor to Nunn.
According to Mary Jane
Kinnas, marketing director for
Houston Healthcare Complex, the
Foundation wanted to say
“thanks” to Nunn for his support
of hospital art projects both in the
United States and elsewhere.
According to Kinnas, the
(See ART, Page SA)
that they also have similar prob
lems.
“We have dragged our feet on
this,” said council member James
Moore. “If we must pursue it
through legal challenges, let’s do
it.”
The city and the contractor had
been trying to determine just
where the blame should be placed
on the matter.
Another city building, the new
city hall next door to the current
site on Washington Street, also
came up for discussion at the
council work session.
City official Harold Deal said
bids on work at the former Board
of Education building could be
Classified 7B
Church 4B
Editorials A 4
Public Notices . . . . 5B
Tolleson plans
major expansion
Project worth $6 million
planned for Perry plant
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
Tolleson Lumber Co. has announced plans for a
$6 million expansion of their Perry facility.
Company president Rusty Wood stated that “this
was a significant investment for the company and
that it was a strong vote of confidence in Tolleson’s
Management Team, the employees and the commu
nity.”
Tolleson currently employs 360 employees, he
said.
He also stated that it would have a ripple effect
with the 51 independent logging companies who
bring logs to the Perry site.
Clarence Montgomery, chief operations officer
and spokesman for the company, said the decision
came down to choosing between their Preston facili
ty and the Perry facility.
He said it was a very close decision but the efforts
of the Houston County Development Authority, the
Middle Georgia Regional Development Authority,
Rep. Larry Walker and Perry Mayor Jim Worrall
made the difference.
Sawmill complex plant manager Vann Maner is
excited about the decision. He stated that pine pro
duction will go from 53 million board feet per year to
90 million board feet per year. He stated that the effi
ciencies gained with the expansion would be sub
stantial and that investment would secure employ
ment for years to come for present employees and
guarantee an additional 50 positions.
Montgomery said Tolleson management made
visits to plants in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas
and Oklahoma to select the “state of the art” equip
ment available. All of the equipment will be ordered
by Jan. 1, 1997, with the new production level in
place by April 1.
Houston County Development executive Tim
Martin said, “Since 1919, Tolleson Lumber Co. has
been in the forefront providing opportunities to
Perryans. It’s exciting to see them expand and we are
proud to have assisted them in this effort.”
“All of us at the Development Authority think it is
great to be able to help existing industry expand,”
(See TOLLESON, Page SA)
ready by the first of the year.
Construction would then take
around three months, he added.
“We have really been dragging
our feet on this,” said Mayor Jim
Worrall. “It’s an embarrassment to
us” that is has taken so long to get
moved.
Deal said the move could be
carried out sometime in the spring,
with Howard explaining there is a
$9,000 gap in expected cost of the
project and what is now likely to
be the actual cost.
Council was to meet Nov. 26 at
the new site for a look at what has
been going on there.
(See COUNCIL, Page SA)
Obituaries A 2
Potpourri B 1
Christmas iC
Sports v| A 6 I
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