Newspaper Page Text
W wmHK • J
Volume 126, No. 48
5 Sections, 18 Pages
Wednesday,
Dec 5, 1997
r >o t ents
At the
Crossroads
This Week
Parties at the Agricenter
In addition to playing host to
a number of private parties dur
ing the coming days. officials at
the Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter will
otter a Stallion Showcase to the
public IX'c 6. For information
about the event, call 825-5504
Letters for Santa are
welcome at Perry office
Perry Post Office employee
Bruce Woodard said the special
letter box tor letters destined tor
the North Pole is novs in place in
front ot the Post Otlice located
along Carroll Street in down
town Perry.
It you have you letter ready
tor delivery to Santa Claus, just
drop it in the box and the United
States Postal Service will do the
rest
In addition, the post office
officials will share with the
Timcs-Journal the content of
those letters before they go to
the North Pole. Lx 1 tiers will be
published in Times-Journal
issues between now and Dec 24
Letters must be received by
Dec 20 to be included in the
paper
Tacos on tap
Here are lunch menus tor the
Houston County public schools
for the coming week
Dec 3 Tacos or baked
potato with chili and cheese,
roll, two vegetables, two truits.
pudding with whipped topping
Dec 4 Submarine sand
wich or southern chicken with
roll, lettuce, tomato, pickle, two
vegetables, two fruits, manag
er's choice dessert
Dec 5 Pi/za or manager’s
choice, two vegetables, two
truits. baked dessert
Dec 8 Hamburger or
chicken tried steak with gravy
and roll, lettuce, tomato, pickle,
french tries, one vegetable, two
fruits
Dec. 9 Chicken sandwich
or spaghetti with Texas toast,
two vegetables, lettuce and
tomato, one truii. cake
Dec 10 Com dog or chili
or soup with sandwich, maca
roni and cheese, one vegetable,
two fruits. Jell-O with whipped
topping
No restaurant kitchen
discrepancies reported
No discrepancies were report
ed by Houston County
Environmental Health
Department inspectors for the
week of Nov 24.
Restaurants inspected and
their scores:
Bonaire Middle School. 125
Ga 96 E.. Bonaire. 98
El Sombrero. 2195 Watson
Blvd . Suite I. Warner Robins.
97
Houston County High
School. 920 Ga. 96. Warner
Robins. 98
Speedy Pizza. 1040 Macon
Road. Perrv. 98
‘‘‘■Biißrlj
Contact the
Times-
Journal
Contact the Houston Times-
Journal
Voice (912) 987-1823
ban (912)98X1181
email ...jjcdit( a hom.net
Mail P.O Drawer M
Perry. 31069
Street 807 Carroll St .
Perry. 31069
The End
Westfield football
season comes to
end at Mount de
Sales
See page 1C
Houston Times-Journal
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
Three men enter pleas in church fire
Three on trial enter pleas after first day of testimony
Bv KICK JOHNSTONE
and Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Staff
MACON Late Tuesday afternoon Perrv resident
Eric Anthony Shugart. one of three men on trial lor set
ting tire to an Elko church, entered a guilty plea
The plea came as the prosecution linished examining
witnesses in the federal court case ot three Perry men
accused ot setting tire to the < >ak Grove ( hristian
Methodist Episcopal Church Feb 22
Within two hours. Shugart vs as |oincd m ihe plea
arrangement by Daryl Brent Patterson and Jason Wesley
Cantrell According to the Rev Ruthu Mae laekson. pas
tor of Oak Grove, the two pleas came about ’’ I s p m
Tuesday
Sources said the plea will result in a 24 month sen
tence tor each man Had they continued in the trial, and
been lound guilty, they could have taced .t' much a- 20
vears in federal prison
M •anwhile. during testimony in US District Court
Tuesday, it was established by every person participating
that Oak Grove CMP. Church near Plko was gutted bv
fire in the early morning hours ot Feb 22 Dial is the one
statement all participants in the arson trial that began
Dec I agreed on
Shugart. Patterson, and Cantrell were charged with
arson and interfering with interstate commerce in the
incident
City gets loan
to build sewer
extension
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
A loan request by the City of
Perry for funds that will allow the
new elementary school now under
construction in Kathleen to hook
into the Perry sewer system has
been approved
The Georgia Environmental
Facilities Authority has notified
Perry Mayor Jun Worrall ot the
positive decision tor a loan
amount of $821.100.
Those monies will go toward
funding of the Northeast Outfall
Project that will, within the next
couple of years, allow the new
school access to the city system
According to water superinten
dent Danny Walker, the 4 I mile
project will consist of a sewer line
being run to the school near the
intersection of Moodv Road and
Ga. 127
The $821.1(8) will cover the
cost of installation of the line, a
sewage lift station and all equip
ment needed for the project, he
said
The sewage lift station will be
located in the Bear Branch Road
area, he said, and will take care of
pumping the sewage through the
line that "gravity won t lake care
of.”
At present, the city has finished
surveying and can soon begin
work on the actual project.
Walker said that while the city
may one day expand sewer service
to other customers in that area, at
present, just the school will be
(See CITY, Page SAI
Major weekend of Christmas at the Crossroads activities on tap
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
It is here!
Another holiday season in
Perry '
Local downtown merchants
kicked off the season with their
annual Open House Nov. 30
And. the excitement ot local
residents has been building as the
weekend draws near
On Dec 6, the Kiwarns Club
will be hosting a Pancake
Break last at the Agriculture
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THANKSGIVING DINNER These volunteers were part
of a large group of people who gathered at Crossroads
United Methodist Church Thanksgiving Day to serve lunch
to folks who might otherwise not have had turkey and all
County to review $ 1.4 million magistrate court plans
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
Houston County commissioners voted to
allow architect Trey Wood a few week' to help
trim the proposed figure lor a new magistrate
court given by contractor Charles Garbut dur
ing the regular commission meeting held in
Peers Dec. 2 That bid came in jt SI '57 40. x
The action came after earlier bid> were
Building located at 733 Carroll St
Cost lor the breakfast is S 3. The
plates will be served between 7
a m and 11 a m
Later that day. young and old
alike will be lining the streets as
they await the 1997 Perry
Christmas Parade
More than 50 units will be lea
lured in the parade this year, with
lloats. bands and other sites to see
coming along the route ol
Kcllwood Drive io(icn Courtney
(lodges Boulevard to Carroll
Serving Houston County Since Dei. 17, 1870
chamber programs make
membership more entic
ing.
see page 3A
"They went to this chuich and destroyed 124 years ot
Georgia history Hold tlieiii aciountahlc assM.mt C S
attorney Kuhard Moultrie told tin. ' nun ' woman pirv
in opening arguments
He said the defendants went (torn Shugart ' apartment
in Patterson s truck and drove nine miles io gel to the
church oft Sewell Road Ihe chuuh was located
between F.lko Road and I
lire prosecutor said after drinking alcohol and smok
mg mariiuana the suspects then set tire o the building
Patterson poured vodka on the Bible and lighted it on
lire in the sanctuary said Moultrie
Patterson s lawvei lorn I’uiadu told jurors not to
make their decision intil all tcsiunonv is concluded
You makt the i . non he .aid It is impor
tant not iusi to these boy s but in thi wtioie country
Herb Wells repre utmg Sh gart said there is no
diaibt that the church * a d
He said the prosecuti n i\e . lon specula
lion innuendo little j e ! m ation here and
there
Cantrell attorney (T .s I not his client had
been linked by the leder government n> the other two
defendants but his on! utlt is a gut 1 In association
That Priori s.iui is n enough to c ct Cantrell of
burning down the church
i 'set I kl \|„ Page 5\ I
Street
The parade i' set to begin at 2
p m
Long-time parade organi/ei
(iary Hamlin said participants in
the parade should he ready to line
up at I p m
He reminds people that it is
against the law lot children to rule
in the back ol pick up trucks
The Perry Players will be pre
seining a performance ol The
Homecoming that evening Ivgm
mug ai 8 p in
reiccted last month because commissioners
said prices give'n were much higher than the
budgeted amount to construct the new facility
at .i location near the intersection ot Ga 96 and
Houston I ake Road
The most recent ogure of SI million is still
over the budgeted amount ot SI.070.(88) Wood
now has the job ol Irving to find ways to lower
the figure nearer the budgeted amount
msmrrm
[Students earning top
[grades at Westfield
I named to honor roll
| See page 4C
County eyes sales
Bv EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
WARNER ROBINS Ihe main purpose of a meeting
between government and municipal leaders Nov 25 was to
discuss service delivery strategy, but almost all the talk cen
tered around a possible onc-cent local option sales tax vote
next March
That tax could hind several projects, including the build
ing ot a new courthouse and the widening ot Houston Lake
Road.
Some of the other projects discussed were the lunding of
a regional jail, construction of a new magistrate court, a
community health center, recreation facilities and improve
ments tor roads, streets and bridges.
The current sales tax rate for Houston County is six per
cent or six cents for every dollar spent
One cent of that goes to pay a sales tax voters approved
tor the Board of Education last September to help pay for
several protects, including new and upgraded facilities
Another penny is collected to help reduce ad valorem or
property taxes charged by the Houston County Board of
Education.
The other four cents is tor the state sales tax.
Before another special local option sales tax can be
brought before the voters, officials have to decide exactly
how much money they need and exactly what they want to
spend that money on They also have to determine how long
the tax will be collected, up to a maximum of five years
Then, they have to get the vtrters acceptance.
It that fails, several officials have said a hike in ad val
orem ijx would probably occur.
Tinm lournal Photo bv tmilv Mimionr
the dressings that day. Many volunteers brought family
members along to help. "I have my whole family here,
except one son," said volunteer Karan Small. Decorations
were provided by a group of Perry High School students.
The theatre is located at 909
Main St Cost lor tickets is SS
adults and S 5 lor 12 and under
On Dec 7. there will be several
open houses including Rainbow s
End located at 1126 Macon Road
and WD Sullivan located at 14'2
Sam Nunn Blvd
What many call one ol the most
important local events ol the sea
son is set to take place that
evening at 7 p m.
The Community Candlelight
Service at the Courthouse Square
A
Home of the Georgia National
fair and Agriienter
In the lirst hid opening, the low hid came in
at 51.624.9(H)
Wood told commissioners he hopes to have
the situation resolved before the January board
meeting
Also during the meeting. Perry Mayor Jim
Worrall told commissioners he wanted them to
(See COURT. Page SA)
will involve participation Irom
many Perry area churches
Luminaries will line the streets.
The Service is sponsored by the
Pern Ministerial Association
On Dec 8. there will be a per
lormance held at Kings Chapel
Elementary School at 7 p.m. enti
tled Christmas Around The World
On I>ec 11. there will be a can
tata presented at the Perry United
Methodist Church "I Have Seen
the Light The church is located
at ItM>2 Carroll Si Perry