Newspaper Page Text
lA'AJ
Volume 126, No. 49
2 Sections, 22 Pages
Wednesday,
Dec. 10, 1997
SO Cents
At the
Crossroads
This Week
One Act Play on stage
this week at PHS
Members of the Perry High
School One Act Plus troop will
present "Cotton Patch Gospel
Dec. 14 at 4 p.m .it the Perry
High School Auditorium
The play served as the basis of
the troop's second place finish in
Georgia High School
Association Region 3-AA com
petition recently
Admission for the perfor
mance is S 3
Equine team to visit
Agricenter Dec. I A-14
Members of the Circle W
equine team will participate in a
penning competition Dec 1 3-14
at the Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter
A computer show will be held
the same days
Students get Christmas
lunch menu
Here are menus tor lunch at
Houston County public schools
for the coming week
Dec. 10: Com dog or chili or
soup with sandwich Macaroni
and cheese one vegetable, two
fruits. Jell-O with whipped top
ping
Dec. 11 Christmas lunch
menial
Dec. 12 Steak nuggets
with roll or manager's choice,
two vegetables, two fruits, man
ager's choice dessert
Dec 15 Chicken nuggets
with roll or hot ham and cheese
sandwich, two vegetables, two
fruits
Dec. 16 Hot dog or ham
burger steak with gravy and roll,
french fries, two vegetables, two
fruits.
Dec 17 Taco or deli sand
wich. lettuce, tomato, pickles,
two vegetables, two fruits
Discrepancies against
standard reported seven
times at local kitchens
Houston County
Environmental Health
Department inspectors found
discrepancies at seven restau
rants during the past week
When inspectors find a dis
crepancy. restaurant managers
are required to correct the prob
lem immediately.
Burger King. 201 Russell
Parkway. Warner Robins. 87.
problems with temperature con
trol of foods
Hardee's. U S 341 N at
Perimeter Road. Perry. 81. prob
lems with temperature control
of foods
Joel's Place. Commercial
Circle. Warner Robins. 88.
problems with temperature con
trol of foods
K-Cafe Featuring Little
Caesar's. 2063 Watson Blvd .
Warner Robins. 70, problems
with temperature control of
(See FOOD. Page SAI
,1*
Houston Jim
Contact
the Times-
Journal
Contact the Houston Times-
Joumal
Voice (912) 987-1823
Fax (912) 988-1181
email jjedit@hom.net
Mail P.O Drawer M.
Perry. 31069
Street 807 Carroll St..
Perry. .31069
All state players
named at
Westfield
Banquet honors
L several players
Ik See page BA
Houston Times-Journal
Workers to occupy new city hall this weekend
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
The day employees of Perry City Hall
have been wailing for the past few years has
finally arrived the move to the renovated
building next door
Work on the building that formerly
housed the Houston County Board of
Education located beside the Perry
Municipal Building at 1207 Washington St
is almost complete and. according to city
manager Skip Nalley. city employees will
be rolling up their sleeves and beginning the
move this Friday
"Since the staff will be moving them
Christmas at
Crossroads events
draw large crowds
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Timrs-Journal Staff
Children smiled and waved as
Santa Claus arrived m Perry Dec
6. riding atop the Perry l ire
Department Ladder One truck as
the 1997 Perry Christmas Parade
made its procession from
Kellwood Drive to Main Street
With Christmas at the
Crossroads m full swing, many
Perry ans are participating in
events and activities to celebrate
the holiday season
The annual Community
Candlelight Service held Dec 7 at
the courthouse square in down
town Perry attracted a crowd of
several hundred people who galh
cred to celebrate the birth of
Christ
Area businesses are apparently
in the Christmas celebration mode,
as at nightfall each day. the town
becomes a wonderland of lights
Besides the downtown area,
people can see decorations at the
Perry Welcome Center located
along General Courtney Hodges
Boulevard and the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and
Agricenter located right next door
Speaking of the downtown
stores. Impressions owner
Elizabeth Flowers said this is the
"best year ever'" for holiday shop
(Srr SEASON, Page 5A>
Fast like the wind
Newest Perry cycle officer believes bike patrol
offers protection to merchants, residents
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journal Staff
With a twinkle in his dark eyes and a
calculated, deft thrust to the pedal
of his bike, Perry’s newest bike
patrolman. David Jennings, rides
like the wind to serve and protect the residents of
this town.
Jennings is the latest to join up as a member of
the recently created bike squad and has already
seen first-hand the benefits of patrolling the streets
in something other than a bulky, highly visible
police car.
“The bike unit can be utilized in such ways as
suppressing the number of burglaries.” said
Jennings.
In many cases, burglars work with one person
being the look-out, watching for law enforcement
officers in the area.
Those patrol cars are easily spotted, said
Jennings.
But, officers on bikes are something else.
“You can come up on somebody like that and
they do not even know you are there,” said
Jennings.
At least, until they realize their rights arc being
read and the handcuffs arc being put into place.
Jennings said in many cases bike officers are
m.
J* V
Official l egal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
selves, we respectfully ask citizens to wait
urtil Monday morning to conduct city busi
ness.' - said Nalley
When the move is complete, customers
can park at the new city hall in the parking
lot beside the building and enter through
doors that face the parking lot
This will be the only entrance and exit to
the building lor customer use
Once inside. Kim 1 elder, receptionist
will be located so as to help answer ques
tions or direct customers to the proper
office
Utility offices where customers may pay
their bills will be located on the first floor
c- ■■ •«
*
Times journal Photo b> bit /ellan
READY FOR A PARADE Taylor Aikman surrounds her
self with friends while waiting for the start of the Perry
Christmas parade Dec. 6. Additional Christmas at the
Crossroads pictures are on pages 6-78.
Serving Houston County Since Pec. 17, 1870
, "“/Letters tdt
, 'r- i Santa
sX Youths share
their Christmas
requests
W See page 1B
able, because of the stealth-like nature of the bikes,
to nde near drug users and be able to sit and
observe their actions without the suspects ever
knowing their are being watched until it is too
late.
Jennings, who. until his induction into the bike
squad patrolled Perry streets from a car. recalled
during a recent interview that a career in law
enforcement was “always in the back of my mind.”
Bom as the son of Henry and Micha Jennings in
Korea. David Jennings tried his hand at several dif
ferent things, including a stint in the National
Guard, being a student at the Military Academy at
Roswell. N.M.. and attending Columbus College.
Since becoming a member of the Perry Police
Department, his education is continuing, as Perry
Chief George Potter encourages his men and
women in blue to attain classroom knowledge.
“I already have more than 200 hours of training
since becoming a member of this police force.”
said Jennings. “That is twice as many as a friend
who is working with the Columbus department.”
Returning to college is a goal of Jennings, also.
Meantime, he is happy to be pedaling his way
around Perry, watching out for the well-being of
citizens and their properties.
“This is a good town.” he said. “Everyone is a
lot closer here than in larger towns.”
Upon entrance through the door, the cus
tomer will take a right and find that office
through the last door on the left
City council meetings will be held in the
former Board of Education chambers also
on the first floor.
Offices tor the mayor and city manager
will be located on the second floor, along
with planning and zoning offices
An elevator has been installed and is now
in operation to provide easy access to the
second floor, per American Disabilities Act
standards
Phone numbets will be changing during
the move, said Nalley On Dec 12 Nalley
School Board OKs
gang violence course
Police chiefs , middle school principals back
effort to teach about gangs , violence
By KICK JOHNSTONE
For Ihe Times-Journal
In an eflort to be proactive
rather than reactive, members ot
the Houston County Board ol
Education have approved a
GKFAI program to deal with
gangs in the schools At the same
time, the group has given the go
ahead to the possibility ol using a
drug-sniffing dog at schools in the
system
GREAT. Gang Related
Training and Education is a
nationwide program spearheaded
by the Bureau of Alcohol
Tobacco and Firearms that is bro
ken down into nine segments
Pcrrv Police Chief < ieorge
Potter received school board
approval at the Dec 9 meeting to
start the effort in the tall ot I9HK
While the police chief had
sought permission to try the pro
gram as a pilot at Perry Middle
School, board members voted to
OK the effort in all the schools
starting in the fall
That move came after Warner
Robins Police Chief Dan Hart
gave his backing to the program
"We see a need to educate our
Ilf
y :r shibp"~
. r
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B » ,
mm mm Bk
Ttmrt }oum*i Photo by E mik Jskeimtr
WHAT A BIKE I Perry bike patrolmen David
Jennings takes a moment to talk with downtown Perry
business owner Chuck Ramsdale. Ramsdcrie took note
of the speed and stealth of the patrolman's unique
mode of transportation.
Vrctfocnt
National FFA
President honored
with local reception
See page 46
asks customers who have a utility problem
to call the police department at 987-631()
This is for emergencies only and not for
billing information
As normal, anyone with fire or police
emergencies should still dial 911
The phone systems at the new location
should be up and running by Monday morn
ing lie said Ihe mam number will he 988-
27(H)
Ihe remaining city departments at the
present location, police and fire will be able
to utilize the extra space said Nallcv
The location will house all public safety
employees
wsppip*
Msir
it
I fume of the Georgia National
lair and Agricenter
student*, i about gangs and the dan
gers ot them: said Potter We
need to proside our students with
a sale environment and a positive
future
Perry Middle School prineipal
Thomas ( luptou endorsed the pro
gram We are already seeing
things going on on a daily basis
and we need to let the community
know there is a problem, he said
It we are not prepared, we will
have a big problem
The head ot security for the
Bibb founts school system. Mike
Dorn also voiced his support of
the education program
He said Bibb County started the
effort two sears ago and has
already seen positive results
CiKhAT aims to intervene before
students are lured to gangs, he
added.
Poitet said the gang related cur
riculum will be replacing WAVE
(Weapons and Violence
Education) in the classroom
Among categories covered in
the nine-week curriculum are
crime and victims, cultural sensi
(See GANGS, Page SA)