Newspaper Page Text
Volume 126,
No. 51
2 Sections,
16 Pages
Wednesday,
Dec 24, 1997
50 C ents
At the
Crossroads
This Week
Holiday closings noted
The Houston County Tax
Commissioners Office will be
closed Dei 24 through IX'i 28
The office will reopen lor busi
ness as usual Dec. 29 at 8 a.m
The C ity ol Perry adminis
trative offices will he closed
trom noon Dei 24 through
Dei 2* The offices will
reopen Dec 29 Trash pick-up
will also resume Dec 29.
The Houston Tones-Journal
will close at noon Dec 24 and
reopen Dec 29 at 8 30 a m
Pot emergencies during the
weekend call these pager num
bers 800-493-3207. 8(H)-6I6-
6129 or 329-2506
The Houston County
Library will be closed Dec
24-25. but will be open Dec
26 at the usual hours
Nationsßank will close at 2
p.m. Dec. 24 and will be
closed Dec 25.
Bank of Perry will close at
noon Dec 24 and reopen Dec
26
C'B&T Bank will close at
noon Dec 24 and w ill be open
usual hours Dec. 26.
Crossroads Bank will close
at noon Dec 24 and at 2 p.m
Dec 26 Tiie hank will be
closed Dec. 25.
County offices will be
closed Dec 24-25 but will be
open regular hours Dec 26
An exception to that is the
Houston County Probate
Court, which, according to
Judge Janice Spires, will be
closed Dec. 26. Services
including marriage licenses,
birth certificates, death certifi
cates. pistol permits and pro
bate court services will not be
available For emergencies,
call 951-3742.
Panthers in tourney
MILLEDGEVILLfc - The
undefeated and top-10 ranked
Perry Panthers will join seven
other male high school basket
ball teams at the Baldwin
County Say No to Drugs
Challenge here Dec. 26-27
Tiie Panthers will face
Region 8-AAAA toe Clark
Central ol Athens in a 2:30 p.m
game Dec 26 The next day.
Perry will face Class AA team
Washington-Wilkes at 1 p.m
The games will be played
at Baldwin High School The
school is on the left along Ga.
49 just at the Mtlledgevillc
city limits. Travel time from
Perry is about 75 minutes via
Macon and Ga 49 from
M aeon to Milledgexille.
Restaurants pass
mvironniental inspection
All restaurants inspected by
the Environmental Health
Department of Houston County
passed all areas of concern dur
ing visits Dec. 15-19.
Fresh Air Bar-B-Que. 403 N
Houston. Warner Robins. I(X)
Gold Cup Bowling
C'enler/Kussell Parkway.
Warner Robins. 95
International City Golf
Course 100 Sandy Run Lane.
Warner Robins, 95
Kimberly's Barbecue. 1320
Sam Nunn Blvd., Perry 93
Morningsidc Elementary
School. 1206 Morningsidc
Drive. Perry. 1(H)
Perrv Elementary School.
906 School St.. Perry, 95
Perry High School, 1307
North Avc.. Perry. 98
Ramada Inn/Wing's Cafe
and Lounge. 2725 Watson
Blvd . Warner Robins. 95
Sncllgrove Seafood. 632 N
Houston Lake Blvd..
Centerville. 100
Vallarla's Mexican
Restaurant. 819 Russell
Park wav. Warner Robins 100
Waffle House. 1501 Watson
Blvd Warner Robins, 9|
Happy Holidays
Enjoy your holiday and celebrate safely
Houston Times-Journal
PPG officials seek local help in hiring employees
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journai Staff
Right now it is “business as usual at the
Perry PPG Industries plant, according to
plant manager Henry Goode
That statement comes almost two weeks
after employees were told the facility
would be ceasing operations by mid
November of next year
Goode, along with Russ Lawrence
director of Human Resources. Lynn
Hoover, manager of operations and Louis
Landry, plant engineer, met with several
local officials Dec 22 to disiuss plans lor
Ittk Lit ' L
LEADERS AGREE ON AGENDA - Members
of the Georgia Democratic Caucus in the
General Assembly recently agreed on legisla
tive priorities for 1998. Among the group are
Democrats pledge income
tax cut during next session
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
T imes-Journai Staff
Two Houston County lawmakers are among a
group of Georgia Democrats who have pledged
to pass and sign into law an income tax cut and
abolish parole during the upcoming Georgia
General Assembly.
These two projects, along with an effort to
create the l hildren s Health Insurance Program,
will be among the many issues keeping House
Majority Leader Lurry Walker and Senate
President Pro Tempore Sonny Perdue busy dur
mg the 1998 Session in Atlanta
Walker said he is particularly pleased with the
proposed legislation that would provide unin
sured Georgia youths with health care coverage
All children who are above 200 percent ol
poverty would be eligible tor the purchase of
private health insurance at significantly reduced
rates. Statistics sav that would cover about
_—. warn
FUTURE LEADERS A reception was
held last week for the 1998 Perry Area
Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class.
Class members are Rhonda Backer, Terri
Lovell, Edmond Strickland, Miriam Musick,
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
the facility
Perry Mayor Jim Worrall said the plant
representatives asked that local officials put
Team Houston m place to help employ
ees'
Worrall said Houston Development
Authority Directoi Tim Martin has already
"got those wheels turning
Goode said contact has been made by
several area businesses that have |ob oppor
tunities available
Meanwhile meetings are being conduct
ed with all I7(i employees to determine
what can be done to help them eithet relo
SfKiul Photo
Rep. Larry Walker, D-Perry (second from left),
and Sen. Sonny Perdue, D-Bonaire at the
speaker's stand. The session opens Jan. 12.
116.(MX) children Walker said
Another estimated 88.000 would eligible for
private health insurance plan-, administered by
the State Merit System at a cost ol $7,50 per
month This plan is structured lor children ages
6 to 18 up to 200 percent ol poverty
Also under the new plan. Medicaid would be
expanded to cover pregnant women and children
trom birth to age 5 up to 200 percent ol the led
eral poverty level
What this means is that a family ol lour in
Georgia making $*2,000 a year would be eligi
ble The current poverty level tor a family that
si/e in Georgia is 516.0(H). said Walker
The "Absolute Truth-in-Sentencing legisla
tion will propose a constitutional amendment lor
the 1998 general election to abolish parole for
convictions after July I. 1999. said Perdue.
(See PAROLE, Page SA)
Limes lournil Photo bv fcmilv |ohn«tonr
Greg White, Wayne L. Keene, James
Mehserte Jr., Dave Cyr, Kathy Johnson,
Tonisha Thrift, Gordon C. Grimm. Not pic
tured are Janice Spires and Pam Klein.
Serving Houston County Since Pec. 17, 1870
cate to another PPG plant in the United
States or find a position with another com
pany
We have gone through probably more
than 60 percent of our total employees so
tar trying to document their desire," said
(i(«>de
The Perry plant, opened almost eight
years ago. has been primarily used as a
research facility for PPG Industries
Some unique products have come out of
those efforts in the past few years, said
Goode However, from a financial stand
point. the plant has not been so successful.
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journai Staff
Chris Kinnas has been named
as the new CEO for the Perry
Area Chamber of Commerce
That decision was announced
during a Dei 23 meeting of the
Chamber Board of Directors.
Kinnas. who will officially
.lake, the, tons Jan 5. 1998. was
one of 12 applicants seeking the
position left vacant by the resig
nation of Hay ley Greene Greene
has accepted a position with Flint
EMC.
Twenty-nine year old Kinnas.
a Macon native, is a graduate of
Mount de Sales Academy and
received a bachelor of arts degree
in history from the University of
Georgia He also completed
extensive coursework in Business
Administration and Finance
Magistrate court contract not set
By Jj Johnson
Times-Journai Editor
Members of the Houston
County Commission have not
made a binding decision concern
ing authorizing a $144 million
contract to build a new magistrate
court building.
An area daily newspaper story
Dec 23 made it appear a decision
was made a day earlier by com
missioners According to Steve
Engle with the county offices, no
meeting has been held concerning
the decision.
"The matter will be on the
agenda for the 10 a m Jan 6
meeting at Perry City Hall."
Engle said Dec. 23.
Chamber leadership
class begins work
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
Times-Journai Staff
Thirteen members of the Perry
Area Chamber of Commerce
Leadership Class of 1998 were
honored during a reception held at
the Perry Welcome Center Dec. 15.
Chamber CEO Hay lev Greene
welcomed the group into the
class, saying that experiences
they will go through during the
course that will end in August
1998 will help them become
community leaders
The 1998 schedule includes a
January retreat, a day in Atlanta to
observe the Georgia General
Assembly in action, an Education
Day sel for March 10 and a tour of
Robins Air Force Base April 14.
In May the members will tour
local industry. They are also
Chris Kinnas named
Perry chamber head
1
Homrof^nirorgid
National lair and
■\grii enter
he added
There are five other flat glass facilities
around the country, said Goode
Some ol the equipment used at the Perry
plant, also known as Works 18. is directly
compatible with other facilities, he added
Goode said a decision has not yet been
made regarding the equipment or the 180
acre piece of land that the plant is located
on
"I expect some decision to come out ol
headquarters in January, he said
After working with Delia
Airlines in Atlanta lor lour years
Chris Kinnas and his wife. Mary
Jane Brown Kinnas. a native of
Perry, moved trom their Atlanta
home to Perry and he became
material control manager with
The Hays Corporation of
Georgia Hays Corp. is located in
Macon
"We have chosen to live here
in Perry." said Kinnas
His first goal as Chamber head
is to "get out and meet the mem
bers of the Chamber and see what
their wants and needs are I plan
to have an aggressive schedule"
and seek continued growth tor the
Chamber head, he said
Assisting Houston County
Development Authority Director
(See CHAMBER, Page SA)
Commissioners will face a rec
ommendation from Engle and
from architect Trey Wood to
authorize the $1 44 million con
tract with Charlie Garbut to build
the l0.3(M)-square-foot building
along Cohen Walker Drive near
Ga 96 and Houston Lake Road
The building will include two
courtrooms and appropriate office
space. Engle said
The new fee on the contract
has been reduced $41,182
through changes in materials used
in construction, Engle said
The building will replace one
along Carl Vinson Parkway in
(See MAGISTRATE, Page 5A>
scheduled to attend a meeting of
the Houston County
Commissioners during the month
of June to witness county govern
ment action taking place
in July, health and human ser
vices for the county will be studied;
and. in the month of August, the
group will take a look at the gov
ernment of the City ol FYttv and
the effect of tourism on the area
Those participating are Pam Klein
PPG Industries Rhonda Backer. Alltel Ga
In, . Tern Lovell. Cits of Perrv Edmond
Stnckland Weyerhaeuser Miriam Mustek.
Perry Hospital. Greg While Perry
Hospital Wayne L Keene Northrop
Grumman. James Mehserle Jr JM A
Architecture Dave Cyr. Pamsh Ga In,
Kathy Johnson Houston County
Development Authorits. Tonisha Thrift
Perry Area Convention and Visitors
Bureau Janice Spires Houston Counts
Prohate Court and Gordon C Gnmni
Northrop Grumman