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Viewpoints
Our
Views
It s oveir. Amen
For the first lime in weeks, most folk will
sit down to watch television this week and
not cringe every time a commercial comes
on.
For the past six months, especially since
the mid-July primary, Georgians have been
blasted by advertisements not promoting the
virtues of the candidate buying the air time,
but rather words and pictures attempting to
destroy the opponent.
For many Georgians, the 1998 campaign
hasn’t been fun. The days of political stump
speakers who could charm an audience are
gone, along with the wonderful barbecue
dinners. These events have been replaced
with cold, impersonal televised debates
where the goal is to be the best-looking can
didate.
With that environment has come the
attack ads. We find these ads totally lacking
in taste. We strongly urge our would-be offi
cials to examine their plans for future polit
ical races and purge unnecessary attacks
against the lives of their opponents from
their list of activities.
Likely, each candidate has a skeleton or
two hanging around. Just as likely, each can
didate also has some very endearing quali
ties and some good, specific issues and
plans to promote. Alas, all we know about
the 1998 candidates is the skeletons, real
and imagined.
Thank a veteran Nov. 11
Seven days remain before the annual
oh\ervunctf of Veterans’ da\. Surely that's
enough time to make plans to thank a vctei
an that day lot his or her sacrifice to pre
serve out American way of life.
Each American who has given time to the
armed forces has done so at a sacrifice.
Members of the military certainly don't
enter the force For the money. While the pay
scale is more competitive than it was years
ago when draftees were paid 10 cents an
hour, the private sector does offer strong pay
benefits.
That’s not the point today. The issue today
is to thank a veteran for helping make our
homeland safe for democracy and for fami
lies. The issue is to thank the family of vet
erans who gave all for the sacrifice they
made for our benefit.
The number of World War II veterans who
are able to attend Veterans’ Day services is
dwindling rapidly. Most of these veterans
are 70 or older, and lack the spring in their
step which helped carry them to victory
more than 50 years ago.
Veterans of more recent battlegrounds
Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East, are
beginning to have more gray than color in
their hair as well. We are growing older in a
special society because of the efforts of
many.
Remember to thank a Veteran Nov. 11.
Life is very fragile
Persons associated with Perry High
School have been reminded at least twice
this fall that life is very fragile and that it can
end, even for the young.
The tragic deaths of a teacher and a stu
dent stand as firm reminders that nothing is
permanent, that we are all transients on the
face of this earth Both young men were
liked and appreciated by their peers and oth
ers. Both were a loss to not only their fami
lies, but also to their school and the greater
community.
We cannot change the events which have
transpired. We can say we’re sorry of the
loss of these two young men. We can say we
appreciate their contributions to this world,
and that we will miss them in the days to
come. We wish their families well.
Houston Times-Journal
P.O Drawer M • 807 Carroll St. • Perry. Ga. 31069
email timeiijm@hom.net
(912) 987-1823 (voice) *(912) 988-1181 (fax)
Bob Tribble President
Jj Johnson Editor and General Manager
Angelia McCoy Advertising Director
News: Rob Mead, Pauline Lewis, Joan Dorsett; News and
Composition: Charlotte Perkins; Sports: Phil Clark and
Alline Kent; News and Classified Ads: Stacie Vu;
Circulation and Photography: Eric Zellars; Bookkeeping:
Paula Zimmerman
H
Plan to celebrate Veterans’ Day in Perry Nov. 11
Editor:
Some years ago Veterans Day was
known as Armistice Day. For our
younger members. Armistice means a
suspension ol hostilities, in other
words a truce.
At the 11 th hour on the 11 th day of
the I Ith month of 1918. World War I
came to an end and was known as
Armistice Day In later years.
Veterans’ Day as we know it, became
the official observance for honoring all
Veterans.
While history tells us the dales of
when these wars started and ended,
you rarely hear about the personal
accounts of the men and women who
fought to preserve the Freedom and
Liberty that sustain us today.
You cannot truly appreciate what
war is by reading dates in a book, you
cannot understand the meaning of sac
rifice without a knowledge of history.
The PeAA/i/r Gallery
Tlect/oa/ Oyer?
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"
Deer pre-rut activities under way now
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This column
by John Trussed traditionally
appears on the sports page. Because
of space restrictions this week, the
column appears here.)
The rut consists of several phases
extending over 3 to 4 months, starting
with sparring activity among bucks and
ending after breeding. In much of North
America, rutting begins in September
and terminates by January.
Photoperiods (the relative lengths of
alternating periods of lightness and
darkness as they affect the growth and
maturity of the deer) arc the factor most
responsible for triggering rutting behav
ior. The rut peaks in Central Georgia
about Nov. 15.
During late August and early
September in the Southeast, bucks will
begin to remove the velvet from the
antlers as it begins to (lake out naturally.
Often bucks will rub their antlers on
small saplings to help loosen the velvet;
the saplings also serve as whipping
posts for young bucks to test their
strength. '
Tree rubs give hunters a good indica
tion of the location of bucks during the
archery season and a string of rubs or a
concentration in one area should give
you some strong indications as to where
you can locale your stand Be aware,
however, that by the time fall rut is
under way in mid-November, the impor
tance of tree rubs to hunters decreases
because deer movements and food
sources have probably changed.
Basically, although bucks may rub
trees throughout the rut. the majority of
rubs occur early in the season By mid-
October, you should start looking for
fresh scrapes. We'll discuss the rut more
Our Policies
Unsigned editorials appearing in larger type on this page
under the label Our Views reflect the position of the Houston
Times-Joumal. Signed columns and letters on this page (and
elsewhere in this newspaper) reflect the opinions of the writ
ers and not necessarily those of this newspaper.
Signed letters to the editor are welcomed. Please limit let
ters to 300 words and include addresses and a telephone
number for verification purposes. Letters are not published
without verification. Letters should be sent to P.O. Drawer
M, Perry, Ga., 31069 or brought to the newspaper office at
807 Carroll St.. Perry.
Our liability for an error will not exceed the cost of space
Wed., Nov. yC 1998
Page 4A
Letters to
the Editor
P.O. Drawer M
Perry , Ga. 51069
and you clearly have no concept of
freedom and liberty until you are will
ing to fight to your death so another
may live in Freedom, the Freedom that
all of us so dearly love, which sadly,
more often than not. taken for granted.
Many hundreds of thousands of
Americans have fought and died so we
may be here to honor all Veterans at
our Veterans Day program which will
be at the Community Center at Rozar
Park on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.
Come and join us in helping to pay
tribute to all of our Veterans.
Don Norris. Commander
American Legion Post 24
Outdoors
John Trussed
Columnist
next month, but right now bucks are
engaging in pre-rut activities, such as
sparring, and in the establishment of the
deer social hierarchy.
The action of an individual deer is
linked closely to its position in a social
hierarchy. Most encounters within
groups are aggressive interactions in
which a high-ranking animal dominates
a subordinate member Occasionally a
subordinate is driven from the group
entirely; more often it simply is forced
to move away from the aggressor
Subordinate members learn to avoid
dominant members, and thus aggressive
interactions are minimized and both
groups save energy and avoid the risk of
injury.
Eye aversion, such as when a small
buck looks away from a larger buck, is
an act of subordination and is particular
ly evident in feeding, bedding and rut
ting situations Right now bucks are
bedding together; it's interesting to note
that when they bed down, they'll each
face outward, so direct eye contact is
avoided, but this behavior also lets them
avoid any approaching danger.
Aggressive intentions are expressed
by stereotypical postures, which signal
the intent of the dominant deer. The
lowest level of aggression is a direct
stare coupled with dropping the ears
back along the neck. Many encounters
begin and end with this signal.
occupied by the error.
We cannot be responsible for the return of pictures or sub
mitted materials unless a stamped, return address envelope is
included.
Our Goal
The Houston Times-Joumal is published proudly for the
citizens of Houston and adjoining counties by Houston
Publications Inc., Perry. Ga. Our goal is to produce quality,
profitable, community-oriented newspapers that you, our
readers, are proud of. We will reach this goal through hard
work, teamwork, loyalty and a strong dedication toward
printing the truth.
Member of Georgia Press Association and National
Perry
Thanks for fire help *
FUlilor:
We arc at a loss for words at the out
pouring of sympathy and concern from
neighbors, friends and people we
never had met before. We truly appre
ciate each prayer, phone call, the food,
clothing and money. You know, just
knowing you are there if we need you
is wonderful.
As we struggle to rebuild in this
community we so dearly love, and
which has been our home or all our 50
years of marriage, when finished we
hope you will feel free to drop by and
sit with us in the backyard swing and
chat with us.
We buried our little pomeranian in
the edge of the yard. She didn’t survive
the tragic fire. We can see her playing
with the little children in heaven, mak
ing them happy as she did us so many
/
The (more-aggressive) postures have
been termed "head-high” and “head
low" threats, and seem to be of equal
value in foretelling subsequent displays
of aggression. A head-low threat indi
cates a readiness to chase, while the
head-high posture signals a readiness to
rear at (he subordinate
Chasing normally is accompanied by
striking (kicking or “slapping”" with a
foreleg) at the opponent's flank. This
maneuver frequently is used by does to
drive reluctant yearlings away at partu
rition time. Rearing involves Hailing at
the opponent with both forelegs and is
not seen as often as chasing. When deer
of equal rank fail to back off in the face
of each other’s threat postures, they both
may rear and flail at each other for as
long as five seconds.
Aggressive behavior of does is iden
tical to that of bucks during most of the
year. Bucks, however, use hardened,
polished antlers in threat postures dur
ing the rut. which will be discussed next
column.
Sparring appears among bucks as
srxrn as velvet is removed from antlers.
At (his lime, bucks are in buck groups
and show no interest in does Sparring
matches represent low-level aggressive
encounters and are distinct from antler
fights that may occur later when compe
tition for breeding takes place The
function of sparring seems to be the
establishment of a well defined rank
order of hierarchy among males prior to
the breeding period.
(See HUNTER, Page SA)
Houston Times-Journal
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POSTMASTER : Send address changes to the Houston
Times-Joumal, P.O. Drawer M, Perry, Ga. 31069. ISSN:
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days.
May God bless each fireman every
where. and thanks to all who partici
pated in trying to save our house We
will be forever grateful that our son
was able to escape.
Mary and Betty Adams
Flayneville
Goody bad and ugly
Editor:
I would like to say ‘ Amen!” to
Chief Johnny Barton ’s letter to you last
week. I have known the Sinyard fami
ly for many years and can only imag
ine the hurt and grief they must feel.
Tres was a son, brother, husband
and father. The bad was Kim Nelson’s
letter, the ugly was the Houston Times-
Joumal printing the letter, and the
good was Chief writing his letter.
Alan Shaw
Perry
Jj
Johnson
Editor
Winning both titles
As I headed from a post-game inter
view with Perry High Fmitball Coach
George Collins toward my car Friday
night. 1 met PHS principal Phil Smith.
Phil was sporting a pretty good
smile. We paused briefly to greet and
address the improved season which
both the Panther football team and the
Pride of the Crossroads Band are expe
riencing
I told Phil this was truly an occasion
for w hich the statement could be accu
rately said. “Perry won both the foot
ball game and the halftime.”
Such hasn’t always been the case
during recent years. Alter u brief run at
football success during the late 1980s.
the Panthers settled into a break-even
pattern for three or four years before
lean times hit.
During the three previous years, the
Panthers have won few games.
They've come close sometimes, but
just didn't have some missing ingredi
ent to make the victory possible.
At the same time, the band has also
gone through growing pains. A couple
of director changes later, the band now
has an enthusiastic director who has
taken the band from the festival level
to marching events to competitive sta
tus.
. What that means is the Pride of the
Crossroads no longer plays an exhibi
tion schedule for superior awards.
Instead, the Pride meets other bands
head to head on the field in competi
tion, and the best band wins.
For both the football team and the
band, this has been a year of victories.
The Panthers have won six games
already, with two regular season games
remaining. I’m not sure if the band has
won all of their halftimes, because I
haven't seen even 1 Perrv game. Of
those I have attended, the band is well
above break-even.
This resurgence of Panther pride is
good for the students, the school and
the community. Last year. Coach Carl
Thomas and the Panther basketball
team gave fans a thrill a minute with
their undefeated season to the champi
onship game. Suddenly, the Panther
gym was the place to be on Friday and
Saturday night when the Panthers were
gunning their way past yet another
opponent.
George Collins and his football
staff, along with Joe Hutcheson and his
band support staff, have brought anew
standard of performance to the local
scene this year Fans are responding
There are more people in the stadium,
and those who arc there are more
enthusiastic.
Throughout the years. Perry has
earned a reputation as a school with
success in extracurricular activities,
ranging from One Act Play to FFA to
basketball. Extracurricular activities do
not replace education, but they certain
ly help the book medicine go down
easier. •
Go Panthers.