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Christmas at the Crossroads 1998 Special pull-out section for holiday festival inserted In section BI f Volume 127, No. 47 3 Sections, 22 Pages Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998 50 Cents At the Crossroads This Week Horses, cars visit Fairgrounds Two events are set for the Thanksgiving weekend at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agriccnter. The Thanksgiving Classic Palomino horse show will take place Nov. 25-29. The Pace Motor Sports Arena Cross show will be Nov. 26-28. Restaurants receive health inspection Local restaurants received Health Inspection ratings for the week of Nov. 16-20. The results were as follows: Blimpie, 1205 N. Main St., Perry, 77, with storage of cleaning producls/toxic mate rials discrepancies Chen’s Wok/Galleria Mall, 2922 Watson Blvd, Centerville, 97 China Palace Too. 112 N. First St.. Warner Robins, 95 Family Mart, 515 N. Houston Road, Warner Robins, 88 Happy Store #433, 517 N. Perry Parkway, Perry. 81. with storage of cleaning products/toxic materials Hardee’s, 421 N. Davis Drive, Warner Robins. 88 Jin Jin Chinese Restaurant, 1309-D S. Main Street, Perry, 70, with food handling tech niques and temperature control of food or food sources dis crepancies McDonald's, 1414 Sam Nunn Blvd., Perry, 70, with temperature control of food or food sources discrepancies Perry Rec Dept/Rozar Park, 1060 Keith Drive, Perry, 97 Porno’s House of Barbeque, 2766 Watson Blvd.. Warner Robins, 66, with temperature control of food or food sources discrepancies All major discrepancies are corrected before the health inspector leaves the premises. Office open Friday The office of the Houston Times-Journal will be open for business during normal hours, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Nov. 27. Santa letters welcomed The Houston Times-Journal will continue a long tradition of publishing letters to Santa in issues prior to Christmas. Letters can be brought to the Times-Journal at 807 Carroll St., or mailed to the paper at P.O. Drawer M, Perry, 31069. The deadline for letters to be published is Dec. 18 at the close of the business day. Game at Bp.m. The Georgia Independent Schools Association semifinal Class AAA football game between Westfield and Tattnall Square will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 27 at the Hornet’s Nest. Houstoill Contact the Times- Joumal Contact the Houston Times- Journal: Voice i (912) Vo. ,Z 22 Fax (912)988-1181 . email timesjrn@hom.net Mail P.O. Drawer M, Perry, 31069 Street 807 Carroll St.. Perry, 31069 Houston Tiuiuo -uournl Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia . \ at?*?? ,' -• ■ - T pnafN _ Mr-1- . 'jtK&An * J JfcV | m torn ” JaHFWgBF ran* IT JfVEHwsfe . pr aj i > 1 TinM*-Joumal Photo by Stocio Vu TURKEY DAY SURVEY These local vey. Most want to have more family ori- Perry Middle School students gave inter- ented events during the Thanksgiving hol esting answers to our Thanksgiving sur- idays. Middle School students share recipe for Thanksgiving success Bv STACIE VU and CHARLOTTE PERKINS Times-Journal Staff What’s the recipe for a happy Thanksgiving Day? Survey * group, of.jnilltfle school students and you'll find out that the ingredients are sim ple enough: a family gathering, a lot of food and fun with the emphasis, believe it or not, on family. Asked what they were thank ful for, 53 of 55 students sur veyed at Perry Middle School listed “family.” “My family and friends” “Big house, big family, caring family.” “Family, love, food.” “Food, family, love.” “The love my family has." “Being with my family.” “My mother, my dad, my sis ters and brothers.” “For my grandmother and grandfather to be out of the hos pital and well. We can all see each other and thank God for that. “Nana is alive. I’m with my family, and I’ve lived another year." Some want more family around for the holiday. A question about “things you would like to do on Thanksgiving that you do not now do” got a few poignant answers: “See my real dad, which I have never seen.” “Have my cousin home, my dad to be there..” “Have Thanksgiving with whole family.” “Have more people come down here, go out of town to where our kinfolks are. for the people that come down to stay longer.” “Have ALL the family.” What do families do together Planning and Zoning issues first construction permit for new post office By ROB MEAD Times-Jouhnal Staff After lying dormant for more than a year, the property at 1400 Macon Road has come back to life. Recently, a construction trailer was placed on the site of the future Perry Post Office. Work began almost two years ago on the site, but the company which had the con tract to build and lease the building to the U.S. Postal System went bankrupt. Now, the Perry Planning and Zoning Commission has issued the first permits necessary for work to begin on the site. A permit to allow cleaning up of site ero sion and having the construction trailer on 1 Wt 1 'V y that makes this day so special? The Times-Journal asked the students to list three things their families did on Thanksgiving day. Here are some answers”: “Eat, cook, have fun.” “Eat, talk about thing* in the past, spend time together." “Eat soul food.” Have you tried turkey and pizza for Thanksgiving? By Stacie Vu and Charlotte Perkins Times-Journal Staff When you think of Thanksgiving you think of Turkey, right? All across America Local administrative offices and restaurants celebrate Thanksgiving Bv Stacie M. Vu T i mbs -J ou rnai Staff The City of Perry Administrative Offices will celebrate Thanksgiving Nov. 26. The administrative offices will be closed on Nov. 26-27. Houston County administrative offices will also be closed on Nov. 26-27. Trash pickup for Houston County will fall a day behind with Thursday pick up being picked up on Friday and Friday’s pick up being picked up on Saturday. The City of Perry trash pick up has changed also. The trash to be picked up on Thursday will be picked up on Wednesday and Friday’s pick up will remain the same. Local area restaurants will observe the holidays with some closing and some staying open to serve Thanksgiving Day patrons. Those that will be closed for business on Thursday arc Applebee’s, Angelina’s, Arby’s, Captain D’s, Chic-fil-A. Dairy Queen, El Jalisiense, Hardee’s. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Krystal, The Oil Lamp Restaurant. Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s. The Oil Lamp Restaurant will be closed on Friday also. Some local area restaurants will observe special holiday times. (See OPEN, Page SA) site with power for lights on premises was issued Nov. 23 by the P&Z board. The permit was issued to Postal Services LLC, a limited legal corporation. The com pany is owned by Glenn B. Clark Jr., but no information on the address of the company was available before press time. Plans for further work on the site will have to be submitted to Planning and Zoning before new permits will be issued and any pre-existing permits for work on the site are invalid said Steve Howard Building Inspector. Meanwhile, Howard said workers should break ground at the new Wal-Mart location in the 1400 block of Sam Nunn Boulevard Semifinals Jones, Hornets get rematch with Tattnall (after beating Milledge Details, Page 6A "Eats, cats, eats." Eating naturally leads the list on this day of feasting, but there’s another main activity that the Pilgrim fathers wouldn’t have expected. 23 out of 55 students report that their families watch (See RECIPE. Pape SA) tables will be set with Turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and other Thanksgiving favorites on Nov. 26. Some Turkey may have (See PIZZA, Pape SA) City beginning water, sewer improvements but rates going up Bv Stacie M. Vu Timex-Journal Staff Improvements to the Perr\ water and sewerage departments will result in a small increase of rates for city customers. City officials announced dur ing a Nov. 17 meeting that the rates would climb about four per cent beginning Jan. 1 1999. For all customers of the city of Perry water department, this means the consumption rate the charge for actual water used will go up. Meter charges will remain the same. Now. water customers who live in the city pay $1.75 per 1,000 gallons of water used. After the rate increase, the cost will be $1.82 per 1.000 gallons. Persons connected to city water who live outside the city now pay $2.62 per 1,000 gallons. Those customers will pay $2.73 per 1,000 gallons beginning Jan. 1. Sewage rates are based on the amount of water used. Customers Compromise rumored in pool hall alcohol debate Bv STACIE VU Times-Journal Staff Some 24 citizens at the Nov. 17 meeting of Perry City Council expressed concern about a pro posed pool hall ordinance which received first reading during the Nov. 3 City Council meeting. During the Nov. 3 meeting. Jay Lahku, owner of Smokin’ J’s. a local pool hall, voiced opposition to the proposal. Smokin' J’s is the only pool hall in Perry. The proposed ordinance says. "No alcoholic beverages shall be sold, served, or allowed to be used in or on the premises of any pool room, billiard room or billiard parlor within the city limits. No minor shall be allowed in any pool room, billiard room or billiard parlor within the city limits wherein alcoholic beverages are sold unless said minor is accom panied by his or her parent or his or her legal guardian.” Lahku said then he believes the ordinance is “targeted at me and my business” since he is the only pool hall owner in the city. Lahku received a beer license from the city during June. There were, according to Lahku. "no issues brought up then about minors being present.” Several of the Nov. 17 visitors said it was not fair to punish kids for previous acts which have occurred around Smoking’ J’s by within the next 30 days and that dirt is set up on the sub grade. Demolition permits have been issued for the site but arc not expected to be used immediately. Most of the former Grant City/Kmart shopping center will be demol ished to make way for the new store. In other business, members of Planning and Zoning issued a permit allowing a sec ond monument sign to be erected at the site the new CVS Drug Store at the intersection of Commerce and Washington streets. The monument signs will be no more than 15 feet tall. The store is expected to open for business after the first of the year said Howard. w km, 1 vriSy SHOP'S , Village surge Several new shops open doors at Village Shops on Carroll Street. Details, Page 9A now pay $1.40 per 1,000 gallons of water used for sewerage treat ment. After Jan. 1, customers will pay $1.46 per 1,000 gallons of water used. The changes are part of the bond ordinance passed Nov. 17 by Perry City Council. “Interest rates fell so low it behooved the city to refinance the water and sewer bonds at a lower interest rate. In doing so we’ve created savings of almost $200,000 over the life of the bonds,’’ said City Manager Skip Nalley. “The city was able to get $1.4 million of new money to be used for water and sewer rehabili tation and improvements.” Nalley said the city has identi fied several water and sewerage projects which need completion. “Some we’ve been putting off and others we have to provide because of growth,” Nalley said. “Some projects extend water and sewage to the new Exit 42A inter state interchange." banning them from the pool hall. “I believe that the pool hall will show a tremendous decrease in teenage crime, traffic violations and loitering," Billy Gray of Perry said. ‘‘Our children do not have any thing to do. I’ve only been here for six years, but there is no movie theater and there is no bowling alley,” Gray added. Alan Andrews agreed that there is no teen entertainment by stating that “Smokin’ J’s gives them (kids) a place to go.” Joann Whitehurst, also of Perry, said "The kids that are in there are basically good kids wim nowhere to go They can go out and find somebody to buy them a beer any where and then go out in their cars drinking or doing w hat ever they’re going to do. It's not a bad atmosphere.” After hearing several people voice their concerns Council agreed to put off adopting the ordinance pending a possible compromise. A compromise that is under review involves allowing minors in during an allotted time with no alcohol sales. After the allotted time, alcohol sales may resume but the minors must be accompa nied by a parent during the hours of sales. The next Council meeting will be on Dec. 1, at City Hall located on Washington Street. New orange variance signs have replaced the old white ones. The new signs are made “in house” rather than being contracted out and will list the hearing date and the variance on each 30-inch by 30-inch sign said Howard. The 66 acres annexed to the city at the request of Houston County during the City Council meeting Nov 3 is zoned M-2 which permits the location of a jail and a court house to be in close proximity of each other. The project is currently in the design phase said Howard. G. W. Wamcn who resides at 1334 Nolan St. was granted a permit to work out of his home and will be pouring a concrete foundation and driveway on the property said Howard. D JL Home of the Georgia National Fair and Agricenter