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A safer Perry
After a long wait, the City of Perry will
soon have a severe warning system in place,
with heavy-duty sirens to warn residents of
impending dangers.
While we would have preferred not to see
Perry go such a long time with no working
sirens, the solution is at hand now.
In the meantime, Severe Weather
Awareness Week will take place Feb. 21-27,
and it is tim. for all of us to review emergency
plans at home and at work, and to remember
that no community is safe from the ravages of
nature. The fact that no tornado has hit Perry
within recent memory does not mean that it
cannot happen.
This is tornado season, and tornados
develop rapidly, move rapidly and can do
tremendous damage. The most important
thing, of course, is to protect human life.
Families need to discuss and even rehearse
emergency measures for severe weather so
that everyone knows what to do in case of a
tornado warning.
Keep these simple rules in mind.
An imminent tornado sounds like steady
thunder or - as some have described it - like
a freight train. Seek shelter in a cellar or in
the center of a reinforced building. Stay away
from windows. Curl up so that your head and
eyes are protected.
Perry’s sirens are not yet installed and
working, so until they are, be aware that radio
and television are your best warning system.
From the heart
February is National Heart Month - a
time to give some thought to heart health.
While treatments, medications and surgi
cal strategies get better with each passing
year, it’s well to remember that the best “doc
tor” your heart can have is you.
Make a decision now to chose the lifestyle
that will best protect you from heart disease.
Chose a heart-healthy diet. If you are
overweight, lose the weight.
Get regular exercise.
If you are still smoking, stop.
Reduce the stress in your life.
Get regular checkups.
Doctors can make prescriptions, but you’re
the only one who choose and maintain the
kind of healthy lifestyle that will protect your
heart.
Think about it. Is there a better
“Valentine” you can give to the ones who love
you?
Join the team!
While Habitat for Humanity has grown
over the years to be a worldwide effort, it’s
wise to remember that it started right here in
rural Georgia as an effort to replace shacks
with decent housing.
We are still a long way from Millard Fuller’s
goal of “No More Shacks”, but the work of
Habitat volunteers keeps on inspiring all of us
and bringing out the best in our communities.
The City of Perry is now working hand in
hand with the Houston County chapter of
Habitat for Humanity, providing grants to
underwrite the cost of constructing several
homes.
Houston County businesses have also been
very generous and supportive of the Habitat
effort.
Now what’s needed is volunteers to help
with building six homes on Whipple Street.
That’s how Habitat works - with volunteers
working side by side with those who will
become owners of the new homes.
If you can help, call (912) 328-3388 today.
The work’s hard. There’s no pay at all. But
you’ll be part of something important to your
community and part of a world wide effort to
end poverty housing. Think about it.
twin tom-Jam!
P.O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll St. • Perry, Ga. 31069
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it
The president all others are measured against
His life defines the American
dream.
He was bom in a log cabin - one
that we might call a shack, or “substan
dard housing” now. It had a dirt floor
and one room, just 16 by 18 feet.
His mother was bom out of wed
lock and never learned to read or write.
She died when he was ten. His father
was known as a plodding sort who
moved often. He was the sort of man
who would hit his son for trying to
enter an adult conversation.
Few have had better excuses for
making nothing of themselves, but
Abraham Lincoln was what we would
now call a “gifted child."
He had barely a year of classroom
education, but he cud learn the skill
that would change his life. He learned
to read.
Just as we all know the story of
George Washington cutting down the
apple tree, we all have - tucked away in
our minds - that image of the barefoot
lanky boy reading by firelight after his
chores were done - the boy who read
Pilgrim’s Progress and Aesop’s Fables
over and over because those were the
books he had.
THC PiAMt/T, GAUE(tY~~L^
CUNTON CAS£
Bd) LAID TO REST TODAY, J
Lent: a time for study\ prayer y growth
This year Feb. 17 is Ash
Wednesday the first day of
Lent 46 days later on April
4 is Easter Day.
There are 40 days of special
devotion or fasting in Lent
because ill Sundays are festi
vals even in the penitential sea
son of Lent.
The length and means of
observation have varied quite a
bit in the history of the
Church. During the first three
centuries there were only two
or three days of fasting in
preparation for the celebration
of Easter.
By the fourth century 40
days (in all likelihood suggest
ed by the fasts of Moses, Elijah
and especially Jesus) was fairly
generally observed with some
slight variations in methods of
counting.
Until the middle ages the
fasting was very strict with
only one meal a day taken
toward evening. * Forbidden
were flesh meat, fish, eggs,
milk, cheese, butter and other
dairy products.
During most of the middle
ages fish was allowed and by
the ,19th century the exclusion
Our Policies
Unsigned editorials appearing in larger type on this page
under the label Our Views reflect the position of the
Houston Times-JournaL Signed columns and letters on this
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of the writers 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
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without verification. Letters should be sent to P.O. Drawer
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Page 4A
Wed., Feb. 17,1999
Charlotte
Perkins
Times-Joumal Staff
His stepmother, who loved him
dearly, described him as a slow but
steady learner.
“When he came across a passage
that struck him, “ she remembered, “he
would write it down on boards if he
had no paper and keep it there until he
did get paper, and then he would
rewrite it, and. look at it and repeat it."
Even so, in his teens, it looked as if
he wouldn’t go far.
Yes, he did split rails. He tried his
hand at river boating, too. In his early
manhood, he started a store with a
friend, but it was a financial failure,
leaving him with debts that took years
to repay.
But all the time, he was arguing
about ideas with those who’d argue
with him, and getting fascinated with
government, politics and the law.
Always popular in the communities
John
Buchanan
St Christopher's
at the Crossroads
of flesh meat was the distin
guishing characteristic of the
lenten fast.
In the Church of England
Lent continued to be observed
after the Reformation and was
prescribed by the Book of
Common Prayer and some
times enforced by the secular
authorities.
Lent fell into comparative
disuse during the 18th century
and was revived in the middle
19th century by the Catholic
revival movement of the
Oxford Tractarians. By the end
of the 19th century and
throughout the 20th century its
observance has been universal
in Anglicanism.
In the current practice of the
Church Lent is a penitential
season with an emphasis on
quiet contemplation and a
deepening spirituality the
alleluias are omitted as is the
occupied by the error.
We cannot be responsible for the return of pictures or submit
ted 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
Houston rims-Journal
he lived in, he ran for the Illinois
House of Representatives in his early
twenties, and lost, but his ambition
was well established by then. He didn’t
give up.
He educated himself to be a lawyer
literally pulled himself up by his
own bootstraps. And he kept on striv
ing, despite setbacks.
“I walk slowly,” he said more than
once, “But I never walk backwards.”
His personal life was filled with
losses. He lost a much-loved sister
when they were both young adults, and
then he lost the girl of his dreams,
Anne Rutledge, when she died shortly
after they were engaged to be married.
Still another young lady turned him
down, and he finally married Mary
Todd, who turned out to be clinging
and highly-cmotional, needing more
support than she could give. Two of his
sons died during his lifetime.
Politically, things went better. He
ran for Congress and won, but later he
lost his first race for the U.S. Senate.
Still, his star kept rising, primarily
because of his growing reputation as a
man of intelligence and integrity,
because of the appeal of his humble
IV - L
The 1999 observance of lent
begins Feb. 17 with the
imposition of ashes. Lent
continues through Easter,
April 4. Palm Sunday is
March 28, and Holy Week
will be March 29-April 3.
Gloria in excelsis from
Eucharistic celebrations.
There is not as much empha
sis on fasting or “giving up
something for Lent” as there
once was, though these prac
tices are not without value if
undertaken with proper under
standing. There is more
thought given to study, prayer,
meditation and growth in the
Faith.
St. Christopher’s Episcopal
Church in Perry begins Lent
with a service of the Proper
Liturgy, Imposition of Ashes
and the Holy Eucharist at 7:30
p.m. on Ash Wednesday Feb.
17.
(The Rev'd Canon John
Buchanan is Rector of St.
Christopher's Episcopal Church.)
origins, and because of his great gifts
as an orator.
Abe Lincoln wrote and rewrote his
own speeches, crafted his own careful
statements and became our most quot
ed president because of his gift for say
ing important things with poetic pre
cision.
This was the president who said
that “government of the people, by the
people and for the people shall not
perish from the earth."
This was the president who told us
that “Freedom is the last, best hope of
earth.”
And this was the president who
reminded us that “to sin by silence
when they should protest makes cow
ards of men.”
And finally, just a week or two
before his assassination, this was the
president spoke to a war-weary, divid
ed nation of “malice toward none and
charity for all.”
He was dead at 56.
George Washington may be called
The Father of Our Country, but
Abraham Lincoln, for many of us, is
the man to measure all other presi
dents against.
Bob
Tribble
Times-
Journal President
Inspiring
message
Those who attended the Annual
Manchester High School
Sportsmanship Banquet last Thursday
night in the Fellowship Hall at First
Baptist Church heard a very inspiring
message from former All American
Jeremiah Castille who played at
Alabama under the late Bear Bryant.
Jeremiah’s speech touched my heart
as he told the story of his life. He was
raised in a bad neighborhood in
Phenix City, Ala,, one of several chil
dren of an alcoholic mother. He neVer
mentioned his father, so I can only
assume his mother was the breadwin
ner in the family.
During his early teen years, he was
expelled from school a number of
times for fighting, with that reputa
tion following him everywhere he
went. Then one day he met Jesus
Christ as his Savior and things began
to happen in his life. He went on to
finish high school in Phenix City and
upon graduation, was awarded a
scholarship to play for Alabama and
the Bear.
When Jeremiah entered Alabama,
he carried with him a dream. His
dream was to become good enough at
his defensive back position to play
professional football in order to earn
enough money to get his mother out
of her bad environment and off alco
hol. He did this with his first pay
check from Tampa Bay.
Jeremiah told about many experi
ences he had along the way in high
school, college and the pros, as he met
people who attempted to sway him
away from his dream, but he held
steadfast to his convictions. “You have
to have a dream, young people,” he
said, “a God given dream. And when
someone tries to sway you away from
your dream, just carry them with you,”
he continued, as you could have heard
a pin drop in the room.
Young people in our communities
who arc raised in a good environment
by Christian parents don’t know how
lucky they are. When you meet some
one like Jeremiah Castille who simply
beat the odds and pulled himself up
out of the trenches, going on to be a
success in life and telling his story to
others, it probably makes you stand in
awe.
“My mother will be celebrating her
15th birthday tomorrow,” he told
those gathered. “Fifteen years of being
sober. Find your God given dream,
young people, and stick to it. That is
my challenge to you tonight,” Castille
concluded.
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