Newspaper Page Text
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At the y
Crossroads
This Week
Miss Dogwoods to be
named March 19-20
Plans arc in full swing to
the 1999 Miss Dogwood
Pageants to be held on March
19 and 20 at the Perry High
School auditorium.
The pageant on March 19
will be co-emceed by former
Perry resident Katie Stephens,
who was recently crowned
Miss Georgia Southern
University and will compete in
the Miss Georgia pageant in
June.
Also, Andrea Kirk, a for
mer Miss Dogwood Queen,
will be on hand to emcee the
pageant.
Applications are available
at tne Perry Chamber of
Commerce, Perry High
School, Belle Ritz of Warner
Robins and Evelyn’s in the
Galleria Mall. The Perry
Chamber of Commerce will
mail applications. Call 987-
1234.
Livestock show at
Fairgrounds this week
The annual Georgia
National Livestock show con
tinues at the Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter
through March 7.
The Georgia National
Quarter Horse Show will take
place March 5-7 at the
Fairgrounds.
Fans of model aircraft will
be interested in attending the
Southeastern Aircraft Model
Show March 6.
Also set this weekend at
the Agricenter is the Georgia
National Llama show.
Gann in the lead
Stan Gann of Kathleen was
in the lead after the first round
of the three-day Southeastern
Courses Association Tour golf
tournament at Houston Lake
Country Club.
Gann took the lead with an
opening round of 69. Other
local golfers in the field and
their first round scores includ
ed Jeff Evans of Perry with a
78, and Casey Phillips of
Warner Robins with a 79.
The tournament continues
through March 4.
Restaurants checked
Here are results of recent
Houston County Environmental
Health Department inspections.
BJ’s Orioles Nest, 2001 Moody
Road, Warner Robins, 98.
Bonaire Elementary School,
100 Elm St., Bonaire, 96.
Bonaire Middle School, 125
Ga. 96, Bonaire, 97.
Burger King, 201 Russell
Parkway, Warner Robins, 90, prob
lems with temperature control of
foods.
Christian Life School, 620
Wellborn Road, Warner Robins,
98.
Happy China, 115-1 Russell
Parkway, Warner Robins, 75, prob
lems with temperature control of
foods.
Feagin Mill Middle School,
1200 Feagin Mill Road, Warner
Robins, 91, problems with temper
ature control of foods.
Hardee’s, 801 N. Houston
Road, Warner Robins, 94.
Miller Elementary School, 101
Pine Valley, Warner Robins, 100.
Northside High School, 926
Green St., Warner Robins, 96.
Parkwood Elementary School,
503 Parkwood Drive, Warner
Robins, 90, problems with storage
of cleaning products.
Perry Elementary SChool, 906
School St., Perry, 98.
Russell Elementary School, 101
Patriot Way, Warner Robins, 99.
Sacred Heart School Cafeteria,
250 S. Davis Drive, Warner
Robins, 95.
Snappers Lounge, 2515 Moody
Road, Warner Robins, 96.
Tabor Middle c -h'v>l, 920
Green St., Warner Robins, 98.
Westside Elementary School,
201 N. Pleasant Hill Road, Warner
Robins, 90, problems with temper
ature control of foods.
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ATHENS, Gft 30602
Houston rimes-Journal
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
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runes-Journal Photo by Charlotte Perkins
BOXES OF BOOKS - Bobbe Nelson unpacks the new edition
of "A Land So Dedicated”, the history of Houston County.
Updated county history
arrives from printers
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
Times-lournal Staff
The new edition of Bobbe
Nelson’s popular 1976 history of
Houston County, “A Land So
Dedicated” is hot off the presses,
and ready for autographing.
Both Nelson and artist Butler
Brown will be at the Perry
Library from 2-4 p.m., March 20,
to meet the public. Books will be
available for purchase and auto
graphing, and prints of Brown’s
new book cover painting, “The
Perfect Tree”, an old Houston
County landmark which stood
along U.S. 41 North, will also be
available.
“A Land So Dedicated”, which
includes more than 900 pho
tographs some from the earli
est decades of Houston County
history begins with prehistoric
times, covering what is known of
the earliest native American
nomadic people who lived in this
area.
Developed around a theme of
using natural resources, the book
provides detailed historic
accounts of the various communi
ties and cities in Houston
County. The story begins in 1821
with the county s founding and
tracing the development of com
munities first along the water
ways, then along stagecoach
roads, railroads and major high
ways.
With excerpts from many old
letters and documents con
tributed by local families, the
book offers fascinating details
about early lifestyles and commu
nity values, as well as many little
known facts about local history.
Included is the fact that the
spelling of Houston County was
changed over the years from
“Houstoun” the name of the
early Georgia governor for whom
the county was named.
With Nelson’s new final chap
ter, or epilogue, the book now
continues until present times. It
also contains a number of new
color photographs.
Nelson, who has had the book
reprinted at her own expense,
wrote the original text and
worked with researchers and
manuscript assistants Sara
Hunter, Donna English, Betty
Pool and Paula Heisel to compile
the 1976 edition under a grant
from the Houston County
Commissioners, under the aus-
Eices of the Houston County
ibrary System.
Ellic and Sherri Loudermilk
and Betty Poole have helped with
the manuscript, typing and edit
ing of the new edition, Nelson
says.
She emphasized that the book,
which has been out of print for a
decade, is a reprint of the 1976
volume, with some new pho
tographs and additional text to
bring it up to date.
“It’s been reset in larger type
and is easier to read,” she noted.
Also the author of a popular
local cookbook, “Recipes from the
New Perry Hotel”, Nelson has
lived in Perry since her child
hood. She and her husband, Dan
Nelson, have five children
between them, and eight grand
children who visit frequently.
They are active in the First
Baptist Church of Perry.
Bobbe Nelson is a former col
lege English teacher, with a long
fascination with local history, ana
has served as curator for the vin
tage classroom and Sam Nunn
exhibit at the Houston County
Board of Education offices. She is
also a member of the Houston
County Arts Alliance.
To purchase “A Land So
Dedicated”, contact Bobbe
Nelson at (912) 987-2834, or plan
to attend die Library book sign
ing. The cost is 535 plus tax.
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Principals of Houston County schools
express concern over busing of students
By STACIE M.VU
Times-lournai. Staff
Principals of Houston County public schools got
their first look at several proposals for changing
school attendance zones during a Feb. 25 meeting in
Perry.
New attendance districts are needed to accommo
date the opening of two elementary schools in the
county next fall.
Some principals expressed concerns about the
plans because of the length of time students would
ride buses before and after school
Some principals even suggested monitors be
placed on the buses if the students are required to be
on the bus for a long period of time. .
According to Zoning Option D, which is recom
mended by the Central Georgia Regional
Development Center, students in tne Henderson
community would be rezoned to attend Morningside
Elementary. Most Henderson area elementary stu
dents now attend Tucker.
Some Henderson students arc on the bus for
approximately 45 minutes according to Tucker
Elementary School Principal John Gordon.
Gordon said Tucker Elementary has 11 portables,
all of which are being used, and the school itself is at
capacity. Gordon said “I need to lose some students.
Santos and Asbury named Perry High STARS
By STAGI&-VU - -
TiMES-fOURNAL STAFF
Houston County school officials announced the
winners for the Student Teacher Achievement
Recognition program Feb. 23 at the Houston
County Board of Education office in Perry.
The 1999 STAR Students and Teachers include
student Frances Chen and teacher Sherin Hinnant
from Houston County High School, student Melissa
Dixon and teacher Lynn Campbell from Northside
High School, student Melissa Santos and teacher
Lynn Asbury from Perry High School, student Drew
Hilton and teacher Mary Ann Gore from Warner
Robins High School, and student Ron Marshall and
teacher June Stubbs of Westfield Schools.
Chen was the county winner of the competition
with a perfect score of 1,600 on the Scholastic
Aptitude Test.
The program is designed to focus public attention
on Georgias outstanding scholars and the teachers
National High School Rodeo could come to Perry
By ROB MEAD
Times-lournai. Staff
Board members of the
National High School Rodeo
Association have decided to
include the Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter in
Perry as the prospective site to
host the rodeo finals competition
according to Michael Froehlich,
director for the Georgia National
Fairgrounds.
The news was announced by
Froehlich during the monthly
Convention and Visitors Bureau
meeting held at the Perry
Supplemental budget includes $2.8 million for local projects
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
Times-lournai. Staff
The 1999 supplemental budget passed in the
Georgia House and Senate ear-
lier this week, with funds for the
Georgia National Fairgrounds
and the Museum of Aviation at
Robins Air Force Base restored.
The funds sl.B million for
the purchase of land to expand
the fairgrounds in Perry, and $1
million for the proposed addi
tion to the aviation museum in
Warner Robins were first
approved by the House of
Representatives, then cut by the
Senate, and finally restored dur-
ing the joint budget conference between the two
chambers.
Funding of $2.5 million for a permanent facility
for Macon State College in Warner Robins was not
restored after the Senate cuts, but Rep. Larry Walker,
D-Perry, said March 2 that there are still some
Welcomc Center Feb.2s.
“We have been trying to gen
erate interest with the NHSRA
for some time now and have even
sent Agriccnter staff members to
visit members of the Association,”
Froehlich said.
“We finally got the word to the
directors of the Association that
we have what they are looking for,
an exceptional location to hold an
event such as the NHSRA finals,”
Froehlich added.
The finals event is a 10-day
competition which usually
attracts approximately 1,800 par
WALKER
I would hate to lose them, they are great kids. We are
in every little space that we can get.”
Kings Chapel Elementary School Principal Dave
Crockett said “We could probably handle 75-100
more students." Kings Chapel has three portable
classrooms on site, and one classroom that is being
used for time-out.
Many schools would experience a decrease in stu
dents if Option D is accepted, although the decrease
may not be a large one. Kings Chapel Elementary
and Morningside Elementary would both lose 11
students each, while Perry Elementary would see an
increase of 75 students, and Tucker Elementary
would see an increase of 13 students.
The most changes would involve students near
the two new schools. Eagle Springs is located along
U.S. 41, north of Watson Boulevard while Matt
Arthur Elementary is at the intersection of Ga. 127
with Moody Road.
The numbpr of students gained or lost includes a
projected growth number by RDC for the 1999-
2000 school year. RDC has projected an increase of
78 students county-wide in the elementary schools.
The Board of Education will hold a special parent
meeting March 4. The meeting will take place at
Perdue Elementary School at 7 p.m. Parents are
invited to attend and voice their opinions.
who have been most instrumental in their academic
development. The STAR program has recognized
more 17,000 high school seniors in the past 40 years,
according to material from the Georgia Chamber of
Commerce.
To obtain the STAR designation, students must
have the highest score on the Scholastic Assessment
Test and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students
of their class. Each high school STAR student is
asked to name their STAR teacher. Teachers and
students are recognized each year at a STAR pro
gam sponsored by the Perry Area Chamber of
ommerce and the Warner Robins Chamber of
Commerce.
High school STAR students compete for system
titles; and system STAR students in turn compete for
district-wide honors in Georgia’s Council of
Economic Development Organizations Districts.
Winners and their STAR teachers are invited to
Atlanta to compete for the state STAR awards.
ticipants and their families.
Participants in the event
include residents from 38 states
including Hawaii and four
Canadian provinces.
“This event is the largest High
School Rodeo in the world and if
we get it, the economic impact on
Perry will rival that of the Family
Motor Coach Association,” said
Froehlich.
When the competitors and
families come to the event the
families like to make a vacation of
(See RODEO, Page 6A)
options remaining.
“Senator (Sonny) Perdue and Rep. (Pam)
Bohannon and I are working on that,” Walker said,
declining to give further details.
Walker said that Houston County came out
“mighty well” in the supplemental budget in compar
ison with other counties, and added that he is pleased
with the final budget.
“I was disappointed in the Macon College situa
tion,” Walker said, “but Houston County did
extremely well."
The hinds for the Georgia National Fairgrounds
include enough for the land purchase, some improve
ments and other related costs, Walker said, noting
that the fiurgrounds had lost land to the construction
of the new interchange on 1-75 and the purchase of
the additional acreage needed to be made at this
time.
“I feel like if we don’t get it now, we’ll never get it,’
Walker said in regard to the land.
The funds in the supplemental budget will
become available as soon as the budget is signed by
Gov. Roy A. Barnes.