Newspaper Page Text
Volume 128, No. 12
2 Sections, 14 Pages
Wednesday,
March 24,1999
50 Cents
Home of the p
Georgia I
National Fair
and Agricenter |
At the
Crossroads
This Week
Siren system will get
test March 31
The City of Perry Fire
Department will test the new
tornado siren system March 31
at noon. The test will consist of
six different sounds which will
last a minute each. A test will
then be heard monthly on the
fourth Wednesday of the
month, weather permitting.
Library offers spring
programs for kids
The Perry Library will
sponsor several programs for
children during the spring
break. Movies will be shown on
April 6 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Craft programs will be held
at 2 p.m. on April 7 for kinder
garten through second graders,
and at 2 p.m. on April 8 for
third through fifth graders.
Children must sign up in
advance for the craft programs.
Call the library, 987-3060, for
more information.
Andrew UMC leaders
plan several activities
Andrew United Methodist
Church, 2430 Ga. 127,
Kathleen, is offering a Lenten
Bible study following its
Wednesday night suppers on
March 24 and March 31.
According to Brenda
Walker, a spokesperson for the
church, dinner begins at 6:30
and Bible study at 7 p.m. The
following topics will be dis
cussed: March 24, The Garden,
and March 31, the
Resurrection. Both will be led
by the Rev. Gene Bates.
“If you’ve never been to our
Wednesday night dinner, you
don’t have to bring anything,’’
Walker said. “Come join us for
fun, fellowship and Bible study,
or come only for Bible study if
you wish.”
Andrew UMC will host an
Easter egg hunt April 3 from
10 a.m. until noon in the pecan
grove next to the church. All
are invited.
City has financial
assistance available for
home improvements
Mayor James Worrall has
announced the City of Perry
has received grant funds from
the Department of Community
Affairs for Housing
Rehabilitation/ Reconstruction.
The Community Home
Investment Program is
designed to pay approximately
45-50 percent of the cost of
repairs to house.
CHIP assistance is only
available to persons who own
and live in their home within
the city limits of Perry.
The city recendy extended
the target area of the current
Community Development
Block Grant to include anyone
within the city limits of Perry.
This program also pays 45-
50 percent of the cost of
repairs. Owner occupied and
rental properties located in
Perry can be rehabilitated/
reconstructed through this pro
gram. An average of f 7,577 is
budgeted for each property
owner.
Property owners will not
have to repay these funds, with
certain restrictions. Local
banks are committed to help
ing families by providing pri
vate loans to pay the remaining
50-55 percent of the cost of
housing repairs, Worrall said.
About three houses can e
rehabilitated with available
CHIP funds, and about 12
houses can be improved with
CDBG funds. Persons interest
ed in participating in either
program can call tciry C ; *y
Hall and speak with Brenda
King at 988-2712 for details.
Approved applicants will
receive assistance on a first
come, first served basis.
99/99/99
GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PF
U. GA. NAIN LIBRARY
ATHENS, GA 30602
Houston rues-Journal
Fauconniere high bidder
on new Post Office site
By CHARLOTTE
PERKINS
Times-Iqurnai Staff
The ongoing saga of the
proposed new Perry post office
took yet another turn on
March 23, when the land orig
inally planned as the site for
the new facility was sold at
auction.
The high bidder was
Ronald Fauconniere of Perry
whose winning bid of
1270,000 culminated a brief
but spirited auction at the site.
The 4.21 acre lot, located at
Have motorhome, unit travel
FMCA members find a way
to enjoy lively retirement
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
The Family Motor Coach
AssoTTafiorTTallv didn’t begin
officially until March 23, but by
that time Charlie Atkinson's
motor coach had been in place
at the Georgia National
Fairgrounds more than 10 days.
A former high school band
director with a friendly grin who
is currently the national presi
dent of the FMCA, Atkinson
showed up early along with
an advance crew of dozens of
others to lay out the fields for
assignments of parking spaces
for the motor coaches and to
make sure that everything was
in place for the big rally.
Atkinson typifies the FMCA
membership. An active retiree
from Ohio, he enjoys traveling
with his wife, Marcia. He
attended the last FMCA rally in
Perry and was in Ogden, Utah
for die rally there.
As for the Georgia National
Fairgrounds, when asked how it
measures up to other sites used
for the nationwide rallies, he
said immediately, “It’s the best."
Don Everson, FMCA execu
tive director, agreed.
“There’s plenty of parking,"
he said, “and it’s flat.”
Atkinson pointed out that
they’ve ordered good weather.
“The only thing we’re wor-
||j|l . jMf
NEW QUEENS Members of the recently
selected Dogwood Queen Court for 1999
indude (from left) Tiny Miss Dogwood Jenny
Girard, Little Miss Dogwood Katie Claxton,
What is the state of
? '.f'- &§&
i 1 11 -y
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
1400 Macon Road, was
offered for sale by Zion Bank
of Salt Lake City. The auction
was conducted by Rene Bates
Auctioneers, Inc. of Texas and
Rowell Auctioneers of
Valdosta.
Asked after the auction if
he planned to build a post
office on the site, Fauconniere
said he would make no com
ment.
Mayor Jim Worrall, who
was also present at the auction,
said that he hoped a post office
would be built on the site.
ried about is the rain,” he said,
“We don’t want nine inches of
rain in one day like, we .had the
last time we were here.” . -
Meanwhile, in Heritage Hall,
a group of energetic, senior citi
zens, The Southeastern
Chorale, were rehearsing for a
musical program, and out on the
grassy stretches surrounding the
fairgrounds, members were
already settling in, putting
indoor-outdoor carpet down at
their door steps, putting out
their awnings, pulling out their
“slide outs”, walking their dogs,
rolling their bicycles and motor
bikes, and getting reacquainted
with old friends.
Enjoying die sunshine on an
Agricenter bench were Frank
and Jewell Menge, a couple
from Panama City who are on
their second trip to Perry. He’s a
shrimp boat captain and she’s a
physical therapist.
“We take about three trips a
year,” she explained. “The fur
thest we’ve been has been to
British Columbia.”
Motorhoming isn’t just a way
to take a vacation. For many, it
seems to be a whole lifestyle,
involving not only a big financial
investment, but also the estab
lishment of fully-equipped
homes on wheels.
(See HOMES, Page 4A)
Sri \ m I luusltm ( <tlllll\ Sum r|)« < | ,
School zoning change discussions continue
By STACIE M. VU
Times-Iqurnai Staff
Members of the Houston County Board of
Education are continuing their work with specialists
at the Regional Development Center of Macon to
come up with new and more practical school zones
for the 1999-2000 school year.
Board members met with local parents March 18
at Centerville Elementary School to discuss con
cerns over the new proposed zones.
Several parents and groups were present from
Dove Cove, Rio Pinar, and Robins West
Subdivisions. Parents were present to express con
cern over moving their children to Eagle Springs
Elementary from Quail Run Elementary.
These groups opposed the change because
entrances to their subdivisions face Smithville
Church Road, the same street along which Quail
Run is located.
/ A
I him
■MM "
|M y \
Special Photo
Pre-Teen Miss Dogwood Erin Atcheson, Miss
Dogwood, Dana Robinson, Miss Teen
Dogwood Jenison Cooper, and Junior Miss
Dogwood Marla Taylor.
PantherJMfrnets in
middle ofliseball
■aasons **'*>•* 1
Begins for Panthers, M
key win
•. 4 ,i.r-vo; •- t • Ppi ■» . .MWMi . • ■ “-Wl
CHARLIE ADKINSON
* Timet-Joumal Photos by Chariotte Perkin*
GOV. JOE FRANK HARRIS BOULEVARD IS MOTOR HOME DISPLAY AREA
Fairgrounds home to thousands of motor coaches this week
To reach Eagle Springs, buses and parents would
have to travel almost to in sight of Quail Run to
reach access to Watson Boulevard, or go west to U.S.
41 and then north to Eagle Springs.
In response to the tremendous out pouring of
concern from parents, the Houston County Board of
Education has met with the RDC to make new
maps of the proposed zones with some changes
added to them.
Once the new maps are completed the Board of
Education will hold a new meeting to discuss the
impact and changes on the new and old zones.
According to Beth Burris, Houston County
Board of Education Community Schools Specialist,
the Board is trying to decrease the overcrowding in
the schools and they are also trying to minimize the
use of portable classrooms.
The Board is still expected to adopt the new
zones at the April.
Spring came in like a motor coach
By STACIE M.VU
TiMEs-JpuftW*-Staff
Spring has arrived and with it
approximately 5,000 motor
coaches canie to Perry’.
Members of the Family Motor
Coach Association art holding
their 24th annual winter inter
national convention at the
Georgia National Fairgrounds
and Agricenter in Perry’.
The event has been dubbed
the “Meet Us At The
Crossroads of Georgia” conven
tion, in honor of Perry, which is
the “Crossroads of Georgia."
Queens selected for 1999
Perry Dogwood festival
From staff reports
The 1999 Dopvood Queen
court was crowned March 19-20
at Perry High School. The
pageant was sponsored by the
Perry High cheerleaders and
attracted a large crowd.
Dana Robinson was crowned
Miss Dogwood. A senior a
Houston County High School,
she is the daughter of Wayne and
Sherry Robinson of Warner
Robins.
Other winners in the Miss
Dogwood Pageant were Gloria
Corey, first runner-up; Heather
Whiddon, second runner-up, and
Wendy Martin, third runner-up.
Jenison Cooper, an eighth
trader at Warner Robins Middle
chool was named Miss Teen
Dogwood. She is the daughter of
Joe and Gina Cooper of Warner
p§
TBI
Kroger Manager Scott
Mosley has noticed an almost
40 percent increase in business
since March 21.
“We are glad that they are in
town,” Mosley said.
FMCA members have been
purchasing items such as water,
milk, bread, sugar, coffee, and
snacks. Mosley said because of
the nice weather this year, busi
nesses are impacted even more
so. During 1996, the first time
FMCA decided to hold it’s con
(See MEETING, Page 4A)
Robins.
Other winners in the Miss
Teen Dogwood Pageant were
Lindsey Diaz, first runner-up;
Mary Anne Millendcr, second
runner-up, and Shelly Scott, third
runner-up.
Erin Atcheson, a seventh
trader at Feagin Mill Middle
chool was named Pre-teen Miss
Dogwood. She is the daughter of
Daryl and Monica Atcheson.
Other winners in the Pre-teen
Miss Dogwood Pageant were
Cassandra Shaffer, first runner
up; Lindsey Chandler, second
runner-up, Danielle Corcoran,
third runner-up, and Bailey
Pitzer, fourth runner-up.
Marla Taylor, a fourth grader
at Quail Run Elementary School
(See DOGWOOD, Page 4A)