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Volume 128, No. 15 2 Sections, 20 Pages Wednesday, April 14,1999 50 Cents Home of the A Georgia National Fair and Agricentww ■ At the Crossroads This Week Dog show on card at Fairgrounds The Peach Blossom Cluster Dog Show will rake place at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter April 15-18. Agricenter officials esti mate about 4,000 per day will visit the major dog show. The NIGP Governmental Purchasing Expo ends April 14 after a two-day run at the Fairgrounds. Also planned for this week is the Georgia Club Lamb Producers Association Lamb Sale April 16-17. Some 200 fersons per day will visit the airgrounds for that event. More animal lovers will be at the Fairgrounds April 16- 18 for the National Lop Rabbit Show. Some 200 visi tors per day should visit Perry for that event. Anti-drug, anti-violence concert is April 15 Lauren Stanecker, the high-energy musician spon sored by Food Lion, Inc., is bringing a very serious anti drug, anti-violence message to middle school students attending Houston County area schools. April 15 from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m., Stanecker will perform his national tour production at the Georgia National Fairgrounds for the students. The production communi cates its message through a “fun, upbeat and positive pre sentation” and is being spon sored by the Houston County- Schools. Restaurants inspected Here are the results of Houston County Environmental Health Department inspections for the week of April 5-9. Where discrepancies were found immediate changes were made. • Bullcts/Kangaroo Convenience Store, 2699 Watson Blvd., Warner Robins, 98. • Gunny’s, 85 South Ga. 247, Warner Robins, 95. • International Cuisine, 1026 Ball St., Perry, 96. • Landings Golf Club, 309 Stathams Way, Warner Robins. Score: 87. Discrepancy in temperature control of foods or food sources. • Piccadilly Cafeteria, 2745 Watson Blvd, Warner Robins, 83. Problems in temperature control of foods or food sources. • Popeyes Famous Chicken, 750 Russell Parkway, Warner Robins, 98. • Second Gate Cafe, 314 S. First St., Warner Robins, 80. Problems in temperature con trol of foods or food sources. • Shipwreck, 100-A Ga. 247 South, Warner Robins,94. • Steak Out, 602 Russell Parkway, Warner Robins, 97. • Subway, 1807 Watson Blvd., Warner Robins, 100. (See FOOD, Page SA) /jaatwri Contact the Times- Journal Contact the Houston Times- Journal: Voice (9ii: 9R7-1823 Fax (912)988-1161 email dmesjrn@hom.net Mail... P.O. Drawer M, Perry, 31069 Street 807 Carroll St., Perry, 31069 \» -t VI II • II«ilI :• l < '.I I * < UlWl'V 1 llir I*/ I ••i.Vl'l f Methodists plan 10-day meeting at crossroads ' shops GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT |i no. MAIN LIBRARY )age 6B Houston Times-Journal Donald Walker declares fight against double taxation Warner Robins mayor calls for study as cities, county try to agree on plan to eliminate duplication of services By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Times-lournai. Staff WARNER ROBINS With the deadline for submitting Houston County’s state-mandat ed service delivery' strategy just six weeks away, and the written plan ready for approval by city and county governments, Mayor Donald Walker of Warner Robins has dug in his heels. Speaking at the very end of a meeting of elected officials April 12, Walker said he would not sup port the plan unless an “unbiased professional” was hired to “look at duplication of services... and address double taxation.” Mayor Jim Worrall of Perry said of Walker’s last-stage objec tions, “It was not a surprise, but the timing was terrible.” The service delivery strategy plan, mandated by House Bill 8k t E vjßm- ' LORA DAVIS Heads Perry Hospital Lora Davis named Perry Hospital administrator From Staff Reports Lora Davis has been named administrator of the Perry Hospital. The decision was made in late March by members of the Houston County Hospital Authority. Davis, who has served as act ing administrator of the hospital for eight months, has worked for the Houston Healthcare Complex for 14 years. She served as assistant admin istrator of financial services at Perry Hospital for several years before taking the helm as acting administrator. “I’m very happy to be in this position,” Davis said, “and to nave it made official. Every day is a big challenge.” She is a native of Ray City, Georgia and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgia State College and University in Milledgeville, where she is currently pursuing a masters in business administra tion. She and her husband, Mike Davis, and their daughter Kaci live in Perry. The position became open when former hospital adminis trator Nadine Weems retired last fill. Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia 489, has been developed during the last year by representatives of the County Commission and the city govern- Walker mitting the plan to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs is June 1, which allows time for the required DCA approval of the document by July 1, 1999. Under the new state law, coun- Post office construction may begin ... again From Staff Reports The Houston Times-Journal has learned from Rep. Larry Walker, D-Perry, that con- struction on the new Perry post office is to begin soon at the 1400 Macon Road site. This site was initially proposed for the project, but was recently sold at auction. Walker said that he heard the news from U.S. Senator Max Cleland’s office on April 12. This information «*’as confirmed on April 13 by the Postal Service Wim* Ti ypi wrvKA-* -'jp wnßr , c,‘. ■ yy ■Bkak -A tdfr '■it wk MS ■ 9 ' I I Jjg Special Photo SIGNING UP AGAIN - Perryan Jimmy Fairdoth (left) signs on the dotted line after receiving the oath of office as a member of the Houston County Authority from Judge Janice Spires. Worrall says growth won’t kill small city atmosphere By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Times-lournal Staff Will Perry’s small town atmos phere be lost in the process of economic growth? Not if Mayor Jim Worrall has anything to say about it! In a Times-Joumal interview last week, Worrall discussed a number of issues including the city’s approach to annexation, plans for development of a new “hospitality zone”,-housing con cerns and the challenge of hold ing the line on local taxes. The city, he said, has no plans at this time to annex more resi dential land, but is more interest ed in “spoke annexation”, or the annexing of roads leading to sites Tm not going down in history as the mayor who did nothing about double taxation.' - Donald Walker ments of Perry, Warner Robins and Centerville with assis tance from the Middle Georgia Regional Development Center. The dead line for sub- ties which have not submitted and gained approval for plans aimed at reducing duplication of services and double taxation will not be eligible to hold state permits or receive state grant funds. The assembled elected officials had just made tentative plans to give the draft plan a final review and get it approved by their gov erning bodies. The meeting appeared to be over when Walker came to the front of the County' Commission board room to speak. “I’m not trying to make any body mad,” Walker said. “I’m just doing my job. I’m not going down Walker in need of services, such as the Matt Arthur Elementjuy School under construction along Ga. 127 at Moody Road or area industries. “We have annexed roads to be prepared to provide services to industries if an industry wants services such as natural gas and water,” Worrall said. Under Georgia law, he explained, cities may annex land that adjoins existing city land or through spoke annexation property connected to the city by annexed roads. The city, he said, is encourag ing orderly growth in the sur rounding area. “We built the Perry Parkway to encourage growth on the perime E7i A statement received from Nancy Ross, a spokesperson for the regional office of the Postal Service, is printed haw in ityentirety. “At long last, the problems that have existed on the construction contract for the new Perry Post Office have been resolved. More than 18 months ago, Bison Development defaulted on the contract it held to build the new Perry Post Office. “Since that time, the Postal Service has worked with local, state and federal officials to save the project and proceed with construction. “This week, a contract was signed with Postal Services LLC (Limited Legal Corporation) out of Denver, Colo., to build the new post office at the proposed site at 1400 Macon Road. Kmart gets new 'l name, new face Retailer cuts ribbon for updat ed Perry store see page 4B | in history as the mayor who did nothing about double taxation.” Walker’s contention was that the county government taxes resi dents of Warner Robins for some county services such as code enforcement, computer services, personnel and purchasing, which the city residents do not use or benefit from. “As taxpayers we pay 8.5 mills of county taxes and we do not receive back 8.5 mills of service,” he argued. “It’s not fair to citizens of Warner Robins to continue to pay taxes when they don’t receive ser vices.” Hospital Authority selects new chairman, vice chairman From Staff Reports The Hospital Authority of Houston County has elected Christopher R. Murman as chair man and Randy Sherrill as vice chairman. Murman was appointed to the authority in March, 1998. He is the owner of Houston Lake Country Club. Sherrill is the owner of the Chick-fil-A in the 1700 block of Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins. He has served on the authority since July, 1996. Zell Blackmon was appointed by the Houston County Board of Commissioners to a four-year term on the authority, filling the expired term of Stephen Rogers. Blackmon is the founder of ter,” he noted, “but to try to keep the town’s small town atmosphere within the city limits." At the south end of town, Worrall expects growth to be encouraged by the opening of the new interchange under construc tion on 1-75. The exit will provide a new entrance to the Georgia National Fairgrounds and also make Hay Road potential to become a major commercial strip. “We were hoping the inter change would open in October, “ he noted, “but it’s not going to happen. More likely it will be open in time for the fair of the year 2000." “We’re going to try to create a hospitality zone for restaurants While no vote was taken at the meeting regarding Walker’s demand, there appeared to be general agreement that an effort would be made to accommodate the Warner Robins mayor, which could require seeking a one-time only extension of the deadline. Worrall, while agreeing that there was some double taxation of city residents, said the following day that he would rather see the plan submitted on schedule. “We have a good reputation with DCA and I would not want to do anything that would jeopar dize that,” Worrall said. “We need to fulfill the original requirements and get this submitted. We have time following that to address the concerns Mayor Walker expressed.” “The recent auctioning of the property by Zion Bank, which had foreclosed on Bison Development, produced favorable results for all concerned in that the property was secured for development. A construction trailer is on the site and building construction is beginning soon. “The Postal Service would like to thank Glen Clark of Postal Services LLC, Ron Fauconniere of Fauconniere Asset Management, Inc., and U.S. Senator Max Cleland’s office for their involvement and assistance in getting this project back on track and under way. The Postal Service looks for ward to the ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremonies of the new Perry Post Office” Ross said. National Bank Products Inc. and has served as president and chair man of the board of directors for 22 years. Blackmon has served as chair man of the Houston County Board of Education and chair man of the Professional Standards Commission for the State of Georgia. A graduate of Georgia Southwestern College, Blackmon is a resident of Bonaire. He and his wife, Ruthie, have three children, Shaw, Brad and Kayce. “I appreciate the confidence shown by the Houston county Commissioners in appointing me to the Hospital Authority,” (Sec HOSPITAL, Page SA) and motels along Hay Road,” the mayor said. Two other future growth areas are likely to be the city’s industri al park and the undeveloped area behind the Wal-Mart construc tion site. “The building of the new road (the extension of Perry Parkway) has stimulated interest in the industrial park. Several are inter ested, and we might need to buy more land,” Worrall noted. He added there is a good pos sibility of both commercial and residential development in the area behind Wal-Mart. As for housing, the city is (See WORRALL, Page SA)