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Thanks, Mr. Ray
The long-time community service
of Richard Ray has come to an end.
Ray. who died May 30 in a Macon
hospital, spent much of his adult
life serving the people of the mid-
state.
A Perry area busi
nessman. Ray became
interested in politics
and was elected to
Perry City Council.
Alter a few years, he
was ready for more
and was elected
mayor.
Rav gained exten-
sive almost on the job
training as an aide to U.S. Sen. Sam
Nunn for 10 years. That preparation
helped him better serve the needs of
the Third District as U.S.
Congressman for 10 years.
Always. Ray put the needs of the
people he represented first. He
cared, lie wanted to help. He expect
ed to do something to make our lives
better.
He did. He represented the com
munity well. He worked hard to
ensure the militaiy installations in
the district were preserved. He
served with the agriculture commit
tee and worked to help local farmers
receive fair treatment. As a veteran
of war, Ray understood the needs of
his fellow veterans.
Richard Ray will be remembered
as one who served and one who
cared. Godspeed, sir.
Good-byes are possible
Perry City Manager Skip Nalley
faces a decision within the next Few
days which will likely alter his rela
tionship with the Perry City Council.
While he has not yet seen the
offer, members of the Upson County
government will extend to him an
offer to become their county manag
er.
For Nalley. the decision means
changing jobs, entering a slightly
different form of civil service, and
learning the ropes in a new situa
tion. For him. the advantage is he
will be “at home” where he lives and
where he has connections.
We anticipate that should the offer
from Upson County be as reported.
Nalley will take the offer and be on
the road home soon. Should that be
the case, we wish him well.
He has served the city well. His
professional manner is a credit to
him. lie has taken an interest in
serving the community.
Good luck with your decision,
Skip Nalley. If you go. we’ll miss you.
Good luck, graduates
School days are over for hundreds
of Houston County seniors. Some
have already walked across the
stage, the others will complete the
process by June 7.
With that walk across the stage
comes a major change in life. No
longer will they be in the cocoon of
school at home with mom and dad.
Now they enter new worlds - whether
they pursue more education, work or
other service, their lives will never be
the same again.
We wish the new graduates luck in
their process of decision. We hope
they make the kind of decisions
which will prepare them to become
the citizens and leaders of tomorrow.
Houston Homo Journal
P.O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll St. • Perry. Oa. 31069
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Ray
Richard Ray never forgot the people at home
The Sunday morning head
lines stunned me. Richard Ray
was dead.
.Just as the Home Journal
went to press last week, I
learned that Ray, 72, was in a
Macon hospital with heart
problems.
When I met Richard Ray
almost 15 years ago. he
impressed me with his honesty
and his willingness to answer
questions on the spot.
Ray impressed me with the
fact that while office staff trav
eled with him. they weren't
“handlers'' as is often typical of
aides to elected officials.
Ray sometimes ran into a
buz/ saw because of his hon
esty. I remember one press
conference in Fort Valley a
dozen or so years ago when the
questions turned very angry.
The good congressman field
ed the questions with the
patience of Job and promised
answers to everyone.
Ray was the sort that if he
didn’t know the answers, he
would return to Washington,
find the answer and let you
know not six months later,
but then. 1 always appreciated
that about him.
I also appreciated the fact he
represented his district well in
Washington. A man of working
class beginnings, Ray under
stood the problems facing
farmers and small business
operators. He had faced the
challenges of having enough
money to make payroll and pay
taxes.
He also recognized the
importance of the military in
his district which included both
Fort Benning and Robins Air
Force Base.
He had experience with mili
tary affairs while working with
U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn. When
Ray arrived in Washington on
his own. he immediately set out
to protect the military installa
tions in his district and to
maintain'a solid fighting force.
Before?'going to Washington
on his own, Ray had worked his
way up through the ranks.
First as a Perry City
Councilman and later as
Mayor. Ray established a histo
ry of serving his constituents.
He had a solid reputation of
looking out for the folk who put
him in office. Just mention a
problem and he was ready to
Summertime and the living is good in Perry
When does summer begin?
On the final day of the school
year, of course, and that day is
almost here.
Do you remember what it
was like to be a child and hear
that last bell on the last day of
school?
1 wonder what kids today
would think about the kind of
summers we looked forward to
so eagerly no air condition
ing. no television, no computer
games, no malls, no grownups
willing to stop what they were
doing and drive us anywhere.
(“That’s what you’ve got feet
for.")
Of course, it could be an
educational experience for
today's children. In a couple of
days they’d probably be bored
enough to go outside and start
trying to figure out important
things like how to catch a bum
ble bee in a Mason jar without
getting stung, or how to build a
treehouse out of the remains of
an old chicken coop.
They might even walk five or
six blocks to visit a friend or
organize some serious unsu
pervised recreational events
like that old bone-breaker, "Red
Rover.”
If anybody's got any funny
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Page 4A
Wed., June g. IMP
H . -TT'
Johnson A
Home
Journal
Editor
listen and to stand in the gap to
resolve the matter.
When Ray would come to the
district for visits, he always
took time to visit the small com
munities of the Third District.
The people there were as impor
tant to him as the power bro
kers in the cities he served.
Likely as not, he'd set up
shop at the local diner and lis
ten to the needs of the people.
His aides would take notes and
Ray would say he would follow
up on the matter.
Election results every two
TH€ PfAA/UT GAUtRV
OK, SAM! WE RETURN
STOLEN NUCLEAR
SECRETS. IN 200/.
FULLY ASSEMBLED!
Charlotte g|F~ ~
Perkins
Home pi
Journal Staff IJU
stories about the way F’erry
kids used to spend all those
long hot summer days bark in
the 40s and 50s, I'd love to hear
about them.
Was there a drug store with
fountain cokes and Captain
Marvel comic books?
Did the grownups sit on front
porches in the evening fanning
themselves with funeral parlor
fans while the kids chased
lightning bugs or sat on the
front steps telling Little Moron
jokes?
What was it like in Perry
back then? 1 mean the stuff
that never got into the paper?
The number's 987-1823.
Now, on with our trips
through Perry's past, gleaned
from the pages of the Houston
Home Journal.
25 Years Ago
of space occupied by Ihe error.
We cannot be res|xjnsiblc for the return of pictures or
submitted materials unless a stamped, return address
envelope is included.
Our Goal
The Houston Home Journal 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, leapiwork.
loyally and a strong dedication toward printing the
truth.
Member of Georgia Press Association and
National Newspaper Association.
Houston Han Journal
years indicate he did his home
work. He looked after the needs
of the citizens of the Third
' District very well.
Most of all about Richard
Ray 1 think I enjoyed the fact he
would finish the questions and
then just talk with people.
From time to time, when he
was in town, he would drop by
the newspaper office and Just
sit down to visit.
“How are things in Perry," he
would begin, and then we'd talk
about what was going on. The
relationship was not one of a
serf talking to his lord, but of
equals. He had real interest in
the people and what he could
learn about them to serve them
better.
I’ll miss Richard Ray because
he put the humanity in his
elected roll. He didn’t go to
Washington, get a driver and
forget his way home. He
remained Richard Ray, former
councilman and mayor, and
Petitions were circulating in
Houston County, calling for a
referendum to change the
county seat to Warner Robins.
There was considerable mys
tery about the source of the
petitions.
The Houston County Schools
banned John Steinbeck's “Of
Mice and Men."
Three board of education
members admitted that they
hadn’t read the book, and a
fourth said that “he had his
reasons” for not wanting the
book in the schools.
What did the young people
think of the banning of a
Pulitzer Prize winning writer?
Nobody reported on that, but
my guess is that all the teen
agers were out at the Perry
Drive-In watching that week's
feature movie. “Tower of
Screaming Virgins", which was
rated R. And no. 1 am not mak
ing any of this up.
The Sorrell Club members
distributed “grandmother
charms" to the newest grand
mothers present Mrs.
William Barfield. Mrs. Otis
Gunn, Mrs. W.E. Mullins, Mrs.
H.E. Smith and Mrs. W.A.
Whitehurst.
Miss Terry Tolleson graduat
former exterminator.
•••
Ray’s dealt) to heart disease
brings a cold chill of reminder
to me. Most of us who have sur
vived a heart experience con
sider ourselves very lucky to be
here and to have a second
chance.
Sometimes we do a better Job
of taking care of ourselves than
others. We forget we are getting
older and have experienced
some distress. We continue to
work as if we’re 35 and still
have hair, and hair with color.
I know. I’ve done the same
thing. 1 am guilty as charged.
To those who haven’t experi
enced heart problems, I gently
encourage you to watch your
diet, watch your weight, quit
smoking, and get some exer
cise.
While nothing can prevent a
heart attack or heart disease,
good living goes a long way
toward slowing it down.
©
2001 *
o
o
&
ed from Brenau College.
Moody Motors advertised a
1974 2-door Maverick sedan,
pale blue with white sidewalls,
for -53.134. Piggly Wiggly was
selling Maxwell House Coffee
for 79 cents a pound.
• •e
40 Years Ago
Mrs. Mvrtle Buckner
resigned her job at Robins Air
Force Base to work full time as
bookkeeper at the Vanity Shop,
which she owned in partner
ship with Gladys Culpepper.
(Both ladies are now enjoying a
life of leisure at Autumn
Terrace.)
Mell Tolleson spoke to the
Kiwanis Club about a new
method of preserving lumber.
He was introduced by Wendell
Whipple.
Nancy Roper. Raleigh
McCroskev and Anita Ray hon
ored Marilyn Holland with a lin
gerie shower at the home of
Miss Roper.
Summer hats were S 3 at the
Vanity Shop, and the Colonial
Store was selling pork chops for
39 cents a pound.
Bill Hafley was sworn in as
"tail twister " of the Perry Lion’s
Club.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an estab
lishmenl of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof: or abridging (he freedom of speech, or ol the
press, or of the right ol the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances." Your right to read this news
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P.O. Drawer M, Perry. Ga. 31089. ISSN: 1078-1874.