Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Tribble plan would toughen teacher training and crack down on truancy. Few peo ple would argue, including our educators, that a great number of our public schools are failing to edu cate our children properly. Standards and levels of educational opportunity vary greatly across this nation. There are great variations of the education al levels across each state and even between schools in the same district. The primary factor caus ing these variations in the educational quality of these different schools would seem to be the quality of the students from within each district and the homes they come from. No doubt it seems unfair to have students with high- Schools Continued from page 1A proposal. She said the change would cause diffi culties for middle school and high school teachers with elementary age chil dren. In addition, Lowery said studies claim children “don't do as well in school getting up early.” Porter questioned, “If that was true, then whv do we have children attending summer school? It starts at 7:30a.m." Pat Summers, Houston County board member, commented, “I find it hard to accept this need for schedule changes because 11 drivers are needed." Houston County Super intendent Charles S. Hol loway said, “There are too many children and too few drivers and buses.” The board table the issue until June 14. The school board did approve the school nutri tion program budget and an increase .in.' the cost of meals at the schools. Lunch price increased to $1.25 for elementary stu dents; middle school lunch es will now be $1.50 and high school lunches will remain at the current $1.50. Adult school system employees will increase to $2.25 and adult non-sys tem lunches will be $2.50. Cost of snacks will go up from 40 cents to 60 cents. In addition, the school board adopted the amend ment to policy IDDD to reflect the Georgia State Board of Education guide lines regarding the gifted student program, approved the new curriculum for additional math for high school students, and the SLA grant for year 2000. The new high school math curriculum will be the addition of two senior level courses: algebra 111 and college prep calculus. ' | §*** % Jk< BJk I. i ■ --■ , ■ [ M« FRIDAY (MUSE 11 I nitMi in at t»rr«ii>iiM.L a p • ■ I FTSTIMEFO^B sms s I CLEANING H |I AND THERE'S CASH IN H |vouhcloset| CALL In TUBE H g SECOND i ■ m^i FOR MORE | INFORMATION. I ■ ONE BLOCK WEST | OF THE WINDSOR HOTEL ■ DOWNTOWN AMERICUS 912 J Continued from page 4A er learning capabilities stuck in a poor school that offers little challenge to them. A voucher law would allow them to get out of that learning atmosphere. Also, high on the list of factors that determine the quality of education at each individual school is the quality and dedication of the teachers and the admin istrators in that school. If teachers are not of the highest quality then the school certainty has little chance of being a quality institution. Being a school teacher today is probably at the most difficult level in the history of our nation. The problems with discipline, weapons in schools and efforts to teach students who come from families with an ‘I don’t care’ atti tude make the teaching profession one of the tough est jobs in our country. Maybe if the paddle, Bible and prayer were put back in school, and all of our teachers were tested and trained to meet higher standards, we would have no need to even consider a voucher plan. Food Continued from page 1A Shajuanna Felder was charged with criminal tres pass in the same incident after reportedly breaking the windshield of the car the victim was in. “Amelia Be delta’ coming to Perry Public Library sracw. TOTH. Home Jotowal A popular storybook heroine will come to life at the Perry Library on June 16, when Dana Pooie Kersey dresses up as the comical “Amelia Bedelia" and tells her story. Tha program wllj begin at * Our recent partnership has us feeling good all over. - —^f 600 Perry Warner Robins Ri 7?9 i ?w!! we *5555? Lo °£?^P? ve Shurlino Drive Pio Nono Avenue Hartley Bridge Rd. Washington Street Watson Boulevard Russell Parkway Future Site 722-6200 722-6100 722-6400 722-6500 722-6600 722-6700 987-0011 929-4145 329-0430 Houston lake Rd Mfntof FD4C >v ft h 11 r**>—aw—rr—n— jKjKßjjHMnHßj Wr f§| Home Journal Photo by Torey Jolley RIBBON CUTTING Peggie Askew cuts the ribbon for the grand opening of Mrs. Peggie's, a new barbecue restaurant on Carroll Street in Perry. On hand for the occasion are, from left, Mayor Jim Worrall, Chamber of Commerce Chairman Steve Rodgers, Perry Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Director, Jenny Andrew; Bonita Askew, Peggie Askew (with scissors), Chamber Presi dent Chris Kinnas. Dewey Askew, Marian Ford and Chamber treasurer, Jay Jones. In addition to barbecue, the restaurant’s menu includes such specialties as col lard greens, macaroni and cheese, balced chicken and pork chops. Farm dairy farmers, and said that milk transported from the northern states to Georgia can take four to five days before the milk is pasteurized. He urged sup port of federal legislation which will focus on locally produced milk and milk products. The Commissioner also cheered on Democratic party members at the sup per meeting. “I was born and reared the son of a sharecropper, and I’m proud of the fact that I’m a Democrat," he A Jew minister of music, youth at Second Memorial Jonathan Fisher is new Minister of Music and Youth at Second Memorial Baptist Church. He began his new posi tion on June l.The son of the Anita Baggett of Warner robins and the late Rev. Michael F. Fisher, he is married to Ginger Broxton. He is a Warner Robins native and a grad uate of Southeast High School, and attended Brewton Parker College and Mercer University. He has most recent ly served piinister for Ayondale Baptist Chufch fri Our recent partnership with Crossroads Bank of Georgia gives us a total of ten offices. The joining together of these two banks also gave us a new name: Security Bank. That’s because both banks are now state chartered, so the word National had to go. Now we're all over middle Georgia. So while others are being taken over by out of state banks, we’re strengthening our local commitment. Giving us the opportunity to make banking with Security even more convenient. And along with that convenience, you get great products and a level of personal a service thaft second to none. NfifllrilV So come see US. We're easy to find, because now we're mmmmmmmmmmmammmmmaJLm all over the place. ' BTIMf We’ll handle it personally. Continued from page LA said, “I lived through the Depression years. I ain’t dumb." Speaking of President Bill Clinton, he said, “I’m an old Southern Baptist and he may have done a few things I don’t like, but he still gets an A+ for lead ership." He want on to say that Georgia, “is the premier state in the nation... the envy of the south, and the only state remaining of all 50 that has never had any thing but a Democratic gov ernor." Community discussions begin on future of downtown Perry Bt CHARLOTTE PERKINS Home •Joctwal Statt With the advent of shop ping malls and plazas, chain stores with major purchasing power, and vast parking areas, downtown shopping areas across the country have been strug gling to survive for two gen erations. Downtown Perry, despite it} attractive store fronts and landscaped, shaded streets, is no exception. With the new Super Wal- Mart opening in July, and plans under way for build ing the new courthouse on Perry Parkway, merchants and others who make their living in downtown Perry face the challenge of an uncertain future. The first steps toward meeting that challenge were taken at a meeting hosted by the Perry Cham ber of Commerce May 27. With a crowd of downtown shop owners, community leaders and elected officials gathered together to talk and plan. Susan Peacock, a moti vational speaker and work shop leader for Oglethorpe Power, led a discussion which included acknowledg ing community strengths, identifying challenges and problems, and coming up with a vision for the future of the downtown area. Beginning with the strengths of the community, participants readily pointed to Perry’s assets —rapid growth, a good location along 1-75, an active Cham ber of Commerce and responsive media, historical interest, tourist attractions such as the Georgia Nation al Fairgrounds, good schools and medical facilities. Problems and challenges - noted by the participants included the shortage of parking spaces in the downtown area, empty buildings, absentee owner ship and high rent in some jdpwntown shop locations, ■app needs for some specific n Wed., June 9,1999, Hmuttn Heme Journal- facilities that visitors ask about such as a movie the ater and an upscale dress shop for women. When asked to come up with a vision few downtown Perry, participants offered a wide range of suggestions, including closing oft Carroll Street as a pedestrian walk way, having more restau rants, creating living quart ers in the downtown area, and attracting more tourists with an approach similar to that taken in north Geor gia’s tourist magnet, the small town of Helen. While the meeting arrived at no firm conclusions, Chris Kinnas, Chamber President considers it a starting point. "Every idea has its time," Kinnas said a few days after the meeting. “Once we get a synopsis back (from consul tants at Oglethorpe Power), we’ll turn it over to our Busi ness Development Commit tee. We expect some things to be done." Kinnas pointed out that while there are some down town vacancies, the overall picture is better than some believe. “We have 15 vacancies in 180 locations downtown," he said, “That’s a 92 percent occupancy rate. I think our downtown will remain viable. It's a matter of working different ly and working smarter." Kinnas also said that he and others in the Cham ber’s leadership would “love to foster some entrepre neurship", noting that the Chamber has many resources for helping fledg ling businesses get off to a good start, including the services of the Small Busi ness Development Center. As for the opening of Wal- Mart and its impact on local retail business. Kinnas said he expects the new store to bring more people to Perry, not only from the surround ing rural counties, but also from the middle and, north •eirrpait of Houston County. Page 5A