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Volume 128. No. 40 3 Sections 34 Pages Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1999 50 Cents ik National Fair I The Crossraai lOL/ This Week Monday is holiday Oct. 11 marks the annual observance of Columbus Day. This is a federal holiday. Public schools will be closed. Also closed will be all non-essential jobs at Robins Air Force Base, and all city and county offices. Financial institutions will also be closed. The Georgia National Fair and the Houston Home Journal will be open. Lunches for Houston County Schools Milk is served with every meal. Breakfast features fresh fruit or fruit juice; cereal and toast are a daily break fast choice. Lunches offer a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are always on the menu. Oct. 7- Breakfast sausage biscuit. Lunch- Nachos w/cheese and beef or sausage dog or pizza. Chocolate cake w/white icing. Oct. 8- Breakfast- Manager’s Choice. Lunch- Steak nuggets w/roll or barbecue on bun or pizza. Banana pudding. Oct. 11 - Closed Oct. 12- Breakfast- Sausage Biscuit. Lunch “ The Wizard of Oz." Wiz ardwiches, twister tots, over-the-rainbow vegeta bles, oranges slices. Yel low brick cookies. Oct. 13- Breakfast- Manager's Choice. Lunch- “Star Wars.” Asteroids, Hot Rocket Roll, Potato Planets, Veg gie Blasters w/moon dip. Cosmo Cobbler. Police check robbery Richard E. Daniels, 21, was arrested Oct. 4 on charges of robbery by intimidation of Fuel South, 1114 Macon Road. According to Perry Police Lt. Det. Heath Dykes, “Daniels pretend ed to have a gun. He demanded money from the clerk. When the clerk refused to comply with his demand. Daniels grabbed several pack ages of cigarettes and ran out the door." The robbery occurred at 11:33 p.m. Daniels listed Black River, N.Y. as his home. He works for Reithoffer Midway Rides. Daniels is in the county jail. Dykes said, “There is always an increase in crime during the fair. We suggest anyone going to the fair to keep purses, wallets, and other valu ables safely locked up or in their possession. Autos should be locked and that includes tool boxes on trucks. We would suggest people be aware of their surround ings. Look around notice where you parked and who is around that area.” In an unrei«.'d case. Enterprise Car Rentals, located 103 Iffie Road, reported a burglary. See POLICE, Page 5A Pair of winners Perry picked up a narrow victory over Jackson while Westfield roiled over FPD in weekend foot ball action. See pages 6-8 A Houston Home Journal Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia Compromise reached: Concrete plant going to industrial park By Torey Jolley Home Jouiwai Staff Approximately 360 citi zens packed the Perry City Hall Oct. 5, to voice their concerns about rezoning of the North Perry Parkway which would have allowed a concrete company to build in the area. However, the Council and Northside LTD owners Charles K. Mullins and Ed Faircloth Jr. came to terms on the issue during a spe cial called work session hours earlier. The city of Perry will sell, subject to the Houston County Development Authority's approval, 15.99 acres in the Perry Allied Business Park to Northside LTD. The city will install water, sewer, and gas lines to the proposed building site within 45 days. Northside LTD will then pay the city $6,500 per acre. In addition, Northside See CITY. Page 5A County property tax rate climbs upward Sltghtly By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Home Journal Staff Iky a vote of three to two. with the chairman breaking the tie, the Hous ton County Commissioners have set the 1999-2000 tax levy at 22.29 mills for the incorporated areas and 24.29 mills for the unincorporated areas. The new millage rate for the county budget represents an increase of 0.61 hundredths of a mill over the 1999 rate. This increase led two Commis sioners Larry Thomson and Jay Walker to vote against the levy. With Commissioners Tom McMichael and Gail Robinson voting “yes”. Commis sion Chairman J. Sherrill Stafford cast the deciding vote to pass the new rate. The millage rate is made up of sev eral levies - including general county purposes - or the county budget, mandated purposes, educational pur poses (the largest amount, at 12.46 mills) . a state levy and - for those who live in the unincorporated areas an additional 2 mills for (ire protection services. Under Georgia law, local gov ernments arrive at their budgets first. Georgia National Fair activities begin Oct. 8 with 4 p.m. ceremony By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Home Journal Statf The 10th Georgia Nation al Fair will open at 4 p.m. Oct. 8. Plans call for four major concerts and more than 100 free entertainment attractions. Also set are the Royal Hanneford Circus, exhibits of all kinds, live stock and horse shows, a nightly fireworks show and over 50 rides along the mid way. A major local attraction will be the annual Georgia National Fair/ Farm City Days Parade, which is co sponsored by the GNF and the Perry Kiwanis Club. According to Bill Hafley, Parade Coordinator, the 1999 parade will start at 10 a.m. in front of Perry City The Old Reliable, Senring Houston County Since Dgc 17, mins ...y••' &***•?- v - ~ CONCERNED RESIDENTS Perry City Hall was packed with citizens eager to express their opinions The new millage rate for the county budget represents an increase of 0.61 hundredths of a mill over the 1999 rate. The rate for 2000 will be 22.29 mills for incorpctrated, and 24.29 mills for unincorporated areas. and then determine the tax millage necessary for raising the funds after the tax digest (or amount of taxable property) is determined each fall. Thomson argued that by sticking with the 1998 rate of 8 80 mills for general county purposes, the county would raise $29,400,000 - or approxi mately $3 million more than last year. However, according to Commission er Gail Robinson, the county’s budget for FY 99 has already been approved at $30,400,000 “And that budget was approved by all the Commissioners." Robinson said. County administrator Steve Engel cited a lower-than-anticipated tax Hall on Oct. 9. There will be more than 40 entries, including the Perry High School Pride of the Crossroads Band, the Pembroke High School Band, and numerous cir cus acts, antique and clas sic cars and local floats. Concerts for this year’s fair, which include Trisha Yearwood and John Berry, George Jones and the True Value Jimmy Dean Country Showdown, Monica and Grits. Sawyer Brown and Toby Keith, are expected to draw major crowds. For full details on this year's Georgia National Fair, see the Houston Home Journal's 16-page 10th annual fair guide, included in this issue. New elenrmntnrv The n€ rfophtg c-PfiTFCT h©fd 0 11 r, ° MOTW 1 trpgpv out ttM ftTHFMq ™ pants f ’ » r _ i *\ 5 *■,-*■ , - s ■'’/ ■* - ' '" A MAJOR VICTORY Westfield Coach Ronnie Jones (center) holds a plaque given him following the Westfield-First Presbyterian Day football game Oct. 1 in Home Journal Photo by Torey Jolley about a proposed rezoning oj property along Perry Park way during the Oct. 5 City Council meeting. digest, mandated costs, the cost (over $950,000 this year) of boarding jail inmates and the additional costs incurred by the county as part of the H 8489 agreement as factors in the increase. Commissioner Walker, after voting against the new rate, said. “I think we need to explore other avenues." In other business, the Commission ers: •Heard a report on the sheltering of Hurricane Floyd evacuees from Hous ton County Red Cross Director Sam Register, and expressed thanks to Register and the Red Cross for their work during the time that the Georgia Agricenter served as a temporary shel ter for evacuees. •Approved a request from the Hos pital Authority of Houston County to reduce the number of authority mem bers from 11 to 9. •Accepted a bid from Boston Mutu al to provide life insurance coverage for those county employees who want life insurance. It was noted that the current carrier, in submitting a bid. had increased rates by 40 percent. Dinner on the grounds Members of the Perry United Methodist Church hosted a pic nic for members and guests Oct. 3. A large crowd gathered for the informal service and meal. See page^Sß Macon. Westfield won the game, giving Jones is 200th career victory in 25 years of high school football coaching. He is in his eighth year at Westfield. School tax remains same rate for 2000 By Torey Jolley Home Journal Statf I'he Houston County Board of Education approved the millage rate for the fiscal year 2000. The rate, 12.46 mills, is the same rate levied in fis cal year 1999. Assistant Superinten dent of Business and Operations George Eubanks, said, “The 12.46 millage rate will generate net ad valorem taxes of $21,264,298, based on a tax digest of $1,750,364,058." This net ad valorem leaves a short age of $235,702 on the proposed Board of Educa tion approved budget of $21,500,000. Eubanks said the short age would be made up from other local revenues, for example interest on invested funds, tuition, and facilities rental fees. Home Journal Photo by Phil Clark