Houston home journal. (Perry, Ga.) 1999-2006, December 22, 1999, Image 1
Volume 128, No. Si
2 Sections
16 Pages
Wednesday,
Dec. 22, 1999
so
The
CrossroadsMTV
This
Week
Calendar for holidays
Often the Christmas
season is ushered in with
the joy of shopping, buy
ing gifts for family and
friends and decorating
homes for all to see.
Staff writer Lanorris
Fleming spent part of a
day checking with local
churches about plans for
special services marking
the birth of Christ during
the holiday weekend.
Some area churches
will be holding Christmas
Eve services. Along with
Christmas Eve services
there will also be some
New Year’s Eve services
and celebrations in the
area. The following is a
listing of the happenings
locally
Dec. 24 V Perry
United Methodist Christ
mas Eve communion and
candle lighting services. 5
p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Open
to all.
V Christmas Eve family
worship, 5 p.m. at
Rehoboth Baptist
Church, 2238 U.S. 41
north. Call 987-1577 for
details.
V Crossroads United
Methodist Church Christ
mas Eve scripture, carol
ing and communion. 6
p.m. Open to all., 1600
Main St.
V First Baptist Christ
mas Eve communion ser
vice. 6 p.m. 1105 Main
St.
V Houston Lake Baptist
Christmas Eve service
and carols, piano perfor
mance by Jeff Edes from
the U.S. Navy Band. 6:15
p.m. 2300 Ga. 127.
V Cornerstone Baptist
Christmas Eve candle
lighting service. 6 p.m. A
live nativity may be
viewed from 5-7 p.m.
Come as you are. 1618
Houston Lake Road.
Dec. 25
Day
v Hayneville First Bap
tist communion, 9 a.m.
until 10 a.m.
Dec. 26
Dec. 27
Dec. 28
Dec. 29
Dec. 30
Dec. 31 V New Year’s
Eve
V New Year’s Eve
Watchnight Service at
Rehoboth Baptist
Church. 2238 U.S. 41
north, 9:30 p.m.-12:30
a.m. Call 987-1577.
V Crossroads United
Methodist New Year’s Eve
service will begin at 9
p.m. Communion will
begin at 11:30 p.m. in the
sanctuary.
V Word of Deliverance
New Year’s Eve concert
featuring Milton Wynn
and Decision. 10 p.m.
Baptist
New Year’s Eve “Celebrate
Jesus 2000” 9 p.m.
Breakfast will be served
after midnight.
VHayneville First Bap
(See EVENTS, Page 3A)
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Contact the Houston Home Journal:
Voice (9P> 987-1823
Fax (912)960 IP!
email Immcjrnohom.nct
Mail RO. Drawer M.
Perry, 31069
Street 807 Carroll St.,
Perry, 31069
I r I Home Decorations® Letters to Santa *
■ IVIO I Home Journa7aSlsnn! f *** 1 * tSas
I Christmas!! ““-I
Houston Home Journal
Official Legal Organ for Houston County, the City of Perry and the State of Georgia
HCHS stripped of top 50 ranking as
test score fixing investigation continues
STArT. COMMUMTTT REPORTS
6fficials with the (Georgia Public
Policy Foundation announced Dec.
20 they were stripping Houston
County High School of its Top 50 in
Georgia high schools ranking
assigned earlier this year.
The Foundation action was the
first public response to charges
someone at the school may have
kept some eligible students from
taking the Georgia High School
Graduation Test last March.
Because the test scores at Hous
ton County were higher tills spring
than in the previous year, the school
moved up in statewide rankings
from 54 to 42 out of 319 high
schools.
The graduation test score is part
of the way which the Georgia Public
Policy Foundation ranks schools for
their annual “report card" to par
ents.
Foundation officials said this was
the first time a school has been
stripped of ranking in the four-year
histoiy of the report card.
Meanwhile, the Houston County
School System has completed an
internal investigation into the mat
ter and forwarded that report to
state school officials in Atlanta.
Ii i‘ f flw
PAL SUCCESS Thanks to the love and generosity of many individu
als, businesses, clubs and churches in the Perry area, Project Agape’
Love (P.A.L.) was a great success once more. The distribution of Christ
mas toys and boxes of food took place at the former Movie Gallerp build
ing in the Eastgate shopping plaza, with a smiling team of volunteers in
charge. According to Tom Saul, who coordinated P.A.L., the center opened
at nine a.m. and volunteers were busy steadily through the day. Shown
Fleming joins
Home Journal
news staff
From Stait Reports
Lanorris Fleming has
been named to the staff of
the Houston Horne Journal.
Fleming earned her
undergraduate degree in
English and journalism at
Valdosta State University.
She was on the staff of the
Valdosta State Spectator
and the Alumni Bulletin.
She worked as an intern
at the Thomasville Times-
Enterprise during the sum
mer of 1998.
A native of Perry. Fleming
is a 1994 graduate of Periy
High School, and a member
of Shiloh Baptist Church in
Henderson.
According to HHJ Gener
al Manager Jj Johnson,
Fleming will report news
from Perry City Hall, the
Houston County Board of
Education and other areas. •
The Old Reliable, Serving Hooitoa Comity Since DeCv 17, 1870
According to a release from the
Houston County system, officials
with the Georgia Board of Education
will review that Dec. 10 report and
determine what, if any. action will
be taken in the test score episode.
The investigation began after
someone challenged the scores and
the top 50 ranking in the state
which Houston County High earned
earlier this fall. The investigation
revealed there were some testing
irregularities at the school. County
school officials said there were viola
tions of eligibility rules for the grad
uation test.
All Georgia high school students
must score a passing grade on five
different areas of learning including
writing, language arts, mathemat
ics, social studies and science. Stu
dents are required to take the test
during their junior year. All juniors
should take the writing test in the
fall of their junior year, and the
other four parts in the spring of their
junior year.
According to various reports,
most schools also offer the test to
third-year high school students who
are registered as sophomores but
See SCORES. Page 3A
V. ■v* - : ■;* Kf SI 5
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LANORRIS FLEMING
School, City Beats
“She is bringing talent
and an excellent educational
background to the Home
Journal ,” Johnson said. “We
are pleased to have her join
our staff."
Fleming began her duties
Dec. 20. To contact her with
story ideas, call 987-1823.
Home Journal Photos by Charlotte Perkins
here, hard at work, are Alvalyn Pope, Thelma McCoy, Lora At ledge,
Micheele Sanders, Courtney Jackson, Bethany Swem and others all part
of the P.A.L. effort to bring a Merry Christmas to those in need.
Limited services will be available
during long holiday weekend
By Lanorris Fleming
Home Journal Staff
It's that time of year
again, and as Christmas day
gets closer and closer the
hustle and bustle for last
minute essentials looms
ahead. While businesses
and services are going full
blast now, availability of
goods and services changes
the closer to the weekend.
Employees of the Houston
County Court House will
settle in for a long holiday
weekend by closing their
doors at the end of the busi
ness day on Dec. 22 and
reopening on Dec. 27. The
City of Perry will remain
open until noon on Dec. 23,
but will be closed on Dec. 24
reopening on Dec. 27.
If you are still looking for
that perfect gift, the city's
retail stores will be closing
early on Chnstmas Eve and
News bulletin from the North Pole
Santa Claus confirms
Dec. 24 visit to Perry
From Staff Reports
"there's good news this week fqr children of all ages in Perry.
Santa Claus has confirmed that he is
definitely coming to town.
“I always make Perry one of my first
stops in Georgia." Mr. Claus said in a Dec.
22 telephone interview. “There are so
many good boys and girls that my sleigh is
a lot lighter when I leave.
“My reindeer like that," he added.
Mr. Claus said that he has already
made his list and checked it twice, and
that he and his reindeer will be arriving in
the skies over Houston County sometime
late in the evening of Dec. 24
He added that he will not make any
rooftop or front yard landings until the
children are all nestled snug.in their bed.
Mayor Jim Worrall of Perry said, “We’re
all looking forward to this visit from Santa.
I hope that he can take time to stop at City
Hall so that we can give him the key to the
city.”
“That would be very nice." Santa said,
“but I’ll be in too much of a hurry. Maybe
the mayor could just get his wife to bake
me a nice plate of chocolate chip cookies. Ho, Ho, Hoi"
closed on Christmas Day.
Wal-mart will close its doors
on Friday at 6 p.m. reopen
ing at 6 a.m on Dec. 26.
Kmart will be open until 8
p.m. on Dec. 24 reopening
at 7 a.m. on Dec. 26.
While Santa's checking
his list, double check yours
too to make sure all your
gourmet goodies are stocked
up because the grocers, like
most others, will also be
closing early.
Kroger will close at 6:30
p.m. on Dec. 24 and will
reopen at 7 a.m. on Dec. 26.
Harvey's will close at 7 p.m.
on Dec. 26 and reopen at 7
a.m. on Sunday.
If you are not preparing a
big holiday feast but are still
looking for a good meal this
Christmas, choices are lim
ited but, the downtown New
Perry Hotel and the Waffle
House locations on Sam
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SANTA CLAUS
Expected Here Dec. 24
Nunn Boulevard and Lect
Drive will be opened for reg
ular business hours.
The main offices of finan
cial institutions will be clos
ing early on Christmas Eve
and closed on Christmas
day but will have full service
automatic teller machines
opened for your conve
nience.
The Home Journal offices
will be closed Dec 23-26.
For emergencies, call (912)
736-5663 and leave a num
ber for a return call.
Trash collection will be
picked up on the usual
scheduled days with no
pickup on Friday.
The Houston County 911
office will be fully staffed
during the holiday Any
emergency may be directed
to that number.