Newspaper Page Text
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Legal Organ For Houston County, City of Perry and the State of Georgia 50<
Volume 12M Xuiiilmm 2. T
TCw*i Crier'
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Phil Lambert
You wonder how many
times he peered out the win
dow or stood on the front
porch hoping to catch a
glimpse of that familiar fig
ure. His youngest son had
been gone for several months
now, leaving the comforts of
home for what he thought was
the greener grass the grew on
the other side. The son was
sure his share of the inherit
ance would afford him the
pleasures of life that he
couldn’t find at
home Page 8A
American
dream
realized by
Perryan
The American dream is be
ing realized by people in the
Middle Georgia area thanks to
the National Partners in
Home Ownership founded by
President Clinton and led by
HUD Secretary Andrew
Cuomo.The fourth annual
Home ownership Week which
was sponsored by this effort
was observed from June 3
through June 10 this year.
The purpose of this Partner
ship is to increase the nation’s
home ownership rate to an all
time high of 67.5 percent by
the end of he year 2000. in
1998, the national home own
ership rate reached the high
est point in history. At the end
of 1999, the US Bureau of the
Census reported that a record
66.8 percent of ail American
household owned their own
home • »Ml*»**«*«*«4*lHl*t .Page UA
Remember
When
It was the hub of the De
pression and jobs were scarce.
Life was hard, but this his
torical time of economic hard
ship gave Sarah Stokes a
chance to do what she had al
ways dreamed of doing.
Born the daughter of W. A.
Stokes Sr., a building supply
owner, and Sarah Eralphia
Graham Stokes, a school
teacher, Stokes was an avid
reader and driven toward
education,. Page 4B
The Big Bang
Boom
BIG BANG BOOM one of
the most spectacular and
popular events of the year will
be held at the Georgia Na
tional Fairgrounds and
Agricenter July 1. This event
has become a tradition for our
community much like the an
nual Georgia National Fair.
BIG BANG BOOM is the larg
est single day fireworks dis
play at the Agricenter and one
of the largest fireworks dis
plays in the
Southeast.... Pageloß
Index
OPINION PAGE4A
CLASSIFIED.... PAGE 5C
LIFESTYLES... .PAGE 6A
SPORTS PAGEIB
LEGALS PAGE 1C
NEWS BRIEFS..PAGE 3A
VBS
See Page 8A
Northrop sells
to Carlyle
By Charlotte Perkins
Staff Writer
After months of rumor, the sale
of Perry’s Northrop Grumman
plant is official. The local plant,
along with other Northrop
Grumman commercial
aerostructures facilities located in
Milledgeville, Tfexas, California
and Florida, is being sold to the
Carlyle Group, a private invest
ment firm based in Washington.
Mayor Jim Worrall of Perry said
that while he was “a little disap
pointed” to lose Northrop-
Grumman, he was encouraged by
what he had learned so far about
the new owners.
“I’m pleased with what I’m hear
ing, “ Worrall said. “Apparently
they have the resources to move
things ahead , and we’re looking
forward to meeting our new neigh
bors.”
Jay Walker, acting chairman of
the Houston County Board of
Commissioners, said he is “sorry
to see Northrop Grumman go,” but
added, ‘Tm pleased that there will
be no major changes in operations
or employment. We welcome
Vought to Houston County and
look forward to working with
them.”
The $1.2 billion transaction will
be final in thirty days, according
to Jim Taft, Northrop-Grumman
BOE considers $127
million budget for FY 2001
By Lanorris Fleming
Staff Writer
Board of Education members
gathered at the Perry office for
a work session followed by a spe
cial called meeting June 12. The
called meeting was for tentative
approval of the Fiscal Year 2001
budget, which is proposed to be
about $127 million.
That would include the hiring
of more than 60 teachers, accord
ing to reports.
“This has not been an easy
budget to work with due to the
A Plus Education Reform Act,”
said George Eubanks, assistant
superintendent for business and
operations.
According to Eubanks the
budget will include an across
the-board 3 percent salary in
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Photo by Emily Johnston*
Presenting Rep. Larry Walker with a plaque of appreciation are, left to right: Mike Froehlich, Airport
Authority member; Jay Walker, Houston County Commission; David Morgan, Airport Authority;
Rep. Walker, Skeet Hulbert, attorney; John Houser, airport manager, Charles Lewis, City of Perry;
and Wayne Yancey, Airport Authority. The presentation took place June 10 at the Perry- Houston
County Airport during an Appreciation Day for Walker. For more, see page 9A
<fl ' i
Thursday . Juik* 15. 2000
spokesman.
Tbit said the the “bulk” of the
Perry plant’s 400-plus employees
are expected to stay with die new
operation, which will operate un
der the name Vought Aircraft
Company.
Carlyle Group officials con
firmed in a statement to the press
that “there will be no significant
changes in the workforce.” The
headquarters for the Vought op
eration will be in Dallas.
“We are excited about the oppor
tunities for this business in the
evolving commercial aerospace
market,” said Allan Holt, Carlyle’s
managing director. “We believe
that the people of Northrop
Grumman’s aerostructures opera
tions are its most important as
set, and we at Carlyle look forward
to working with them to continue
building one of the world’s premier
aerostructures companies.”
Tim Martin, director of the
Houston County Development
Authority said, “We’re relieved
that there’ll be no significant
changes in the workforce. My im
pression is that the only signifi
cant change will be the name on
the front, and that Vaught Aircraft
will continue to be a
primecontractor to Boeing. We
pledge our total support and wel
come Vought.”
crease for both certified and
noncertified employees.
Also according to Eubanks, if
gas prices continue to rise the
budgeted amount may not be
enough.
“We have made preparations
in case gas prices continue to
rise,” said Eubanks.
He also stated that they are
spending about $2 million more
than was made last year.
Eubanks expects the school
year to end with $2.4 million in
contingency funds.
Final approval by the Board
for this FY 2001 budget is ex
pected to occur at a June 26
meeting.
The next day, a regular BOE
meeting brought about some
changes for students to adhere
Playground
See Page 5B
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The accident occurred at the intersection of Hampton Court and Sam Nunn Boulevard. A Davis
Transfer Company Freight line Truck driven by Jamie Lanier Kitchens, 29, of Sandersville. GA
struck a black 1990 Nissan Sentra driven by Kinkade while attempting to make a wide right turn.
Kinkade, who had to be extricated from the vehicle, was transported to the Perry Hospital Emergency
Room by Houston County EMS. No other injuries resulted from the accident.
to in the upcoming year. Submit
ted by James Kinchen, executive
director for secondary opera
tions, was a proposal to change
advisement for course of study
from the end of the 9th grade to
the end of the Bth grade and from
the end of the 11th to the end of
the 10th.
According to Kinchen, with the
mandated 4 units of math, En
glish and another subject, stu
dents need to be advised on a
course of study earlier than is
currently being practiced.
“With the current college prep
curriculum you must start Alge
bra I in the 9th grade or you are
out,” said Kinchen.
This proposal may be altered
Continued on Page 10A
Photo* by Lanorrie Fleming
Officer Melissa Stuckey watches as emergency
workers aid Andrew Daniel Kinkade, 71, of
Perry, at the scene of a traffic accident mid
morning on June 8.
Water use restrictions
to begin statewide on
Monday
By Charlotte Perkins
Staff writer
Effective Monday, June 19,
outdoor water-use restrictions
will be in effect statewide. The
restrictions have been put in
place by the Environmental
Protection Division in order to
conserve water for the summer
months ahead.
Restrictions are beginning
earlier in the unincorporated
areas of Houston County, ac
cording to the county’s public
works director County
Stalnaker, who said that
county government restric
tions on water use by users of
the county’s water system be
gin Thursday, June 15. (These
City surveys residents
about garbage pick-up
By Emily Johnstone
News Editor
The City of Perry wants to
know how you feel about gar
bage. Pick-up that is.
Surveys have been sent to resi
dents of Perry asking whether
customers would prefer to con
tinue twice-a-week pick-up with
a fee hike of $4 per month or go
to once-per-week with a hike of
$1 per week.
Perry Mayor Jim Worrall said
there are several reasons for the
increase, including a state re
quirement for solid waste collec
tion to be accounted for in its
own enterprise fund. That
means a separate fund is set
aside from the City’s general
fund for monies collected and
spent for the service.
Without an increase, monies
would have to be transferred
from the general fund to balance
the solid waste collection budget,
according to officials.
About $88,200 will have to be
transferred to balance the FY
2000 t udget.
This should not be the case for
the upcoming FY 2001 budget,
according to City Manager Lee
Gilmour. No property tax dollars
are planned to be transferred for
Kick Back
1 (mii Set lions. TO I'ajM-s
restrictions are the same as
those mandated by the state.
See below).
For Perry residents: Volun
tary water restrictions are
encouraged starting immedi
ately, with state-mandated
restrictions starting Monday.
The state-mandated restric
tions prohibit outdoor water
use for residential and com
mercial properties from 4 p.m.
to 10 p.m. every day.
Outdoor water use is per
mitted at other hours on an
odd-even basis.
For example: • If your home
or business has an even num
bered street address, you may
Continued on Page 11A
FY 2001, he said.
Worrall said the contract with
Sullivan Environmental Ser
vices, the company that provides
the service, provides for an esti
mated 3 percent Consumer Price
Index increase. Other costs such
as county tipping fees are also
taken into consideration.
The mayor said he believes the
city is better off for having con
tracted with SES a couple of
years ago to take over garbage
pick-up in Perry.
“On a day-in, day-out basis, I
think it is better for the taxpay
ers,” he said. “I think in the long
run it will save taxpayers
money.”
Meanwhile, Worrall said he is
pleased that a number of surveys
have been turned in by cus
tomers.
People who do not have a
form may stop in at City Hall
located on Washington Street
and pick one up from the
front reception desk, he
said.
“We’d like to get as many
as we can,” said the mayor.
Council is expected to vote
on the matter at their June
20 meeting, he added. The
meeting begins at 6 p.m.
500