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Award-Winning Newspaper 2001 Better Newspaper Contests Volume 131, Number 104 TUESDAY Wed 62/35 Morning clouds followed by late day sun. 59,32 w Chance of showers. Highs in the upper 50s and lows in the low 30s. 51/27 l ‘‘ l 1/3 “ ** Partial sunshine. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 20s. S 3 * 56/32 /W * 1/4 More sun than clouds. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the low 30s. f“ n 57/34 ££> Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 50s and lows in the mid 30s. Here comes2ooßl ;|1 While preparing to meet the challenges of 2003, take a look back at the year 2002 in photos. See Page 3A. Home bum A Houston County family lost their home to fire Friday. See Page 2A A Gaia Event The Houston Arts Alliance was hosted to a benefit gala See Page 1C utsmgs The Houston Home Journal offices will be closed Jan. 1 in observance of New Year’s Day. lime OPINION PG.4A CLASSIFIED ...PG. 7C LEGALS PG. 5B COMICS PG. 6C LIFESTYLE ... .PG. 1C NEWS BRIEFS . .PG. 2A mil 8 n,, 55108 00001 1, "4 Periodical -i- V Dial 306 -leor mu Newsoaoer Project Main Library reaxmie Ledford Mm library Ugs Athens Ga .10602 Perdue talks about priorities lor months ahead New administration will push /or redrawing voting districts, meeting needs of "the vulnerable" By Charlotte Perkins Staff Writer On December 24 with last minute Christmas shopping still to do, Sonny Perdue took time for a relaxed interview in a busy Warner Robins restaurant stopping every minute or two to smile and shake hands with one more well-wisher. With his wife, Mary, at his “ ' mgk J ka. itJllill mßk. *’la Ik I \' 4 l I % W ? Wi jj) SfiSk JT'jL ' ;,v. ... ; ■' ’ ■: Sonny and Mary Perdue on Christmas Eve. Top ten stories of 2002 in Houston County 7. Sonny won! Houston County’s undisputed top story for 2002 the aston ishing personal and political vic tory of Bonaire’s Sonny Perdue began in 2001 when Republican State Senator Perdue said that if the State Senate’s Democratic leadership “sliced and diced” his 18th dis trict in the reapportionment process, he would seek higher office. Perdue’s 18th district, which included all of Houston County, was subsequently man gled, with his home county divided between three raggedly drawn, precinct-splitting dis tricts, and Perdue kept his promise. After months of specu lation that he would run for lieutenant governor of Georgia, he announced that he would run for governor, and subse quently resigned from the sen ate to concentrate on his cam paign. The rest is history. Despite all odds and a modest campaign fund, Perdue and his supporters built a formidable statewide grassroots campaign, took the primary in August and went on to win the general election against incumbent Gov. Roy Barnes in an upset that stunned Williams: County gets sll million service for $1 million By Emily Johnstone News Editor While reminiscing recently about his 20 years of fire service for Houston County, Fire Chief and Houston Emergency Management Agency Director Jimmy Williams said citizens may be getting a deal they are not aware of. If the more than 100 fire/res cue volunteers for the county fire department were paid min imum wage, it would cost the county $lO million a year more than it does to provide the same service they get for almost free ■t ■■■ ■ '• T " ’ - tie imnml lfisit us on the well at www.iioMStonhomeioMrnal.com “Houston County's Legal Organ Since 1870 ’ December 31, 2002 side, the man who will soon become Georgia’s 81st governor, talked about some key issues, but also reflected on the changes ahead for his family, and the need to “stay ground ed.” The Journal: We’ve learned that a bill has been pre-filed to redo Georgia’s reapportionment - Are we going to be able to political pundits and media alike, and gave the governor’s post to the first Republican since Reconstruction days. Speculation and interpreta tion continues about the multi ple reasons for Perdue’s success in unseating Barnes. There was however, never any doubt of how his home county would vote. While he clearly drew sup port from voters of both parties in Houston County, a highly organized Republican party campaign effort backed not only Perdue, but three other chal lengers - U.S. Senatorial candi date Saxby Chambliss, U.S. Congressional candiate Calder Clay and Perryan Ross Tolleson for State Senate, bringing the energy and resources of several campaign efforts together. Blue and white signs pro claiming Houston County “Sonny Country” lined roads, and Perdue won a 93 percent vote in the local primary. When the gubernatorial candidates met for a debate at Reaves Arena a month before the gen eral election, Perdue’s local sup porters came out by the hun dreds with signs and tee shirts, shouting and waving signs for their candidates. now. Almost free because the vol- unteers now get paid for their training hours not for actual calls they run - at a rate of $2 per hour for their .mi Chief Williams first 120 hours of training and See WILLIAMS on page 7A repair the senate districts that were so mangled? What will be the standards for a revised map? Gov. Elect Perdue: We’re hoping to redo both the legisla tive and the congressional dis tricts. There are three stan dards we plan to follow. The first is to obey the law clearly and convincingly. The second is to keep counties whole and keep communities of interest intact. The third is to keep the devia tion (in the equalized numbers required by the one person -one vote rule) as low as possible. I think we should throw out political data such as how dis tricts have voted in the past. We don’t want any stringing districts together based on how people have voted before. Elections ought to be about the future. The Journal: What are going to be your budget priori ties in these lean times? Gov. Elect Perdue: The pri orities have to be meeting the human needs of Georgia: edu cating our children, protecting the most vulnerable such as children in foster care and sen ior citizens, keeping Georgia safe and meeting health needs. We have to be thinking about jobs, transportation and meet ing the human needs of our cit izens. Operating a state is a little like operating an extender! fam ily. If you have a sick parent or As the cheering subsided, Perdue turned to Governor Barnes and said, “Welcome to Sonny Country.” And once the votes were counted, The Houston Home Journal, which was the first paper to announce Perdue’s plan to run for Governor, ran its biggest headline ever one whole front page announcing simply, “It’s a Sonny Day in Georgia!” 30fk. <g* JK •IT , JmmL i* Bifif iwKm 111 WjSm v M I mbmmmhp. yp WA 1m VI ■ : File Photo The grand opening of the Houston County Judicial Complex took place in November 2002. WSrrall: Proud of the past, looking to the future By Emily Johnstone News Editor Perry Mayor Jim Worrall said there are a number of things that have been accomplished in his town this past year of which he is proud. And, the future looks inter esting for the City of Perry, he added during a recent inter view. Here are some of the high lights of 2002 he remembers: • Adoption of a Master Plan for the downtown area and development of a plan to improve the Courtney Hodges Boulevard area. “We have made a step in the ItHßnnK It- ... I I HT; ' r By B Governor-elect Perdue tries to talk a small boy out his cookie. grandparent, you have to put othei; important things aside to take care of that. The Journal: Recently, you told the Republican caucus that you wanted to see “a govern ment with©«fc-g»ile.”* What did yqu mean by that and do you think it’s possible? 2. Courthouse/jail completed The S4O-plus million Houston County Judicial Complex opened in Perry with a gala event in November of 2002. Hundreds of people gathered to hear comments from several local dignitaries who spoke dur ing the dedication ceremony. Senior Superior Court Judge L.A. “Buster” McConnell, who right direction in planning for the City of Perry,” said Worrall. The implementation of a plan for the downtown area may be what “saves our downtown,” said the mayor. The downtown area is the heart of any community and when that area suf fers, it spreads out to affect the entire community, he said, i • Council’s ability to get through | another fiscal year without raising property taxes. Three Sect ions • 30 Pages I Gov. Elect Perdue: I mean that people who serve should have no motive of retribution, no hidden agendas that they should expect the best and work for the best, being candid and straightforward. I’m idealistic. I’d rather take See PERDUE on Page 7A issued a court order in the mid -1990s mandating the county build a new courthouse and jail, told those gathered that he just “lit the stove.” Many others helped make the project a reali ty, he said. The Complex located on the Perry Parkway includes a 112,400 sq. ft. courthouse and a detention facility designed to See TOP TEN on Page 8A Worrall said he believes it is the willingness of the City’s department heads to “bite the bullet” and put innovative ■ .m*. -■**- j f§|§P""| mjmky S 1 WUr \ MM Mayor Jim Worrall sft thinking and plan ning into action. He said he also realizes “they’re the ones who suffer when council says ‘no.’” • New post office. After a decade of waiting, Perry final ly has a brand new post office. Moved from the old building on See WORRALL on Page 7A