Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY
July 23, 2003
Volume 134, Number 129
Award-Winning
Better Newspaper vAuaUAy
Contest NgSlgy
NOW ONLINE!
Visit our new home
on the web
The Houston Home
Journal’s new Web site is
now active at
www.hhjnews.com.
While some features of the
site are not currently active,
we wanted to go ahead and
get it going.
We want your feedback on
the site. E-mail us at
hhj@evansnewspapers.com.
- The editors
IN BRIEF
U.S. 41 traffic
delays expected
There will be traffic delays
along U.S. 41 between Perry
and the 247 Connector until
Aug. 1, according to the
Georgia Department of
Transportation.
A pilot car will be directing
traffic flow during this time.
At some locations, traffic
will be reduced to one lane.
- From Staff Reports
INSIDE TODAY
ii 4
Getting ready...
It was a busy day for local
football teams Monday.
Northside, Warner Robins,
Houston County and Perry
each - as allowed by the
Georgia High School
Association - began their
first “official” day of team
practices.
Sports, page 1B
AREA DEATHS
David Thornton
Obits, page 5A
INDEX
COMICS 4B
CLASSIFIED 5B
CLUB NEWS 8A
CROSSWORD 4B
LIFESTYLE 6A
OBITUARY 5A
OPINION „4A
SCHOOL NEWS . . .5A
TV LISTINGS 4B
WEATHER 2A
PERIODICAL
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Georgia Newspaper Proper
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Serving Houston County Since 1870
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LEGAL ORGAN FOR
Houston County ; city of Perry ; city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville
WR workers show support for mayor
By Heather Fasciocco
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS
Hundreds of city employees
used their first amendment
rights to chastise Councilman
Matt Stone during Monday
night’s council session at city
hall.
This was a response to words
spoken by Stone during a July 7
council meeting during which
he criticized Mayor Donald
Walker for sending a memo
telling city workers not to talk
to the media about city business
without his perrhission.
Walker sent the memo in
February telling city employees
not to speak to press, unless the
Mayor’s office was aware of the
meeting beforehand.
Walker said this was to better
ensure that employees were
speaking the truth of what they
Manhunt ends without capture
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A Georgia State Patrol helicopter flies by as Houston County Sheriff’s deputy Ricky Phifer and
Perry Animal Control officer Happy Shenal search for a wanted man who fled into a wooded area
between Keith Drive and Gray Road in Perry midday Monday.
By Jon Suggs
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - “Oh, a shoe! That’s
perfect.”
It isn’t Sammy’s birthday, but
Pery Animal Control Officer
Happy Shenal is nonetheless
thrilled to get the large sports
shoe for the German Shepard.
The shoe, see, is evidence, and
Sammy is also a cop of sorts.
This tracking dog and his
handler have been called in to
help Houston County Sheriffs
deputies search for a suspect
who has fled into the thick
brush that fills several acres
between Keith Drive and Gray
Road.
were knowledgeable about and
to not give credit to anyone but
the deserving party.
“I believe the memo serves its
purpose,” he said. “I will resend
the memo to clarify any misrep
resentation it might have had,
but if any one city employee
speaks mistruths to the media
about what they did, they can
look to hear from the mayor’s
office.”
Many of those who spoke out
in support of Walker’s actions
are members of the police
department.
Stone said he was aware nine
days ago about an unknown
representative from the police
department organizing such a
support group for the mayor
and thought the action should
not have been done in such a
contrite way.
Lt. Lisa Angell said the police
Shortly before noon, deputies
attempted to apprehend
Stanley Jackson, wanted for
failure to pay child support.
According to authorities,
Jackson fled from his girl
friend’s residence when he saw
them coming for him. He eluded
pursuit, ducking through neigh
boring yards before making his
way past Keith Drive and into
the brush.
In his hurry, Jackson lost a
shoe.
When Sammy has a good hold
on the scent, Shenal urges him
on, and shortly they are on their
way through the brush, with
Houston County Sheriffs
www.hhjnews.com
officers that were in appearance
during Monday night’s meeting
were there because they were
invited. “We are here by willing
ness to support the mayor and
those who were not will not
receive any reprimands.”
Capt. Bill Capps said if Stone
needs to know who organized
the support group, he is more
than willing to state he had
invited his fellow co-workers to
speak out about their thoughts
on issues concerning July 7’s
meeting.
“I approached all the employ
ees I could invite and told them
if they can’t stand on their own
convictions, then that was okay.
Those that can and were wish
ing to see the continuation of
the right to freedom of speech
either spoke or were present,”
said Capps, who has served the
See WR, page 3A
deputies Chris White and Ricky
Phifer right behind.
Sammy seems confident, and
he’s eager to be along the sus
pect’s path. The only thing
slowing him (and his human
companions) is the environ
ment - a dense melange of
trees, vines, brambles, briars,
sticks, weeds, stickers, thorns,
etc.
Which is to say, it’s tough
going.
After a while, Sammy hits on
a spot, and his companions
examine the area.
“Looks like a compression,”
Shenal says.
See MANHUNT, page 3A
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HHJ Heather Faaciocco
Councilman Matt Stone and Mayor Donald Walker shake hands
after Monday’s meeting after Walker had made it clear to city
employees and citizens who were in attendance that he was
willing to offer his friendship to Stone and commit to try harder
in working together.
Curbing those
summer blues
By Heather Fasciocco
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS - Calling
all adults over the age of 50
interested in woodworking and
looking for a way to curb the
summertime blues! The Warner
Robins Senior Citizens Center
has a program for you.
The woodworking class has
been in full swing for years and
is the only*senior citizen wood
working class in the state of
Georgia.
“This is a place where people
of the same age can enjoy wood
working,” instructor Jim
Strawn said. “It is great even
for those who have spouses
because their significant other
can become involved in the pro
gram or others that meet at the
same time.”
Most of the class time is used
in producing fretwork on scroll
saws, however for years the
class has produced backdrops
for the senior citizens center’s
annual surprise party. For the
parties they have designed and
crafted backdrops such as a sky
line, barn and pirate ship, and
created the party favors and
table decorations.
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Moiz Salehbhai uses a scroll saw for precision in his piece of
fretwork. Salehbhai is one of many senior citizens that take
advantage of the Senior Citizens Center’s recreational pro
grams, including the woodwork class Mondays and
Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
TWO SECTIONS • 14 PAGES
When not using their skills to
assist neighboring senior pro
grams, they work on their own
projects, to be sold within the
center’s gift shop. By selling
their fretwork within the gift
shop they can be a self-support
ed program - purchasing mate
rials based on their proceeds.
The fretwork produced is
done mostly with oak or
sycamore and the pieces are
sold ranging from $lO to $25,
depending on the size and skill
involved.
Individual wood pieces are
sometimes crafted by using pat
terns to accommodate a piece’s
intricate designs. The patterns
are glued on to the piece of
wood and the participant uses a
scroll saw to acquire precise
trimming and cutting of the
woodwork. Afterward the glued
parchment is removed with
paint thinner and the wood
piece is stained to perfection.
Woodworking participants
also have been known to put
together footstools, quilting
frames, bubble gum dispensers,
door toppers, and bluebird bird
houses.
See SUMMER, page 3A
an Evans Family Newspaper
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