Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY
October 22, 2003
Volume 134, Number 194
Award-Winning
Newspaper
20(13
Better Newspaper
Contest
Inside TODAY
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In praise of
cornbread
What’s better than hot
cornbread with a bowl of
homemade vegetable
soup, or, for that matter,
a plate of collard greens
and black-eyed peas?
Food, page 6A
Man allegedly
robbed at knifepoint
WARNER ROBINS -
Warner Robins police are
searching for two men
who allegedly robbed
another at knifepoint
Monday morning.
According to a news
release, the pair demand
ed money from a man at
his work site at 1807
Watson Blvd. where a
new building is under
construction.
The victim sustained a
laceration to an arm dur
ing the incident.
He was treated a"d
later released from a local
hospital.
One suspect is
described as a white male,
about 23 years old, 5-feet
-11, 150 pounds with
brown hair and wearing a
blue shirt and jeans. The
other is described as a
white male, about 19
years old, standing 5-feet
-6 to 5-feet-7 and weighing
about 115 pounds with
light brown hair, wearing
a red T-shirt and blue
jeans.
Anyone with informa
tion is asked to contact
Detective Jeff Kujawa of
the Warner Robins Police
Department at 929-6911.
- From staff reports
mmm
Josie Mae Murray
Obit, page 3A
BUSINESS 3A
CLASSIFIED 5B
CLUB NEWS 8A
COMICS 4B
CROSSWORD 4B
FOOD&STYLE 6A
OBITUARY 3A
OPINION 4A
TV LISTINGS 4B
WEATHER 2A
PERIODICAL
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
Cagle's selling to reduce debt
CEO Doug Cagle says he understands new owner Wayne Farms will keep employees
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Cagle’s is selling its Perry chicken processing plant to
Wayne Farms.
Dozens speak at Perry zoning forum
Several decry committee for paring list of school zoning proposals to two plans
By Luci Joullian
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - Almost 100 educators,
administrators and parents came to
Perry High School Monday night to
publicly debate the pros and cons of
two plans designed to facilitate the
closing of Perry Elementary School.
The school will be closed at the end
of this year because its age and
wood-frame construction make it a
I I
HHJ/Jon Suggs
From left , cook Heather Rogers , co-owners Cheryn Jackson and Irma Johnson and
manager Vickie Dunn stand before the fireplace in Crackers Cafe. The restaurant, at
736 Carroll St. in Perry, holds its grand opening today.
Crackers Cafe opens in Perry
New downtown restaurant holds grand opening today
By Jon Suggs
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - A new down
town restaurant asks
Perryans to “sit long, talk
much.”
Crackers Cafe, at 736
Carroll St. - in the Villa
Shops - holds its grand
opening today.
Owned by the mother
and-daughter partnership of
Irma Johnson and Cheryn
Jackson, the idea for
Crackers began with a
phone conversation.
Jackson recalls discussing
the lack of an old-fashioned,
sit-down, sandwich shop
downtown.
Jackson was working as a
cost accountant until
recently, when the company
she works for wanted her to
relocate.
Having made a home here,
she decided it was time to
try something else.
With Johnson having
retired from the building
industry, the two found this
way to do something they
www.hhjnews.com
fire hazard.
Dr. Greg Gentry, who is heading
up the school system’s zoning com
mittee, said that the school would
eventually be used for administra
tive offices after funds could be
raised to renovate the venerable
structure.
Plan A would distribute Perry
Elementary School students among
Kings Chapel, Morningside and
'We don't want you to just eat and run/
- Cheryn Jackson
both loved, together.
Although they both admit
to a lifelong love of cooking -
they have taken classes in
Atlanta and New Orleans -
this is the first restaurant
venture for either.
They have spent the past
few months preparing their
site, and it is a sight.
The interior is filled with
antiques - from the radio
that croons oldies softly in
the background to the table
decorations to the tables
themselves.
Personal touches adorn
much of the restaurant,
with artistic flourishes such
as vines painted over the
counter and flowers along
support columns.
The majority of the work
was done by Johnson,
Jackson and their staff -
making something their
own from the ground up.
By Emily Johnstone
HHJ Associate Editor
PERRY - Cagle’s is selling its Perry chick
en processing plant, along with a feed mill
and hatchery in Forsyth, as a way to reduce
the company’s debts, according to Doug
Cagle, CEO for the company.
Cagle said a letter of intent has been
signed with Wayne Farms, a company whose
poultry division is based in Oakland, which
would allow Wayne Farms to acquire these
three properties for $45 million.
The closing for the transaction should
take place by Jan. 31, 2004, Cagle said.
The plant is about 500,000 square feet in
size.
Wayne Farms is also in the chicken pro
cessing business and statistics show that the
company employed some 11,000 people in
Tucker elementary schools, which
will continue to serve second
through fifth-graders. Perry
Primary would remain the city’s
pre-kindergarten through first
grade school.
Plan B would make Perry Primary
School, Kings Chapel, Morningside
and Tucker elementary schools pre
kindergarten through fifth grade.
Students currently zoned for Perry
The personal touch quite
naturally extends to the
menu, where the emphasis
is on light, good food -
homemade eats with no
preservatives.
For their sandwiches,
turkey and beef are roasted
in-house daily. Along with
more standard fare - hot
dogs, BLTs, tuna salad - the
menu includes house spe
cials such as Irma’s Blue-
Shroom Burger (for lovers of
blue cheese and mush
rooms) and fried bologna
and cheese.
Side items include potato
salud, pasta salad, cole slaw
and carrot and raisin salad,
each made fresh daily.
And speaking of fresh
daily, each morning
Crackers will offer a selec
tion of fresh-baked, home
made goodies, including
See CRACKERS, page 5A
2002.
Cagle said it is his understanding that the
new owners of the facility located on the Ga.
247 Spur will keep the approximately 1,400
employees now working at the Perry plant.
He said he also understands they may be
looking to expand that number.
Wayne Farms officials were not available
for comment at press time.
Cagle said his company has enjoyed being
a part of the Perry community since they
moved to the area a couple of years ago.
The company purchased the Perry facility,
which had previously been a brewery.
“It’s a great community,” he said.
Megan Smith, CEO of the Perry Area
Chamber of Commerce, said while she was
surprised at the announcement, “one bright
side - it is not closing.”
“That’s a very good thing,” she added.
Simms files
against Jones
Houston Co. Board of Elections
sets hearing for Monday in Perry
By Heather Fasciocco
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS - A
Monday Board of Elections
meeting will determine city
councilman Frank Jones’
eligibility to vote from his
125 Briardale Ave. resi
dence.
Jones, who is running for
re-election, will face oppo
nent Thomas Simms in the
Nov. 4 election.
Simms filed a formal com
plaint with the Houston
County Board of Elections
against Jones for claiming
the Briardale house as his
primary residence.
After an earlier redistrict
ing from the council, Jones’
102 Flanders Drive house -
in which he has lived for 35
years - was drawn out of the
Post 6 voting district. To
WRPD, RAFB ink
mutual aid pact
City council to hire consultant
for Russell Parkway design
By Heather Fasciocco
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS - City
Councilman Terry Horton,
who sustained injuries from
a fall last week that left him
with four broken ribs and a
broken collarbone, was
absent from Monday’s coun
cil meeting. Each council-
an Evans Family Newspaper
50$
111 II 111 11(1 111 II l|| |
TWO SECTIONS *l4 PAGES
Elementary would move into the
Perry Primary facility, and Perry
Primary students would be divided
among the elementary schools.
Forty-one people stood up to
address the board - the members of
which remained silent during the
forum - about why they preferred
one plan over another. Slightly more
people who spoke preferred plan B.
See ZONING, page 5A
remain in office while run
ning for re-election, Jones
would have to find a resi
dence in both the old and
new Post 6 district, which he
has done by renting the
Briardale home from Walker
Realty. Mayor Donald
Walker owns the real estate
firm.
“I have rented the house
to meet the requirements of
the redistricting,” Jones
said. “I am a resident of my
district.”
Redistricting is done every
10 years based on U.S. cen
sus information.
“No city councilperson
knows when it might affect
them,” Jones said.
The Board of Elections
will examine Jones’ records
such as utility and
See SIMMS, page 5A
man and Mayor Donald
Walker sent their well wish
es to the councilman and
hoped for his swift return.
Despite Horton’s absence,
the council pressed on with
attempts to further
strengthen the relationship
with Robins Air Force Base
See PACT, page SA