Newspaper Page Text
FRIDAY
December 10, 2004
Volume 135, Number 242
Award-Winning
Newspaper
2004
Better Newspaper
Contest
Inside TODAY
Hush beats a full house
“When would be the
worst time for a septic
tank to clog up?
“Well, it
happened
to us on
Christmas
day. “
H H J
columnist
Billy
Powell
relates the
sad tale of
j ? W
a holiday mess involving
rising waters.
Family&Faith, page 7A
In BRIEF
Auditions Sunday
tor '1776'
PERRY - The Perry
Players will hold audi
tions for the musical,
“1776,” at 7 p.m. Sunday
and Monday. Suzanne
Webb will direct the play
and Martha Alexander
will be the producer.
Alexander said 25 men
and two or three women
are needed for the cast.
The theater is located at
909 Main St.
Happy BIRTHDAY!
Dec. 10
Lisa Hargraves
Peggy Maxwell
Stephanie Smith
Dec. 11
Shakeerryah Barrett
Brooke Sorrows
(Surprise your friends! Let us
know when their birthday or
anniversary is, and we’ll put their
names in the paper that day. Just
send the name and date at least
a week in advance, and well do
the rest. E-mail to
hhj@evansnewspapers.com, or
mail them to us at the address
inside. No phone calls, please.
Many happy returns!)
Area DEATHS
Amy Delee Sparks Julien
William M. Mize
Mary E. Owens
Geneva Riddle Rainey
Obits, page 5A
INDEX
CLASSIFIED 5B
COMICS 4B
CROSSWORD ... .4B
LIFESTYLE 7A
OBITUARIES 5A
OPINION 4A
SCHOOL NEWS .. .9A
SPORTS 1B
TV LISTINGS 4B
WEATHER 2A
PERIODICAL
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Man Library
UNfV OF GEORGIA
ATHENS GA 30602-0002
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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
Perry to float bond for wastewater plant
20-year note amounts to $3.88 million; bond chosen after other options reviewed
By JON SUGGS
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - The city moved a step
closer to expanding its wastewater
treatment facility this week, as the
WR city
workers
to get
raises
By RAY LIGHTNER
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS - City
employees will be getting a 2
percent pay raise in 2005.
“Hopefully this will help
our employees,” said
Councilman Grady
Clemonts.
Clemonts and Councilman
Dean Cowart asked if it was
possible in the budget to
give 3 percent at the Dec. 2
pre-council meeting, prior to
Monday’s vote. Mayor
Donald Walker said no, but
noted he doesn’t necessarily
agree with the 2 percent
cost of living increase.
“Some employees deserve
3 percent, some don’t
deserve 1 percent,” he said.
“It should be merit-based.”
Walker quickly pointed
out, however, that “nobody
else is doing what we’re
doing for employees. A
$15,000 a year job with the
city is like a $35,000 job.”
The council, when it
passed the fiscal year 2005
budget (July 1, 2004 to June
30, 2005) made the 2-per
cent average increase avail
able to department heads
for merit raises on anniver
sary dates in 2005.
The council also amended
the city code regarding alco
hol licenses. 'The changes
put fees on applications at
SSO for the background
checks and set annual fees
for retail licenses, effective
Dec. 6. The fees are $4,500
for packaged liquor includ
ing beer and wine (it was
$4,119); $3,500 for sale of
mixed drinks (it was
$2,354); $1,050 for nonprof
it clubs (it was $706); and
SSOO each for beer and wine
consumption on and off
premises (they were $271
each).
“It brings them up to the
maximum allowed by state
law,” explained City
Attorney Jim Elliott.
In other business:
• The council approved
the appointment of, Tiena
Fletcher as vice president of
economic affairs for the
See WR, page 5A
Bush refuses to raise payroll taxes
President calls for legislation for private retirement accounts within Social Security
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Bush
on Thursday flatly ruled out raising
payroll taxes to ensure the solvency
of Social Security as he began a push
for historic changes in the retire
ment program.
Bush renewed his call for legisla
tion that would let workers create
www.hhjnews.com
City Council approved a financing
option to cover the costs.
The council elected to go with a
revenue bond to bring in
$3,880,000, which is enough to meet
the expected bills.
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Burger-eating contest winner Larry Sutton (right), sponsored by Taylor Sales, won lunch for a year at Backyard
Burger, as part of z fund-raising event for Kids Yule Love.
CHOMPIN’
for chanty
WR eatery hosts burger contest
to benefit Kids Yule Love
Story and photos
by Ray Lightner
WARNER ROBINS -
Ten men entered, one man
left - with free lunch for a
year.
No it wasn’t a WWE cage
match, but some pretty
large competitors entered
the burger-eating contest
Wednesday at Backyard
Burgers. With the $25
entry fee, each competitor
took care of 10 kids this
Christmas, of the 1,600
Kids Yule Love hopes to
serve, coordinator Kate
Jackson said.
The 10 entrants had
three minutes to eat as
many burgers as they
private retirement accounts within
the government-run program.
“We will not raise payroll taxes to
solve this problem,” Bush said as he
met in the Oval Office with a panel
of advisers on the Social Security
issue.
Bush sidestepped questions about
whether the nation can afford to
Over the 20-year duration of the
bond, the city will pay $2,677,574 in
interest in addition to the principal.
Although cheaper financing alter
natives were available - the city
reviewed three lease purchase
Benefit burgers
could. The winner, Larry
Sutton, sponsored by
Taylor Sales, finished
almost two of the big burg
ers.
Sutton had the smallest
piece remaining as the
buzzer sounded. Runner
up Scott Peavy, sponsored
by APEX, had about half a
patty remaining.
“We’ll do it again, but
maybe with smaller burg
ers,” said Backyard
Burgers manager Bryan
Churchwell.
Sutton won free lunch
for a year at Backyard
Burgers. All the competi
tors got to take home what
was left of the six burgers
placed in front of them.
See CHOMPIN’, page 3A
borrow in order to confront a short
fall in the trillions of dollars.
“I will not prejudge any solution,”
Bush said.
At a time of record deficits, esti
mates of the money needed range
from $1 trillion to $2 trillion or
more over a decade. Bush said the
total unfunded liability is sll tril-
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Pope Sellers, sponsored by Coldwell Northside Realty,
was the youngest and smallest of the participants, but
held his own, finishing at least one burger.
an Evans Family Newspaper
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TWO SECTIONS • 16 PAGES
options - the bond was chosen
because the payments will be lower
for the first several years than they
would have been under other
options.
See PERRY, page 3A
lion.
“Does this country have the will to
address this problem? I think it
must,” Bush said, sitting next to
Treasury Secretary John Snow and
the members of his panel.
“There is a recognition among the
experts that we have a problem, and
See TAXES, page 5A