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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Sue Sapp USAF
Penny Seals loads blood samples into a centrifuge to run for chemistry analysis at
Robins Air Force Base. Lab technicians assigned to the 78th Medical Group support the
group’s various departments, analyzing hundreds of fluid and tissue samples each day
to help physicians diagnose patient ailments. She is microbiology supervisor for the
lab.
COLUNGS
From page 1A
“Our sons and daughters
are fighting and dying daily
on the battlefields of Iraq,”
he said.
But U.S. forces are suffer
ing the lowest fatality rate
of any war in the nation’s
history. About 10 percent of
casualties are deaths,
Codings said, a low figure he
attributed to advances in
technology and the precision
and capability of battlefield
surgery teams.
The fatality rate in
Vietnam, for example, was
24 percent, he said.
But while more lives are
being saved, even that
comes at a terrible cost,
Codings noted. A large num
ber of these come home to
completely different lives
and must face new chal
lenges coping with the
effects of their wounds.
It is a challenge, but is one
worth taking up, and
Codings is proud one of his
sons is doing just that, as an
F-16 fighter pilot.
Codings, who was himself
a fighter pilot, now sees just
how much family sacrifices.
When he was in the cockpit,
he knew he was going to be
ad right - he had confidence
in himself and his aircraft,
and while he knew others
worried about him, he did
not know worry himself.
“I see life differently,” he
said. “I see the sacrifice that
our family makes much
SPEC
From page 1A
According to AAR, the
Macon facility is a parts and
distribution warehouse and
employs 18.
AAR Defense Systems is a
worldwide military supplier,
dealer, distributor and
maintenance program man
ager for aircraft including C
-130, AWACS, F-16, and
more. It has a contract to
provide logistics services for
Northrop Grumman in sup
port of the U.S. Air Force
JSTARS program.
Authority Chairman
Larry Snellgrove noted that
the property is for sale or
lease.
“We’ve got to figure out
how to do that for the bene
fit of the city and the coun
ty,” he said. “Do we want to
be in the lease management
business? We’ve had others
interested in leasing.”
Authority member Neal
Talton spoke up in favor of
leasing.
“It’s better than sitting
there empty,” he said. “And
we leased the Lithonia
Lighting building out for
LOOK
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more accurately now I have
a son flying F-165.”
But even as so much is dif
ferent, so much is also the
same; while this puts a new
perspective on the conflict
for the general, it does not
sway his commitment.
“I, as a parent, am willing
to make that sacrifice of my
son, so that this nation will
remain the greatest nation
on Earth,” Codings said.
It is easy to do a job when
you have unwavering sup
port, but to do the job when
much of the rest of the
world is against you takes a
steady courage and dedica
tion to the cause, and
Codings believes we have
that in our nation.
Through it ad, we must
remember our loves, and
their priority. For Codings:
faith, family, Air Force.
“If you get those skewed,
you’re in big trouble,” he
said.
There was a standing ova
tion as the general conclud
ed his speech, and then he
took questions.
Many of those centered of
the base and how it factors
into the challenges of today.
Robins is a great behind
the-scenes player in every
thing you see, Codings said.
The C-17s delivering relief
to tsunami victims? Robins
is their support system.
Same with so many of the
fighter craft in the skies of
the Middle East.
seven years.”
State Rep. Larry O’Neal,
who was present at the
meeting, noted that the
price proposed was “dramat
ically below market value.”
Authority member Tee
Tolleson suggested making a
counter offer to AAR.
In other business, the
Development Authority
plans to put some more land
up for sale and build inter
est in existing sites.
The authority will be
adding 139.6 acres on U.S.
41 in Centerville to its list of
available sites, as well as
land behind the former
Warner Robins campus of
Fort Valley State University
on Osigian Boulevard.
Snellgrove said there had
been some interest in both
sites.
The authority had held
the land behind the college
in a gentlemen’s agreement
with the Board of Regents,
according to Tolleson, in
case the Regents wanted it
for future expansion. Now
that it’s closed, Snellgrove
said, there is some interest
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Not only does the base do
its job, but as the demands
on the flight line increase,
those who work it rise to the
occasion. Even as the ops
tempo is up, so is the pro
duction level.
Last quarter, for the first
time in history, Codings
said, Robins turned in all
aircraft on time or ahead of
schedule.
The news brought the crowd
to its feet again.
There was, of course, a
question about BRAC, a sub
ject upon which the general
cannot comment.
But with news like that
production report, and the
base’s software division
recently given the highest
rating possible, he did com
ment, albeit obliquely.
“It is very bright, the
future of Robins Air Force
Base,” Codings said.
Finally, one Rotarian
asked how Codings feels
about negativity in the
press, whether he would like
to see more reports “on our
side.”
“Our side is the American
side,” Codings said.
While he may not always
agree with what is reported,
he is proud to live in a coun
try where anything can be
said, rather than one where
the people must live in fear
for their opinions.
“We do not want the
other,” he said.
in the land.
Tolleson suggested offer
ing it to the Board of
Regents first. Snellgrove
agreed and also asked that
the city of Warner Robins be
notified of the authority’s
intentions.
The U.S. 41 property will
be advertised, and sealed
bids are due by 5 p.m. Jan.
28. The entire parcel is
being placed for sale at a per
acre price. It will sell as is
and with a no-sale option,
Tolleson said.
Centerville City Manager
John Harley said there are
water and sewer service con
nections available for the
tract. Mayor Ronnie Brand
noted the city had hoped for
a fire station on about two
acres of the tract.
Whoever buys the land
could get a tax deduction
from the city for building
the fire station said
Snellgrove.
“It would be a benefit to
them,” he said.
Centerville plans to be
there for the bid openings.
LOCAL
Planning Commission
proposes 'big box' rules
By JON SUGGS
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - The Planning
Commission took up the
issue of “big box” retailers
and how they will fit into
the city, in its meeting ear
lier this week.
The commission is recom
mending the City Council
adopt new regulations for
retail buildings exceeding
35,000 square feet and
shopping centers exceeding
50,000 square feet.
The new specifications
would be included in a new
appendix of the city’s land
development ordinance.
The commission reviewed
a draft of that appendix
from the Office of
Community Development
and recommended it for
approval to the City
Council.
The new standards
include specifications for
building materials, park
ing, lighting and other
building requirements, all
aimed at keeping up
appearances.
As Building Official Steve
Howard explained, the goal
One arrested, two others wanted
WARNER ROBINS -
John Richard Simmons, 17,
was arrested Sunday in
connection with the 3:30
a.m. robbery by force of a
man on Madrid Street.
The victim, found in the
road, said four men robbed
him. He was taken to the
hospital, treated and
released.
Simmons was arrested
later in the day in connec
tion with the incident. He
was charged with underage
possession of alcohol, giving
false name and date of birth
and robbery by force.
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of the new standards is not
to discourage big retailers
from coming to Perry, but
to ensure that the ones who
do are going to fit into the
character and look that the
city and its residents have
come to expect.
In other business, the
commission recommended
the council approve a
change to the section of the
land development ordi
nance dealing with outdoor
advertising signs.
While new signs are
required to meet stricter
specifications, older signs
are “grandfathered” in.
The change specifies the
process for eventual
removal of these non-con
forming signs. Following
IRS guidelines, a term of 15
years was set as the limit of
a sign’s “economic viabili
ty.”
The change also requires
that a sign damaged beyond
50 percent of its cost may
not be re-established except
in conformance with the
new standards.
The City Council will
Warner Robins Police
continue to investigate this
incident. Anyone with
information is asked to con
tact Detective Karen
Stokes at 929-6911 or 918-
2980.
Police are also seeking
suspects in the Monday
armed robbery at Leisure
Lake Drive and Island
Boulevard. A couple
depositing trash at a recep
tacle there was robbed at
gunpoint by two men. The
suspects are described as
about 5-feet-9 to 5-feet-ll
inches tall black men, one
I
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2005 ♦
review both of these recom
mendations at its Feb. 1
meeting.
In other action, the com
mission:
• Tabled a variance
request from Willie F.
Colson for a porch addition
at 1123 Lovely Lane
because the applicant was
not present.
• Denied a variance
request from Jeff Smith
Chrysler Dodge Jeep to fly
advertising balloons at its
100 Issie Road location.
• Approved a variance
request from Pete Stokes
Builders to the Brendale
subdivision, section 111, to
allow a 10-foot variance of
the 60-foot right-of-way
requirement for residential
streets. The variance is
dependant on the developer
providing a five-foot utility
easement on either side of
the streets.
• Approved a variance
request from Williams
Andrews to erect an out
door advertising sign on
property he owns at Patrol
Drive.
with a slender build, and
the other with a heavy
build.
Anyone with information
is asked to contact
Detective Scott McSwain
with the Warner Robins
Police Department
Criminal Investigations
Division at 929-6908.
- From staff reports
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