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Tish Mims
Columnist
pcrry.dda@perry-ga.gov
Downtown's
crowning jewel
I just attended the
Dedication Ceremony
for the Houston County
Government Building, for
merly known as the old
Courthouse in downtown
Perry. It was so interesting
to hear the remarks made by
folks who remember when
it was the courthouse about
happenings there. What a
vast difference the improve
ments to the building have
made to downtown. Way to
go, Houston County!
• • •
I’ve had lots of response to
last week’s question about
interest in ballroom dance
classes. Many thanks to
those of you who responded.
The next step will be to find
an instructor willing to come
to Perry. I’ll keep everyone
posted. If you’re interested,
call me at 988-2757 and I’ll
add your name to the list!
• • •
I’m so glad that school
has started again! I don’t
know how the students
feel, but I am thrilled (and
grateful) that my child has
a structured day. I received
an email earlier in the week
about teachers. In part,
it said, “teachers have to
instill a love for learning,
modify disruptive behavior,
observe for signs of abuse
and police how students are
dressed. They’re also expect
ed to raise self-esteem, teach
patriotism, good citizenship
and sportsmanship. They
have to check for head lice,
communicate regularly with
parents (even ones who don’t
care) and make sure stu
dents can pass mandatory
exams. They’re expected to
do all of this with a piece of
chalk, a computer and a few
books! And they have to do
all of this without prayer!”
Whew!
• • •
Perry Chiropractic Health
Center is hosting Kid’s Day
on Aug. 29 from 3-6 p.m.
They’re offering a free scoli
osis screening and backpack
safety class, along with lots
of fun things for kids! Call
987-9666 for more informa
tion.
• • •
Our new Animal Control
Officer, Hanna Barrett, says
that more than two-thirds
of the animals at the shelter
are owner turn-ins. She says
that people who can’t or
won’t take financial respon
sibility for their animals are
bringing them to the shelter.
She currently has room to
house up to 30 cats, but has
made room to house the 42
cats at the shelter. There
are 18 dogs at the shelter,
including mamas and babies,
in ten 4-foot-by-6-foot runs.
• • •
With the projected growth
of Houston County, the ani
mal population is going to be
even larger. Most pet owners
do not have only one pet.
Additionally, the interstate
and the Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter
have become a dumping
ground for unwanted ani
mals. And it doesn’t stop
with cats and dogs. Hanna
also has to deal with snakes,
birds, alligators and any
other wildlife or nuisance
animals that present a prob
lem to the public.
• • •
The city is trying to
improve the care of animals
by defining what adequate
food and shelter needs are.
See MIMS, page 9A
FRIDAY,
AUGUST 19, 2005
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Jeff McAfee gets a hug from good friend Carla Bickley, who was picking up barbecue
for her co-workers.
Story and
photos by
Charlotte Perkins
On Wednesday the back
room of Sonny’s Real Pit
Bar-B-Q in Warner Robins
was a marvel of logistics,
with volunteers passing
trays steadily along an
improvised assembly line,
Joanna McAfee is a little girl fighting a
big problem.
Cancer.
The 6-year-old daughter of Jeff and
Misty McAfee of Warner Robins has a rare
form of cancer. It’s called alveolar rhabdo
myosarcoma, but you don’t have to know
how to spell it or pronounce it. Just know
that it’s very aggressive, and that even
after 13 months of chemotherapy and radi
ation, and surgery and high hopes that the
battle was won, the disease came back this
The morning my watch alarmed in
Once I purchased a new
wristwatch that automati
cally alarmed every hour. I
made the mistake of wear
ing it to church. At exact
ly noon, as the preacher
momentarily paused dur
ing his sermon, my watch
alarmed with 12 shrill beeps.
Everyone looked around,
but I didn’t let on that it
was my watch. In reality,
it was more than the chim
ing of the hour. The watch
sent the preacher an unin
tended subliminal message.
The alarm said, “Preacher,
it’s 12 o’clock and you are
preaching overtime.”
Unless the Holy Spirit
falls on a congregation, a
preacher loses his audience
at noon or after 25 minutes
in the pulpit, whichever
comes first. Most people are
Family, l : Faith
Joanna, you've got some friends!
1
prayforjoanna.org
adding beans, adding slaw,
adding pulled pork and
bread, snapping the contain
ers shut and putting them
into bags from Kroger.
It takes that kind of effort
to serve over 3,200 take
out trays of barbecue, along
with over 3,200 cups of iced
sweet tea.
It was all part of a fund
raiser started just two
weeks ago to help the family
summer with a diagnosis of widespread
cancer and multiple tumors.
Joanna’s father has a public request.
He and his wife, and Joanna’s big brother,
Paul, are asking for prayers for Joanna.
“We want to raise the awareness of the
need for prayer, not just for Joanna but for
so many kids with cancer.”
To learn more, see the Web site Jeff
McAfee has created about his daughter.
Visit www.prayfoijoanna.org.
Billy Powell
Columnist
thinking about that roast in
the oven or how long they
will have to wait in line
at the restaurant. Watch
the employees depart their
workplaces at lunchtime.
When both clock hands
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Donna Churchwell and Brad Fink put in some long hours getting ready to serve
barbecue to over 3,000
people.
of 6-year-old cancer victim
Joanna McAfee with medi
cal expenses.
The main players at the
outset were:
James Richardson, who
set up a trust fund for dona
tions for Joanna.
Donna Churchwell, who
learned about the trust fund
and created an instant orga
nization called “Friends of
Joanna,” e-mailed a few
point to 12, they all make
a mad rush to leave their
workstations. It is no dif
ferent in church on Sunday
morning. At 12 o’clock, the
congregation grows restless
and many worshippers will
make a furtive glance at
their watches.
Speak too long, and the
congregation becomes fidg
ety and inattentive. A per
son’s attention span seri
ously wanes after 20 min
utes. The most effective
messages are delivered in
25 minutes or less. A long
winded message will put
people to sleep. Such was
the case when the Apostle
Paul preached long into
the night at a church in
Troas. A young parishio
ner there named Eutychus
grew drowsy and fell out of
friends, started network
ing and wound up reaching
thousands.
Brad Fink, owner of
Sonny’s, who provided the
barbecue at rock-bottom
cost, provided the space,
and worked almost around
the clock to make sure that
everybody who had a ticket
would get their barbecue.
While volunteers came
from as far away as Atlanta
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a three-story window.
One hour of preparation is
required for every minute of
delivery; consequently, a 20-
minute sermon requires 20
hours’ research, study and
script preparation. A pastor,
known for his well-prepared
and succinct sermons, was
the famous Peter Marshall.
When Dr. Marshall pastored
churches in Covington and
Decatur, people would line
up in the rain outside the
church to hear him preach.
The greatest sermon in
history was Jesus’ Sermon
on the Mount which can
be read slowly in 20 min
utes. Another notable ser
mon was Peter’s message at
Pentecost that saved 3,000
people. Peter’s recorded
message can be recited in
10 minutes.
8A
to pitch in, most came from
closer to home, like the 25
employees of Sonny, from
executives to wait staff,
who gave their time free to
the project. Others were
friends of Donna, friends
of the McAfee family, and
people who had just heard
about the big barbecue ben
efit.
At last count, the team
See JOANNA, page 9A
church
The most effective hom
ilist I have ever heard was a
Baptist preacher who typed
his messages word-for-word
and never spoke longer than
20 minutes. I actually timed
him one Sunday. His mes
sage lasted exactly 13 min
utes and 7 seconds. This
pastor’s sermons became
the talk of the town, and
everyone who came to hear
him preach knew the service
would be over at noon, if not
before. Church attendance
doubled. Two morning ser
vices had to be installed to
accommodate the overflow
crowds that came. As a
result, church attendance
dramatically increased,
Sunday school enrollment
swelled, and many were
walking the aisles to accept
Christ as Lord and Savior.