Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

o, 3ears come up short against Collins Hill |/A THURSDAY May 25, 2006 voLume 136, NnumßEß 102 OUR INSIDE . it's an honor B Warner Robins Noon Optimist Club hands out annual Officer of the Year awards to local law enforc ment agencies. - Page 2A Avcid the invasion B Columnist Foy Evans enjoys music and can iden tify with its powerful nature, but writes he refuses to suc cumb to the iPod people. - Page 4A IN BRIEF Guitar performance B A classically-trained guitar ist is set to perform at thes Perry Library Wednesday. Marshall Fordham, a Houston County native who is earning his master'’s in music from Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts, will perform a variety of music appealing to all ages, start ing at 10 a.m. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Mercer University in Macon, and received the Georgia Music Teachers Association’s Award of Excellence while at the school. He has received coaching from renowned guitarists Sergio Assad, Antigoni Goni, and Oscar Ghiglia. He has appeared with members of the Macon Symphony Orchestra on several occa sions. For more information on this free concert, call the library at 987-3050. - Mike George BIRTHDAYS Thursday W Gerry Nall B Denise Posey M Doug Cross ANNIVERSARIES Thursday M Allison and Todd Garrett Having a birthaay or anniver sary? Call Charlotte Perkins at 987-1823, ext. 234, or e-mail her at cperkins@evansnewspapers. com. DEATHS B Mary M. Jackson B Martha Lois Bullard Nunez Bostick INDEX PR . . .'ioio o B B WEATHER ....... 3A OPINION .........4A SUHOOLS ~..... 8A SPEORIS. .. ... TA C0M1C5......... 8A CLASSIFIEDS .... 9A PERIODICAL Aw:d- Winning 004 Better Newspaper Contest IZERS S 5 & 20 . TN ;NEBs | L = o°:g E%ofi ;503 =g CSEQ -‘:;z" saPP wx<3B . bwiwg SSE2eo® SEcoey May 25, 2006 Re T ) @he Jditedsl ~ LEGAL ORGAN FOR HousToN COUNTY, CITY OF PERRY, CITY OF WARNER ROBINS AND CITY OF CENTERVILLE Phoenix Gtr., River Edge could merge Mental health and addiction rehab services leaders look toward survival in the face of cuts By CHARLOTTE PERKINS HHJ Staff Writer As state funding cuts continue for programs for the mentally ill, the mentally disabled and those addict : c ¥ { A e " ‘ . Fod e ok ¥ | Ui e e q ] i .',i,‘u - ¢ 8 o & |#fTR,AN % ¥ " . L g |v(S:i]o ¥ g ? i d & i s . i ‘ ] g ’ e ! 3 og ot # : ’ = ¥ ‘m“\i‘.;\,xfi\\,;‘ : ?‘vat\‘m"‘w\\ &ol q o A . 9 9 N T %JQ:\!M\‘\ o ;-;,"ll»-"f%» . "\qf‘}. @\' : B ‘\M e 2 Do s s ¢ - el st 4 . AR R T T ol 4 I Y 7 M’ e i 3 e 'TT T R ‘&Mw? e i ""un i’ P 8 i RS (R i . . * YR vl,‘g‘,’w&»y:w: o ; o " W 3 ety e e ST A L it ) d 8 ioors RTR G Re R R ¢ e B Mg = 3 2 R= e s e e+ R Y ' [ e =" FUedhes. o ik T b ] B A P AR B b Y'fl el L k- o 0 - b R 5.%&- iLt e R eol SR § o 17 ot - | W N RN i L b ; 7y 8 i i - Ry i #::_-‘*‘*.Ws;? L PR T B e e Fr— SR e P i i, A Mw‘ ? : \ ! ! ot O I N e 4 T g L g e ! ; AL R W TF R e V . = P g«&f T "-“”;‘-*“wf‘;““ o ) ,‘w G i X Swr— : ;i e -, e SRR e""““ S il 5 s : SEER TR TR ' W 4 by pllh. Lo a3V 49 O YR Ak TN . w e (9 Jf-* 4 MOV ‘:4,'y i Y - [PPSR L i T vR I e g e g " B B . g ?‘?\{ ~w“* *'*e‘!”{.w:‘,l%i"v( ey SR RN . ”.'..v" ;e - [ T L ’_{%‘f' TSN T * S ; - ’ : QL s ek, RN LRSI . _ %‘3‘ ITR "‘»W‘}; R~L hy ¥ ‘f.m & TNI T i R R ARG TR AR T i % L . WSR ST e e ST P TAT Nl Tit D T 5 F ig LR Y e Y N R T D e T R S AL ._;.-.r”fi,fr,g.\. ‘ti'»' e R ’»’%nfi" Gz N Tgdely ERORER o T Yt a 8 oY e, vfik&&&’“fifit S‘:j R 0 N T el iy ""“.‘{'l“ A ogh LG # b o ‘gi\"'}*i oe i »fl‘\'fi i oS ‘L"'m‘ Ie SR Le o e el Som Ti S T T A o - 3 Ll 58 [T P B iAT SRR RS Savaith N 8 B e R A TR Rt iy " i Yk@@é‘ B e N ””m’f‘fl“" e B ’g*g‘ AR it ST 2PR oI M S Bil-i, A T DR A T o %,‘{«? At W@\‘W Ty R T L g S ?«" 4 ‘(,Mv\,»}: AR »‘*\«j& b L e ,‘N@:';",,li-"w.;'}‘;“‘"‘:'f‘&"%““‘* SR B i T B g R R TTR S e AR oPR G R 8 R IR R & i :f'{'t.j > ’.%‘ %L ","\_i‘,.‘}. "Q’;p’?‘ ~9&“:@4‘*“‘{{?"- z Mil o, '?-f LA A h"‘f“"fl%: ‘:;?.\.t*%#g a,\\‘,,: i ("\17:':"»}?-. i " " £G S e T e L Tt B ke A Re N R g 1 oe T PR AU g W LR R T NLt R Y VR ol ."”"’ 53‘"3}3,?‘3‘ ol ‘?;\fi;":eqi{g ! 2 j:“ ’P%\\ "}%t \%&v-’l‘v(}{ vffis?f“ o i'b"’ % o:‘ () i': s h&‘g\’% ; b g ’;\?X’“Am i A R TS %&” (A "& Ne T eAT kAR PR R K TR T S | AR PR MG PO R b RIS, SRS, (S A G (o . 7 ANI 2 g }.s’ N S RTETRBIE oi RS L Pel T R P R il ik M O [SS T a IRROREY ¢LN LT S . e g Ps N TSRS T A R B T O, Ls o RSN e R e Three people were injured, none seriously, in this wreck on Russell Parkway at Elaine Drive on Wednesday. The two occupants of the truck and the driver of the car were taken to Houston Medical Center with minor injuries, according to Warner Robins Police Department’s Tim Pippio. The driver of the white Ford F-150, Flora Ramirez, was cited for driving while unlicensed, failure to yield right of way and child restraint violation because the 5- five-year-old girl in the truck should have been in a car seat, Pippio said. He added the truck was traveling south on Elaine Drive and attempted to cross Russell Parkway. The Honda Accord traveling eastbound on Russell Parkway and driven by Gordana Mihalic-Mackee, struck the pickup, which rolled over four times. Duhart awarded for work with seniors By RAY LIGHTNER HHJ Staff Writer “You've done us all proud,” Mayor Donald Walker told Carolyn Duhart. Duhart was given an award recently for creative leadership by the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for the Aging for her work at Springfield Gardens Apartments. “The award she’s won, is the highest award we give for creative leadership,” said Walter Coffey, president of Dennard honored for 35 years of service By RAY LIGHTER HHJ Staff Writer When Harry Dennard began with the Warner Robins Police Department in 1971 Homer J. Walker was mayor and “Pip” Rape was police chief. “Just to tease him, I remind him I was 3 years old when he started,” said Maj. John Wagner, who Dennard called his “right hand.” Mayor Donald Walker pre sented Dennard with a cer tificate for his 35 years with the police department at Monday’s City Council meet ing. Walker gave a run-down of Dennard’s career. He was hired in 1971, pro ed to drugs, two Middle Georgia ser vice providers are quietly discussing a merger aimed at cutting admin istrative costs while maintaining essential community-based services Minor injuries in Russell wreck the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. Springfield Gardensapart ments is an assisted liv ing facility off Alberta Road near Greater Springfield Missionary Baptist Church. Walker presented Duhart with a key to the city, and told her for her work: “The city is proud of the job you do everyday. You are a bless ing for this community.” See DUHART, page 5A Councilman Terry Horton moted to sergeant in 1976 and served as the night shift commander. He was promot ed to captain in 1985 and was commander of the training division. He was patrol com mander in 1994 and later promoted to major to com mand the narcotics unit. Dennard currently com mands the Administrative Service Division. He oversees the Records Section, School Liaison Unit, Training Division, C.A.R.E.S., Municipal Court, Community Initiatives, Computer Forensic Unit, and several others, Dennard has been named officer of the year and super www.hhjnews.com | S s fi?“?a'fi“-‘fi%}fi?“?:‘«-fii-%‘ T e . & eRN et g s (At 8 sAe R e N ads P aDE N s‘e“%“k‘?fi?*’i“?fifi 2 i ""‘x‘*&«’&‘fii“"a‘g“? I R Le S Tke e i R e ‘W L R W;fl‘& kos G G e 9 o L B eoG R I T & 5 e o P \;‘é t ¥ L e G S S R PR g T e e ; S v L Al |4 JRNE 1 so | ot b R " s el | e - ! it ol |B, 1 4 iLR (& N ; Ede |g n v 8 feor - . | 1058 " i R UNG SR | W ’ SN TR (& i d [Sriae | A i e o -& ¥ e Sl R e L |# i R 1823 y i & ; R ‘» oy T L S Mo I 8 {xgga | g & S','Qu%’ HHJ/Ray Lightner Carolyn Duhart, left, shakes hands with Mayor Donald Walker, who presented her with a key to the city. With her are her parents Truman and Margurite Duhart and Walter Coffey, president of the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. visor of the year and was an original member of the STAR (special tactics and response) team. “Law enforcement is in his blood,” Walker said, noting Dennard’s father was the police chief in Perry. Dennard thanked his wife of 36 years for her support. And he thanked, “my two children and my best buddy, right here,” he said, patting his grandson Cody on the shoulder. Dennard then thanked the mayor and council, Major Wagner and Chief Brett Evans. “We've never had a cross word. We never left a meeting without the same to those in need of care. Don Blair, CEO of Phoenix Center in Houston County, and Frank Fields, CEO of River Edge in Macon, have been in discussions for months, and their Community Service Boards have also met to discuss the possibil ity of a merger this summer, which would be in time for Blair’s planned understanding. “Five years ago, 1 said when I reach 55, I'm gone,” Dennard said. “I'm 57 now and I'm not going any where.” Walker thanked Dennard for his “35 years of influence of the people of the police department and this city.” .Councilman Clifford Holmes nad Doug McDowell also had high praise for Dennard. “I'had the pleasure of work ing with him for six years as an auxiliary police officer,” Holmes said. “I never met a finer per son than Major Dennard,” McDowell said. TWO SECTIONS * 22 PAGES retirement, and make Fields the administrator for the consolidated program. The joint boards voted to have a “due diligence” audit of both opera tions before making a final decision, primarily to assess the economic impact on River Edge. See MERGE, page 5A working zoning By MIKE GEORGE HHJ Staff Writer City planners in Perry are working to create two new zoning categories, one designed to accommodate the development of healthcare facilities like hospitals and nursing homes, and another that will give developers lee way to build on smaller lots, in exchange for more open spaces for things like parks and walking trails. Discussion of the two new districts took up a signifi cant portion of the Perry Planning Commission’s meeting Monday. With the new institu tional district (IN), zoning will allow planners to define where the city hopes new healthcare facilities will be built, including hospitals, nursing homes, medical and dental offices and pharma cies. According to Perry community planner Mike Beecham, the zoning will also help city leaders protect the surrounding community from the hazards these facil ities bring, including added traffic. Beecham said many of these facilities like a nurs ing home which may operate 24 hours a day and maintain a full-time staff, like other business, but patients stay there sometimes indefinitely do not fit standard zoning categories, exhibiting both residential and commercial traits. Commission members did raise concerns over zoning small parcels for things like pharmacies, but Chairman Martin Beeland said the com mission will decide rezoning requests on a case-by-case basis. The city already gives developers the option to build more homes on See PLANS, page 5A { S BRI H Ry . L e e et 5 / Sk ’ #* e 1 ¢ e ; e BUE i ! . ’ pE HHJ/Ray Lightner Warner Robins Police Department Maj. Harry Dennard accepts a cer tificate for his 35 years of service with the city from Mayor Donald Walker. AR '1721 A t@l 8'551(!)0001'I4