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FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2006
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OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Don Moncrief Foy S. Evans
Managing Editor Editor Emeritus
Boosting Georgia at the crossroads
For generations past, Perry has been a city
at the crossroads of Georgia, and a natural
overnight stay for tired travelers headed to or
from Florida’s beaches.
The length of this tradition is still represented
by the New Perry Hotel, with its magnolias, flower
gardens and old-time Southern Hospitality but also
by a wide choice of motels and restaurants for those
coming off 1-75 for a visit that may be their first real
impression of Georgia other than asphalt and pine
trees.
Downtown Perry is increasingly a treat to visit,
with charming shops and unique restaurants, and
the newly-developed Perry Arts Center offers a rare
glimpse at creativity in action.
For the past 16 years, Perry has also been able to
boast of a first rate tourist magnet in the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, which not only
draws big crowds for the big name concerts, the mid
way and the exhibits of the Georgia National Fair
each October, but also has a year-round calendar of
horse shows, 4-H and FFA Events, special draws like
the Buck-A-Rama, and the almost ceaseless arrival of
motorcoach groups. Some of those are so large that
they double the town’s population during their stay.
In the north end of the county, we can boast of the
outstanding Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force
Base, which pulls tourists off 1-75 by the thousands,
and at the south end, we have the award-winning
Hendersonville Village, an upscale hideaway that
includes restored old country homes as well as a four
star restaurant. This quiet treasure has been written
about in “Southern Living” and in travel magazines
across the country.
For those “Yankees” who want to see even more of
the true old south, it’s no distance at all to the land
of the Elberta peach and to the National Camellia
Society’s headquarters at Massee Lane Gardens.
In short, we may never be a main tourist destina
tion, but this is a wonderful place to visit, and to stay
and see a little of Georgia and experience true south
ern hospitality.
That said, we should each remember, whether we
are in the hospitality business or not, that those who
stop by for a night or two are helping our community
prosper, and helping us build schools and roads with
their sales tax pennies.
We should remember as well, to take a moment
to be good hosts and hostesses when the opportu
nity arises to be friendly and helpful, to give good
directions or make a suggestion of the best place to
get real southern food, buy some peaches or catch a
glimpse of antebellum architecture.
And don’t forget to say, “Y’all come back.”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Short supply?
Do we truly have a water shortage? Is the cretaceous supply
system running low? Is our infrastructure broken or did the
influx of people catch the county planners by surprise?
Since it is allegedly a state wide problem, it certainly leads
me to believe that it is an infrastructure problem. The rea
soning behind this is that the various counties in Georgia
get their water from various sources, all of which cannot be
running dry at the same time. Most all Georgia counties are
growing; maybe not as fast as Houston County, but maybe we
all just outgrew our pumps.
Maybe the Houston County folks should consider drilling a
few more wells since I don’t believe that limiting the growth
or having people move out of Houston County is in the plan
ning.
If it is the influx of people straining the infrastructure,
maybe an impact fee could pay part of the cost to resolve the
problem.
Walter Huckeba, Perry
Tax Increase not abated
I was getting ready for work Wednesday at 6 a.m. I had not
slept well due to a letter I received in the mail the day before.
Back in Februaiy and March we the people of Houston
County were told to vote for the SPLOST. One of the reasons
we were given was that if it passed we wouldn’t have a prop
erty tax increase. Well the mail I received was my new ad
valorum tax assessment.
Well, they didn’t lie about the millage rate not going up, it
didn’t. The ad valorum on the other hand did, by almost 45
percent.
If you haven’t received yours yet just wait it’s coming. Mr.
Stead and Mr. Fink and all those others that wanted the
SPLOST to pass, did you lie or were you led to believe other
wise by Mr. Engles and the Commissioners?
I am running for County Commission Post 2 against H. Jay
Walker one of the Commissioners that wanted that SPLOST
passed. Do we continue to pay through the nose to maintain
the infrustructure improvements required for the developers?
I say enough is enough. We can make a change on July 18.
By the way have you heard about the announced improve
ments to SR 96? Step one in getting Bonaire annexed into
the City of Warner Robins. Cut off the people that have septic
tanks from a main thoroughfare like SR 96 and get sewage
instead. “It is only a lie if at the time a statement is made the
person that makes the statement knows it to be a lie when he
says it.”
I believe we were lied to and it’s time we take back our
county.
Wayne Overholt, Warner Robins
McNatt, Moore and other great Georgians
I’ve had lots of e-mails,
letters and conversa
tions, recently, con
cerning my columns. I am
appreciative of this. I guess
that’s what happens when
you write about guineas and
snakes and politics. Let me
share comments from two
of my good friends.
First, from the sage of
Uvalda, and one of this
state’s preeminent trial law
yers, Hugh Brown McNatt.
■ On guineas: The biggest
herd of guineas in lower
Toombs and Montgomery
Counties could be found
at the homes of the most
prominent bootleggers. In
particular, I remember John
(affectionately known as
Polecat) Davis.
Polecat kept many deer
dogs and many guineas.
When you went to his house
to buy a little jar of shine
liquor, what a cacophony
met your ears.
Note: John Davis is a
fictitious name supplied by
me, although the character
was real and Polecat was
his nickname.
■ On politics: You and ,
I talked years ago about
a Centrist third party
stripped of the polemics and
screams of the far right and
far left; the time draws near
for such an experiment.
Robert Toombs tried it in
Georgia in about 1850 with
some little success. We don’t
need a Perot or a Wallace;
I WHY AREN'T you JARHEftPfc MEA%]
LIN <SUAM£? WT ?ou know too E „ t
At that age, it has to be a harchknock life
It must be terribly
frustrating to be a 15-
month-old little boy. The
whole world is opening up
before you. Everything is
interesting and huge and
ready to be explored. And
suddenly everything is one
great big “no-no.”
Is there anything more
alluring in the house than
the trash can? That must
be where all the neat stuff
is kept because you sure
aren’t allowed to explore it.
And all of those buttons
on the television? Why is it
that everyone in the house
gets all upset when you
stand in front of the TV and
mash the buttons over and
over? You would think a
little extra volume wouldn’t
bother anyone.
Of course, the computer
is where all of the action is
all of those neat buttons
to push.
And the printer? If you
pull the paper as soon as it
starts coming out, you can
probably get it out before
too much ink gets on it.
Why do you reckon your
Larry Walker
Columnist
lwalker@whgb-law.com
we need a Nunn, a Russell
or any good person who
could not get the nomina
tion of either of the parties
now extant.
Next, from fellow-
Perryan, my friend, and the
AgCenter’s “Go To Man”,
Randy Moore.
■ On the South: The
number of folks who
remember rural life in the
South as it was in the late
50’s and early 60’s is get
ting smaller.
How many people today
have milked a cow, churned
milk, drawn water from a
well, seen or heard of an
artesian well, used a sling
blade, mowed grass with a
push mower with no motor,
used an outhouse, bathed
in a washtub with water
drawn from a well and
heated on a wood burning
stove, eaten food prepared
on a wood burning stove,
used kerosene on cuts or
bug bites, sat up with the
dead, plowed with a mule,
gathered around the radio
■ wf'M* ’ m
Sherri Martin rtf I
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Evans Newspapers JiBB
mommy gets so uptight
about this?
Then there’s the steps.
You’ve just begun being
able to climb up them, so
you need to practice.
Over and over.
And over.
Except you can’t come
down very well, so you take
constant supervision. So
why won’t your daddy stand
there for an hour or so and
let you practice? Hey, you’re
getting your exercise, right?
No, life just isn’t fair. If
it were, you would be able
to go outside any time you
begged, cried or pitched a
fit to go out. Day or night,
rain or shine.
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to “watch” a college football
game, eaten “dinner on the
grounds” at a small rural
church?
I feel very fortunate to
have had these experiences
in my life and believe that I
am better for them.
■ More on the South: We
have been truly blessed to
have been born and raised
in the South. I know of no
other segment of our society
in this country that appreci
ates their roots more than
us.
I hope that heaven has an
old general store with worn
out benches or bus seats out
front where we can sit and
tell stories, true and tall,
and remember the best of
our lives.
We are a special people!
■ Amen, Brother Randy,
amen. You said it much bet
ter than I could.
* * *
Lots of stories about
snakes.
Most everywhere I go,
And what’s the deal? Just
when you are getting some
cool curls, you get taken to
the beauty shop, made to
sit still, and have them cut
off by a nice lady with some
very sharp scissors.
Something about not
looking like a girl anymore.
It still doesn’t seem fair to
you, does it?
Then there’s the pool.
You like the bathtub, but
that pool is a lot larger than
the tub. It’s a little scary at
first. Still, when you get the
hang of it, why won’t your
mommy let you jump in by
yourself?
Why is she so anxious
about being right there all
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
someone’s got one of two. I
guess everyone has a "snake
story."
Thanks for your interest
in the snake column. And
while I’m thanking, let me
say I found out who left the
cokes and peanuts at our
door.
It was that thoughtful
Brenda Stokes. She con
fessed to Janice. And, I con
fess to Brenda that I filled
every 8-ounce ‘Co-cola’ with
a bag of the Lance salted
peanuts and had myself an
eating good time.
Randy, it made me feel
‘real’ Southern.
* * *
I had the privilege of
being in the company of
some of Perry’s old-tim
ers, recently about 20 of
them. Most of them were
Perry natives.
Seven had served in
World War II and five in
Korea.
Nine had played on a
state championship bas
ketball team. About half of
them had been married to
the same woman for more
than 50 years.
Quite a stellar group of
great Georgians!
I won’t see the likes of
such an outstanding, "head
on straight," "steel in the
backbone," "do the right
thing" bunch of men, again,
in my lifetime.
the time? Why won’t she
just let you go over the side
into the water all by your
self just one time?
Speaking of water, why is
the potty off-limits? It’s got
moveable parts and makes
all sorts of neat sounds
and motions when you pull
down on that shiny little
handle.
Why does your mom get
so upset when you head for
the head, and make you
wash your hands over and
over?
For that matter, just why
can’t you eat off the floor,
or drink from a sippie cup
you had stashed away for
three days?
And why can’t you be
held all the times you want
to be held, or be put down
every time you want to be
put down?
And why must you eat
your peas before your vanil
la wafers?
Sure, life can be rough,
little one.
But it’s nothing that a
hug and a kiss, a cuddle and
a good book can’t handle.