Friday, September 14, 2001
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Friday, September 14, 2001 |
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Terror strikes
home By JOHN
THOMPSON
The tragedy of Tuesday's attacks in New York and Washington reverberated through Coweta County this week. Late Tuesday morning, Coweta County public information officer Tom Corker announced the commission had canceled its 1 p.m. meeting. "They just don't think they could have a good meeting with everything going on," he said. The commission rescheduled the meeting for Sept. 18 at 1 p.m. Across the county at the Coweta County School System, information officer Dean Jackson said parents were welcome to pick up their children at school, but the system decided to keep the doors open. "The system has an established safety plan, so the parents know that we have a safe environment for their children," he said. Numerous churches in the county offered prayer vigils Tuesday night and several impromptu remembrance ceremonies and fund-raisers are starting to pop up around the county. At Northgate High School, The Viking Vittles student company formed by Northgate High School's community-based vocational instructional class is donating all proceeds from cookie sales to the American Red Cross, to aid victims of Wednesday's terrorist attack in New York, said teacher Beth Belcher. The two-year old Northgate class helps students become familiar with the world of work and business. Part of that is the formation of an in-house student company. Proceeds from the class's earlier sales have gone to fund landscaping and other improvements at Northgate High School. Those who are interested in buying cookies to help aid the Red Cross can contact teachers Deeane Martin or Belcher, at 770-463-5585. In Newnan, the Newnan Cougars football game at Drake Stadium tonight will be preceded by a moment of silence and a community display of patriotic support, just after 7 p.m. at the LaGrange Street high school stadium. Spectators are asked to wear red, white and blue to the game. The pre-game pep rally planned for the game has been cancelled "because we didn't think that was appropriate, given what happened Wednesday," said Newnan High School Principal Alan Wood. Instead, a moment of silence will be called for at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by the singing of "God Bless America," "in respect for the tragedy in Washington and New York, and Americans who lost their lives that day." Wood is asking that all those attending Friday's game wear red, white and blue colors, regardless of what team they come to root for. He has asked Starr's Mill High School, whom the Cougars will play at 7:30 p.m., to make the announcement as well. "We're all rooting for our country," he said. "We want a show of unity in our community to demonstrate to young people what America is all about."
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