News
9%
tax hike eyed for PTC
Although its 2002-03
budget is essentially balanced, the Peachtree City Council still plans
to increase property taxes this year with a 9 percent hike in the millage
rate, blaming the financial fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Authorities'
tax pacts 'invalid,' Council told
Peachtree City might
end up taking its development and airport authorities to court to have
their hotel-motel tax contracts declared invalid.
Libel
suit threats heat up political season
With less than a
week to go before the election, two folks are mad about their names
showing up in letters to The Citizen last week.
County
Commission lowers property tax millage rate
In a surprising
decision last week, the Fayette County Commission decided to lower the
millage rate for the county's property owners.
Fville
police seek help in identifying robbery suspect
A
man posing as a customer at a health food store in Fayetteville ended
up robbing the place after distracting a store clerk, according to police.
Attorney
says County Commission broke the law
An
attorney for the Georgia Press Association believes the Fayette County
Commission has broken the Open Meetings law.
Twin
brothers accused of murder plead not guilty in court Monday
Two brothers accused
of murdering an innocent motorist in a collision as they sped away from
police in Fayetteville several months ago have pled not guilty to all
criminal charges lodged against them.
Transportation
planning is underway
What does the future
hold for Fayette's transportation system?
Probation
officer brought up on sex assault charges
A
probation officer has been arrested for sexually assaulting a woman
whom he was supervising while she was on probation, according to police.
PTC
police win annual Fayette Co. public safety games second year in row
The Peachtree City
Police Department recently won the annual Fayette County Public Safety
Competition for the second time in a row.
Sons
of American Revolution form new chapter
The Sons of the
American Revolution has chartered a new chapter in Fayette County. Appropriately
named the "Marquis de Lafayette Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution,
Georgia Society," the group has gone from 11 organizational members
to 43 members.
Lane
closings this week
Fayette
Countians are being advised to watch for possible delays this week as
Georgia Department of Transportation crews do repair work on local highways.
Meet
candidates tomorrow
The Greater Fayette
Republican Women's Club will be hosting an event to meet and greet the
candidates, tomorrow from 3-6 p.m. at the Stonewall Village complex,
140 West Stonewall Avenue in Fayetteville.
Amnesty
Day tomorrow
The
Greater Fayette Republican Women's Club will be hosting an event to
meet and greet the candidates, tomorrow from 3-6 p.m. at the Stonewall
Village complex, 140 West Stonewall Avenue in Fayetteville.
Andris
becomes Eagle Scout
Tom Andris, a senior
at McIntosh High School, has earned the honor of Eagle rank in the Boy
Scouts of America for his accomplishments as a Scout in Troop 279 in
Peachtree City. He received his Eagle award in special ceremonies conducted
by Troop 279, sponsored by Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
Secretary
Cox issues important reminders for voting and handling of absentee ballots
Georgia Secretary
of State Cathy Cox today issued important reminders to voters on the
proper voting and handling of absentee ballots for the upcoming August
20th General Primary.
Flat
Rock teacher named Georgia's Teacher of Promise
The Georgia Council
of the Teaching of Mathematics (GCTM) has named Kayla Seabolt the 2002
Georgia Teacher of Promise.
Harris
joins brother in military
The Harris family
of Fayetteville recently traveled to San Antonio for the graduation
of their son, Mason, from U.S. Air Force basic training. The youngest
son of Dave and Glenda Harris, Mason joins his brother, Mike, in serving
his country in the military.
Rotary
club auction to benefit autism and alzheimer's research
The
Fayette Daybreak Rotary Club joins with the Unlocking Autism Chapter
and the Alzheimer's research Trust Fund in presenting their first auction
and dinner/dance Saturday, Aug. 17, at 6:00 p.m. at "The Barn"
in Laurel Lake, Tyrone, Ga.
AFJROTC
program opens at Sandy Creek High School
Fayette students
are preparing to soar to new heights through the county's first Air
Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) program. Approximately
125 students have already signed up to be the first cadets in the program,
which is being housed at Sandy Creek High School.
Local
teachers win Excellence in Education Award
Three Fayette teachers
have been awarded the BellSouth Excellence in Education Award. Linda
Hall of Hood Avenue Primary, Wendy Mashburn of Flat Rock Middle and
Faye Williams of McIntosh High School were among the 24 teachers from
seven metro Atlanta counties to be selected for the award.
3rd
Annual Composting Contest at County Fair
Do you have the
right stuff? Do you like to dig in the dirt and enjoy changing kitchen
scraps into black gold? Ask yourself those questions and if you feel
you have the right stuff (compost or black gold as it's sometimes called
) - the rich, dark humus which makes super plant potting soil and enriches
gardens, contact the Fayette County Extension Service and enter your
backyard compost in the 3rd Annual Compost Contest at the Fayette County
Fair in September.
Police
Blotter
Election
2002
Real Estate
- Using
the Internet in your house search
It
used to be when someone wanted to buy a home they rode around
in the back seat of a real estate agent's car until they either
found a property they liked, or both parties became exhausted
and postponed the buying decision. But times have changed, according
to the Fayette County Board of Realtors.
A long-time
Fayetteville apartment complex will soon be Fayette County's newest
condominium complex, giving local residents another affordable option
for buying a new home.
For
the majority of us, the verb "relocate" is a four-letter
word. The thought of moving a household or office is downright aversive
because it entails sorting, sifting, and packing literally hundreds
of thousand of items. All belongings, large and small, must be wrapped,
stuffed, and otherwise secured in boxes, bins and bags. And the
worst part is that life doesn't take a vacation while you're trying
to do it.
As Newnan and
Coweta County continue to attract homebuyers from the Atlanta region
because of its suburban setting, many home buyers are drawn to Newnan's
Avery Park because it offers a cosmopolitan feel.
Its
1776 for Wieland's Centennial in Peachtree City
John Wieland Homes
& Neighborhoods proudly welcomes their first homebuyers at Centennial,
the company's master-planned neighborhood in the heart of prestigious
Peachtree City.
Cabinetcraft
donates homes for the holidays
John Wieland's
Cabinetcraft division typically builds cabinets for homes and businesses,
but recently decided to tackle a new kind of building project for
a great cause. Company members donated their time and talents to the
construction of fifteen 3-story dollhouses as a contribution to the
2002 Festival of Trees, which benefits Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
Upon completion, the dollhouses will be decorated by top Atlanta designers
and then put up for sale at the Festival, which will take place in
December at the Georgia World Congress Center and is expected to attract
more than 100,000 visitors.
Metro
Brokers/GMAC hires 1,200th agent
Metro Brokers/GMAC
Real Estate reached 1,200 associates just six months after setting
the 1,000 milestone.
Regency
Oaks sales on the way up
Continuing the
tradition of excellence in the historic South Fulton area, John Wieland's
Regency Oaks neighborhood sold 12 homes in the six-week period ending
mid April. CEO John Wieland, Region President Ed Woodland, Neighborhood
Sales Managers Sherryl Mitchell and Tricia Browne, and Signature Builder
Adam Anderson welcomed Ms. Gwendolyn Elmore and Ms. Sonia Burnett
as they were excited to learn that they would be among the first homeowners
at this prestigious South Fulton neighborhood.
Real
estate course starts Sept. 10
The Advantage
School of Real Estate will offer the 75-hour Real Estate Salesperson's
Pre-Licensing Course starting Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Wieland
promotes Durham to division president
Dave Durham was
recently named President of John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods'
South Division in a move that positions the company for further growth
and expansion. Wieland's South Division includes all operations in
Charleston, SC, Nashville, TN, Raleigh, NC and South Atlanta neighborhoods
located in Fayette and South Fulton counties.
Gaddy
offering Career Night Sept. 10
Retiring? Job
loss? Tired of commuting to work? Are you just ready for a fresh start?
Council
honors top members
Top performing
members of the local Sales & Marketing Council were recognized
at the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia's June meeting,
held at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Peachtree City.
Catching
the next wave of technology
Prudential Atlanta/Georgia
Realty, one of the nation's largest 100 real estate companies according
to a recent ranking by Realtor Magazine, continues to be at the forefront
of Internet technology with its latest unveiling of a new web site
designed to inform, educate, and assist area home buyers and sellers.
Home
Power Realty president gets soaked
Home Power Realty
is an "equal opportunity employer" ... in more ways than
one. Just ask Home Power's president and owner, Mike Roberts.
PruGeorgia
enters new agreement
Prudential Atlanta/Georgia
Realty has entered into an exclusive vendor agreement with Resale-ability,
Inc., an Atlanta-based "one-stop" home services company.
This unique new program will be offered exclusively through Prudential
Atlanta/Georgia Realty agents to their clients.
Augusta
Green opening at Eagle's Landing
Eagle's Landing,
the master planned community in Stockbridge, is presenting Augusta
Green, a new section of Eagle's Landing Country Club.
Southfield
coming to Lovejoy
Forrest
Homes has announced plans for Southfield, a 118-unit townhome community
in the Lovejoy area of Clayton County.
Oxford,
Summit make a good team
A
promotion currently underway in The Summit at Eagle's Landing gives
overwhelming proof that new homeowners there are pleased with their
builder, Oxford Homes.
Business
Sports
Mud
Dogs win World Series
The
Fayette Mud Dogs 11-year-old baseball team recently completed its
season by winning the International Baseball Championship World Series
in Clearwater, Fla. The Mud Dogs were 7-0 at the weeklong World Series
and beat the Gresham Park, Ga., Scorpions in the championship game
7-0. They gave up only 17 runs in the seven games.
Football
jamborees start Friday
Sandy Creek's
football team will travel to Starr's Mill Friday night for a jamboree.
Football action starts at 7:30 p.m. Next week's jamborees include
Fayette County hosting the Mt. Zion Bulldogs, Starr's Mill hosting
the Morrow Mustangs and McIntosh playing at Sandy Creek.
Local
youth excels at judo
July was a fine
month for 10-year-old Derek Wojcik from Tyrone. This rising fifth-grader
from Tyrone Elementary has entered two national competitions and the
Georgia State Games in the sport of judo, where he has yielded some
impressive results.
Signups
for big league baseball through Aug. 24
Signups are now
being taken for 16,17,18 and 19-year-olds for Big League Baseball
in the south metro Atlanta counties, including Fayette, Coweta and
Henry.
Dale
Murphy appearing in Lilburn
Former National
League All-Star Dale Murphy will be returning to the Atlanta area,
the scene of his greatest baseball triumphs, Saturday for a special
"Fireside" talk in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints' Stake Center in Lilburn.
Baseball
school coming soon
Top Georgia high
school baseball players (2003-2005 graduates) will have an opportunity
to improve their chances of playing collegiate baseball by attending
the Doyle Baseball 2002 College Prep Showcase on Saturday, Aug. 24
at Southern Polytechnic University in Marietta.
Weekend
Tribute
concert marks anniversary of Elvis' death
This Friday, Aug.
16, will mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. To
mark this occasion, Rick Alviti, America's premier Elvis tribute artist,
will perform his Memories of Elvis Concert at the Clayton County Performing
Arts Center.
The
Swingin' Medallions head to The Beach
The Beach at Clayton
County International Park in Jonesboro will present The Swingin' Medallions
on Friday, Aug. 16 for an "Endless Summer at The Beach" concert.
Last
Fling gives local kids one last chance to enjoy carefree days of summer
Though school will
have already started, area children are invited to have one last fling
before settling down for the school year. The Peachtree City Parks and
recreation Department will present the 13th annual Last Fling on Saturday,
Aug. 17 at Shakerag Knoll in Peachtree City from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Red
ink and bonsai
When a co-worker
suggested that I write a column to fill in for a vacationing writer,
I immediately said, "I don't think so," as visions of graded
writing assignments with enough red ink on them to look like they were
bleeding flashed in my brain.
CAST's
first ever professional theatre production is "The Fantasticks."
In what may be one
of the quickest turnarounds in theatre, the Clayton Alliance for Summer
Theatre (CAST) will present "The Fantasticks" for four days
starting tomorrow, 10 days after they began production work and rehearsal.
Turin
block party and tractor pull
The town of Turin
in Coweta County is having a celebration this weekend. The party starts
on Friday night with a concert and free refreshments and continues on
Saturday with the eighth annual Turin Antique Farm Power Show and Tractor
Pull.
Notable
Religion
Love
thy pastor
By JOHN HATCHER
Religion Columnist
Realize it's just
the middle of August and you are stirring to get your kids back in the
school saddle. But, let me drop a little suggestion in your ear this
day: help your church to start preparing to honor your Pastor during
Clergy Appreciation Month in October. Too often, we hear the news of
such a practice too late and it's difficult to organize any kind of
worthy recognition.
Annie
Moses Band to appear at Prince of Peace Aug. 25
Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church in Fayetteville will present a concert by the Annie
Moses Band Sunday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. in the church's Family Life Center.
Doors open at 5 p.m.
McDonough
Presbyterian Church presents 'live' Gospel of John
The McDonough Presbyterian
Church will present "The Gospel of John," a live, one-person
performance produced and performed by Atlanta actor Brad Sherrill, Saturday,
Aug. 17, at 6:30 p.m.
Holly
Grove revival starts Aug. 28
Historic Holly Grove
African Methodist Episcopal Church will host a revival Wednesday, Aug.
28 through Friday, Aug. 30.
Perimeter
South Church to present Messianic musical group August 18
Perimeter
South Community Church will host a Messianic Worship Celebration, Sunday,
August 18 at 10 a.m. featuring the music of Kol Simcha (Hebrew for "Sound
of Joy"), a group of Messianic Jews (Jews who received Jesus as
the Messiah).
Religion
Briefs
-
Opinion
Political
picks: Nice guys vs. what's best for all of Fayette
By
CAL BEVERLY
Editor@thecitizenews.com
Next Tuesday I'll
be voting for two Fayette County Commission candidates, plus a slug
of other state and federal offices. I'll tell you some of whom and then
why.
Questions,
answers about ballots, voting
By
SALLIE SATTERTHWAITE
sallie@juno.com
You don't have to
be a new voter to have questions about the election process when you
go to the polls next Tuesday. And given Fayette County's growth, it's
fair to assume that for many of you, the primaries will be your first
experience voting in the county or perhaps even in the state.
Attention,
fans: Elvis is still dead|
By
MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com
The annual pilgrimage
to Graceland has begun.
Spamming
the globe . . .
By BILLY
MURPHY
Laugh Lines
As the last days
of summer wind their way towards the Anna Nicole Smith of summer Labor
Day I want to spam some of the highlights.
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
Lawyer:
Bost letter was 'defamatory,' demands paper 'retract' statements
Re: Harold Bost's
letter to the editor in Vol. IX, No. 495 dated Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2002.
Wouldn't
it be interesting to report motivations of campaign contributors?
I congratulate The
Citizen for publishing a front-page article [July 31] which disclosed
the campaign contributions and expenditures of each of our five candidates
for county commissioner. This information is usually hidden in file
folders at the Board of Elections office, and it stays hidden there
unless an enterprising reporter digs it up and reports on it.
Let's
just strike baseball
I agree with [Monroe
Roark's column Aug. 7 about a potential baseball strike] 10-fold. It's
like fighting the drug issue. The only way to fix the problem is to
cut short the demand.
In
this final week before the election, I would like to thank all of our
supporters across Fayette County who have helped tirelessly with our
"win-win" campaign. Let me summarize our campaign positions.
Sprayberry:
'I have grown tired of these distortions'
It appears that
each of the incumbent candidates for County Commission or their supporters
continue to utilize the tactic of utilizing malicious, generalized misrepresentation,
insinuation and innuendo to attack their legitimate opponents by pointing
to general, unspecified allegations of misconduct on the part of a board
of which they were a part.
Wheat
ignored city and county plans in annexing
This campaign ends
when we vote on Aug. 20. I'm sure you will be just as happy to see the
thousands of political signs disappear as I will. It's a strange ritual
to watch and to participate in. Although irritating at times, it is
an expression of free speech and it does remind everyone that an election
is coming. If any of our campaign workers have mistakenly misplaced
signs or irritated homeowners with handout and mail pieces, I apologize.
'What
I promised I would do, I have done'
Next Tuesday is
Election Day, and as the first anniversary of Sept. 11 approaches, I
am hopeful that we will celebrate our patriotism by going to the polls
to vote for the candidates of our choice. In doing so we reaffirm our
pride in our country and our county; in doing so we honor those individuals
who have been willing to die for our rights.
Lifelong
Fayette native won't vote for Wheat and Stephens
As a lifelong native
of Fayette County, and for all my years of watching greedy politicians,
I cannot vote for Thomas Stephens [and] Mike Wheat for county commissioners.
Their purpose is totally self-centered for a larger city of Fayetteville
it's too big now!
Wheat
didn't listen to county residents before; why now?
I am writing today
in regards to the forum that was held Wednesday to meet and listen to
the candidates running for county commissioners. It was interesting
to see what developers and money people shook which candidates' hands
on Wednesday. I was glad I went to hear the candidates. I learned a
lot.
Cannon
wrong to attack county commissioners
[Tyrone Councilman
Ronnie] Cannon starts his attempt to shame the members of the county
commission in the July 31 article in The Citizen by trying to steer
the innocent citizens into believing the commissioners broke the law
when they entered into closed session to discuss or vote on issues of
possible legal action against Tyrone.
It's
time to vote: 'Freedom begins between the ears'
[My fellow constituents,
it is time. It is time for us to vote. It is time for us to choose our
representatives, our soldiers who will fight our battles both here and
in Washington. It is very important that you exercise your constitutional
right. Politics is war, and for the past 40 years, it has become a war
between the looters and the producers, a war between those who expect
standards of excellence, and those who want no standards at all. It
is a war that I fear we are gradually losing due to apathy and trepidation.
Student
for Cox: Is flag issue relevant to our lives?
Is the flag issue
really that important?
Kaye
has credentials to lead state's education department
Mitchell Kaye (http://kaye4kids.org)
is running for the Republican nomination for Georgia state superintendent
of schools. Mitchell, a dynamic and extremely qualified candidate, is
a long-time friend and my former colleague in the Georgia House of Representatives.
Bob
Irvin, conservative, understands Fayette
I am supporting
Bob Irvin for the U.S. Senate because he is the candidate that has a
proven Republican track record of fighting for conservative values that
are shared by a majority of Georgians.
Why
don't PTC police have state band radios in cars?
I have read a lot
of solutions and comments on police chases, most of which are unthinkable.
The most unthinkable is to stop the law from trying to catch the criminals
by telling them that they can't even try if the criminal doesn't pull
over when the blue lights are turned on.
Allow
responsible 15-year-olds to drive carts
On Thursday, Aug.
15, at 7 p.m., the Golf Cart Committee proposals will be presented to
the Peachtree City Council. These proposals cover various items. The
proposal I am most personally involved with is to allow some, but not
all, 15-year-olds the privilege of driving a golf cart without an adult.
Contracts
found illegal; it's time to move forward
An open letter to
the Citizens of Peachtree City:
A
proposal: Let's meet, put disputes behind us
To: All concerned
about the future of Peachtree City.
How
was city attorney at fault in mayor's ethics snafu?
After the mayor's
latest flap, I can stay silent no longer. This ethics deal is awfully
weird.
City
has gone too far in 'calming' traffic on Golfview
How far are the
mayor and the residents of Golfview Drive going to go to discourage
traffic on their street? So far, this mile-long street has had four
stop signs and four speed bumps installed, two Do Not Pass signs and
the speed limit reduced to 20 mph! For some of us, this is more than
a big nuisance.
Angry
traffic honkers disturb once-peaceful neighborhood
Thirty-four years
ago this coming October, my family and I became residents of our dearly
beloved Peachtree City. We had three boys, and the years here had been
blessed. I always found myself bragging on the town where we lived with
kind, friendly people, great schools and a top-notch police force. I
truly felt God had a hand in our finding and belonging to such a special
community. Most families could share in the joy of belonging to groups
of people who were caring, friendly and loving.
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