Wednesday, December 10, 2003

News

DAPC never got legal OK to get tax

Peachtree City officials made an unsettling discovery recently: Neither the Development Authority of Peachtree City nor the city’s Airport Authority ever filed for or got the proper federal approval to allow the two agencies to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in hotel-motel tax collections over the past decade.

Parking lot rage in PTC

An irate axe-wielding shopper chased after a driver in a fit of parking lot rage at Peachtree City’s Wal-Mart Sunday morning, threatening to “teach” the motorist a “lesson about respect,” police said.

Worker hit by getaway car at F’ville Pavilion

An Atlanta woman tried to run over a store employee who followed her to the parking lot after she tried to pass a bogus check recently at the Rack Room Shoes at the Fayette Pavilion, police said.

Fayette Christmas tree farms fall victim to progress, high land values

Finding a choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm in the area used to be as simple as jumping in the car and heading into the countryside.

Fayette County Christmas tree farms

Pregnancy Center helps start new lives

Shuffling babies from lap to lap, and handing them to volunteers happy to hold infants, local women gathered to celebrate Christmas with their children last Saturday afternoon. They sang carols. They drank cider, had a feast of food. And they opened presents. It was a Christmas party for the women and babies assisted by the Pregnancy Resource Center of Fayette this year.

For 20 Fayette teachers, pay raises will come with National Certification

Twenty Fayette County teachers earned their profession’s highest credential in 2003, bringing to 52 the number of local educators who have successfully completed the rigorous but voluntary process established by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Fans hope PTC’s new slogan will stay around awhile PTC

Peachtree City’s new corporate slogan, “Plan to Stay,” is designed to reflect a community in transition, on the move and still relatively youthful, despite the fact it turns 45 next year.

Little drama at Savage’s final airport authority meeting

Though the airport authority had to discuss whether or not to accept an intergovernmental agreement with Peachtree City and go for the $355,000 loan to pay for the paving of Stallings Road, soon to be known as Aviation Way, and roof repairs on the Aviation Center, the biggest moment of the meeting came during airport manager Jim Savage’s monthly report.

Fatal crash leads to vehicular homicide charge

A Fayette woman has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular homicide for an auto wreck that claimed the life of another man. Robin Hughes Mazer, 48, also has been charged with failure to yield at a stop sign.

Civitans selling Christmas trees

The Fayette County Civitans are now selling Christmas trees for their annual fundraiser. The trees are in front of Melear’s Restaurant and are all fraser firs.

Fayetteville takes action to prevent Pye Lake from flooding homeowners

Fayetteville crews have installed a siphon to begin lowering the level of Pye Lake by about four feet to prevent the weakened dam from breaching.

Council members’ meeting attendance scrutinized

The bickering members of the Peachtree City Council returned to business last Thursday, minus one.

FSS continues Project Love

Kate Calcaterra, program director for Fayette Senior Services, has announced that its annual Project Love is in its ninth year and still in need of assistance.

Church seeks annexation to expand campus into Fayetteville near county boundary

A local church wishing to expand is asking Fayetteville to annex 5.67 acres on Lester Road next to Cleveland Elementary School for its church campus.

Man scares boy by firing empty BB gun at head

A Fayette man was arrested last week for pointing a BB gun and shooting it at the head of a 14-year-old boy.

Purchases with stolen credit card net 13 felony charges on local man

A shopping spree with a stolen credit card has landed a local man in jail charged with 13 felony counts of financial identity fraud.

Rising Starr band readies for Chicago trip

During the holiday season, most children have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads.

Collins reports on Iraq trip

WASHINGTON - During an interview last week on the Fox News Channel, U.S. Rep. Mac Collins said he was pleased with the results of a trip by a congressional delegation that he led to Iraq during Thanksgiving week.

Auto insurance database on the road again

Beginning Jan. 1, the automobile insurance information card that you carry in your glove box is no longer proof of vehicle insurance coverage when you are stopped by law enforcement or go to renew your vehicle registration. Instead, the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety is re-implementing the legislatively mandated electronic verification system that enables law enforcement to access insurance verification data from their vehicles through the state run database.

Police Blotter

Obituaries

Birth Announcements

Real Estate

It’s not Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 or one of the other highly publicized video games, but the simulated home building game, Building Homes of Our Own, has captured the imagination—and attention—of middle and high school students across the country.

Noel November raises $32,000

It was magical — the lights, the music, the Christmas trees and wreaths and a room full of willing and enthusiastic bidders as the Fayette County Board of Realtors began the ninth annual Noel November, A Celebration of Trees and Wreaths.

Board installs new president

New faces in new places in local real estate

Wieland neighborhoods take numerous awards

Concordia debuts Summit Point

Bullard hosts Toys for Tots dropoff

Brayson hosts ‘Festival of Lights’

Centennial celebrates grand opening

Bullard hosts Firefighter Appreciation Day

New CRS Pathways officers installed

Pinehurst joins Heron Bay in decorating for holidays

River Oaks off to running start

How to finance your new home makeover

Protecting yourself from moving scams

Business

Fayette getting new medical building

EMC buys security company

A new pest control company has begun operations in Fayetteville

Rivals squaring off on court

Teams fare well across state

County teams hit mat hard

McIntosh grad to compete in PGA European Tour

Weekend

GYB presents “The Nutcracker” this weekend

Heritage Christian Church invites public to travel to Dickens Village

And dreams of sugarplums danced in her head

‘The most wonderful time’

Ten-year-old gets part in CCSU play

Religion

‘Peace’ tree may not be such a bad thing after all
By JOHN HATCHER
Religion Columnist

Price to speak at Peachtree Christian Fellowship Sunday

Christ Our Shepherd to offer Moravian Love Feasts

Nativity presents Lessons and Carols Dec. 14

Advent services continue at Christ Our Shepherd

Peachtree City UMC announces Christmas events

Brooks UMC to present Shaw’s ‘Many Moods of Christmas’

St. Gabriel’s announces Christmas Masses

Religion Briefs

Who needs morgue when there’s Google?
By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Searching the Internet can be a such a pain.

The perfect gift for my loved ones
By RICHELLE JARRETT JORDAN

As Christmas approaches, I am berated with flyers from various stores trying to sell me the perfect gift for everyone on my shopping list. Over the past 20 months, I have personally been learning firsthand about the ideal gift to give all the special people in my life.

Waiting to strike a match, the light goes out, for keeps
By TOM WHITE
Special to The Citizen

I lead a men’s Bible study group on Tuesday mornings and this day started like all the other days. The group met at 6 a.m. to study the Word and encourage each other in our walk with the Lord.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Should we change name to ‘Peace-mas’?

After reading Mrs. Williams’ letter about the so-called “Peace Tree” at The Avenue, I felt compelled to reply.

Object to God? Try some other money

It appears that the Peachtree City Council has succumbed to Political Correctness, thus referring to what would otherwise be called a Christmas tree as a ”Peace Tree.”

There were black leaders, even in 1800’s

I’m writing in response to Bruce Jordan’s article in your Nov. 26, 2003, issue titled, “Why some faces are seen less than others in Faces.”

Special girl lives full life, thanks to outstanding schools and friends

Eighteen years ago, a tiny baby girl was born six weeks early, with a hole in her heart, a blocked intestine and Down Syndrome. The ambulance whisked her away the next morning to Egleston’s Children’s Hospital and she was prepared for surgery to repair the blockage. She was so small they had to wrap her in cellophane to keep her body heat from escaping.

Editor selective in choosing ‘facts’ about DAPC

It appears the editor of The Citizen has an axe to grind with the outgoing PTC council members and the current PTC Development Authority (his bias).

Target Corp. responsible for Kedron controversy

To John D. Griffith, Senior Vice President Property Development, The Target Corporation, Real Estate Department, Minneapolis, Minn.:

If Iraq is linked to terrorists, where’s your proof?

First of all, if you intend to edit my letter until it is unrecognizable as my own, like the last one, don’t bother printing it.

Gaddo’s love of country shines through letters

It comes as no surprise to me that Randy Gaddo, Peachtree City’s director of leisure services, was infuriated by CNN’s negative response to President Bush’s holiday visit to our troops.

CNN = Nonsense

Thank you for the publishing [Dec. 3] the letter from Randy Gaddo, Peachtree City director of leisure services, regarding his own wartime experiences with liberal bias at CNN.

Whitewater coach: What’s going on?

For many years the citizens of Fayette County have been blessed with a superior school system. Our business and light-industry base has grown because we have been able to showcase the school system and entice capitol investors to the county.

How to deal with BOE members

A principal friend of mine was once asked, “How do you deal with board members?” His reply follows: “I treat them like any other parent. It is only when they are sitting in a meeting with a quorum of other board members do they have any power that is different from the parent of any other student. If they come to my office, they are a parent, not a board member.”

Munford’s complaint about Bush specious

John Munford’s column on the Bush trip to Baghdad was perhaps the most tortuous logic I have ever encountered. On the other hand, perhaps Mr. Munford has the intellectual capacity of a goldfish.

U.S. doesn’t need oil

I am not a writer. I hate to write letters, and I don’t have the time. But I have stood back and listened to all the arguments about oil and all the reasons we should drill for oil in Alaska, fight wars in the Persian Gulf, and be robbed at the gas pump until I just had to write this.

Rules that would ban smoking good for everybody’s health

I agree with the new ordinance of no smoking in public places because it is not good to inhale smoke. Also, it may get more people to stop smoking. Also, it will help bring pollutants back down. Also, it helps the atmosphere and it keeps the air clean.