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News
School
board, county both eye Nov. tax votes to raise $180+ million
November’s
general election, already certain to be overrun with a host of federal,
state and local races, could also ask Fayette County voters to make
this difficult choice: Increased taxes for new roads, new schools, or
both?
Taxing
times face Fayette
By April, residents
should know whether they will be going to the polls in November to approve
a special purpose local option sales tax to build more than $400 million
worth of transportation projects in the county over the next two decades.
‘Tension’
leads to firing of amphitheater director
Just hours before
it finally assumed management of the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater,
the Peachtree City Tourism Association fired amphitheater director Donna
Romeo in a closed, called meeting Sunday.
In
Tyrone, no more Mundy’s
Louis Mundy has
been a pharmacist in Tyrone since 1978, but his family has been providing
service to residents of Georgia since 1947.
New
host of public radio’s ‘Marketplace’ remembers childhood
in Fayetteville
Former Fayetteville
resident and Woodward Academy graduate David Brown now addresses 7 million
people around the world each week as the host of “Marketplace,”
the most listened to business news broadcast in America. Listeners to
the public radio show may have recently heard Brown discuss returning
to his hometown during the holidays and barely recognizing it.
Hospital
sued after man’s death
A wrongful death
lawsuit has been filed against Fayette Community Hospital and an emergency
room doctor for several alleged errors that contributed to the death
of a 28-year-old man in 2002.
Wieland
project in Tyrone continued again
Representatives
from John Wieland Homes came before the Tyrone Town Council in December
with a plan for a conservation subdivision. The project provided a tremendous
amount of greenspace, but many of the houses would be on half-acre lots.
Concerned citizens and members of the council worried about the density
of the project, as well as the use of a pressure drip sewer system and
increased traffic.
Number
one with a bullet
Autrey’s Armory,
on Ga. Highway 314 in Fayetteville, has been open for just over two
months. So far, so good.
Mayor
Steele gets to boast at request of ARC
The Atlanta Regional
Commission is touting several projects in Fayetteville as success stories.
To
run FBO or not is the question for Airport Authority
For the second time
in as many months, a company came before the Peachtree City Airport
Authority at their monthly meeting and expressed an interest in buying
the Hunting Facility and running the Fixed Base Operation, which is
currently run by the airport. Representatives from Chippewa Aerospace
gave a presentation at Wednesday night’s meeting that had members
of the audience excited and had members of the authority preaching caution
and patience.
Cash,
in-kind donations urgently needed for special baseball field
Although organizers
of the Fayette Field of Hope are looking particularly for cash donations
to finish the project, there are a few projects where in-kind donations
could help the cause, organizers say.
Traffic
project could lead to lawsuit, attorney says
Improving traffic
flow at the intersection of Ga. Highway 85 and North Jeff Davis Drive
in Fayetteville will pose an inconvenience to the owner of the Hobby
Lobby shopping center.
Vietnamese
scientists study PTC flood warning system
Two scientists from
Vietnam are spending time at the National Weather Service office in
Peachtree City to develop a flood prediction system for the Red River
in north Vietnam.
Library
commission holds meeting and workshop to show progress on library project
Wednesday night’s
meeting of the Peachtree City library Commission was, in essence, a
rekickoff of the project.
Work
continues for Cox’s Student Advisory Council
The work continues
for 35 Georgia high school students taking part in the new Student Advisory
Council established by State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox.
Youth
Protection Home has new office
The Fayette Youth
Protection Homes has had two offices some distance apart and even combined
did not contain enough space.
Wells
named Rotarian of the Year
Peachtree City Rotary
Club Immediate Past President Dale Phenicie announced that the honor
of Rotarian of the Year for the local club was given to Janet Wells,
a local financial planner and investment advisor. The award is presented
to a member of the club who has made extraordinary contributions of
time and talents to further the projects and organization of the club.
Presently serving as club publicity chairperson, district newsletter
editor, and conference coordinator, she also participates in numerous
volunteer efforts and other club activities.
Rising
Starr earns $127,000 with 'Pay for Performance' prize
Rising Starr Middle
is among 68 schools statewide that will receive a portion of the $5,702,222
approved by the State Board of Education for Pay for Performance (PfP)
awards. The school will receive an award of $127,956.28 for meeting
exemplary performance objectives during the PfP 2002-2003 cycle.
Smith
renamed school board chairman; Smola to run again
Terri Smith was
re-appointed chairman of the Fayette County Board of Education in a
called meeting last Thursday night, but it wasn’t unanimous.
Girl
Scout cookies still available
If you’d like
to pre-order some Girl Scout cookies, you have until Sunday, Jan. 25.
The Pine Valley Girl Scout Council began taking pre-orders Jan. 2 and
delivery of the cookies will begin during the fourth week of February.
Collins
urges immigration caution
While commending
President George W. Bush for having the courage to call on Congress
to act on immigration reform, Georgia Republican Congressman Mac Collins
Thursday said his colleagues had better be cautious when they deliberate
the issue because it is going to be one of the hottest ones that Congress
will handle during the upcoming legislative session.
State
encourages electronic filing
As Georgia taxpayers
begin preparation for filing their 2003 income tax returns, the Georgia
Department of Revenue is again encouraging everyone to file electronically.
Chartering
ceremony more than expected
The Southern Crescent
Toastmasters Club had its formal chartering, installation of officers,
and recognition-of-members ceremony Dec. 18, an event that surpassed
expectations of the officers, members and guests.
Georgians
encouraged to get smart about insurance in 2004
When it comes to
insurance, knowledge is your best policy. That’s why Insurance
Commissioner John W. Oxendine and the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners are encouraging consumers to get smart about their coverage
during the third annual Get Smart About Insurance Week, Jan. 19-23.
Conservation
is key to keeping energy costs manageable
With the onset of
severely cold weather, the Georgia Public Service Commission advises
consumers to take measures to keep their energy costs manageable. There
are many “low” or “no” cost conservation measures
you can take to insure that your bills are reasonable through the remainder
of the heating season.
Miller
asks Supreme Court to uphold constitutionality of pledge
WASHINGTON —
The American Center for Law and Justice last month filed an amicus brief
on behalf of U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) and several other members
of Congress asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the June 2002
decision of the 9th U.S Circuit Court, which declared the Pledge of
Allegiance unconstitutional because of the words “under God.”
5
gifts for yourself in the new year
For many the holiday
season is a busy, stressful time of searching for the perfect gift and
worrying about getting everything done. After all is said and done,
what is often left is holiday debt to repay and a different kind of
stress and worry.
Police
Blotter
Obituaries
Dining Guide
The
healthier side
By F.C. FOODIE
Food Critic
-
-
- Ahh, January
... it’s the month when the gyms are overrun and resolutions
are made to living a healthier lifestyle in the new year.
Deli
Delicious lives up to its name
As it states on
the menu board, “deli is in delicious,” and this eatery
lives up to its name. Deli Delicious, in the Braelinn Shopping Center
on Crosstown Road in Peachtree City, offers a variety of appetizing,
homestyle items to please anyone’s taste.
Appetizer
with pizzazz
When in Rome,
do as the Romans do. In fact, do as many Italians do: Eat antipasti.
Ring
in the Year of the Monkey
If you went to
China to ring in the new year, you’d be overwhelmed by a frenzy
of family, festivities, food and fireworks! On Jan. 22, as the Chinese
say goodbye to the Year of the Ram, you can bring a little bit of
China into your home by celebrating the beginning of the Year of the
Monkey. A vivacious, inquisitive creature, the monkey indicates that
the new year will be full of passion, liveliness and prosperity!
How
to host a Super Bowl party
When Super Bowl
XXXVIII is broadcast live from Houston’s Reliant Stadium Sunday,
Feb. 1, millions of football fans worldwide will eagerly tune in for
an afternoon of exciting pre-game fun followed by an evening of great
football, revelry, refreshments, and friendly rivalry. For those not
lucky enough to have a ticket to America’s favorite sporting
event, it’s a premier Couch Potato day.
Research
study bites into ‘What America Eats’
Based on the old
expression “You are what you eat,” America is a melting
pot of cereal, sandwiches, pizza and chocolate.
Create
a family heirloom cookbook
Give the gift
of your family’s story through recipes
Food
Briefs
Business
What’s
in store for filing your 2003 tax return?
Liberty Tax Service
reminds you that there are changes in tax rate brackets, capital gains,
and retirement account contributions.
World
Airways announces settlement with pilots
Peachtree City’s
World Airways, Inc. announced that it has reached a tentative agreement
with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) for an extension
of the agreement covering World’s cockpit crewmembers who are represented
by the IBT.
Furloughed
ALPA pilots may get big tax break
A recent ruling
from the IRS will benefit furloughed airline pilots to the tune of hundreds
or even thousands of dollars. In September 2003, a Private Letter Ruling
by the IRS was issued and concluded that health care benefits paid by
the Air Line Pilot’s Association on behalf of its furloughed members
is not required to be included as income for the tax year. This applies
to tax year 2003 as well as previous years. Amended federal and state
tax returns would need to be filed to recover the tax paid on these
benefits for 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Sports
Fayette
wins two over Starr’s Mill
The Fayette County
Tigers pulled off a two-game sweep in varsity basketball action Friday
at home against Starr’s Mill, with the boys winning 58-54 and girls
prevailing 46-40.
Panthers
pick up three mat wins
The Starr’s
Mill Panthers wrestling team traveled to Woodland last Friday night
and came home with three wins, defeating Ringgold (39-26), Calhoun (41-27)
and Woodland (48-18) to improve their team record to 17-3 in duals matches.
Tucs
wins national titles, coaching award
Tucs Cheer and Dance
Lab is busy displaying three national championship awards won this month
in Atlanta at the All-Star Challenge National Cheer and Dance competition.
Public
meetings set on proposed hunting changes
The Georgia Department
of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division will hold four
public meetings throughout the state to receive input on proposed changes
to the 2004-2005 hunting season regulations.
Weekend
Richard
Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II are two of the most influential
people in musical history. Their sweeping epic musicals have found
fame on the stage and the silver screen and remain popular to this
day by finding new fans in every generation. This week, the Fox
Theatre will play host to their first musical, “Oklahoma.”
Not every
fundraiser is a car wash.
I relived
a large part of my youth this past weekend when my friends and
I went roller skating.
Cadet
Colonel Thomas Auers was one of 21 seniors at the University of
Georgia named to this year’s “Outstanding Senior”
list. Auers has achieved academically as well as being a leader
with the Air Force ROTC program at the university. He has been on
the dean’s list or the president’s list every semester
since attending UGA.
The Peachtree
City Library now has a subscription to ReferenceUSA, an online
product from infoUSA Inc. This online service contains detailed
information about 12 million U.S. businesses and is used by more
than 1,700 public, corporate and academic libraries nationwide.
Fayette
County-based Offshoot Productions is now hiring staff for its
June 11-27 production of “The Comedy of Errors” at
the Villages Amphitheater in Fayetteville. The following paid
positions are open: assistant director, stage manager, fight
choreographer and costume designer. Assistant director and stage
manager positions may be combined.
The
Peachtree City Oral History Committee would like to plan
a meeting of volunteers interested in helping to preserve
Peachtree City’s “living history.”
The
O, Georgia! Writers Foundation, Inc., a Georgia
nonprofit organization, was founded by Paul Cossman,
a Georgia bookstore owner. Its mission is to give
emerging Georgia writers exposure to a wide audience
and to promote the next generation of Georgia authors.
Anyone living in the state of Georgia may enter.
In
their first meeting of the New Year, The Fayette
Council Human Service Council met at Fayette Community
Hospital to discuss their goals for 2004. How can
the council help companies and organizations meet
individual goals?
What does
50 cents actually buy these days? Two thin packs of Juicy Fruit
gum or 10 pieces of Bazooka Joe gum, or if you’re not into
gum, it buys two oatmeal cookies or two swiss cake rolls from
Little Debbie.
After more
than 27 years of service, Professor of History and Associate
Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Bradley R. Rice retired
from Clayton State at the end of fall semester 2003. Rice will
be remembered not only for his expertise in Georgia history,
including the Georgia state flag, but also for his commitment
to bringing new programs of study to the University.
Dr. Larry
Young, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience
at Emory University, will indeed be speaking on true love in
field mice (the more common term for a vole) as the opening
speaker in Clayton College and State University's annual Biology
Seminar Series, Thursday, Jan. 22, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:20 p.m.,
in room 10 of the University's Lecture Hall.
The Southwest
Fulton Arts Center is now accepting entries for its Black History
Month Art Exhibition. All materials must be received by Monday,
Jan. 26.
The weather
outside may be frightful, but inside the Peachtree City Library
two delightful employees have pooled their resources to create
an even more delightful display. The two women have only recently
discovered that they share a common interest: both love snowmen
and each owns an impressive collection accumulated over the
years.
The Music
Midtown Festival is currently accepting submissions from bands/artists
based out of Atlanta and Georgia to perform on the 99X Locals
Only Stage at the 11th Anniversary Music Midtown Festival April
30-May 2.
Newnan Community
Theatre is announcing auditions for “The Hobbit,”
the opening show for the Popcorn Theatre. It will run March
23, 27, 28 and April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11. Auditions will be
Feb. 2-3 at 7 p.m. at the theatre in downtown Newnan (24 1st
Ave.). The director is looking for a cast from ages 12 to adults
and is planning to use cold readings from the script. She has
asked anyone who may like to volunteer to work backstage or
with costumes or set construction to come to the auditions as
well. Phone 770-683-NCTC or visit www.newnantheatre.com for
more information.
Religion
Does
your Sunday School help ... or hinder?
By JOHN HATCHER
Religion Columnist
Maranatha Baptist
Church in Plains, Ga., is a Sunday School class with a church. That
is, the Sunday School class taught by former President Jimmy Carter
eclipses the church in seeming importance and reputation. The rule is
that when President Carter is in Plains, he teaches his class and the
crowds come to Maranatha. When he is not in town, the average crowd
shrinks significantly.
Getting
your ‘stuff’ into the paper
By
JUDY KILGORE
Religion Editor
If I get one, I
probably get a dozen e-mails each week from people asking how to get
their “stuff” into the paper. Whether it’s a wedding,
engagement, anniversary or birth announcement, a church event or anything
of interest to the religion community, the procedure is the same and
I thought I’d take a minute to explain it. I hate form letters
so I answer each e-mail personally but it takes a lot of time.
Father
of Columbine victim to speak at Providence UMC
Darrell Scott, father
of Rachel Joy Scott who was killed in the Columbine High School shooting
in 1999, will speak at Providence United Methodist Church Sunday, Feb.
8, at 6 p.m. Tickets to the event are free, but reservations are required.
Peachtree
City missionary couple makes full circle of grace
Carolyn and Mike
Enis, formerly of Peachtree City and now missionaries to Africa, have
made the full circle of grace, from Bible study fellowship in Peachtree
City, to Kampala, Uganda and back again. Recently home on furlough,
the couple spoke to the mission committee and the Circle of Grace women’s
group at First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City.
Providence
UMC schedules two Bible studies for ladies
Providence United
Methodist Church has two Bible studies for ladies starting this month.
Fayetteville
First Methodist will offer Life Line Screening
For the fifth year
in a row, Fayetteville First United Methodist Church will offer Life
Line Screening, four low-cost, non-invasive screenings using ultrasound
technology, Saturday, Feb. 7, beginning at 9 a.m. at the church.
Fayetteville
Christian gets new intern
Jim Turney, a Clinton,
Ill. native, has joined the staff of Fayetteville Christian Church as
its new intern.
Religion
Briefs
Opinion
Race,
numbers, perceptions in Fayette schools
By
J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com
I received an unsigned
e-mail last week accusing me of being racist. The sender told me that
a letter-writing campaign was about to begin in an attempt to have me
fired, and an apology was ordered. People are canceling their subscriptions,
it declared.
Field
of Hope now depends on you
By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com
If our community
doesn’t raise $106,000 in the next few weeks for the Fayette Field
of Hope, we will have missed an incredible opportunity.
Lawsuit
lottery hikes costs of Ga. healthcare
Guest Editorial By The Medical Association
of Georgia
You would be hard
pressed to find a single Georgian to disagree that the cost of healthcare
is staggering. This fact is evidenced by increases in health insurance
premiums, higher deductibles, more out of pocket expenses, less coverage,
fewer employers offering health insurance as a benefit and the ever
increasing number of uninsured citizens. What may not be so evident
is the role in this problem played by out of control medical liability
lawsuits.
Clearing
the air on saving lives
By R.
HAROLD BROWN
Adjunct Scholar
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Did you know that
America’s cleaner air has saved more than 2.5 million lives over
20 years? It was news to me, but it must be true: It’s reported
on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site.
- LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
-
- Within
a decade, gays will get equal rights
After reading
Dr. Throckmorton’s column (“Howard Dean, biotheologian,”
The Citizen, Jan. 14, 2004) I was left to wonder as to his intended
purpose of the column.
Does
God approve of sin, if all are born as sinners?
Echoing Dr. Throckmorton’s
sentiments last week on Dr. Dean’s “biotheology,” I
too find Dr. Dean’s rationalization problematic, to the say the
least.
It
is Solicitor Harris’s job to prosecute allegations of spouse abuse
I am a practicing
attorney in Fayette County. I do a lot of criminal defense and divorce
litigation. I have done battle with the solicitor-general’s office
many times, and I have had the occasion to represent people in divorce
and criminal cases who have been the victims of family violence.
It’s
time to switch from sheriff to county police
I am shocked over
the pompous attitude of Sheriff Randall Johnson. Sheriff Johnson is
fully aware of the fact that the Fayette County Marshals Department
was created in 1983 and certified in 1989 by Georgia Peace Officer
Standards and Training Council as a state law enforcement agency,
before the 1992 law, because his top deputy at the time became the
chief of the newly formed agency.
Save
money by turning marshals into deputies
I read with interest
John Thompson’s article, “Dunn speaks out on lawsuit.”
As I read it, I thought, What is going on here? I thought back to my
childhood when two of us kids fought over whose side would bat first.
Iraq
sidetracked our necessary war on terror
Mr. Smith assures
us he is no fool. I can only point to his self-professed sources of
information, and seeming inability to distill my salient points as evidence
to the contrary. I’m also at a loss as to the need to shout support
for my brothers in arms whilst opposing the policies of the silver-spoon,
draft-dodging, AWOL-from-the-ANG current inhabitant of the oval office.
If Mr. Smith wants a copy of my DD 214, I’ll be happy to forward
him one.
How
shortsighted and selective are Iraq critics
Airline communities
throughout the country, including Fayette County, are home to the only
people left in the U.S., besides the thousands of relatives of the victims
of 9/11 in New York, and our military communities, that remember what
happened on that awful day, and above all, are still waging the war
that our President declared on terrorism.
Conservative
Herman Cain gets need for tax reforms
Finally, we have
a United States Senate candidate who understands the need for fundamental
tax and Social Security reform. A candidate who believes in our principles
and values.
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