Wednesday, March 10, 2004

News

Prosecutor tagged for 'misconduct': DUI case kicked by judge after prosecutor's 'inappropriate' contact with crying defendant

Labeling the official’s action “horrible,” a Fayette judge last month found “prosecutorial misconduct” on the part of State Court Solicitor-General Steve Harris and overturned a drunk driving conviction as a result, ordering a new trial.

3 busted for selling pot from daycare center

Three people who have been selling illegal drugs out of a rented home in the Wynnmeade subdivision — for quite some time, police say — were arrested by Peachtree City police early Friday morning.

PTC’s big-box ordinance faces judge March 29 in Target lawsuit

The lead attorney for the developer suing Peachtree City for the right to build a Target at Kedron Village said Monday that the city’s “big box” law is unconstitutional because it discriminates against a specific segment of the retail industry — large-scale discount department stores — without distinction.

County considers liquor vote for 2nd time this year

Will Fayette’s voters head to the polls this November and vote on liquor by the drink in the unincorporated county?

‘Lightning’ strikes PTC

Peachtree City’s new minor league professional mens basketball team has a name that sounds familiar to anyone familiar with the area’s youth soccer program.

Deputy fired after arrest for injuring girlfriend in Wyoming

A Fayette County sheriff’s deputy has been fired after he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend in Wyoming Christmas Eve.

Animal shelter trying to stem the tide

Spring is almost here and it will soon be raining cats and dogs. The Humane Society and the Fayette County Animal Shelter have joined forces to try and slow the storm.

Brown claims wide support for ‘west village’ annexation

Steve Brown said he has received nothing but positive reviews so far about his “unofficial” efforts to help John Wieland Homes annex and develop several hundred acres northwest of Peachtree City as a mixed-use neighborhood of residential, recreational and commercial uses.

CCSU info session in Fayette next week

As part of ongoing efforts to bring both academic and continuing education courses to Fayette County, Clayton College & State University will be holding an Information Session at the Fayette County Higher Education Center Wednesday, Mar. 17, at 6:30 p.m.

Man charged for fatal crash on Ga. 279

Charges stemming from a fatal auto crash last June have been filed against a Peachtree City man.

Cox to speak at library Sunday

State School Superintendent Kathy Cox will be appearing at the Peachtree City Library in celebration of National Women’s History Month Sunday, March 14, at 2 p.m. Cox will be speaking about the new curriculum. A question-and-answer period will follow.

Free health fair Saturday in Sharpsburg

BodyWorks for Women, a women-only fitness center, is offering a free health fair Saturday, March 13, from noon-3 p.m. at 3500 Thomas Grace Plaza in Sharpsburg.

Collins reports on Vietnam trip

WASHINGTON - Congressman Mac Collins spent several days in Vietnam the last week of February seeking access from officials there to archival records about America’s unaccounted for Prisoners of War and Missing in Action service personnel. Collins met with senior Vietnamese government officials and several Vietnam Communist Party Cadre.

Weekly legislative wrapup

House lawmakers reconvened Monday, March 1, at 1 p.m. for the 27th day of the session. Lawmakers were in recess Wednesday and Friday to conduct committee meetings and allow House and Senate conferees to begin work on a compromise 2004 supplemental budget, which is a revised spending plan for the current fiscal year that ends June 30. The House has also started working on the FY 05 budget that begins July 1.

CT scans coming to Peachtree City

Low cost mobile CT scans for early warning signs of aneurysms, cancer and coronary disease will be available at First Baptist Church Friday, March 19, beginning at 7 a.m.

Hospital offering free workshop

Fayette Community Hospital, in partnership with Georgia Health Decisions, is hosting a comprehensive workshop for you and your family to learn about advanced directives and other legal documents concerning end-of-life healthcare decisions. The seminar is free and open to the public.

Police Blotter

Obituaries

Birth Announcements

Wedding Announcements

Business

Sandy Creek students get a lesson in international business

Foreign language students at Sandy Creek High learned about the real world importance of speaking a second language from executives representing some the nation’s top businesses.

Business Meals and Entertainment Expenses: What You Can and Can't Deduct

Taking current and prospective clients and customers out to dinner, the theatre, or a baseball game can make good business sense ­ and provide you with a valuable tax deduction.

Chiropractic Clinic offers Customer Appreciation Day

A community appreciation day is being held at Napp Chiropractic Center on March 13, 2004 from 12:00 to 3:00. The community is invited to attend. There will be refreshments, door prizes, and face painting for children. Napp Chiropractic Center is giving complimentary consultations, chiropractic exams, and bio-structural posture exams to the first 25 guests who schedule.

Sports

Teams getting busy before region play starts

Baseball teams in the county are already busy, getting in as much competition as possible before the region schedules start in about two weeks.

Local soccer teams to square off

With high school soccer now in full swing, local teams are looking forward to the first intracounty matchups of the year this weekend.

Two years without a loss

The Booth Middle School eighth-grade girls basketball team completed its second straight perfect season by winning the Metro Middle School Athletic League championship, defeating Fayette Middle in the final game.

Moving on to state

The Fayette County Thrashers youth wrestling club, coached by Frank Bennett and Scott Williamson, is sending 34 wrestlers to the USA Wrestling state tournament.

McCullers steps down at CCSU

A coaching legend and fixture for women’s basketball for 30 years in Clayton County, head Clayton College & State University coach A.C. McCullers announced his resignation as the CCSU women’s head coach Monday.

Weekend

Motivational-inspirational speaker Nancy J. Lewis, president of Progressive Techniques, Inc. based in Fayetteville, will present a brief motivational talk at the regular monthly meeting of the Fayette NAACP Branch Saturday. The theme of her organization is “Developing A Better You!”

Religion

The Passion according to Mark ... conclusion
By JOHN HATCHER
Religion Columnist

Most scholars agree that Mark's eyewitness account to the Jesus story was the earliest to hit the streets. In the last two columns I have been tracing the last hours of Jesus' life, according to Mark. Today's column will be the final installment for this brief series.

Fayetteville 1st Baptist gears up for gala 175th anniversary celebration

Members of Fayetteville First Baptist Church are readying for a week-long celebration of their 175th anniversary of service in the Fayette community with recognition of past members and pastors, an old-fashioned supper and hymn sing, pony rides, tractor rides, tours of the buildings, a picnic, and even an antique car show. The celebration begins Sunday, March 21 and concludes the following Sunday, March 28

First Presbyterian of Peachtree City to present Killmeier, Van Wert in concert

The public is invited to attend an All Sacred Concert in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City Sunday, March 14, at 3:30 p.m.

Greg Bauer seminar planned for March 14 at F’ville First Methodist

Dr. Greg Baer, author and teacher, will present a seminar called “The Healing Power of Real Love,” Sunday, March 14, from 6-8:30 p.m. in the main sanctuary of the Fayetteville First United Methodist Church.

Rogers featured as guest speaker at Aglow’s March meeting

The upcoming meeting of Peachtree City Aglow will feature guest speaker Thelma Rogers, teacher of health and wellness at Reinhardt College in Waleska.

Flat Creek Baptist will host Passover presentation

Bert Sandler, of Light of Messiah Ministries in Atlanta, will present “Jesus in the Passover” at Flat Creek Baptist Church, Sunday, March 28, at 6 p.m.

McDonough Road Baptist to present special Easter events McDonough

Road Baptist Church will present "Three Sundays of Passion" centering around the Easter season.

Religion Briefs

Think now: Where do ‘rights’ come from?
By CAL BEVERLY
editor@thecitizennews.com

Join me as we try to think, together. Think. Stick to the issue. Ask pertinent questions. Attempt to answer those questions.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

 

 

 

 

Some lessons on minority rights

I’ve been reading a great deal about the Constitutional Convention of 1787 over the past few months. The entire process, and particularly the personalities involved, make for magnificent theater, and I’m left with a sense of wonder and awe at their ability to put aside cherished personal themes for the good of the nation. The document they produced has withstood the test of time and practicality, allowing for stable, flexible governance amidst the worst of economic times, and even civil war.

Some lessons on the people’s right to vote

As a Fayette County resident almost all of my life, a product of Fayette County Schools from kindergarten to high school graduation, and now a social studies teacher at Fayette County High School, I was disgusted by the lies and untruths you published in the March 3, 2004 edition of your paper.

Same-sex marriage: Instead of insults, stick to the actual issues

Why is it that when liberals attack conservative positions, they so often resort to personal insults and unsubstantiated denunciations of motive? Case in point: in the last issue of The Citizen, Mike Boylan accused persons opposed to gay marriage of “hating” homosexuals and harboring some irrational fear that gays were after their children.

How dare a politician take away our right to vote on issue

I’m not sure if this is the right place to send this, but I so enjoyed the editorials about our “misrepresentatives” and I immediately contacted them and left messages for the ones I had addresses for.

Editorial ‘sinister and un-American’; how about laws against divorce?

Let your people vote!

Thanks to Boylan for acknowledging love

I have picked up The Citizen so many times in the last four years that I’ve lived in Fayetteville and have flipped to anything Michael Boylan has written because he writes with amazement and amusement about all the things near and dear to a Fayette County citizen’s heart. Like Lewis Grizzard and Celestine Sibley back in the 1970s and ’80s, he struck a chord with me. I’ve laughed and identified with many of Mike’s writings. One of my favorites is Mike’s article about YMCA Summer camp.

Call special session just before elections

Loved the editorial on “What About our Rights?” Here’s what we should do to take care of this:

Editorial was inexcusable

Your front-page editorial on gay marriage was inexcusable.

Gay marriage: It’s about time

Thank you, Michael Boylan, for the having the sense, the compassion and the backbone to point out that gay marriage is not an attack on heterosexual marriage.

Issue: Will same-sex marriage promote a more value-based society?

The following is a post concerning “gay marriage” on a veteran web site that I help in moderating, www.patriotfiles.com, in the political forum there.

Controversy involves some misconceptions about genes, sex, norms

While I don’t want to get involved with the argument with Mr. Ellis, I feel I must make some points that are key to the future of both your arguments: Recent studies suggest that homosexuality is the result of a gene variation and is quite common in nature. Homosexuality has been witnessed in bonobo apes, seagulls and penguins, which means it is hardly unnatural.

Bigotry, Lester Maddox’s legacy alive and well here in Fayette

Rep. Virgil Fludd, it has been pointed out to me by the editor/publisher/owner of the local gossip rags that you are some of the few legislators doing your job of serving all the citizens of this state. I want to thank you for holding up your responsibility to minorities. Please pass on my appreciation to Bob Holmes, Joe Heckstall and Sharon Beasley-Teague.

‘Passion’ shows reality of Christ’s sacrifice

This letter is in response to Mr. Ed Nelson’s letter to the editor regarding “The Passion of the Christ” movie.

‘Passion’ not test for Christians’ true faith

I was very disturbed by the column David Epps wrote about the movie, “The Passion of the Christ.” He makes the assumption that criticizing the movie is equal to hating the source material. I disagree.

The history curriculum debate

According to a recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia’s proposed history standards reflect a national trend by placing the study of topics such as the Civil War primarily in the fifth and eighth grades as opposed to having these same topics repeated as part of the newly revise high school history curriculum.

What’s missing is vital to understanding our nation

As a social studies teacher, I have the important task of enabling my students to become informed, productive, and contributing members of our democratic society. I am not alone.

Ga. State dislikes proposed changes

The Georgia State University Department of History has unanimously approved four responses to the proposed Georgia Social Studies Performance Standards.