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News
Chairman, mayor spat over tax split
Peachtree City’s mayor insists he’s not out to sabotage a countywide SPLOST vote proposed for November, but just wants county leadership to give Fayette’s largest municipality its fair slice of the road projects likely to be funded from an estimated $110 million in revenue a new penny sales tax would raise.
Brown: Give PTC 35% of new tax
To hear Steve Brown explain it, Peachtree City deserves roughly 35 percent of the revenue a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax initiative would generate, based on his estimate that 35 percent of the county’s population resides within his town.
Minority voter registration not keeping pace with Fayette’s population rise
The number of African-Americans registered to vote in Fayette County is growing, but not as quickly as the population as a whole, suggests data released recently.
Fayette schools are included in Cox’s challenge to lift SAT scores
It’s no surprise that Fayette County Schools rank among the top 30 systems statewide included in Superintendent Kathy Cox’s “Super SAT Challenge,” especially considering it’s Fayette County’s approach to the college entrance exam that Cox wants other districts to embrace.
Former Fayette boss headed for Alabama?
By next week, former Fayette County administrator Billy Beckett may know if his future lies in south Alabama.
Fayette voters will decide liquor by the drink this summer
Fayette voters will decide July 20 whether mixed drinks will be sold in the unincorporated county.
New trial begins for former football star; stalking charge to be considered also
Prosecutors are again trying former NFL football star Greg Lloyd for allegedly putting a gun in his son’s mouth while disciplining the boy for getting bad grades back in 2001.
2 plead; one up for trial in north Fayette armed robbery case
Facing possible trials this week, two Fayette men have pled guilty to assaulting a man during a robbery in north Fayette County in 2002.
Law change would upgrade fleeing from cops to felony charge
An innocent Peachtree City driver’s death in a crash at the end of a police chase may have helped the Georgia Senate pass a bill this month that upgrades the offense of fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer to a felony under special circumstances.
Motorist from deadly road rage case gets 6 months
A road rage incident that escalated out of control last May led to the death of a young Fayetteville woman.
Molestation charges dropped after questions of witnesses’ credibility
Charges against a 21-year-old man for molesting a young girl have been dropped now that there are questions about the information given by the victim and her stepfather, police said.
Change would OK massage therapists going solo in Fayetteville
Licensed, professionally trained massage therapists are more legitimate than the seedy “massage parlors” the city of Fayetteville wants to protect its citizenry from.
Cline heading to LSU on scholarship
Kristen Joanna Cline, a senior at McIntosh High School and daughter of Kim and Claudia Cline of Peachtree City, has been named the recipient of a Louisiana State University School of Music and Dramatic Arts Scholarship. The LSU School of Music is ranked among the top in the United States.
Bruce wins Burch poster contest
McLain Bruce, a fourth-grade student at Robert J. Burch Elementary, won a school-wide safety poster design contest for her poster entitled “Buckle Up For Your Kids.”
Animal rescue thrills neighbors
A weeklong adventure for a cat in Windalier Ridge ended happily, thanks to some concerned neighbors and a local tree service.
Another week under the Gold Dome
March 17 was the 33rd day of the 40-day regular session of the General Assembly. Bills must have passed at least one chamber by this day or they are effectively dead for the year. The only exception is if they are amended to a bill with the same subject matter.
WORKTEC made a difference in Hodges' life
Customers entering the Publix in Tyrone walk away with more than groceries. If they visit during Keenan Hodges shift, they come away with a smile.
The Avenue offering gifts
Treat Mom (or yourself!) to a great Mother’s Day gift by just shopping at The Avenue. All three Atlanta-area Avenue projects. The Avenue Peachtree City is participating in an exciting Mother’s Day gift with purchase promotion, running April 23 through May 9...while supplies last.
United Way seeking nominations for outstanding volunteers
Volunteers are works of heart, and in Fayette County, volunteers give with all their hearts to organizations such as Fayette Senior Services, Epilepsy Foundation, Scouting, and many other organizations.
Career Expo is tomorrow
Metro Atlanta employers are invited to attend Clayton College & State University's annual Career Expo tomorrow.
Smith joins REAL Business Builders
Michael Smith has recently joined REAL Business Builders, LLC as an Action International business coach.
Sports
Giving the Tigers a big lift
There’s another state champion walking the halls at Fayette County High School.
Dalrymple named Coach of the Year
Many things can change for a person in a month.
Fayette club wins state title
The Fayette County Thrashers youth wrestling club continues to build its tradition by placing first as a team in the USA Wrestling state tournament. The Thrashers tied with the McEachern Indians at 91 points each.
Tigers get two big wins
The Fayette County Tigers moved to 7-2 overall and 1-0 in region play with a pair of victories last week. In a 15-3 win over Shaw March 16, Justin White pitched a complete game and got offensive help from Ricky Williams and Joey Arnold, who each homered. Williams homered again in Friday’s 15-0 win over Carver, in which Dan Cooper was the winning pitcher.
Chiefs holding top spot in state
The McIntosh Chiefs, currently ranked first in the state in AAAAA and sixth in the nation by Student Sports magazine, scored wins last week over Newnan (4-2) and Lassiter (3-1) to move to 12-0-1 overall and 5-0-1 in Region 4-AAAAA. The team has scored 77 goals and given up five, according to coach Bunky Colvin.
Local teams win big in early matches
Going into this week’s first head-to-head meeting, the tennis teams from McIntosh and Starr’s Mill have several early-season match victories under their belts.
Panthers down Tigers on links
Starr’s Mill defeated Fayette County on the links March 16 by a 152-164 score at the Palmer Course at Starr’s Mill. Ian Cutting shot 38 and Jesse Fellabaum shot 39 for Fayette County.
Local track teams compete in Atlanta
Four county high schools competed in the Coaches Invitational track meet in Atlanta last weekend, with several local competitors registering top finishes.
SCAT sends six swimmers to regional
The Southern Crescent Aquatic Team in Peachtree City qualified six swimmers for the Southern Zone Eastern Senior Sectional Championships in Nashville.
Corrections
Weekend
Sometimes old stories tell the best tales. And when set to a musical score by Stephen Sondheim, that adds up to a magical evening of entertainment.
Lord of the Rings prequel lands in Newnan
Lord of the Rings prequel comes to Newnan
Declaration of Principles
In the interest of cutting myself some slack and for all the film buffs and cineastes out there, I am giving this column over to the general discussion of movies once a month. Not only will it give me a chance to breathe between stage productions, but I hope to be able to spotlight some forgotten classics, both good and bad. Of course the good ones, I will gush over and the bad ones I will sear with my humble, but correct, opinion.
Georgia Conservancy announces student competition
All public and private middle and high school students, as well as clubs, such as 4-H and Scouts, in the Fayetteville area are invited to take part in the sixth annual Youth Environmental Symposium (YES), a statewide environmental competition sponsored by Georgia Conservancy.
Signup coming for summer camps
Summer is already in the air and it’s never too early to begin planning summer activities for your child. Don’t miss out on early registration for all Peachtree City Recreation Department summer camps and swim lessons.
Notables
Sara Masoero of Tyrone recently attended the National Young Leaders Conference in washington. This development program invites high school students to interact with today’s leaders.
Camp Invention coming to East Fayette Elem.
Camp Invention, a nationally-recognized creativity and science camp, is coming to East Fayette Elementary School July 12-16. The camp’s hands-on curriculum gives children a chance to let their inventive juices flow and their imaginations run wild.
Class of ‘95
Calling All Graduates of LaGrange High School Class of 1995.
History professor explains ‘Cold Mountain’
At a recent meeting of the Clayton State History Society, Professor of History Dr. Gene Hatfield discussed the historical background of “Cold Mountain,” the recent hit movie based on the prize-winning best-seller of the same name.
Register now for Girlfriends Weekend
It’s time to call your best girlfriend and make plans to head to a peaceful, luxury destination for some rest, relaxation and talk about subjects of interest to women.
Women honored at Girl Scout fundraiser
Friends of Girl Scouting in Fayette County will gather tomorrow to honor three local women in Girl Scouts of Pine Valley Council’s annual fundraiser.
Horse show coming this Saturday
Spring has arrived in Georgia and Quail Ridge Farm is celebrating with the kick off of its Classic Show Series.
Library hosts poetry contest
You can’t make a living writing poetry, but you could win a $25 gift certificate for your original poem in a local poetry contest.
‘Rhythm and Rhyme’ deadline is nigh
Do you sonnet in the shower?
Local author offers workshop
Fairburn resident Meta Commerse will present a workshop entitled “The Healing Power of Story” April 3 from 1-3 p.m. at the Fairburn Hobgood Library. It is free and open to the public.
Tickets now on sale for Senoia dinner
Tickets are now available for the Senoia Area Historical Society’s annual Progressive Dinner. Enjoy five courses in five historic homes. Dinner will be served April 23-24, beginning at 7 p.m.
Sleep seminar in Peachtree City April 1
Are you always tired, fatigued or have difficulty concentrating? Have you been told that you snore or stop breathing during sleep? Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?
Keep on truckin’ for tots
In April the birds are out, the sun is out, people are out and so are trucks. Trucks, trucks and more trucks.
Religion
Gays and the church: What would Jesus do?
By JOHN HATCHER
Religion Columnist
The church and the homosexual community: we have a difficult time with one another. We are often uncomfortable even talking with one another. We often believe distortions of each other’s convictions and lifestyles.
Karafanda chosen as new youth director at Turin
Turin United Methodist Church in Coweta County recently hired Shannon E. Karafanda as the new director of children and youth ministries. Karafanda, a long-time resident of Peachtree City, comes to Turin with her husband John and their two children, John, age 3, and Shane, age 2.
Holy Trinity members return from missionary trip to Belize
“It took only a three-hour flight from Atlanta to bring us to Belize, Central America, and so we became short-term missionaries,” said Sheila Geist, after returning from a recent mission trip.
Holy Trinity plans Spanish Mission March 28-31
The parish of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Peachtree City will have its first Spanish Mission from Sunday, March 28 through Wednesday, March 31. The Rev. Jorge Colon, a Redemptorist Priest native of Puerto Rico, will be the guest preacher.
Old fashioned ‘Holy Ghost Gospel Singing’ scheduled
The Grantville Church of God in Coweta County will have a night of “Old Fashioned Holy Ghost Gospel singing” this Saturday night, March 27, at 6 p.m. The event will feature 12-year-old singing sensation Jennifer Middendorf, the group “Unshackled,” Linda Griffith, Dan Burdett, “Young Spirit,” and more.The event is free and open to the public.
Whitewater to host Seder dinner, art show
Murray Tilles, of Light of Messiah Ministries in Atlanta, will answer the question of what the Jewish Passover and Jesus’ Last Supper have in common as he presents “Jesus in the Passover” on Good Friday, April 9 at 6 p.m. at Christ’s Church at Whitewater in Fayetteville. The “Jesus in the Passover” service and banquet will bring to life the Jewish roots of faith in Jesus as well as the celebration of Communion.
Religion Briefs
Opinion
The experiment in gay parenting: Want your kids to participate?
By Dr. Warren Throckmorton
How’s this for a deal? “Wanted: millions of children to participate in a social science experiment. Young children preferred. Once engaged in the experiment there is no opportunity to withdraw. There may be long-term problems for certain participants although the extent of any potential risk cannot be predicted at this time. The researchers cannot be held liable for any negative outcomes.”
The quick draw of the slow drawl
By RONDA RICH
I, for one, am tired of people making fun of the way I talk. It’s so humiliating the way that folks will just walk right up to me and mockingly spit my words back into my face.
- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Why is Mayor Brown pushing annexation?
Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown’s letter to the editor discussing our traffic problem and the possible annexation of the “West Village” raised a number of questions.
Thanks for forum
I just read the Free Speech and editorial sections today and wanted to thank the editor for printing so many varying opinions of the local and national hot-button issues.
Criticism of Harris for his non-ABA law school degree is unmerited
In a recent article I noticed a person (brucefoster@hotmail) had commented on the state of “unaccredited” law schools which rather awkwardly and incorrectly offers a syllogism which, if accepted, would conclude the following: 1) Non-American Bar Association accredited law schools do not meet the ABA standards, 2) Steve Harris graduated from a non-ABA accredited law school, 3) Judge Gerald Blackburn, chief judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia graduated from a non-ABA accredited law school (John Marshall, ‘68), 4) Steve Harris and Judge Blackburn should not be allowed to hold public office.
Harris a professional, caring prosecutor
I feel compelled to write this letter to the residents of Fayette County on behalf of Fayette State Court Solicitor-General Steve Harris.
Country must keep its promise to older vets
A Georgia-based group of older military retirees, united with larger national groups, are championing the restoration of military health care promised as a lifetime of care when they initially enlisted, or reenlisted, in the military service prior to Dec. 7, 1956.
What’s Tyrone got to do with Mann Road future?
An article in The Citizen [March 17] reports discussions at the recent commission meeting on proposed extension to Sandy Creek Road and “improvements” to Mann and Trickum Creek Roads. I especially noted the comment:
LCCA opposes road project
Story on proposed Mann Road/Sandy Creek Road extension: I want to thank you for reporting on the above subject. As members of the Line Creek Community Association through which Mann Road passes, we would not have heard of this inappropriate proposal had it not been for you.
Upon further consideration, deputy gets apology
I was stuck in my car on Ga. Highway 92 in Inman at a horrible car wreck. They even had a helicopter land and take someone from the car away. After a while, the officers at the wreck began to direct us around the wreck by going through a parking lot. As I was coming back out onto Hwy. 92, one of the officers yelled at me to stop.
Sheriff doing great job
I was intimately involved in a child molestation case in 1989. The sheriff’s department did a wonderful job of arresting the predator.
Clearing up confusion about ‘The Passion’
[Citizen columnist] Lindsay Bianchi summed up some people’s confusion concerning Mel Gibson’s motivation for depicting the sufferings of Christ when he said that “[p]erhaps Mel missed the lesson where it was pointed out that believing without seeing is what faith is all about.”
If you want real science, consider some of evolution’s many contradictions
Creationists are often challenged to “present the evidence” for intelligent design, but where is the evidence for evolution? Mr. Duran in his Feb. 18 letter asserted, “Evolution theory is just as proven as the atomic theory.” But, is it really?
Support smoke-free restaurants
On Thursday, March 18 the Peachtree City Council said they would support the Smoke-free Air Act 2004 (SB 507) currently in the Georgia House of Representatives. Our own Fayette legislators are split in their support.
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