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News
By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com
A proposed ordinance that
would ban smoking “in all enclosed public places in Peachtree
City” will be up for discussion when a special committee meets
Wednesday, June 16 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
Dear political candidates
and the voting public:
The Citizen is planning
to devote a large amount of news space for three consecutive weeks
just before the July 20 elections to allow an unfettered (except
for word limit) dialogue among candidates for all local and Fayette
legislative and judicial contested races.
By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com
When Whitewater High School
opens this fall, students will learn through the latest technological
system.
By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com
When Fayette students head
back to school this August, they’ll need to bring more money
to pay for their meals.
By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com
With a new procedure for
handling annexation requests in the works, Peachtree City may lift
its moratorium on such proposals in the near future.
By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com
Responding to negative campaign
material circulated by his opponent, Superior Court Judge Johnnie
Caldwell of Thomaston took offense Monday at what he called insinuations
that he was a child molester.
By MONROE ROARK
mroark@TheCitizenNews.com
As millions of Americans
pay tribute this week to former President Ronald Reagan after his
death Saturday, Fayette County residents are reflecting on what he
meant to them and preparing for a special candlelight ceremony in
his honor.
By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com
The yearly task of approving
Fayette County’s 2005 budget began Monday night as the county
commissioners gathered in their conference room to begin work on
the $46.2 million general fund budget.
By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com
By the beginning of July,
voters could know if they will be voting on two Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Taxes this fall.
By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com
When she entered the room
Monday night, probably the last thing on Superior Court Clerk Sheila
Studdard’s mind was pencils.
By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com
Hurricane season is already
underway, bringing the threat of tropical storms that could head
inland and cause serious damage with heavy rains and high winds.
By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com
Homeowners from the St.
Simon’s Cove subdivision are opposing the latest plan for the
Target store at the Kedron Village retail center because it puts
an entrance to the development directly across from the entrance
to their subdivision on Georgian Park.
The home of a former Fayette
County commissioner burned completely to the ground early Friday
morning, according to fire officials.
Citing a long-standing policy,
an official from the U.S. Department of Justice has told Fayette
County’s governing body it will continue to submit funds and
equipment from drug seizures to the Fayette County Sheriff’s
Department. By JOHN THOMPSON jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com
Col. Douglas C. Pearson,
Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) instructor
at Sandy Creek High School, has been selected to receive the 2003-04
AFJROTC Outstanding Instructor Award.
Newnan native Erin Burns
headlines the cast of performers as Luisa in an upcoming production
of “The Fantasticks,” to be presented June 17, 18, 19,
24, 25 and 26 by the LaGrange Opera Theater (LOT). A member of the
Lafayette Society for Performing Arts, the production will be held
at Price Theater in LaGrange, announced Anne Duraski, Artistic Director
and LOT Founder.
The Fayette County branch
of the NAACP will meet Saturday, June 12, at 4 p.m. at Flat Rock
A.M.E. Church.
The Fayette Community Hospital
Auxiliary and the American Red Cross will host a Blood Drive Thursday,
June 10, from noon-5 p.m. in the Community Room at Fayette Community
Hospital.
The summer driving season
is upon us and the price of gas continues to rise. The average price
for a gallon of gas is now $2.07. A recent Gallup poll reports that
47 percent of adults say gas prices have already caused them financial
hardship. Even those not immediately affected expect to be impacted
this summer.
In observance of National
Men’s Health Week (June 14 -20), the Georgia Cancer Coalition
and the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Division of Public
Health encourage men of all ages to make a promise to themselves
and their families to live healthier lives that include regular visits
to their doctor or health care provider for physical exams and cancer
check-ups.
The A(mazing) G(olden) Sassy
Red Hatters, a Chapter of the Red Hat Society, had their “CRAZIATION” (or
disorganization) and crowning of the Queen and Vice Queen May 19.
These ladies are saying no to getting older and having a fun time
doing it. If you see them out in full regalia of purple clothes and
red hats with boas flying, go over and have a laugh with them.
Business
All residents are invited
to the opening of the second store of Boxes-N-Go at 420 Huddleston
Road June 16.
By GREGORY SMITH
Special to the Citizen
Most people today are
aware of the problems that stress can cause. This includes both
physical ailments such as high blood pressure, heart attack, ulcers,
premature aging as well as mental illness such as depression and
anxiety.
Jerry Chandler, owner
of Quality and Air, LLC in Newnan, recently returned from Dallas
after completing the AIRQC training course.
Real Estate Review
By MAC MCKINNEY
Contributing Writer
The subject of books,
songs and millions of fond memories, the porch truly is an icon
of American life. As we enter the warm summer months, families
across the country will gather on their homes’ front, rear
or side porches to sip lemonade, relax and watch the world go
by.
By NANCY ZAK
Special to The Citizen
Summertime at Big Canoe
brings great family outdoor opportunities, including delightful
swim facilities and a host of other enticing options. Encompassing
over 8,000 acres of beautiful north Georgia mountain terrain,
Big Canoe includes eight mountains, three lakes, miles of hiking
trails, several dramatic waterfalls and abundant recreational
amenities within its boundaries.
The Home Source Realtors
was among the top 25 real estate companies in Atlanta in 2003,
according to The Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Donna O’Kelly was
recently recognized by Communities magazine, which recognized
the Top 100 Realtors in Metro Atlanta.
The Home Builders Association
of Midwest Georgia will recognize the recipients of the association’s
2004 scholarships at its June 17 meeting, at 6:30 p.m. at the
Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Peachtree City. State
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland
will be the keynote speaker for the event.
Groundbreaking ceremonies
for Renaissance at South Park, which is one of the largest developments
in the South Fulton County area, were co-hosted recently by The
Knight Group and the South Fulton County Chamber of Commerce.
Gary Marshall, broker
of Assist-2-Sell Buyer and Seller Realty Center in Newnan, just
attended the MRLANDLORD.com national convention in Indianapolis.
Home Power Realty held
a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 19 in their newest new-home community
of Morningside. Located on Rockaway Road in Coweta County, near
Senoia, this 140-home community features 2-story, ranch and custom
homes from the $200’s.
There have already been
seven sales in Hopewell Village, an upscale community in the
Covington area of Newton County.
Forrest Homes, Inc.,
has announced the opening of Avalon, a 102-home community in
Fairburn.
Sam Carroll is Brayson
Homes’ on-site agent in Lake Overlook, the company’s
single-family residential neighborhood located on Highpoint Road
in Union City.
Jerry Ballard Homes
has only two homes remaining to sell in Savannah Place, a single-family
residential community at the intersection of Teaver Road and
Pyne Road in the LaGrange area.
Thus far in 2004, new
home sales in the Eagle’s Brooke Golf and Country Club community
have surpassed those of 2003, according to statistics released
recently by SmartSearch Atlanta.
Jerry Ballard Homes
is preparing to open Phase III of Smithfield Estates, the company’s
69-home single family residential community in Henry County.
Four sales associates
with Coldwell Banker American Land Mart, Linda Lindsey, Betty
Denio, Ann Bell and Sandi Austin, have been invited to attend
the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation Elite Retreat, a
three-day conference conducted exclusively for the company’s
top sales associates.
Four sales associates
with Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty — Doug Crumbley, Duane
Lockwood and Butch Springer of the McDonough/Henry County office
and Penny Henderson of the Jonesboro/Clayton County office — have
been named to the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation International
President’s Elite.
Sports
Summer swim leagues and neighborhood
swim teams are gearing up for the not-so-lazy days of summer.
Weekend
By LINDSAY BIANCHI
lbianchi@ThecitizenNews.com
The Villages Amphitheater
in Fayetteville is bringing William Shakespeare’s early
tragic-comedy, “The Comedy of Errors” to life starting
this Friday at 8 p.m.
By LINDSAY BIANCHI
lbianchi@ThecitizenNews.com
This Saturday is Grantville
Day, but you don’t have to remind the local residents in
this western Coweta town. They have been busy getting everything
ready for their big celebration. The Grantville Better Home Town
organization, who took over the reins of the festivities in 2002
from the event’s originators, the Grantville Association,
are geared up for a full day of fun and entertainment.
By LINDSAY BIANCHI
lbianchi@ThecitizenNews.com
Has this ever happened
to you? You manage to get tickets for some hot new musical. The
show is months and months away. The night of the performance
gets closer and closer. When the day finally arrives, you begin
to convince yourself that this is going to be great! Then you
get ushered to your seat and wait patiently while you flip through
your Playbill. Finally everyone has found their seats and the
overture begins. Suddenly it’s showtime and you sit there
with this constipated look of enjoyment on your face while the
same tired dance moves and the same loudmouth singers cavort
in front of you for two hours until you just want to stand up
and scream, “CUT!”
The Peachtree City Youth
Council is currently planning its Second Annual Battle of the
Bands. Last year over five hundred youth and adults attended
the concert inaugurating the Youth Council’s work in Peachtree
City. The concert is an enormous chance for local bands to increase
their fan base and a fun, in-town event for teens. Atlanta radio
stations also got in on the act as radio personality Axel of
99X acted as the master of ceremonies; the Youth Council has
invited Axel back to continue this new tradition.
A rarely produced Shakespeare
tragedy, a bawdy British farce, and a beloved romantic classic
featuring one of Atlanta's best-known actors are among the highlights
of Georgia Shakespeare Festival's 2004 summer season, Producing
Artistic Director Richard Garner announced today.
The Fayette Montessori
School held a ribbon cutting recently for their newest facility
which houses the learning center for ages 6 - 12.
Religion
By JOHN HATCHER
Religion Columnist
“You have your heads
in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal
life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures
are all about me. And here I am, standing right before you, and
you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you
want” (John 5: 39-40 Ð “The Message Bible”).
Summer is here and Braelinn
Community Services could really use your help, according to Cathy
Berggren, executive director of the Fayette-based non profit organization.
Square Foot Ministry is
sponsoring a three-day county-wide service event, entitled Impact ‘04.
The dates are Aug. 4-6, with a kick off dinner to be held Tuesday
night Aug. 3 at Brooks United Methodist Church.
The Rev. Randy Wood, most
recently the director of personnel deployment for the North American
Mission Board, was welcomed as the new senior pastor of Liberty
Baptist Church on April 16.
Opinion
By CAL BEVERLY
editor@TheCitizenNews.com
We gave Peachtree City Mayor
Steve Brown’s rebuttal to my earlier anti-annexation column
top of the page play last week because (1) he is the mayor and (2)
annexation and its attendant traffic issues are important topics
that deserve discussion and a wide range of public input.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
[To superior court judge
candidate John] Mrosek: I am not a big advocate of politics nor am
I a personal friend of your opponent.
Mr. Rogers: Thank you for
taking the time to write and to offer your opinion about our direct
mail piece concerning child molestation cases decided by Judge Caldwell,
my opponent.
I read your story regarding
the Segway Human Transporter and I must say I am disappointed by
several points. First, I was unable to confirm that the police department
did, in fact, rate the Segway a “D.”
I remember my father’s
reply to my dilemma: “Your mother and I are going to Rhode Island
early tomorrow morning. Do the best you can son.” My best friends
and I had thrown our scuba equipment in the back of my ‘62 Chevy
Impala to drive to Lake George to “search for cannon balls.” On
the way home, the water pump had blown on the Taconic Parkway about
three hours from home. We had just enough money for gas among the
three of us, and it was getting late. There would be no father rescue.
I would like to write a
letter to Nancy Reagan, to let her know what she and her husband
have meant to me and, I believe, to the nation. But I know the letter
would get lost in the tons of similar letters, from people more important
than I, which will no doubt be flooding in to her.
Today I not only remember
the 60-year anniversary of D-Day but I am saddened by the passing
of former President Ronald Reagan. While serving in the U.S. Navy
I was truly blessed to be stationed at the National Naval Medical
and Dental Command in Bethesda, Md., during the early to mid-1980s.
Well, once again and no
surprise to Fayette County citizens, developer Bob Rolader has wooed
the Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commissioners with his offer
of an 8-acre park, which he would donate to the city in exchange
for them annexing 108 acres of land on Redwine Road just south of
the Kiwanis Park and across from the Lakemont subdivision.
In regards to a letter in
last week’s opinion column, ”Why is BoE pushing more interruptions
of school?” I too completed the online survey for the proposed
school calendar for next year. I also opposed the October break and
gave the same reasons as stated in the published letter.
The school schedule for
2005 is great! School starts and ends at about the same time as it
currently is. The mini-break is a reasonable compromise for those
who supported or didn’t support a full week off.
Ms. Eska-Thedra’s reply
to my previous letter to the editor must have hit a nerve. One thing
that I know is that sarcasm in writing has to be extensively explained
or just use an emoticon (;-)); that will suffice.
Once again we have the privilege
of being educated by Ms. Eska-Thedra (having watched “Seinfeld,” I
think you may already get the sarcasm in my tone.)
Dixie Eska-Thedra’s
letter in the June 2 Citizen contained some illogical and very naive
conclusions.
In response to Mr. Hoffman’s
letter, he is correct. I am confused, but not in the way he meant.
I’m confused by his perplexing letter
I read with interest the
article by Mr. Hoffman regarding Dr. Moffatt’s column. I must
admit however, I was “confused” by his remarks.
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