Archive for Wednesday, February 10, 1999

Wednesday, February 10, 1999

News

Fayette senators vote for superagency: With both Fayette members voting in favor, the state Senate Monday passed legislation that would create a powerful new regional transportation authority.
NAACP aims to change perceptions: Diversity of population is coming rapidly to Fayette County, says Edward Johnson Jr., and the county's branch of the NAACP is poised to help promote the understanding that "the concept of rundown property values and deteriorating schools is just not the reality."
Tyrone and Fairburn to talk about sewer deal: Tyrone's town leaders last week agreed to study the feasibility of entering into an agreement with the city of Fairburn to provide sewerage to two of the town's proposed large-scale developments.
Officials: Suicide a community issue: Reactions of shock, grief, sorrow and disbelief echoed throughout the county once again last week when it was learned another teenager had taken her life.; Where to get help; 2 parents vow to step up suicide prevention efforts
Planners serve up 85 overlay, mailbox laws again: The ball is back in the County Commission's court in the ongoing tennis match concerning proposed new development standards for Ga. Highway 85 north and laws concerning mailbox supports.
Planning Commission says 'no' to one-acre lots on Ellison Road: Arthur Stinchcomb's 55 acres on the west side of Ellison Road near Tyrone is surrounded by large estate homes and farms and shouldn't be developed in one-acre lots, the Fayette County Planning Commission suggests.
Schools: No more track on septic fields: A formal policy to prevent future use of septic spray fields for school activities will be the final result of Sandy Creek High School's cross country track controversy last year.
Subdivision extension plan resurfaces: Frank Love is trying again to convince county officials that he should be allowed to develop a fourth phase in Jeff Davis Plantation subdivision.
Engineer: County needs new aerial photos, accurate mapping info: Fayette agencies need new aerial photographs of the entire county if they are to do their jobs properly in today's technological climate, the County Commission was told last week.
Commissioners to discuss goals in PTC retreat Fri., Sat.: A master plan for a new jail and other government facilities on 33 acres of county-owned land will be high on the agenda as Fayette County commissioners conduct their annual retreat this Friday and Saturday.
County to Gov.: Cut state taxes, not county: Fayette County commissioners said last week they applaud Gov. Roy Barnes' desire to reduce taxes, but they would prefer he concentrate on state taxes and leave county taxes alone.
Brooks Council looks at zoning map, insurance: The Brooks Town Council last week got a look at the town's new zoning map, and promptly found an error.
Mayor Bobby Butler said that a piece of land annexed in 1994 was not shown, and he would get with the map company to correct the omission.

Opinion

Nominees for annual Bozo award: Blockheads and blue lights CAL BEVERLY Publisher: To put you into the road-rage party mood, I have a few nominees of my own, just to whet your appetite. After you chew on these, feel free to send in your own personal nominees. I'll print the non-libelous ones here.
Turn out the lights, it'll soon be over DAVE HAMRICK Editor-at-large: At this writing, U.S. Senate leaders are predicting a halfhearted, go-through-the-motions vote on impeachment by tomorrow.
Government and morals: What is the proper role? State Rep. Lynn Westmoreland Laugh Lines: As I was deciding what to write this week, fellow Republican legislator Jeff Brown (R-LaGrange) shared some of his thoughts with me, and when I saw what he had written, I decided to reprint his words.
Move over, Dr. Laura; here's our Dr. Love BILLY MURPHY Laugh Lines: The last Valentine's Day of this century is upon us and I wonder how love is different now from the year 1899. Did people then tattoo loved ones' names on their bodies? Did they do it in pencil? Were they all planning last blast parties surrounding the song, "Tonight thine will cotillion like it's 1899"?

Letters From Our Readers

Modular homes in PTC should not be problem: It is true that manufactured homes have a bad reputation. Most people perceive them as poorly built housing.
PTC police are tough on teenagers: I would like to add to the letter Mrs. Hulse recently wrote, "PTC police seem to be tough on teens," because I was one of the teens involved.
Officers jealous of PTC teens?: I applaud the recent letter written by one of your readers, Bill Ezpeleta, referencing Peachtree City teens being harassed by their hometown men in blue, the Peachtree City Police department.
Falcon let his team down: If [Atlanta Falcon] Eugene Robinson has learned anything during the past year about how to handle a scandal, he just has to look toward Washington, D.C. The strategy will be deny, deny, deny, then lie, and then just say it's a private matter. Besides, a certain type of sex is not sex.
Students must help each other: Being in my Junior year at lovely Sandy Creek High and being friends with Amanda Lambert has made me realize that the time has come for students to look out for one another.
Thanks to umbrella thief: Thank you to the woman who stole our umbrella.
Thanks for help during illness: To all of my family, neighbors, friends and all church groups: I wish to thank all of them for their support during my bout with cancer last year.
Baton woes surface in PTC: My 7-year-old daughter Lauren was enrolled in a baton class through the Peachtree City Recreation Department that meets at the Kedron Field House.

Business

Fayetteville ban on temporary trailers puts many businesses in a bind, says owner: Some Fayetteville businesses are facing hardship because of the city's prohibition of temporary trailers, says Rusty Walker, owner of Fayetteville Carpet Sales Inc.
Express wins ISO certification: Express Services, Inc. recently was awarded ISO 9002 certification, according to owner Don King.
Unemployment rate falls to 1.6 percent: Fayette County continued to be the employment leader in the metro area, as the county's unemployment rate dropped to a staggeringly low 1.6 percent for December.
Delta offers many sweetheart deals for Valentine's Day: Just in time for Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day weekend getaways, Delta Air Lines introduces weekly Web fares, deeply discounted fares on tickets purchased via its Web site, SkyLinks, www.delta-air.com, for travel that same weekend.

Real Estate

Home Builders Association names Builder of the Year: Dennis Floyd has been named as 1998 Builder of the Year by the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia.
Doug Walker named Associate of the Year: Doug Walker is the 1998 Associate of the Year for the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia.
Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty's Clayton County office has scheduled a "Career Night" for Thursday night, Feb. 25.: The event will be held at the Clayton County office, located at 238 Stockbridge Rd. in Jonesboro, and will begin at 6 p.m.
Gary Marshall hits $11 million in sales for 1998: Gary Marshall, an associate broker with Metro Broker Better Homes and Gardens, hit more than $11.5 million in realty sales during 1998.
Buying a Home? Let your fingers do the walking through the Internet: If you're thinking about buying a new home, but are unsure where to start, the solution could be as near as your personal computer.
New 'Lakeside' at Eagle's Landing accepting reservations: Homesite reservations are now being accepted for Lakeside at Eagle's Landing, a new 130-home single family residential neighborhood on the eastern extension of Eagle's Landing Parkway.
HomeSouth Mortgage Corporation will celebrate its grand opening next Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 3-6 p.m.: The company, located on Stonewall Square, Suite 5 in Newnan, will offer conventional, FHA/VA, GHFA, rural housing, and jumbo loans. No MI programs, non-conventional, no-doc/stated income, investor and other specialty programs available.
Murphy installed as Governor of Women's Council: Kathy D. Murphy of Tri-City Realty in Fayetteville was installed as the 1999 Governor for the Georgia Chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors.
Carolyn McCullough of Country Lake Realty is the newly-installed president of the Fayette County Board of Realtors.: Other new officers include Martha Hayhurst of Coldwell Banker Fulton Realty, president-elect; Julie Jackson of Century 21 Southern Crescent, vice president; and Mike Faulkner of Joyce Faulkner & Associates, secretary/treasurer.
The Real Estate Scene...
Protecting Private Property Rights: As we work to help protect private property rights, one of the important tasks of the Fayette County Board of REALTORS® is to work in conjunction with the Georgia Association of REALTORS® to keep up-to-date on the progress of proposed legislation affecting our industry and our clients.
Main Street Fayetteville recently received a $1,000 donation from ReMax of Fayetteville.: The donation will be used to help with the restoration of the historic Hollingsworth House in Fayetteville.
Timber Lake celebrates 100th home buyer: Timber Lake, the Fayette community with a 59-acre recreation and amenity area, has reached a major milestone the sale of its 100th home.
Local builder is offering final new home opportunities: National Builder of the Year John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods is offering final new home opportunities in some of its top selling neighborhoods including Regency Park in Fulton County and Lakemont in Fayette County.

Religion

It's time for churches to duke it out with the devil: I'll never forget what a native Ugandan pastor said during a Prayer Summit in Kampala: "There's nothing wrong with Uganda. There's everything wrong with the church in Uganda."
New Community-wide Bible Study to Begin Feb. 23: "Finding God," written by Larry Crabb, is the title of the new community Bible study beginning Tuesday, Feb. 23 at First Baptist of Peachtree City from, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Fayetteville Christian Church is offering new CrossWalk adult electives on Wednesday evenings, tonight through March 10.: "Joy in a Mundane World, a Study of Philippians," will be taught by pastor Daniel Overdorf in Room S1; "How to Study the Bible" will be taught by John Panzenhagen in Room S3; "Servants' Hour of Prayer" (SHOP class) will be led by Greg Anderson in the gym stage room; and adult choir will be held in the sanctuary, led by Glenna Ross.
UMW hosting Lenten lunches: A series of Lenten lunches begins Ash Wednesday, next week, at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church, 175 E. Lanier Ave., downtown.
New Hope may host new center Continent-wide missions training center may locate in north Fayette: A North American center for biblical leadership, revival and spiritual awakening may soon be based in Fayette County, on the property of New Hope Baptist Church.
Couples renewing vows: "The honeymoon is not over," according to organizers of a special Valentine's Day marriage vow reaffirmation at New Hope Baptist Church.
PTC Christian starts evening program: Peachtree City Christian Fellowship church has started its Sunday Evening Adult Service. Each week at 6 p.m. begins a time af inspiration, fellowship and worship.
Religion Briefs
Young Life bringing national recording artist to benefit concert: National recording artist Bebo Norman will be performing a benefit concert for Young Life of Fayette County Feb. 18 at Grace Evangelical Church from 7 to 9 p.m.

Sports

From Senator to Farmer: There's a baseball legend living in this county and you have probably never heard of him. His name is Cecil Travis and in the early 1940's everybody knew his name.
Let the games begin again: Going into the girls 4-AAAA tournament at Fayette County, McIntosh (18-3) is ranked 13th and the East Coweta Lady Indians (20-4) are ranked 15th.
Sports Calendar
Conley repeats as Player of the Week in PBAC: Last week, Clayton College and State University senior forward Robert Conley was named Peach Belt Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season.
McIntosh dominates area meet: Every year Coach Hutsell has three goals for his wrestling team: Win the South Metro Invitational, win the area meet and win the state championship.
Starr's Mill a close second at the 4-AAA area meet: The Starr's Mill Panthers wrestled in the 4-AAA area tournament at Sandy Creek on Saturday. They knew that Woodward Academy was the favorite to win the meet, what they did not know was how close to the War Eagles they would finish.

Weekend

What happened to faithful?: It's close to Valentine's Day, when thoughts turn to romance even for those of us married for more than 30 years.
Summer Concert Series gets title sponsors; lineup to be announced: Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater has announced that Webb, Stuckey and Lindsey, Attorneys at Law, will be the title sponsor for the 1999 Summer Concert Series in Peachtree City.
Woman sees 'supply and demand' as opportunity: One day last fall, Mary Ann Martino of Peachtree City took her children to Global Surplus in northwest Fayette County. She noticed they had a large surplus of books and coloring books for young children.
Stitching security: Linda Van Pelt has been keeping her Sandy Creek High School students in stitches for weeks.
WalkAmerica set to 'save babies': When thousands of walkers throughout the area take off April 24 in WalkAmerica 101 for the March of Dimes, a variety of Fayette County volunteers will be leading the way toward "Saving babies, together."
Military Brief
Notable
'Mr. Wizard' helps kids enjoy science: Mr. Wizard's traveling road show made a pit stop at Oak Grove Elementary School recently, dazzling students and teachers with the incredible wonders of science.
Two acting workshops offered: Upcoming workshops by Offshoot Productions include "Creating the Illusion of the First Time," slated for Sunday, Feb. 21, at The Gathering Place.
Winners speak out on optimism: The Fayetteville Optimist Club recently sponsored its annual Oratorical Contest and the five finalists attended the group's regular meeting.
Sams Auditorium is 'very much improved': The reopening of the Ferrol A. Sams Auditorium drew a number of participants who had donated $100 or more to refurbish its seats.
Send your Valentine a song: The Barbershop Harmony Society, Fayetteville Chapter, will be delivering "Singing Valentines" in the south metro area Feb. 12-14. Along with a love song, your Valentine will receive a flower and a card with your personal message.
Spivey Hall hosts Grammy-winner Schickele: Grammy-award winning composer Peter Schickele and the Lark Quartet will perform works by Haydn, Tchaikovsky and an original Schickele piano quartet at Spivey Hall Friday, Feb. 12 at 8:15 p.m.
Student Finance Chat Night: On Tuesday, Feb. 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Georgia Student Finance Commission is hosting a telephone and Internet "Chat Night" on college financial aid for Georgia parents and students.
Hear 'Voices from the Titanic': Fayette Community Theatre Inc. will present one of the most tragic, yet memorable, disasters in our history with the haunting, adult drama, "Voices from the Titanic."
More Notable

Special Sections

What are the Odds?: Why do some marriages work and others fail? How can you predict whose Valentine story will have a happy ending?
Lovely Places: Niagara Falls retains its title as one of the nation's most romantic getaway places, but Georgia folks probably don't think about New York in February the Caribbean, maybe.
Marriage Statistics: Marriage as an institution is alive and well in Georgia, but the Georgia Family Council says the community needs to get involved in strengthening marriages.
Romantic Meetings: In this day of Internet dating, it's nice to know there is still a wide range of ways that people meet each other and fall in love.
Valentine's Day Remarriage: Valentine's Day holds a whole new meaning for one Fayette County couple.
Hot video picks for Valentine's Day: Valentine's day is this Sunday and of course at 9 p.m. most of you should be watching The X-Files.
Valentine Facts: Flowers, candy, romantic getaways ... the bottom line is that Valentine's Day contributes enormous amounts of money to the United States economy.