Southside Theatre Guild will present the musical “Crazy for You,” April 26-28, May 3-6, and 10-12. They will be holding auditions on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 12 and 13 at 7 p.m.

Peachtree City Rotarian Phil Downey has been mentoring students for two years now. Presently he is meeting weekly with middle school student, Bobby Atkinson. The two share lunch, conversation and concerns. The primary focus is on school studies and future goals which are usually set by the student.

The Friends of the Fayette County Public Library will host their first book sale of the year Saturday, Feb. 3 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the library.

Thousands of Georgia residents who’ve seen combat while in the Georgia National Guard or the U.S. Military Reserves, as well as their offspring, may qualify to receive up to $8,000 each to attend Gordon College. 

Youth Engaged in Service (YES), an Ismaili Muslim youth group, recently received an award from The American Red Cross for their efforts resulting in a successful blood drive in Fayette County. 

The blood drive was held on Nov. 12 at Kedron Elementary School where 113 pints of blood were collected. Jodi Phillips, a director at The Red Cross, presented this award in front of an audience of over 1,000 people at the Excellence Award Ceremony at the Atlanta Symphony Hall.

• Army Pvt. Matthew R. Williams has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises. Williams is the son of Roy Williams of Bob Hogansville, Ga., and Emma Sobers of Peachtree City, Ga.

Fayette County Delta employee helps build houses in Africa

Fayetteville resident Elaine Miller traveled to Katlehong, South Africa the first week of December. She and 30 other employees of Delta Air Lines flew to Dakar, Senegal and then on to Johannesburg, South Africa.

The trip was two-fold: the flight also was the inaugural trip of the specially painted livery for "Delta's Force for Global Good" aircraft as well as showing the world its Boeing 767-300 aircraft that features a Habitat for Humanity paint schematic. The aircraft symbolically represents Delta's philanthropic pledge and partnership with Habitat, as it flies throughout Delta's worldwide network.

Recently, The Citizen Newspapers and Theater of the Stars asked readers to submit stories about a time there was something they accomplished at school that no one else believed they could do.

Age 11
Peachtree City

Last year, my school held its first annual talent show. I go to a small private school, so it was a huge deal.

I've been dancing since age three and my dance team was the national champions at our Las Vegas dance competition in 2005, so, of course, I entered a dance routine. There was only one problem, though. I would be competing against high-schoolers and middle-schoolers. Even my own friends didn't believe in me. When the talent show finally came, I did my best and smiled until my mouth ached and-guess what-I won!

Age 12
Fairburn

I just completed my first semester in the sixth grade at Atlanta Girls’ School. It was very challenging!

While I was new to middle school, I wanted to prove to myself, my parents, family, friends and former elementary school teachers that I am smart and can handle the challenges of excelling in my work and being involved in extra curricular activities at the same time. In addition to achieving my goals, I especially want to thank my mother, for I know that sending me to my school is a big sacrifice as she has to pay for my tuition.

Age 26
Griffin

I would have to say that overcoming my fears and performing in the school play was something I never thought that I would be able to do!

My sophomore year in high school, the school was doing “Our Town” and I longed to be in the performance. But mind you only from afar…I am very afraid of being on stage…and trying out…no way!

Somehow I mustered up the courage to memorize a monologue and go the tryouts. Much to my surprise, I got a call back and from then on began to discover I had a love for drama.

Age 11
Peachtree City

I am Laurel Robbins and I am 11 years old and in sixth grade going to Rising Starr Middle School. When I saw your ad in the paper, I immediately thought about the worst time of my life at school.

It started out as just one of those normal days going to school: wait outside for the bell, go through math class, science, English, recess, and then, worst of them all, social studies. I did not like that class at all. It was not the teacher, but what we had to study in that torturous classroom. All we learned about was the Earth and where everything was located. All the places got so confusing. Our teacher, Mrs. Surmann, asked us about how recess was and what we were going to do that weekend. She was sure being awfully nice and I thought something was wrong. She then told us that we would all be competing in an oral Geography Bee to see who would represent the class against other winners of the school. I froze. My worst nightmare was coming true: having to stand up in front of the class and have the teacher ask me questions on a subject that I found painfully boring. I exchanged glances with my friend, Mia, who was pretty good at social studies. I finished up the day with one of those weird, twisted feelings in my stomach.

Age 14
Peachtree City

“Just do your best. That’s all you can do.”

My mother’s voice sounded far away as she tried to comfort me. I was standing in the bleak, white hallways of Perry Middle School, with nothing on my mind but the audition that was drawing closer.

When I gave no reply, she said no more. For the past five minutes she had been standing in my place in the line outside the room while I paced the halls restlessly. It was part of my pre-audition ritual that I had started last year, when I was in sixth grade. Last year had been my first year here auditioning, so I was not new to this pressure, but it still affected me. I had been a young, inexperienced player then, and I had had no chance of making All-State band, the honor that I had been and now was striving for. Of course, I was still inexperienced compared to the eighth graders with whom I competed. When thinking about it realistically, I had no chance of making it. But I was not much of a realist. I was more of a dreamer. Maybe that was how I had even the slightest bit of hope that maybe I could be good enough for All-State.

Age 11
Fayetteville

I get good grades in math, but for me, it’s the hardest subject, and everyone, including my teacher, friends and family, all know that I hate math.

At my school, we have a math bowl and everyone in grades 4 and 5 participate in a test to see which kids get into the math bowl. I always try as hard as I can on tests, and even though I didn’t want to be in the math bowl, I tried hard on this test. I think there were five teams, and on each team there were three people. There weren’t a certain number of people chosen from each class, but instead, the top 15 people were taken from all 100 kids in the fourth grade.

Age 14
Fayetteville
 

Have you ever done anything that you thought you, or anyone else, could never accomplish in your lifetime? I sure have. See, I'm not the type of girl that would be good in sports at all. I am the type of girl that talks on the phone and goes shopping all the time, not the sporty kind. Everyone knew that I was like that, too. Since being a girly girl was my reputation, I wanted to do something daring-- try out for the basketball team.  

I've loved basketball for a long time and I always like to watch people play it, but I never thought of me playing it. My brother loves to play basketball with my neighbors, so I thought I could get good if I started to play with them. So over the summer I started to play with them, and they taught me little plays and skills to playing. I got a lot better and by the time school started back, I was ready.

Spring Hill Elementary’s third grade enrichment students had the opportunity to become “park rangers” of a national park of their choice. For the past semester, students collected data on their parks from information they gathered after writing a letter to their park requesting information. They researched their park’s history, natural features, highlights, plants, wildlife, recreation, weather, safety and its future. The “junior rangers” then compiled their facts and created maps, graphs, brochures, poster displays and reports. On National Park Ranger Day, the students acted as park rangers and guided their visitors through their park. The display consisted of 18 park exhibits including Yellowstone, Everglades, Arches, Acadia and Mammoth Cave. 

Sandy Creek High School is challenging schools, corporations and individuals to meet or beat their efforts in raising money for ASAP Africa in support of their mission to cultivate self-reliance in southern Africa. Last year students raised $933.22 towards eliminating poverty in Africa and now would like to increase the total funds with the community’s help.

Fayette County Post 105 of The American Legion welcomes Ester Moseley to their January meeting at the Log House in Fayetteville. Moseley was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and served as a flight nurse in an air evacuation unit in the China/Burma/India Theater. She spoke to the members about her wartime experiences, chronicled in a book she authored, "Lady, Don't Stop Here." Moseley currently lives in Peachtree City.

The Friends of the Fayette County Public Library will host their first book sale of the year Saturday, Feb. 3 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the library.

Fayette County High School will present the annual Mr. and Miss FCHS talent contest on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

The Peachtree City Chapter of New Neighbors League Club (NNLC) awarded Dolly Watt with the New Neighbor of the Month award for December. Watt came to Peachtree City in 2004 with her husband, Ray, from Lockport, N.Y.

After being introduced to the club, Watt joined and became an involved and enthusiastic member. She first served as an assistant editor for Pathways, the newsletter for the club, and served on the Ways and Means committee.

January is national “Get Organized” month sponsored by the National Association of Professional Organizers. To celebrate, The Orderly Touch, Inc. and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? along with the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce is holding the “Messiest Office” contest. To participate, nominate someone you know who you consider to have the messiest office in Fayette County. If your nomination is judged the messiest, you will receive a $25 gift card from Staples for nominating them.

Southern Charm Bridal Network, Inc. (SCBN) chairman of the board Rick Escarra, at left, presents a check for $500 to Doug Mickey of the Chick-fil-A Dwarf House in Fayetteville, Ga., for the WinShape Centre Foundation on Jan. 11. SCBN had its first fundraiser to give back to the community in 2006. To reach a member of the network visit www.SouthernCharmBridal.net.

Brandi Eley, Starr’s Mill High School U.S. and world history teacher, encourages her students each year at Christmas to help those that are less fortunate. She has taught at Starr’s Mill for the past four years and has had her students choose a special project helping others each year. Last year her classes were able to help buy school supplies for Katrina victims in Louisiana.

• Andrew Arnold, Brian New, Jessica Aktabowski, Robert Hancock and Stacy Riddell, all of Fayette County, were named to the fall semester dean’s merit list at Gordon College. A student must have a grade point average of 3.50 for 10 or 11 semester hours in order to be named to the dean’s merit list. Gordon College, located in Barnesville, Ga., is a state college offering more than 60 programs of study to 3,600 students.

Singing group on a mission

The Reverend Chuck Hodges, of Peachtree City United Methodist Church, delivered a sermon about getting out of the boat.

He spoke about how Jesus walked out onto the water during a storm, and how the disciples in the boat became afraid. Peter asked Jesus if he could come out onto the water, and Jesus called him to do so.

As long as Peter looked at Jesus he was able to walk on the water. When he looked away from Him, he fell in the waves.

Rev. Hodges urged his flock to step "out of the boat" and suggested that each walk boldly in faith, daring to do more than they think they can.

American Legion Post 105 of Fayette County recently honored Rocky’s Barber Shop for their support of Georgia’s 48th Infantry Brigade’s troops deployed to Iraq. Bob Wingo of Rocky’s Barbershop in Hudson Plaza collected comfort items (snacks, candy, chips, etc.) which were given to the 48th Infantry Brigade, Douglassville Armory and money for Post 105 to purchase phone cards.

Father David Epps, of Sharpsburg, recently stepped down as the chaplain of the Fulton County Public Safety Training Center, a regional police academy, after 14 years of service at that post. Epps, who graduated from the police academy in 1992 and became a certified law enforcement officer, was asked to assume the position of chaplain by then-academy director Major Anthony Korey. Following Korey’s retirement, Epps served under Director Donald Cook for seven more years. Under Cook’s administration, Fulton County Police Chief George M. Coleman conferred the rank of captain upon chaplain Epps.

Besting a field of 85 contestants, Georgia State University marketing/management major, Brittany Swann of Peachtree City, captured the title of Miss Georgia USA 2007 in Newnan, Ga. on Nov. 11, 2006. Competing as Miss Peachtree City USA, she won the honor to represent the Peach State at the nationally televised Miss USA pageant. She will compete live on NBC on March 23 for the chance to represent the USA in the Miss Universe pageant later this year.

This year’s Miss Sandy Creek Pageant  will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Patriot Hall at Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone.