The Pumpkin Patch team from Prince of Peace wants to say "Thank You" to the community for their support in helping raise funds for youth mission trips and projects by purchasing $7,000 worth of pumpkins. Pictured from left to right are youth director Paula Littleton, Carmen Johnson, Kelli Moscara and JoDan Gilleland, Pumpkin Patch coordinators. Photo/Special.

• Justice decorated Air Force Achievement Medal

Air Force 2nd Lt. James A. Justice has been decorated with the Air Force Achievement Medal. The medal is awarded to individuals for performance of meritorious service, acts of courage or other outstanding achievements or accomplishments rendered specifically on behalf of the Air Force. Justice received the medal for distinguished meritorious service as Public Affairs Action Officer for 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base, Enid, Okla. His leadership and ceaseless efforts contributed to the success of the public affairs office. Justice wrote several articles and took numerous photos for the base newspaper and public website to relay key information to its readers. As a result, one of his stories was reprinted in the Air Education and Training Command Torch Safety Magazine. Additionally, he was instrumental in converting the printed newspaper to an online format, and received praise from higher headquarters for accomplishing the project. Justice, a student pilot, is assigned to the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base. The second lieutenant has served in the military for one year. He is the son of Bobby and Kaye Justice of Stockbridge, Ga. He is a 1998 graduate of McIntosh High School, Peachtree City, Ga., and received a bachelor's degree in 2003 from Furman University, Greenville, S.C.

Classic Christmas opera brought to life in Fayetteville

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and with it comes the Southern Crescent Chorale’s production of the tuneful and charming Christmas classic, “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” This weekend audiences will marvel at the local talent comprising the chorale and their presentation.

Christian City is seeking out holiday helpers with a heart for children and seniors. Christian City is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization located in Union City that serves the entire state of Georgia, with most of their 1,000-plus residents coming from the Southern Crescent area. With an emphasis on community and well being, Christian City cares for abandoned and abused children in a family centered environment.

Falcon Field Squadron member Cadet Captain Chris Murray received the Amelia Earhart Award at a recent meeting. The Earhart Award is the third highest award a cadet may earn and has been achieved by less than 10,000 cadets in the history of the Civil Air Patrol. Cadets must meet stringent leadership, academic and physical fitness requirements and also pass an arduous 100-question comprehensive exam to merit this award. Murray is the son of Vincent Murray of Fayetteville and Kristina Thames of Union City.

Georgia Senators Eric Johnson (R-1) and Ronnie Chance (R-16) made a visit to The Joseph Sams School, a not-for-profit, private special education school located in Fayetteville, Ga., to personally witness the impact that the recently passed Senate Bill 10 has made on children with special needs and their families. The Senators toured the facility, visited with students and held a question and answer session with the students’ families.

“When I introduced SB 10, Georgia's Special Needs Scholarship, The Joseph Sams School was an early and vocal supporter,” said Johnson. “It was a treat for me to get to see the educational environment they offer for disabled students. They provide a great service, and I'm glad that SB 10 gave several students the opportunity to go to school here.”

Eighteen percent of the students served by The Joseph Sams School directly benefit from SB10.

Iola Snow and Fred Brown, co-chairs of the Southern Crescent Memory Walk, receive a check for $750 from Linda Montpetit, executive director of County Hospice Care of Newnan, and Nathalie White-Faulkner, account manager. Donations continue to come in for the walk in support of the Alzheimer’s Association. The walk was held in Peachtree City in early October. Funds raised now exceed $190,000 thanks to donors such as Countryside Hospice. County Hospice Care serves Coweta, Fayette, Heard and Meriwether counties. Over 5 million Americans suffer from this debilitating disease for which there is currently no known cure. Photo/Special.

James McKenna shows off his locks cut off for love. Three years ago McKenna decided he had a mission. Knowing someone personally who was a cancer survivor, he made a commitment to donate his hair to Locks of Love. Whenever someone commented on the length of his long thick hair, his response was always, "When it's long enough, I'm donating it to a kid with cancer." Alexus Croft at Art Hammer and CO Hair Designs, who has supported McKenna in his endeavor, cut off 10 inches of McKenna’s hair on October 9. Photo/Special.

The Rotary Club of Peachtree City and Counterpane's Interact Club celebrate literacy by giving the gift of dictionaries to all the children in the third grade at Peachtree City Elementary School and North Fayette Elementary School. Excited comments such as, "Do you mean this is really mine to keep?" were heard from the children. Each child put their name on the special name plate inside the front cover. Literacy is a priority for Rotary International and all Rotary Clubs are actively engaged in local and global literacy work. Photo/Special.

Performers from Fayette-Coweta Family Theater donated their time and talent recently to promote foster parenting for Fayette Youth Protection Homes’ new foster care program, Grace for Children. The child actors, who regularly perform in FCFT theatrical productions, gathered in the recording studio of Suburban Legend Audio to lend their voices to a 60-second radio spot announcing the need for foster parents. The ad was written and directed by Fayette Coweta Family Theater Director Tammy Barton, and can be heard locally on J93.3 and Magic 98.1 FM. Pictured (l-r) are: Jon Wade from Suburban Legend, Ricky Macke, Carson Silbert, Justin Duhon, Garland Davenport, Claire Eskew and Shannon Wade. For more information about foster parenting with Grace for Children, call 770-460-6652 or visit www.fyph.org. Photo/Special.

The weather was perfect for Coweta-Fayette EMC’s ninth annual “On the Midway” meeting and member appreciation day. Entire families went out to enjoy all of the rides, bingo, crafts and to learn more about their cooperative. “With over 3,500 people in attendance it was our largest crowd ever,” said Mary Ann Bell, director of public relations for the EMC.

The Peachtree City Chapter of New Neighbors League Club (NNLC) has awarded two of their members with the title of New Neighbor of the Month. Sue Pye was awarded the title for September and France Chamberland took the title for October.

Stars on the Southern Crescent, the coffee house phenomenon created in 1993 as a venue for accomplished talent on Atlanta’s Southside, has changed locations several times over the years, and this year the it will be housed by another new venue: the Tyrone Depot, 847 Senoia Road, in Tyrone.

• Van de Hoeve awarded for academic excellence

Cristina Van de Hoeve of Tyrone, Ga. was named one of the most accomplished summer quarter graduates of The Art Institute of Atlanta, the college for creative minds. During the college’s graduation event on Sept. 13, Van de Hoeve was presented with the Outstanding Academic Performance award in graphic design. The Outstanding Academic Performance award is presented to the graduate in each academic department with the highest grade point average and course proficiency within his or her chosen program. Van de Hoene graduated from The Art Institute of Atlanta with the bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design.

Local student making a scene

Nathan Pearson, a native of Peachtree City, Ga., was born an entertainer. His family and friends discovered this when Pearson, now an eighth grader at J.C. Booth Middle School, was still a small child, but Hollywood is just finding out about this young, aspiring actor. Pearson, now a card-carrying member of the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG), got his start with the local community theaters.

It won’t be long before many people will be enjoying the tastes of the holidays with family and friends, but for a special group of Fayette County residents, the joy of having a delicious holiday meal wouldn’t be possible without the support of a big-hearted community and an organization with a knack

The Fayette County Civitan Club has elected new officers for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. These new officers will provide leadership for the Fayette County Civitan Club, as well as directing community service projects, organizing fundraisers and programming club meetings.

Girl Scout Troop 334 recently earned their Brownie Girl Scout Careers Try-It badge. To fulfill the requirement, the troop operated a one afternoon business – a cookie and lemonade stand. They donated their earnings, $36, to one of their leaders who walked in the Atlanta Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. Pictured (l-r) is Meghan Zimmerman, Rachel Towe, Sara Madison Elsberry, Astrid Diaz, Spencer Dawson, Madeleine Childress, Danielle Simenson, Adele Allen, Madeline Hammond, Kelly Patterson and Daniella Vivas. The girls are third graders at Braelinn Elementary School. Photo/Special.

Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 75, sponsored by the Peachtree City United Methodist Church, enjoyed a whirlwind tour of Washington D.C. just before school began in August. The Scouts flew up early in the morning and spent the entire day touring many monuments and sights in the nation's capital. Here the Scouts pose on the National Mall with the U.S. Capitol building in the background. The Troop is currently recruiting new Scouts and is preparing for a county-wide open house on Nov. 13. All interested boys or their parents are asked to contact the Troop via their website, www.ptctroop75.com, or contact committee chair Cele Eifert at 404-667-8906. Photo/Special.

Butch Fuller, of Creek Indian heritage, visited Spring Hill Elementary on Friday, October 12 as an extension of the study of Georgia and Fayette County. Fuller related information on the customs and culture of the Creek Indians who lived here in Fayette County. Dressed in traditional Creek clothing, Fuller demonstrated such things as the starting of a fire with flint and steel, explained the hunting and preparing of food and described what life was like for children in a Creek community. This is the sixth year that Fuller has visited Spring Hill. Third-grade students reacted to Fuller’s presentation with enthusiasum, saying it was “very interesting” and “totally awesome.” Photo/Dionne Ryff.

Members of the Starr’s Mill High School chorus are currently selling holiday greenery to raise money for their springtime performance at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The fresh greenery comes from the Sherwood Forest Farms company in Seattle, Washington. The Noble Fir greenery being sold is a fragrant, hearty fir that grows at a high altitude in the Cascade Mountains. These evergreens are environmentally friendly; since the harvesting of greens means no trees have been cut down, only trimmed to help keep the ecosystem healthy. The greenery will be delivered fresh to local customers right after Thanksgiving, or will be mailed directly from the supplier to out of town recipients. This is the fourth year that the Starr’s Mill chorus has sold greenery. If you would like to help support the SMHS chorus members in their fund-raising efforts, contact Dr. John Odom at 770-486-2710, ext. 135, or email him at odom.john@fcboe.org. Photo/Special.

After the annual Sporting Clays Tournament, Jim Daughtry, R, of the Fayetteville Rotary Club presents a check for $10,600 to club president Jeoff Hamilton. The tournament proceeds will be used for various community and service projects that the Fayetteville Rotary Club sponsors throughout the year. Photo/Special.

What do you get when you mix five accomplished actors, some 15 stories, and an audience of adults at a popular restaurant? A memorable evening of laughter and enjoyment in an intimate setting.

Ryan Sas, 17, a senior at Sandy Creek High School, joined outstanding high school students from across the United States during the week of October 16-21 to take part in a unique career development program in our nation’s capital. During the six-day program, the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security (NYLF/NS): Exploring American Diplomacy, Intelligence and Defense will introduce students to the challenging careers in national security, intelligence, the diplomatic corps and more.

The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) has selected McIntosh High School student Grant A. Emory from Peachtree City, Ga. for membership. The society recognizes top scholars and invites only those students who have achieved superior academic excellence. The announcement was made by NSHSS Founder and Chairman Claes Nobel, a senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prize.

Staff members of Lifeboat Medical Associates in Peachtree City got in the spirit last week when they dressed up for Halloween. Photo/Special.

Three Peachtree City residents enjoyed watching the University of Southern California (USC) Trojan Football team beat Notre Dame 38-0 in South Bend on a recent Saturday afternoon. Pictured are Cele Eifert, L, Craig Western (McIntosh High School Class of 2007 valedictorian and a USC freshman) and Laurie Licitra. Photo/Special.

• Hortman completes basic training

PFC Kyle Hortman recently completed basic training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot located on Parris Island, South Carolina. He successfully completed 12 weeks of training designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally. Hortman and his fellow recruits began their training each day at 5 a.m. by running three miles and performing calisthenics. In addition to the physical conditioning program, Hortman spent numerous hours in classroom and field assignments, which included learning first aid, uniform regulations, combat water survival, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and assorted weapons training. They performed close order drill and operated as a small infantry unit during field training. Hortman also received instructions on the Marine Corps' core values - honor, courage and commitment - and what the words mean in guiding personal and professional conduct. Hormtman and fellow recruits ended the training phase with the Crucible, a 54-hour team effort and problem solving evolution. After graduation from Parris Island, Hortman will be stationed at Camp Geiger, North Carolina, for 8 weeks of combat training, after which he will receive orders for his permanent duty station. Hortman is a 2007 graduate of Fayette County High School, Fayetteville, and is the son of Judy Hortman of Fayetteville and Chris and Michelle Hortman of Stockbridge.

Vocal powerhouse releases sixth solo effort

She’s been nominated for five Grammy Awards – the highest honor in the music industry – and walked away with two of the gilded gramophone statuettes; she has written songs for legends Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight; she has taken stage to perform both as the leader of a 30-piece gospel choir and alone as a solo artist; and she earned four consecutive Top 5 hits on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts for her first solo album. These are just a handful of the many accomplishments Fayetteville resident Ann Nesby lists on her impressive resume.

Fayette County Civitans, the Line Creek Civitans and the Civitan Foundation have enthusiastically gotten behind Christian City's new developing initiative to serve cognitively challenged adults by providing residential care in a community environment on their campus. Cottages previously used by the Home For Children will become available for use when the children are relocated to a new Children's Village under construction, due to open in spring 2008.