I don’t think I can vote for a Fayetteville attorney who is running for probate judge. He broke one of the ten commandments, and it was so bad his daughter didn’t even mention him in her wedding announcement. On top of that he used to be a Baptist preacher.

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As a 55-year-old mother of young adults living in Fayette County and an elementary school teacher, I have some serious concerns about the judgment, character and ethics of our current DA, Scott Ballard. Why did you send one high school student to prison for four years for a fight in a high school restroom but let the others go free? Why did you send a college student to jail for a car accident that occurred when he was a high school junior without evidence to support your charges? Why did you testify in south Georgia on behalf of convicted child molester, Jeffrey Allen? You stated in your testimony for Mr. Allen, “I think he’s a fine fellow who has a drinking problem that gets him into trouble. He makes terrible decisions and does terrible things when he drinks, but he is an outstanding guy, Judge. He is worth taking a chance on.” So, Mr. Ballard, you believe that convicted child molesters are “outstanding guys” and “worth taking a chance on” but not the children of Fayette County? I have major issues with that line of thinking, Mr. Ballard. Perhaps your judgment is flawed. Perhaps you are unable to make rational decisions concerning the citizens of this county that you were elected to represent.

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I see where we get to vote against George Wingo in the next election. Please join me in getting this lifelong bureaucrat out. I have filed several protests to my property tax bill and have never gotten a reply (even to say it was denied). Several other people have related the same happening (or not happening) to them. I don’t even know who is running against Mr. Wingo but they couldn’t be any less accommodating than his current office.

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This is too much. I was driving down Westbridge Road on the north end of the county last weekend and saw a George Wingo re-election sign in a cemetery! I know that he will say that it was placed there by mistake, by someone else, or some other lame excuse, but the truth is, this is deplorable. He should apologize to the church that owns the cemetery. I had already heard that Wingo treats his employees like dirt and generally ignores the public, but to disrespect someone’s final resting place is too much.

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Is anyone else appalled at Lee Hearn making a fool of himself at 74/54 on Saturday? Who said politicians could campaign at a busy intersection? What does he think this is? Henry County?

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Simmons + sheriff = bad news. No to Dave Simmons for Fayette County sheriff. Having lived in the Detroit, Mich., area for most of the 1990s and having moved to Fayette County to get away from it, I don’t want to see it follow me in the form of an incompetent former law officer from Detroit. Simmons’ record is clear; Detroit is one of the worst when it comes to law enforcement. Why on earth would anyone consider giving this guy a second chance? Especially here. He can have his second chance back in Michigan, not here in Georgia. Don’t be fooled, people; this guy is not what we want. We have plenty of good people here in Fayette County that have and will continue to lead our law enforcement efforts.

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Why should state Rep. John Yates be re-elected? Yates represents a portion of Fayetteville, Brooks and Griffin. His family is originally from Fayette County. He lives in north Spalding County. Mr. Yates jokes that his family once owned 500 acres that they sold for $100 an acre. First, since Rep. Yates was a WWII pilot, he would probably say not to speak ill of another pilot. Yates played a small but notable part in the Battle of the Bulge as an Army Air Corps pilot that disabled a German Panzer tank in Bastogne. He and Mr. Williams would probably have great stories to share. So why should he be re-elected? In the words of conservative AJC columnist Jim Wooten, Yates is a man of character, a true conservative and, sadly, people in public service like him “are increasingly hard to find.” Yates has been a very rare fiscal conservative who treats the money as his own. He favors private market solutions over government largesse. However, he values the functions of government in areas such as education and has been a strong supporter of the HOPE scholarship and the UGA Extension Campus in Griffin. And, he is a nice guy. Good luck to Mr. Williams, but not this time.

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Tyrone’s old council should be awarded a medal of valor. For two years they kept Grace Caldwell in check; obviously, quite a feat. However, with the three new ones now on the council, there is no one capable of stopping Grace from destroying the town.

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Tyrone’s town charter needs to be abolished. What is the process for abolishing a municipality? I know there is a way. The purpose for having municipalities incorporated is to give citizens better government services. People are willing to pay extra taxes for the right to elect local representatives who live in the community and supposedly will provide better government services than the county. That’s happening in Fulton County and DeKalb now with Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and all the other communities breaking away. We all know why. But in Tyrone the situation is reversed. Our elected reps have never served the citizens’ needs properly. Too many self-interested people get elected who are incompetent, have personal reasons or just simply want egotistical power. Councilman Tracy Young privately told a friend that he was running because he needed a part-time job to temporarily supplement his income. But he campaigned on a platform to repeal bad zoning ordinances. Eric Dial had never been to a council meeting and wanted to use Tyrone as a base to further his political aspirations. Michael Smola just enjoyed the power, as does Grace Caldwell. Grace moved to Tyrone from Fayette County where she had been in that government. Now she’s brought in Fayette rejects Chris Venice and the McNally law firm whose costs amount to a third of Tyrone’s deficit. We all know that McNally was ousted from Fayette last year for charging $650,000 in legal fees, which will be larger in tiny Tyrone this year. There’s no point in paying extra taxes for poorer service. Let’s get the ball rolling to abolish Tyrone’s charter and put us into the county, which will significantly lower our taxes.

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America’s truck operators, the airlines and their passengers, the chemical industry, the leisure industry, school bus operators, police departments, etc., along with Jack and Jill Sixpack, would like to thank McCain, Clinton and Obama for a job well done ... these terrific politicians, along with their past and present colleagues have wisely provided America with an abundance of low-priced gasoline and other energy to strengthen our economy and ensure our independence from the influence of foreign powers. Not.

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I just wanted to comment on the person who wrote about the dead deer on the side of the road for three weeks in Peachtree City (written on 5/21/08). All you have to do is call the D.O.T. (Department of Transportation) and they will come remove the deer. They don’t know if someone does not call them. I’ve called several times while passing a dead deer on the side of the road, and by the time I come back by a few hours later, it is removed. They have ALWAYS been very fast and efficient. So, next time this may be helpful when you see a dead animal on the side of the road.

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Learn from your mistakes. Keep your animals in the house or tied up. We do have leash laws for a reason.

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Thank you, DQ. I would like to thank the Dairy Queen in Fayetteville for showing appreciation to the emergency personnel that were fighting the fire next door at Mrs. Winner’s. I went into the DQ to ask if they would give me a break in price on bottled water for the emergency personnel fighting the fire. The manager on duty made a phone call and said they would give it to them as long as they knew where it came from. They furnished the bottled water, cups and ice for all involved. Thank you, Dairy Queen.

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Thank you to the citizen who posted the plea to stop feeding the ducks and geese at Picnic Park. I have in the past taken my children with a bag of bread for a classic day of duck feeding. Now we will review the website (www.liveducks.com/bread) together and try to make a difference. For our family, this will include a request to the city to install a kid-friendly education board at Picnic Park that would enlighten others on the perils of feeding human food to wildlife. I’m sure if only people knew their activities were killing the ducks they would also stop. Please do pass the word on.

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If you want to start preparing for a fall vegetable garden, this week is the time to start cabbage and cauliflower seeds in the house. They will sprout in about a week and you’ll transplant them to your garden or landscape in six weeks.

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Peachtree City may have been founded in 1959 but it was ahead of its time in the green factor. We live in a Green City. There are days I never even use my car. I can take the kids to school, shop and play at the pool or park, all with my electric car. It may be smaller than the fancy hybrids everyone is buying, but I love my useful little green golf cart that I can just plug in at night. With the system of 90-plus miles of paths, we can walk everywhere. And, yes, recently I’ve seen people walking home from the grocery stores with bags, and I can’t say I’ve done it yet, but I think it is great. We have tons of green spaces and green belts everywhere, and nature’s animals love to live here, too. The 513 acres at the Flat Creek Nature area that is managed by the Southern Conservation Trust is so vital to our natural ecosystem and right in the middle of town. And each neighborhood has acres of green space and so many parks to choose from that some days we do around the world park day where we hit four or five parks in one outing. So many households work right here in our community with the major corporations we have located here. Atlanta has one of the worst commutes in the country with a commute of over 35 miles just one way to work. But residents who are lucky enough to work and live here have a one- to 10-mile commute and some even ride their bikes to work or golf cart with our extensive path system. Everyone wants to be greener, and I’m glad to say I already live in a green town and I love to call Peachtree City home.

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School is out in Peachtree City. We can tell because the amount of trash thrown on the cart paths has increased exponentially. Our privileged teens (who think the world is their garbage can) don’t have enough sense to carry their drink cans, cups and wrappers to the nearest trash can, or even better, home with them. Parents, tell your teens that the special freedom to drive a golf cart at 15 years of age comes with certain responsibilities. Even better, parents should encourage their pampered progeny to pick up trash from the cart paths while they are out joy-riding. Put a plastic trash bag or two in the golf cart and encourage them to be good citizens in a truly unique community.

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To the silver Dodge Ram pickup with Alabama tags that passed me uphill with oncoming traffic on North Peachtree Pkwy Saturday afternoon: The speed limit is 35 mph. I will continue to drive the speed limit to help my friends and neighbors who also live and drive in the area safe. I have said this before and I will say it again. It is Peachtree Parkway not Peachtree Raceway. If you want to speed and pass on a two-lane road, go do it by yourself in Alabama. I know a big old tree would like to play that game with you rather than me and my 1-year-old daughter. I personally love my life and we love our beautiful scenic drive through the trees and lake views. We need everyone to be respectful of the 35 mph speed limit rules or we will have to put stop signs all along each of the neighborhood entrances for our safety. Then you will be really late for your round of golf. Anyone who has raced down Peachtree Parkway, please slow down — if not for the view, then for our safety, please.

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I was reading the article in the paper about the growth in Fayette County and couldn’t help but notice it was mainly about the African-American community population. The question came to me: Why does this matter? Is there a fear that the blacks are taking over or is this some type of history-making moment in Fayette County? I also noticed that it was being pointed out that Coweta County has fewer blacks than Fayette. Is it a competition or is the writer trying to give the whites in Fayette County the heads-up that the non-whites are coming and you need to get out now, while you still can? Why does it matter; why is the race of people still so important; why can’t we see past the color of someone’s skin; should we not be proud that the community is growing? I hope I’m wrong, and I just didn’t get what the article meant. There have been so many changes in America this year alone — a woman has run for president along with an African-American man. Still we have to read articles like these that take us right back to days where small-minded people are scared: What is going to happen when they come, what about the property value? All these questions will be on the minds of individuals who refuse to accept change. I’m from a small town in America where blacks live on one side and the whites on the other. I’ve lived in Georgia for nine years where all different races live and work together, not just whites and blacks, but all ethnic backgrounds. To read an article like this the day after Obama’s victory speech — a speech to encourage us all to put our differences aside for the sake of America whatever race you are a part of — reminds me that the small town American way of thinking will never go away; there will always be someone pointing it out.

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Parents of special needs preschool-aged children: The FCBOE powers-that-be in the special education, or exceptional children, department may tell you that it is Fayette County policy that your children are NOT able to remain in a preschool class during the year that they are 5 years old. But your children have the right to stay from ages 3 though 5 under federal and state IDEA regulations. I believe Fayette County has been in violation of this regulation for quite some time now by using heavy-handed tactics to make parents think they have no choice but to move their children out of preschool if they turn 5 years old over the summer and have already had two years in a special needs preschool classroom. The powers-that-be will say things like you need compelling reasons for your child to stay, but in truth the law says your child can stay and is not required to enter a kindergarten setting until they are 6 years old. Even when presented with said compelling reasons to stay, the powers-that-be will say that they are not compelling enough and that it is not Fayette County policy to keep children in preschool another year. The state Department of Education will tell you in writing that your child is eligible to stay, though. The powers-that-be will also make phone calls to your child’s teacher and leave a message with another staff member telling the teacher that they are NOT going to allow the child to stay and the teacher is to “call the parents and talk them out of it.” If you are determined and send the director of special education a letter with your compelling evidence including citations from the IDEA regulations about age eligibility and state funding of such programs, medical reasons, and evidence of appropriate educational settings, then your child will miraculously get to stay in preschool at age 5. But be careful, someone will have to take a fall. Out of all the special needs preschool classrooms, the one your child was in will be cut and closed due to funding. The teacher who has 11 years experience teaching preschool and is the best will lose the preschool position and be forced to take another special education position. The Fayette County Exceptional Children’s Department plays dirty pool. Someone with an over-inflated ego and sense of self-importance has a lot of decision-making power, and will make someone suffer if they do not bend to its will. I’m just sorry that all the special needs children who would’ve gone to preschool at Inman have lost out on the greatest teacher. Fayette County would rather waste thousands of your tax dollars in specialized training for this teacher over the last 11 years than close the classroom of a teacher with fewer years of experience or even one in the schools that have two preschool classrooms.

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Great! Another season of boy’s basketball at Starr’s Mill High School with the same head coach. Way to go, administration! Hasn’t anyone else noticed that every other sports program at SMHS is successful except basketball? Maybe it’s because the coach runs all the upperclassmen off. Looks like it’s going to be another banner year of senior leadership — all two of them.

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Kudos to the store Justice in Peachtree City. How refreshing it is that I can go in the store and find clothes for my daughter that does not make her look like a hooker or street trash. Many of the large nationwide retailers (Kohl’s, Penny’s, Old Navy, Target, etc.) can learn a lesson from Justice and offer good quality “appropriate” clothing.

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Trey Hoffman’s erroneous and irrational letter about gay marriage and its implications to society had me in stitches. I liked the one where he compares gays’ bodies to magnets. Europe has a low birthrate due to sex education and birth control, not necessarily because of gay unions. Gay marriage helps those who have children get the needed benefits that they should be entitled to. If he thinks our society is in a “cataclysmic crises” due to the possibility of legalizing gay marriage, he hasn’t been reading the Times. Trey’s letter was marked with the intolerance and uncompromising views of someone who is just the person that is the most destructive to a congruent society.

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Regarding Trey Hoffman’s long spin on gay marriage, just keep your rose-colored glasses on and you’ll be fine. ”Civilizational decay” comes from people like you. You are not opposed to gay marriage necessarily but to gays. We get it. You want everyone walking around like in the “Stepford Wives,” having the perfect family and the perfect life. Crawl back under your rock.

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Well, I guess I won’t be ordering an “Obama ‘08” bumper sticker for the individual who submitted the angry tirade about “The Dumocrats.” I don’t think the Democrats are the only ones who are angry. The statement alone about us Democrats crying about “fat kids” going to bed hungry indicates to me that this individual should seek anger management counseling, yesterday. The argument of more taxes doesn’t work anymore, either. We have no problem with taxes, just the fact that instead of helping out the poor, the money is being shoveled into this no-win war and the individuals making money from it. I was going to sign my name to this but changed my mind out of fear of whoever wrote the note. Kind of sad, isn’t it?

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In his latest speech Bush said the American people are beginning to feel the pinch of high energy prices. For the last several years, people have been losing their homes by the thousands, going bankrupt and in general becoming poverty-stricken by the millions. If we are just “beginning to feel the pinch,” when are we going to feel the full effect of these astronomical prices?

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I think John McCain better make some changes in personnel in his campaign headquarters. Rejecting an offer to meet with the Rev. Billy Graham just cost him my vote and probably many thousands of others. From the wording of the rejection letter, it appears McCain was not even told of the offer, and it was rejected by a member of his campaign. With such people likely to be in high places should he become president, I will not be a part of making him president.

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To the “$72 a tank-full” teacher: Anwar? I believe you meant ANWR, Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge (Google it). I bet even your eighth graders knew that. By the way, I filled my tank for $65.