Attention, law enforcement: lights on while raining IS the law and includes YOU! You could make a lot more money stopping folks that don’t abide by that law instead of stopping someone doing 40 in a 35. Both are dangerous.

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Earlier this year a reader questioned why the Peachtree City Police Department allowed officers to take patrol cars home after their shift. This does, of course, cause the city to incur the cost of fuel and wear and tear on the patrol cars, not to mention the fact that the majority of the rest of us have to pay our own commuting expenses. I have to echo this sentiment, especially in light of the city having to cut back services and jobs to help balance the budget. What really troubles me is watching one of the patrol cars being operated outside Fayette County in a manner which, if it was a regular citizen, would result in numerous citations being issued to the driver. Around 7 p.m. on Dec. 22, I observed patrol car P-14 driving in Coweta County towards Fayette County (obviously the officer must have been heading to duty). The driver of the car pulled out on to Lower Fayetteville Road in front of me without coming to a complete stop at the intersection, then proceeded to make three turns without using a turn signal before reaching the Peachtree City limits. The driver then proceeded to drive down Dividend Drive at well over the 30 mph posted (with no blue lights on). Come on, Chief Skip, if you are going to allow the officers to take the patrol cars home, at least have them operate them in a manner which is required of the rest of us citizens. If I had been a PTC officer and witnessed this behavior in the city limits, I would have been issuing enough citations to make my quota for the month.

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The comments continue about the Fayetteville Police Department. I wish the citizens would really demand some investigations. I was so upset several days ago. A couple came into Wal-Mart and had just been given a ticket for going 10 miles over the speed limit. There goes our Christmas money, she said. No thought or care is given to the fact that people are being laid off, hours cut back, etc., just keep the city treasury full. When they are hiding on Sunday morning when there is hardly any traffic in a residential area and issuing tickets 10 miles over, something is wrong. Watch some of those vehicles speeding through town at 75-80 mph.

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Pollstar lists the Spinners as coming to The Fred this July. The Spinners have been in show business for over 50 years. Come on! We’ve been down this road before. The Fred needs some younger talent to pull in the Boomers, and the even younger crowd. Any hopes that Nancy Price was going to change things for The Fred have been dashed with this pick. What’s next, the Beach Boys?

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When 30 people on a school outing show up at a local ice cream shop, at closing time (when the night’s cleaning has already began), with no advance notice (which is customary when bringing a large group) and do not even leave the minimum wage workers there a tip, that’s just rude! There weren’t any complaints or incidences, so obviously the service was good. And since this same group comes in on a regular basis, they must like the food, yet they never once leave a tip. I mean, would a dime per person be too much to ask? Come on, have some courtesy.

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I would like to send a HUGE thank you to the kind, generous, patient people I encountered at the Fayette County Tag Office around 11:30 a.m. Dec. 15. I was there to transfer tags from an old vehicle to a new one, with both my 1-month-old and 22-month-old in tow. I didn’t have all the correct paperwork, nor my checkbook with me (I’m blaming “mommy brain”) and in order to save me a trip back with both my boys later in the day, the kind gentlemen in line behind me paid my tag fee for me, saying “’Tis the season for giving.” Thank you SO much. I will be paying it forward to the tune of the $38 you loaned me this week. I hope you know how appreciative I am and that your message will be passed on this week. What a welcome reminder of the kindness of strangers even in tough times. Merry Christmas.

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Recently, some company who says they were hired to help establish future development goals in the county had a meeting at the senior center in Fayetteville. Were they trying to charm us into increasing our housing and population density and grease the way for MARTA into Fayette County? Just say, nice try, but no thanks. If we want to change our land use plan, reduce our elbow room, have public transportation, increase our crime problem and reduce our property value, we’ll move to Clayton County.

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Do you want another traffic light on Ga. Highway 54 West in PTC between Home Depot and MacDuff Parkway? If not, call or email Mayor Logsdon (hlogsdon@peachtree-city.org or 770-487-7657). This will be HIS decision now, and you need to let him know this will NOT be acceptable. This is so outrageous, not just for us PTC residents, but for everyone from Sharpsburg, Senoia, Newnan, Tyrone, Fayetteville and beyond who have to use this road. Who can think of a more poorly planned stretch of Hwy. 54 from Jonesboro all the way to Newnan than this half mile of untimed traffic lights that cannot even handle the traffic load NOW, much less with another new shopping center crammed in here? Council members Boone and Plunkett are the ones who signed approvals for this mess and Harold Logsdon is now the one who wants to put his finishing touches on it. Let the mayor have a clue — no, no, never, not in our town.

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Fayette County has their own group of Wall Street CEOs. They are known as Fayette County Recreation Department Basketball Referees: Overpaid idiots with too much control over something they don’t know enough about.

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In response to the parent taking offense to the actions witnessed at the Fayette County Blue Devil complex, did you take it upon yourself to address the “appalling” behavior that you allegedly witnessed at the game? Did you attempt to find out if the offending persons were from the Fayette County program? Did you bring it to the attention of anyone on the Fayette County Board of Directors? To remain reticent to the actions is giving your tacit approval. The occupants in the press box on that particular day included coaches and players from Fayette County, Peachtree City, and Sharpsburg (the referees are not affiliated with any particular park). I can tell you that the Fayette County football program encourages their players and parents to support the cheerleaders at their competition. That would be the same competition where attendees are warned against “booing” other squads. I am also not aware of the police being called to Fayette County games for unruly behavior between opposing parents. I believe a Peachtree City/Sharpsburg game can lay claim to those actions. I also did not feel the need to pull my team off of the field during warmups at Fayette County because of a profanity-laced tirade between opposing coaches of the the prior game. That also happened at a neighboring park. I have been coaching youth sports for 13 years (eight at Fayette County), and I have witnessed some of the most offensive behavior that you can possibly imagine. I can proudly say that I have not seen parents from Fayette County squaring off with opposing parks before, during, or after a game. The Fayette County program attempts to operate its facility at the highest level, and the football and cheerleading squads perform at that same level. I would suggest that you address improper behavior at the time of the offense, or bring it to someone’s attention if you feel insecure about approaching the offenders. To make general assumptions without having to identify yourself is more cowardice than not taking a stand for what you feel is proper behavior. I will say that you must have incredible artistic abilities, being able to paint with such a broad brush.

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My heartfelt thanks go out to two very special people who assisted me on Hippocket Road with my golf cart. A very special thanks to the gentleman with the blue golf cart that gave me a push while damaging his own golf cart. This extraordinary deed will always be appreciated and I do deeply regret the damage he incurred while giving me his assistance. It is proof that Peachtree City has many citizens that care about others.

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So I am sitting at the light at 54/74 and see a couple in their SUV with Coweta license plates getting ready to turn left onto Ga. Highway 74 when I spot a child less than 2 years of age standing between his daddy’s legs as the front seat passenger. I have my window down and say to myself, “What a bunch of idiots.” They overheard me and their response was “the bird.” Wow, what’s their IQ? I can’t believe they would risk the life of their child by letting him stand in the front seat with his dad and not in his car seat.

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I have noticed a dramatic change this Christmas season from the past few years that encourages me greatly. Everywhere I go shopping, the bell ringers outside and the clerks inside say, “Merry Christmas.” It seems the American public is fed up with being pushed around by the Muslims and atheists who demand that we not recognize the birthday of Jesus as Christmas, which it actually is and always has been. Way to go, America, and God bless every one of you.

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Shoo, Bush! Shoo!