Free Household Water Saver Kits

Free Household Water Saver Kits

The Fayette County Water System is offering free water saver kits for water system customers whose single-family homes were built before 1993. Limited quantities of the kits are available at both the Water System offices on McDonough Road in Fayetteville and at City Hall in Peachtree City.

Qualifying residents will need to fill out an application and must bring a copy of their water bill and a photo ID. The free kits are limited to one per single-family household.

Visit the Fayette County web site for more information and a copy of the application form... More
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Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
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Special Olympics - Feb. 27th is Entry Deadline!

Sorry for the late posting, we just rec'd this. To give it max visibility we're going to post it in a number of our blogs!

The 2008 State Summer Games will be held May 30-June 1, at Emory University. Detailed information will be announced, as it gets closer to the competition time. From the list below, please indicate the top two (2) choices that your athlete is interested in training in for State Summer Games.

Many practices are based upon what age group signs up for them.

Please know that your athlete can train in a sport of their interest, but they do not have to attend the competition at Emory. If they choose to train and not compete, please write that on this form. THEY CAN ONLY COMPETE IN ONE SPORT!
The official Commitment Form will come at a later date.

Please call/email to verify all practices.
_____ Athletics (Track & Field – practice on own)
_____ Aquatics (Practice Fridays; 5-7pm; Kedron Aquatics Center; call for date to begin practice)
_____ Badminton
_____ Rhythmic Gymnastics (Contact Debbie for practice times/location)
_____ Soccer (Contact Debbie for practice times/location – will be either Fri or Sat)
_____ Table Tennis
_____ Tennis
_____ Volleyball (Practices: Mon. & Thurs 4:15-5:15, beginning March 10)

Athlete’s Name ________________________________________

Parent’s Name ________________________________________

Parent’s Contact ________________________________________

Please return this form to Debbie Parrish by Wednesday, February 27. Feel free to fax (770.460.1931), email (dparrish@fayettecountyga.gov) or bring it to the Fayette County Recreation Department (physical address – NOT MAILING ADDRESS – 108 Old Senoia Rd).
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Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
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Community Awareness Seminars - REVISED

The Fayette County School System is providing Community Awareness Seminars in an effort to be proactive in our community. We believe these seminars will assist our students and parents in becoming better informed of possible controversial issues. Please consider attending the Community Awareness Seminar at your student’s high school. If you have a middle school student, we invite you to attend the feeder high school seminar.

Agenda:

· Welcome – High School Principal
· Introduction – Scott Ballard, Fayette County District Attorney
· Gang Awareness – Fayetteville Police Department
· Internet Safety – Fayette County Schools Technology Department
· Interaction with Law Enforcement – Fayette County Sheriff’s Department
· Question & Answer Session – Moderated by Principal

Dates of the seminars:

Fayette County High School Monday, February 25

McIntosh High School Tuesday, February 26

Sandy Creek High School Thursday, February 28

Whitewater High School Monday, March 3

Starr’s Mill High School Monday, March 10

Location of the seminars: High School Auditoriums

Time of the seminars: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

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Were You a Booth Warrior?

Booth Middle School is gearing up to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Activities that include a walk down memory lane with the aid of pictures, fashions, and anecdotal stories from the past will culminate in the spring of 2009. Booth's principal, Mr. Ted Lombard, extends an open invitation to anyone who attended Booth to come and be a part of this celebration at a date to be announced. If you are an alumnus and have pictures or a story to share, he would encourage you to contact him at Booth at 770-631-3240 on by email at lombard.ted@fcboe.org.

History Buffs Wanted at the Holliday-Dorsey-Fife Museum

The Holliday-Dorsey-Fife (HDF) Museum will offer two docent training classes on Sat., March 8 and March 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This training is for anyone interested in becoming a part of history. Not only will you receive exhibit training, but you will hear entertaining stories about the people and places in Fayetteville.

The training includes a workbook and stories about our seven exhibit rooms including the Family Room from which the Museum is named, The War Between the States Room and Fayetteville’s participation in it, The Gone With the Wind Room and Margaret Mitchell’s ties to Fayetteville, The Fayette County Room that tracts Fayetteville’s colorful timeline, The 1800’s Bedroom, the recently dedicated Veteran’s Room and a special rotating exhibit room which currently features the largest Gerber baby food collection.

The HDF Museum is a Greek revival antebellum house built in 1855. Learn about the local ties between Doc Holliday and Gone With the Wind and why Across the street, the Museum offers tours of the Historic City Cemetery where Margaret Mitchell’s great grandparents are laid to rest.

The Museum is searching for people interested in history, museum preservation or community service. The training will be conducted by City Historian and House Manager John Lynch and Debi Riddle, Museum Coordinator. For more information or to register for one of the docent training classes please call 770-716-5332 or email jlynch@fayetteville-ga.gov.

FAYETTE COUNTY EARTH DAY 2008: “Becoming Cleaner and Greener!”

Fayette County Earth Day will be celebrated on Saturday, April 12th, from 8:00am – 3:30pm. This inaugural event will include several community clean-up and beautification projects followed by a fun-filled ‘green themed’ fair at Fayetteville’s Main Street and Heritage Park.

The Girl Scouts of Service Unit 616 are ‘Going Green’ and in partnership with the City of Fayetteville and Fayette County, are hosting Fayette’s first ever EARTH DAY Celebration.

“We are eager, excited, and honored to host Earth Day and promote the Scout motto ‘leave it BETTER than you found it’ “, explains organizer and Girl Scout leader, Joan Fecteau.
Fayette County Earth Day will feature a wide-range of onsite recycling demonstrations, environment displays and demonstrations, and interactive and educational booths by many local youth, non-profit and small business groups. Whatever your interest, Fayette County Earth Day will have something for you.

Fayette County Earth Day promises to be an amazing demonstration of how the everyday decisions we make in life affect our environment. It is a chance to better understand the issues affecting our community while taking direct action to be part of the solution. Your ideas and participation are important. Together, we can make Fayette County’s first Earth Day a terrific one! For more information on how to get involved, contact: fayette_earth_day@comcast.net.

Fayette County Toastmasters Speech Contest Coming Soon

Carol A. Lunsford, AREA 17 Governor of Division A Toastmasters, District 14 (the Southern Crescent AREA of Metropolitan Atlanta) announces the combined AREA 16 and AREA 17 Table Topics and International Speech Contests to be held February 16, 2008 from 2-5 PM at the Fayette Presbyterian Church, 791 Forrest Avenue (Hwy 92 N) Fayetteville, GA.

AREA 16 Toastmaster clubs are located in Fayetteville and Peachtree City respectively. AREA 17 Clubs are located in Peachtree City and College Park.

The Table Topics Contest consists of impromptu speaking. The contestants are to speak off-the-cuff for 1-2 minutes about a subject with no prior warning. The Speech Contest consists of delivery of a 5-7 minutes prepared speech. Each contestant is judged based on criteria set forth by Toastmasters International.

The AREA winners will face each other at the Division A Contest to be held March 29 in Stockbridge. Division winners from across the state will vie for the District Title during the May 2 –May 3 Spring Conference to be held at they Wyndham Conference Center in Peachtree City.

Only the Speech Contest winners advance to the Region VIII contest, to be held in Atlanta in June. The Region winner will face competitors from across the globe at the International Speech Contest to be held during August.

AREA 16 Clubs are High Noon Toastmasters and Peachtree City Toastmasters. AREA 17 Clubs are 6600 South, College Park; Achieving Excellence Toastmasters, College Park; FBC Toastmasters, College Park;and Westpark Toastmasters, Peachtree City.

The public is invited to attend the contests that will determine which local resident will advance to the Division Contest.

Photo: Area Governors for Division A along with the Division Governor, Twanda Joseph accepting the floating "Star of Excellence" from District Governor, Joy Lewis. Behind Lewis and Joseph are: Leon Wheeler, Area 11 Governor; Glenda Foster-Oney, Area 12 Governor; Carol Lunsford, Area 17 Governor [Lunsford is a member of HIGH NOON]; Lee Mesidor, Area 14 Governor; Pete Peterson, Area 15 Governor; Sherlee Brooks, Area 13 Governor. Not pictured--Area 16 Governor, Harry VanderKrabben. The “Star of Excellence” is awarded to Divisions best meeting specific criteria set forth by the District.

Fayette County High School Sports Hall of Fame

The 2008 Fayette County High School Sports Hall of Fame is scheduled for March 8th. 6:45PM Dinner and Induction Ceremony at 8:00PM in the FCHS Commons Area. Inductees for 2008 include three former student athletes who excelled at the sport in both high school and at the next level, College or Pro., Chris McKnight -Baseball, Becky Robertson Kouns -Soccer and Dennis Broderick- Baseball. We will also honor two former coaches and administrators - Gary Phillips former coach and long time principal at FCHS and Trigg Dalrymple -former coach and Superintendent of Fayette County Schools. The Distinguished Alumni Recognition will be a special tribute of the former students who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service to our country in World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Viet Nam War, with a tribute to the "Fallen Heroes" Tickets are available at FCHS front office and Fayette Sports for $20.00 each.

USS Georgia Flag Visits Fayette County

Governor Sonny Perdue and the USS GEORGIA Return to Service (RTS) Committee announced the USS Georgia Flag Project recently. The Project is an effort to take the Georgia state flag across the entire state and into all 159 Georgia Counties. The flag is travelling across the state, so that everyone may participate in welcoming the USS Georgia home. March 28, the flag will reunite with the Submarine in Kings Bay.

The flag traveled to Fayette County on January 22nd.

“This is an exciting project because it allows all Georgians to take pride in our armed forces,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “It is noteworthy that this tour allows all 159 Georgia counties to participate in welcoming the USS Georgia home.”

The submarine’s future was jeopardized in 1994 when the Nuclear Posture Review determined that the U.S. military had a surplus of Trident Submarines– 10 on the East Coast at Kings Bay and eight on the West Coast at Bangor, WA. The Nuclear Posture Review committee made a decision that four of the 18 submarines would be eliminated.

This sparked the U.S. Navy to keep in service the four submarines and convert them from strategic deterrence submarines to a precision strike and special operation force capable submarine.

“We have worked diligently with the 16 Georgia Regional Development Centers in planning this unprecedented project to take the Georgia State Flag on a trip across the entire state and into all 159 Georgia Counties,” said Don Giles (Captain, U.S. Navy Ret.), Navy League member and RTS Committee Flag Project Coordinator. “The response at scheduled meetings with County Commissioners in every county has been enthusiastic. To date, attendees at the first 40 counties ceremonial events reveal that true patriotism is alive in Georgia and that Georgians are truly supportive of the men and women who serve in our great Navy and in all our uniformed services.”

Giles has worked with the Georgia Regional Development Centers in planning the USS Georgia Flag Project. This flag is to be presented by Governor Perdue to the Commanding Officer of the USS GEORGIA at the Return to Service Ceremony in Kings Bay on March 28th, 2008.

Chairman of the committee and of the events surrounding the Return to Service (RTS), Sheila M. McNeill, is a past National President of the Navy League of the United States. Ms. McNeill said, “It is very rare to have a namesake ship home-ported in its home state. We are very pleased to have Governor Perdue as our Honorary Chairman. Our committee is working on a series of special events to show our appreciation for the dedicated service to our country by the men and women of the most powerful warship in the world, USS Georgia.”

The USS GEORGIA is 560 feet in length, displaces over 18,000 tons submerged and can carry a crew of 15 officers, 139 enlisted crew members and up to 66 Special Operations Forces for a sustained, long endurance deployment.

Photo: Chick Krautler, Director of the ARC, Jack Smith, Fayette County Commission Chair, Petty Officer Thomas Butler, Steve Adams of the Navy League and Robert Horgan, Commissioner.

A Unique Approach to Self-Improvement

Personal growth is a New Year’s resolution that everyone should have on their list of goals to accomplish this year. To help people achieve their personal best, Fayette Senior Services is pleased to host a variety of enlightening personal growth classes with retired licensed counseling psychologist, Dr. James Hughey. The classes will be held every Tuesday at Fayette Senior Services new life enrichment center. “Personal growth happens when an individual takes responsibility for their choices and behaviors as they live a positive and healthy life.” says Dr. Hughey. “One of the ways we learn about life possibilities is to actively and passively interact with others in our world.” Dr. Hughey explains.

Dr. Hughey’s “Communication Styles” addresses one of life's continuing challenges; how to communicate effectively with other people, both in the way we offer information to others and how we are able to understand what others are telling us. Participants use a communication style workbook and learn their personal style of communicating with others and how to effectively interact with those who have a different style. The class will be offered on February 12 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The popular “Conversation Corner” will be held on Tuesday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Conversation Corner is an opportunity to talk and listen with other older adults about emotional topics of mutual interest at this stage of your life journey. Dr. Hughey encourages dialogue with diversity of viewpoints and the objective is to share and discuss, to talk and listen, but not argue and convince. Content of conversations will vary based on who is in attendance and who chooses to participate. This is a stand-alone class and offered on a continuing basis.

“Much of the power for self-learning is being lost when our society focuses only on verbal speech.” Hughey emphasizes. In his three-session class, “Personal Journaling,” Dr. Hughey encourages the unique aspects of personal growth that come with writing a journal. There will be discussion and experimentation with types of journals, styles of writing, choosing focus, frequency, length, honesty, confidentiality and sharing. The class will be held on February 26, March 4 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Class registration is available at Fayette Senior Services located at 4 Center Drive in Fayetteville (across from the new Fayette County courthouse) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday. The cost for each class is $5 for Center members and $7 for non-members. There is an additional $5 fee for the “Communication Styles” workbook.

Before retiring as a licensed counseling psychologist, Dr. Hughey devoted more than 30 years to his profession and sharing his knowledge with others in a wide variety of ways including work as a teacher, professor and director of college counseling centers. Believing that diversity brings personal knowledge, Dr. Hughey’s professional experience also includes private clinical practice, a radio talk show host/producer, cruise ship enrichment lecturer and mental health/organizational training consultant.

Fayette Senior Services (FSS) is a non-profit organization that provides a broad scope of life-enhancing services to Fayette County residents age 50 and better. The organization offers mature adults the opportunity to be involved in a variety of social, leisure, educational, wellness and life-enriching activities. For more information call 770-461-0813 or visit www.fayss.org.

Unique Gerber Baby Food Collection now at the Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House Museum in Fayetteville

By Joe McKaughan

Simply Southern Tourism Association, Inc. and MainStreet Fayetteville are proud to feature one of the largest private collections of memorabilia from Gerber Baby Foods on display at the Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House Museum in Fayetteville, Georgia, February 1st through March 31, 2008.

Admission to the vast collection, with over 700 hundred pieces of rare-seen memorabilia, reflecting the history of the legendary maker of baby products, is free with the purchase of a ticket to the Fayetteville museum at 140 Lanier Avenue West.

The 1855 home is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 10AM until 5PM. Adult tickets are $5; Senior and Student are $4.

The World's Best Known Baby Exhibit:

"This is the one of the largest displays of collectables in the seventy year history of the illustrious company," says Griffin resident, Matthew Stafford, curator of the collection. "I developed the idea of starting the collection when my son, River, was born in November, 1996. I know how we relied on Gerber, as did so many other couples raising their first child. Their products were indispensable in getting us through those formative years for new parents."

The collection is divided into three sections: the Gerber food case, the Gerber toy case, and Gerber corporate promotional items. The collection dates from the founding of the company in 1928 and continues with new and innovative items found in grocery stores around the world today.

Highlights of the collection are a container of Gerber Baby food still sealed in its original metal can; a glass baby-bath thermometer; a birthday card given to a Gerber executive by founder Dan Gerber; and the last item produced by the Gerber family before Gerber merged with Sandoz Ltd. of Switzerland, part of Novartis.

Background of Gerber:

The Gerber story began in 1927 in Fremont, Michigan in Daniel Gerber's kitchen while he was watching his wife, Dorothy, straining solid food for their seven-month-old daughter, Sally. Trying the job himself, but covering himself with strained peas, Dorothy suggested that the family company might do the job better in their canning plant.

The idea worked, and by the next year, not only strained peas, but also prunes, carrots, spinach and vegetable soup, were ready for the national market.

Thanks to the famous advertising campaign that featured the Gerber Baby, grocers were enthusiastically placing orders and Gerber products were soon on grocery shelves across America. In 1943, Gerber proclaimed: “Babies are our business…our only business.”

Today, nearly 190 products are labeled in 16 languages and distributed to 80 countries.

Origin of the Gerber Baby:

The face behind the Gerber Baby is Ann Turner Cook, a retired school teacher now living in Florida. Cook was the subject of a simple charcoal sketch by Dorothy Hope Smith, an artist who specialized in drawing children.

In 1928, Gerber was seeking a baby face for its nationwide introductory ad campaign. Smith submitted a drawing of Cook with the understanding that she would complete the sketch into a finished oil painting if the initial sketch was approved by the company. The Gerber executives were so taken with Smith's original work in sketch form they accepted it “as is.”

Gerber adopted this now legendary sketch as its official trademark in 1931. Since then, the Gerber Baby has appeared on all Gerber packaging and in every Gerber advertisement, making her the world's best-recognized baby.

In December 1996, Ann Turner Cook herself was present at the unveiling of Gerber's first new label in more than 40 years.

One of Fayetteville's finest historical attractions, the Greek revival antebellum house was built by the Holliday family. The house derives its full name from the three main owners that dwelled there. The Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House Museum is a cooperative project of the Fayetteville Downtown Development Authority and Fayetteville Main Street Program.

The Baby Collection is a joint effort of Main Street Fayetteville and Simply Southern Tourism Association.

For more information, please visit manager@hdfhouse.com or call 770-716-5332.