New TV Show Supports Southside Arts

A new television show promoting the visual and performing arts began broadcasting Friday, November 21 on Comcast channel 25 in Fayette County. Produced by the Southside ARTS Agenda and Zeel TV for Comcast Cable Television it will also be carried by Charter Cable Television as well as Nu-Tel Cable. The month long, daily one-hour program will showcase arts events in Carroll, Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, South Fulton, Spalding and Troup counties. The program’s Executive Producer is Andre De Lorenzo with Sue Ann Taylor, CEO of Zeel TV, Producer.

Currently the program can be viewed on Comcast channel 25 in Fayette County and on channel 22 in South Fulton County. Broadcast in areas served by Charter and Nu-Tel cable companies will begin shortly.

The pilot show, taped at Tyrone’s Legacy Theatre includes interviews and performances by the Henry Players, Georgia Youth Ballet, Ryan Academy of Irish Dance, the Southside Theatre Guild, the Southern Nights Chorale as well as a video tour of the Legacy Theatre.

Planned programming for The Southern Crescent Arts Round-up will contain visits to different theatrical venues throughout the Southern Crescent each month and include a variety of interviews with arts leaders throughout the Southern Crescent, performance segments by professional and community theatres, visits to local arts events and showcase the work of leading visual artists and crafts persons.

“We are very excited and pleased that Comcast Cable Television recognized the importance of the arts in the daily lives of residents throughout the Southern Crescent. Comcast embraced our concept and provided the professional support needed that brought the pilot program to the air in record time,” stated De Lorenzo. “The professional caliber of the visual and performing arts in the Southern Crescent deserve the exposure and recognition that the Southern Crescent Arts Round-up can provide. The fact that Comcast Cable has committed to supporting the arts by broadcasting the Southern Crescent Arts Round-up is a clear demonstration of their dedication to quality local television meeting the needs of our communities,” he continued.

The show can be seen throughout the day at various times until a firm time slot can be programmed into the schedule, however it can be viewed every day in prime time at approximately 8:00 PM Sunday through Saturday. An up-to-date daily schedule can be obtained on the Peachtree City Web site at www.pechtree-city.org/video .

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Fayette County Tiger Pals Help Younger Counterparts

Bee Leader Jada Thompson shakes hands with Tiger Pal Melodie Goodridge while Hood Avenue Assistant Principal Marilyn Teet pins a leadership button on fellow Bee Leader Carter Wickham. Looking on are from left Fayette County High Principal Charles Warr, Tiger Pal Major Smith and Hood Avenue Principal Kiawana Kennedy.

Tigers and honeybees make great pals or at least that is the case for Fayette County High and Hood Avenue Primary.

For the first time this year, the Tiger Pals program at the high school partnered with the Hood Avenue Honeybees to provide mentoring and tutoring once a week for all grade levels. The Tiger Pals had formerly mentored students at East Fayette Elementary for eight years.

The program is part of the high school’s Communications for Business class taught by Susanne Ford. This semester there are 27 students participating in the program and serving as mentors to students at Hood. They walk over to the primary school every Friday morning to work with the younger students who need extra academic help or maybe just a friend to talk and listen to them.

“I’m very humbled to be able to work with these students. They actually listen to me and do what I say. They look up to us because we’re high school students. It is just amazing to watch their progress over time,” says Tiger Pal Jalil Hicks.

The Pals started a new program at Hood Avenue this year called Bee Leaders. Two second graders from each class who showed signs of leadership were selected to participate in the pilot program. Since the start of school, the group of second graders has been receiving leadership instruction from Pal members Major Smith and Melodie Goodridge in conjunction with Hood Avenue’s guidance counselors Jerie McLain and Sherry Lemarr.

“I have really enjoyed it. It has been a pleasure to come in every Friday and talk to the kids. It’s been really fun, maybe more fun for me than them,” says Major.

Hood Avenue recently had a pinning ceremony for their new Bee Leaders with the Tiger Pals in attendance. Each leader, 16 total, received a pin and certificate. Now the leaders will be assigned various duties around the school including assisting in the office, monitoring and mentoring fellow students and raising and taking down the American flag.

“You are the first Bee Leaders and you need to take that very seriously,” McLain told the students. “We are the only elementary school that I know that has a leadership program for second graders.”

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Two-Night Concert Format Returns to The Fred

The “Fun” will be back at the Fred for the 09 season with the continuation of the Friday/Saturday night concert format. According to Nancy Price, manager of the Fred, this will allow all season ticket holders and sponsors to retain their existing seats for the upcoming season.

The previous 10 concert, two-night series (20 total concerts), will be reduced to one 6 concert series (12 total concerts). The 09 series will continue to host the same performer both Friday and Saturday nights. The concert series is expected to run from May through Sept. These twelve concerts will be augmented with four spotlight concerts that target various genres of music. The spotlight concerts will be one night performances and be scheduled throughout the summer. Season ticket holders will get first right of refusal on spotlight tickets. Additional family and community programs are also expected to be added to the schedule.

For the patrons of the Fred this equates to a more streamlined renewal process. There will be only one subscription process for the entire summer, rather than an early summer and late summer signup. The lineup for the series is expected to be announced in January with renewal letters sent during that same timeframe.

Amphitheater surveys are in the process of being compiled and results will be published for public review on the Amphitheater and city website. These surveys will provide input and direction from past and present patrons of the amphitheater, as well as Peachtree City residents regarding the 09 season at the Fred.

“We want to hear from the residents of Peachtree City” said Price. “The Fred belongs to the city, and the feedback from the citizens is very important to us. Our team is working hard to bring the fun back, and at the same time book a quality lineup that will offer something for everyone”. The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater is a 2500 seat state-of-the art facility owned and operated by the city of Peachtree City. The Fred now falls under the Leisure Services Division, which oversees parks, recreation and library services. The box office is located at 201 McIntosh Trail, and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. For further information regarding the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, you may call 770-631-0630 or visit the website at www.amphitheater.org.
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Fayette County Whitewater’s InvenTeam on Discovery.com

The five Whitewater High students who won a $10,000 grant from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to make a prototype invention of a combined dehydrator/condenser have caught the attention of the Discovery Channel.

Their invention, aimed at dehydrating algae for use as biodiesel while simultaneously collecting purified water for drinking and other uses, is now featured on Discovery’s website as part of the channel’s sustainable news section. This will bring a lot of exposure to the students since almost six million people a day sign on to the website.

“This is really a honor for our students to be featured. People all over the world will know about their work and achievement,” says Carolyn Smith, one of the teachers working with the students on the invention.

The InvenTeam at Whitewater was one of only 16 high school teams across the country chosen to receive the Lemelson-MIT grant that will enable them to build a prototype of their idea and present it at a conference at MIT this spring. They are the first team in Fayette County to win a grant and only the second from Georgia.

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Fayette County Excels For Exceptional Children

The Fayette County School System strives to ensure that all students receive the best education possible while arming them with the skills they will need to succeed in today’s competitive environment.

For the sixth year in a row since the award’s inception, the school system’s Exceptional Children’s program has been recognized for excellence in the education of students with disabilities by the Georgia Department of Education.

The Pacesetter Award, which was presented at the Georgia Council for Administrators of Special Education (GCASE), marks the school system as a leader in the state for outstanding efforts to improve the performance of students with disabilities. Fayette is the only school system in Georgia to have received the award six consecutive years.

The award distinguishes excellence in six areas of achievement: decreasing the number of students who drop out, achieving a higher percentage of graduates with regular education diplomas, educating students in the least restrictive environment, transitioning students to their desired postsecondary outcomes, increasing the percentage of students who meet or exceed state achievement standards and reducing the gap in achievement between students with disabilities and their general education peers.

Director Chris Horton oversees Fayette’s Exceptional Children’s program.

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Braelinn Elementary Holiday Bazaar Saturday, December 6, 9AM-2PM

Come one, come all to share in the excitement and magic of the North Pole and our Old Fashioned Christmas Village! Do lots of shopping in the Christmas village with a cup of egg nog or pumpkin latte while your child is having a grand time in the North Pole. Pictures with Santa, live holiday music, and special story time area. Free admission. Vendor booth space available. For more information, please email braelinnholidayfestival@gmail.com. Sponsored by Braelinn Elementary PTO.

Public Invited to View Proposed Math Textbooks

The mathematics textbook adoption committee has selected materials to recommend for use in the Fayette County School System beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. The textbooks are for Math 3, Accelerated Math 3 and Math 4.

The committee’s recommendations were presented to the Fayette County Board of Education during its regular meeting on November 17. The proposed textbooks are on display for public review at the former East Fayette Elementary School on Booker Avenue in Fayetteville. The public can view the materials November 18-December 15 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The recommendation will be considered for approval at the December 15 board meeting at 7 p.m. at the Fayette County Board of Education.

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Chamber Announces 2008 Small Businesses of the Year

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of the 2008 Small Business of the Year Award at their annual awards luncheon held on November 12 at Flat Creek Country Club in Peachtree City. The Small Business of the Year Award is given to recognize exemplary business practices and innovation of Fayette small businesses. The nominees were evaluated on the following criteria: business plans, goals, performance, growth, vision, economic impact, civic activities, Chamber involvement and contributions to the community.

The winner of the 2008 Small Business of the Year Award in the 1-10 employees category was Accounting Resources, owned by Bob and Alice Reeves of Fayetteville. Accounting Resources began in 1998 and have since grown their client base to over 400 individual and corporate clients. Alice believes the business fills a unique niche in the community, providing accounting services to small businesses that don’t have the resources to hire a full-time employee. Customer service is high on their list of priorities, and Alice will often flex her schedule to meet the needs of her clients, many times going to client locations during off-hours. Engaged in both Chamber and community activities, Bob and Alice believe in doing all they can to strengthen the community by encouraging small businesses and supporting many local charities.

In the 11-50 employee category, the winner was Outpatient Imaging (OPI) of Peachtree City. OPI opened for business in July 2003 with a vision to provide first-rate medical imaging services for Fayette County and the surrounding areas. Their diagnostic services include MRI, CT, ultrasound, flouroscopy, general x-ray, mammogram, bone density and nuclear medicine. In addition to their Peachtree City location, they have recently opened a second facility in Newnan. OPI has been an active member of the Chamber since 2003 and has a strong commitment to the community, evidenced by their support for education, senior citizens, the arts and a wide variety of other community-based programs.

Other businesses nominated for this year’s award included Kemp's Dalton West Carpets and Print Graphics.

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce is an association of businesses and organizations that work together to promote economic prosperity and enhance excellent quality of life through strong leadership, networking, education and a variety of programs that encourage partnerships between businesses and our community.

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New Amphitheater Manager Declares, “Fun at the Fred!”

Photo: New Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater Manager Nancy Price (left) and The Fred's Box Office Supervisor Sarah Davenport are all smiles as they prepare to revive "Fun At The Fred" in the 2009 concert season.

When the new manager of the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City stepped into her first day on the job Nov. 3, her mantra was “Fun at the Fred.”

This is the message Nancy Price will be carrying forward as she takes on the task of heading up a team to transition the popular community venue from Tourism Association oversight to city leadership.

“We are going to make 2009 a successful concert season with fun being the central theme,” said Price, a 27-year Peachtree City resident who was manager of the Villages Amphitheater in Fayetteville prior to accepting this position.

The Fred now falls under the Leisure Services Division, which oversees parks, recreation and library services.

“The amphitheater manager position fits well into the structure we have within the division, similar to other facilities such as the Library, the Gathering Place and Kedron Fieldhouse and Aquatic Center,” said Director of Leisure Services, Randy Gaddo. “We have a very talented team of city staff who are dedicated and motivated to making the Amphitheater a success.”

As the new leadership group begins to move into the 2009 concert season, several priorities will be driving them.

“We have three main priorities that we’ll be moving forward on immediately,” said Price. “In equal priority, they are current, past and future season ticket holders, sponsors and acts.”

One of the most challenging tasks the team faces is how to retain current season ticket holders and bring back some who have not renewed, as well as new ones.

“We want to ensure that loyal fans are recognized and that we try to bring back some who, for whatever reason, did not renew their season tickets,” said Price. “Our approach to the upcoming season will revolve around that intent. We have come up with a solution that I think will be a win-win for everyone.” That solution is expected to be announced sometime in the near future.

Taking care of sponsors is another key item that will be at the top of everyone’s mind.

“We want sponsors to know that we plan to give them a lot of value for their investment,” asserted Price. “We will design the season to ensure that sponsors will receive maximum benefit from the sponsorships they offer.”

The one item fans are most interested in is who will play at the Fred. What sort of acts will be attracted?

“Having ‘Fun at the Fred’ obviously revolves around who we have in concert,” said Price. She went on to explain the process of booking acts. It takes a great deal of time and coordination to synchronize band schedules with available weekends for concerts that don’t conflict with other area concerts, college or professional sports games or popular special events. All of these can be distractions that would force concert-goers to choose between events.

Ticket prices also depend on who the acts are. The more popular bands normally demand higher payment, which then drives how much tickets must cost. However, there are also very popular and fun bands who don’t charge an arm and leg.

“Our task is to develop a season that offers a good mix of entertainment at a reasonable cost and to give people options,” Price said.

One of the first tasks the team will be tackling is going over historical data to determine what people have asked for in the past. They’ll be looking at past surveys, sales statistics and individual concerts to try and determine which acts were more popular and drew the most people.

“We also have a current survey in the Update newsletter which goes to every household in Peachtree City,” Price explained. “The survey is available at the Amphitheater ticket office for those who would like to fill it out in person.” It is also available for pickup or drop off at City Hall, the Gathering Place, Library, Recreation Administration or Kedron. Or the survey can be filled out and faxed to the Amphitheater office at 770-631-0430.

Price added that she will be making presentations to local civic groups in upcoming weeks. Communication will be the key to a successful 2009 amphitheater season, according to Price, who said, “We’ll find out what people are asking for and do our best to deliver.”

For more information contact the Fred at 770-631-0630.

Peachtree City Fire Dept. Changes Format for Santa Run 2008

In an attempt to save on fuel, wear and tear on equipment and due to budget cuts, the Peachtree City Fire Department has changed the format for Santa Run 2008.

Children of all ages are welcome to visit Santa Claus at the Fire Station. The Department will host children and their families on Sunday, December 14th and 21st at Station 81, Paschall Road & Highway 74 (Two blocks south of the US Post Office) from 12:00 PM (noon) to 4 PM.

Santa and his "elves" will be present and containers available for visitors to deposit Toys for Tots (US Marine Corps) and canned/non-perishable goods for local churches to help the needy at Christmas time. At the same time our visitors are welcome to check out the fire trucks, firefighters and the fire station. This will be a great time for pictures with Santa Claus and the fire trucks.

John Dailey, Fire Marshal said, "We are saddened at our inability to get Santa to every street in our fair city this year but hope to return to our traditional format next year."

ROTC Cadets Answer Early Call

This assembly marks the third time Air Force Junior ROTC cadets have honored WW II veterans participating in Honor Flight Fayette. (L-R) Linda Lehmann, Michael McColister, John Downing, Jerrod Thomas, Phillip Hays, Dustin Gonzalez, Catherine Dougherty, Sameer Hasnoo and Megan Shuford.

While their friends were still sleeping, nine Sandy Creek High Air Force Junior ROTC cadets were getting up at 4:30 a.m. to pay tribute to some very special people.

The cadets provided a color guard and saber team salute as World War II veterans gathered on November 12 at the Fayetteville First United Methodist Church, the assembly point for Honor Flight Fayette. The local organization provides an opportunity for WW II veterans to fly free of charge to Washington, DC to see their WWII Memorial.

Over 70 veterans along with their support personnel were there for the 6 a.m. program. This is the third trip that Honor Flight Fayette has sponsored and Sandy Creek’s ROTC cadets have been there each time to provide support during the send-off celebration.

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Hospice Advantage Fayetteville Recieves "Office of the Year" Award

Note: The Fayette Front Page has had opportunities to meet and get to know many of the wonderful people in the Fayetteville office. They are outstanding, caring individuals and they impressed us deeply. Congratulations! - FFP Staff

Hospice Advantage, Inc., a leading provider of hospice services, recently announced that their Fayetteville, Georgia, office was the recipient of their “Office of the Year" Award.

Annually, HOSPICE ADVANTAGE recognizes one of their 24 offices throughout the seven States they serve that exemplify their vision of excellence. The winning office is chosen based on several quality indicators.

The company reviews satisfaction surveys from their past patients, families and referral sources, as well as staff retention rates and growth within their market. Ultimately, the office of the year is chosen because of their success in providing superior care, comfort and compassion to the patients, families and healthcare professionals they serve.

Owner, Rod Hildebrant states, “The Fayetteville office has seen tremendous growth in their market because of the commitment of each and every team member. Their dedication to enhance quality of life is apparent in every interaction with this team from the office personnel that answer the phone, to the nurse that is caring for our patients.”

Led by Administrator, Rebecca Folkes, the Hospice Advantage Fayetteville office is located on Yorktown Drive and has served hundreds of patients in the Southern Metro Atlanta area since 2006. Dr. Ferrol Sams III, with Piedmont Physicians Group in Fayetteville is acting Medical Director. Associate Medical Directors include Dr. Charlotte Grayson, Dr. Aaron Buice and Dr. Mike Oxford.

Hospice Advantage, GA offices are located in Athens, Fayetteville, Kennesaw and Norcross with plans to open in Ellijay and Macon in 2009. Hospice Advantage also has offices in AL, KS, MI, MO and WI. Hospice Advantage invites anyone seeking information about hospice help in the Greater Metro Atlanta area to call them at 800-307-8178.
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The Avenue Supports Fayette County School System’s CARE Program

(L-R) School social worker Michelle Martin and CARE Coordinator Karen Spangler thank The Avenue Marketing Manager Kim Tanalgo-Minshew and The Avenue Peachtree City Merchant Relations Coordinator Lisa Hernandez for the latest donation to CARE.

A partnership between the Fayette County School System’s CARE (Children at Risk in Education) program and The Avenue Peachtree City has helped enrich the lives of students and their families who are in need.

Over a year ago, the shopping center teamed up with the CARE program by making it the beneficiary of all charitable contributions collected through programs hosted at The Avenue including Camp Avenue, Movies in the Park and Holiday at The Avenue. Although the programs are complimentary, patrons are asked to make a voluntary donation. CARE Coordinator Karen Spangler estimates that last year alone the shopping center raised over $3,000 for the program.

“We are very grateful to The Avenue for all that they have done to help our students in need. This is a great partnership that has helped bring attention to the CARE program and the fact that there are students and families in our schools who need assistance. Their support has helped to make many lives much better,” Spangler says.

The Avenue recently gave the CARE program $565 that was raised through Movies in the Park and one Camp Avenue session, along with a box of donated school supplies. The monetary donation will be used to fund After School Program (ASP) scholarships for working families who cannot afford the tuition. The school supplies will be made available to students in need at various schools. Spangler estimates that the money raised will fund approximately three ASP scholarships.

“This is very important in that it can mean the difference between a student being able to stay with his or her family or being placed in foster care,” Spangler says.

School social worker Michelle Martin knows first-hand the positive impact the CARE program has on students. That is why she answered a call from Spangler last month for volunteers to help with Movies in the Park.

“I popped popcorn and enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve had students who have been impacted by the CARE program and this was a way for me to give something back,” Martin says.

The CARE program is unique in that all proceeds go toward helping needy students. The program carefully screens students and their families who receive assistance; no money is ever given directly to parents or students. To qualify for assistance, all adults in the household must be employed but unable to meet the needs for which they are requesting assistance.

“I think this is what sets us apart from other programs. We don’t just hand money over. Families have to prove that they are trying but are unable to make ends meet. We constantly monitor those who receive assistance to see if their situation has changed,” Spangler explains.

The Avenue’s next program benefitting CARE will be Holiday at The Avenue every Sunday November 30-December 21 from 1-6 p.m.. There will be complimentary carriage rides and photos with Santa, and in exchange, participants will be asked to make a donation to CARE.

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Writer's Workshop November 18 in Fayette County

The Legacy Equipping Center is happy to announce a Writer's Workshop open to the community on Tuesday, November 18 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Suggested donation fee: $25

Is there a writer within that wants to come out? Have you ever thought about keeping a journal? Is God speaking to you through your writing? Do you have ideas for articles or books but do not know how to begin? Has God given you a yearning to express your faith and spread the Gospel through the written word? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this class is for you!!

Dr. Penny Saurino, Asst. Professor at the University of West Georgia and co-founder and Tech Liason of the Cherokee Rose Writing Project will be joining Tammy Melton, author of Loving God With All Five Senses in teaching this course.

The Legacy Equipping Center is located at 1952 Hwy 54 W, Suite 100, Fayetteville, (2 1/2 blocks east of Publix in Peachtree City).

To RSVP or for more info call 404-643-9042.

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Opinion: Fayette Citizens Asked to Speak Out Thursday, Nov. 13th Regarding County's Defined Benefit Plan

Recently I was speaking with a client who began to ask me some questions regarding the differences between a Defined Benefit and a Defined Contribution Plan for employees saving for retirement. After some lengthy discussion that hi-lited the significant differences and stating that DEFINED BENEFIT plans were going away due to their extraordinarily high cost to the employer, I asked why all the questions. This person informed me that they were concerned that the Fayette County Commission had approved a Defined Benefit Plan (pension) for county... More

Fayette County WW II Veterans Say “Thanks” on Veterans Day

World War II veterans Calvin Graves (left center) and Gibbs Ramsey (right center) lead the student body in the Pledge of Allegiance along with Gail Sparrow and assistant principal Ron Plauche.

Students at JC Booth Middle School in Peachtree City have worked hard to help some very special veterans. On Veterans Day, some of those who benefitted from their generosity came to the school to say thanks.

Collectively, the student body has raised over $1,400 for Honor Flight Fayette, a nonprofit organization that flies World War II veterans, at no cost, to see their memorial in Washington, DC. The organization is able to provide the free one-day trips through monetary donations that are used to cover the travel costs.

The Booth students have raised enough money to send five veterans to the memorial. Calvin Graves was one of the first veterans sponsored by the school and was part of the inaugural flight on May 14, 2008.

“I was honored to do what I did for my country and I was proud of my service but I have never been more honored than when 70 of us old guys went to see the WW II memorial. Thank you,” Graves said to the nearly 1,000 students who had packed into the gym to see and hear from the veterans they had helped.

Joining Graves was Gibbs Ramsey, the grandfather of the school’s reading teacher, Courtney Bremer. Gibbs, another veteran sponsored by the school, is going on the Honor Flight scheduled for November 12, the day after Veterans Day. He served in the US Navy during the war and said that he had only one regret.

“We had a great time. I enjoyed every minute of it. My only regret is that I didn’t stay in the Navy,” he said.

Former Fayette County teacher Gail Sparrow, who has been instrumental in heading up Honor Flight Fayette, was also in attendance to thank the students for supporting a cause that is near and dear to her heart.

“Your generosity has sponsored five veterans so that they could go and see their memorial. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you do for these veterans,” Sparrow said.

Honor Flight Fayette accepts donations from individuals and groups throughout the year. To learn more about the program, visit www.honorflightfayette.com.

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Festival of Lessons and Carols November 30 at First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City

The Sanctuary Choir of First Presbyterian Church will present A Festival of Lessons and Carols on November 30 at 11:15 am. The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a format of Christian worship service celebrating the birth of Jesus and traditionally followed at Christmas. The story of the fall of man, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and hymns.

The service is based on the format of the traditional service held each Christmas in the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England. First presented on Christmas Eve in 1918, the festival of Lessons and Carols format was created by Eric Milner-White, whose years as an army chaplain convinced him that the church needed different forms of worship. His original service was adapted from an order drawn up by E.W. Benson (later the Archbishop of Canterbury) who presented a similar service in 1880 in a wooden shed which served as his cathedral in Truro.

Almost immediately, other churches adapted the service for their own use.
The first broadcast of the service from King’s College took place in 1928. It has since been broadcast every year (with the exception of 1930), and there are millions of listeners world wide.

First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City is located across from the City Library at 206 Willowbend Rd.

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New Lifelong Learning Program Provides Older Adults with Continuing Education Credits and Rewarding Volunteer Opportunities

Clayton State University’s Department of Continuing Education and FACTOR (a non-profit community outreach collaborative) have joined forces to bring Georgia’s first older adult volunteer leadership program to Fayette County. ENCORE! Fayette is patterned after other highly successful senior adult leadership programs across the nation, which brings together like-minded seniors looking for meaningful and rewarding civic engagement.

An information session and program preview will be held on December 3, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at Fayette Senior Services Life Enrichment Center, 4 Center Drive in Fayetteville. The free session is open to the public with no preregistration is necessary.

ENCORE! Fayette is designed to provide active, community-spirited older adults with the opportunity to learn more about the community, the important issues and challenges it faces, and determine how they can become productively involved in making a difference.

Based on the quality of the course content, Clayton State University will be offering Continuing Education Unit credits to those completing the course. According to Janet Winkler, Clayton State’s Director of Continuing Education, ENCORE! Fayette will be among the first Lifelong Learning Programs to be presented by the University through its new Peachtree City campus.

The ENCORE! Fayette program is a 10-week course held one day per week from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The first session will begin in January, 2009. Due to generous public and private support the cost for participation has recently been reduced from $250 to $100, which includes the cost of all materials, meals and refreshments.

FACTOR and Clayton State University have multiple partners in the development of this pilot program. The program components will be presented by a representative cross section of government, civic, corporate and nonprofit organization officials and staff members. For more information about ENCORE! Fayette contact Becky Smith at 404-291-1602.

Fayette Senior Services, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, offers adults age 50 and better, the opportunity to be involved in a variety of social, leisure, educational, wellness and life-enriching activities. Since 1978, the agency has also provided adults age 60 and better with services to improve their quality of life and independence such as: Meals on Wheels, Adult Day Referral Service, Information and Referral, Transportation Services, In-Home Services, and Case Management. For more information call 770-461-0813 or visit www.fayss.org.
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Fayette County Students Selected for Top Chorale Group

Photo: (L-R back row) Carolyn Groover, Christopher Greco, David Brewer, Lucas Patelles, Drew Van de Motter, Jennifer Stadelmeyer (L-R front row) Jessica Bell, Abby Israel, Anna Hansen and Elizabeth Jowers. (Not pictured: Camila Cando).

Some of the best young singers in the state represented Fayette County at the 25th Annual Georgia Music Educators Association Statewide Elementary Honors Chorus.

Nine students from Peachtree City Elementary and Peeples Elementary performed with other top singers from throughout the state on Saturday at the Clayton Performing Arts Center. The students were Christopher Greco, David Brewer, Lucas Patelles, Drew Van de Motter, Jessica Bell, Abby Israel, Anna Hansen, Elizabeth Jowers and Camila Cando. Music teachers Carolyn Groover, Peachtree City Elementary, and Jennifer Stadelmeyer, Peeples Elementary, accompanied the students.

The students sang under the direction of Cheryl Dupont, director of the New Orleans Children’s Chorus and Youth Chorale and Dr. John E. Simmons, associate professor of choral and sacred music, director of graduate studies and director of the Townsend-McAfee Institute for Sacred Music Studies at Mercer University.

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To Write Love on Her Arms - The Tour

Teen Event!
To Write Love on Her Arms - The Tour
Saturday November 22nd at 6:30pm
Peachtree City Christian Church
500 Kedron Drive
Sponsored by: The Youth Council serving Fayette County

11/7/08 To Write Love on Her Arms, a movement that engages with teen issues related to depression, suicide, and cutting is coming to Peachtree City for their TWLOHA tour. Renee Yohe the story behind TWLOHA will be speaking to teens about some of these tough issues that many speakers normally avoid. She has been through it, and has written a book from her daily journal entries and has a lot of insight regarding these issues.

Art Sivertsen the Executive Director of The Youth Council serving Fayette County explains the act of cutting. "Cutting is the act of deliberately injuring ones self, with a sharp object." "Approximately 10 percent of teens have experienced at least one occasion of cutting in their lives," said Sivertsen. "Occurrences in Females out number males by 4 to 1 and some research suggests that a few of the mental traits for one to cut themselves is low self esteem and perfectionism."

"One theory is that a teen who cuts them self, does it to somehow distract them from a specific emotional pain or anguish by replacing it with a physical pain."

"The goal of the youth council was to offer something more than a concert, and when we found out that TWLOHA was touring we didn't want to miss out on a great message." said Sivertsen.

The headline band is Between The Trees, whose video "The Way She Feels" has been aired on MTV and shows positive examples in the video of why cutting isn't the answer. Dan Evans from NBC's "Biggest Loser" will also speak and perform. Other performances include "Nevertheless" a Christian Band from Chattanooga, Tennessee and "True Story" a Christian Band from Peachtree City.

This event is held on Saturday November 22nd at 6:30pm at the Peachtree City Christian Church on the corner of Highway 74 and Kedron Drive. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. You can purchase tickets online at www.theyouthcouncil.com.

All proceeds benefit The Youth Council serving Fayette County. For more information about this event contact Art Sivertsen, Youth Council serving Fayette County Executive Director at 770 486-3936.

Munson Puts Fayette County 's Starr’s Mill High on the Radar at Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament

FL Note: Kudos! Fayette County is proud of you!

Imagine walking into your office and being told that you have just 30 minutes to research and prepare a persuasive seven-minute speech on a particular topic. Well, if you were Molly Munson, you would not even break a sweat.

Molly, a student at Starr’s Mill High in Fayetteville, Georgia, was awarded second place in Extemporaneous Speaking at the 25th annual Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament held last month at the University of Florida. She competed against 51 high school students from Georgia, Pennsylvania and Florida to win the coveted honor.

Before the tournament even started, Molly proved she could hold her own against some very competitive debaters. She was one of six students selected to participate in the annual Blue Key Round Robin that foreshadows the general tournament. Only the nation’s most skilled and accomplished student speakers are invited to participate.

After competing in five grueling rounds with a cross examination after each speech, Molly emerged victorious taking third place in the Mixed Extemporaneous Speaking division.

“She had the eventual winner, the current national champion, shaking in his boots. She has done the best of any Starr’s Mill student in the history of the school,” says Molly’s proud mother Sue Munson.

Nine students from Starr’s Mill, including Molly, participated in the tournament. Eric Bogert, Hannah Mattia, Martin Halicek and Jacob Nails competed in the Lincoln Douglas Debate and Aaron Ash, Noah Brunner, Lauren Mattia and Syneva Runyan were competitors in the Public Forum Debate.

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Bethune One of Four Military Ladies Aboard 2nd Honor Flight Fayette Recent Trip to Washington

Pictured (l-r) are Hope Davis, Naval Reserve Nurse Corp; Helen Denton, Women's Air Corp; Jeannette Bethune, Army Nurse Corp; Miriam Lloyd, Women's Air Corp.

Imagine what a mother would feel when her 3 youngest children entered the military during World War II, especially when one of those was a daughter who finished nursing school as an RN in December of 1941 and entered the Army Nurse Corps 2 months later in February of 1942.

Jeannette Porter was the young daughter who hoped she would receive an overseas assignment, but instead she served her country in New Hampshire caring for those who had been to foreign lands and returned with injuries. However, Jeannette said she is very thankful and feels blessed to have been able to serve in a nursing capacity because she wanted to help the war effort.

Jeannette's two brothers in the military were definitely in harms way as one landed at Utah Beach and the other at Omaha Beach. She made it a habit to check each medical flight that arrived to make sure one of her brothers was not among the injured.

During that time Jeannette met Ray Bethune who was flying B-25's and looking for submarines off the U.S. shores. They dated but, at that time, women in the military could not be married. Ray was sent overseas to fly B-17's and B-24's and was consequently shot at 3 times over Germany. Twice he managed to make it to France and once he landed in England near the White Cliffs of Dover.

Jeannette left the military in November of 1944 and she and Ray married in May of 1945. They had a daughter and a son, and when Ray passed away 10 years ago they had been happily married for 55 years.

Unfortunately, Jeannette was one of those left homeless by Katrina, but she rebuilt and repaired her home of 35 years. Her daughter, however, convinced her to move to Atlanta to live with her so Jeannette made another home here and is also closer to her son and his family in Florida.

She has 3 grandchildren of whom she is very proud. She quickly tells you one is a nurse, one is in Africa working with missionaries and one just finished high school.

When talking to Jeannette, it is very easy to see how she would have been such a comfort to those she nursed during war time as she has a very friendly and caring demeanor and it is obvious that she loves people. Conversation comes easily to her, but she also listens carefully as you speak.

When asked what she enjoyed the most about her day with Honor Flight Fayette on October 8th to see the World War II memorial, Jeannette stated that absolutely everything was wonderful and that it was a very special day that she never dared hope to have at her age. She also said the memorial brought back memories that were happy and sad, but that she felt so blessed to be there and wishes she could make that same trip again.

Honor Flight Fayette will take off again on November 12th for the 3rd flight this year to the nation's capitol. In all, over 200 World War II veterans will have made this trip during 2008.

Led by President Gail Sparrow, a retired Fayette county teacher, Honor Flight Fayette is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to take as many of our World War II veterans to see their memorial as possible. Time is of the essence as, unfortunately, we are losing 1,400 veterans of that war per day in this country.

If you would like more information or would like to volunteer or contribute to this most worthwhile cause, please contact honorflightfayette.com or call 770-719-1024.

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Our Lady of Victory Girls' Volleyball Team Wins Big

FL Note: Way to go!!

For the second year in a row the Tyrone’s Our Lady of Victory Catholic School girls’ volleyball team took first place in the PAC Tournament. Held this year at St. Paul Lutheran School in Peachtree City, the Lady Patriots were ranked number one heading into the tournament. After defeating Trinity Christian School from Sharpsburg, they faced St. John the Evangelist from Hapeville for the championship. The teams were evenly matched, but in the end, Our Lady of Victory defeated St. John 2-0.


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Fayette County Students and Adults Cast Votes in Historic Presidential Election

Sixth grader Olivia Phillips exercises her voting right during Rising Starr Middle’s mock presidential election.

As Fayette County voters in precinct 34 went to the polls on Tuesday at the Starr’s Mill Complex, so did the entire student body at Rising Starr Middle.

Throughout the day a steady stream of voters made their way to the Willie Duke Auditorium to decide on races and issues at the national, state and local levels. At the same time, Rising Starr students filed into the media center by grade level to cast their ballots for the three presidential candidates.

The polling area was setup to resemble that of an actual polling precinct so that the students would have as realistic of a voting experience as possible. Students had to check-in before entering the polling area to ensure that they were registered student voters.

Individual polling booths were set up on tables for voting privacy. After students cast their ballots, they received a sticker acknowledging that they had participated in the process.

“Most of the students are taking this very seriously and many of them have very strong views about who should win,” says Principal Len Patton.

In preparation for the election, students discussed the candidates and the electoral process in their social studies classes. Although they only voted for president, they had an opportunity to view a sample ballot in class.

Jill Romine, an eighth grade social studies teacher, and Becky Warren, media specialist, were the co-chairs of the mock election but every department within the school worked to make it a success. Romine says the school began planning for the mock election at the start of the school year.

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Final Update: Suspicious Package in Fayetteville, Georgia

3:25 p.m. A whole lot of hoopla, a little bit of nothing. It seems, according to our sources, that the package delivered to the Fayette County Republican Party Headquarters this morning was full of anti-Obama literature and this was something that had been happening with some frequency, thus the postal system was alert and aware. The U.S. Postal Department took the package away and everyone went back to work. Note to those sending packages: use a legitimate sounding return address and don't cut out letters and addresses and paste them on envelopes that resemble those anthrax packages. In these crazy days it's a good idea not to send anything that looks alarming.

For more details or to view the pictures, please visit our home site, www.fayettefrontpage.com .

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Suspicious Package Found in Downtown Fayetteville, Georgia on November 4

A suspicious package was found at the Fayette County Republican Party Headquarters on North Glynn Street in Fayetteville, GA. Upon the package's discovery around 11 am this morning, the Fayetteville Police were contacted.

The package was addressed to Josh Bonner, Chairman of the Fayette County Republican Party and appears to have been mailed on Halloween.

The return address is listed as Michael, the Arch Angel, Divine Intervention Way in Holy Cow, JC. The return zip code reads 33666.

The K9 unit was immediately brought in to check for the presence of a bomb. At this time, there is no evidence that the lumpy package contains a bomb.

There appears to be a postal mark on the package. The U.S. Postal Service is on the way to the scene. The package will be x-rayed.

The entire building in which the Republican Party Headquarters in Fayette County is located has been evacuated.

A federal agency is currently enroute. Through an anonymous tip, we understand the person responsible for the package is known for similar actions.

Fayette Front Page Staff Report

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Fayette County's After School Program Offers Holiday Special

The Fayette County School System’s After School Program wants to help parents get ready for the holidays.

Crowded stores, long checkout lines and heavy traffic may leave some parents needing to add a few hours to their day to get everything done. That’s why the ASP is extending a special offer just in time for the holidays.

November through December, parents can purchase one or two day tickets for their students to attend the program at participating schools. Hours for ASP care begin at the end of each school day and end at 6:30 p.m. The program is available at the following elementary schools: Braelinn, Brooks, Robert J. Burch, Cleveland, Crabapple Lane, Kedron, North Fayette, Oak Grove, Peachtree City, Peeples, Fayetteville Intermediate, Hood Avenue Primary, Huddleston, Inman, Sarah Harp Minter, Spring Hill and Tyrone.

The ASP offers quality supervision with plenty of fun activities to keep children busy including arts and crafts, games, computer classes and homework assistance.

Advanced ticket purchases are required. Space is limited and based on availability. More information about the holiday special can be obtained by contacting the ASP site coordinator at a participating school or call 770-460-3990, ext. 256.

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