Hood Avenue Primary School enjoys "Family Movie Night"

To start the 2009 school year, Hood Avenue Primary School hosted a Family Movie Night, where the school accommodated over 200 students, parents, and teachers.

The cafeteria was transformed into a movie theater and the children assembled on the floor in sleeping bags,
and blankets. The line at the concession stand remained long until the movie started.

"The Bee" was the selected feature based on its positive message of bonding, leadership, self-motivation, determination and hard work. This was truly a family event as students in attendance were accompanied by adults.

The immense success of this event was greatly enhanced by the contribution of movie candy,
juice boxes, popcorn, bottle water, sodas, and other movie treats donated by some of Hood Avenue Primary School's partners: Publix Super Market, Fayette Pavilion - (Mr. Bill Blatt), Kroger Grocery Store, Banks Crossing - (Ms. Kitty Pinney), Wal-Mart Super Center, Fayette Pavilion- (Ms.Teresa Thaxton), and Target, Fayette Pavilion- (Ms. Dersiree Woods.)

After this enjoyable Family Movie Night at Hood Avenue Primary, parents asked, "When can we do this again?"

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Five Great American Yard Games of Summer

FL Note: Our area is a great place to be outside and play. Just in case you get tired of the pool, golf or tennis, here are some ideas that are sure to bring back your childhood memories.

(ARA) - Who was the first human to look at a wide, pristine expanse of grass and think “This looks like a good spot for a game?” The answer is lost to time, but modern Americans definitely owe a debt of gratitude to that long-forgotten ancestor. He or she was the unwitting inventor of the yard game, the ultimate summer pastime.

“Many of us remember playing yard games as children, the same games that we later taught our own children when they came to us on a lazy summer afternoon looking for something to do,” says Brent Doud, a yard game connoisseur and founder of Ladder Golf. “They’re a great way to enjoy the outdoors and some exercise, and most are appropriate for all age and skill levels.”

So what elevates a simple game to the level of “great American yard game?” To qualify, a game must be:

* Played on grass;
* Include multiple players;
* Involve fun, challenging physical activity;
* Be appealing for both children and adults.

Here are five great American yard games, in no particular order:

1. Horseshoes – Horseshoe historians are pretty sure the game traces its origins to ancient Greece. Poor people, who could not afford a discus like the ones used in the Olympic games of the era, collected discarded horseshoes and began tossing them at a stake in the ground.

Fun factor: High. Practically anyone can play and you can adapt the game to be simple and easy or challenging, depending on the age and skill level of the players. For more information on horseshoes, visit www.horseshoepitching.com or www.geocities.com/ahpa1949/ - the home page of the American Horseshoe Pitchers Association.

2. Ladder Golf – The newest addition to the pantheon of beloved American yard games, Ladder Golf originated in California. Two teams toss bolas – two colorful balls connected by nylon rope - at a three-rung ladder. Hooking your bola on the top rung will score you three points, two for the middle and one for the bottom. The first team to score 21 wins. The game has become popular enough to rate its own tournament, held annually in California.

Fun factor: Very high. Who can’t throw a couple of bolas at a ladder? Although often played as a yard game, Ladder Golf can also be played on sand, pavement, bare ground or even indoors. A new twist adds a bag toss to the existing game. You can learn more, or purchase a game set at www.laddergolf.com or by calling (877) 652-3337.

3. Badminton – Another game that traces its origins to the ancient Greeks, Badminton involves using light racquets to bat a shuttlecock (feathered projectile) back and forth over a net. No net, no problem. The game can also be fun without a net, and can be played by individuals or teams.

Fun factor: Strong, since you can play as casually or as cut-throat as you prefer. Younger children, however, may find the racquets and fine motor skills required a bit too challenging. Check out www.usabadminton.org for more information and a window into the minds of serious competitors.

4. Washer Toss – A uniquely North American derivative of horseshoes, washer toss pits two teams of two against each other pitching round washers into wooden boxes. Legend has it that the game originated in Ontario in 1988, when there weren’t enough horseshoe pits for all the players who entered a tournament. Now it’s played for its own merits, not just as a replacement for horseshoes.

Fun factor: High. Like horseshoes, the game can easily be adapted to casual or serious play for all ages. Young children may find the round shape of the washers easier to manage than horseshoes.

5. Croquet – Although mention of the game may conjure images of Victorian-garbed Brits using wooden mallets to gently tap balls through wire hoops set in the ground, it’s believed croquet actually originated in France.

Fun factort: Medium to high. Unlike some other yard games, croquet isn’t easily adaptable to surfaces other than grass. While young kids may have difficulty maneuvering balls through the wickets, they’ll probably have loads of fun trying.

Yard games will likely be around, played and loved for as long as Americans have yards. They’re a great – and timeless – way to enjoy the outdoors in warm weather, providing fun and exercise for participants of all ages.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Hard to believe!

It's hard to believe I haven't posted anything since before Christmas! But I have been writing and I have been busy.

The biggest news is that the Fayette Forum is now the Fayette Front Page. AND... we now have the Georgia Front Page site, too. (www.georgiafrontpage.com). AND... we're gearing up for our very first television program called, surprise, surprise, the Georgia Front Page.

If having that on my plate (our collective plates... there are a number of great folks working to make the Fayette Front Page, etc. something folks want to come back to)... if having that on my plate wasn't enough I'm working on getting audio and video onto the site. You'll be able to watch shows, interviews and other fun and /or informative bits on both Front Page sites soon.

While all that is going on, if it wasn't enough alone, I've been to the Capital to visit state legislators on issues for the Front Page, been to umpteen events, am collecting items for the upcoming Fayette Youth Protection Home auction (event is Feb. 5th), went to the Governors Inauguration, had a couple of receptions at the Fayette Art Center & Gallery for my pottery (www.Hummingbird-Hollow.com), the list goes on and on. Somewhere in there was Christmas and New Years.

Family is of utmost importance to me and I drop any and everything for a chance to spend time with them. We've spent a fairly good amount of time (never enough) together in the recent past. The older I get the more value I place on family. It's funny growing up how the world revolves around your own wants and for most, family is just something you take for granted. As we grow older, most of us begin to realize that while much that we do may have an impact on the world or the future of the world in some small, small way, the biggest thing we'll leave behind are memories in other people's minds. The best memories should be in the minds of our family.

Well, back to the grind. I have about an hour that I can put into updating the site before I'm off again!!! I'll try to be a bit more regular about the things that are going on in Fayette County. Sometimes I'm so busy putting things on the main site that I forget to tell you about all the fantastic things going on in the county.