Fayette County After School Program Offers Holiday Special

The Fayette County Public School System’s After School Program (ASP) 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 extra 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 through 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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North Fayette Surpasses Pennies for Patients Goal

Proudly displaying the check representing the money the school collected is (L-R) Abraham Respert, Andre Teague, school counselor Heather Sherwood, Nadia Martinez and Sanathan Mercer.

Students at North Fayette Elementary in Fayetteville are helping one of their classmates fight against cancer as they raise money for research and education one penny at a time.

Throughout October, students donated their pennies and other spare change to the Pennies for Patients campaign benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The school decided to set an ambitious fundraising goal of $1,000 but surpassed it by collecting a total of $1,268.87.

“The students became very passionate about this cause when they learned that one of the school’s students had been diagnosed with cancer. All of the pennies really added up,” says school counselor Heather Sherwood.

The students learned that even a small effort could make a difference in the lives of others. The money they raised will be used by the society to research cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, as well as fund programs to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

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GOP Pancake Breakfast Nov 21

The Fayette County GOP will have a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at the Fayette County GOP Headquarters located at 111 South Glynn Street, Fayetteville, GA. The hours are 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Tickets are just $5.00 each. They will serve pancakes, sausage, coffee or orange juice. For tickets call Dot Ensley at 770-460-8507 or the GOP Headquarters at 770-716-1545.

DivorceCare: Surviving the Holidays Seminar Scheduled

The Small Group Ministry at Heritage Christian Church will be offering “DivorceCare: Surviving the Holidays” which is a helpful, encouraging seminar for people facing the holidays after a separation or divorce. The seminar will be held on Sunday, December 6th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Childcare provided. There’s no charge for this event.

The “Surviving the Holidays” seminar features practical suggestions, guidance and reassurance through video interviews with counselors, experts in divorce-related care and people who have experienced the holidays after separation or divorce. Topics to be discussed include “Why the Holidays Are Tough,” “What Emotions to Expect,” “How to Plan and Prepare,” “How to Handle Uncomfortable Situations” and “Using the Holidays to Help You Heal.”

Those who attend will receive a free book with over 30 daily readings providing additional insights and ideas on holiday survival.

Please email smallgroups@heritagechristian.org, for details and location of this event.

Heritage Christian Church offers many support groups such as Divorce Care, Divorce Care for Kids, Grief Share, Financial Peace University and many more. For complete group listings visit our web site at www.heritagechristian.org/smallgroups
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Fayette County Schools Prepare for Veterans Day Celebrations A Long Standing Tradition Continues in Brooks

Public schools throughout Fayette County will recognize and honor the community’s veterans and active duty military personnel on Veterans Day (November 11) with breakfasts, special programs and receptions.

One of the largest and longest-running Veterans Day celebrations takes place at Brooks Elementary where the school’s students honor veterans with songs, music and messages of “thanks” during a patriotic assembly followed by a parade through the town of Brooks and a picnic at the school. This annual tradition is in its eighth year.

The Veterans Day celebration has become a tradition that the Brooks community holds near and dear to its heart. Because of the current economic situation, cuts in the school’s transportation budget put the performances of the Sandy Creek High Air Force JROTC Color Guard and the Whitewater High marching band in jeopardy. The Brooks Elementary student council turned to the Brooks Town Council for help.

“One by one, out of the goodness of their souls, these individual councilmen signed over their quarterly paychecks to Brooks Elementary. It was a spiritual moment indeed,” says Pre-K teacher Dana Sams, one of the organizers of the celebration. “Next a business person offered to pay for a large banner in the town square announcing the program, a local minister offered his church’s assistance and a teacher wrote a personal check. There wasn’t a dry eye in the Town Hall. If you don’t think that Mayberry, USA exists, then you need to come to Brooks, Georgia and visit our community school. This is America at its finest.”

More than 100 local veterans and their families have received hand-written invitations from the school’s fifth graders. Special letters of thanks and well wishes have also been sent to Lt. Daniel Berschinski of Peachtree City, who is currently recuperating at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C. He lost both legs and sustained other injuries after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. He is a 2002 graduate of McIntosh High.

“His family has already indicated how touched they have been by the letters and cards that Brooks has already sent; and we’ve only just begun,” says Sams.

The honored veterans, along with the school’s students, parents and staff, and a total of 18 red wagon floats and banners, will parade through downtown Brooks with Mayor Bobby Butler (a Korean War veteran) leading as grand marshal. This will be Butler’s last year as grand marshal before his tenure as mayor ends in December.

Hungry parade participants will gather back at the school to enjoy an All-American picnic lunch of hot dogs and all the trimmings. Students will have an opportunity to listen to veterans tell stories from their military experiences as the celebration winds down.

“Children sense the gravity of what it means to have freedoms here in America that like-aged children in other countries do not have. They get the special privilege of shaking hands and sharing a hot dog with a real life hero or heroine,” says Sams.

If you plan to go, here is the schedule for the celebration: 8:30 a.m., reception; 9:30 a.m., program; 10:15 a.m., parade; 11:11 a.m., moment of silence followed by the All-American picnic lunch.

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Sandy Creek ROTC Drill Team Wins Awards

Cadets show their excitement and proudly display their trophies after earning a third place overall finish at the Mundy’s Mill Invitational Classic Drill Meet. (L-R) Haylie Billingsley, Alexa Solano, Aleeia Marcelo, Vanessa Lara, Megan Shuford, Manuel Austria-Torices, Donald Loken, Tasha Marcelo, Dustin Gonzalez, Kaycee Hall, Caleb Davidson, Christopher High, Julian Hughes, Katrina McKennon, Benjamin Pickard, Samuel Dean, Kendrick Dixson, Yanni Ramlochun, Zaheer Tajani, Catherine Dougherty, Christian Powell and Derek Ansley. Cadets not pictured are Nereida Duran and Delsi Duran.

The Sandy Creek High Air Force Junior ROTC drill team placed in the top three at the Mundy’s Mill Invitational Classic Drill Meet.

Sandy Creek’s team, which is in its third year, had its best competition finish to-date, placing third out of a total of 10 Air Force Junior ROTC drill teams from area high schools.

Meet competition involves multiple events judged for precision and accuracy. Each drill routine must be executed with a set sequence of commands. The commands must be called out perfectly and the entire squad must perform each movement in unison.

In addition to the overall third place finish, the team also placed second in the Unarmed Regulation Drill, commanded by Cadet Katie McKennon, third in Unarmed Regulation Inspection and third in Armed Regulation Drill commanded by Kendrick Dixson.

Sandy Creek’s ROTC drill team practices after school with cadets going over each routine repeatedly to ensure proper execution. Chief Master Sergeant Mark Davidson oversees the team.
“These results are reflective of the hard work the cadets put into the preparation for this meet.
Each cadet was so proud of their efforts and so excited to bring back trophies. This type of performance further encourages the team to continue to excel in these types of competitions,” Davidson says.

The drill team will compete next in the Blue Devil Drill Meet in Marietta on December 12 and will likely participate in the state drill meet in March.

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Fayette County School Gets Excellence Award for Second Time

A Fayette County school has just received its second Georgia School of Excellence designation, bringing the county’s total awards to 22.

Whitewater Middle has been named a 2009 Georgia School of Excellence in Student Achievement by the Georgia Department of Education. The school is among 27 statewide to receive the recognition.

The award is given in two categories: greatest improvement and highest achievement. Whitewater Middle received the award in the highest achievement category, designating it as being among the top 10 percent of highest achieving schools in the state as measured by assessments in reading and mathematics. Only 13 schools were honored at this level.

Whitewater Middle was named a Georgia School of Excellence for the first time in 1997. Schools can receive the honor more than once if they have not been named a Georgia School of Excellence in the past five years.

Each year the Georgia Department of Education identifies schools from each Congressional District as Georgia Schools of Excellence in Student Achievement. One public school from each Congressional District is chosen in the greatest improvement and highest achievement categories.

The 2009 winners will be honored at a banquet on February 5 at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.

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Eight Fayette County Schools Named as Distinguished Schools

A total of eight of Fayette County's elementary and middle schools have been named Title 1 Distinguished Schools by the Georgia Department of Education.

The county’s schools are among 896 public schools statewide to receive the designation. Schools are given “distinguished” status based on having made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) three or more years consecutively. Since all of Fayette’s schools receiving the honor have met AYP six or more years in a row, they will each receive a monetary award, paid out of federal funds, as well as a certificate recognizing their achievement.

Both North Fayette Elementary and Robert J. Burch Elementary have met AYP for 11 consecutive years and will each receive a $1,424 award. Both schools have been recognized as distinguished for nine years.

Fayette Middle, Fayetteville Intermediate, Hood Avenue Primary, Inman (formerly East Fayette) Elementary and Oak Grove Elementary have made AYP for seven consecutive years and will each receive a $712 award. These schools have been recognized as distinguished for five years.

Flat Rock Middle has made AYP for six years and will receive a $712 award. The school has been recognized as distinguished for four years.

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Fayette County Student Named to State School Superintendent’s Advisory Council

Sandy Creek High’s Quannaires Streeter is among the 53 students from around Georgia selected to serve on the 2009-2010 Student Advisory Council to State School Superintendent Kathy Cox.

Members of the council will meet three times throughout the school year to advise Cox on how state policies are having an impact in the classroom. The Student Advisory Council will also discuss other education-related issues and will serve as the superintendent’s ambassadors in their respective schools.

More than 550 students from 108 districts applied to be a member of the Student Advisory Council by filling out an application and answering essay questions. Students were chosen based on the strength of their essay.

The first meeting of the council will be held November 9 at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

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Parents Invited to Attend Intellectual Disability Eligibility Workshop November 10 in Fayette County

A parent workshop on Intellectual Disability eligibility will be presented by the Fayette County Public Schools Exceptional Children’s Services Department on November 5 in the media center of Rivers Elementary beginning at 6 p.m.

Discussion will focus on how mild, moderate, severe and profound intellectual disability eligibilities are determined, the terminology used and the services available for students in the general and adapted curriculum settings. A question and answer session for general questions will follow.

Cathy Skinner-Robertson, adapted curriculum consultant for the county’s Exceptional Children’s Services Department, will lead the discussion. There will be light refreshments and door prizes for participants.

Attendance is free but reservations are required. Contact Parent Mentor Allison Stevenson at Stevenson.allison@mail.fcboe.org or call 770-460-3911, ext. 239 to reserve a seat.

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Lunch and Learn in Fayette County for Surrogate Parent Training

A lunch and learn session for persons interested in becoming surrogate parents to students with disabilities in the educational process will be held November 9 in the media center of Rivers Elementary beginning at 12:30 p.m.

The Fayette County Public Schools Exceptional Children’s Department will provide training for those interested in becoming surrogates for students whose parents cannot be identified or located, and the responsibilities are strictly limited to the special education portion of the child’s education. Duties include attending and participating in the child’s annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting and providing consent for evaluation or placement.

Foster parents, retired teachers and persons who would like to act as a parent in these special education decisions are encouraged to come to this training. Rosie Gwin, exceptional children’s services coordinator for the school system, will lead the training.

“Acting as a surrogate parent is a wonderful opportunity to serve a child when he or she needs it the most,” says Allison Stevenson, the school system’s parent mentor.

Participants are invited to bring their own lunch. Drinks and dessert will be served.
The training is free but reservations are required. Contact Allison Stevenson at stevenson.allison@mail.fcboe.org or call770-460-3911, ext. 239 to reserve a seat.

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Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade

In the state of Georgia there are several thousand citizens living in Georgia’s seven regional mental health and retardation hospitals. Many of these patients have lived in these hospitals most of their lives and have little, if any, contact with or support from friends or family.

Fifty one years ago, in 1958, the Georgia Municipal Association and then Governor Ernest Vandiver created the Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade to help these hospital patients celebrate Christmas by providing each with a present. The staff at the regional hospitals tells us that without the Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade, many patients would go without any type of gift or recognition during the holidays.

Our city has started its gift collection campaign and we are asking for your help. The hospital clients are part of our community, drawn from a region, and we would like to encourage all of you to remember them this holiday season. West Central Georgia Regional Hospital located in Columbus is the hospital that the City of Fayetteville is supporting. If your school, church, business, or civic group would like to partner with the City of Fayetteville in participating in an outstanding holiday community project, please contact Anne Barnard at (770) 719-4159 for further information on how you can get involved.

You will find enclosed a prepared “Christmas Wish List” for the clients (http://www.fayettefrontpage.com/docs/2009%20Wish%20List.pdf). Let’s not forget those less fortunate during the holiday season.

Thank you for your support,

Mayor Ken Steele
City of Fayetteville
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Whitewater Teacher to Head DECA Board

The DECA Club at Whitewater High continues to make news in Georgia. The latest honor for the club came in October with the election of Krystin Glover, marketing teacher and DECA advisor, as president-elect of the Georgia DECA Board, Inc.

Glover will spend this year training and shadowing the current president and then will take over the reins as head of the board next October. She will serve as president for a two-year term, presiding over a five-member elected board and six ex-officio members. Previously, Glover served on the board as the Western Region Director.

DECA is an association for marketing education students. It represents the program of student activity known as co-curricular, rather than extracurricular, since DECA activities are designed to reinforce the competencies taught in marketing and management.

The DECA Board is a policy-making group overseeing all functions of Georgia DECA.

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Kathy Cox to Speak Nov 12

The Greater Fayette Republican Women's Club will be meeting for dinner on Thursday, November 12th, at 6:00pm at Frank's, 1095 Highway 54 W., Fayetteville. State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox will be the guest speaker. All interested Republican Women, their families, and friends are invited to attend. For more information, call Alberta Lucas (770-719-0879) or Debby Dickinson (770-631-2383).

Georgia's Organic Produce Acreage is Growing

Fayette County farmer Becky Douville plants her tomatoes in plastic-covered rows. This method blocks out weeds and allows her to forgo spraying herbicides. This is just one organic method she uses to grow the crops she provides to Metro Atlanta farmers' markets. Photo by Sharon Dowdy

Of the more than 170,000 acres of Georgia farmland devoted to growing vegetables, only 3,000 acres are dedicated to growing organic produce. The numbers are small, but these producers are finding demand is high in their niche market.

Most organic growers sell their produce at farmers markets in metro areas or to upscale restaurants operators. Organic growers also sell to a growing number of consumers who prefer chemical-free food.

Plant some for the worms, too

Becky Douville of Able 2 Farm in Fayette County learned to grow organically by taking classes from Georgia Organics, Inc. She also learned at the feet of Lester Bray, considered a gardening guru in Fayette County.

“Mr. Bray taught me things like how to plant enough tomatoes to share with the horn worms,” she said. “This way I don’t have to spray, and I still have enough for the markets I supply.”
Douville isn’t a certified organic grower but grows her crops in a sustainable way. She has developed her own style by meshing Bray’s methods with what she learned from University of Georgia Master Gardener classes and Georgia Organics classes.

Supplying locally grown food

She grows tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumbers and sells them to markets in Fayetteville and Fairburn, as well as Atlanta’s Emory University Farmers Market and Trinity Community Ministries.

“I feel like a stockbroker,” she said. “I have all my cantaloupes sold before they even leave the field. And that’s about 300 melons.”

Conducting organic, conventional research

To help farmers like Douville, UGA Cooperative Extension horticulturist George Boyhan conducts research for organic crops. For the past 12 years, he was stationed in Statesboro, where he focused on Vidalia onions, working with both conventional and organic growers. Georgia producers started growing onions organically in 2003.

Onions are the largest single vegetable grown for the organic market in Georgia. Blueberries are No. 2.

“Some 400 acres were grown this past year,” Boyhan said. “That’s great, but it’s still a small fraction of the 12,000 or 13,000 acres of Vidalia onions we produce.”
Weeds are the biggest hurdle

Organic growers now get yields close to those of conventional growers. Weed control is their largest drawback. Organic-onion growers must use cultivation equipment and extensive manual labor to control them, he said.

As a reward for their extra work, organic growers get a premium price. “The highest price I’ve seen for organic onions is $45 a box,” Boyhan said. “Conventional growers get $20 a box on the high end and $12 a box on the low end.”

Now working on the UGA campus in Athens, Boyhan researches other organic crops and teaches College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students the ins and outs of organic farming.
Breeding organic varieties

“I just completed a big trial on pumpkins, and we just released a new variety” called Orange Bulldog, he said. “It has a higher level of disease resistance.”

Conventional pumpkins grown in Georgia are very susceptible to aphid-transmitted diseases. “Orange Bulldog has higher disease resistance, and organic growers are limited in what they can use so it’s a good fit for them,” Boyhan said. “We’ve produced pumpkins organically on our research farm with both treated and untreated seeds.” In order to be certified as organic, a crop must be grown using untreated seeds.

Taking a new look at old seed

Boyhan will soon conduct organic-growing trials on varieties of watermelon, cantaloupe, pepper and tomato, particularly heirloom types.

“I’m interested in looking at how heirloom varieties compare to modern varieties particularly under organic growing conditions,” he said. “True heirlooms are seeds that have been passed down in a family from year to year. There are also heirlooms that are named varieties that can be traced back to the 19th century whose seeds can be bought from seed catalogs.”

Some consumers buy organics because they believe they are more nutritional than traditional crops. A government study in the United Kingdom revealed no difference in organic versus conventional crops in terms of health or nutrition, Boyhan said.

“It’s a mixed bag of research,” he said. “People should be eating more fruits and vegetables, period, no matter which way they are grown.”

By Sharon Dowdy
University of Georgia

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Fayette County Schools Say “Thanks” to Retired Educators November 1

Schools across the county will honor Fayette County's retired educators by putting messages on their marquees in recognition of Retired Educators Day on November 1.

The Fayette County Public School System is taking this opportunity to say “thank you” to all of the county’s retired teachers for their years of dedication to Fayette’s students and their continued commitment to the education profession. Although retired, these educators realize that education is the cornerstone to a successful community and some have remained involved in Fayette’s schools beyond retirement as volunteers, mentors and tutors.

Many of the county’s retired educators are members of the Fayette County Retired Educators Association. Each year the organization gives several awards to students and faculty for outstanding achievement including a scholarship for graduating seniors who plan to enter the field of education, the Middle School Academic/Outstanding Student Award for one eighth grade student at each of the county’s middle schools who demonstrates superior academic performance and community involvement, and the Outstanding Educator Award honoring a current educator for his or her exceptional service to the education profession.

Retired educators have touched and influenced the lives of generations of young people in our community and have inspired them to use their talents and abilities to the fullest, and to become responsible and contributing citizens. The Fayette County Public School System encourages the public to reach out on November 1 to retired teachers they know and offer their appreciation to these educators for their dedicated service to the community.

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“Baby Love Squares” are Latest Project of Rising Starr Knitting Club

Looking over the finished knitted baby squares is (L-R) Principal Len Patton (seated), Nancy Ware, NICU nurse at Egelston and Rising Starr parent, Clorinda Roache, assistant principal, Abril Diaz, 8th grade, Kimberly Ware, 7th grade, and Shannon Booker, 8th grade.

Being a patient in a hospital makes most adults anxious, so imagine how it must be for a newborn in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Members of the knitting club at Rising Starr Middle are doing their part to help calm infants in the NICU at Egleston Children’s Hospital by knitting what they call “Baby Love Squares.”

A set of small, knitted squares are given to mothers with infants in the unit who cannot visit their babies often for various reasons. The mother wears the square so that her scent is transferred to it. The square is placed with the baby, making the infant feel safe and secure.

Principal Len Patton started the school’s knitting club shortly after she became principal as a way for her and students to interact with each other while learning the art of knitting. The club has expanded over the years to include different types of handiwork. Participants meet in the afternoons after school. The club is open to students, parents and staff.

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Fayette County Bands Earn High Honors at Competitions

The Whitewater High Marching Band members celebrate by showing off the six-foot trophy they won after being named Grand Champions of the Eagle’s Nest Invitational.

The Fayette County High Marching Tigers made their own history by placing fifth overall in the Bands of America Regional Championship, the highest placement the band has ever received at this competition.

A total of 21 bands from South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio and Georgia participated in the championship, which was held in Massillon, Ohio the weekend of October 17. The band’s finals performance score was only 5.4 points from first place.
In addition to making the finals, the band also won its second “Class Placement Award” by placing third in their class of nine bands. The Marching Tigers earned their first such award last year at the Atlanta Super-Regional.

Another honor for the band included being ranked number one of all 21 bands competing by the Music Performance Ensemble adjudicator.

The band is under the direction of Dr. Myra Rhoden. Assistant band director is Jonathan Broome.

That same weekend the Whitewater High Marching Band received a superior rating at the Eagle’s Nest Invitational Band Competition in Gwinnett County.

Out of 11 bands that competed, Whitewater was one of only two that received superior ratings for all areas of competition judged including percussion, drum major, color guard and band.
Whitewater pulled away from the pack by receiving the awards for Best in Class Brass Section, Best in Class Woodwinds, Best in Class Music and first place in Class 4A competition. In overall competition, Whitewater won Grand Champion of the invitational and brought home the coveted six-foot trophy.

The band is under the direction of Jack Jean. Assistant band director is Robert Truan.

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Fayette County Math Teacher Earns State Award

Her passion for math, development of creative lesson plans and commitment to continued professional growth has landed one Fayette teacher state recognition.

Jane Hannon, instructional support teacher for elementary mathematics, has been awarded the Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics award at the elementary level by the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Each year the organization gives the award to an elementary, middle and high school math teacher who demonstrates outstanding teaching abilities and a commitment to helping students better understand math.

Hannon, a 26-year veteran classroom teacher, is a member of the faculties at Fayetteville Intermediate, Hood Avenue Primary and Spring Hill Elementary where she leads discussions on instructional strategies, unit planning, examining student work and providing feedback, and analyzing data.

Hannon has led the way in the development and implementation of an acceleration model of instruction to help students master math concepts tested on the CRCT; has served as a team leader in developing unit plans, common pre and post unit tests and performance tasks for the Georgia Performance Standards K-5 mathematics curriculum; has been instrumental in assisting teachers in planning activities for math night at each of her schools; and even created a character called Num-Bee for a bi-weekly student TV show that focuses on critical math concepts.

“Jane’s lessons are interesting, filled with manipulatives, linking math to literature, and are always student centered. She consistently searches for more ways to make her lessons meaningful and authentic, to make her teaching more effective and to provide assistance to her colleagues,” says Lynn Ridgeway, coordinator of mathematics for Fayette County Schools.

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PTC Update

Work underway on Flat Creek Path Bridge

Construction is now underway for the connections to the Flat Creek Multi-Use Bridge (located behind Gardner Park and near Morallion Hills in Southern Peachtree City). Residents, businesses, and path users alike may hear the impact of the pile driver for the next several weeks as the connections are placed. The bridge is expected to open in late-January.

Council awards CSX Path Bridge Connections Project

At their regular meeting last Thursday, the Mayor and Council awarded the $157,000 construction contract for the path connections to the CSX multi-use path bridge and tunnels on Highway 54 West to Lewallen Construction. The Georgia DOT must sign the contract, and then the Notice to Proceed with construction can be issued to the contractor.

Volunteers Needed – Commission and Authority terms pending

Peachtree City is now accepting applications for several volunteer boards serving the community. Applications are due to City Hall by 5:00 p.m. on December 4, are available by clicking the link on the respective agency below for more information:

Peachtree City Water & Sewerage Authority (WASA) – owns and operates the sewer treatment system serving Peachtree City.
Peachtree City Airport Authority – owns and operations Peachtree City Falcon Field Airport.
Peachtree City Tourism Association – serves as Peachtree City’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and operates the Peachtree City Visitors Center.
Peachtree City Recreation Commission – Advises the Mayor and Council on recreation needs and issues in Peachtree City.

Kedron Pools reopen today

Additional repairs required for the pools at Kedron Fieldhouse and Aquatic Center required them to remain closed through this past weekend. However, the pools reopened today (Monday, October 19).

Mayor & Council Candidate Interviews Online

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce has posted a video candidate forum online for the upcoming November 3 Election. Candidates for each of Peachtree City’s posts (Mayor, Council Posts 1, 3, & 4) had an opportunity to answer questions. [View Videos . . . ]

Keep PTC Beautiful helps keep the Air Show green!

At the October 15 City Council Meeting, Keep Peachtree City Beautiful (KPTCB) Director Al Yougel reported that the group collected 98 bags of recyclables during the two-day Great Georgia Air Show on October 10 & 11, which, after sorting, resulted in 1,800 lbs. of plastic bottles that were recycled instead of going in the landfill. The non-profit agency is working to increase recycling opportunities at events in the city. [More information on KPTCB . . . ]

Veterans Day event to be held November 7

This year’s Veterans Day recognition will be held on Saturday, November 7, at 10:00 a.m. The City, in conjunction with VFW Post 9949, American Legion Posts 50 and 105, and the Clyde Thomason detachment of the Marine Corps League, will host the event at the new Falcon Field Veterans Memorial Park at Falcon Field Airport. [More information . . . ]

Occupational Taxes Now Due

Notices were mailed Friday for all businesses to pay their 2010 Occupational Taxes by December 31. This includes home-based businesses. This year’s mailing includes a Fayette County 9-1-1 emergency contact form, and a Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program form now required by State Law for all businesses. If you did not receive a renewal notice last week or if you have never obtained an Occupational Tax Certificate for your business, please contact City Hall. [Email City Hall regarding Occupational Taxes . . . ]

Shopping Locally

Green Market, Thursdays at The Avenue - The Avenue at Highway 54/74 will be holding a series of produce markets on Thursdays, beginning this week (Thursday, October 22). Growers from south Metro Atlanta area will bring locally grown produce to the gazebo area at City Circle from noon – 7:00 p.m. for the next four Thursdays.

Braelinn Village Center Under Construction & Open For Business – The renovation of Braelinn Village Shopping Center is in full swing, but all the merchants remain open for business.

Other Information from around Peachtree City

Local Jobs – The City of Peachtree City maintains a listing of Open City Positions on its web site. The City site also includes links to other Fayette County jobs posted on the Fayette County Development Authority and Fayette County Chamber of Commerce web sites.

PTC Yard Sales – Peachtree City may be one of the few places that requires residents to register their yard sales (at City Hall), but it gives us a great weekly list of places to look for deals. The list is updated regularly and can be found in the Virtual Neighborhoods section on Peachtree City’s web site. [View upcoming yard sales . . . ]


Don’t Forget . . .

Volunteer Firefighter Pumpkin Sale – October 1-31, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Leach Station (Paschall Rd at Highway 74 South) and Weber Station (Peachtree Parkway south of Crosstown Rd.). [More information . . . ]

Jack-O-Lantern Drop Off (for judging and display at the 10/24 Halloween Party) – Thursday & Friday, October 22 & 23, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. for the October 24 Contest Judging at The Fred Box Office. Prizes for creepiest, funniest, and most creative for both kids (12 & under) and adult (13 & over) will be awarded on October 24. Include name, address, phone # and age on bottom of jack-o-lantern. [More information . . . ]

Christ Our Shepherd Community Service Weekend – October 23 – 25 - blood drive, flu & pneumonia shots, blood pressure checks, document shredding, yard sale, bake sale, and more. [More information . . . ]

Not So Frightful Storytelling and Halloween Party at The Fred – Saturday, October 24, 4:00 p.m. at the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater. FREE ADMISSION. Folk songs and folk tales, costume contest, “safe trick-or-treating,” Jack-O-Lantern contest, and more! Local vendors also still welcome to sign up for the event. [More information . . . ]

Fire Department Haunted House – Friday & Saturday, October 23 & 24 and 30 & 31, 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. Students $8, Adults $10. [More information . . . ]

2nd Annual Toga Trot 5K & 1 Mile Race – Saturday, October 31, 8:30 a.m. at Dolce Atlanta Peachtree. Presented by the Atlanta Southern Crescent Alumnae Panhellenic Association (ASCAPA) and the Rotary Clubs of Peachtree City‘s - Net proceeds directly benefit the ASCAPA college scholarship program and the Rotary Polio Eradication Fund. [More information . . . ]

Halloween & Trick-or-Treating – Saturday, October 31 – The City does not change the date for trick-or-treating.