Monday, April 12, 2004

Many will be disappointed if race track closes
Editor: Re Richard Hogue's March 10 letter, "Racetrack closed; fight against noise continues":

County officials bent the rules to allow Rhinehart's licensing
Editor: Before you state your opinion you should have more facts regarding those who opposed Rhineharts (re: the April 7 editorial, "Learn rules to know if they're bent").

Young singer wins All-State spot
Mallorie Jones doesn't look like a historic figure.

Mans garden hobby comes into full flower
Robert Rogers, known as Wormy to his friends, is known for many things - his love of fishing, his worm condos and his giant sunflowers.

Grovetown push begins for more chamber members
Grovetown City Councilman Tony Arnold remembers a Chamber of Commerce membership sign hanging in the window of his father's business 40 or 50 years ago. That sign means even more benefits for the city's business owners now.

Doctors Hospital honors employees
Donald and Delores Young have lots of stories.

County gets first Oxford Learning Center
One of Columbia County's newest businesses joins only a dozen of its kind in the United States.

Masters souvenir leaves boy stunned
A 6-year-old Harlem boy has a souvenir of his first trip to the Masters Tournament - one that would be the envy of any golf enthusiast.

Address shuffle is coming
Columbia County residents with Thomson and Harlem addresses soon will move to Appling without leaving their homes.

Cities will rule on fire proposal
Harlem and Grovetown leaders will decide at city council meetings Monday whether to accept or decline the latest proposal for the city departments to provide fire service in the county's unincorporated areas.

Wicker Barn
The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce also held a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 2 for The Wicker Barn at 3910 Washington Road in Martinez. The second location of the the wicker-furniture store, owned by David and Natalie Newsome (center), opened March 8.

School lunch menus
Here are Columbia County school lunch menus for the week.

Happy Easter
Tim Altmix, who plays Jesus in the Abilene Baptist Church production of Bow the Knee, rehearses the resurrection scene March 31.

Harlem Middle School honor roll
The following pupils have been named to the third nine weeks A honor roll at Harlem Middle School:

Westmont Elementary School honor roll
The following pupils have been named to the third nine weeks A honor roll at Westmont Elementary School:

Current events
Columbia County's Democratic Party will meet Monday at 7 p.m. at the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Harlem. For information, call 868-0959.

Right on course
Jeffrey Tran, 13, an eighth-grader at Lakeside Middle School, son of Raymond and Lechan Tran of Martinez, visited the Augusta National Golf Club during Monday's practice rounds with his brother, 11-year-old Sterling Tran, a fifth-grader at Blue Ridge Elementary. For more photos of readers who visited the Masters Tournament, please see Page 14.

Easter services
Marvin United Methodist Church, Belair at Wheeler Road, will hold a sunrise Easter service at 7 a.m. today, with Easter services at 9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. An Easter-egg hunt will be 11 a.m., with a visit from the Easter bunny.

Births
Kathryn Elise Kavanagh: William T. Kavanagh III and Leslie A. Kavanagh, of Martinez, announce the birth of a daughter, Kathryn Elise Kavanaugh, Monday, Feb. 2, 2004, at University Hospital. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hernandez and Susanne Kavanagh, all of Augusta, and Mr. and Mrs. William T. Kavanagh Jr., of Evans.

Masters Glimpses
Tyler Plooster, 5, of Augusta discovered the outlets for the Augusta National Golf Club's greens-venting system. She enjoyed seeing the golfers, but also entertained passersby by throwing her hat in the vent and watching it fly.

Property transfers
Larry S. Prather Sr. to Michael S. Yohe, 5410 White Oak Road, $10,000.

North Harlem Elementary School honor roll
The following pupils have been named to the third nine weeks A honor roll at North Harlem Elementary School:

Divorces
Jennifer Budd Dawson and Gregory Dawson, April 1, 2004.

Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

Wal-Mart donation
The Evans Super Wal-Mart manager Patrick Clifford presents a check to Evans Middle School science teacher Connie DeLoach for $500.

Pennies for pets
Barbara Gleitzman, founder of Happy Tails Rescue, gives a hug to Westmont Elementary student council members Lauren Heffernan (from left), Grace Haney and Brian Edwards, after learning that the pupils at the school raised $903 during the Pennies for Pets fund-raising program.

A very happy birthday
Malik McCuller, 8, and some of his friends run through his "Happy Birthday" banner during his birthday party at the Lakeside High Schools football stadium March 27. Malik, a cancer survivor, is a third-grader at Blue Ridge Elementary School.

Community calendar
The Fairways Chapter of the Georgia Division of the International Associations of Administrative Professionals will hold an Administrative Professionals Week Celebration 6-8 p.m. April 20 at the Partridge Inn, featuring WRDW-TV 12 morning news anchor Domonique Benn as guest speaker. Tickets cost $25. For information, call 667-6410.

Blue Ridge Elementary School honor roll
The following pupils have been named to the third nine weeks A honor roll at Blue Ridge Elementary School:

Columbia Newsmakers
The following local students were named to the dean's list at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., for fall quarter 2003: Joanna Faithe Renner, of Evans, a fashion major and daughter of Gene and Sharon Renner; and Sandra Michelle Deer, of Martinez, an architecture major and daughter of Charles Deer.

Rolling out the red carpet
Augusta Mayor Bob Young (from right) and Ron Cross, chairman of the Columbia County Board of Commissioners, line up to greet a Red Carpet tour group at the Augusta National Golf Club as they arrive Thursday for a reception prior to attending the opening round of the Masters Tournament.

Time capsule
As reported 25 years ago in The Columbia News and The Martinez-Evans Times, April 11, 1979:

Merle Norman
The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 2 for Merle Norman in The Shoppes at Evans on Washington Road. This store is the second location for owners Kristina and Michael Howell (center). Miss Junior Georgia, Shelly Clark, (left of center) also was at the opening.

Growing fast, but not fastest
The news is out: The U.S. Census Bureau has just released its list of the top 100 fastest-growing counties in the nation, and even though 20 of them are in Georgia, Columbia County isn't one of them.

Time for resurrection of unity
As we arrive at another resurrection Sunday, a question comes to mind that was first asked more than 2,000 years ago and is still relevant: "What shall I do with Jesus, which is called Christ?" (Matthew 27:22).

A resurrection story
They were 12, complex men - burly, timid, skeptical, yet full of hope that what their magnetic leader had told them was true. When their faith was strong, they left fishing nets, took sabbaticals from government positions and borrowed family time to follow him. When faith was weak, like now, they wondered if anything he said was true.

Latest Easter fashion: Real meaning
Has anyone else noticed that those tacky outdoor Easter decorations just don't seem to be as prevalent this year?

County dedicates new bass-tournament facility
POLLARDS CORNER - After a year of construction, a long-awaited, six-lane bass tournament facility at Wildwood Park was dedicated April 2 in hopes of luring new anglers - and their dollars - to Columbia County.

Bottom Line: USC Aiken has a Key for success
The 'Key' to the Pacers' success

Pack unleashes hit parade on Hawks
Normally known for his pitching prowess, Greenbrier's Michael Newman came through for the Wolfpack at the plate Tuesday, delivering the first home run of his high-school career to help lead his team to a 10-2 victory over Washington County.

Families welcomed for day of fishing
Reeling in the big one was the goal of 44 families competing in the annual Parent-Child Bank Fishing Tournament at Mistletoe State Park on April 3.

High School Sports Calendar
Monday Baseball: Augusta Christian vs. Brentwood, 4 p.m.; Augusta Christian JV at Thomas Jefferson 4 p.m.

Sports briefs
Augusta Prep's annual summer volleyball camp will be June 14-17, with session for middle and high school players. The cost is $80 and includes a camp T-shirt. For information, call Coach Rich Bland at 863-1906.