Monday, November 13, 2006

County officials should 'raise standards' by approving aesthetic 'nodes'
Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the greatest architects ever, instructed us to "build your structure so that you may still look upon all that charmed you, and lose nothing of what you saw before the structure was built, but see more beauty."

Fair a showcase of tech talent
In an event that could be likened to a high-tech science fair, pupils from South Columbia Elementary School showcased their technical talents Nov. 3.

Lack of names on ballot causes election confusion
Mickey Mouse or any other fictional character had just as good of a chance to receive a vote Tuesday in a Columbia County race that confused some as it offered only a write-in option.

Voters approve all bond project categories
Republican Ron Thigpen became Columbia County's next commissioner and a more than $43 million bond proposal received full approval by voters.

Collins sworn in as county coroner
Less than a week after Columbia County Coroner Thomas "Tommy" L. King Sr. died, a longtime colleague was sworn into his position.

Festival to celebrate canal area
The Augusta Canal Authority will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Canal National Heritage Area with a festival and bridge dedication from 1 to 5 p.m. today at the Canal Headgates area near Savannah Rapids Pavilion.

City accepts project bid
Harlem city officials approved a contractor's bid Tuesday for a long-awaited downtown-renovation project.

IHOP, music store among new businesses
A pancake restaurant, a music school and superstore and a professional floor-covering center are among the newest businesses to open in Columbia County in recent weeks.

Sister's illness gives big-brother status meaning
Dakota Knoeferl is a big brother in every sense of the word.

School board chairman candidates optimistic about runoff
Political newcomer Lawrence Hammond forced a runoff in the first at-large elected Columbia County school board chairman race.

Vietnam vets get closure from return
After answering the call of their country 38 years ago, three local men have answered calls within themselves in the past two years by revisiting Vietnam.

Write-ins add comedy to race
Republican Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue had re-election high on his so-called "Sonny Do" list, but he likely didn't include defeating Adolf Hitler, Mickey Mouse and Daffy Duck.

Property tax deadline is just days away
Only a few days remain for property owners in Columbia County to pay their property tax bills.

School councils
Greenbrier High School council will meet at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday in the principal's conference room.

Current events
The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce bimonthly networking session, Success Columbia County Style, will be held from 5-7 p.m. Monday at the Hull Fine Arts Center at Augusta Preparatory Day School.

DUI arrests
Patricia Donoghue Goodhart, 46, of the 2000 block of Sylvan Lake Drive in Grovetown, was charged with driving under the influence on June 25, 2006, and was fined $810.

Honor Roll Addendum
South Columbia Elementary School Honor Roll Addendum: Fifth Grade A/B Honor Roll: John Paul Bieller, Katelyn Brown, Tiffani Buchanan, Jessica Jardine, Alex Neumeyer, Haley Ortiz, Rachel Quinton, Baylee Sims, Kyle Stanford, Marcus Taylor, Sebastian Vasquez and William Zorn.

Lunch menus
School lunch menu for Columbia County Schools.

Photo: Jiu-Jitsu winners
Three members of Warrior Jiu-Jitsu, at Patriots Park, competed in the first Augusta Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament. They won medals in their weight divisions. Doug Gibson placed second, Austin Guidry placed third and Timothy White placed third.

Divorces
Helga P. Mele and Joseph F. Mele, Sept. 1, 2006.

Photo: Wedding bells beckon woman to Paris
Barbara Adkins stands on a bridge over the Seine River in front of the Eiffiel Tower in Paris. Barbara was in France in July to attend the wedding of her cousin, Don Scott and French native Celine Birre.

Time capsule
As reported 51 years ago in the pages of The Columbia News, Thursday, Nov. 10, 1955:

Get up and go
The Palette and Porcelain Artists Association will hold its annual Tea, Sale and Exhibit from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 2367 Washington Road, Augusta. For information, call (706) 855-1496.

Photos: Halloween tricksters
Jordan Fishburne held a party to celebrate Halloween with his friends Evan and Catherine Grunfelder, Garrett and Emory Clifford, and Ryan Baggott.

Photo: Students win at art show
The Renaissance Art Show Winners from South Columbia Elementary are as follows: Mason Beasley (from left), Verena Buck, Amelia Hall, Malaysia Hendrix and Shawn McKee. Not pictured are: Ayah Abdelhaq and Madison Canada.

Photo: Omni opens Evans site
Special Photo.Members of the Omni Health and Fitness Center staff and the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce held a ceremonial groundbreaking on the Evans location's $2.5 million renovation program.

Photo: Greyhound of the week
Intensity is a white-and-black, 2 1/2-year-old female with coloring similar to a Dalmation, who gets along very well with cats and small children; small dog testing needs to be done. If you are interested in adopting Intensity or any other retired racing greyhound, call Sam Fulton at (706) 833-2177 or go to www.CSRAGreyhoundAdoptions.org.

Photos: Business openings
Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver (in coat and tie) was on hand for the official opening of the new location of Michael O'Byrne Photography. Big Hit Gift Baskets held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony was Nov. 2.

Photo: Greenbrier cheerleaders bring home prize
The Greenbrier Competition Cheerleaders won the 2006 Region 3-AAAA cheerleading championship held at Toombs County High School on Nov. 4 earning a trip to the state finals in Columbus, Ga.

Property transfers
Edna Vega to Christopher M. West and Christy M. West, 4080 Spencer St., $155,000.

Columbia Middle School Honor Roll
First nine weeks honor roll for Columbia Middle School.

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

Greenbrier Elementary honor roll
First nine weeks honor roll for Greenbrier Elementary

Predictions mostly true
Looks like my crystal ball worked pretty well. Too bad the Republicans in Congress can't say the same thing.

Finish job Dec. 5: Pick Roper, Buccafusco
Columbia County voters deserve a round of applause for turning out in better-than-expected numbers in Tuesday's General Election.

Better to burn out thatn to fade away
A concerned look on his face, he asked, "Why are you so edgy lately?" "Our daughter, the child who's supposed to be on the pink team with me," I responded, "asked if I'm old. She observed 'crunks' on my face."

Voters give approval for county's needs
It's a cliche after an election to say "the voters have spoken." But for Columbia County's capital improvements program, the voters just spoke loudly and clearly - and commissioners are very relieved.

Changing the guard
Whatever opinion Sen. John Kerry has of the American military mind or mission, military life comes with plenty of perks.

Prep's coach is optimistic
In a school that sees annual success in volleyball and soccer, the Augusta Prep girls basketball program isn't exactly the pride and joy of the athletic department.

Greenbrier seniors returning
Greenbrier boys basketball coach Casey Dees had to wait until football season ended before he could get his full varsity basketball team together.

Sports calendar
The Columbia County Recreation Department is currently holding registration for the 2007 basketball season. Registration will last through Friday for boys ages 6-15 and girls ages 6-12 with an age control date of Jan. 1, 2007.

Prep Calendar
The Evans High School basketball teams will travel to Savannah on Saturday.

County's volleyball stars didn't disappoint
After last season's tight volleyball competition, area volleyball fans came into the 2006 season with high expectations.

3 runners help UGA cross-country team dash to 16th place
The women's cross country team at the University of Georgia is enjoying one of its finest seasons. The squad is ranked No. 16 in the country after a second-place finish at the SEC Championships.

Evans, Christian players college-bound
National Signing Day doesn't officially take place until the spring. However, two Columbia County athletes chose to secure their future as soon as possible.

Evans coach works to put pieces in roster puzzle
Now that basketball tryouts in Columbia County have ended, the next big task for area coaches is setting their starting lineups.