Sunday, August 24, 2008

All citizens should check with tax office to find out exemptions
Thanks to Remo Silvestrini for the Aug. 14 letter in The News-Times, thousands of Columbia County 70-year-old senior citizens are now aware that we are no longer required to pay school taxes on our property.

Military Milestones
- Army Pvt. Daniel A. Greynolds, grandson of Linda Kessinger, of Hephzibah, has graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga.

Two new child-development centers to be constructed
Almost as many children are on the waiting list as there are slots, so a new child care center is needed at Fort Gordon.

Leftover funds go to sidewalks, recreation
Columbia County commissioners recently decided to use up remaining discretionary funds from a 2001-05 special purpose local option sales tax for sidewalks and recreation projects.

Legislators discuss schools, tax relief
Relief from unfunded state mandates, permits for concealed weapons and road projects were among the topics discussed at meetings between local and state officials at the Justice Center on Wednesday.

AARP offers driving courses for seniors
Older Columbia County residents will soon have an opportunity to refresh their driving skills and possibly save money on car insurance.

Abilene Baptist begins new project
Though plans for a three-story children's ministry building at Abilene Baptist Church are under way, the final product could take about two years to complete.

Fort Gordon adopts puppet shows to help children cope
Puppets have proved to be such a successful tool at Fort Bragg, N.C., that Fort Gordon is looking to adopt some of its own.

Making smiles
They are called pearly whites, but all teeth are not the same color or translucency.

Guest singers invited
Singers interested in joining the Columbia County Choral Society are invited to check out the group Tuesday night at First Baptist Church of Evans.

Commission approves sales tax package
Columbia County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a list of projects to be funded by the renewal of the special purpose local option sales tax.

Post Happenings
Post Happenings lists events, programs and other community notices from Fort Gordon. Send information to Fort Gordon Calendar, The Augusta Chronicle, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903-1928.

Vacation Gallery
A group from West Acres Baptist Church in Evans took a trip to Natural Bridge, Va., Hershey, Pa., and the Amish country of Lancaster, Pa., during July.

Police Blotter
A 36-year-old Martinez man was killed Wednesday evening in a head-on collision on Hereford Farm Road after he drove into oncoming traffic, police said.

Scenes from the first day of school in Columbia County
Special Photos Sean Beliakoff (kindergarten), States (fifth grade) and Cade Fort (kindergarten), Drew (kindergarten) and Riley (third grade) Pond from River Bound Subdivision walked to River Ridge Elementary on the first morning of school . [CAPTION] Jordan and Hannah Faircloth pause for a photo before starting for school at Martinez Elementary. Hannah starts first grade and Jordan enters fourth.[CAPTION] Sisters Madelyn Echols, fourth grade, Molly Echols, second grade, and Hannah Echols, sixth grade, were all ready for the first day of school at Riverside Middle.[CAPTION] Nikki Kirkland is in eighth grade at Grovetown Middle. [CAPTION] Emily Geiger attends Evans Elementary School and is in the third grade. Eric Geiger is in pre-kindergarten and attends First Baptist in Augusta. [CAPTION] Jack Lombardo started kindergarten at Lewiston Elementary School. [CAPTION] Adam Dimichael-Henry is ready for kindergarten at Brookwood Elementary.

Adoption Showcase
These pets are available for adoption from CSRA Happy Tails Rescue Inc., a non-profit licensed animal rescue group committed to the welfare of stray and unwanted dogs and cats in the CSRA. For more information, call Barb Gleitsmann at (706) 836-2708 [CAPTION] Checkers is a male, 1- to 2-year-old terrier mix. He is perky and playful, has a wiry black and white coat, and gets along with other dogs. [CAPTION] Gidget is a good-natured, young, female pointer mix with striking black-and-white markings. She is sweet and loving.[CAPTION] Sadie is a 6-week-old female chocolate lab mix puppy released to Happy Tails from our local shelter with her mom and 5 brothers.[CAPTION] Special Photos Blondie is a gentle, small 3-year-old lab mix. She weighs about 30 pounds, has a beautiful soft coat, and pretty brown eyes.

Get Up and Go
The Augusta chapter of the American Red Cross will hold a dog first aid class from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Red Cross office, 1322 Ellis St., Augusta. Cost is $35. For information, call (706) 724-8484, or go to www.arcaug.org

Marriage Licenses
William Earl Kitchens and Maloree Monteen Deckert applied for a marriage license on July 21, 2008, and were married July 21, 2008, in Augusta.

Divorces
James D. Stewart and Katherine A. Stewart, Aug. 8, 2008.

School Lunch Menus
This weeks school lunch menus.

GOP headquarters holds grand opening
PMargie Parrish (right), of North Augusta, and Mary Martin, of Royston, Ga., visited the grand opening of the Columbia County Republican Party Headquarters on Washington Road on Aug. 14. YeSun Wiltse, membership chair of the Greater Columbia County Republican Women, helps Marie Irby, of Evans, sign up for a fundraising event for U.S. Rep. Paul Broun. The grand opening also was held in conjunction with the "McCain Nation" event.

Serenity Spa celebrates 10 years
Laurie Pratt, owner of Serenity Day Spa, and her husband, Craig Pratt, cut a ribbon with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the business.

Property Transfers
Richard Percival to Melissa Elim, 214 Westmont Drive, $124,500.

Things To Do
The Columbia County Extension Service Gardening at Lunch series continues at 12:10 p.m. Sept. 10 with a seminar on rotational planting. Future sessions include bulbs, Oct. 8; holiday plants, Nov. 12; and transplanting plants, Dec. 3. For information, call Extension Agent Charles Phillips at (706) 868-3413.

Current Events
The third annual CSRA Wine Festival will be held 1-4 p.m. Oct. 4 at Savannah Rapids Pavilion in conjunction with the Augusta Rose Society's 46th annual rose show. Tickets to the wine festival cost $30 in advance or $35 at the door, and are available at the Vineyard Wine Shop in Evans or Toast Wine and Beverage in Martinez. For information, go to http://www.csrawinefestival.com

Newsmakers
Shepeard Community Blood Center CEO Kevin Belanger cut a ribbon with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the completion of renovations at the Davis Road location on July 16. The center has switched from being a whole blood donation center to special donations only.

Cartoon
Editorial Cartoon for Sunday, August 24, 2008

Commissioners strike a blow for brevity
Right there, in the same First Amendment to the United States Constitution that ensures the right of this newspaper to publish, is the encapsulation of the citizens' right to "petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Here comes the rest of my live
My husband and I passed another milestone this month. Now, instead of spending all our energy sheltering our oldest child from the world, we're sheltering the world from him. Instead of protecting our son from strangers, we're protecting him from himself.

Another year, a bigger axe
The last time Gov. Sonny Perdue visited Savannah Rapids Pavilion, his entourage was greeted by sign-waving protesters.

Martinez 8-year-old wins 3 roadracing titles
The dark wooden entertainment center in the Klings' living room is large enough to hold the three large, bronze trophies that adorn it.

Control caterpillars by pruning, spraying
What can I do about the ugly mass of web on the limb of my pecan tree? Can I burn it off?

Former Wolfpack standouts had a productive summer season
Greenbrier graduates Brandon Cumpton and Jeff Rowland are set to begin their second season of college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and both should have plenty of confidence.

Blueberry business might bloom
Blueberry season has come and gone this year, but for two Harlem residents, the fruits of their labor won't be known until next summer.

GPS navigation helps boaters find way
The advent of the Global Positioning System (GPS) allows us mortals to become on-water navigators the likes of Columbus or Magellan. However, there are a few things we need to know.

The Super Nine
'The Columbia County News-Times' staff has put together its own 'Super Nine' list profiling what we see as the nine best football prospects in the county.

Area's squads open up strong
Tropical Storm Fay tossed its outer bands over Evans' softball home opener Wednesday.

Sports Calendar
Team members are being sought for a reunion of the Tubman Junior High School 1963 football team to be held Sept. 5. For information, call Charlie Beale at (706) 863-9818 or Pat Ford at (706) 650-0405.

Grovetown postpones search until after season
If you haven't already applied for Grovetown High School's open athletic director and football coach positions, a few months remain to touch up those resumes.