December
December 10
Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Newnan will share its drive-thru nativity, “The Greatest Gift,” again this year. It will be presented this year from 6-9:30 p.m. nightly from Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 10-13. People will receive a narration CD (English or Spanish) at the entrance of the drive-thru, and each car will be guided on a ten-scene journey depicting the birth of Jesus. The scenes include the foretelling of the coming Messiah; the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary; Caesar’s palace and the decree for the census; Mary and Joseph being turned away at the inn; the wise men on the way to Bethlehem; and the traditional nativity scene, among others.
A nightly cast and crew of 100-plus people will help tell the story. Coffee and hot chocolate will be served throughout the evening under the church pavilion.
The event is at Cornerstone United Methodist Church at 2956 Hwy. 154 in Newnan (Thomas Crossroads, at the intersection of hwys. 154 and 34) There is no charge to attend. For more information, visit www.cornerstoneumc.com.
Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone also has room to grow as a storyteller.
Members of The Newnan-Coweta Storytelling Group seek to improve their storytelling skills and learn new ones. Find your voice and develop your unique style as a teller. For the Dec. 10 meeting. members will be sharing holiday memories, classic stories and treats for a cozy, memorable time.If able to attend on the 10th, please call The Carnegie at 770-683-1347 to reserve a spot. Meeting will take place on the upper floor of The Carnegie, 1 LaGrange St. in Newnan. For more information about the group, see the Carnegie Storytellers page on Facebook. For more about the Carnegie, visit www.newnancarnegie.com.
December 11
A pair of free public information sessions have been scheduled for homeowners and citizens to learn about asbestos and lead-based paint. They are today from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. at the Fayette County Library, 1821 Heritage Parkway in Fayetteville. Testing for lead content is free. You can bring a small painted object. Local representatives of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division will have displays and helpful informational handout materials about health effects, hazards and living with asbestos and lead paint at work and in the home. For more information contact Steve at 770-305-5127 or Joe 770-305-5130.
Local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will present the third annual Festival of the Nativity Dec. 11-12 at 101 South Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree City.
The event is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a senior tour 1-3 p.m. Saturday. Enjoy nativity sets from around the world with live musical performances. For more information, visit www.festivalofthenativity.org.
“The Realities of Remarriage” is the title of a financial session scheduled for today from 1-2 p.m. at Fayette Senior Services’ Peachtree City location (Gathering Place, 203 McIntosh Trail). Love is in the air – again. When remarrying, there are many factors to consider, especially in the financial world. William Stone with Raymond James Financial will discuss many entities to be aware of with finances and remarriage such as revisiting your financial past, who will be responsible for what, to share of not to share assets and debts, visiting retirement pensions, social security and other benefits again, estate planning, and more.This program is free but pre-registration is required at 770-461-0813 or register@fayss.org (include name, phone number and event title). FSS members and non-members welcome. For more information, visit www.fayss.org.
The Peachtree Wind Ensemble will be presenting its Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 700 Ardenlee Parkway in Peachtree City. Admission is free.The Peachtree Wind Ensemble is a non-profit community band with members from the surrounding areas.
See www.peachtreewindensemble.org for additional information.
All Fayette citizens and stakeholders are invited to attend a Fayette Visioning Summit to learn about the ongoing work and future goals of the Fayette Visioning Initiative. The theme for the summit is “Celebrating the Present; Embracing the Future!” The summit is today from 7:30 -9:30 a.m. at Dolce Atlanta-Peachtree, 201 Aberdeen Parkway in Peachtree City. The program will focus on recent successes in each of the four focus areas: Community, Economy, Education and Place. The Fayette Visioning Board of Directors will also share goals for 2016 and beyond. The event is free, but registration is requested: http://2015fayettevisioningsummit.eventbrite.com.
December 12
The Centre for Performing & Visual Arts, 1523 Lower Fayetteville Road in Newnan, hosts “Amahl and the Night Visitors” today at 7 p.m. One of the most popular operas of all time, it tells the story of how a crippled, young shepherd boy’s life changes forever when he sees an amazing star “as big as a window.” When three foreign kings following the star in their search for a wondrous child encounter Amahl and his mother, the result is a timeless and inspiring message of how faith, charity, unselfish love and good deeds can work miracles. Cost is $12-15. Call 770-254-2787 or visit www.thecentre.net.
The city of Newnan’s annual Christmas parade is today beginning at 6 p.m. The parade will include floats, walking groups, decorated cars and trucks, and marching bands.
Every year there is a float contest that goes along with the parade. This year the winner in each category (Large Business, Small Business, Church/School, Civic/Nonprofit) will receive a cash prize of $150. (People’s Choice will be voted on Facebook by the public the next day and the winner will receive a plaque.) This year’s honor of being Christmas Parade Grand Marshal will go to Newnan’s very own Police Chief Douglas ‘Buster’ Meadows. Chief Meadows started working with the city in 1973; he worked his way through the ranks until he became police chief in 2002. He’s been married 37 years to his wife Mary Lynn and they have one daughter April married to David Rathel. He is also a member of Sargent Baptist Church. Some of the chief’s hobbies include woodworking, gardening and fishing.
Also, a portion of the parade proceeds this year will benefit the Coweta Community Foundation. In 2013, The Coweta Community Foundation and The Coweta Together Foundation merged under the name of The Coweta Community Foundation in an effort to better serve the citizens of Coweta County. Both organizations share a common ground and a common passion to serve the citizens of Coweta County. This merger allows both organizations to maximize their impact on the community. Both organizations have placed an increased emphasis on relationship building and networking opportunities between local organizations. The goal is connecting local organizations to ensure that more Coweta citizens receive the help they need and deserve.
You can download a parade application at www.cityofnewnan.org, pick one up at Newnan City Hall (25 LaGrange Street) or email sguarnera@cityofnewnan.org. The application deadline is Nov. 30. The entry fee is $35.
December 18
“A Walk in the Park” is scheduled for today from 1-2 p.m. at Fayette Senior Services’ Peachtree City location (Gathering Place, 203 McIntosh Trail). There is so much that makes Fayette County a home to be proud of and its parks and nature areas are one of those to brag about. The Southern Conservation Trust will share the perks of all local parks in Fayette County and surrounding areas and what each has to offer. Take a walk into the gorgeous woods around your home This program is free but pre-registration is required at 770-461-0813 or register@fayss.org (include name, phone number and event title). FSS members and non-members welcome. For more information, visit www.fayss.org.
December 21
Fayette Senior Services will present “A Cowboy Christmas” from 1-2 p.m. at its Fayetteville location (The Life Enrichment Center, 4 Center Drive).Jim Scott will share a collection of stories and poems speaking to the miracle of Christmas and how it was celebrated by the men and women living and working on the ranches of the West. From stories of Shorty’s Last Christmas and The Christmas Story to Fayetteville native Tom Kerlin’s A Cowboy Christmas, we will hear a variety of holiday cowboy stories.This program is free and no pre-registration is required. FSS members and non-members are welcome. For more information, phone 770-461-0813 or visit www.fayss.org.
December 26
The South Atlanta Indian Christian Fellowship will be hosting a Christmas program today at 5 p.m. at Fayetteville Presbyterian Church, 791 Forrest Ave. in Fayetteville. The community is invited to “this joyful program commemorating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” according to a release. For more information, contact Santhosh Thomas at 404-542-1616 or santhoshthomas235@gmail.com.
January
January 5
“Growing and Using Herbs” is scheduled for today, at 10 a.m. at The Bridge Community Center, 225 Willowbend Road in Peachtree City. Join the Peachtree City Garden Club members to hear Judy Cunningham, of Country Gardens Farm, talk about growing and using organic herbs as a tasty and fun addition to your garden. Guests welcome. Refreshments and socializing begin at 9:30 a.m. For more information, check out Peachtree City Garden Club on Facebook.
“Muscle Soreness Everywhere” is the topic of discussion today from 10-11 a.m. at Fayette Senior Services’ Peachtree City location (McIntosh Place, 191 McIntosh Trail). No pain, no gain? That is not necessarily true. Christ Moore with Piedmont Fayette Hospital Fitness Center will discuss delayed onset muscle soreness that may come with some planned or unplanned exercise or physical activity. From what causes it and how to prevent it, Chris will share tips to helping with pain management or avoiding it all together. This program is free but pre-registration is required at 770-461-0813 or register@fayss.org (include name, phone number and event title). FSS members and non-members welcome. For more information, visit www.fayss.org.
January 6
Fayette Senior Services’ Peachtree City location (The Gathering Place, 203 McIntosh Trail) is the site of “Don’t Blow a Gasket,” scheduled for today from 11 a.m.-noon.
Anger and aggression can be overpowering emotions and learning to deal with them can be difficult. Ann Sheerin with Grow Counseling will help use manage our anger and identify trippers and the deeper issues that are driving it that will allow us to work on strategies in reducing the intensity of outbursts to make things much more manageable.This program is free but pre-registration is required at 770-461-0813 or register@fayss.org (include name, phone number and event title). FSS members and non-members welcome. For more information visit www.fayss.org.
January 19
JoAnn Wright will be the speaker for the Fayette Master Gardeners Association meeting scheduled for today at 11 a.m. at The Bridge Community Center, 225 Willow Bend Road in Peachtree City. She will be speaking on many techniques of plant propagation with emphasis on those most commonly used by home gardeners.Wright has a B.S. degree in soils and horticulture from the University of Minnesota. Before retirement, she worked for the USDA Seed Bank at the Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin. She became a Master Gardener with the University of Georgia Extension Volunteers in 2008 and has greatly contributed to local plant sales using her propagation methods.The public is invited to this free lecture. For more information visit www.fayettemga.org or contact fayettemga@gmail.com.