Bad Links?

Other glitches?

Notify Webmaster

Where have all the bluebirds gone?

When I moved here over seven years ago, I did not make the best impression on my new neighbors. A lady from down the street was introducing herself, and, as she was mid-sentence, I looked up to see over 20 bluebirds in our new yard. I interrupted, excused myself, and ran off to find my wife so that she could see.

In our first three years or so, we were amazed at our variety of backyard birds. In addition to some more common varieties (cardinals, bluejays, mockingbirds, black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, house finches), the list includes eastern meadowlarks, rose-breasted grosbeaks, blue grosbeaks, indigo buntings, cedar waxwings, great blue herons, banded kingfishers, ruby-throated hummingbirds, and a variety of woodpeckers, including the pileated woodpecker.

We're still seeing the hummingbirds, and we spot the occasional woodpecker or heron. But the meadowlarks (my favorite for their song), grosbeaks, buntings and waxwings and others have not been back for years.

And it has been at least five years since the bluebirds have appeared in such numbers. I do not see that we are doing anything different.

What explains their disappearance? The (over) development of the area?

I wonder if anyone else in the area has noticed similar changes and, if so, whether they have any explanations.

Mark Linville

Fayetteville, Ga.

Subdivision helped by Open Meetings suit

I would like to thank your paper, your reporters, and your attorneys for helping the Saint Simon's Cove Community with regards to the recent Target settlement.

Reporter J. Frank Lynch did a fantastic job covering our story over the last seven months. His articles, and your paper's restraining order against the closed door meeting allowed our community to be heard at the Oct. 21 [Peachtree] City Council meeting.

Your paper's actions gave my neighbors and I the chance to discuss our needs with Faison representative Mike Cohn.

After hearing our concerns, Mr. Cohn very graciously agreed to several alterations to the Kedron Development's final design plans.

These concessions will help to protect our neighborhood and have allowed us to feel satisfied about the entire process.

If not for the diligent effort of your paper, it is doubtful that we would have had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Cohn face to face. Without that discussion, I am certain that the outcome would have been less desirable for all parties concerned.

I thank you for allowing our little community to be heard. My neighbors and I are all grateful that our local paper came to our support.

John Turner

Peachtree City, Ga.

Thompson's column welcome to many

Please let [columnist John] Thompson know that there are many of us out here in Fayette County who appreciate his candid and hard-hitting examination of our current leadership in Washington.

Many of us can especially identify with the description of some of the more vocal groups out there as "God bullies."

It is as if those "bullies" have decided that they have got it all figured out and anyone who dares disagree is immediately branded as someone less patriotic and certainly less able to understand what godliness is all about.

Some of them seem to actually believe they are in control, and God will support what they think is right, instead of the other way around.

Programs such as the so-called faith based initiative plays right into their often misguided hands, such as the Rev. Pat Robertson's Operation Blessing.

I, for one, am really worried about the future of this great nation if we continue along the path we have started down the past several years.

I don't see a whole lot of Christian ideals in a government that purposely attempts to divide its people through the use of righteous intimidation. Once again, thanks for your desperately needed point of view!

John T. Russom, Sr.

Fayette County, Ga.

Mayor: Not a 'one-man band' against SPLOST

I want to thank The Citizen for giving me the opportunity to respond to their editorial entitled, "Why you should vote 'yes' for road SPLOST" (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax).

Unfortunately, the editorial made the comment I was a "one-man band" against the proposed SPLOST revenue distribution. The truth is that not a single member of the City Council of Peachtree City is on the public record as being in favor of the current proposed SPLOST distribution.

I offer your readers the following quotes in regards to the proposed SPLOST distribution.

The county proposal gives all the revenue to the county with the exception of 30 percent that would be split between the county and all the cities (referred to as the 70/30 plan).

At the May 20, 2004, City Council meeting, Councilman Weed "said he wanted to make it clear that Peachtree City never agreed to a 70/30 formula."

It was proposed that the city send a letter to the County Commission stating that we did not agree with the 70/30 formula and Councilman Rapson "said he would prefer that the letter by signed by the entire council and not just the mayor."

The letter dated May 21, 2004, was passed unanimously and was signed by all five members of the City Council.

In the May 20 council meeting I "said the county, under the old guidelines, pre-July 1, 2004, has the arbitrary authority to take things off the list and rearrange the priority list."

Councilman Rapson "said he felt a 60/40 split [proposed by Peachtree City as a compromise] was not equitable either, and that he hoped the county would reconsider because they were missing an opportunity."

Councilwoman Rutherford "said she would like to see the city work with the county if we can get the split the city would be comfortable with and the she felt there were other serious issues that needed to be dealt with as far as City residents paying for services they do not get."

Councilman Kourajian "reiterated that he felt 60/40 [the city's offer] was an acceptable split. After some discussion, Kourajian asked council and Mayor Brown if they would support [the city proposal of a] 60/40 split and each member agreed." Unfortunately, our County Commissioners refused to agree to the city's compromise.

A letter send to County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn on July 8, 2004, stated, "Your own legislative representative, the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, supported HB 709 that allowed us to receive a minimum population share (35 percent)."

The letter continued, "In fact, the City Council's letter to you dated May 21, 2004, clearly stated that we in no way agreed to the county's unilateral decision as it relates to our share of the SPLOST proceeds."

The July 15, 2004, City Council minutes aptly show Councilman Rapson stating, "From a city perspective, the city was giving away 60 percent of the revenue the city would be due under the new [SPLOST fairness] law."

At that same meeting, Councilwoman Rutherford stated, "The city's residents paid for county services they did not receive."

Councilman Weed "said he could not tell the public with a straight face that he abandoned them, knowing the city could get $45 million and he had sold [them] out for $16 million [with the county proposal]."

The questions that citizens like myself should be asking is why has Commission Chairman Greg Dunn been trying to convince the county residents that Peachtree City has received all the county money for roads in the past?

At the County Commission's Oct. 28, 2003, Special Called Transportation Meeting, Chairman Dunn stated, "He said Peachtree City was getting the lion's share of the effort at the state and local level right now and in five years it would be over at the other end [of the county]" (italics added for emphasis).

Citizens of Peachtree City and Tyrone, what the chairman is saying is that a very substantial portion of our tax revenue will not be coming