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4*2 I'.ll.ll **.1V II.,II I'Ul.nll in ii mi.,.n Itthl in j IBB univ. ^ ^oject of Gi to * ^iXBWSGA ■^■OOOi 3 u j-. Magaanc ad in our ii B * % \ # ♦ >• >- ■ •* \ /SSr 5 wimr € Call WL [*) WR fei ■/■ne special th 41 ..5 beginni ng~Jm upry4 gaiter ^dTOrtbime Vol. 126 Issue No. 500 Peach County’s^ Newspaper December28.2011 Legal Organ For Peach County, City of Fort Valley and City Of Byron 2012 in Review: Education By Victor Kulkosky Sews Editor The Peach County Board of Education opened the calendar year with a new chairman wielding the gavel: Board Member Jamie Johnson. Late January saw a milestone for Fort Valley State University. FVSU's Cooperative Developmental Energy Program and CDEP director Dr. Isaac J. Crumbly received the Presidential Award for Excellence In Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. The award included a ceremony at the White House and Crumbly shaking hands with President Barack Obama. The only program of its kind, CDEP grooms promis¬ ing minority and female students for careers in engineering, earth science and medical technology by partnering with several research universities, cor¬ porations and government agencies. April saw a major announcement for the Peach County Schools. Dr. Susan Clark announced her retirement from the Peach County Schools after three years on the job. Clark presided over full restoration of the school district's accreditation, spearheaded an ambi¬ tious overhaul of the high school, and also made the controversial decision to move the school's to a four-day week following several rounds of sharp bud¬ get cuts. She said she was retiring to spend more time with her grandchil¬ dren. Another significant retirement came in May as Dr. Judy Carter announced her retirement as FVSU's Dean of the College of Education. Dr. Carter started her tenure overseeing a teacher ed program on the brink of extinction and earned out a top-to-bottom over¬ haul. National officials announced full restoration and re-activation of the teacher ed program in May, which gave Dr. Carter her cue to retire. In June, FVSU's Department of Fine Arts, Humanities and Mass Communications held its annual Fine Arts & Media Experience, a two week event for middle grades and high school students to develop skills in music, fine arts, dance, drama and broadcasting. FAME culminated in a gala exhibit and performance, all of which department chair Bobby Dickey dubbed “extraordinary” and "unbe¬ lievable.” In July, the Board of Education announced its selection of Joe Anne Denning as the next Superintendent of Schools. Denning has spent over 20 years in special education in Peach County and was serving as Director of Student Services before the BOE selected her. Her elevation was fol¬ lowed quickly by news that the Peach Schools had missed AYP again, with only Byron Middle School making AYP among six schools. The Peach Schools continued to reap the rewards of Denning's labors as the district in August received a S50JXX) Title 1 grant for its progress in narrowing the achievement gap for disadvantaged students. INSIDE Peach la & Out, .2 Police Beat...... 3 Opinion............ .4 Country Living.. 8 Faith Matter* 6 Sports.......... 7 9-11 Classifieds 12 Hew Tears 13-14 I Pear h Pub 91 i Byron History Enshrined in Glass •^xtA y*T r* * ' j* X i L C Mayor Larry Collins stands before the new stained glass window at the Byron Municipal Complex, created by Ralph and Kathie Lambert of Fort Valley. The eight panels depict aspects of the city's history, including agriculture, commerce, religion and leading citizens. The green lettering recalls the green and white colors of the old School. Photo Victor By Victor Kulkosky Sews Editor Stained glass has a long history of telling complex stories with a few simptr -and colorful inrages. From (lie magnificent Rose Window of Notre Dame Cathedral to the humbler produc¬ tions of local churches and public build¬ ings, stained glass has worked its iconic magic on people around the world for centuries. The latest modern addition to this ancient tradition was recently installed at the top of the main staircase in the Byron Municipal Complex. Like most examples of the medium, this one tells a rich and complex story in a few simple images. Byron Mayor Larry Collins recently stood by the window and filled in the stories told on the multiple panels. Spreading across two panels on the bottom tier of the window is a locomo¬ tive and coal car. The number “630" on the coal car is the number of an actual train that ran through the city for several decades, Collins said. Byron grew up around the railroad and agriculture. The first line to pass through what is now Byron was estab¬ lished in 1851 and became known as the Southwestern Railroad. James Everett, the founder of Fort Valley, was one of the original investors in the Southwestern Railroad. In the following decades, the area south of Macon was settled by people from what is often called the Orangeburg Migration. People from South Carolina near Augusta came to the area in search of better and more abundant farmland, and cleared large tracts of land purchased from the Creek Indians, Collins said. Among the most prominent of those families was the Richardsons, the most distinguished of which was Charles Hyatt Richardson. A graduate of the Municipal Complex Decorations H The wreath near the main entrance of the By¬ ron Municipal Complex is the handiwork and donation of the ladies of the Magnolia Gar¬ den Club. Photo Victor mj COMAS'* : r r r : The red brick and classical white columns of the Byron Municipal Com¬ plex deliberately recall the architecture of Byron High School, which sat on the same spot. Photo by Victor Kulkosky Medical College of Charleston, Dr. Richardson was the first Mayor of Byron after the city was chartered in 1874. He had extensive farmland and commercial interests aside from his medical practice. His house, which sat on the land that is now home to Byron United Methodist Church, is depicted in the upper left panel. The home was built by Thomas Duncan Warren in 1873. Collins said it is likely Dr. Richardson and Warren knew each other and were among the very civic-minded leading citizens of early Byron. Among Dr. Richardson's contributions to the city were the land for the Methodist church and property for the old jail and city cemetery. Dr. Richardson's brother C.C. Richardson, was also a Mayor of Byron. The land for the current Municipal Complex is part of what was once C.C. Richardson's estate, Collins said. Dr. Richardson's home was origi nally on the plot where the Methodist Church now sits. When the current church building, depicted in the lower / ) ■ t L I I S *• i Para Vinson decorated the Christmas tree that graces the lobby of the Byron Munici¬ pal Center. Photo by Victor Kulkosky left panel, was built in the 1920s, the Richardson home was rotated on its axis and re-established at the approxi¬ mate location of the church's current Youth Center, Collins said. Next to the Richardson home on the window is a pecan tree. The extensive pecan groves that are still visible in and around the city owe much to C.C. Lowe, a horticulturist who planted many pecan seedlings intended for grafting to plant more trees. Byron's other major agricultural product is represented by the peach basket in the lower right panel. Collins said he clearly remembers his childhood and seeing trains stop¬ ping in Byron loading peaches and pecans. The trains also picked up passengers. “You could get on a train and be in New York in about 18 hours," Collins said. Third from the right on the upper half of the stained glass window is a modest three-gabled house that Collins Continued to page 2 __ called a "truly historic structure.’ A Year In Review: Around County By Victor Kulkosky Sews Editor Early in 2012, long-time Fort Valley City Councilwoman Florine Statham passed after a long battle with can¬ cer. Around the same time, news came from Development Authority of Peach County that a new tenant had begun moving into the former Step 2 building. Plastics manufacturer Valley Industrial Products began installing its first machine in the 100,000-square foot building in the South Peach Industrial Park. There has been little further information and no news about when the company might start hiring. January also saw the passing in Byron of Dr. R.C. Barnes, partner of the renowned Dr. James B. Kay as well as a civic and church leader. February saw an historic occasion as Khoury's Men’s Wear celebrated their 75th anniversary. The store on Main Street in Fort Valley became the last of the old-time businesses after Avera Drugs closed later in the year. February also saw the election of Crawford County farm owner Robert Dickey to Georgia House District 136. Dickey was elected to fill the unex¬ pired term of the late Tony Sellier. In March, the first of a few discus¬ sions took place between Byron offi¬ cials and developers involved in the Peach Hil project around Chapman and Boy Scout roads. The dispute over who owes how much to whom contin¬ ues. Byron also kicked off its ongoing Peach County Mural Project, which intends to cover a 600-foot wall of the Peach Shops with images of significant places and activity around the county. In April, an outbreak of unusually high winds destroyed the iconic Big Peach in Byron, as well as a number of trees in North Peach Park. The Big Peach has since been replaced by a sign. Also in Byron, the City Council voted to cut the city’s part time firefighter budget in half after some testy discussion. The month also saw heated discussion at the Board of Commissioners meeting, as former Commissioner Jimmy Walker present¬ ed findings about questionable spend¬ ing by sitting Commissioner Michael Dinkins and Commissioner Roy Lewis responded angrily to Dinkins' prepared answer. In May, the 2011 Relay for Life set a local fundraising record as Peach County resident came together in sup¬ port of cancer research and to honor cancer survivors and those who died from the disease. The month also saw Peach County unveil a plaque in honor of veterans in front of the new County Commissioners' offices on Persons Street in Fort Valley. May also featured the annual Battle of Byron, which this year returned to its roots with creative contests. The month also saw commissioners vote to revise their policy on travel spending and set strict limits, with Michael Dinkins making the motion to set a $2,400 annual cap. In June, local festivities reached their peak as the annual Georgia Peach Festival was held in Byron and Fort Valley, kicking off with a hard-rocking performance by the Chris Hicks Band and concluding with an all-day musical extravaganza in Fort Valley, culminat¬ ing with an eclectic concert of pop and rock classics by the Missin Links show band. June also saw the final significant turn in the tortuous saga of Peach Regional Medical Center and its quest for a sorely needed new hospital. PRMC and the Medical Center of Central Georgia announced a part C ontinued to page 2_