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5A Peaches and Screams What’s Happening In The Valley -.....~ .■ : it* l-R: Stacie Barrett, First Lady Betty Rivers, and Fort Valley’s own star of stage md screen, Karan Kendrick, celebrating Karan Kendrick Day on March 22. Also, celebrating Karan's roll in the new movie “The Hunger Games.” 1 Last Tuesday's Study Club meeting hosted by Betty Gilley and Patsy Thomas was a huge success! Crylene Cantrell was the program chair and intro¬ duced Ellie Loudermilk. histo¬ rian from Perry, who is also the keeper of the Perry Historical Society. Mrs. Loudermilk sin¬ gle-handedly (it appears to us) ptanaged to get a house, get it painted by the church, secure the paint and oversee many such miracles. The historical museum is in a lovely house on Northside Drive and looks as though most every group in Perry is knock¬ ing themselves out to help with this worthy cause ... even the Boy Scouts! Ellie is now offer¬ ing tours for the school children and it is amazing how much even the very young enjoy their Your customers are on board, why aren’t you? Don't miss the Bus BUS Get on Board! STOP \4 ADVERTISE V Call Mandy Today! (478) 825-2432. Sometimes I have questions about my money. Knowing I mm can get answers from someone ' I know and trust at SunMark makes me feel supported. Bankers Who Work For You ' «■> I SunMark COMMUNITY BLANK sunmarkbank.com Fort Valley 205 South Camellia Blvd , 478-825-4020 neWKIVtlViilv a uiL t=> ♦ MARCH 28, 2012 trips. Needless to say, Mrs. Loudermilk is a retired school teacher. This is certainly worthy day trip. The Museum is open Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. On Saturday, March 24, Barbara Ray and family held a Centennial Celebration on the old William Slocumb Plantation. Approximately, 200 guests were invited. “A Celebration of Dreams” was held in honor of Karan Kendrick last Thursday night at the Austin Theater. We have a real movie star in our midst, as Karan has a part in the just recently-released movie; “The Hunger Games.” which just premiered at midnight, Thursday. Karen plays the role of Atala, a trainer who welcomes the 24 tributes and then explains to them about the different sta¬ tions set up around the train¬ ing center. The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic world in a country called Panem, where the countries of North America once existed. Mayor John Stumbo pro¬ claimed March 22 as Karan Kendrick Day and many of her Country Living family and friends spoke of their pride for Karan and all of her accomplishments. Several said they knew it would happen for her. Her sister Carol Perry said, “There is a long, long list of people who helped this dreamer live her dream!” Xaviour Tucker intro¬ duced Karan and her parents during the ceremony and her Wesleyan friend, Stacie Barrett (EMBA Program Coordinator at Wesleyan) was standing by. Mr. Alfred Ellis was intro¬ duced as her steadfast mentor, and one of her teachers. Mrs. Burdell Jackson, spoke. One of her colleagues said; “I told you, you were going to do this!” And she also predicted she will get a nomination for an Oscar. Karan has already had a taste of life in Hollywood and her first walk on the red carpet. Heretofore, she appeared on “Madea Goes to Jail,” a wacky flick that was made in Macon. If the dream continues to the Oscars, Karan Kendrick already has her speech planned for the Academy Awards. She is quite demure, but also quite proud, as Fort Valley is to have her as one of our own! Birth Announcements Austin Lee Rollen Kayla Rollen (Cogswell) and Brian Rollen of Byron, Georgia, announce the birth of a son, Austin Lee Rollen, born at Houston Medical Center on February 27, 2012. Grandparents of the baby are John Cogswell and Joan Cogswell of Warner Robins, Georgia, and Richard Rollen and Janet Rollen of Byron, Georgia. Robert Tripp Gregory leisha Tripp of Fort Valley, Georgia, announces the birth of a son, Robert Gregory Tripp, born at Houston Medical Center on March 2, 2012. Grandparents of the baby are Kimberly Williams of Warner Robins. Georgia, Ricardo Tripp of Warner Robins, Georgia. Carline Carter of Augusta, Georgia, and Gregory Simmons of Fort Valley. Georgia. Rha’ Zacnary Niyah Jayne Jayn£ Zachary (Howard) and Ronnie Zachary of Byron. Georgia, announce the birth of a daughter, Rha’Niyah Jayne, born at Houston Medical Center on March 5, 2012. Grandparents of the baby are Bettye Howard, James May, Sr., and Ronnie and Mary Zachary, all of Atlanta, Georgia. Colton Reno Maleania Steadman and Ray Reno III, of Byron, Georgia, announce the birth of a son, To Kill or Not to Kill? n • ORLANDO RODRIGUEZ ITl alumni *t The fatal shooting of a 17 year old unarmed black boy named Trayvon Martin in the town of Sanford, Florida has fueled pro¬ test rallies all over the country because the man who killed him wasn’t arrested or charged in the case. Florida’s flawed and con¬ troversial “Stand Your Ground” law which allows for the use of deadly force against an attacker in self defense is being used to justify the killing. At this point, the overwhelming majority of people believe that the shooter should be charged with murder. Governor Rick Scott of Florida has appointed a State Attorney as special prosecu¬ tor for the case and has also asked the Lieutenant Governor to head a special task force cre¬ ated for review of the law at the core of this tragedy. The FBI, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s office for the middle district of Florida are all inves¬ tigating this case as well so all the facts on what happened will soon be brought to light and a decision made on whether the shooter will be arrested. However, in the meantime some people are turning this into a racial issue which it is not. The media has fueled a percep¬ tion of the shooter as a preju¬ diced white man. but he is half Peruvian. Many who use inci- « BO S oooo $600 A f *ft] Colton Reno, bom at Houston Medical Center on March 6, 2012. Grandparents of the baby are Sharon Steadman of Byron, Georgia, Michael Steadman of Pierson, Florida, and Roy Reno, •* II of Ypsilanti. Michigan. Bentley Walker Hayes ‘ Tiffany Walker (Poole) and Forrest Walker of Byron, Georgia, announce the birth of a son, Bentley Hayes Walker, born at Houston Medical Center on March 9,2012. Grandparents of the baby are Jimmy and Jane Walker of Byron. Georgia, and Rick and Janice Poole of Ideal, Georgia. Sianna Melise Patrick April Patrick (NeeSmith) and Phillip Patrick of Fort Valley, Georgia, announce the birth of a daughter. Sianna Melise Patrick, born at Houston Medical Center on March 5, 2012. Grandparents of the baby are Tommy and Carla Moss of Fort Valley. Georgia. Tony and Tanya NeeSmith of Uvalda, Georgia, and Dwayne and Lisa Graham of Lyons, Georgia. Trevontae Laron Thomas Mesha Hammock and Trelvis Thomas of Fort Valley and Perry. Georgia, announce the birth of a son, Trevontae Laron Thomas, born at Houston Medical Center on March 13, 2012. Grandparents of the baby are Eddie and Kathy Ham mock dents like this to gain a national spotlight for themselves and promote their personal agendas at the cost of promoting racial disharmony in our country are now appearing at the rallies. Even the New Black Panthers are involved, offering a reward of $10,000.00 for the “capture" of the shooter. The police in Sanford should have arrested the shooter immediately and at least held him in custody until they were able to investigate exactly what happened, especially since a death was involved. An inno¬ cent young man lost his life for no good reason, a horrible incident being twisted to create hatred between the races. Die real issue is whether anyone should have the “legal right” to kill anyone else just because they might feel threatened. Recently my fam¬ ily had reason to consider this question. * A little over two weeks ago my son Joey and his girlfriend went to a Seafood Festival in the Florida Keys and after¬ wards decided to stay the night at our family’s apartment on Key Largo. They decided to go to sleep early and when they turned in for the night they for¬ got to lock the front door. Key Largo is a small town where nothing usually ever happens, but at 3 a.m. Joey suddenly woke up when he heard a noise and in the darkness saw the shadow of someone standing at the foot of his bed. Joey has used guns for most of his life and even as a very young boy in Fort Valley he hunted with BB guns. He served in the Army as a Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne, is a member of the THE LEADER-TRIBUNE of Perry, Georgia, Roddie Thomas, Natalie and Michael Tripp of Fort Valley, Georgia. McKenzie Nicole Halstead Pamela Ralston and Philip Halstead of Fort Valley, Georgia, announce the birth of a daughter, McKenzie Nicole Halstead, bom at Houston Medical Center on March 14. 2012. Grandparents of the baby are Robert Ralston of Macon. Georgia, Greg and Debbie Hobbs of Fort Valley. Georgia, and Don and Mary Graves of Warner Robins, Georgia. Abby Jayne Hall v Jason and April Hall of Fort Valley announce the birth of their daughter, Abby Jayne bom on November 2, 2011 at Medical Center in Macon. The grandparents are Gary and Kathi Hall of Fort Valley, and Gene Barnes of Fort Valley and grandmother Diane Barnes of Byron. Abby has a big broth¬ er, Max, who is 4-years-old. NR A and when he moved to Florida he obtained the neces¬ sary legal permit to carry a firearm for personal protection. So when he saw the intruder in his room in the middle of the night his first natural instinct was to pick up his loaded .357 revolver, shoot whoever it was and ask any questions later. In the dark there was no way of knowing who it was, their ethnicity or their motives. But instead of shooting Joey jumped out of his bed and tack¬ led the intruder, guiding the ensuing fight out of the bed¬ room. They tumbled down a steep staircase to the lower floor where Joey threw the guy out the front door and the fight finally ended in the carport. Along with some broken fur¬ niture and a few holes in the walls there was a lot of blood everywhere, but thankfully none of it was Joey’s. By that time the neighbors had woken up so one of them held the guy down while Joey went to put on some clothes before the police arrived. The man was arrested, but after learning all the facts on what had happened and who the intruder was Joey decided not to press charges against him. He was a 23 year old boy who had recently graduated from college and moved in with his mother, a school teacher from Montana who rents another apartmeni two doors down in the same building. The school teacher had lost her husband to cancer and her other son had been killed in a motorcycle accident. That night her son had gone to a party with some college friends and got very drunk, so when they dropped him off in front of the complex he went into the open door of our apartment by mistake thinking it was his mother's place. Joey would have been justified by the law if he had shot the intruder, but would have been bothered for the rest of his life when he found out it was just a kid. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Call (478) 825*2432 m County - $ 25.00 Out ol County - $32.50 Out of State-$40.00 Senior Citizens get an extra 10% OFF