Newspaper Page Text
HARRIS BUCKWOOD
Community Editor.
Take a ride on
memory lane
I hear from
some of my
dear readers
from time to time.
One of the most
common threads
that people seem
to remember is
Old Atlanta.
I didn’t have any people on the
Mayflower. 1 didn’t even have any
body on the Mayflower moving truck.
We were the family that moved here
with a mule and a wagon.
I can trace family back to about
1804 in Georgia and in the mid
1700’s in Virginia. My best count
makes me at least the seventh genera
tion of both sides of my family in
Georgia.
I was bom in Atlanta, although we
fled to the suburbs about the time I
was nine.
I still love the City of Atlanta and
miss some of the by-gone traditions.
I want to write a story in the near
future about your remembrances of
old Atlanta.
Here’s a few things to whet your
appetite for remembering:
Everybody's been to the Varsity,
but did you ever go to the Yellow
Jacket, which was the other drive-in
on North Avenue.
Did you ever eat in the Magnolia
Room at Rich’s downtown? If you
did, I bet you were wearing a tie or a
Sunday dress.
Do you remember Freddy Miller
and Stars of Tomorrow? Freddy was
the host of everything on Channel
11, including Live Atlanta Wrestling
and Dialing for Dollars.
Anybody remember Funtown? It
was the forerunner of Six Flags and
was located out on Stewart Avenue,
when that was a good street in town.
Ever make a trip to the
Southeastern Fair? The old fair was
held at the Lakewood fairgrounds and
was the big event each fall.
Did you ever attend a Hugh-Baby
Hop or listen to Dr. Don Rose on
Quixie in Dixie?
I bet someone out there milked
poor old Rosebud at Mathis Dairy.
Something tells me that they must
have had more than one Rosebud or
that cow would have been in udder
pain from being mishandled by school
children.
How about Peachtree Street. Did
anyone do any of the following: Go to
Davison’s, eat at the S&W Cafeteria,
have your feet x-rayed when you
bought new shoes at Thompson.
Boland, and Lee, or have a grilled hot
dog at the lunch counter at
Woolworth’s.
Remember the Wren's Nest, the
West End home of Joel Chandler
Harris?
Catch a few rays at Lake Spivey?
Did you ever make it to the
Shrine Circus or Holiday on Ice at
the Old Municipal Auditorium?
How about a matinee at the
Loew’s Grand and afterwards you
would walk under the old Coca-Cola
sign and visit the Russell Stover
Candy Shop?
Did you ever go to the show at
the Fox and hear Bob Van Camp
play the Mighty Mo’?
Ever enjoy a meal at any one of
these eateries: Mary Mac’s Tea
Room, the Francis Virginia Tea
Room, the Colonnade Restaurant, or
Pilgreen’s in West End.
Anyone remember Jacob's Drug
Stores or Plaza Drugs on Ponce de
Leon?
Did anyone ever go to the old
Dinkier Plaza hotel to hear Hank
Ballard and the Midnighters? Or did
anyone ever venture over on Auburn
Avenue to the Royal Peacock to hear
Ike and Tina, Little Richard, or
James Brown.
Some of these memories are
mine, some are a bit before my time
and are just a qlimpse into the old
days. I’d like to hear from you either
by e-mail or drop me a line. There’s
no prize for your contribution and if
you were doing something you don't
want your husband, wife, momma,
or children to read, you can be
anonymous.
Crank up your memory banks
and let me hear from you.
Harris Blackwood’s column
appears Sundays in the Forsyth
County News. Send comments to
lifestyles @forsythnews. com.
Forsyth Life
First Church for First Son
Governor’s son Jim begins ministry in Forsyth
By Harris Blackwood
Community Editor
The phone rang and on the other end was
the governor of Georgia. He had called to
offer his wholehearted endorsement of a
new preacher in Forsyth County. Gov.
Sonny Perdue said that he had known the young
man since he was a baby.
Not only that, but he drove him to school and
gave him his first job.
The young preacher offered kind words for the
governor, too. However, he didn’t refer to the gov
ernor as “Governor” or even “Sonny.” He called
him, “Dad.”
The Rev. Jim Perdue, the 26-year-old son of
Sonny and Mary Perdue, is the pastor of North
Cross Baptist Church, which is scheduled to hold
its first service on April 11, Easter Sunday, at
North Forsyth High School.
Both of his parents often thought to each other
that Jim might one day find a place of service in
the gospel ministry, but they never tried to push
him.
“Sonny and I had talked about it (the ministry)
to each other, but certainly never to him,” said first
' ". '4
church. He said that he felt led to either Forsyth
County or the Athens area after seeing indications
that his place of ministry would not be near the
family’s home in middle Georgia’s Houston
County.
“I thought we’d end up in Athens," said Jim
Perdue, who finished his undergraduate degree in
business education at the University of Georgia
and had served as Youth Pastor of a church there.
“It was almost like God closed the door there, as
well. In our hearts, that wasn't where we needed
to be. That left us with Forsyth County.”
The young minister said that several things
confirmed their choice, including the offer of a
teaching job to his wife. Stephanie, at North
Forsyth High School.
“When we visited the area, we saw the need
(for a new church). Then, when I saw how rapidly
it was growing and saw the northern part of the
county and the needs up in that area, God really
gave us a heart for the community and the people.”
His parents were not surprised that he was
entering the ministry, but were taken aback by
their son’s plans to begin his work by starting a
new church here.
Seat of Justice
Worn out, but still working fine
By Harris Blackwood
Community Editor
The broken leather reveals the
foam padding and the solid wood
underneath. The seat sags on the
sides from years of use.
When county workers were
touching up the paint in the Superior
Court courtroom, they noticed the
worn out chair and inquired about
the need to replace it.
The word came back: don’t touch
that chair and that's an order.
Judge Jeffrey S. Bagley hasn't
issued a formal court order, but if
you want to get on the wrong side of
a judge, try and replace his chair.
“I'm not superstitious,” he said.
“But there is just a piece of history
and a sense of tradition associated
with that chair."
There are a couple of other tradi
tions that Bagley doesn’t want to
change.
There are dozens of law journals
which fill the shelves of his cham
bers. Many of the bound volumes
have cracked and frayed covers
which reveal their age. These days,
Bagley and the other judges in the
courthouse rely on a computer based
system of on-line state laws. The
computer system allows them th be
updated on changes implemented by
the General Assembly or current nil-
lady Mary Perdue. “I don’t
think it’s the kind of thing
you would say to your child
that we feel like you might
be called to the ministry.”
The couple was not sur
prised when Jim made his
first step in responding to a
call to the ministry at age
17.
Last May, the new minis
ter graduated from
Southeastern Baptist
Theological Seminary in
Wake Forest, N.C. He said
that he knew God was call
ing him to begin his ministe
rial career by starting a new
‘jE
Superior Court Judge Jeffrey S. Bagley is pictured in the chair that has been used by many of his
predecessors, including the late Judge Richard Neville, whose portrait is displayed in the courtroom. A
closeup photo shows the well-worn chair and the 70’s era hotline phone connecting the judge to the
Clerk of Court.
ings from appellate courts. cuit.
The old leather bound books were name;
used by the prior judges in the cir- inscri]
Forsyth County News—Sunday, February 1,2004
4 fl -
wwh’ IB ** w
Photo/David McGregor
“It’s not what we envisioned for his ministry
start,” said the governor. “But he has been given
supernatural gifts to prepare him. We see in a clear
and convincing way that God's hand is in it.”
Jim and Stephanie Perdue were commissioned
on Sunday night, Jan. 25, by the First Baptist
Church of Woodstock as Church Planters, a term
used to describe persons who are starting a new
mission church like North Cross.
During the service, the governor offered a
prayer for his son’s beginning ministry.
“We pray," said the governor, “that you would
keep their hearts so tender, so obedient, Father,
that they would follow you, God. That they would
be so seeking your will and living your will that
blessings would flow up over them, their ministry,
and their church.”
A year earlier, it was the son who was praying
*' fl
Photos Audra Perry
Many of the books bear the
;s of the judge, followed by the
iption. “Property of the State of
Photo above, far left/Submitted
The Rev. Jim Perdue and his
wife, Stephanie, are pictured in
the center photo at North
Forsyth High School where their
new church will begin meeting
in April. In the left photo, Gov.
Sonny Perdue and his son
share a celebratory hug after
learning of gubernatorial victory.
Above, the governor and his son
embrace following a prayer
service prior to last year inaugu
ration. Looking on at right is first
lady Mary Perdue.
for the father as he began his new venture as gov
ernor of Georgia.
“It's a reminder to me as a dad of his charge to
me last January from Micah 6:8 and I hope to do
the same in my charge to the congregation." said
Sonny Perdue. The governor will deliver the ser
mon at the church’s second service on April 18.
Jim Perdue will likely hear the words he
offered his father from the Old Testament prophet
Micah.
“He has showed you. O man. what is good. And
what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and
to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8, New International Version.
“He. is going to have a wonderful opportunity
to start a church and be able to bring people to
See PERDUE, Page 7B
See CHAIR, Page 8B
B