Andanh.com

As the editor and publisher of The Citizen newspapers and TheCitizen.com online daily edition, I invite all our online readers to now become active participants in discussions involving all things Fayette, Coweta, South Fulton and metro Atlanta, in addition to regional, national and international issues.

Within our updated forums area, you can now post your thoughts, concerns, praises, criticisms and opinions in a multitude of forum categories.

On July 1, 2008, the Fayette Animal Shelter will begin offering new services and will be implementing a new fee schedule. Throughout the past four years, the shelter has revamped many of its shelter and field services and increased standards to attempt to raise the rate of pet adoption. To reach this goal, the shelter has implemented a variety of physical upgrades and undergone many additional changes such as preventative health care plans, new ventilation solutions, cleaning protocols, isolation standards and other policies have all been enhanced in order to better assist the constant stream of homeless animals. Four years later, the shelter is proud to celebrate one of the highest adoption rates in the state, an outstanding 81 percent placement rate of adoptable animals.

McIntosh High School will be hosting its first annual football camp June 9-12, 2008, for any young man grades 3-8.

The camp will concentrate on the basic fundamentals of the game. Topics to be covered include: quarterback play, running backs play, lineman skills and defensive back techniques. Campers will also receive instruction on other areas of the game such as weight training, proper nutrition and proper practice habits.

That headline, while clever, is a little misleading. I am the one trying to get fit with the new Wii Fit. My wife is already in great shape. Just two months after the birth of our daughter, she is already back to her weight before we even had kids. And yes, I am more than a little jealous. I enjoyed all the sympathy weight gain while she was pregnant with our son, Colin (another brownie sundae, dear?), but didn’t get to enjoy any of the calorie draining breast-feeding after he was born.

We frequently brag about the quality of life in Fayette County. Most residents live here because of good schools, the low crime rate, excellent youth sports programs, reasonable taxes and well-managed local governments. There are other factors that influence quality of life, and the presence of excellent programs in the performing and visual arts is of paramount importance.

A friend and I were just talking about this. Talking about how so many people want to write a book.