Lunch with First Lady
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Trail in West Point is a real gem. Page 1C LaGrangeWEEKEND Daily News $1.25 June 5-6, 2010 lagrangenews.com Saturday’s Family weather Lunch High 85 with suffers Low 68 50% chance of rain first double lady loss LaGrange Ranger dies woman gets week after aunt Today’s artist: Imer Lopez, memorable By Sherri Brown third grade, UNity Staff writer Elementary School. birthday gift On Tuesday, Sue Peney was noti- By Sherri Brown fied that her son, Spc. Jonathan Community Staff writer Peney, 22, an Army Ranger, was It was lunch in Wash- killed by enemy fire in Kandahar ington, D.C., for 2,000, The LaGrange Art Mu- province. but even in the midst of It was just days after her sister, seum schedulesf the crowd, Theresa Sandy Blankenship Takacs, died. classes for the Beatty felt special, hon- According to Steven Blanken- summer. PAGE 3 ored to be there. ship, a family spokesman for The food was good, Peney, the family is “holding too. strong” throughout an incredibly The lunch actually difficult time. started at the annual “She moved to LaGrange to take fundraising auction for care of her sister, who became very LaGrange Academy. sick. We lost her on Wednesday, Longtime supporters of then Tuesday morning were noti- Nation the school, Beatty’s fied of Jonathan’s death,” Blanken- husband, Joel, bid and ship said Friday. won a ticket to the First Sue Peney is now with her Lady’s Luncheon, an daughter-in-law Kristen Peney in annual social event Savannah. sponsored by the Con- Blankenship, a cousin of gressional Club. Jonathan Peney, remembered him “My sweet husband as a “great kid.” thought this would be a “He always had a smile on his good birthday present face. He loved getting to be with for me. I really didn’t family,” Blankenship said. know what I was get- Theresa Beatty pauses with Cecilia ‘Cissy’ Marshall, the widow of Thur- Peney died trying to protect a ting,” Theresa Beatty good Marshall, who was a Supreme Court Justice. wounded Ranger in Afghanistan. said. gigantic luncheon, but He was posthumously awarded the The Congressional we had good seats – Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Club was founded in about three rows back and the Meritorious Service Medal. 1908 as a nonpartisan and to the left of the None of that surprised Blanken- setting for friendships podium.” ship. A coaching legend among the spouses of Entertainment includ- “He did everything 150 percent. I conducts volleyball members of the House ed music from compos- remember when he was getting camp at Troup High. PAGE 1B and Senate. The club’s er and musician Marvin into rock climbing. He showed me largest social event is Hamlisch; Julia Mur- finger exercises he was doing in the annual First Lady’s ney, who last appeared order to climb better,” he said. Luncheon, honoring the on Broadway as Elpha- When Peney decided to enter the Weekend current first lady. The ba in “Wicked;” and Army Ranger program, he went highlight of the event is J.Mark McVey, who straight through the 61-week train- Trivia the luncheon, but a tick- most recently played ing. et includes three days the role of Jean Valjean “Most people break it up into of events. in “Les Miserable” on segments. I’ve talked to some sol- Vivian Bishop, wife of stage both in London The place setting at the First Lady’s Lunch- diers, and they tell me it’s extreme- U.S. Rep. Sanford Bish- and on Broadway. eon was designed specifically for the event. ly rare that someone goes straight op of Columbus, donat- “Marvin Hamlisch Even the tablecloths were specially made to through,” he said. wrote a song to honor Peney also was known as some- ed the ticket to the carry out the theme, ‘Illumination Celebration.’ school auction. She is a Michelle Obama, called one willing and ready to help oth- ‘Voice of a Woman’. It The fabric incorporates chandeliers from dif- ers. “When he was rock climbing, past president of the ferent White House rooms. A new tablecloth Congressional Club. was very moving,” he would go to the gym and help Before she left, Beatty Beatty said. is designed every year for the event. others on the climbing walls. Now Michelle Obama I’m getting word from other sol- went through a Secret find at the event was a have a political flavor – Service clearance. The spoke to the theme diers that in his free time he vol- “Illumination Celebra- political rally. not even a discussion. It unteered to help other soldiers with day before the lunch- tion,” encouraging In order to be as non- was to honor the first studying, conditioning, whatever,” Music eon, she flew to Wash- attendees to volunteer partisan as possible, the lady and distinguished he said. “Jonathan gave unselfishly What Georgia R&B ington with a small and make a difference Congressional Club guests and that was all,” and he proved to the end that he artist wrote ‘Respect?’ group of women. in their communities. requires that the cur- Beatty said. would go to the aid of an injured Answer on page 2 “We had dinner “She encouraged rent president of the The menu reflected a soldier.” together the first night, everyone to work for an club be from a party variety of tastes and Funeral arrangements are not then the next morning organization or one on other than that of sitting backgrounds as well. A complete, but will be held in Savan- we went to the Hilton Opinion one with a child,” Beat- president. nah. Washington where the ty said. “This is not a political main event was held,” luncheon. It did not FIRST What Beatty didn’t SEE PAGE 2 Sherri Brown can be reached at Pepper Ellis Hagebak she recalled. “It was a [email protected] or at reflects on healthy (706) 884-7311, Ext. 240. lifestyle and running with gumption. PAGE 6 ‘I see something and want to make it better’ By Becky Holland Lifestyle editor I Neighbors The colorful sign above down the street.” INDEX the door of the shop on Bull Hart, 59, seems to be Street seems out of place smiling from the inside. His Business . .10 among the older store Calendar . 3 eyes are bright and he is signs, yet it signifies that it enthusiastic in everything Classifieds 4B-6B does belong. Comics . 7C he does and says. He said A fifth-generation circuit he loves living in LaGrange. Community . 3 rider, John Hart comes Crossword . 7C Evidence of that is in the from “mountain people” in homemade soaps and International . 7 Virginia, and moved to Local . 4, 8-9 lotions and sprays he LaGrange as part of his job makes and sells. Though National . 7, 12 with Freudenberg-NOK, an Obituaries . 2 the clothes are ordered and automobile parts manufac- were added at the urging of Opinion . 6 turing industry on Lukken Sports . 1B-3B his wife, Belinda Gail, and Industrial Parkway. his granddaughter, Belinda State .........5 “Funny thing is I worked TV Listings . 11 Grace Hart, whom the for one company, and the store is named after, it is other lured me away, and the soaps, lotions, sprays For home delivery then they merged,” he said. and candles that Hart con- call (706) 882-5624 Belinda Grace’s opened centrates on. quietly recently with a vari- “If I see something, I ety of sizes of clothes, Printed on 100% want to make it better. I Recycled Paper classy and sassy clothes, believe I can,” he said. hence the mantra on the Hart started out making Vol 167 Issue 125 door – “sassy and classy.” candles as a hobby a few Robyn Miles/ Daily News 26 Pages There are only six of the years ago after retiring same items and Hart said, from what he called “many John Hart discusses soaps and lotions with granddaughter, Belinda Grace, in “That is all there will be. We moons” in the automotive the store that bears her name on Bull Street in LaGrange. will order six of one item industry. place, bought a kit and friends, using soy-based and once it is gone, we go “We love candles, and I started making candles,” he products, and “they turned for a different product. You started checking it out and HART said. out pretty well.” SEE PAGE 2 won’t see yourself walking one day went to the craft He made them for When his grandson, 2 - Weekend, June 5-6, 2010 Local LaGrange Daily News Man get 18 years for robbery attempt I Obituaries A LaGrange man was unoccupied house in the sentenced to 18 years in I Public safety 100 block of Laura Drive Information for obituaries is written prison Friday after he and also tried to break into and provided by funeral homes and worth $175 from a 1986 family members of the deceased. pleaded guilty to an Ford Tempo, a radiator the house. attempted armed robbery worth $75 from a 1988 at PCA Package Store on Lincoln Town Car and a Hogansville Road. radiator worth $75 from Man charged with Alton Maurince Holston, an 1989 Lincoln Town panhandling 31, demanded money Car. A man was charged with from a store clerk on April I A cab driver said a soliciting alms outside the 2, 2009, but the clerk 1010 Mooty Bridge Road man fled without paying a Shell Mart at 505 Vernon LaGrange, GA 30240 attacked him with a ball- $12 fare in the area of St. after police found him (706) 884-8636 point pen and Holston fled Park Avenue and Elm asking patrons for gas Condolences may be expressed at: in a vehicle, said Chief Street.