WGTC Marks First Year Since Merger
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More than 50,000 participate in Sunday’s Peachtree Road Race. Page 9 LaGrange Daily News MONDAY 50 cents July 5, 2010 lagrangenews.com Tomorrow’s ‘It’d be nice to have weekends to go cut the grass’ WGTC weather marks first High 90 Low 68 year since Mostly sunny merger From staff reports A year ago, an unprecedented merger between two institutions Today’s artist: Jada Grant, introduced the new West Georgia third grade, Franklin Forest Technical College to LaGrange. Elementary School. With five campuses serving seven counties, the expanded West Geor- Community gia Tech is the second-largest tech- nical college in Georgia-and grow- ing. The LaGrange Sym- At the one-year anniversary of phony Orchestra’s the merger, college officials 2010-11 season will reviewed the changes and looked feature classic selec- to the future. tions from a variety of “Our main goal during the merg- composers, perform- er was to improve the student ances from noted experience,” said LaGrange cam- soloists, the LaGrange pus director Tony Jones. “We’ve premiere of Lee John- invested $1.5 million in the son’s acclaimed Dead LaGrange campus in this first year Symphony No. 6 and alone. From upgrades to the secu- the inaugural perform- rity and HVAC systems to new flat- ance of the symphony screen technology in all the com- chorus. mon areas, we’re making sure that PAGE 3 we exceed the expectations of every student, employer, instructor Nation and staff member who walks through the doors.” To that end, the programs like welding, automotive technology, and nursing have received new equipment and upgrades in learn- Trey Wood / Daily News ing labs. The commercial truck Long Cane Middle School principal Chip Giles displays copies of his recently published book, ‘The driving program saw its entire fleet Conch Killers.’ Giles is a self-published author who looks to publish a lot more in the future. replaced with new vehicles. Elsewhere on the LaGrange cam- Although using a cell pus, improvements include new phone while driving Educator is do-it-yourself author signage and lighting, furniture has drawn more atten- upgrades, and 300 new computers By Trey Wood tion, pedestrians are was in class, I went and sat in moting his novel, and it takes up in classrooms and labs. Other Staff writer also suffering the con- the library.” a large amount of his time when changes benefit the community he’s not being an educator. sequences of mobile In a world of do-it-yourself A love of sailing, adventure beyond the college, like the reno- “I need weekends now, need distraction – tripping attitudes and abilities, almost no and Key West, Fla., brought him vations to the Callaway Conference to some of Florida’s greatest weekends to write, need week- on curbs, walking into goal is out of reach. Center and the return of child care Want to write, record and crime writers, such as Carl ends to go do book writings,” he traffic, even stepping to the WGTC LaGrange East Cam- make money off your own rock Hiaasen, John B. MacDonald said. “It’d be nice to have week- into manholes as they pus, through a partnership with album? You can do it, without a and personal hero Tim Dorsey. ends to go cut the grass every chat or type while Community Action for Improve- record company. All wrote stories involving pro- now and then.” walking. To help these ment. Want to film your own movie tagonists with extreme levels of Marketing is a big part of “It’s not just the facilities and sidewalk stumblers in high definition and have it character, part of the reason being self-published, and Giles equipment,” said Perrin Alford, step out more safely, seen by family, friends and Giles became so enthralled with has no one doing it for him. His WGTC Provost. technology companies strangers all over the world? You the writing style. signings are set up on his own “We’ve made inno- are now stepping in, can do it, without a major “That’s kind of a hallmark of time when he can schedule vative partnerships creating applications motion picture group. the south Florida crime fiction them, and he’s got to hound with other colleges that do everything A Troup County school princi- genre is these over-the-top, out- bookstores to solidify his sign- and universities to from make a smart- pal wanted to do something sim- landish characters,” he said. “If ing days. offer our students phone screen trans- ilar in scope. He didn’t want to you’re bad, you’re really bad. If Thanks to the digital age, he more options and parent to transform make a movie or write his own you’re a buffoon, you’re a real sees a lot more online sales with value in the educa- devices like Apple’s iPad and speech into text. album, but some might think the moron. Everything is extreme, tion they receive PAGE 5 Amazon’s Kindle allowing read- goal would be just as much out and (there’s) a lot of humor in Alford here. We’re always ers to do their reading without of reach. their writing. And I was loving looking for new ways to expand on books in hand. State Long Cane Middle School it. I ate it up.” that.” “Amazon can buy my books principal Chip Giles is a do-it- He’s not writing or marketing In the past year, West Georgia cheaper than I can buy my for his middle-schoolers, how- Tech has signed articulation agree- Georgia’s budget mis- yourself, published author. He books. It’s just the way it is,” he ery is only expected to already published a compendi- ever. “The Conch Killers” is an ments with Kaplan University, Mer- said. “Amazon has changed this cer University, Brewton-Parker Col- grow worse next year. um of short sailing stories, and adult-aged novel with curse market. I’m telling you.” But there has been no now he’s an established writer words and violence, but he’s lege, Strayer University, Southern “If I sell a dozen books, that’s a Polytechnic State University, DeVry real talk among the with his own book, “The Conch already answered a few ques- good sign,” although it’s a far cry University and the University of leading candidates for Killers,” about two yacht enthu- tions from parents about it. from his goal of 10,000 book siasts and Army veterans help- “It does have words, and mid- West Georgia. governor of tax sales, which would make serious In April, WGTC signed an inno- increases to fill what ing bring back a rich man’s kid- dle schoolers don’t need to be publishing houses take him seri- napped daughter. reading those words,” he said. vative agreement with Columbus could be another $1 ously, as Tim Dorsey told him. State University and Columbus billion budget gap. It’s a story and a dream six “They need to be reading Harry For now, Giles will continue PAGE 4 years in the making, ever since Potter and Goosebumps and R.L. Tech, making it easier than ever for doing things his way. He’ll take students to pursue the education Giles’ wife, Kelly, started taking Stein and, heaven forbid, the pictures with everyone who buys that’s right for them. The agree- night classes at Georgia State Twilight books.” Opinion his book at a signing and give ment covers about 40 technical col- University in Atlanta. Coming up on his retirement them his personal bookmarks, lege courses where credit can be “I did not want her to have to from the National Guard, Giles Columnist John A. he’ll send them e-mails thanking transferred more easily to Colum- go drive there after work by her- is going to start spending more Tures looks at why them for their patronage, he’ll go bus State, with an emphasis on self, park, face that whole down- weekends writing and doing women candidates are core courses. town scene at night, so I went book signings. He’s traveled to winning at the polls. AUTHOR SEE , PAGE 2 PAGE 6 with her,” Giles said. “While she Atlanta and across Florida pro- WGTC SEE , PAGE 2 INDEX Calendar . 3 Marking the Fourth in youthful style Classifieds . 12-13 Comics . 7 Community . 3 Crossword . 7 International . 5 Local ........2 National . 5 Obituaries . 2 Opinion . 6 Sports . 9-11, 14 State . .4 TV Listings . 5 For home delivery, call (706) 882-5624 Printed on 100% recycled paper Vol 167 Issue 140 14 Pages Robyn Miles / Daily News The annual Sweet Land of Liberty Parade for Youth drew participants to downtown LaGrange on Saturday morning. The entry by Troup County Parks and Recreation, left, featured patriotic banners. At right, a large mockup of a medical bag was part of an entry by family members of parade grand marshal Dr. Joseph Almand, who met his first young LaGrange patients in 1967 when he filled in for the only pediatrician in town. 2 - Monday, July 5, 2010 Local LaGrange Daily News Fire damages house I Obi tuaries A fire Sunday morning caused an estimated I Public safety Information for obituaries is written and provided by funeral homes and family members of the deceased. $71,000 damage to the arm, elbow and shoulder. two-story home of The boy’s elbow had a Edwrick and Keishi Revell puncture mark on it, and at 134 Webb’s Way. he also had been struck Most of the fire damage under his arm.