WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
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PHOTO BY MAGGIE BOWERS
The Newnan Chick-fil-A Dwarf House is being demolished to make way for a new Truett’s Chick-fil-A which is set to open sometime this summer.
Dwarf House demolition is end of era Temporary drive-through opens Saturday By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com An era came to an end Thursday with the demolition of the N e w n a n C h i c k- f i l -A D w a r f House. The restaurant opened in 1993 to great fanfare – literally. The Newnan High School marching band performed for the grand opening. It was the biggest thing to come to Newnan in quite some time. When the store opened, it sat alone on that side of Bullsboro Drive. Burger King wouldn’t be built until two years later. What’s now the Newnan Crossing Shopping Center and Ashley Park was nothing but trees. There wasn’t even a Newnan Crossing Bypass – just a short stub of a road that provided access – the only access at the time – to the Dwarf House. The entrance on Bullsboro didn’t open until years later, and the bypass didn’t open until the early 2000s. Gayle French Butler was one of the first employees at the Dwarf House, while she was a student at Newnan High School. “I remember them telling us all of that land that was going to be developed. All I could think was – no way. Since we had to go to Fayetteville for bowling and skating, and Shannon Mall for the movies. “Now I complain about going four lights down,” she said with
a wink. “I remember asking why we did n’t have a playg rou nd. They said, ‘We don’t need it. We have a small door.’ They weren’t kidding.” T he Dwa rf House w i l l be replaced with a new restaurant concept – Truett’s Chick-f il-A. It’s not a Truett’s Grill, nor a Truett’s Luau, according to sources close to Ch ick-f i l-A . No off icial details were available other than the name and the fact that the little red Dwarf door – which was removed before the building demolition began Wednesday – will return. Truett Cathy is the late founder of the Chick-fil-A chain that his family still runs. His original Hapeville restaurant was nicknamed the Dwarf House. Demolition began Wednesday morning for the Newnan landmark, with parking lot work and mostly interior demolition. Before the construction fence went up, a few random motorists could be seen driving into the parking lot – then leaving. Ci ndy L eopa rd wa s outside the Dwarf House Wednesday to watch the demolition. It’s been a special place to her family. Leopard’s son has autism, and when they first started coming to the Dwarf House, he was 8-yearsold and non-verbal. He started
DEMO, page 2
PHOTO BY MAGGIE BOWERS
Runners take off for the 5K run in the 2016 RACE for the Orphans.
Local RACE helps multiple families adopt
By MAGGIE BOWERS maggie@newnan.com Kelly and Jason Preston organized Newnan’s first charity run to help fund adoptions for local families in 2013, one year after adopting their fourth child, Jenna, from China. Now, five years later, the Prestons have helped several families in Coweta County to bring home infants and children both domestically (locally) and internationally. The first RACE for the Orphans was held April 2013, and though the run wielded little overall profit, Kelly Preston said she was overwhelmed by local support for the organization. “We knew from that moment, that this was our family ministry,” Preston said. “It was so overwhelming to see the community come together and to have such excitement about bringing our little girl home.” Preston recalled that it was in the midst of planning the first event that she came up with what would later become an acronym for RACE. “I’ll never forget sitting outside with my children on the morning before the first run and talking about the ministry and
the event,” Preston said. “It was then that we thought of what RACE could stand for. Raising Awareness, Compassion and Education for orphans. For the Prestons, the process of adopting Jenna took a total of 17 months, a length of time surprisingly common when adopting a child from China. Preston said international adoption is an amazing experience, but one that takes time and money. “I have found though that people want to help,” Preston said. “There is a way. If you don’t ask, you may be denying not only yourself a blessing, but denying those that are called to help with an even bigger blessing.” RACE for the Orphans has helped six families with both expenses and community support during the adoption process. The children who have been placed in loving homes in Coweta with the help of the RACE community include those from China, Ethiopia, and the U.S. Though some of the local families no longer live in the county, a few have offered updates on their lives and the lives of their adopted children.
RACE, page 3
Cannabis oil expansion passes last day of legislative session Just after noon on Thursday, the Georgia General Assembly gave final passage to a bill expanding the conditions that can be legally treated with a medicine derived from marijuana. T he Georgia Senate voted 45- 6 to approve the final version of Senate Bill 16. Now SB 16 goes to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature. It was the last day of the 2017 General Assembly session. The bill passed before the Senate recessed for lunch – instead of being
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Critics have argued more scientific testing of medical efficacy was needed first. “Georgia has decided to lead the way in autism treatment,” said advocate and parent Dale Jackson in a Facebook video Thursday afternoon. Jackson, a Troup County resident, has been advocating to have autism as an approved condition since 2015. His son, Colin, has severe autism. Jackson thanked legislators who helped the bill achieve passage, the
down to the wire in the final minutes of the session. Under t he bi l l, t reat ment w it h medication containing cannabidiol, a component of marijuana, as well as small amounts of THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana, and a THC acid, is allowed for five new conditions: severe autism in children and any form of autism in those over 18, the skin disease epidermolysis bullosa, and severe or end-state AIDS, Tourette’s Syndrome and peripheral neuropathy. The bill also allows CBD oil to be used by anyone under hospice care.
By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com
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