Dancing to Disney COMPILED BY JENNIFER J. HEWETT About 45 students participating in the DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts at Hooper Alexander (DESA) dance troupe were selected to perform at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom theme park and attend performing arts workshops in Orlando, Fla., last month. The Decatur-based collaborative dance troupe features third- through seventh-grade students performing dance styles including ballet, jazz, modern and ethnic dance forms. DESA is a K-7 performing-arts magnet school in Decatur, and the company has placed first, second and third at state, regional and national levels in the Applause Talent Presentations each year since 2002, as well as taking first place at the Showbiz Dance Competition. For more information on DESA, visit www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/~hooperalexander.
Not your typical pageant Since its beginning in 1958, more than 700,000 young women have participated in Georgia’s Junior Miss pageant, a part of America’s Junior Miss, this country’s oldest and largest scholarship program for college-bound young women. This year’s state finals are set for July 29 at the Centre for the Performing & Visual Arts in Newnan. Physical beauty does not factor into the scoring process of the GJM. Contestants are instead recognized for excellence in scholastics, talent, interviewing, fitness and self-expression. For more information, visit www.ajm.org/georgia.
Spot that cow! Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide are offering free meals July 14 to customers who come to the restaurant fully dressed as a cow as part of Cow Appreciation Day. The Atlanta-based company is the nation’s second-largest, quick-service chicken restaurant chain with more than 1,249 restaurants in 38 states and Washington, D.C. For more information and locations, visit www.chick-fil-a.com.
Advocates seek betterment of rural Georgia Interested in making your community a thriving place to live, work and play? Then mark your calendar for the 2006 Celebrating Rural Georgia Conference (CRG), set for Aug. 21-23 in Augusta. With a theme of “One Georgia, Many Dreams,” the conference will cover sessions on innovative agriculture; environmental stewardship; entrepreneur and small business resources; tourism and marketing; economic development; community development; historic preservation; fostering public-private partnerships; leadership development; nonprofit capacity building; rural health, education and human services; fine arts, leisure and recreation; communications technology; and infrastructure financing. Gov. Sonny Perdue will deliver the keynote address at the Aug. 23 closing lunch. CRG is a unique collaboration of public and private organizations committed to the betterment of rural Georgia. No other group in the state has such a broad base of volunteer support. CRG offers an opportunity for those who live and work in rural Georgia to come together for a common cause. CRG’s partners include state agencies, colleges from throughout Georgia’s university system, nonprofit community groups, city and county organizations, environmental advocates, economic development organizations, agricultural support groups and many others. The Georgia Rural Development Council provides staff support to assist CRG partners in their efforts to celebrate and share rural success stories, best practices and resources. For more information, visit www.celebratingruralgeorgia.org.
Georgia glimpses • A new effort aimed at helping Americans understand the importance of regular eye exams and vision screenings and the value of early detection, treatment and rehabilitation options was launched earlier this year in part with campaign partner Prevent Blindness America and held screenings in Georgia. For more information, visit www.preventblindness.org. • Atlanta Braves player Brian Jordan is seeking drawings for the cover of his book “I Told You I Can Play!” through an art competition for children ages 5-8. Jordan wrote the book about a 6-year-old’s quest to prove to his siblings and their friends that he can play with the older kids. Entries are due by Aug. 1; forms and rules are available at www.bojbooks.com/promotions. • Home-style expert Katie Brown and 200 volunteers from the Hands on Network are coming together to give extended assistance for Hurricane Dennis-stricken families in Cobb County to help in home repairs and cleaning. For more information, visit www.handsonnetwork.org. • Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club in Cordele launched The Marina At Lake Blackshear, a new facility containing 60 boat slips that allows guests to explore 9,000 acres of serene Lake Blackshear for fun, fishing, skiing and cruising. • The Stables at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris welcomed its first filly, Karohee, into the Brasstown Valley Resort family. The Stables provide the unique opportunity for Western-style horseback riding, customized group trail rides, hayrides and excursions through open fields and natural mountain trails. See www.brasstownvalleyresort.com for more. | 
