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108 Coweta Living 2010-11

Coweta offers manyways for families to

connect with othersBy Nichole Golden

Coweta offers manyways for families to

connect with othersBy Nichole Golden

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Coweta Living 2010-11 109

urn off the TV and the Wii and have a fun family day. There’s

more than ever before for families to enjoy in Coweta.

Newnan’s YMCA has “family” in its name and is a place

where families and fitness meet. The Summit Family YMCA,

located at 1765 E. Hwy. 34 in Newnan, offers aquatics, tennis,

cardio theater, running and walking clubs and other fitness

programs. The YMCA’s Coach Approach program offers

New members Nick Fisher and his sons Caleb, 8,Brayden, 2, and Austin, 4, get ready to go insidethe YMCA in Newnan to work out and play.

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110 Coweta Living 2010-11

children are supervised by the

YMCA’s Child Watch staff.

Membership scholarships are

available to single parents, senior

citizens on a fixed income, or

families facing a job loss. The Y’s

teen outreach and summer camp

day programs also teach participants

individuals “yet to be fit” tailored

plans and coaching to help achieve

fitness goals. While moms and dads

are working out, or taking classes,

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Kids’ Castle Park

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Coweta Living 2010-11 111

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about character development and

making lasting friendships.

For details on the Summit

Family YMCA, visit

http://www.ymcaatlanta.org/Branch

es/SFY-Summit_YMCA/default.asp

or call 770-254-9622.

Participation in team sports can

be a great experience for children

and parents. In Coweta, team sports

for children and adults are offered

through the Coweta County

Recreation Department, and several

volunteer football, baseball and

softball associations. For more

information on the county’s

recreation programs, and links to the

associations including Sharpsburg

AABC Baseball, Senoia Little League

and the Coweta County Soccer

Association, visit www.coweta.ga.us.

Newnan’s Ashley Park is

becoming the hangout spot for

shoppers and window shoppers

alike. Coweta teen Nick Anderson,

who loves going to Ashley Park with

friends and family, says it has all the

components for a great day. “You

can go to watch a movie, then go out

to eat, there’s so many choices.

There are plenty of shops to go to.

Ashley Park has something to suit all

tastes,” said Anderson. Every

summer, the Regal Georgian 14

Theater at Ashley Park offers free

movies for families two mornings a

week. Barnes & Noble has free

storytime programs year-round.

Parents can tire out the kids with a

trip to the indoor playground,

Monkey Joe’s. Ashley Park holds

many special events during the

holidays, such as musical

performances at its anchor stores or

visits from Santa. The open-air retail

venue is located at 370 Newnan

Crossing Bypass.

Dive into a good book and

introduce your children to a lifelong

Enjoy the great outdoors at the

area’s parks and playgrounds.

Newnan Utilities’ Carl Miller Park is

a favorite among children for its

Kids’ Castle playground.

Little ones enjoy the NewnanCommunity TheatreCompany’s KIDS Camp.

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love of reading at any of Coweta’s

public libraries. Throughout the

year, the libraries have storytimes for

toddlers and older kids, as well as

book clubs for adults. The summer

reading programs feature great

entertainment from magicians to

musicians. The Central Library is

located at 85 Literary Lane in east

Coweta. The A. Mitchell Powell Jr.

Library is at 25 Hospital Rd. Senoia

has a branch library, and the

Grantville Library opens this year.

The City of Newnan’s Carnegie

Library is at 1 LaGrange St.

Take in a show or concert at the

Centre for Performing and Visual

Arts in Newnan. The Centre has free

art exhibits for families in its

galleries. The 2010-2011

performance lineup includes the

Annie Moses Band in December

2010, the Golden Dragon Acrobats in

January 2011, and the National

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The summer reading programs

feature great entertainment from

magicians to musicians.

Powers’Festival

A spring event atAshley Park

The Clydesdales visit Ashley Park

The Carnegie Library indowntown NewnanMagician and ventriloquist

Keith Karnok performs at theCentral Library.

112 Coweta Living 2010-11

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Coweta Living 2010-11 113

Player Theatre’s production of The

Scarlet Letter in March 2011. A series

of educational shows for children is

open to public and private school

students, as well as home-schooled

students. Shows for the 2010-2011

season include Anne of Green Gables,

The Rainbow Fish and Tales of a

Fourth Grade Nothing. The Centre is

located at 1523 Lower Fayetteville

Rd. in Newnan and is home to the

Masterworks Chorale and Centre

Strings. For details, visit

www.thecentreonline.net.

NCTC, the Newnan

Community Theatre Company, also

offers family productions and a

KIDS Camp each year. The Secret

Garden will be among the

productions to enchant young

patrons this fall. For this season’s

schedule or information on camps,

visit www.newnantheatre.org.

Enjoy the great outdoors at

the area’s parks and playgrounds.

Newnan Utilities’ Carl Miller Park

on Sewell Road in Newnan is a

favorite among children for its

Kids’ Castle playground. The park

also has a preschool playground,

a water splash feature and

walking trails.

The two-acre Greenville Street

Park is beautifully maintained by

the City of Newnan. It features a

small amphitheatre and quiet

picnic areas near the playground.

The city’s new pool at Willie

Lynch Park is also bound to

become a popular summertime

destination.

Families can enjoy the beauty

of the natural world with an outing

to Line Creek Nature Preserve,

operated by the Southern

Conservation Trust. Situated off

Highway 54 at the Fayette/Coweta

County line, the preserve has miles

of hiking trails. See the remains of

a Civil War-era bridge and

impressive granite outcroppings

along the rushing stream. Wade in

the shoals for a day of old-

fashioned fun. (Use caution as the

rocks are sometimes slippery.) The

trust’s website,

www.sctlandtrust.org, has

information on Line Creek and its

other community preserves.

Join a bowling league

coordinated by Junction Lanes of

Newnan, which has cosmic bowling,

glow-in-the dark mini golf and an

arcade. Leagues are offered for all

ages of bowlers – youth to seniors.

Learn about the leagues at

www.junctionlanes.com.

Coweta County has plenty of

seasonal fairs and festivals to enjoy

such as the Powers’ Festival held

each Labor Day weekend, and the

events of Main Street Newnan such

as Market Day and Taste of Newnan.

A calendar of events can be found at

www.explorecoweta.com.

Layla Hickman models an outfit by "Trendy Little Southern Girls" at lastyear’s Powers' Festival.

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