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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 01 > Entry
Richard Petty a big hit as Santa’s chauffeur
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Each holiday season, the folks who turn up at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro secretly wonder how the resort’s annual Lighting of the Lodge celebration will top itself. In past years, Santa Claus has arrived via hang glider, hot air balloon and on the back of a seven-ton Marine Corps truck.
On Monday, folks were still discussing last week’s lighting ceremony when approximately 3,000 attendees watched as Santa arrived in a 1959 Chevy Impala convertible. His chauffeur? NASCAR legend Richard Petty.
So which celeb resulted in a bigger swarm of fans?
“The kids were trying to get closer to Santa and the adults were trying to get closer to Mr. Petty,” Lodge rep Liza Kubik told Buzz Monday. “I would say their legendary status is equal. It was a complete surprise for everyone.”
“A friend of a friend” got Petty to the participate in the 7th annual charitable event at the middle Georgia tourist attraction.
As for our obvious follow-up question, Kubik told us: “Yes, Mr. Petty and Santa cruised up within the legal speed limit.”
This holiday season, Pecan Pie Couture designer Clint Zeagler and Sandpiper boutique owner Melissa Murdock are collaborating for a good cause. The result: a timely, limited-edition hand-screened T-shirt with the saying: “Peace is Always in Fashion.”
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the $38 shirts will go to the nonprofit Soul Changers, a Marietta-based charity for women and children in need.
“Soul Changers is trying to raise money for a house, and that’s where we thought we could step in and help,” Murdock tells Buzz. The shirts are now on sale in both her Vinings Jubilee and City Walk shops and online at shopsandpiper.com.
“It was fun to collaborate with Melissa on something,” Zeagler said. “We wanted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the peace sign and create something fun for daughters to give their moms and vice-versa. Plus, we figured this year everyone needs a little peace!”
Since each shirt is made by hand individually, each one is slightly different.
Even though she’s donating retail space and resources for the 120 peace sign shirts in stock, Murdock remained upbeat even as word spread that we’re now officially in a recession.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she cracked. “There’s something wrong with the economy?! Let’s just say we’re all working a little harder this holiday.”
Elton, Billy back on road
Tickets go on sale this Saturday for the return of piano men Elton John and Billy Joel’s “Face 2 Face” tour, at Philips Arena March 14.
The announcement was made Monday during a press conference downtown. Philips Arena president Bob Williams said the duo’s first sold-out tour together back in 1994 included a stop at the Georgia Dome.
Remarkably, tickets this time around will range from $55.50 to $181 (at Live Nation and Ticketmaster outlets) — almost the same price range as the last time they were in town in 2002 (those tickets went for $47 to $177). Promoter Peter Conlon told Buzz that the music legends were very aware of the troubled economy in the pricing — even in a situation where a sellout is virtually guaranteed.
Putting the brakes on ‘Busted’
For the debut episode of the new Speed network series, “Busted Knuckles,” host Rich Ragains flew to Atlanta to get some dirt under his fingernails at Delta Air Lines. In the episode set to air on the all-mechanics, all-the-time network on Dec. 3, Ragains gets to help change the brakes on a Boeing 777 aircraft.
“Rich adds a colorful twist by using a witty mix of humor and curiosity as he experiences the grimy, passionate, and sometimes bloody world of the American gearhead,” explained producer Brad Kimmel in a statement sent to Buzz Central. “Rich puts himself in some very interesting situations.”
Still, Buzz would have rather that Ragains had tackled something a bit more arduous during his Delta outing. Perhaps taking a crowbar to all the carry-on luggage crammed into those overhead compartments by travelers who inexplicably need to haul every single one of their possessions on board?
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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