Notable
By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer | Published April 28, 2011
Students at St. Jude the Apostle School, Atlanta, will be well represented at the upcoming world finals of the Odyssey of the Mind competition.
At the Georgia competition, on Saturday, April 16, the school placed three first-place teams among 15 coveted spots to attend the world finals in Maryland during Memorial Day weekend.
Some 21 students, from the third, fourth and fifth grades, will be competing, said Cathy Clipson, a substitute teacher who introduced the school to the creative, problem-solving competition a few years ago.
Last year, one team qualified for the state contest and this year, four made it, she said.
“This year just blew us away. We are so excited,” she said.
St Jude School is the only school from the archdiocese representing Georgia at the Memorial Day contest.
Members of Transfiguration Church, Marietta, celebrated one of its parishioners achieving the rank of brigadier general.
General Bill Duffy and his family were recognized for this promotion with enthusiastic applause. Following Mass, more than 400 people gathered in Bishop Hall to roast and toast the new general while enjoying pulled pork and trimmings prepared by the parish social committee.
Duffy assumed duties as the deputy chief of public affairs in late 2010. He assists developing strategy for running the Army’s Public Affairs Enterprise. As senior reserve officer, Duffy provides oversight to the Reserve public affairs community and advises the chief on the most effective investigation of the Reserve component.
Prior to this assignment, Duffy served as the director of the Joint Intelligence Operations Center for the Unites States Forces-Afghanistan, in Kabul, Afghanistan. This multi-national organization provided in depth analysis in direct support of the commander, International Security Assistance Force.
The Duffys have been active members of the parish for 16 years. The general’s wife, Jody, established the Post Abortion Treatment and Healing (PATH) Ministry in the parish. They have three sons: Alex, a West Point Academy graduate, is a captain in the Army, now learning Persian; Paul, a Georgia Tech graduate, is an Army lieutenant; and Andy, a University of Georgia graduate, is studying in Knoxville to be a physician’s assistant.