The Buzz of Northwest Georgia:
-More restaurant changes on the way. One sale, one for sale.
-Car talk: AJC story on VW's pull means time to shift to overdrive.
-Are those smiles on local Realtors faces?
-Just like that, magazines appear hot again, at least in Northwest Georgia.
-GOP convention, JJ dinner: No real direction for 2010 politics.
Local Habitat for Humanity prepares for key anniversaries, new homes.
Peaks & Valleys: The highs, lows of Northwest Georgia
-A grand slam for local baseball on all levels.
-Chuck Clancy's take on GM earns national spotlight--and rightfully so.
-To our graduates: Ignore the 'no jobs' talk; make your own.
-As two more newspapers shift online, some advice: local, local, local.
WeatherCenter: Drier, cooler days ahead
-Monday: Sunny, with a high near 74. Gusts as high as 25 mph.
-Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39.
-Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 79. Gusts to 20 mph.
-Live radar views: Click The State or The Region
-For more, click WeatherCenter
Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable/brought to you by Riverside Toyota
-Georgia may have bitten off more than it can chew against Oklahoma Sept. 5>Arey
Rome Braves updates> Click sports
-Double dip begins at noon Monday; Sunday vs. Greenville rained out
-Mills Fitzner's latest game photos> Click
Three-Dot Buzz special: The Talk of the Town
Lots of 'table' talk: There's one restaurant deal (a sale) that has gone down in Rome/Floyd County with official word due soon. Another could be brewing based on ads on some Internet real estate sites although the owners claim no knowledge of them. The ads are specific and current, citing nearby amenities, so ... stay tuned.
Car talk (or is that name copyrighted?): A story in the weekend editions of the AJC nails it (click) regarding North Georgia's ties to the new VW plant in Chattanooga. There are both direct and indirect jobs spinning together as the walls literally go up on the new plant, and many of those jobs will go to North Georgia. The question is: Will our communities be aggressive enough to land these opportunities? Northwest Georgia, on several occasions, has been visited by suppliers and others tied to the new plant. It is time to shift that effort into overdrive as communities begin competing with one another to get a piece of the action.
Home talk: Yes, those are smiles on some Realtors' faces as they begin to see a thaw in home sales. Greater Rome Realtors saw a month-over-month uptick in home sales in April. Now comes word that the entry level and "short sale" markets are seeing some life. Even better: The $400,000 plus range has a little traction, too. Building remains slow but if some inventory continues to clear, look for a rebound.
-Realtors' sidebar: Chuck Scragg, a regional project manager in Community and Economic Development for Georgia Power, will speak to local Realtors at their noon Wednesday meeting at Coosa Country Club. Scragg helps new and existing companies considering relocation or growth. VW, anyone?
Media talk: Who says print is dead (well, specialty print, that is)? The magazine side of the business is showing some signs of local life. The folks at V3 just spun off a special issue, weddings, with ads and content directed at that market. Advertising Dynamics is hawking a twice-yearly arts thing, "enjoy." And there's talk of another magazine with a more niche focus in the works.
Campaign talk--or maybe a lack of talk. The state Democrats had their annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on Tuesday. Four candidates (declared or otherwise) were there, sparking a few threads of media coverage. The GOP's annual convention was in Savannah over the weekend with all the Republican gubernatorial hopefuls making the rounds. What failed to emerge from both meetings: Any clarity on the candidates and what's ahead in 2010. The just-convened session of the General Assembly underscored the state's dearth in leadership, which is why the governor's race has changed so dramatically. It's time for someone to step ahead from prepackaged, micromanaged politics and offer clear leadership.
Twin anniversaries this year for Rome's Habitat for Humanity
By Natalie Simms
As plans are coming together to celebrate Habitat for Humanity's 25th anniversary here, the organization is busy working on two houses and maintaining the new HomeMart location in Central Plaza.
"We will be getting together to plan our anniversary events soon," says Bruce Day, executive director. "We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary and the fifth anniversary of our HomeMart in August."
HomeMart recently moved to the former grocery spot at Central Plaza. Day says the new location has increased access and interest. The shop had been off Division Street in West Rome.
"The general public now knows where we are. They always had trouble finding us before," he says. "Our sales have increased and our donations have increased but now our concern is having enough volunteer help in the store."
Habitat's HomeMart accepts donations of furniture, appliances, building materials and quality home décor. Profits from the sales go back to Habitat for Humanity. The store is open for customers and donations Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours will expand in July to 6 p.m.
"Our business has more than doubled," Day says. "And we've noticed a perception change. I think people thought we just had low-end furniture but with our new location, we're getting a lot of new clients donating items. We're getting antiques and lots of great quality stuff, which is good for business."
Habitat for Humanity also is working on the 3rd Bi-Annual "Women's Build," a housing project primarily built by women who are involved in the planning, fund raising and construction.
"It is a wonderful way to get women engaged in Habitat for Humanity," Day says. "Women often feel they lack the skills to build but as they join in and work, they gain confidence."
This year's house, on Southern Street in North Rome, is expected to be completed at the end of June.
Volunteers also are putting the finishing touches on another house at 103 Euclid St. in North Rome. A dedication ceremony tentatively is set for June 7.
For more information about volunteering or for donations, please contact Habitat for Humanity at 706-378-0030. Or click Habitat
>Women Build 2009 sponsoring a 'Smoked Boston Butt' Fund-raiser: The butts will be available for Memorial Day weekend. The Knights of Columbus will be smoking the meat on Friday night and the butts will be available on Saturday from 10 a.m.– noon only at the HomeMart, 10 Central Plaza. The butts must be prepaid at $25 each (nine-pound average size). Purchasers will be given a ticket to redeem on Saturday morning.
PEAKS & VALLEYS: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
Peak to a great spring of baseball in Northwest Georgia. Both the Berry 
baseball team and Shorter softball team have made it far into the NAIA playoffs this season with more games to go. For Berry, it is the team's first trip to the NAIA World Series. Shorter's softball team bowed out after weekend competition. Also: Cartersville High is gunning for a second consecutive state AAA title. Calhoun is making a run in AA as is Darlington in single A. And the Rome Braves, after a lackluster 2008, are a half game out of first place as of this morning. All we can say is: Play ball!
Peak to Chuck Clancy of Chuck Clancy Chevrolet: You're heard his radio jingle countless times. "Whenever he gets his Irish up, Clancy lowers the boom (boom, boom, boom, boom...)." We got a great example of that Friday as Clancy commented on GM's ("government motors" as some call it) decision to yank his deal to sell their cars even though the contract lasts until October 2010. Clancy called it a cheap shot, an outright fumble and a mistake. Even more curious, he says, was the note he received a day earlier from Chrysler saying his deal with that automaker would continue. Back to GM: With a contract in hand, Clancy says his group is now studying whether they want to continue to do business with the troubled automaker. He's even quoted in USA TODAY. That's one big point for the small guy in our book. Lower that boom indeed.
Peak to our graduating classes from area high schools and colleges: Like you, we're tired of the stories about "graduates face bleak job outlook" and the like. Sure, the economy stinks -- but it is getting better. And these lemons we've found in the wake of the market's massive shake out are indeed being squeezed into a better-tasting lemonade. This is an excellent time for entrepreneurs to make their move and we hope some of our graduates are the ones leading the way.
Valley to the continuing loss of traditional newspapers: The Tucson Citizen (in the photo to the right, from the Citizen's Web site) is 
gone. The Ann Arbor News appears to be next. And it won't be long until some Georgia papers go online-only. Note to the newspaper industry: To survive, you need enhanced local content, detailed investigations (see the recent AJC piece on State Mutual and Oxendine) and overall substance. Slicing the staff and butchering the number of pages in each edition is about effective as a hair dryer battling an ice burg on the Titanic. Give people a reason to read the paper, not another excuse to cancel subscriptions.
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