What's ahead this week:
-Oct. 18: Meeting called to cancel meeting: A Cartersville City Council meeting has been called for Monday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. to vote on the resolution that would cancel the regularly scheduled council meeting that would normally take place on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. Reason: lack of quorum.
-Oct. 18: Bartow County Democratic Party will meet at 7 p.m. at IHOP Restaurant, 640 East Main St.
-Oct. 20: Motivational speaker Marcus Engel will be presenting his story to students at the North Metro campus of Chattahoochee Technical College on Wednesday. Engel, who will share his extraordinary story of recovery after being blinded and catastrophically injured by a drunk driver, was invited by CTC's Disability Services in recognition of Disability Awareness Month. Click.
The Buzz of Northwest Georgia. Click
-Business Buzz: Mi Alazan applies for beer-wine-liquor license as restaurant prepares to open at Central Plaza. New look for mall website. Want to be foursquare friends?
-Downtown survey: Giving Rome, other cities tools to ensure success.
-Surprising early voter turnout for low-key local elections.
-Chiaha welcomes 120 artists; reaches out on Facebook, too.
-Peaks & Valleys: Top teachers, senior meal deals?
Sunday's Bartow County Jail reports. Click and Click
Your latest forecast:
-Monday: high of 79, low of 42. (Normal high, 71; record, 87 in '38)
-Tuesday: high of 81, low of 49, 30% rain chance overnight.
-Extended forecast: Click / Regional radar: Click
Norman Arey's sports commentary. Click
-Did the usually unflappable Spurrier get flapped? The ACC is coming on strong.
John McClellan's high school football picks. Click
-Week nine posts Tuesday.
-Next up: Oct. 23, at Harrison High, vs. Cumberland, Ky. 1:30 p.m.
Rome Braves/State Mutual Stadium. Click Sports
-Oct. 23: Montgomery Gentry concert.
-Nov. 12: Braves Celebrity Shootout golf match.
Early turnout strong despite quiet local election scene:
-Just over two weeks remain in one of the most low-key local elections in recent memory. Few candidates face opposition Nov. 2 as most races were decided in the Republican primary in July. (Candidate Q & As)
-Exactly two races will be decided by Floyd-only votes: A county commission race (Eddie Lumsden vs. Rick Garrett) and House District 13 (Katie Dempsey vs. Bonny Askew).
-Still, you'll see a 10-screen ballot when you vote this year, mostly because of statewide races and the amendments/referendums.
-More than 100 people voted "early" at the county elections office on Thursday, something of a surprising number given how slow the 2010 local campaign season has been. Early voting continues there this week, with the second polling station, at the Rome Civic Center, open from Oct. 25-29. No early voting Nov. 1.
-Local debates and forums have been low key so far, with another event--a combined Rome NAACP/Rome Tea Party political forum at 6 p.m. Thursday at the civic center--yet to go.
-The major draw of the general election is the governor's race, a massive mudslinger of a race highlighted by Democrat Roy Barnes and Republican Nathan Deal. Also on the ballot Libertarian John Monds and write-ins David Byrne and Neal Horsley. Our guess: Watch for a runoff in the governor's race.
-Sample ballots/information: Floyd / Bartow / Gordon / Polk / State
Business Buzz
-Mi Alazan applies for liquor pouring license: The new Mexican restaurant coming to Central Plaza seeks a beer, wine and liquor pouring permit before Rome's Alcohol Control Commission later this month. Mi Alazan is a sister location to the usually buzzing El Alazan on Wax Road off Ga. 101 in Silver Creek. The new windows facing Second Avenue are in and renovations continue on the exterior.
-New look, focus for mall website: Urban Retail Properties has put a new look and touches on the Mount Berry Square website. Smartest move: Top rightside position of the mall's social media efforts, Facebook and Twitter. Mount Berry continues to be a local leader in getting the word out about sales and promotions via social media.
-Speaking of social media: Hometown Headlines continues to expand, this time on foursquare. Become "friends" at http://foursquare.com
The above image is the cover for the questionnaires and surveys going on in 13 Georgia communities, including downtown Rome. The goal: Recommendations to keep cities and downtowns successful.
Survey's goal: Give Rome, other cities 'tools necessary to support vibrant downtowns well into the future.'
By Natalie Simms
nsimmshh@att.net
Rome is one of 13 cities across the state chosen to participate in a comprehensive study of downtowns in Georgia. The joint project by the Georgia Cities Foundation, the Georgia Municipal Association and the University of Georgia's Fanning Institute ultimately will result in policy recommendations to help keep cities and downtowns successful into the future.
"They are taking a look at what factors come into play to create a successful downtown," says Ann Arnold, Director of Rome's Downtown Development Authority. "They will then take all of these recommendations and develop policies for various government agencies."
Arnold says the project started with surveying more than 1,000 folks statewide and then 13 communities were selected for more in-depth participation. Rome is now in the process of conducting the targeted community surveys with an intern from UGA's Fanning Institute.
The DDA's board along with various community leaders including the city manager, city commissioners, visitors' bureau staff, etc., are participating in the downtown survey.
"The study will include an assessment of concerns about downtowns across the state, as well as the identification of what can be done to support downtowns and to ensure that they are healthy and vibrant for future generations," says Perry Hiott, managing director of the Georgia Cities Foundation. "This initiative will attempt to take the pulse of downtowns and to develop policy recommendations that will provide cities with the tools necessary to support vibrant downtowns well into the future."
Arnold says the surveys should be completed in the next couple of weeks. The project's goal is to have all the findings and policy recommendations compiled by the end of the year.
"It will be interesting to hear the findings and I hope they will create some additional incentives on the state level," she says. "I know one of the things that have benefited us over the last six to eight years has been the low interest loans for business owners. We really need that to continue."
Downtown certainly is vital to Rome's economy. Since the first of the year, 71 jobs have been created downtown including a host of new businesses including Johnny's New York Style Pizza, the Greener Burger and Bussey's Florist. And on the way: Mellow Mushroom.
46th edition of Chiaha draws more than 120 artists
-Arts, crafts, food, hot apple cider and entertainment headline the 46th edition of the Chiaha Harvest Fair this Saturday and Sunday at Ridge Ferry Park, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
-What to wear: That's the official festival T-shirt to the right designed by Monica Sheppard. $10 for T-shirts; $12 for long sleeved. They'll be on sale at the festival.
-Admission: $5 for adults; $4 for seniors/students; kids under 12, $1.
-Meet the 120 artists. Click
-Who's on stage this year: Saturday and Sunday. Click
-Follow this year's festival via Facebook. Click
Go, Rome Rangers! (Well, OK, Texas Rangers but ... )
-Baseball fans are hearing some familiar names in the Yankees-Rangers American League Championship Series. It wasn't that long ago that Texas Rangers' outfielder Jeff Francoeur was a member of the 2003 South Atlantic League champion Rome Braves. Or that Elvis Andrus (right) was tumbled onto the field at State Mutual Stadium as part of another Rome team. Until late July, a third former Rome star--catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia--wore a Rangers' uniform; he's now with the Boston Red Sox organization.
PEAKS & VALLEYS: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
Peak to Michelle Plemons Sanders, a third-grade teacher at Garden Lakes Elementary, selected last week as the Floyd County Schools Teacher of the Year for 2011.
Peak to the second Softball Slam at State Mutual Stadium: What a great way to use the stadium in the Rome Braves' off season. The teams were there to have fun--and it showed. Here's hoping for a third round.
Valley to lack of senior-sized meals at restaurants: One of our local favorites couldn't accommodate a request for a small-portion dinner Saturday night. Of course, we got a take-home box for the leftovers. But why not offer something for those 70 and older who don't want or need the full meal deal?
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