This week's Buzz (click)
>Big moves off campus for Berry--and Shorter
>New venue, record submissions for fifth Rome film festival
>Political Buzz: Vernon Jones brings Senate campaign to town; meetings
>Three-Dot Buzz: New store, restaurant openings and changes
>Peaks & Valleys: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
Sports
>Norman Arey: Away games to tax Bulldogs; FSU president predicts college playoffs inevitable> Arey
>Tonight: Braves try to salvage a win this homestand> Home Plate Update
>Photos from Sunday's game by Mills Fitzner. Click Focus
WeatherCenter
>Sunny with a high of 85; rain possible tonight, Tuesday>WeatherCenter
Downtown Headlines
>20,000 due at The Forum as graduation season hits> Downtown Headlines
Gas watch/Prices almost stable since Friday (updated 5/18)
>Statewide average climbs to $3.76: A year ago, we were paying $3.04 for a gallon of unleaded and were fuming about it. This morning, the statewide average is at $3.76, up three cents since Monday.
| Bartow | Chattooga | Floyd | Gordon | Polk | Georgia | |
| Range | $3.40- $4.00 | $3.72- $3.86 | $3.74- $3.80 | $3.66-$3.90 | $3.72- $3.85 | $3.76 |
| Links | Cartersville | Summerville | Rome | Calhoun | Cedartown | State |
Big moves off campus for Berry, Shorter
In the August edition of the late Druck Report, we featured a cover story on Berry and Shorter colleges under the headline: "Colleges offering new major: Growth."
Last week, some of the moves telegraphed in that article popped up independent of one another.
The more concrete piece was Berry's pending sale of property fronting Martha Berry, the Bypass and Redmond Road for a new strip center. Berry Crossing is to feature a new CVS pharmacy, a new home for Wachovia's branch office and 19,000 more square feet of retail, restaurants, etc.
What's key: the comments from Danny Price, Berry's in-house general counsel, about the sale to MetroGroup. We repeat: "The college has been extremely proactive in managing the design and architectural details of this project. It is our expectation that should this development come to fruition, it will set a definitive standard for future development in the Martha Berry corridor."
Dr. Stephen Briggs, Berry's president, pressed that point in the magazine piece. "One vision is to enhance areas adjoining the campus by building on Berry's 'distinctive character and beauty.' The goal, he says, is for something 'high quality and intriguing' that draws people to Rome and 'encouraging others to play into that.' "
We've seen the footprints of Berry Crossing and are anxious to see the architectural renderings as well. Perhaps this project, coupled with Harbin Clinic's continuing work at the main office, will spur additional enhancement along Redmond's "Medical Mile" leading to Redmond Regional and Harbin's specialty clinics.
The project is up for its first review at Tuesday's zoning appeals meeting> Agenda
At Shorter College, the search continues for new quarters for several programs, says Dawn Tolbert, director of institutional relations. In the magazine article, Dr. Harold Newman, Shorter's president, told of efforts to look at sites off "The Hill" and perhaps in downtown Rome as the college grows.
The rumors have been nothing short of all over the place. Among them:
>Purchasing State Mutual Insurance's office (that's a $12 million investment)
>Moving into designed quarters in the West Third Street neighborhood.
>Rehabbing property in downtown Rome, preferably along Broad.
>And Friday's revelation of interest in a South Broad site (RNT). We're sorry but there's something just not right about a nursing school across from a cemetery, even a landmark such as Myrtle Hill.
Shorter's move will be definitive when it comes. A wise real estate investor should realize the college's presence would serve both as an anchor and a stimulus for contiguous development. (Translation: don't jack up the prices you want Shorter to pay; think of longer-term returns on such an investment).
Film festival gets different venue --and record submissions
The fifth annual Rome International Film Festival will not be using DeSoto Theatre this season. The reason: A conflict with the final weekend of Rome Little Theatre's "Alice in Wonderland," Sept. 5-7. This year's RIFF is Sept. 5-8.
No problem, say Harry Musselwhite, the event's artistic director. Heritage Hall is pitching in and the films will be scene there (which is a double bonus as RIFF is based at Heritage Hall these days).
Also, Musselwhite reports entries already are at a record level and the submission deadline is still more than a week away (June 1). RIFF's submission board has spent the past two weeks reviewing early entries (dramas, shorts, documentaries, animated genres).
Musselwhite also is in contact with potential opening night filmmakers, and things look great in that area, he says.
Finally look for awards night (Saturday this year) to be special. The 5 p.m. ceremony at Rome City Auditorium will be followed by the silent film "Phantom of the Opera" accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra of Cambridge, Mass. The group uses percussion, electronic and acoutic instruments.
Sponsors, note: The deadline for join RIFF 2008 is June 15. For more, click RIFF.
Campaign Buzz:
Senate hopeful Vernon Jones to address NAACP banquet in June: U.S. senate hopeful Vernon Jones, the chief executive officer of DeKalb County, is the headline speaker at the June 20 Freedom Fund Banquet of the Rome/Floyd County Unit of the NAACP. The theme of this year's banquet: Power, Justice, Freedom, Vote! The banquet will be held at the Rome Civic Center and tickets are $30 or tables of eight for $230. Ads in the program range from $5 (patron) to $100 (full page). Jones faces Dale Cardwell, Rand Knight, Josh Lanier and Jim Martin in the July 15 Democratic Primary. The winner faces incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss on Nov. 4.
Quick peek at the July 15 primary ballot: Gordon County's elections office continues to set the pace for others in our area. Shea Hicks and staff have posted the state and local ballots for Gordon's 23,504 registered voters (as of May 1). For the Democratic ballot, click Democrats. For the Republican ballot, click GOP.
What's next in local politics:
>Saturday/Floyd County GOP Breakfast Club, Western Sizzlin, 801 Martha Berry Highway, 8 a.m. Click Floyd
>Saturday/Bartow GOP to meet: 9 a.m. at Ryan's on U.S. 41> Bartow GOP
Three-Dot Buzz . . . :
Indeed, grand openings: At Prime Outlets in Calhoun, the new Ann Taylor Factory Store is now open, all 5,500 square feet of it (former Mikasa spot). Also new: Coach, Bath & Body Works, Lane Bryant, Petite Sophisticate, Ralph Lauren Polo and Children's Place . . .
>Outlets' new GM is a familiar name: Janet Paulsen, a longtime executive with Mount Berry Square, is now general manager of the Prime Outlets in Calhoun. Both are owned by PrimeRetail . . .
Also open for business: Stella Blu cosmetics boutique is up and running at RiverWalk, just down from Shane's Rib Shack. Inside the 1,200-square-foot sotre you'll find Cargo, Becca and related products . . .
Expanded hours, house band for Bistro 239: Bistro 239 at 239 Broad St. is expanding service hours beginning May 27. The lineup: Lunch, Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dinner: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 until 10 p.m. Also new: Pollard Greens is now the house band, playing Tuesday nights starting May 27 . . .
Samples from Peach Palace Grill & Bar menu (opens May 27)
More than a year in the making, Peach Palace Grill & Bar opens at 11 a.m. Monday, May 27. We stopped by Friday to sample a menu:
>Appetizers: Spinach dip, nachos, cheese sticks, fried calamari, fried pickles. Range: $3.99-$6.99
>Sandwiches: Burgers, BLT, Philly steak & cheese, grilled chicken wrap: $5.99-$7.99.
>Sides: Fried okra, red beans, mac and cheese, steamed veggies, etc. $1.29-$2.99.
>Entrees: Pastas, seafood, steaks, ribs, chicken tenders, ribs, fajitas, from $7.99 to $17.99.
>Kids: Burger, chicken fingers, grilled cheese: $3.99-$4.99.
>Desserts: Caramel apple walnut pie for $4.99 plus others to $5.99.
>Peach daiquiri, $6 (angelmariophoto.com) . . .
They've got spunk: We like aggressive marketing and we tip our hat to Greater Rome Bank. Even as news of the Shannon branch closure stirred, Greater Rome was ramping up an extended celebration of the Second Avenue office's 10th anniversary . . .
Peaks & Valleys: The highs, lows of Northwest Georgia
Peak to Unity Christian School's football program: The Rome school's continuing growth has scored another touchdown--literally. The football program gives middle schools at UCS, Berry and St. Mary's a critically needed sports option. It also continues a trend to unify key programs within the local private school community. And why not have a high school team in 2009? Go, team.
Valley to the RNT's editorial attacks on the DA: A smackdown editorial and a Mike Lester cartoon have the legal community buzzing about the Rome News' possible support of Republican Dan Morgan is this fall's showdown with incumbent Democrat Leigh Patterson on the Nov. 4 ballot. Some members of the criminal justice community, upon reading both items, wonder if there's something personal behind it all. Earlier prosecutions, perhaps? Or is it just a lot of "smoke?"
Valley to the apparent end of the line for the K98 bus: The rolling billboard for the late K98 is no more. The bus appears to have been stolen and perhaps junked for scrap metal. Oddly enough, it comes down around the second anniversary of the station's last live, local shows. The switch to WGPB and the public radio format came in June. There still isn't a week that goes by that we don't hear someone mention K98 and the staff. We (Hometown) still get "hits" referred to us from www.k98radio.com as well.
Peak to retiring Small Business Columnist J.C. Smith: Since our first issue in early 2004, J.C. Smith of the Gainesville office of the Small Business Development Center has been a regular contributor, supplying weekly words of wisdom for small business owners. Smith, a longtime friend, is retiring from the state and is running for tax commissioner in Hall County. We thank "The Cat" for his many contributions and wish him well in politics.
Peak to the Class of 2008: More than 20,000 people are due at local high school graduations in Northwest Georgia this week. That's awesome, and a fitting way to celebrate the achievements of the hard work and dedication of our graduates, their teachers and their parents. There is no better investment available than that in today's youth. We salute a lot of terrific kids today and those who helped them make it. All are graduates of distinction.
Extra peak to the parents of Woodfin graduates: Those driving on Chulio Road over the weekend saw a special sign at the Woodfin subdivision entrance, congratulating seven members of the Class of 2008. It is wonderful to see parents, relatives, neighbors and friends celebrating the milestone in such a great way. Nice touch!
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