This week's Buzz (click)
>Lights! Cameras! Questions! Lot of 'Q's' about Silver*Ware Studio
>Are more video-grabbing Democrats due at Dempsey's meeting?
>Order up: Five Guys Burgers & Fries opens today at former Schlotzsky's
>Peaks & Valleys: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
WeatherCenter
>High of 96, heat index of 99 and 20 percent rain chance> WeatherCenter
>Rain due Tuesday-Thursday; temperatures could ease a bit
>A closer look at the heat index
Also today:
>Guide to what's on our other sites today> Index
>What's ahead in Rome/Floyd County> Calendar
>Gas prices at $4 a gallon in Northwest Georgia--and climbing> Gas
Sports
>Norman Arey's Sports:Belmont coverage not as easy as ABC (TV); meet the millionaires next store> Arey
>Braves fall, 5-2, to Catfish; series winds up tonight> Sports
Traffic
>Tuesday/Todd Street will be closed northeast of Burlington Road near the Floyd County remote garbage collection site from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Downtown Headlines
>No parking at Forum; DDA meeting set for Thursday> Downtown Headlines
Gas watch/Local prices climb again (updated 6/8)
>Statewide average 'steady' at $3.96: A year ago, we were paying $2.96 for a gallon of unleaded. Today, he state average is at $3.96, up four cents June 1.
| Bartow | Chattooga | Floyd | Gordon | Polk | Georgia | |
| Range | $3.80- $4.15 | $3.89- $4.02 | $3.87- $4.02 | $3.88- $4.06 | $3.91- $4.00 | $3.96 |
| Links | Cartersville | Summerville | Rome | Calhoun | Cedartown | State |
Lights! Cameras! Questions! Movie studio reviewed
Few topics light up our e-mail inbox as did Silver*Ware Studio's plan Thursday night and Friday.
Up for debate were overall financing to buy the nearly 500 acres across from Berry College; the reported $1 billion economic impact; the context and form of the company's media release and Web posting; a location that seems to conflict with the planned Armuchee Connector; and other tidbits.
The company's announcement (click) caught some of those involved in the land deal off guard as well. They were surprised the project had been leaked to the media--only to find out the leak was in fact a rupture put out on the Web by the company and quickly harvested by Google's search dogs.
We're scheduled to hear more from Silver*Ware's Kimberly Ware, executive vice president of corporate communications, later today.
As for the initial response: Perhaps Northwest Georgia has soured on big development plans after too many "near misses." The list includes Cabela's hasty exit in Adairsville to the proposed MythFaire mythology theme park near Cartersville a few years back. And don't forget the ups and downs of numerous proposed homes for Rome/Floyd County's "first" Publix, Target, Best Buy, Cracker Barrel, Dick's Sporting Goods, PetSmart and who knows what else.
Travis Ware of Silver*Ware has a dream and a plan. He apparently has found the land he wants to build a massive studio targeting every level of film/video entertainment. There's certainly a demand to be met as entertainment moves to personal computers and laptops and smart phones in addition to movies and cable.
Our take: If Ware clears the first hurdles (land purchase), he's got a shot at stardom. Indeed, the studio's creation might just be the subject of a movie of its own one day. But big hurdles and a lot of convincing remain.
Politics/Speaking of video, will camera-packing Dems be there?
State Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, has a transportation-themed meeting set for Saturday, co-starring Transportation Commissioner David Doss and state Rep. Donna Sheldon out of Gwinnett County. The session begins at 10 a.m. at the senior center at 406 Riverside Drive.
Dempsey's meeting last month was videotaped by local Democrats, a practice seen at some of the local debates in recent years. So is a sequel on the way?
The "town hall" meetings put together by Dempsey have been branded as strictly politics by Democrats as have some of her office mailers. Look for the Dempsey vs. Bob Puckett campaign of 2008 to be as tight as the original in 2006.
Perhaps those cameras should be rolling; this would make a great reality series.
Five Guys Burgers & Fries opens
Our drive-by Saturday of the new Five Guys Burgers & Fries ended at the yellow tape around the entrances and exits. A quick phone call yielded the answer: "We open this Monday." Today is that day and starting at 11 a.m., one of the nation's hottest burger experiences opens in Rome.
The two-time Schlotzsky's location at Midtown Crossing is home to Five Guys. You can't miss the red letters and white background. If you do, simply watch traffic along Shorter Avenue near Horseleg. You can bet the lines will be long--inside and out--for the next few weeks.
Our advice if you go: a "regular" burger will fill even the bigger appetites and be sure to share the fries. One bag accommodates two customers quite easily. And sample the ample supply of peanuts. They're almost worth a visit on their own. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. seven days a week. Menu: Click Here
So when does that Steak N Shake place open again?
Peaks & Valleys: The highs, lows of Northwest Georgia
Peak to Coosa Valley Technical College and college supporters: The $2.5 
million Education For Work Foundation Campaign not only accomplished its five-year mission in slightly more than 19 months, it topped the mark by $24,000--and counting. "I don't think in anyone's wildest dreams did we anticipate the goal would be reached in such a short period of time. That is a tribute to what Coosa Valley Tech means to the people and businesses and industries in Floyd, Gordon, and Polk counties," said Bob Berry, CVTC foundation board trustee. We agree.
Valley to the creators of 'Operation Rolling Thunder:' So let's assess this objectively--more than 100 troopers, et al, clog northbound Interstate 75 near Cartersville to enforce speed limits in a very dangerous stretch of road on a Monday. At a time when local law enforcement is forced to decrease patrols because of gas prices and motorists are fuming over dollars lost idling in clogged metro Atlanta traffic, someone decides to stage a gas-wasting publicity stunt. How about putting those 100 patrol units on a massive crackdown on speeding and reckless driving instead? We consider it a rolling thud, not thunder.
Valley to DOT, contractors on the new rail bridge over Martha Berry: So, months later, the railroad and others discover some of the bolts being used on the new bridge are not up to specs? Where was such oversight in the design and procurement stage? Now we're ponying up another $90,000. For once, can we get a project done right and on time? Or does DOT stand for "Delaying Our Traffic"?
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