This week's Buzz of Northwest Georgia
>Grassroots season begins in Campaign 2008
>Who was where on a busy Saturday for local candidates
>Scott Center looks to exercise, healthy living to battle depression, obesity
>Three-Dot Buzz: New restaurant for Cave Spring; big news on Broad?
>Peaks & Valleys: Small Business center, SPLOST, Sonoraville Phoenix
The Football Report, brought to you by PrintWorks
>Rome ranked 10th in AAAA poll by AJC; Pepperell sixth in AA poll
>Coming Tuesday: John McClellan's high school picks (22-5 last week)
>A busy week ahead for high school, college football in Northwest Georgia. >Your complete guide> Football Report
Neighborhood Focus on South Rome kicks off today> Focus
Absentee voting begins today for Nov. 4; open to all> Vote
Weather Center
>This is fall weather? Mostly sunny, high of 84, low of 55 tonight.
>Extended forecast, EarthWatch and more> Weather Center
Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable, brought to you by Riverside Toyota:
>Midnight arrives for Cinderella East Carolina; what next for Vols, Seminoles? Click Norman Arey
Downtown
>Around round for the beer festival? That's the buzz so far> Downtown
Welcome to the grassroots phase of Campaign 2008
The only way you avoided colliding with a candidate on Saturday was by staying home.
Scratch that. At least two House candidates--Barry Loudermilk in the Chulio Road area and Bob Puckett in Garden Lakes--were knocking on doors.
Others were where most people were on Saturday:
>Downtown restaurants were fair game with either candidates (Puckett) or supporters (the Bryan Shealy T-shirts are in mass circulation).
>On downtown streets, strategically placed in front of Magretta Hall, were two trucks with big "bed" signs: One for Dan Morgan and one for Brian Barcomb.
>The Redneck Rummage Sale swamped State Mutual Stadium Saturday morning and among those on hand were a few candidates.
>The 7 Hills 3 Rivers Adventure Race drew a few of those running for office--and perhaps for fitness. The Alzheimers Walk at Berry College did, too.
>The Rome Beer Festival was a common ground for candidates, especially from the criminal justice side of the ballot. On hand (with bottled water) were Leigh Patterson and Jack Niedrach.
>Also on Saturday's agenda: the latest candidate's barbecue. Irwin Bagwell had a robust turnout with a lot of signs in supporters' hands as they left.
And they're just getting warmed up. You'll see them this week at:
>The GOP meetings in Rome and Cartersville this Saturday morning.
>Rome Young Republicans have trivia at Schroeder's/Armuchee, 7-9 tonight.
>Bartow Republicans are giving blood today from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at party headquarters, 162 Main St., Suite 106.
>Bartow Democrats are meeting tonight at 7 at The Meating Place, 485 E. Main St. Agenda: the upcoming election and volunteering.
The candidates' one-on-one intensity is deserved as absentee voting begins today for the Nov. 4 general election. Voters are being encouraged to vote early (absentee now or advance voting Oct. 27-31) because of the massive turnout expected.
The pace will pick up even more with three forums/candidate reviews set for October in addition to the upcoming Coosa Valley Fair, chili cookoff, Chiaha, Heritage Holidays events and high school football games.
And what's yet to come: a flood of mailers to be followed by robo calls.
Welcome to the peak of the 2008 general election cycle.
Scott Center urges exercise, nutrition to battle obesity, depression
With obesity rates among children and adolescents soaring, local parents have a new resource to help them fight the food battle. The Scott Center for Clinical and Exercise Psychology opened in Rome earlier this year and offers a "holistic" approach to treating anxiety, depression and obesity in all ages without the use of medications.
"Depression and obesity feed off of each other, so we have to deal with both," says Dr. John Azar-Dickens, founder of The Scott Center and a licensed clinical psychologist. "We integrate exercise and nutrition therapies into treatment for depression and anxiety. We address treatment for these with obesity in one program."
Azar-Dickens has been in practice since 2001. He holds a master's degree in Clinical Psychology and a master's degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, and a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology. He has completed more than 2,000 psychological evaluations with children.
Along with running The Scott Center, Azar-Dickens is on faculty at Berry College, teaching both psychology and exercise science (profile).
The Scott Center treatment team also includes Susan Geddes, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and Dr. Barbara Carter, Nutrition Specialist.
"We do a full evaluation on each patient that includes some psychological testing, metabolic testing and nutritional analysis. We also have an exercise psychology lab designed for patients to exercise in-house," Azar-Dickens says. "We help patients deal with any psychological problems so that they can stick with their exercise and nutrition plan."
Azar-Dickens says they work to find some type of exercise, usually walking, that interests patients. For children, he works to teach the parents how to exercise as well.
"We really teach a healthy lifestyle that they will maintain," he says. "We educate about healthy eating and help patients make small changes in their diets that produce results. We focus on the health of both the mind and body."
It is a philosophy Azar-Dickens heeds as well: He competes in triathlons and enjoys running marathons.
Patients do not need a physician's referral for services. Consultations can be scheduled by calling The Scott Center at 706-232-6743. The Scott Center is at 109 John Maddox Drive in Rome. For more, visit www.thescottcenter.com.
Photo, above left: Azar-Dickens, right, works with a patient to use metabolic testing to develop a precise exercise prescription.
Three-dot Buzz . . . :
Bennett's Steakhouse & Grill coming to Cave Spring: The family behind The Meating Place in Cartersville is opening Bennett's Steakhouse & Grill in the former fudge shop on the Cave Spring Square on or about Oct. 30. The Meating Place has been in Cartersville for more than 30 years and boasts of one option almost unheard og in today's restaurant business: it is alcohol free. The co-owner, Tracy Bennett, a Democrat, also is running for the District 31 state Senate seat now held by Republican Bill Heath. The seat includes parts of Bartow, Polk, Paulding and Haralson counties . . .
Something brewing on Broad Street? We've said it before--the potential for Broad Street is enormous and we think the really-going-to-happen Rome City Market and perhaps this new jazz club will help take a good thing (Broad Street/downtown) to a new level. We're again hearing whispers of something even bigger downtown. And we mean on the Broad Street side of the Oostanaula, not West Third Street or surrounding neighborhoods. We're anxious to see Opi's open in the former Waterfront venue (and glad to see the light on facing Second Avenue again) and hope this "next generation" project comes through. We might see one more casualty before this next phase but we hope not . . .
Three-dot surgery: A faithful friend of this Web site, who is a zealot for three-dot writing and is an occasional contributor, was felled by a not-so-sudden attack of appendicitis on Friday, was operated on that day, was mending on Saturday amid a sea of college football games, and was home again Sunday, computer in hand, with e-mails zipping out to family, friends and businesses. They don't build 'em that tough these days . . .
PEAKS & VALLEYS: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
Valley to the closing of the Small Business Development Center: This has been a mess behind the scenes. To be frank, we don't care who started the mistake of shutting down the Small Business Development Center. We want to know who's stepping up to help resurrect it. We urge Georgia Highlands, the SBDC and our local lawmakers to find a way to save the program. We understand tight times and budget cuts and priorities. We find it baffling that we can find money for pedestrian bridges and the like, and yet cut critical services to the lifeblood of our local economy, small business. Politicians, note: Do you want this to close on your watch, six weeks out from the election? This is a time for leadership.
Peak to Floyd County voters: We heard the same cries--"not another SPLOST!" We indeed are awash in "special purpose local option sales taxes" in Floyd County, so much so that work usually begins on the next one even as voters decide the fate of the current one. That said, the $88.9 million penny sales tax for Rome and Floyd County schools was a must-have if we're to continue to build on one of the state's best public school choices. School leaders paid dividends on the last five-year tax and we expect nothing less this time around.
Peak to the Sonoraville High School football team: The newest high school in Gordon County had several very painful months before a first win late last season. So how do they top that? By going 4-0 so far this year. Talk about the rise of the Phoenix.
Peak to Freddie Freeman of the Rome Braves: There were some bright spots on an otherwise forgettable losing season for the minor league baseball team. Perhaps the brightest spot was first baseman Freddie Freeman, who last week was named the Atlanta Braves' organization's minor league player of the year (click).
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