The Buzz of Northwest Georgia
-Two days left for 'robo-call runoff'--and then the 2010 cycle begins
-Three-Dot Buzz ... : Special opening for Tellus museum
-Give a life-changing, perhaps lifesaving, gift: exercise, healthy habits
-CVTC's law enforcement academy ready to grow
-Busy business calendar for the holiday season
-Peaks & Valleys: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
Weather Center/ Brought to you by Roman Court
-Snow threat evaporates; more rain today: The latest forecast has removed any hints of snow or snow flurries for today and tonight. Look for a chilly day with highs only in the low 40s and a 40 percent rain chance. Tonight: A low of 32 degrees.
-Election day and parade forecast: Tuesday is downtown Rome's Christmas parade as well as the runoff. The current forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures around 48 throughout the day. Look for 40 degrees when the parade starts at 6:30 p.m. More parade details> Downtown Headlines
-For more, click Weather center
Tuesday/General election runoff vote: On the ballot: The U.S. Senate race between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin; the Public Service Commission contest between Bubba McDonald and Jim Powell; and a seat on the Court of Appeals featuring Sara Doyle and Mike Sheffield. Precincts are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
-Sample ballot> Sample
Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota
-There's no mystery in rivalry week; Tech's future is brighter than Georgia's. Click Arey
The Football Report, brought to you by PrintWorks
-John McClellan's picks of the week: Good news for Rome, Calhoun fans
-Rome, Calhoun continue on in the state high school playoffs
-Click Football Report
Downtown Headlines
-Bill and Martha Fricks to lead downtown Rome's Christmas parade. Plus: What's ahead in downtown> Downtown Headlines
Two days left for 'robo-call runoff' -- and then it starts again?
Fred Thompson, Mary Perdue, maybe Sonny himself and someone named Julie all called last week, urging us to vote for Saxby Chambliss in his nationally focused U.S. Senate runoff vs. Democratic challenger Jim Martin.
We saw repeated Thanksgiving greetings from "Big Daddy" Saxby and his family as well amid the football games. Also on screen: Martin's calling out the Chambliss machine for fabrications over the former state lawmaker's votes.
This final election (Tuesday's ballot) hopefully ends a very long, very bitter campaign season. On every level -- candidate pimping, maibox- (and fact-) bending mailers, media gloating, even endorsement flipflops--this historic election cycle also is one many are anxious to forget.
And even as the runoff slimes to an end, we're seeing the posturing for 2010 from Casey Cagle, John Oxendine and others who want to be our next governor. An AJC Political Insider's column had an "early, early poll" for the gubernatorial race (Click). The battle goes prime time in January as the General Assembly convenes and the wannabes jostle for "position" much the way NASCAR drivers do in qualifying. The only difference: you can expect plenty of left--and right--turns.
Our hope for 2010: An aggressive, proactive media casts off this era of "cut-and-paste journalism"-- of which we're all guilty -- and returns to "red meat" reporting.
Three-Dot Buzz . . . :
Tellus about it: Fans of the new Tellus science museum rising at I-75 and Exit 293 are about six weeks away from opening ceremonies. The grand opening is Jan. 12 but you can get a sneak peek--complete with a silent auction, open bar, museum and more--for $125 per person on Jan. 10. You'll find details and a way to subscribe to the museum's e-mail newsletter by clicking Tellus . . .
A Q102 Christmas: We're in a fast-forward holiday season with Thanksgiving falling so late and Christmas barely three weeks away. If you're having trouble getting into the mood, welcome to "Christmas-on-demand." The remaining Q crew is offering online, full-time, commercial-free Christmas tunes. Click Q102 . . .
Give the gift that guarantees 'returns': Healthy living
By Natalie Simms
Consider it a gift that gives everyone a head start on an ongoing resolution to eat better, exercise more and lose weight. The need to change our lifestyles was tactfully laid out recently as Dr. Julie Gerberding, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, addressed members of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce (click). Her message: More exercise, nutrition and health screenings to prevent future health needs.
These charts from the CDC show the percentage of "obese" adults in the nation. Even more chilling: The graphics show how those percentages have risen in recent years (click CDC).
So as Christmas shopping heats up, we took Gerberding's prescription to heart and checked on some of the exercise options available not just for a soon-to-cast-off New Year's resolution but for a true lifestyle change:
If you're looking for a high-motivating exercise and nutrition program, Boot Camp is a great option. Pro Performance, 314 E. First Ave. in Rome, offers monthly Boot Camps for $199. The cost includes the four-week training program, Pro-FIT nutrition guidance and eating plan, T-shirt and water bottle. Participants train six days a week for one hour. The next program begins Jan. 5 and new classes start each month. Details: www.pro-performance.net or call 706-234-9639.
For those looking for a more personal touch, Harbin Clinic's Vitality Fitness Center offers personal training sessions with certified exercise physiologists. For the holidays, you can purchase personal training packages for 20 percent off through Dec. 23. Packages are for five, 10 or 20 sessions and can be for 30 minutes or an hour in length. You also can purchase a membership package to join the Vitality Fitness Center, 504 Redmond Road. Memberships are available for six months or a year. The cost is $30 per month plus $72 for a fitness assessment. With a membership, you have access to more than 20 group fitness classes, including Boot Camp, yoga, pilates, kickboxing and Rep Reebok. Details: 706-290-2334 or click Vitality Center
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Rome Athletic Club, 10 John Davenport Drive. Now through Dec. 31, a one-year membership is $299 or $39/month plus $65 enrollment fee. Members have access to more than 30 different group fitness classes. Also, Rome Athletic Club offers Operation RAC, a 30-day boot camp fitness program that features indoor and outdoor exercise. The next session begins Jan. 5 and will be indoors-only for the winter season. The cost is $275 for non-members and $195 for RAC members. Price includes 16 classes, pre- and post-camp fitness analysis, nutrition counseling, workout and nutrition journal, T-shirt and "survival kit." For more info, visit www.operationrac.com or call 706-295-3678.
Rome Health Spa, 28 Central Plaza, has gift certificates for membership periods of three, six or 24 months. Details: 706-291-9080.
For those looking for a family gift, the YMCA, 810 E. Second Ave., has family memberships. The cost per family is $600 a year or $50 per month, plus a $75 enrollment fee. This is for any number of people in the immediate family. A single-parent family membership is $444 per year or $37 per month, plus $50 enrollment fee. For those singles interested in membership, cost is $396 per year or $33 per month, plus $50 enrollment fee. Memberships for all levels can be purchased for three or six months, or one year. Members have access to all indoor fitness equipment, including indoor pool, and reduced rates on YMCA recreational activities such as swimming classes, gymnastics, etc. Details: 706-232-2468 or click YMCA
For those on your Christmas list who really want to focus on diet and nutrition, there are a few options in Rome for gift certificates.
>Harbin Clinic's Diabetes Management Center offers a Living Lean program. It is a six-month weight management program led by Harbin Clinic's registered dietitians. Groups meet once a month and cover topics on nutrition basics, weight control, benefits of exercise, meal planning, label reading and recipe modification. The cost is $15 per class or $90 for the six-month cycle. Classes meet on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Harbin Clinic Diabetes Management Center, 19 Redmond Road. Details: 706-378-8129.
>Another option is the Thrive! Weight Loss program. Thrive is a seven-week program designed to help you lose weight using real food, education and support systems. The program teaches you how to eat, what to eat and when to eat for optimal weight loss. The cost is $275 and includes meetings, nutrition workbook, journal and grocery tours. Thrive! Weight Loss is at 14 John Davenport Drive. For more information, call 706-235-0720 or visit www.thriveweightloss.com.
CVTC's Law Enforcement Academy should launch in late January
By Natalie Simms
Anyone interested in a career in law enforcement will have a new avenue for certification available in the Northwest Georgia area in 2009. Coosa Valley Technical College has been selected as a pilot site for the Basic Law Enforcement Academies, a project that will allow new law enforcement officers to receive their basic law enforcement training and obtain college credit at the same time.
"This new program is for anyone interested in law enforcement," said Tom Bojo, Criminal Justice Technology Program Director at CVTC. "This allows them to become state certified law enforcement officers and receive college credits along with post-training. They will receive a technical certificate and our hope is that they will all transfer over to the Criminal Justice program for an Associate's Degree."
Bojo hopes to start the program in late January at the Calhoun-Gordon Campus. The program will last 17 weeks and feature about 600 hours of training. Interested students also can receive financial assistance from the HOPE Scholarship program to pay for tuition but some personal expenses will be required.
"This program exceeds the minimal amount of hours of training for law enforcement officers," Bojo said. "After students get their training, they will have their choice of agency and location to apply for a job."
The program will be saving law enforcement agencies the expense of hiring and training new officers. Under the current system, candidates are hired by a law enforcement agency and then sent for training.
"Our mission is to employ our workforce. For Criminal Justice graduates, they didn't come out (of school) with any certification and we needed to put them to work," he said. "Now with training, our candidates will come out of school and it will be easier for them to get a job in law enforcement, as opposed to those with no prior training."
CVTC is one of six technical colleges participating in the pilot program. Others include Augusta Tech, DeKalb Tech, Ogeechee Tech, Savannah Tech and South Georgia Tech. Expansion to more of the state technical colleges is possible as the program is evaluated for its level of success.
"This is a win-win-win proposition for the technical colleges, law enforcement and, most of all, the safety of our citizens," said Ron Jackson, commissioner of The Technical College System of Georgia. "This new plan opens the doors for every trainee to utilize their basic training as part of a seamless education process toward a two-year degree in criminal justice.
"This pilot project has the potential to transform Georgia's basic law enforcement training system to a new era. In doing so, we're setting higher standards and parameters for better-trained law enforcement officers and safer communities throughout the state."
Similar programs exist in North Carolina and Florida, where 41 of that state's criminal justice training sites are located in their community colleges and technical institutes.
Bojo hopes to have 25-30 students enrolled in the program. Those interested in more information can contact Bojo for an application packet. An information meeting will also be scheduled for mid-December at the Rome campus. For more information, call 706-624-1151. Or click CVTC.
Business Calendar
-Dec. 2: Greater Rome Board of Realtors, Christmas and awards luncheon, noon, Coosa Country Club. Installation of new officers
-Dec. 4: Adairsville Chamber Council, 7:30 a.m. at The Adairsville Inn.
-Dec. 4: Greater Rome Chamber's SpeedNetworking, 4 p.m., at the chamber.
-Dec. 4: Greater Rome Chamber's Business after Hours at Mount Berry Square: 5:30 until 7 .p.m. in the banquet room (entrance near Belk). Click
-Dec. 4: Gordon County Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours, from 5:30-7 p.m. Sponsored by BB&T> Chamber
-Dec. 5: Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce pre-legislative breakfast, 8 a.m., The Palladium. Click chamber
-Dec. 9: Young Professionals of Rome, Chieftains, 5:30-7 p.m., $10.
-Dec. 11: Greater Rome Chamber's Business Before Hours, Merrill Gardens, 7:30-9 a.m.
-Jan. 22: Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, annual meeting, The Forum, 6:30 p.m. reception; 7 p.m. dinner/program. $45 per person; tables, $360> Click
-Jan. 29: Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce annual meeting, reception at 5:30 and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Cartersville First Baptist Church, 241 Douthit Ferry Road. Guest speaker is Alan Essig, Executive Director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.> Click
-Feb. 26: Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce annual health expo> Click
PEAKS & VALLEYS: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
Peak to the Future Industries Initiative: Dr. Julie Gerberding, the director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chilled her audience during a recent speech before the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce (click). The message: to avoid the ongoing medical cost surges: change our lifestyles with more exercise, nutrition and proactive screenings. She asked for the community's commitment to help spread the word via the Healthiest Nation Alliance, a grassroots movement uniting organization heads, state and country leaders. She got that commitment and more from symposium chair Dr. Paul Ferguson and the chamber's Future Industries Initiative. That's the community leadership we vitally need.
Valley to the lack of communication over voting sites: For the second time this year, the Rome Civic Center advance voting location--long "advertised" as an alternate site to vote early in this year's slew of elections--was unavailable. How difficult is it to communicate the need for this building to be reserved for voters on select weeks? The civic center site was pushed as an easy alternative to the administration building site downtown because of parking. But come late last Sunday, Nov. 23, word barely got out that the center was booked Nov. 24-26. This is the era of instant communication. If all else fails, use the phone.
Peak to the Statesboro Herald: The newspaper provided live Webcast coverage of the Rome-Statesboro playoff game Friday night. It came in as clear as a bell--and perhaps was the opening bell for future high school coverage overall. The Georgia Public Broadcasting Webcast earlier in the season--featuring Pepperell and Coosa--also was a preview of what's to come. Will we "see" more in 2009?
Valley to all those robo-calls: It's past time to remove the exemption for politicians who abuse our phone lines. We can ban marketers, why not politicians? As we hear more and more about government reform, why not include removing this intrusive gimmick? In the meantime, we suggest another form of protest: vote for the candidates who don't bombard your privacy with prerecorded messages.
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