Toccoa-Stephens County

Toccoa-Stephens County is home to Toccoa Falls, a 186-foot-high cascading waterfall on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. Access to the falls is through the campus gift shop seven days a week – call 706-886-6831. Nearby, the Panther Creek trail captivates hikers with its challenging obstacles and magnificent views as the path follows the creek along steep, rocky bluffs – passing by beautiful cascades, including the 70-foot Panther Creek Falls.

For more water adventure, take to the shores of Lake Hartwell, accessible at five public recreation areas that have boat ramps. Home to the Currahee Club, the 1,200 acre, 800 home community features dramatic views of four states, three miles of shoreline along Lake Hartwell and a stunning 18-hole Jim Fazzio designed golf course.

Smaller, 320-acre Lake Yonah has boat ramps located on Yonah Dam Road. Kayak and canoe Tugaloo River, which has a boat ramp located at Walker Creek and a canoe/kayak put-in at Yonah Park. Lake Louise is a 200-acre lake located at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center and has fishing docks, a sandy beach, a water slide, Jon boats and rental canoes.

Cyclists travel from all over to challenge themselves on the U.S. Forest Service-maintained dirt/gravel roads that range from easy to strenuous in terms of terrain. A path to try: the U.S. Forest Service Road #62 up Currahee Mountain is a quad-challenging ride; Black Mountain road is another strenuous and scenic ride. Frady Branch Trail System is a multi-use trail for mountain bikers and horseback riding and features 14 miles of gravel and fire roads and single track.

Spend the night in the circa 1900 Simmons-Bond Inn Bed and Breakfast, a 20-room, classic revival, Queen Ann masterpiece. For complete information about the lodging and attractions that make Toccoa-Stephens County a must-see destination, visit ToccoaGAChamber.com.

While in Stephens County, don’t miss the famous Currahee Military Museum in historic downtown Toccoa's restored train depot, which shares the history of approximately 16,000 soldiers who trained at Camp Toccoa to become the nation’s first paratroopers, the “Easy Company” featured in HBO’s “Band of Brothers.

Uniquely active given the town’s size, the Toccoa Symphony Orchestra has entertained and engaged audiences of all ages through imaginative and dynamic programming ranging from classical to popular music selections for more than 35 years. For even more sounds of music, visit between early fall and late spring for a chance to hear a performance through the Northeast Georgia Concert Series, featuring professional artists from all over the world.

Thursday 7-26-12

Do you still have unanswered questions about TSPLOST?  Do you know who you are voting for?  Do you need a sample ballot? Call or come by and see us at the Chamber.

On election day, next Tuesday, you will vote for or against T-SPLOST and some regions will vote for it and some will vote against it.  Some regions will start collecting the one penny sales tax on January 1 and some regions will wait two years and then maybe go through the whole process all over again.  

There is still time to call us at 706-886-2132 with your questions about the transportation projects, the positives and the negatives. 

Voting is a right, and a responsibility.  Please encourage your friends and family members to get out and vote! Your Chamber’s role has been to be the Community’s source for information.  Come get the candidate bios and sample ballots in the Welcome Center.

Few announcements for you today:

First - The Concerned Citizens of Toccoa-Stephens County need to raise money now to fight for clean air for our children and citizens and to stop the horrible smells coming from the Wilbros Plant. $3 raffle tickets for a chance to win a 55” flat screen Sony TV are available at the Chamber and Welcome Center.

Second – Next Tuesday we have a Member Orientation to answer all your questions about the new online business directory features and other member benefits. It will be at 5pm in the Chamber Office.  

The NEW Chamber Business Directory will soon be delivered to over 462 members. Have you seen the enhanced online listings that include your logo, business information and photos? Join the other Chamber members who market themselves and network to turn their prospects into profits!      

That’s your weekly Update. I’m Wendi Bailey, your Toccoa Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President.

The 50th Anniversary Historic Art Exhibit Arrives in Franklin County
Curators for the art exhibit, "Once Upon A Dam...A Golden Retrospective" moved the exhibit from the Anderson County Museum this past week in preparation for it's Franklin County preview.  The exhibt will open at the historic Bowers House in Canon with a "Garden Party" planned for Sunday evening, August 12th from 4:00 until 8:00 pm. Organizers will present the 71 framed photos selected from Corps and community archives along with a 350 frame DVD presentation.  Visitors will enjoy refreshments and may tour the beautiful home where docents will be available to answer questions. Admission to the opening is complimentary and any donations will go to the Bowers House Writer's Retreat & Literary Center. 
The exhibit will move on or about August 24th to the Swails Center in Franklin Springs where Franklin County's exhibit committee has arranged for a lecture to be given on August 27th at 7:00pm. David Coughlin, Hartwell Dam and Lake historian, will discuss the project history.  The exhibit will remain at the Swails Center through the second week in September when it will move to Pickens County for their opening reception at the Madren Center. The exhibit was created with a generous grant from Hart EMC and support by RDC Productions and Docks South. With the support of Harbin Lumber, the Franklin County Chamber; the Bowers House Board and the Swails Center are bringing the exhibit to the two Franklin County venues    .
History of Bowers House
The Bowers House was constructed in the early 1920's as a hotel to accommodate railroad passengers, many of them businessmen in the cotton trade, who traveled the line that passed  a mere hundred yards from the hotel's front entrance in Canon, Georgia. The hotel failed during the Great Depression, and it was at this time that M. C. Bowers bought the 4,000 sq ft building for his family home. The beautiful structure was completely renovated and restored. With 8 bedrooms on two floors and wrap-around porches adorned with classic southern columns on both floors, it made a wonderful home for the Bowers family. Extended family would often come to visit, and stay a few months. Nestled on a wooded lot in what was, for many years, a bustling small town, it promises peace and privacy. The home is fully furnished and much of what was brought to the house by the Bowers family has been preserved and is in use. Hurst G. Bowers, son of M.C, inherited the home from his parents. After his death in 2004, Laura Bowers Foreman decided to use the home as a writer's retreat and literary center.
The house is now host to a variety of activities and is often home to a sequestered writer or two. In June 2012, the inaugural weekend workshop was held. Twenty-five women from 3 states attended and left, singing praises for the event. Ellen Bowers Davenport, director, and Sandra Scott, writing facilitator, are making plans for more weekend events. Some of these venture into the visual arts as illustrated by a recent and well attended hands on watercolor seminar. The Bowers House recently hosted Terry Kay for an afternoon reading followed by a question and answer period. Various writers have taken advantage of the writers-in-residence program, including the Georgia Poetry Society, and writers from Arizona to Florida.
July 24, 2012
Press Release for the Women'sTeam entry for the Triple Crown Watercross Corporate Challenge
The first ever all women's Triple Crown Watercross Corporate Challenge team is being fielded by the Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance for next month's Triple Crown Watercross event at Tugaloo State Park. The team will be racing the clock in relay format against a field of four person teams. The UWP-IJSBA Hydro Turf National Tour will supply racing craft, safety equipment, the course layout and officiating for the teams as they compete on Friday, August 10th. Action begins at 10:00 AM at the Tugaloo State Park Mega Ramp. Teams have been invited from the sponsoring counties around the Lake and we expect teams from Anderson, Stephens and Hart to join the two teams registered from Franklin County's Lavonia and Royston Police Departments. WaterCrafters, Hartwell, led registration for the private sector sponsor teams with Anmed, Vitamin Water and the Anderson Independent teams invited and organizing their teams this week. We may see teams from the Corps and DNR as well.
Women's team members hope to expand interest for this exciting sport to include more women and girls on Lake Hartwell. The Lake's size and relative quiet make for a PWC rider's paradise and getting outdoors to play has become a national theme as we address health issues related to our nation's increasingly sedentary life style. Aida Reynolds, Director of Franklin County Chamber Services; Jennifer Scott, Mayor, City of Hartwell; Anne Shurley, Currahee Club Community Manager and Angie Stringer, Anderson County Public Information Officer / Web Manager make up this year's team. Their skill levels run from novice to experienced and their competitive spirits are unmatched. Scott competed on the Hart County team in 2010 as a first time novice and posted the fastest time of the day. The event is a wonderful opportunity for teams to bond and have a great time on the water and will be a big day for spectators. The three day schedule of events is free to the public. Tugaloo State Park has a $5 parking fee which will apply.
The pros, and amateurs willing to take them on, will take center stage on Saturday morning, August 11th at 8:00 am and will rock the Lake through Sunday at 5:00 pm. The racing format is head to head in a test of speed and ability on a 1/2 mile closed course. Crowd pleasing freestyle competition has heated up this month with tour freestylers Jeremy Parr and Jason Stoyer going huge in thier search for points and supremacy heading into the national championships the week after the Hartwell stop. As in years past, pits and athletes will again be accessible to the public for an upclose look at this electrifying sport.

Racing Information: www.uwpinc.com Event Information: mylakehartwell.org

Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax - TSPLOST

Election Day is July 31, 2012, July 9 - Early Voting Starts, July 21 - Saturday Vote

Background

Counties receive funding for local road improvement projects from a Local Assistance Road Program Funds (LARP) now called Local Main Improvement Grants (LMIG).  The budget available for those grants is less because it comes from the gas tax. The gas tax is less because cars are more efficient and people are driving less. Also, the D.O.T. needs to retire some long term debt as 33% of their budget goes to pay interest on bond debt.  

The GA Chamber is spearheading the promotion and passage of TSPLOST. They believe safer roads, better roads and better connected roads will attract new industry. Also, they believe it will give local governments more control of their transportation projects.  Their campaign is called Connect Georgia www.connectgeorgiamountains.com. Our Regional Director is Tim Davis at 404-394-5548 or tdavis@connectgeorgia2012.com.

Structure

• A one cent sales tax will be in effect for 10 years and will fund all modes of transportation from 2013 to 2023.
• There are 12 regional tax districts. The GA Mountains region includes 13 counties: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Hall, Habersham, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, White.
• Over the 10 years, the tax will provide Georgia $19B, our region will gain $1.2B for local projects, Stephens County will gain $46.8M. 75% will go to regional projects and 25% will go to the individual counties for local discretionary projects. The 25% is divided among the counties using a formula of population and road miles. This discretionary amount is expected to be more than what many counties could raise on their own.

Local Match for DOT State Grant Funding (LMIG)

• Regions that win voter approval will receive a 90/10 match.

• Regions that place a referendum on the ballot but fail to win approval will get a 70/30 match.

Stephens County Projects   

• The projects for each region were determined last October by Regional Round Tables (including our then Mayor Janice English and County Chairman JB Hudgins).
• A citizen’s accountability committee will ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.

2 Projects:

SR 17 Widening from 2 to 4 Lanes from Scott Road (Livestock Rd. ) north past the Veteran’s Parkway (Toccoa By-Pass) to Memorial Drive. 

·         3.2 miles

·         Scheduled in Band 2 from 2016 - 2019 

·         Cost is $24 million

·         Transportation Investment Act (TIA) contribution is $5 million

·         Federal Funding is $19 million

·         (Phase 1 will not depend on TSPLOST. It starts September 2012 and expands SR 17 from Franklin County to Scott Road through the Hayestone Brady Industrial Park.

365 Two Lane Extension from Wal-Mart to the South Carolina US123 Bridge.

·         5.3 miles

·         Scheduled in Band 2 from 2016 – 2019

·         Cost is $62 million

·         Transportation Investment Act (TIA) contribution is $25 million

·         Federal Funding is $36.7 million

Key Points

·         Georgia is the 3^rd fastest growing state and 49^th on transportation spending per capita.  

·         Hall County is more than 200% larger than Stephens County and its population is nearly 700% greater. Hall and Forsyth Chambers have organized to pass TSPLOST and combined, due to their size, will decide for the region, i.e. if 70% vote yes, it will pass.

·         There are over 450 people per square mile in Hall vs. less than 150 per square mile in Stephens County. Hall County’s transportation needs are greater than Stephens yet each citizen will receive only 20% more funding for improvements than each Stephens County resident.  Stephens is considered a “receiver” county. Some counties are donor counties.

·         Our sales tax will go from 7% to 8%. Anderson and Oconee are at 6%. 

·         If passed, TSPLOST will start January 2013.

·         SPLOST VI takes effect July 2014.

The T-SC Chamber is the community’s source for information. The Chamber is educating not advocating for TSPLOST.  Please call us at 706-886-2132 with your questions. 

Thursday 7-12-12

Hello this is Wendi Bailey – the Toccoa Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President with your Weekly Chamber Update! 

Your Chamber is preparing the annual mailing to our members that will include the new Membership Directory and a Letter from our new Chair, Lee Ellen Fields of Johnson & Fields, CPA.  The Directory will list our 462 members in alphabetical order and by business category.  

New this year, the chamber’s web page Business Directory listings - have been enhanced to include a Business Logo, three paragraphs if information, 5 bullet points and 6 photos.  All this is FREE for our members. More and more, people are searching online, so call us today to learn how you can take advantage of the new enhanced directory listing.     

Did you know the early voting began this week and goes through July 27^th. Did you know there is a special Saturday vote on July 21^st and Election Day is July 31^st.  Do you have unanswered questions about TSPLOST?   

Do you know who you are voting for?

Voting is a right, and a responsibility.  Please learn the issues and encourage your friends and family members to get out and vote! Your Chamber’s role is to be the Community’s source for information. We have candidate bios and sample ballots. Call us with your questions at 706-886-2132.  We’ll post all the questions and answers on our Blog and Facebook page so we can all learn together.  

Few announcements for you today:

First - The Concerned Citizens of Toccoa-Stephens County are selling $3 raffle tickets for a chance to win a 55” flat screen Sony TV. All proceeds go to fight for clean air for our children and citizens and to stop the horrible smells coming from the Wilbros Plant. Tickets are available at the Chamber and Welcome Center.

Second – Today we have a Ribbon Cutting Celebration for Stewart’s Downtown Discount Drugs new ownership and management at 10am at their location on Sage Street. We hope to see you there!  

Your chamber is the leading, private business association in our community. Members get visibility, referrals and assistance with business challenges.  

Join the Chamber membership in working together for a better Toccoa-Stephens County.       

That’s your weekly Update. I’m Wendi Bailey, your Toccoa Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President.