Weekly Chamber Update as heard on WNEG AM 630 every Thursday at 6:45am, 12:45pm and 5:45pm.

Thursday 5-23-12

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

TSPLOST stands for Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and this referendum will be on the ballot in July.

If it is passed by the public, it will add one penny to the sales tax for 10 years and the funds will be used only for transportation projects.

The GA Chamber is spearheading the promotion and passage of TSPLOST for more jobs, safer roads and more control of the projects.  The campaign is called Connect Georgia and the web site is www.connectgeorgiamountains.com.

Your Chamber’s role is to be the Community’s source for information. We will share all the facts and figures we have so you are the most educated voters in the region.  

We will have two T-SPLOST Public Forums so you can hear from the state Regional Director for Connect Georgia, from our elected officials and from our local leadership. We will have handouts, project maps, project posters and other materials to distribute.  

The first forum is Tuesday June 5^th at 5:30pm at the Historic Stephens County Courthouse on Tugalo Street. The second is on Thursday June 14^th at 12pm at the North Georgia Technical College, Currahee Campus. Arrive early as the Culinary School serves lunch for $7 starting at 11:30am.  

Please call the Chamber with your TSPLOST questions at 706-886-2132. We will post all the questions and answers on our Blog and Facebook page.   

I have two 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 – We have a Business After Hours on Thursday May 31st to celebrate the YMCA’s opening of the Doyle Street pool and their new Director Robin Dake. Come celebrate with us at 5pm with the Jack Pot drawing at 5:30pm. It’s up to $700 and you must be present to win.

The chamber is the leading, private business association in our community.  The Welcome Center distributes maps and information to over 15,000 visitors each year.  This is the last week to buy an ad in the new Community map. Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to promote your business and to promote Buying Local!

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

This Weekly Chamber Update can also be heard on WNEG AM 630 every Thursday at 6:45am, 12:45pm and 5:45pm.

Thursday 5-16-12

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

You are invited to participate in a “Spring Training for Life” workshop with Tommy Newberry on Friday May 18^th, from 9am to 12pm at the 1^st Franklin Training Center on Doyle Street. The workshop is hosted by 1^st Franklin Financial Corporation in partnership with the Chamber.

 

Tommy is the head coach of The 1% Club, Inc., a firm he launched in 1991 to help successful entrepreneurs grow their businesses - without sacrificing their faith, family or health.

He’s equipped business leaders in more than thirty industries to work less, earn more, and enjoy greater satisfaction with the right accomplishments.

He has also created a Couples Planning Retreat which took planning tools into the family realm including workshops for teens, parenting and designing a more enriching family life together.  

He wrote and self-published, Success Is Not an Accident, and has sold more than 100,000 copies. The book reflects his personal conviction that success is both a very good thing for society and also the result of intentional thinking and acting. His books will be available for purchase during the workshop. 

Everyone is invited to participate! Registrations for the event can be made by calling the Chamber at 706-886-2132, 1^st Franklin Financial - Phyllis Morris at 706-886-7571 or The Learning Tree Academy - Logan Harris at 706-886-9900. 

The fee is $10 if you are a Chamber member and $12 for non-members.  The fee includes workshop materials and a sandwich lunch.  Call today for a workshop that could change your life!

Visit www.TommyNewberry.com 

I have one announcement for you today: 

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

Your Chamber is the leading, private business association in our community.  The Welcome Center distributes maps and information to over 15,000 visitors each year.  Don’t miss the opportunity to advertise in the latest edition of county the map – 5,000 maps will be ordered this spring.  It is an excellent way to promote your business and to promote Buying Local!

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

Weekly Chamber Update as heard on WNEG AM 630 every Thursday at 6:45am, 12:45pm and 5:45pm. 

Thursday 4-26-12

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

Today is the Annual Drugs Don’t Work conference with speaker Adam Raulerson, of Laurelwood at the NEGA Health System.  This conference satisfies the training requirement for businesses to maintain their drug free certification.  It also serves to recruit more businesses - to become certified drug free - and realize the 7.5% savings on the Worker’s Compensation premiums.  If you would like to learn more on how your business can become a certified drug free workplace please call the Chamber today!

I have a few announcements for you:

NEXT WEDNESDAY is the North Georgia Credit Union, Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament! There's probably no better place in the world to conduct business than on the golf course.  The tournament is all filled up but there is still time to promote your business with a hole sign on the tee box. It’s a great way to market your business to both Franklin and Stephens Counties! Don’t miss it! Call 706-886-2132 today!

NEXT THURSDAY May 3^rd is a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Reynold’s Pool & Spa at 10am at their new location on Big A Road next to Mike’s Pizza. Come meet Rich, Aida and Heather Reynolds and hear all about their new business operation.     

Finally, the Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony with Key Note Speaker, the State Attorney General, Sam Olens is Tuesday May 8^th.  This is an opportunity to celebrate the Chamber’s successes, recognize our outstanding board members, Ambassadors and businesses, and install our new slate of officers including our new Chairman Lee Ellen Fields of Johnson and Fields, CPA’s.   

The chamber is the leading, private business association in our community.  The Welcome Center distributes maps and information to over 15,000 visitors each year.  Don’t miss the opportunity to advertise in the latest edition of county the map – 5,000 maps will be ordered this spring.  It is an excellent way to promote your business and to promote Buying Local!

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

GOLDEN DAMIVERSITY CELEBRATION

LAKE HARTWELL MARKETING ALLIANCE

CONTACT:  Larry Torrence, 706-436-0166

                  

Lake Hartwell’s 50^th Anniversary Traveling History Exhibit to Open April 27

Hartwell, Ga. - Stunning images, historical photos and a remarkable look at Lake Hartwell’s last 50 years will be on display at the history exhibit – “Once Upon A Dam: A Golden Retrospective.”  The one-of-a-kind exhibit will open April 27 and run through May 28 at the Hart County Arts Center.

The traveling exhibit will visit all six counties that border Lake Hartwell (Anderson, Oconee, Pickens Counties in South Carolina and Franklin, Hart, Stephens Counties in Georgia).  Each county will stage and the historical exhibit for four to five weeks.

The organizing group known as the Hartwell 50^th Anniversary Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance Traveling Exhibit Committee has been working for months with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local area residents to select images of high quality that tell a complete story of Lake Hartwell’s dynamic growth, impact and emotion.  Committee organizer James Payne, the supervisory power project manager for the corps at the Hartwell Project power plant said, “There were so many we like; we had to stop somewhere. The traveling tour will be a remarkable history lesson for many and an emotional memory experience for others.  There’s never been anything quite like this in the six county Lake Hartwell area.”

All exhibits will be at sites that are open to the public and each county will also add local images to the already large display.  All exhibits are free admission.

Larry Torrence, executive director of the Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance, said that this series of exhibits is an outstanding example of a multi-county community outreach program.  “This event is a product of hard work by so many helpful volunteers.  It represents a powerful visual of Lake Hartwell’s impact on all of us.”

Hart Electric Membership Cooperative donated $8,600 to develop the exhibit and other private supporters include Hartwell-based Docks South.

“Once Upon A Dam: A Golden Retrospective” is a part of a series of special Lake Hartwell 50^th Anniversary celebration events called “The Golden Damiversity” and is presented in association with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance.

“Once Upon A Dam: A Golden Retrospective” traveling history tour will include the following dates and locations:

            April 27 – May 28       Hart County Arts Center        Hartwell, GA.

            June 7 – July 4            Anderson County Museum     Anderson, SC

            July 5 – August 6        Pickens Courthouse                Pickens, SC

August 10 – September 8       Bowers House             Cannon, GA

October 1 – November 5        The Cornerstone Restaurant Toccoa, GA      

November 6 – December 7     Oconee County (Location TBD)

NOTE:  Lake Hartwell outdoor adventure visitor destination is marketed by the non-profit Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance (LHMA).  LHMA consists of 200 board members that represent all surrounding counties, an executive committee and an executive director sharing a common mission:  Create economic development by uniting, marketing and promoting Lake Hartwell as a premier tourism destination.  LHMA will generate responsible marketing communications through the assistance of public and private funding.

WNEG AM 630 Weekly Chamber Update

Hello this is Wendi Bailey your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President with your Weekly Chamber Update.

You are invited to visit with Senator John Wilkinson and Representative Michael Harden this Friday April 20^th at 8am in the Mitchell Allen meeting room, at the train depot, downtown Toccoa.

The Senator and Representative will provide updates on the top issues, challenges, concerns and successes during the session and they will take questions and comments from the audience.

The event will be moderated by the Chamber Government Affairs Committee and is sponsored in part by AT&T. The Government Affairs Committee includes Lee Hicks, MC Stowe, Jack Webb, Brain Akin and Michelle Grafton. Coffee by Perk Up and pastries by Heavenly Desserts will be served. Please RSVP by calling the Chamber at 706-886-2132.

I have a few announcements for you:

FIRST – the Annual Drugs Don’t Work conference is Thursday April 26^th with speaker Adam Raulerson, of Laurelwood. This conference satisfies the training requirement for businesses to maintain their drug free certification. It also serves to recruit more businesses - to become certified drug free - and realize the 7.5% savings on the Worker’s Compensation premiums. Call the Chamber today to learn more.

SECOND - There's probably no better place in the world to conduct business - than on the golf course. And if you’re not a golfer you can still promote your business with a hole sign on the tee box. The NGCU Chamber Challenge is Wednesday May 2^nd at the Currahee Club. Don’t miss it!

THIRD - The Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony with Attorney General, Sam Olens is Tuesday May 8^th. The deadline for award nominations is this Friday. Call or come by to submit your nomination today.

Finally – There is a Business After Hours, for Currahee Vineyards, at 5pm at the Cornerstone Restaurant. Come meet Ashley and Marvin Dunson and hear all about their operation. Their Ribbon Cutting will be this Friday at 3pm at their location on Cawthon Rd.

The chamber is the leading, private business association. The Welcome Center distributes maps and information to over 15,000 visitors each year. Don’t miss the opportunity to advertise in the latest edition of county the map - an excellent way to promote Buying Local!

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

Citizens Advisory Panel Against Litter & Blight - Is it Really So Bad?

Is It Really So Bad?

One of the first things I noticed upon my return to Stephens County in 2001 after almost 40 years was how decayed and unsightly my boyhood home had become. Everywhere I looked were vacant, crumbling houses on overgrown lots; jumbles of abandoned cars, boats, appliances, and construction debris; unkempt businesses scattered indiscriminately throughout the city and county; and roadsides strewn with litter and refuse. Since my initial shock at realizing this would be where I would live out my remaining days and years I have tried to work with community leaders and others to rid Toccoa and Stephens County of these eyesores and, in so doing, help make our community a place where we can enjoy living, working and welcoming visitors and newcomers.

Since becoming involved in the fight against blight many well-meaning people have said to me, “What are you so upset about? Do you really think that a scattering of abandoned houses and businesses and a little litter on the roads do so much damage? After all, we’re no worse than anywhere else around here.” To all who have asked such questions and to those who have yet to ask I say YES it does damage us both in ways that are obvious and in ways we rarely consider.

I argue that our blight and general decay does substantial short and long term damage to the people of Toccoa and Stephens County. The damage is not so much to our physical and environmental health, though this is a consideration, as to our economic and societal health and well-being.

If asked, many residents would say that the number one need for our community is jobs – good paying, long-lasting jobs. I believe that there is a direct connection between job growth and a clean, inviting community. Consider a person or family who is looking to relocate to this beautiful region of the country. They might even be looking for a place to start a business. How will they choose between our community and some other place? Good schools, good health care, good policing, good people who take pride in their community likely are high on their list of desirable attributes. These “shoppers” only know what they see. So, even if the perspective newcomers manage to find their way to little jewel we call Historic Downtown Toccoa, what must they see as they drive toward town from any direction? If you were showing them around, looking at schools, shopping areas, and neighborhoods, what embarrassing scenes would you have to drive them by? We do ourselves great and lasting economic damage by not making our town and county as clean and as appealing as we can for our visitors and perspective newcomers.

Now, what about us, the people who already live here? Both county and city have ordinances to curb blight and littering. However, historically these laws have been timidly enforced and have rarely led to compliance or to court-mandated penalties. So, we seem to be locked in a downward-spiraling race to the bottom. What remains to be seen is how far we must sink before our citizenry and leaders finally say “No More”. In the meantime, remember that by turning our heads away from our “dirty litter secrets” we fail to do much to distinguish ourselves as a community that cares. We pay a high price for our complacency.

In closing, the most frustrating thought for me is that the problem exists simply because we allow it to exist. We have the ordinances, the officials, the courts, and the paid attorneys that are required. We have many citizens who care. Yet sustained economic recovery for Toccoa and Stephens County will languish until we finally clean up our community and keep it clean.

Tim Hale is a Guest Blogger representing the Citizens Advisory Panel Against Litter & Blight

TSPLOST February 2012 Update

Background

The funding for local road improvement projects comes from a Local Assistance Road Program (LARP) now called Local Main Improvement Grants (LMIG). Money paid into that budget from 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.

Structure

• TSPLOST is a 1% sales tax that will fund all modes of transportation for over 10 years (2013-2023)
• 12 regional tax districts
• Georgia Mountains includes 13 counties: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Hall, Habersham, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White counties.
• Our region will gain $1.26 billion for local projects. 75% will go to regional projects and 25% to the counties for discretionary local projects. The 25% is divided using a formula of population and road miles. This amount is more than what many counties could raise on their own.
• In Stephens County over 10 years of the tax, is projected to amount to $1,446,798.

Local Match for State Grant Funding

• 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).
• Stephens County projects include: $5M added to Phase Two of the SR 17 expansion project from the Eastanollee Creek bridge to the Currahee Parkway. (As a reminder Phase One starts July 2012 and expands SR 17 from Franklin County to Scott Road through the Hasyestone Brady Industrial Park.) The second project is $25M to extend Currahee Parkway from SR 17 to the South Carolina 123 bridge.
• Funds for the GA 17 improvements will be matched by $19,000,000 from federal sources. Funds for the GA 365 improvements will be matched by $36,000,000 from federal sources.
• A Georgia Mountains citizen’s accountability committee will ensure projects are completed on time and on budget.

Key Points

• 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. Combined, due to their size, if 70% vote "yes" it will pass in our region.
• 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.
• The Georgia Chamber is spearheading the promotion and passage of TSPLOST. The vote is set for the July 2012 general primary. The statewide campaign is called Connect Georgia.
• The next Georgia Mountains Chamber TSPLOST meeting is February 24 at the Greater Hall Chamber. GAMT Chambers with Boards voting YES to promote passing TSPLOST is White & Lumpkin Counties.

Visit the Georgia Chamber of Commerce web site for more information. Also, http://connectgeorgia2102.com/georgia_mountains.php for the full list of projects.