Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 12A
October 15, 2008
^Reporter
Industrial Park project
named Deal of the Year
Monroe County’s success at
landing developer IDI for its
Rumble Road/I-75 industrial
park has been named the Deal
of the Year.
At the Georgia Economic
Developer’s Association
(GEDA) Annual Conference
last month, George Berry, vice
chairman of the Development
Authority of Monroe County,
Tiffany Andrews,
president/CEO of the Chamber
and Lisa Ward, vice president
of leasing for IDI accepted the
Rural Deal of the Year Award
for the Rumble Road
Industrial Park project. This
inaugural award was one of
three given by GEDA. The
three categories included:
rural - a project completed
in any Georgia county with a
population less than 50,000;
urban - a project completed in
any Georgia county with a
population of 50,000 or
greater; and regional - any
multi-county project that
required cross-county collabo
ration.
The goal of the awards is to
recognize notable Georgia eco
nomic development projects
that required “outside the box”
creativity to complete the proj
ect. In the rural category,
Monroe County was in compe
tition with a project in Dodge
County and Douglas County.
“This project truly reflects
what can happen when various
entities work together for the
common good of our communi
ty. Additionally, this award
goes to show that others across
the state also recognize the
effort and commitment that
Monroe County’s stakeholders
invested to see this project
come to fruition,” stated
Tiffany Andrews,
president/CEO.
Monroe County wasn’t the
only Middle Georgia communi
ty that walked away a winner
that night. The Macon
Economic Development
Commission took home the
Urban Deal of the Year Award
for the KHUMO tire project
located on Hwy. 247.
Georgia Eco
nomic Devel
oper’s Asso-
cation past
president
Todd Greene,
far left, pres
ents the
award to,
from left, IDI’s
Lisa Ward,
chamber
president and
CEO Tiffany
Andrews and
George Berry,
vice chairman
of the Devel
opment Au
thority of
Monroe
County.
City OKs
Wal-Mart
changes
BY JOLEE VAUGHN
Wal-mart will plant 168
more trees as a buffer
along Railroad Street for
its new Supercenter.
Amy Helman, Wal-mart
representative, won council
approval for a new land
scape plan at council’s Oct.
7 meeting. The landscap
ing plan, which is a revi
sion of a plan approved
July 18, 2006, now includes
168 additional trees along
Railroad Avenue to create
a natural buffer. Wal-mart
removed parking to add
the trees.
The Wal-Mart plan was
delayed for two years by
lawsuits from nearby resi
dents who said the store
would harm their historic
neighborhood. Those law
suits were dismissed earli
er this year. But Wal-mart
did agree to build a buffer
between the store and
Railroad Avenue and
Indian Springs Drive.
Helman said Wal-mart
looks to break ground
before Christmas.
In other news:
• No one turned out to
protest at the first of three
public hearings on the
city’s 2008 millage rate,
held during the council
meeting Oct. 7. Council
plans to keep the rate at
5.75 mills, the same as
2007. Homes are taxed on
40 percent of the value.
That value is then multi
plied by the millage rate,
5.75, and then divided by
1,000. The owner of a
$150,00 home would owe
about $345 in property
taxes to the city.
No taxpayers showed up,
but councilman Mike Dodd
commented, “I know we
need the money, but I wish
we had lowered it (the
rate) a little. I would at
some point like to discuss
raising homestead exemp
tion for citizens over 65. I
feel like they are being
taxed unfairly.”
The next hearing is set
for Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. and
the final hearing is set on
Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
• The city of Forsyth is
considering annexing the
historic Hubbard School
dormitory on Hwy. 83 to
give the school a better
chance of getting grants for
its restoration project
under way. The Hubbard
Alumni Association (HAA)
is working to restore the
former Teachers and
Agricultural College
women’s. The building is
leased to the association by
the Monroe County Board
of Education. HAA presi
dent James Green told city
council members at their
Oct. 7 meeting that the
association is at a “stand
still” on the project until
some grants can be
secured. One obstacle in
obtaining grants is that
the dorm needs to be in the
city limits.
Personal
{adjective} characteristic, unique, individual,
one's own, particular, peculiar, idiosyncratic,
individualized, personalized.
4 The bank where everyone
knows your name J
When we moved to Forsyth in 1997, we were able to purchase the
home we needed with a mortgage loan from Monroe County Bank.
From day one, when we applied for our home loan, we were on a first
name basis with president and CEO Bill Bazemore. Monroe County is
a great place to live and we love the small town feel of Forsyth. Monroe
County Bank may be a small town bank, but they are able to offer all the
amenities we need. Bill Bazemore and all of the wonderful bankers at
Monroe County Bank have been willing to go out of the way to assist us
with any of our banking needs. When you go into the bank everyone
knows you and calls you by name. Everyone at the Bank is friendly, help
ful and professional.
Over the years the Monroe County Bank has helped us with our home
mortgage, home improvements and car loans. We really appreciate the
personal touch and service that we've experienced banking with Monroe
County Bank. We wouldn't bank anywhere else.
Allen and Cathy Stevick
MONROE COUNTY BANK
Local. Listening. Leading.
opprammiTY