AAA projects 34.8 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more
from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, an increase
of 1.2 percent, or 500,000 travelers, from the 34.3 million
people who traveled one year ago. The Memorial Day holiday travel
period is defined as Thursday, May 24 to Monday, May 28.
`The overall economic picture in the U.S. continues to improve,
however, Americans faced an unexpected challenge this year as
gas prices broke record highs for the first quarter of the year
and squeezed many household budgets,` said Brent Hubele, vice
president, AAA Travel, The Auto Club Group. `We’re still
expecting an up tick in the number of Americans traveling during
the Memorial Day holiday weekend, but many will compensate for
their reduced travel budgets by staying closer to home or choosing
cost-inclusive vacation options like cruises and tour travel
packages.`
Auto - Up 1.2 Percent
Approximately 30.7 million people plan to drive to their
destination, an increase of 1.2 percent from the 30.3 million
who drove last year. Almost nine out of 10 holiday travelers
(88%) will take to the nation’s roadways during the Memorial Day
weekend keeping automobile travel in the traditional lead as the
dominate mode of holiday travel transportation.
Impact of Gasoline Prices on Travel Plans:
A survey of intended travelers found that 53 percent said recent
increases in gasoline prices would not impact their Memorial Day
holiday travel plans.
Of the remaining 47 percent of travelers who said gas prices would impact their travel plans:
9% are planning to take a shorter trip
4% will travel by an alternate mode of transportation
34% will economize in other areas
Those who intend to economize in other areas plan to:
65% reduce spending on entertainment
34% stay at a lower priced hotel
31% stay with friends and relatives instead of reserving a hotel room
27% stay in a hotel that includes value-added amenities like free breakfast and internet
Number of Air Travelers Expected to Decline by 5.5 Percent:
More than 2.5 million leisure air travelers (more than 7% of
holiday travelers) will fly during the holiday weekend, a 5.5
percent decrease from last year’s 2.7 million air travelers. The
remaining 4.5 percent of holiday travelers are expected to travel
by other modes, including rail, bus and watercraft.
Average Travel Distance Significantly Less Than Last Year:
According to a survey of traveler intentions, the average
distance traveled by Americans during the Memorial Day holiday
weekend is expected to be 642 miles, which is 150 miles less
than last year’s average travel distance of 792 miles. With high
gas prices squeezing consumers’ spending power this spring,
consumers are responding by traveling shorter distances this
holiday weekend.
According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, Memorial Day holiday
airfares are expected to be 7 percent lower than last year with
an average lowest round-trip rate of $189 for the top 40 U.S. air
routes. Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase 8 percent from a
year ago with travelers spending an average of $160 per night
compared to $148 last year. Travelers planning to stay at AAA
Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay 10 percent more with an
average cost of $120 per night. Weekend daily car rental rates
will average $36, 4 percent ($2) less than last year.
Ga. Power Customers to Get Bill Break
- Starting next month Georgia Power customers will get a break on
their bills. An average if 6 percent of decreases were approved
by the Georgia Public Service Commission. The typical monthly
bill will drop by about $8 in June.
HPC Approves Top Hat Building to Come Down
- The Historic Perservation Commission approved plans that will
bring down the former home on Top Hat on Broad Street in Rome.
The building which is owned by developer Ira Levy will soon become
a parking lot that will be managed the Downtown Development
Auhority.
Floyd County Schools Change Calender for Next Year
- The Floyd County Board of Education approved a revised calendar
for next school year that changes the start date for students
from August 1 to August 8. In a move to save jobs and important
school programs, Superintendent Dr. Lynn Plunkett made a motion
to change the start date for the school year which takes five
school days from the calendar approved last fall. The change will also remove three additional work days from the
calendar for employees that will be taken from teacher planning
days in the calendar.
Gordon Hospital Recognizes Caregivers
- Gordon Hospital presented the 2012 H.E.A.R.T. of Nursing Award
to Luisa Crandell, RN. Last year`s winner, Sharon Bass, BSN,
CNOR, clinical coordinator for Gordon Hospital`s Surgical
Services Department, made the presentation. According to Amy
Jordon, MSN, chief nursing officer at Gordon Hospital, the
H.E.A.R.T. acronym stands for helpfulness, enthusiasm,
achievement and adaptability, responsibility and teamwork.
Berry Professor Named Teacher of the Year
- Berry College Communication Professor Kathy Brittain Richardson
has been named `Teacher of the Year` by the Association for
Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Small Programs
Interest Group.
Chow Down coming to Rome Civic Center
- The Animal Rescue Foundation of Rome and Floyd County will host
a Chow Down on Thursday, May 24 to raise funds for animals in
Rome and Floyd County who are abandoned or unwanted.
The evening will consist of a dinner of southern staples such as
fried chicken and shrimp and grits. A silent auction and concert
by local band Broad & Third will entertain attendees.
Bike to Work Day This Friday
- On Friday, the Forum, Cycle Therapy and Cups and Mugs will
team up for a morning event to help promote getting people
out of their cars and taking something more healthy and
environmentally-friendly to work. The event will be held on
the Town Green in downtown from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. The event is
in celebration of National Bike to Work Day.
Cartersville Honors Teacher of the Year
- Jennifer Cupp was named the 2012 Cartersville Teacher of the Year
this week. Cupp has taught English at CHS for 10 years.
Cupp was also given $1,200 for professional development
purposes, such as attending a national education conference.
Polk School Board Decides Not to Cut CTAE Teachers
- The Polk County School Board vetoed cuts that would have laid off
several teachers in the Career Training and Adult Education department.
The proposal was done to make up the $2.8 million deficit for
next school year. Instead of cutting six CTAE positions at the high
schools and three elementary music and art teachers they found
other ways to make up the budget.
Calhoun Ranked 37th in Georgia Schools
- Rome and Calhoun High Schools have been ranked as two
if the states 38 best High Schools in Georgia.
According to US News & World Report magazine, Rome is ranked
31st while Calhoun is 37. The list is based on a ratio of
students and teachers, college readiness and Math and English proficiency.
RFPRA - Next Dog Park Interest Group Meeting
- The Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority is hosting the next Dog Park Interest Group meeting this Wednesday, May 16, 6 PM, at the Parker Center. Anyone interested in being involved in the dog park interest group should attend.
Roman Roast on the River
- In case you missed this year`s Roman Roast on the River, Tony Potts
takes you around to look at this year`s event which included not
only a bbq tasting, but a car show, kids zone and so much more.
Heyman HospiceCare to Remember Patients
- Heyman HospiceCare at Floyd will remember former patients and
honor their families at its semi-annual candlelight memorial
service Thursday, May 17. The service will be held at St.
Peter`s Episcopal Church at 6 p.m.
GOP to Open Downtown Office in Rome
- The Floyd County GOP announced that the Floyd County
GOP Headquarters will be opening at 337 Broad Street Rome, GA on
Wednesday at 9:00am. Candidate qualifying will be held from
Wednesday May 23- Friday May 25 at the Floyd GOP Headquarters.
Times for qualifying will be Wednesday May 23-Thursday May 24
from 9am-5pm and Friday May 25 from 9am to 12pm.
Local Tea Party Says No to T-SPLOST, Yes to Rubio
- The Rome Tea Party hosted its montly meeting this week and conducted
straw polls of the T-SPLOST vote that will be held in July as well
as their choice for VP candidate on the Republican ticket. The party
voted no to the T-SPLOST with a 77% vote. Also, for their choice to
be on the Romney ticket, Marco Rubio led the way with 36%. He was
followed by `undecided` with 18%, Rand Paul with 14%, Allen
West with 14%, and 4 others tied with 4% each.
Benham to Run for Ga House Seat 15
- Lelia Benham of Cartersville decared her candidacy for Georgia
State House in the 15th district running as a Democrat. She
will oppose incumbent Republican Paul Battles.
Krugman - Greece Dumping Euro
- Nobel Prize winner and liberal pundit, Paul Krugman thinks
that it is likely that Greece will dump the Euro, `very
possibly next month.`
Greece, by itself, has never been the problem. Rather it is a
bell weather for Spain and Italy, which are so large that
their problems may bring down the whole Eurozone.
Georgia Part of $40M Settlement with Skechers
- Georgia is one of 45 states that have reached a settlement with
footwear company Skechers. Thanks to a settlement with the FCC
the company agreed to give a partial refund to anyone who
purchased the shoes since 2008. The settlement alleges Skechers
made health-related claims in its marketing and advertising that
its rocker-bottom shoes like Shape-ups and Tone-ups would cause
consumers to lose weight, burn calories, improve circulation,
fight cellulite, and tone muscle.
Rabun Co. Judge Resigns Amid Probe
- The chief Magistrate Court judge in Rabun County, Lawrence M.
Ford, stepped down this week as he was under investigation by
the state`s judicial watchdog agency. Ford is the
fourth judge from the Mountain Judicial Circuit to step down
over the past few years.
Mother of Jorelys Rivera Arrested
- The mother of murdered 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera in Canton last
year was arrested along with her `partner` after a domestic
dispute this week. Police were called the home of
Joselinne Rivera-Ruiz after reports said she and her partner,
Maria Americano, got into a fight. Rivera-Ruiz and Americano
were charged with battery and cruelty to children.
Atlanta Public Schools Could Cut Almost 500 Jobs
- The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that nearly 500 jobs could
be cut by the Atlanta Public School system. On Monday, the school
board approved cuts of 475 jobs, including about 230 teachers, 90
custodians and 14 bus drivers and transportation staffers.
3 Shot in Atlanta Carjacking
- Three people were wounded by gunshot during a carjacking in Atlanta
on Tuesday. Police said that the incident occured at the Bank of
America`s Atlanta West End branch. They added that one of the victim`s
were shot in the chest and another was hit four times.
Two men were taken into custody to be questioned.
Electronic Signs Added to Ga 400 for Flex Lanes
- Electronic signage was added this week that help commuters adapt
to the new Georgia 400 flex lane system. The move will allows
motorists to use some shoulder lanes during the morning commute
that typically are reserved for emergency traffic. Monday
through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. southbound
motorists can drive on the outside (far right) shoulder lane
during morning commute hours at two locations: Between Holcomb
Bridge Road and Northridge Road exits and between Northridge and
the North Springs MARTA Station exits, according to GDOT’s
website.
I was watching a documentary (of sorts) about the Miami
Hurricane football program when it occurred to me that they were
the first of many short-lived college football dynasties of my
time.
It also occurred to me that they all collapsed for pretty much
the same reason.
I know that some folks will take exception with my opinions here
and for that I do not apologize at all. I have grown weary of
having to pretend we do not notice the obvious because it might
offend someone.
The Miami Hurricane football dynasty came apart for the same
reason that future mini-dynasties self-destructed at Florida
State, USC, Florida and Ohio State. Quality coaching staffs
allowed the thug element to take over their program.
It begins as the infamous `swagger`. And at this point it is
considered a good thing. The first signs are excessive displays
of `look at me` celebrations. I`m not talking about simple
spontaneous rejoicing over making a great play. I am talking
about the over the top attention garnering performances after
making a tackle nine yards downfield on third and seven or when
four or five players start leaping to do flying hip bumps after a
touchdown. This in and of itself is not egregious, but it is an
indication that the mindset of a team may be taking a turn for
the worse.
In my opinion, coaches make a huge mistake by trying to embrace
the hip-hop culture for the sake of recruiting. Say what you want.
Call me old, or out of touch or racist or whatever else you want
to hurl my way, but the hip-hop culture is one of a rejection of
the rules of society. And it is not a good mix with college
athletes.
A sure sign that the end is near for your favorite team`s little
dynasty is when you start seeing rap stars on the sideline for
games and practices.
Football is a sport of discipline and it is impossible to
maintain discipline on the field when you allow it to degenerate
off of the field. Far too many of today`s athletes come into
college with very little discipline in their lives. Giving them
leniency in the interest of keeping them happy is a HUGE mistake.
Miami not only allowed a culture of lawlessness to creep into the
program, they encouraged it. By the time Jimmy Johnson was
coaching the Hurricanes, they were reveling in the bad-boy image.
This was a disservice to the athletes and some of them went on
to find themselves in horrendous trouble ranging from cocaine
possession to rape and eventually even murder. College coaching
staffs have a responsibility to prepare these young men for life,
not just to win football games.
Bobby Bowden simply started looking the other way when his
players behaved poorly on or off the field. Saint Bobby became
famous for such quips as `boys will be boys` or `he is subject to
our international rules`. One must assume that he did it to help
recruit future stars. The end result was the complete collapse of
the program.
Pete Carroll and Urban Meyer started out as disciplinarians but
soon became lax when it came to their star players so that these
players would stay happy and tell potential recruits how great
they had it at USC and Florida. Eventually both coaches lost
control of their programs. Both bolted right before it came home
to roost.
Jim Tressel at Ohio State became so obsessed with catching up
with the SEC teams that had pummeled him in championship games
that he allowed wholesale cheating to go on right under his nose
and then lied to NCAA investigators about it which may well have
ended his college coaching days.
So what is to be done? You cannot compete without the elite
athletes and many of these athletes are completely immersed in
the gangsta culture that can so quickly become a lethal poison
to a college program.
The number of players arrested each year seems to climb at a
steady pace. This is yet another byproduct of the culture
permeating college sports these days. Even worse, it is becoming
all too common to hear about a college player that has been shot
or stabbed in an altercation including the recent shooting death
of an Idaho wide receiver. The culture is reaching critical mass
folks.
It may be time for the NCAA to create some rules to curb the
culture`s popularity on the football teams. Personally, I think a
good start would be to ban dreadlocks on football players, but I
will admit that I just don`t like them.
One thing I noticed while watching the Miami documentary that I
have seen around the other programs that have followed this path
is the excuse that the police are unfairly targeting the athletes.
While I will concede that it is at least possible, I am convinced
that the blame is with the player vastly more often than it is
with law enforcement.
Can you recruit and keep these athletes without caving in to the
lawlessness that many of them seem intent on bringing into your
program? The answer would appear to be yes. I could be wrong, but
it seems to me that Nick Saban has managed to hold the renegade
culture at bay. That is not to say that he hasn`t had a few
players become trouble, but he tends to deal with them swiftly
and decisively. The result is that he has fielded an elite,
disciplined team for several years straight.
When Urban Meyer first arrived at Florida he stated that he
could take a team full of disciplined players and beat a team of
much more talented undisciplined players. It is a shame that he
failed to hold onto that philosophy.
Mark Miller
Shorter Softball Hopes to Navigate Pool G
- For the past five years, the Shorter University softball team
has gradually opened the NAIA Softball National Championship door
wider and wider. This week, in their sixth straight and final
appearance in the season-ending event, the No. 10-ranked Lady
Hawks are poised to knock that title door down using the formula
that has worked for them all year, a blend of three determined
senior leaders and a deep list of talented underclassmen that
play like seasoned veterans.
And not surprisingly, the Lady Hawks will have to be on their
game right off the bat.
Unified Football Coaches Needed
- The Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority is finalizing head
coaches for the 2012 Football Season. Coaches are needed for a
few different school districts in select age divisions to
include: Junior Pee Wee Division (7-8 year old): East Central,
Garden Lakes, Johnson. Pee Wee Division (9-10 year old), Armuchee,
Mites Division (11-12 year old); Elm Street/West Central.
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Authentic Noble Cannon to fire in Rome
- An authentic brass Noble Cannon produced in Rome, Georgia will present four firings on Thursday, May 17 at the Rome - Floyd Visitor Center. Firings will take place at 9:30am, 12:30pm, 5:30pm, and 7:00pm. The events are free and sponsored by the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) and hosted by the City of Rome.
Coming Soon
Local Authors to Sign Books at RAHM
- Saturday, May 19th from 12:00 until 2:00 p.m. local authors Mary Ann Brock and Elizabeth Wooten will be presenting their new books both set in Northwest Georgia!
Trail of Tears Meeting at McIntosh Reserve Park
- The next meeting of the Georgia Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association will take place on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 10:30 AM at McIntosh Reserve Park in Carroll County, Georgia. Our speaker will be Joshua S. Haynes who is currently completing his Ph.D. at the University of Georgia. Mr. Haynes` dissertation entitled `Patrolling the Border: Theft and Violence on the Creek-Georgia Frontier, 1773-1812,` argues that, in the late nineteenth century, Muskogee men consistently patrolled their borders and confiscated the property of white squatters who they considered illegal immigrants, resorting to violence only occasionally. White Georgians, however, exaggerated the ferocity of Creek violence to justify overwhelming retaliation and to force Creeks into massive land cessions. Haynes has presented research at several major academic conferences including the Southern Historical Association 2011 annual meeting and the American Society for Ethnohistory 2007 annual conference in Tulsa. In 2009, he was recognized for excellence in teaching with UGAs Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.
