Taxes, transportation and water will be major issues facing the state's legislature when it convenes in January.

Once again, the Emanuel County Farm Bureau and the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce will co-sponsor an "Eggs & Issues" breakfast at Emanuel Medical Center on Saturday, January 19th at 8 A.M.

Invited guests are Representatives Butch Parrish, Greg Morris and Jimmy Lord, along with Senators Jack Hill and J.B. Powell. The panel of legislators will give their ideas and thoughts on the upcoming session, followed by a question and answer period.

Tickets are $8 and are on sale now at the Chamber or at the Emanuel Co. Farm Bureau at 320 Lambs Bridge Road.

After several months of delays, the new county maps are finally at the printer. The Chamber has been working on the project for over two years.

The new maps are full color and feature a large map of Swainsboro on one side with a county map on the other. The maps give a complete listing of all county roads with coordinates for easy location. Also included are insets with maps of other county municipalities. A brief history of the county, points of interest and the various telephone numbers to each municipality are included.

"Special thanks go to 911 Director Steve Carter, Sheriff Tyson Stephens and Deputy Paul Bowen for their assistance in determining new road locations and other changes in the map. We have attempted to make the map as up-to-date as possible," stated Bill Rogers Jr., chamber president.

Maps are expected to arrive from the printer during the middle of January, and will be on sale for $3.00 each. Chamber members are eligible to receive two free maps.

Tourists, visitors and business travelers have in the past complained about the difficulty of locating Swainsboro from the new bypass. This should soon change with the construction of three new permanent gateway signs.

The joint project is made possible through a $90,360 Transportation Enhancement (TE) grant and use of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) dollars approved by the local voters in 2005. The Swainsboro-Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce sought the grant while City of Swainsboro and Emanuel County are sponsoring agents of the project. The cost of the project is listed as $112,950.

The new 20-foot signs will be constructed near the intersections of U.S.1 North/U.S. 1 Business North, U.S. 1 South/U.S.1 Business South, and at the intersection of U.S. 1 and U.S. 80 on the bypass.

The gateway signs will be constructed of concrete, steel and masonry brick with a synthetic stucco used to accent the overall appearance. The signage will be lighted and landscaped for maximum appeal. The signs will be directional in nature and will include a pine cone and pine bough, denoting Emanuel's pine tree industry.

The announcement of the grant award was made by State Transportation Board member Raybon Anderson of Statesboro. Anderson said he was "delighted" to announce the grant, noting that the Georgia Department of Transportation received "many excellent applications from communities and organizations" in the 12th District.

This year the Georgia DOT received a total of 285 eligible applications representing combined requests for more than $176 million in federal funds from all 13 congressional districts. In the selection round, $54 million in federal funds were available for Fiscal year 2008 and 2009 for distribution statewide.

"This is great news for us," stated Bill Rogers Jr., president of the Chamber. "We have sought funds for this project for over a year. The construction of quality signage that is aesthetically pleasing should help travelers find us more easily, should aid our tourism efforts, and hopefully, our local businesses will benefit from increased traffic.

"We'd like to thank Mr. Anderson, Rep. Butch Parrish and Senator Jack Hill for their help with this project. This signage is badly needed," added Keith Thompson, chairman of the Emanuel County Commission.

"Anytime we can entice travelers to stop and visit Swainsboro and Emanuel County, we will all benefit. This new signage should be a real plus for our community," added Swainsboro Mayor Charles Schwabe.

The Transportation Enhancement program's goal is to enrich the transportation experience of Georgians through specific types of enhancement projects. The kinds of projects funded by the TE program include multi-use facilities such as walking and biking trails and paths: streetscaping and landscaping projects in cities and towns; historic preservation of transportation-related facilities like railroad depots; and scenic preservation of views and scenic byways.

This month's Art Stroll will feature new and exciting art exhibitions as well as live music at the Emanuel Arts Center on Green/Church Streets. Gallery RFD will feature the 2nd Annual "Art of Communication" exhibit featuring an installation of artwork created on mail. This show is a celebration of Rural Free Delivery. The Emanuel Arts Council will feature work by Carol Brown including new and selected works of painted furniture at the Kalmanson Gallery on Green Street. Take a stroll down Green Street and visit other exhibitions at 114, Folds Photography, Jack's Java Cove, Designs on the Square and great deals at Rainbow Antique Mall. The Stroll takes place from 5-8 P.M., with an artist's talk at RFD at 7 P.M.

At 8 P.M., there will be a live performance by Arum Rae. Arum has played concerts in Swainsboro twice in 2007 and is a crowd favorite. She will be performing at the Emanuel Arts Center off of Green/Church Streets. The lead singer is originally from Virginia but migrated to Savannah this year after her tour for "Too Young to Sing the Blues." This performance is a "must see" on the Art Stroll! This live performance is brought to you by the Downtown Commission for Arts and Commerce (DCAC). The DCAC is made up of Nordson, Gallery RFD, Mill Creek, Emanuel Arts Council, Radio Jones, The Forest Blade, Georgia Rural Economic Development Center at EGC, Daniels Chevrolet and the Chamber of Commerce.

Mark your calendar! Swainsboro will once again host the 2008 Rural Economic Outlook Luncheon. Sponsored by the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, the event will be held at East Georgia College on January 15th from 11:45 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.

Ticket cost is $25.00 each and can now be reserved by calling Donna Freeman, East Georgia College, at 478-289-2121.

The Chamber recently completed over forty small business surveys. Information gained from the survey revealed that a large number of local businesses desired a program centered on "customer-service."

In attempting to address this need, Swainsboro Technical College, Georgia Rural Economic Development Center, and the Chamber of Commerce will co-sponsor a one-day seminar to assist local businesses in training their employees.

Similar such programs can run well over $100 per employee, but the seminar will be free. The date has been tentatively set for Wednesday, Feb. 20th.

To pre-register your employees, please call the Chamber today

Since its launch in July 2007, some 2,758 "unique visitors" have used the internet to visit Swainsboro and Emanuel County's new website at www.emanuelchamber.org. A "unique visitor" is described as a visitor that has not been on the site at any time prior to the date range. This information is attainable through the chamber's website analytical program.

Other information about the website revealed that in addition, 1,016 visitors have made at least one repeat visit to the website.

Among the various pages shown on the site, the Chamber's membership listing is tops in readership with 32.73% visitors viewing this information.

"We are well-pleased with the readership of our website, especially the repeat numbers," stated Bill Rogers Jr., president of the chamber. "Evidently people are finding it very interesting and useful. For chamber members it's a great added value to their membership. The information clearly shows that if your business is not listed on the Chamber's website, then you're missing out on an very important marketing tool."

From inexpensive land prices and low taxes to abundant natural resources, Emanuel County has many qualities that retirees may find very attractive.

Over the last several years, Georgia has seen an increase in the number of retirees relocating to the state, mainly due to Georgia's favorable climate and cost of living. The average retiree relocating to the state brings with them assets averaging over $600,000 and they place little strain on local infrastructure.

With this in mind, The Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce has contracted with Georgia Lifestyles Publishing, Inc. to assist in efforts to showcase the county as a site for retirees.

The firm publishes Retire In Georgia Magazine, a quarterly publication sent to homes across the country that have requested information on Georgia as a retirement destination. Last year the magazine mailed over 50,000 copies. In addition, the firm has created a website showcasing the magazine and individual counties.

Emanuel's designated web pages highlight general information, location, weather history, recreational, healthcare, cities and a "virtual tour" of photos. To view Emanuel's web pages visit www.retireingeorgia.com.

"We believe this is an area that has tremendous potential for us. Emanuel County is an ideal site for retirees, especially with our central location between Augusta, Macon and Savannah. In addition, our proximity to the beaches and mountains, and abundant natural resources make Emanuel a great place to retire," stated Bill Rogers Jr., chamber president.

"The state is also making a huge push to attract retirees. Under current legislation effective in 2008, a married couple will be exempt from state income tax for up to $70,000 in retirement income."