It's official! The Swainsboro/Emanuel County Pine Tree Festival now has new ownership. A group of Emanuel County clubs and organizations have agreed to purchase the rights to the 62-year old festival, one of the oldest in the state, from the Swainsboro Kiwanis Club.

While the Pine Tree Festival has grown through the years under the direction of the Kiwanis Club, the organization now wishes to see the Festival expand beyond its present boundaries. The new organization, Swainsboro/Emanuel County Festival Foundation, Inc. will operate the festival under the expanded name of "The Swainsboro/Emanuel County Pine Tree Festival and Southeast Timber Expo." Plans are to add a timber exposition to the festival since Emanuel County is famous for its vast pine resources. Emanuel County is the right place to host such an expo due to the county's top five ranking in timber production in the state.

The new timber expo will feature timber equipment exhibits as well as forestry-related educational exhibits. This new festival has plans to expand the festival into a two-week event beginning April 26 through May 10. Events will be scheduled both in the downtown area and at the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Recreation Department Complex, located near our golf course, just off Kite Road.

The major events of the festival will cover four days beginning Wednesday, May 7th, with the Georgia High School FFA Forestry Field Day. This day-long event will bring approximately 250 students, advisors, and parents from across the state to the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Recreation Complex for forestry field judging. In addition to the competition, the group will view educational exhibits on gun safety and entomology. Several important topics such as alternative fuels will be discussed. The public is invited to attend.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 8-10, the Festival has contracted with Fred Scheer's Lumberjack Show for three shows each day. The show hails from Hayward, Wisconsin and has been featured on the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, ABC's Wide World of Sports, TNN, ESPN, Discovery Channel and the Family Channel. These shows, which will be held at the Recreation Complex, will feature crosscut sawing, axe throwing, chainsaw carving, log rolling, hot sawing, chopping, obstacle pole relay race and speed pole climbing. The Emanuel County School System is expected to bus in students on Thursday and Friday mornings to see the lumberjack shows.

In addition to the lumberjack and manufacturers' shows, the McLeod-Moring Camp of the Sons of the Confederacy will present a Civil War reenactment camp complete with cannon and soldiers dressed in period outfits. The Emanuel Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy will present a living history demonstration. Also expected are a number of educational exhibits including the Georgia Forestry Commission, Swainsboro Fire Department, Shriner Hospital for Children, and others.

On Saturday, in addition to the above-mentioned events and a downtown parade at 11 A.M., the festival committee has arranged an antique car show featuring over 50 cars, arts and crafts, unique food events, and other noteworthy exhibits and entertainment.

Plans have also been made to have a live demonstration of birds of prey from the Lamar Q. Ball Jr. Raptor Center at Georgia Southern University.

"We believe these new events, and others currently being contracted with, will create a new excitement and enthusiasm for the Pine Tree Festival and will, in turn, generate huge crowds," added John Black, Festival Foundation Board Chairman.

Serving as co-chairpersons for the festival are Clay Hall and Athan Walden. H.G. Yeomans, Carol Yeomans and George Elder are serving as co- chairmen of the Southeast Timber Expo.

Committee members are Adriance Galloway, Charles Schwabe, James Canady, Al Lawson, Butch Frye, Jack Bareford, Caroline Harless, Chris Griner, Ken Warnock, Larry Calhoun, Danny Palmer, Bill Breedlove, Bill Rogers Jr., Richard Thornton, Mack Griffin, Bobbie Daughtry, Anthony Faris, Bob Losser, Milton Gray, Johnny Payne, Jolly Martin, Daisy Reeves, Sonny Stephens, Mary Smith, Gloria Mason, Charles Brewer, Rodney Kellum and Frank Denmark.

Have you ever wanted to be a part of a community- wide effort where thousands of people are involved? Now is your chance to give back to your community!

The Pine Tree Festival & Southeast Timber Expo Committee is looking for volunteers to assist with this year's inaugural event.

Volunteers are needed to man ticket booths, assist with crowd control & parking, assist with safety & security, serve as information specialists, etc. To volunteer, call the Chamber of Commerce at 478-237- 6426.

In a recent survey of Emanuel County businesses, "customer service" was listed as one of the areas of greatest need.

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

Similar programs run well over $100 per employee, but this seminar was free to all local & regional businesses. Over 65 people attended the seminar on Wednesday, Feb. 20th at Swainsboro Technical College Auditorium.

The program covered customer service fundamentals, customer interaction, customer expectations, attitude and attention, quality of service, problem resolution, dissatisfied customers, customer communications, telephone skills and e-mail etiquette.

Fifteen local companies and industries recently sent representatives to a two-hour seminar presented by Phillip Moncrief, Compliance Assistance Specialist with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The program, held February 21, gave an overview of OSHA regulations and tips on information, regulations and compliance.

The seminar was part of the Chamber's on-going small business program and was sponsored with the assistance of the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Joint Development Authority. The seminar was free and available to all business owners, managers and human resource staffs.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development hosts a yearly event for members of the travel media. This event showcases travel opportunities and destinations in different parts of the state. The 2008 Travel Media Event will be held this year in Augusta on May 1-3.

Communities, hotels, and area tourist attractions will have representatives on hand to discuss tourism opportunities throughout the Classic South Travel Region, which includes Emanuel County.

In preparation for the event, the Chamber has produced a single page "media profile sheet" listing points of interest, annual community events, and story ideas.

"We are looking forward to this important media event in May," stated Bill Rogers Jr., local chamber president.

"There will be a number of travel editors and feature writers representing the South's leading newspapers, travel magazines and publications. We hope we can interest them in writing about Emanuel County and our travel opportunities. With George L. Smith State Park, Flat Creek Lodge, Ohoopee Sand Dunes, Pine Tree Festival, and great hunting and fishing, we do have plenty to offer."

Swainsboro's Second Saturday Art Stroll takes place March 8th from 5-8 P.M. in the downtown arts district. Gallery RFD presents "Collectives and Collaborations: The Creative Process of Artist Groups," an exhibit of collaboratively-made artwork from artist groups around the country, and includes a gallery talk at 7 p.m.

The Emanuel Arts Council's Kalmanson Gallery hosts Julie McGuire's "Frog Story," a series of reliquaries, tiki temples and coffins for frogs and tadpoles who meet their unfortunate ends in her chlorinated swimming pool. After the exhibit, McGuire will bury the works in fresh, chemically-free swamps and ponds.

Kentucky native and Athens resident, Chris Hubbard, shows an eclectic sample of his outsider art at 114 West Main. Hubbard's work, inspired by self-taught artists Howard Finster and Wadley's own Willie Tarver, is made of found objects and materials. Hubbard also brings his "Heaven and Hell" art car to town, which will be on display outside the venue.

Dabney Edenfield's art students from Swainsboro High School present their mixed-media self-portraits at Fold's Photography.

The evening concludes with a performance by Abatsu Drum and Dance at 8 p.m. Through live drumming, dance, folk songs and audience interaction, Abatsu celebrates African arts and heritage. Sponsored by the Emanuel Arts Council, the performance will take place at the Boneyard. In the case of inclement weather, the performance will be held at the Arts Council's performance space.

Emanuel County Relay for Life 2008 is in full swing! The annual event is scheduled for April 18th at the Swainsboro High School football field. This year's theme is "Toon out Cancer." Teams are encouraged to support the annual Relay event by putting on their best cartoon face.

"We want our community to really get involved with Relay. Recently, we lost a very loyal supporter of Relay & our community. Marie Wofford was an instrumental force in developing Emanuel County's Relay for Life event. She will be sadly missed but she leaves with us her passion for such a great cause. We want those of you who participate each year to join us again and those who have never participated before, we invite you to come join in the fun. Form a team and enjoy being a part of such an incredible experience. Get involved," encouraged Harry Martin, Chairman.

For more information on the various areas of Relay, see the committee list below.

Harry Martin, Chair/Corporate Sponsorship, 478-494- 2607 Deborah Martin, Chair/Luminaries, 478-289-2542
Angie Brown, Team Recruitment, 478-237-7366
DeAnna Moore, Survivorship, 478-289-9900
Donna Brinson, Luminaries/Pageants, 478-237- 6426

Beaver Creek Plantation
Tanya Moore, Business Manager
3698 US Hwy 80 East
Twin City, GA 30471
478/763-2920
beaverck@pineland.net beavercreekplantation.com

Southland Insurance Group
Mitch Proctor & Todd Ellington
120 North Main Street
Swainsboro, GA 30401
478/237-7500
mproctor@nctv.com
tellington@nctv.com