The 14th Annual Chamber of Commerce Industry Appreciation Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday, September 25, at the Swainsboro Golf Course. Team application forms are now available. To get yours, contact the Chamber at 237-6426 or email us at swainsborochambr@bellsouth.com.

Again this year, the event is being co-sponsored by the Chamber and the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Joint Development Authorities.

The event is held each year to pay tribute to local industries. Last year fourteen industries participated in the outing, which featured 118 golfers.

This year's event will begin with lunch at 12 o'clock, followed by a four-man team select-shot golf tournament. The tournament will be followed by a social time and a "pig picking" barbecue dinner. The Forest-Blade is sponsoring this year's lunch and dinner.

Industry representatives are invited to participate at "no charge," compliments of the Joint Development Authorities. For others who wish to participate in the golf tournament, the fee is $200 for a four-man team or $50 per individual. Tickets are also available for the meal only $6.00.

Serving as this year's tournament committee chairman is Peyton Frye. Other committee members are Jill Collins, Angel Morris, Jim Willis, Heather Jones, Doug Brown, Milton Gray, Ken Warnock, Donna Brinson and Bill Rogers, Jr.

The Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce has announced the names of participants selected for this fall's "Leadership Emanuel 2008" class.

Earlier in the year, the Chamber was awarded a $5000 grant from The University of Georgia's Fanning Institute to assist the local organization in its efforts to implement a leadership program for Emanuel County.

The goal of the program is to create a new level of leadership. Program goals are focused on economic development with session topics on understanding community leadership, knowing your community, community leader's role in economic development and local governance.

The class is scheduled to begin September 2nd, with a 6 p.m. kickoff dinner at East Georgia College followed by nine classes on consecutive Tuesday nights. A keynote speaker for the kickoff dinner will soon be announced.

Selected for the class are Selena Bedgood, East Georgia College; Donna Brinson, Chamber of Commerce; Bobbie Collins, Emanuel County Board of Education and Swainsboro City Council; Will Donaldson, Donaldson Surveys, Inc.; Stephanie Fagler, Spivey State Bank; Jessie Garrett, Swainsboro Technical College; Tracie Harden, Swainsboro Technical College; Jim Harrell, The Citizens Bank; Wade Johnson, Durden Banking Company; Karen Jones, East Georgia College; Cory Kraus, Shellstone Advisory Group; Rusty Lane, Clear Choice Auctions; Jolly Martin, Radio Jones; Lucy Moore, Nunez City Council; Gerald Mosley, Mosley Funeral Home; Karen Mountain, Swainsboro Technical College; Scott Rosenau, Nordson Corporation; Athen Walden, Spivey State Bank; Denise Warnock, Emanuel County BOE; Valorie Watkins, Emanuel County BOE; Wes Wilkes, Robins Federal Credit Union; Sonya Wilson, Swainsboro Technical College and Russ Yeomans, Yeomans Wood & Timber.

Can you name the nation's fourth largest container port? It's only 90 miles away! If you guessed the Georgia Ports Authority in Savannah, you're right.

On a recent trip to the Ports Authority, members of the Swainsboro Chamber of Commerce, Swainsboro/Emanuel County Development Authorities, Emanuel County Commission and Swainsboro City Council learned first hand of the Savannah Port's growing importance to regional and national commerce.

With assistance from Georgia Power Company's Regional Manager of Community and Economic Development, Peggy Jolly, the local group was given the opportunity to view the facilities in Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority also has ports in Brunswick, Bainbridge and Columbus.

The group learned the Savannah Port is currently receiving over 2.34 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent container units) and is servicing over 20,900 companies throughout all 50 states. The number of TEUs is expected to more than double by 2017.

According to Stacy Watson, Economic and Industrial Development Manager for Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), "the growth in container traffic at the Port of Savannah has averaged 15 percent for the last five years, which is six points above the national port average."

"The top priority for GPA is the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project," added Watson. "The four year project, to be completed in 2012, will deepen the harbor up to 48 feet. This project will precede the Panama Canal expansion efforts, which will be completed in 2014. This local project will allow us to handle the latest generation of container ships and increased volume due to the Panama Canal expansion."

The Swainsboro group's goal was not only to view the port but to strengthen ties with the Georgia Ports Authority. The Chamber and Development Authorities have recently formed an I-16 Corridor Alliance with 11 other counties to market the corridor to potential industrial, manufacturing and warehousing entities. The Georgia Ports Authority will be assisting in the initiative.

The Swainsboro/Emanuel County Joint Development Authorities currently has a 500-acre industrial site located one mile off I-16 on U.S. 1. The local group also discussed with GPA officials ways to better market the site.

Participating in the tour were Desse Davis, County Commission; Charles Schwabe; Mayor of Swainsboro; Dr. Bobby Sasser, Joint Development Authorities; Loy D. Cowart; Joint Development Authorities; Cleve Edenfield, Swainsboro City Council; Butch Frye, Board of Education and Chamber of Commerce; Al Lawson, Swainsboro City Administrator; Ezra Price, Emanuel County Administrator; Ken Warnock, Chamber of Commerce; Kenny Griffin, Chamber of Commerce; Stephanie Fagler, Chamber of Commerce; and Bill Rogers, Jr, Chamber of Commerce.

On Wednesday, August 27th, members of the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce and Joint Development Authorities served hotdogs and hamburgers to the employees and staff of Ogeechee Steel.

The industry appreciation event is held once a quarter to thank a local industry and their employees for the economic impact their company makes to the local economy.

Durden Banking Company hosted the meal for Ogeechee Steel.

Who said there's nothing to do in Swainsboro? September is packed with terrific events!

On September 11th at 11 a.m., General Perry Smith will be a Vision Series guest speaker at the Luck Flanders Gambrell Auditorium at East Georgia College.

Patriot's Day activities will continue on September 11th, with the American Legion and VFW conducting a flag destruction ceremony at the Downtown Square. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday September 13th at the Swainsboro/Emanuel County auditorium, the M3G Group will host the Miss Emanuel County & Miss Southeast Georgia pageants beginning at 6:30 PM. Theme for the pageant is "Queens of Rock." For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Donna Brinson at 478- 494-2571.

On September 16th, Marilyn Van Derbur, former Miss America 1958 will be guest speaker at fund raising luncheon for The Sunshine House Regional Children's Advocacy Center. Please call 237-7801 for ticket information.

On September 25th, the Augusta Symphony will appear at East Georgia College in another Vision Series event at 11:00 a.m. and at 7 p.m.

Finally, on September 27th, Arts Emanuel 2008 Festival will be held in downtown Swainsboro. There will be art exhibits, interactive art activities, live entertainment, food vendors and an artist market.

Swainsboro's Downtown Square now has a new sound system. Stage Front Presentation Systems of Savannah began installation of a new sound system on August 18th.

The 32-speaker system is designed specifically for the park. All wiring for the system will be buried. In addition, the system will have music capabilities for holidays, festivals and other important downtown events.

"We would especially like to thank Mill Creek Foundation for their help with this project. For years, it has been very difficult to hear in the park when using a small portable sound system. Now, with this new sound system we should have sound coverage anywhere in the park," added Ezra Price, county administrator.

"For our downtown area, the ability to pipe in music should make holidays and our festivals so much more enjoyable. We are very excited about the project," added Bill Rogers Jr, Chamber president.

In addition to Mill Creek Foundation, the City of Swainsboro, Emanuel County Commission, and the Chamber are contributing to the project.

If you haven't heard, Flat Creek Lodge's dairy is making big news in the cheese world.

At the 25th Anniversary Conference of the prestigious American Cheese Society the dairy won first place in the Hispanic & Portuguese flavored category for Caraway Cotija. Head Cheesemaker Dane Huebner described the winning entry as "a drier style of cheese similar to Parmesan with plenty of salt and picante."

The competition was tough, with 181 producers from 30 states and three Canadian provinces competing.

According to a recent news release issued by the local business, Flat Creek's cheeses are now being carried at Whole Foods in Buckhead, Star Provisions, Pano's & Paul's, Chops, Pricci, and Ray's on the River. In Savannah, the cheeses are being distributed by Green Tomato Concepts and are served at The Cloister on Sea Island.

Statistical data gathered on the Chamber's website shows the website continues to draw huge numbers of browsers.

For a six month period, Jan.1 through June 30, 2008, some 22,979 "pageviews" were registered at the site. The "length of the sessions" shows the average length at the website at slightly more than three minutes.

The data also reveals the "top-viewed" page is the chamber's membership listing.

The 2008-2009 Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce Membership Directory is now ready for distribution.

The booklet lists members alphabetically and by categories. In addition, the Directory serves as a resource guide with information on schools, government offices and local municipalities. The Chamber's Membership Directory can be accessed on the Chamber's website at www.emanuelchamber.org or by requesting a hard copy.

Due to the high cost of mailing, we request members pick up copies at 102 South Main Street, Swainsboro. Since the Directory is printed "in-house," please call ahead to save time.