You still have some time to catch a Peach State Summer Theatre performance, and if you can, you should.

There are three productions to choose from: “Big River,” the Roger Miller musical version of Huck Finn; “The Producers,” a huge hit on Broadway and the big screen; and “Once on this Island,” an all musical play that is geared towards children and adults alike.

The colorful costumes, the incredible music, and the level of talent in these shows are incredible. A combination of professional actors and local theatre students make these productions an awesome feat to produce as well as to enjoy.

It is so frustrating at times to hear folks lament that there is nothing to do in Valdosta, but there is if you take the time to look for it. We have an extremely talented symphony, wonderful theatre performances, both at VSU and downtown Valdosta, art shows with talented local artists at the Arts Center and a variety of other things to do and enjoy year round.

Valdosta isn’t Atlanta, thank goodness, but the community has a variety and flavor all its own. Go see a PSST! performance, support your local arts community, and take your children with you.

American Cancer Society tournament

If you have a team that is interested in entering, the annual American Cancer Society golf tournament is going on this week at Stone Creek.

The event is held over three days, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, due to the number of players that participate every year. There is a shotgun start at 1 p.m. each day and at the end of the day there’s always a cookout and time for relaxing with the other golfers.

There is still room for teams, so if you’re interested, call Valdosta Electric to register.

Business Roundup

The Holiday Inn Express and Suites should have either opened by now or is close to it. The new hotel is located by I-75 off Exit 18 next to the Comfort Suites. The new Holiday Inn features 95 rooms with all the amenities that hotels seem to have nowadays, from high speed Internet to a microwave and refrigerator in every room.

The plat for the new Buffalo Wild Wings has been recorded with the city, showing that the new restaurant is going to be built on an outparcel by the mall. I would expect groundbreaking and construction within about 60 days, hopefully.

I keep getting asked about the proposed James Road development and what is happening with it. I’m sure the property owners would like to know the same thing. Basically, there are still a lot of irons in the fire, retail-wise. Bass Pro is still in the mix, as are a number of other retailers, but no one is jumping out there these days to build more stores in this economy, so it’s a waiting game. When the economy improves, people are spending money, and things start selling again, there should be news about who is going to make the commitment and come to Valdosta. Will it happen by the end of the year? Maybe. And that’s about as educated a guess as you’ll decipher from the myriad of economists’ predictions out there right now.