By Kay Harris
The Valdosta Daily Times
January 17, 2009 06:25 pm
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is tomorrow, setting bank employees and school children free to enjoy the holiday.
Tuesday will be a special day for another reason — the 44th president, Barack Obama, will be sworn into office.
None of us in the newsroom can remember any previous inauguration creating quite so much interest, but this is a historic event and is being treated as such by the newspaper.
Throughout the week, the Times has been receiving phone calls and e-mails from individuals traveling to D.C., some with no idea where they are going to stay, to see the inauguration. Some will be attending balls, while others will be literally driving to D.C. to see the event and turning around to drive back.
The Times is following the inauguration through people who are there and is producing editions that are certain to be collectors items for those who want to remember this day.
Regardless of your political leanings, this week is certain to bring the country together to watch the swearing in and to hope that the promised change will bring stability to our economy.
For coverage of this weeks’ events, check the paper and the Web site for the latest news, and enjoy the inauguration section in today’s paper.
State of the City
Mayor John Fretti will deliver Valdosta’s State of the City address Thursday evening at the Valdosta City Council meeting, outlining his hopes and expectations for the coming year.
Each year of his administration, Fretti has delivered the address to showcase the staff’s achievements, to highlight the progress Valdosta has made, and to outline the city’s plans for the future.
With the economy going south in so much of the country, it will be a pleasant change for Valdosta to hear about how much better the community is doing in contrast. Although there are unfortunate economic issues here as well, let’s hope the cuts are less drastic and last much less time than in other areas.
I understand the mayor’s speech will be broadcast on the city’s new Channel 17 on Mediacom if you’d like to watch this week.
Business Roundup
The Goody’s in Valdosta is closing its doors, along with all of the chains’ stores nationwide, and is holding huge sales. The store is located in the strip center behind Steak and Shake and beside Crystal River Seafood on St. Augustine.
Famous Labels will soon be opening in the Lake Park outlet stores. The new store will sell a variety of name brands and designer label merchandise at 70-80 percent off their original retail prices.
My understanding is that it will be open in the next few weeks.
Also in the Lake Park outlets, the Georgia Pasty Company will be holding its grand opening later this week. It’s located next to the Bass shoes and sells meat pies, cornish pastys, desserts, etc.
A nice reader let me know this week that The Scoop is now Two Scoops and Cafe. It’s located on Baytree Road, and the new owners opened in December.
The new flower shop next to Publix is called Pack House Flowers, and it looks like the cyber cafe next to it may have already closed. It hasn’t been open the last several times I’ve been by there.
Good news for everyone who has been searching for a shoe repair shop in town. Village Shoe Repair will be open in about a week at 100 E. Rogers St. A great idea in this economy.
Azalea City Pools is open on Bemiss Road and so is the Mexican restaurant near Mambo and Subway.
The new catfish restaurant in front of the Highlands subdivision looks pretty complete from the outside and so does the Ellianos there.
Once the inside finish work is done, they should be open for business.
Speaking of being open for business, Southeastern Federal Credit Union officially opens its new main branch this week at the corner of Country Club and North Valdosta Road.
And the new Hawthorne Suites off Exit 22 is getting really close to opening as well.
That’s it for this week, but if there’s anything I missed, please let me know!
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Photos
Paul Leavy/The Valdosta Daily Times