Business This Week: Where’s the summer going?

By Kay Harris
The Valdosta Daily Times

June 22, 2008 02:22 am

— Six weeks from tomorrow, school will be back in session for Lowndes County students, followed shortly thereafter by Valdosta and surrounding counties. It seems like children just got out, and they’re already preparing to go back. Football, band, cheerleading and other school activities will begin practicing in just a couple of weeks. Where’s the summer going?
Whether you are a proponent for later starts and later finishes, or maintaining the early start and early finish, it’s an argument that’s been going on since I was in high school, well, a really long time ago. And there’s no good answer. Do you arrange classes to suit parents, students, colleges, or testing agencies, etc.? There’s going to be some in any camp, but regardless, protect the time you have left this year. Enjoy the summer with your kids, whether you are vacationing at home, at the beach, or at a relative’s house. Do family activities, spend time together doing things they enjoy, and also be certain to take time for yourself too.
It won’t be long for me before mine is no longer a child who gets summer vacations. The years go by so quickly, and children age so fast, take the time to let your kids be kids and maybe even consider being a kid right along with them. You might enjoy it more than you think, and you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime!

Business Roundup
The Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe building is really rolling along very quickly, with its first bread products hopefully coming off the production line in the fall. If you drive past the building, off Exit 12 beside I-75, you’ll notice the crosses placed on the walls in the construction. The Martins are a very religious family and even down to the building, it is evident that they will be good corporate neighbors and community partners.
The space on the corner of Inner Perimeter Road and Bemiss that has a sold sign is going to an auto business out of Moultrie.
A very excited reader called to tell me about the new restaurant going in at Exit 22. She had heard rumors about a family style restaurant going in for several months, and now, it’s official. The Mama’s Table restaurant will be going in there (on the Val Tech side). They are a pretty popular Adel eatery, so they should do well here. A worker on site said they’ll be open in about a month.
July is also the anticipated opening of the Smokin’ Pig barbecue restaurant on Old Highway 41 N. And the Sonny’s BBQ on Norman Drive should be reopening in the next couple of weeks as well, newly renovated and expanded.
The Maryland Fried Chicken restaurant on N. Ashley St. is now open, in the place where the Shark’s Tail used to be. And the new Japanese restaurant in the former Pic ‘n Save building on N. Ashley has a sign up saying the Ichiban restaurant. Nothing yet to indicate an opening date, other than coming soon.
The Verizon folks are going to be in town this week as their new location edges closer to opening. It’s beside the entrance to Lowndes High School.
The American Eagle store in the mall is not closed, but is temporarily relocated to another site inside the mall while it is being renovated.
The new Passage 2 India restaurant in Budd Plaza between Ashley and Patterson looks very close to opening, and the new Jimmy Johns gourmet sandwich shop on Baytree is also close. A very excited “northerner” said she can’t wait until they open as she knows them well from somewhere “up there,” so they are apparently pretty well known outside our area.
The Pita Pit on Baytree is holding its grand opening this week. The franchised restaurant is in the College Station plaza and will feature a variety of foods along with very flexible hours to fit into the college lifestyle.
I couldn’t find out why the sign for the Hilton Garden Inn is over $100,000, as the building permits stated this week, but hopefully I can find out why this week. They must be getting close to opening, and they have a mid-summer target so they just might make it.
That’s about it for this week, but if there’s anything I missed, please let me know!