Development authority holds closed session to discuss property issues
If you’re trying to determine the unabashed star of Halloween, forget the ghosts and goblins and the pumpkins and pumpkin spices.
The real focus of Halloween is candy. So much so that even dentists go along for the ride, based on the report by the American Dental Association that 76 percent of them hand out candy every All Hallows’ Eve.
While it’s tempting to see sweets as a holiday hero, they can easily become the scariest part of the scariest of days. Especially if the haul is so large that is becomes a part of the diet, rather than an occasional indulgence. There are ways to prevent that from happening.
With a little planning, you can have a healthy Halloween without being tricked by the treats. Consumer Reports offers some tips we can agree with.
Talk to your children about the importance of moderation. Being too strict could possibly create the temptation to sneak candy when no one is looking, but having no limits in place is also problematic. It’s best to set the expectation that they can have a few pieces when they get home, but not the whole stash.
A snack that provides protein and fiber is a great way to energize kids for an evening of trick-or-treating, while also decreasing the likelihood that they will dip into their bags along the way. Grilled chicken, carrots, celery or a hard-boiled egg or all good choices. As a bonus, you can even decorate the egg to look like a boo-licious ghost.
A smaller bag will fill up sooner and leave your child with the feeling that they hit the motherlode without resulting with mounds of candy that could become unhealthy habits.
Encourage your child to sort through the candy and pick his or her favorites and then get rid of the rest. There are organizations like Operation Gratitude that send care packages to military serving around the world. That Snicker might satisfy a soldier on the other side of the world. You can learn more about Operation Gratitude at www.operationgratitude.com.
Stashing the candy away is a great strategy for removing the daily temptation. If stored in a cabinet or the freezer, sweets can become an occasional snack, rather than a regular staple. Out of sight, out of mind.
After a week or two, don’t be afraid to send the Halloween candy packing, never to haunt young hearts again. Or, at least until next October.
There’s no reason for Halloween candy to have you spooked. With just a little planning, you can avoid the tricks while still enjoying the treats.
The lack of a building to show companies interested in moving to the area has caused several to cross Rome and Floyd County off their lists, according to RomeFloyd County Development Authority President Missy Kendrick.
“There’s been a lot of interest in Rome, but our big challenge is that we don’t have any buildings to show,” Kendrick said.
The authority conducted a 20-minute closed-door session right at the start of their Oct. 15 morning meeting to discuss property issues, however no votes were taken.
Four new companies have expressed some degree of interest in Floyd County over the past month, bringing the number of active prospects to 23.
Kendrick also told the authority board of directors plans for converting the old fire department storage building behind the Rome Floyd Chamber of Commerce into a headquarters appears to be financially prohibitive.
After a tour of the building with a local architect, brickwork would have to be completely redone and a new facade would have to be created, putting the price tag for the project to be more than what the authority had expected.
“We have a great relationship with the chamber so we’re just going to stay here for a little while longer,” Kendrick said.
“I think the chamber and development authority are working great together,” Chairman Jimmy Byars said.
The authority will hold a branding session Friday at 10 a.m. with members of the Georgia Power creative team who will come to Rome.
Kendrick said the authority still does not have its own website. In her former role as President of the Development Authority of Polk County, she had the same shared website experience with the Polk County Chamber of Commerce.
Byars and Rome Floyd Chamber President Jeanne Krueger confirmed there is still information about potential industrial sites on the chamber web page.
The chamber website also continues to present demographic information about Rome and Floyd County that is important to prospective industries.
The development authority plans to hold an Oct. 31 work session to hone in on strategies for the recruitment of new jobs to the community. That will be a half-day meeting from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a location to be determined.