Look for a reopening today of Rotolo's on Shorter Avenue near Ark's Liquors and Metro PCS. Ana Williamon's shop moved from the former Ana's Deli location in the plaza off North Second Avenue that used to be home to Nextel and soon will see Advance Rehab move on to Midtown Crossing as well.
-More dining buzz: Look for an old favorite to announce some major sprucing up in coming weeks.
Broad Street buzz: As Legend's comic book shop begins its final month on Broad Street, keep an eye for what's next. Not particularly at the 317 Broad St. address Legend's is vacating for the former Walden Books site at Mount Berry Square but perhaps with some other venues as well. The tip we got: More changes and more jobs ... Also buzzing: Two business owners say requirements to put in new water sprinkler systems as a storefront changes from one genre to another could stifle development along Greater Rome's top address.
Local baker back on reality TV tonight:
-Sara Hardy Williams, known for her bakeries in Rome and later Cedartown, helps wrap up the season of Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker on TLC tonight at 9. Williams' stay on the show wasn't long but it sure had impact. There's a "pre show" at 8 followed by the finale at 9. Williams is scheduled to join us on Hometown Headlines: The Radio Edition at 7:40 a.m. Monday on WRGA 1470 AM.Listen live online.
Election season under way as March 6 presidential primary, state primary, general election tick closer
Floyd County elections officials are gearing up for a busy year with at least three elections plus possible run-offs in 2012. And the first round of balloting already is under way.
The Georgia Presidential Primary is March 6 with Advanced Voting beginning Feb. 13. Absentee voting already is under way.
In addition, city of Rome voters will be deciding the fate of Sunday alcohol package sales while all Floyd voters will have a say on whether to extend the current SPLOST for another three years.
“This is a big year with several elections to handle,” says Pete McDonald, chairman of the Floyd County Board of Elections and Voter Registration. “We’ve got the March 6 primary and election, July 31 is the Georgia state and local primaries, and the Nov. 6 general election.”
Right now, the focus is getting poll workers trained and voter machines inspected, says McDonald.
“We just had a poll worker training this past Tuesday and we have 180 workers for our 25 precincts. We also had orientation for 15 new interested poll workers that we will be training in February,” he says. “Early voting begins in three weeks and that is good training for our new workers because it is not as stressful as Election Day.
“The early election period also helps us operationally because we now don’t have long lines on Election Day. Before they started early voting, everyone had to come within 12 hours. Now folks who are able can come early and vote ahead of Election Day.”
Advanced voting will be open for three weeks prior to the March 6 primary. Voting will be held inside the County Administration Building on Fourth Avenue for the first two weeks and in both the Administration Building and Rome Civic Center on the final week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
“It would be great to have (advance) voting at other locations but it just isn’t possible. There isn’t a county-owned space that we can occupy for three weeks and there is no budget to rent space,” McDonald says.
And speaking of polling places, McDonald says elections officials also have been working to confirm all polling places are still available for the elections. They do have to move one precinct this year. The “Town Rome” precinct will be moving from an old building next door to Barron Stadium over to Rome Civic Center.
“We don’t like to move polling places but they are going to be tearing down that old building, so we had to move it. We’ve mailed postcards to notify voters but we will have some show up at the wrong place because they are so accustomed to voting there,” he says.
Officials also are encouraging voters to check to make sure they are registered with their correct address, especially those who recently have moved. Voters can verify their registration online at MVP or by calling the Floyd County Elections office at 706-291-5167.
However, McDonald says poll workers are not to turn any voter away if they arrive at the wrong voting location because of a mix-up.
“We want everyone to vote. If they are not registered at that particular precinct, we will give them a provisional ballot, which is a paper ballot to cast their vote. We then have three days to check into the situation,” he says.
McDonald says turnout should be “fairly good” for the Republican Presidential Primary, especially with the Sunday alcohol sales issue in Rome and SPLOST vote countywide.
“I’m surprised there has not been as much discussion on the alcohol vote, at least not that many have contacted us,” he says. “I expect us to have about 35 percent turnout which is very good with a little over 44,000 registered voters.”
