Partners In Education Troy University, the Military Police Activity join together to provide Faith Middle School students a special day

Faith Middle School students listen to a storyteller during their recent Partners In Education field trip.

Their planning resulted in an awesome field trip Jan. 19 for Faith Middle School's READ-180 students as well as some math students. "These students were treated to the Columbus Museum and Barnes and Nobles Booksellers, with lunch at Jason's Deli," said Cotton. "One of the goals of these two partnerships was to dedicate efforts toward students who are working hard to hone their reading and math skills."

One of the highlights at the Columbus Museum was the presentation by Emily Williams, a teacher at Troy University and a local sculptor, who gave a short presentation on her work as an artist. Following a delicious lunch served by the staff of Jason's Deli, the day concluded with a tour of Barnes and Nobles, with storytelling and another fabulous guest speaker. Troy University's Dr. Roger Zeimet, a published journalist, shared a wealth of knowledge with the students. Dr. Zeimet recently retired as Fort Benning's historian.

One would have thought the day couldn't get any better, but a chance happening occurred as the students exited Barnes and Nobles. They were fondly greeted by Columbus Mayor Bob Poydasheff who spoke with the students about the importance of education. At the end of their trip, the students were very grateful to their PIE partners for a most rewarding and memorable day.

For more information about Partners In Education, please contact Phyllis Lott at plott@columbusgachamber.com or 706-327-1566 or visit www.partnersineducationcolumbusga.com.

As a service of your Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce, this is a reminder that the Application for Freeport Exemption Inventory must be filed with the Board of Tax Assessors on or before April 1, 2006, in order to be considered for maximum exemption. After April 1 until June 1, applications may be filed, but with a partial exemption.

You may get more information about Freeport Tax Exemption and access an application form at the following website: http://www.etax.dor.ga.gov/ptd/adm/forms/pt50pf/index.shtml

We look forward to your business continuing in Columbus and want you to take advantage of every benefit available to your company. If you have not previously applied for Freeport Tax Exemptions, you might consider applying if your company qualifies. You may obtain further information about the possibilities of Freeport Exemption from the local Office of the Board of Tax Assessors at 706-653-4398.

Thank you for doing business in Columbus, Georgia!

How to politely handle panhandling

Nearly everyone, at one time or another, has had someone ask them for spare change. The advice from the Columbus Business Improvement District, when asked for spare change, is to politely say “no” or “sorry.”

People who panhandle may need help, but the experience of social services agencies indicates that money given to individuals on the street often supports destructive habits, including alcohol and drug addiction.

Please report any panhandling activity to the Purple Ambassadors or contact the Columbus Business Improvement District at 706-322-9078.

The Partnership for Workforce Development kicked off the "Valley Promise's" Career Connections initiative with a training workshop Feb. 24 for educators from the Columbus region.

The Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce formed the Partnership for Workforce Development in response to the economic need for greater workforce preparation. Chaired by Steve Melton, president Columbus Bank and Trust Company, the partnership is comprised of volunteer businesses, community and educational leaders and is administered through the Education and Workforce Development Department of the Chamber.

Dr. Laurel Blackwell, president of Chattahoochee Valley Community College, talks to the volunteer speakers Feb. 29 who have agreed to go out to area schools and talk about their jobs, work ethics and career progressions.

The "Valley Promise" is the partnership's and the Columbus region's commitment to developing and sustaining a highly qualified and skilled workforce through education, training and dynamic partnerships.

The "Valley Promise's" key initiatives include:

• Career Connections/Work Ethics Training
• High School Transcripts
• Workforce Training Brochures

The Career Connections initiative currently has more than 100 speakers available to educators throughout the region to present their story on real-life career choices they made. They share with students the impact that occupational skills and good work habits have had on careers and the professional world of work. Training brochures and materials are utilized by the speakers to assist the students in the learning process.

For more information or if you are interested in becoming a speaker for the program, please contact Phyllis Lott at plott@columbusgachamber.com or 706-327-1566 or visit http://www.columbusgachamber.com/workforce/.

Chamber committees is where the action is

The Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce has more than 39 committees and taskforces working on a broad spectrum of issues and projects. Each committee is led by a volunteer who wants to build a better community through their involvement in the chamber.

“Committee chairs have worked their way up through the committee to become its leader,” said Mike Gaymon, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce. “They started the year establishing goals and objectives for the year which are provided to the Executive Committee. As chairs, they manage the committees’ efforts through the year. In November, they will be reporting to the Executive Committee the results of the committees’ activities. These volunteers and their committees’ activities are critical to the success of the chamber,” said Gaymon.

The committees and their 2006 chairs are:

Economic Development Advisory Board, Billy Blanchard, CB&T; Crime Stoppers, Beth Hurston-Blanton, Regions Bank; Golf Tournament, Leah Braxton, WC Bradley; Inter City Chair, Russ Carreker, Bytewise; LCA, Jane Nichols, Goodwill; LCA, John Lester, CSU; Environmental, Dr. Carole Rutland, RiverWay South; Governmental Affairs, Colin Martin, Winship Clinic; Healthcare, Don Avery, Hughston Orthopedic Hospital; Riverfront, John Turner, Bradley Company; Transportation, Rail & Airport, Rob Doll, Rob Doll Nissan; Human Resources Committee, Charlie Little, Business Resource Center ; Manufacturer’s Council, Greg Gant, Kemira Chemicals, Inc.; PIE Board of Directors, Mike Penn, Sprint; Workforce Advisory Board, Steve Melton, CB&T; Finance, Rick Hill, State Farm Insurance; Ambassadors, Juanita Booker, retired; Membership Appreciation Committee, Todd White, Knox Pest Control; Membership Campaign, Stella Shulman, The Jordan Company; Networking, Scott Laymon, Nextel; Business Expo, Steve Gates, VoiceLink of Columbus; Cultural Arts Alliance, Tom Butler, Columbus Museum; Electronic Commerce/IT, Julie Longstreet-Shehane, Berney Office Solutions; Public Relations, Thomas Beal, Sprint; Military Affairs, Jerry Newman, Park Properties; Small Business (SB) Advisory Board Task Force, Billy White, Bmax Assoc. Inc.; Black Business Outreach, Wane Hailes, Chair; Louise Anderson, Co-Chair The Courier/Eco Latino Newspaper, CAMA, Henry Holt, Clear Channel Radio; Drug Free… You & Me Conference, Mona Griffin, Shaw High School; Drugs Don't Work, Latrina Patrick, Greater Vision; Hispanic Business Outreach, Skip Seda, A-1Postage & Meters Co-Chair, Cristina Richards /CB&T; SB Minority Business Development, Deborah Taylor, Vision of the South, Co-Chair, Denise Wilding, Enlace; SB Professional Consultants Program, Ann McNeer, Master Tax Solutions, SB Development  Committee, Angela Wagenti, V'Roooom, Inc.; SB Recognition, Ene Pate, CB&T; SB Workshop Committee, Lori Canterbury, UGA/SBDC.