Saturday, April 24, 2010
Published Saturday, April 24, 2010
There will be at least 47 vendors at the first-ever Three Notch Market event set for Sat., May 1, and there’s still room for more.
Sponsored by the Andalusia Junior Woman’s Club, the day is being called an “arts and crafts fair” featuring local talent and vendors.
Amy Dugger, AJWC Three Notch Market chairperson, said Wednesday is the deadline for vendors.
“There is going to be tons to see and tons to do there Saturday,” Dugger said. “We’ve got a host of local businesses who are bringing wares; artists, jewelry makers – you name it. We even have someone from Atlanta coming down to give out gardening tips.
“If you have something you’d like to showcase, we have to know by Wednesday,” she said. “We still have to figure out where everyone is going to be.”
The open-air market style event will be held in the Farmer’s Market on Historic Central Street from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Tickets are $3 per person and are available at MaryAnn’s on the Court Square or at the gate. Vendor applications are also available at MaryAnn’s or at the Andalusia Chamber of Commerce. There will be a $100 booth fee and a $25 jury fee.
Food will also be available throughout the day, as well as local entertainment and a 5K race and one-mile fun run will also be held as part of the Three Notch Market activities.
Pre-registration for the run/race will be held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Fri., April 30, at the Andalusia Chamber of Commerce.
The 5K race will begin at 8 a.m. from the square and will take runners in the Andalusia High School “neighborhood” and ends at CCB Community Bank, where the fun run will begin at 9 a.m. The Fun run will be to Stanley Avenue and back.
Walkers are welcome, and awards will be given to the top five male and female runners in the 5K and to the top five males and females 12 and under in the Fun Run.
Registration is $20 for the 5K, and $15 for the fun run. There also is a no T –shirt registration option for $10. Runners also may register at 7:30 a.m. on the day of the race.
“With this being our first year, we can’t say how grateful we are to have had so much interest,” Dugger said. “It’s going to be a great day.”
All money raised will be donated back to the community through such organizations as the Jr. Miss program, Covington County and Andalusia City schools, Crossover’s Women’s Ministry and the Covington Arts Council.
For additional information, see the Three Notch Market Web site at ajwcthreenotchmarket.webs.com or the Three Notch Market Facebook page.
Published Saturday, March 20, 2010
For Andalusia residents, filling out the U.S. Census form could mean grants for their city and cash for their own pockets.
Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson said Friday city residents have two ways to “cash in” for filling out the Census forms.
“After everything is said and done, the district who reports the largest percentage of increase in population will receive free garbage service for a month,” Johnson said. “That’s the first way and doesn’t require any effort on the resident’s part except for filling out the form.
“The second is a little more interesting,” he said. “And it means cash money.”
After completing and mailing their completed Census forms, residents are asked to bring the form’s mailing envelope – the one that housed the questionnaire – to a drop off point at city hall, labeled with their name, address and phone number.
Three envelopes will be drawn at the end of the Census process, he said.
“The owner of the first envelope drawn will receive $200; the second, $300 and the third, $500,” he said. “We’re going to take it on faith that these people have completed their Census form and mailed it in because we believe so strongly about what the Census can mean for Andalusia.
“Why? Because every federal or state dollar that is tied to population numbers will use this Census information to determine if Andalusia meets the requirements,” he said. “These numbers could mean millions in dollars for Andalusia. You hear people say ‘we need this national fast food chain or that retail store.’ Well, the first thing they look at is the Census number to determine if our population will sustain it. If we don’t have the numbers, it goes no further.”
Winners’ addresses will be verified to determine if they live inside the city limits.
For those who do not have an official Census envelope or if a Census worker takes the information, Johnson said residents should ask for some documentation from the worker that would substitute in the place of an envelope.
A red barrel will be placed at the utility drive-through located next to city hall and available for usage Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Census forms should be completed and mailed by April 1.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
72,000 square foot facility to allow for 150 new jobs
Published Saturday, March 20, 2010
Photo by Michele Gerlach
Greg Henderson of SEAGD; Speaker of the House Seth Hammett; Bob Smith of ADO; Mayor Earl Johnson; Mr. In-Tae Hoe; Sen. Jimmy Holley; and Andalusia Industrial Development Board member Bill Bryant.
As city and state officials stood with SaeHaeSung owner Mr. In-Tae Heo tossing out ceremonial sand to celebrate the groundbreaking for the company’s new 72,000 square foot facility in Andalusia’s Industrial Park, the real dirt movers never paused.
Behind the dignitaries, heavy equipment operators were busy getting the last of the site prep work done so that concrete footings can be poured in the coming week.
In his comments before the “groundbreaking,” Mayor Earl Johnson praised city employees and contractors for all that has been accomplished since the council agreed on March 6 to move forward with the project.
“Two weeks ago, it looked like this property over here, only the trees were bigger,” Johnson said of the property on which the new facility will be built and indicating a wooded lot. “If we can dodge and survive the rain, they’ll pour the footings and slabs out here next week.”
Johnson said that the city has agreed to turn the keys to the new building over to Mr. Heo on June 1.
“If Andy Wiggins and Micah Blair look a little nervous, there’s a reason,” he said.
Director of Planning Andy Wiggins and Building Inspector Micah Blair are overseeing the construction for the city. They are working with Ingram Construction, LLC, ACI Building Systems, Inc., DMD Engineers, and S&M Concrete, LLC, to complete the building by June.
“Mr. Heo has agreed to invest millions of dollars into equipment for the facility,” Johnson said.
SaeHaeSung is a Hyundai and Kia supplier that currently has a welding operation in Andalusia. With the new addition, it will add a stamping process to its local facility, including $10 million in equipment, and add 150 employees over the next two years.
“I’ve never met a more determined entrepreneur,” Johnson said. “He has great vision and has always stood by his word.”
SaeHaeSung was recruited to Andalusia in 2006 with the help of Southeast Alabama Gas District. In August of 2009, Johnson and other city officials traveled to Korea to meet with Mr. Heo and began talking about the expansion.
Among those on hand for the ceremony were Speaker of the House Seth Hammett; Sen. Jimmy Holley; Bob Smith of the Alabama Development Office; Greg Henderson of SEAG;, Council member Hazel Griffin; Councilman Will Sconiers; Councilman Terry Powell; and Councilman Kenneth Mount.