The Stars of da Corrado Ristorante at Lake Oconee

 Madisonians Tanner Jensen (sous chef) and Corrado Corrias (owner and chef)

Biz Buzz Goes Italian in a BIG Way

Biz Buzz By Dianne Lively Yost Omg! Momma’s done lost her ever-livin’ mind! She’s ridin’ all over town in an Italian Vespa! What in the Sam Hill! Give me that extra helmet Momma and take me for a ride! And speakin’ of Italian . . . when you’re cravin’ fine Italian food honey there’s a spot at Lake Oconee that will flat fix you up! First you’ve got to collect some really fun friends who know all ‘bout wine and fine dinin’ and then head to da Corrado Ristorante located at 1061 Village Park in Greensboro! It’s just right smack up the road and you can take your Vespa if you go the back roads! The best part is that da Corrado Ristorante owners Corrado and April Corrias live right smack here in Madison and honey their Italiano Sous Chef is none other than Madisonian Tanner Jensen, son of Amelia’s owner Kim Jensen Watts! Love it! Ok so get reservations (706-453-1110) ‘cause honey this place is (now wave your hands like an Italian) Molto Poplare! And, I do recommend ridin’ a fancy Vespa cause as soon as you do, you automatically talk like a bona fied Italian! Ok so my handsome husband and I just dined there with our famous Morgan County friends Peter and Karen Wibell and honey Peter knows his menus and his wines! Perfecto! The food is just incredible, the wine amazing but my favorite part of the da Corrado experience is the singing! Literally. Many of the waiters and waitresses have amazing singing abilities but when Corrado sings the whole restaurants stops in amazement and joy! Beside Corrado, there’s only one other person in the world who can sing an exceptional Happy Birthday, and that’s Artrose Lyn Cooper! The difference is that with Corrado you get a fabulous Italian meal with a red sauce that makes you scream: Molto delizioso! Ok so y’all head over to da Corrado’s and treat yourself! Right so, y’all don’t forget to get your tickets to the Low Country Boil event benefiting the Humane Society of Morgan County! This event goes down on April 8 at 6 p.m. and tickets are only $50 and includes fabulous food and two totties! Whaaa! Plus there’s gonna be a huge Corn Hole Tournament with fab prizes: a Town 220 gift card and two Gabby’s certificates at Lake Oconee’s marvelous Ritz Carlton! Ding dang! Y’all better start practicing! Oh and don’t forget the live music with Dwight Wilson and Classic City Soul! This event is gonna be a blast! Ok so the Corn Hole Tournament starts at 6 p.m., food at 7:30 and music at 8 p.m.! Call the Humane Society of Morgan County at 706-343-9977 for tickets! Hey and mark your calendars for Madison Fest! It’s slated for April 22! This is an all-day, super fun festival that will take place at Town Park and will feature a huge collection of live music artists, sponsored by Madison Realty, fabulous shopping tents for plants and arts and crafts, a kid’s craft tent, yummy food and even a Wellness Tent with a host people from Morgan County’s health and wellness oriented businesses! It’s gonna be a great festival and I flat can’t wait! Ok that’s it for this week! Y’all enjoy the sun and get on that Vespa and take a ride! Ciao y’all!

Don't Be A Grinch This Christmas! Shop Local!

Biz Buzz By Dianne Lively Yost Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of my all-time-favorite holiday stories! That sour old grumpy, green Grinch pops on the scene as anti-friend and anti-community as it gets. He’s bad-mood personified. An angry victim out for revenge! No doubt if the Grinch were a real live person (and I know some that come right close), he’d definitely be an impersonal shopper. He’d do most of his shopping online, in a big-box discount store or better yet – in a hectic, scary-packed shopping mall. That’s because the Grinch just doesn’t like community. Period. He looks through reality from the blurry, mud-caked glasses of an isolated outcast. That is . . . until the end of the story. In Morgan County, so many of us have jumped on the buy local, eat local movement. We know that by supporting our local businesses and farmers, we support our entire community. Our home. Our friends. Our cities. Our towns. Our tourism industry. Our very livelihood. I work with a family owned business just like many of our local retailers, restaurants and service businesses. One of my job’s great perks is that I personally know many of the people who own and operate our local businesses. I know their families. Heck, I know some of their secrets and they know some of mine. I know about their challenges and their triumphs and they know mine. That’s because we’re friends in this community. We’re all in this together! In a place at 33.3900° N, 83.4900° W on the great and beautiful planet earth. Morgan County. Drive around. It just doesn’t get much better than this y’all. We are so blessed with a beautiful countryside, wonderful and interesting towns and one-of-a-kind shopping and dining destinations. There are more than 18,000 people in our county. That’s a lot of buying power right there – power to keep our businesses vital and growing. So we’ve got to bank local. Insure local. Dentist and doctor local. Auto maintenance local. Hair salon local (talk about secrets). Chamber local. Newspaper local. Yoga local. Acupuncture local (yes that’s available in Rutledge). Movie local. Real estate local. Chiropractor local. And most of all SHOP LOCAL. It’s so important. I know you might not find every single thing on the Christmas list at home, but you can certainly find most it! Trust me! All you have to do is check out what your Local Morgan County shops have to offer. This is Thanksgiving week. Let’s give thanks to our community. But, better yet show thanks to your community by shopping and supporting local businesses. Black Friday? Make it green and Go Local. Small Business Saturday. GO LOCAL! It’s a no-brainer for the entire Holiday season and beyond! Make your dollars support your local economy. The cool thing is that you’ll be shopping among friends. In your community. Your home. It’s fun! And, that ole Grinch? Well in the end he found out about the spirit of Christmas. That it doesn’t come from a store. He found out it means a little bit more. Christmas comes from community. With family. With friends. So this year, shop local. Make Christmas mean a little bit more. Shop Local Guide: Our local shops and restaurants are offering fun promotions to add to the Christmas cheer. Madison’s Main Street program even has a promotion to commemorate Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29 with a Spend $29 on the 29th campaign. All day long, any time you spend $29 or more at a shop, salon or restaurant in downtown Madison you can enter to win one of two $100 Downtown Dollar prizes! But, don’t forget our shops throughout Morgan County! Check out specials our Morgan County retailers are offering in this week’s newspaper!

Shopping local in Downtown Madison has never been so good!

I just had to try out my new camera and create a cool slideshow to show off great shopping destinations in downtown Madison! I could only fit in a few and will add more next week! Check it out and stay tuned!

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Biz Buzz vs. Rutledge Rooster

Biz Buzz By Dianne Lively Yost Biz Buzz sleeps and snores into the early night before dawn. Zzzzzz-Zzzzz-hugggGGggh-Ppbhgha-zZZzzzz . . . BuzzzzzZZZZaah. . . zZZ . . . What? Where? Who am I? “Cock-a-Ding-Dang-Dooo! Cock-a-Ding-Dang-Dooo!” Oh my ever livin’ gosh! It’s that cacklin’ red Rutledge Rooster and he’s mad as a wet hen in a snowstorm ‘cause the Citizen printed the wrong ding dang Rutledge Rooster column in last week’s paper! Lord have Mercy! He’s got that Looney Tunes Foghorn Leghorn with ‘em to translate: “Now what - I say what’s the big idea. Biz Buzz, you gotta mouth – I say a mouth like a canon. Always shootin’ it off.” Momma! Come slap Foghorn flat off my front porch before I throw a hizzy fit! That’s right y’all! The Citizen got all mixed up like a feather in a whirlwind last week! I still can’t think straight! So y’all be sure to check out the correct monthly Rutledge Rooster Page in this week’s Citizen! And, be nice to Roosters . . . Rutledge Roosters that is. What about those Hoop Dogs State Champs! What a game! Wow! Hoop it up y’all! And, be sure to look at every single one of the great advertisers who are supportin’ our Hoop Dogs in this week’s Citizen! It really says a lot about our community to get that many advertisers to participate in a section congratulating our great 2014 MCHS Basketball Team State Champs! Plus you can get some deals at Amici Italian Café and Madison Produce Company when you wear your Morgan County High School t-shirt! Check out those ads y’all! Ding dang is right! Plus y’all don’t forget to be at the 2014 Morgan County High School Basketball State Championship Parade this Friday, March 14 at 5:30 p.m. It’s gonna start at the Morgan County High School and end up in Town Park! Honey let’s cheer them on like nobody’s business! Hey bring your Citizen front-page section and have our champions sign it as a keepsake! Love it! Just so y’all know we’re also gonna turn that front section into a digital publication so it can live forever on our website (that gets 55,000 to 60,000 unique, individual visits monthly)! I just know y’all flat love our fabulous front page but I gotta confess: My handsome husband didn’t come up with that clever “Won Morgan” headline! It was none other than Madisonian Margaret Ligon who came up with the slogan and popped it on the Facebook machine! We called her up and she we could use it! You are a true fan Margaret! And, honey for that we’re gonna give you a free one-year subscription to the most-read, award-winnin’ newspaper in our region: The Morgan County Citizen! You are one lucky duck! Thanks! What’s the what? Tonight! March 13 form 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. That’s what! I’m talkin’ all ‘bout the Madison-Morgan Chamber of Commerce and its world famous Taste of Madison! It is gonna be super fantastic! It all takes place at The Hall at the Madison Morgan Cultural Center beginnin’ at 5:30 p.m. and honey there is something for EVERYONE! Tickets are only $20 and kids four to 12 are only $10! Oh and if you’re under three honey it’s flat free! Support your community! Support your Chamber! They are doing great things to drive jobs and tourism to Morgan County! All you’ve got to do is come to this important event and taste some delicious food from our famous restaurants! Hey and y’all check out the big fat full-page ad from Steak ‘N Shake in this week’s Citizen! They are now servin’ breakfast and are now open 24-hours a ding dang day! What? That’s right! When Momma wakes up at 3 a.m., she can flat head over to the fab and delish Steak ‘N Shake! Can’t beat it y’all! Oh and I flat near forgot! Theresa Bishop of BB&G located at 115 South Main Street in downtown Madison is holdin’ a Pandora Bracelet event March 20 – 25. You get a free bracelet with a purchase of $100 or more! Now that’s a deal! Shhhhhhh. Don’t look now y’all but hear comes Foghorn Leghorn again! “You gotta – I say you gotta keep on your mat. Yoga mat, that is.” Right! Y’all check out the ad in this week’s paper about our fabulous yoga instructor Bobby Robinson! He’s startin’ a free weekly community yoga and meditation class at the gym at Calvary Baptist Church on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m.! Be there! It’s flat free, I say! Plus it’s fun! Ding dang! I’m flat outta space! I’ll see all y’all next week!

Morgan County Citizen Leads in Print And Digital Market Reach

About that argument that the internet is taking over newspapers? PURE BALONEY! Our local newspaper is beating the internet at its own game. Not only is the Morgan County Citizen the most read print newspaper in Morgan County with 40,000+ readers each week, it also has the region’s largest website (www.morgancountycitizen.com) garnering 55,000+ individual visits EACH MONTH! And that does not even begin to reflect The Citizen’s exposure on social media platforms. The fact is this: The Morgan County Citizen has managed to be the Number One choice for print readers AND the Number One Choice for digital/web readers for local news. Facts are where the real truth resides. When you think it through, it’s really not that surprising. Where are people going to get their news about the Madison, Bostwick or Rutledge City Councils, local legal announcements, school board news or Morgan County High School's wrestling tournament? There's only one source: The Morgan County Citizen. Sure, regional papers and radio stations have stories about our county. But for the uber local coverage local readers crave? It’s the Citizen. As to the internet: You had best know what the Sam Hill you are doing before launching a digital- platform-only marketing campaign. Especially if you are a local business depending on local customers. Consider this: “The amount of content being published online is growing exponentially and content marketers are partially to blame. In June of 2000, there were fewer than eight million websites. Today that number is greater than 750 million, according to Netcraft.com, and shows no signs of slowing down. This means that it will be harder and harder for marketers to cut through the noise in order to get their content read. Great content goes unread everyday on the Internet.” – Social Media Today Beyond websites, social media is becoming more and more cluttered and fragmented, making it just as difficult to reach a sustainable target audience. The net-net is this: Businesses -- especially those who rely on local consumers for 30 percent or more of their sales -- must create a marketing plan that incorporates a myriad mix of message delivery vehicles from newspapers to digital platforms. But, you have to be smart or you’ll waste your money. Only select the delivery systems with the highest consumer reach for your target audience. And, don’t forget: You still can’t beat a personal meeting, a hand-written note or friendly lunch meeting. Relationships require a variety of communications! Dianne Lively Yost is Co-owner of The Morgan County Citizen and Lake Oconee Living Magazine. She is also a seasoned public relations and marketing professional with a career that spans 30 years.

Biz Buzz Mother's Day! Shop, Shop, Shop Local!

Biz Buzz By Dianne Lively Yost It’s Mother’s Day season and y’all know what that means: Somebody’s handsome husband had best take his credit cards shoppin’ and hit all the local shops! Y’all check out the fab Mother’s Day page in this week’s newspaper and the Rutledge Page for some great gift ideas! Whidby Jewelers owner Ben Whidby wanted me to tell y’all all ‘bout his great Mother’s Day promotion with his fab Chamilia line of charms and bracelets and more! Anyhow, the deal is this: When you spend $99 on Chamilia products you’ll get a beautiful tote bag valued at more than $65! Wow! Momma’s gonna want that y’all! Plus Ben’s got all kinds of great new jewelry lines in the shop and my fave is the new CoLore | SG line (it used to be called Lorenzo) and the new jewelry is the Fusion Collection! Y’all are gonna flip when you see it! Get over to Whidby Jewelers located at 177 West Jefferson St., right smack across from Town Park! Love it! Oh and check out the Whidby Jewelers ad on the Mother’s Day page! Listen y’all: Nothin’ says Happy Mother’s Day better than a gift certificate from Pure Bliss! Owner Julie Speyer is offerin’ lots of cool discounts for that special mom! Check out her ad on the Mother’s Day Page and take a look at all the relaxin’ ways you can show Momma the love! I sure hope my three kids are flat payin’ attention! Honey MeeMaw loves turquoise jewelry like nobody’s business! I’m talkin’ rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, belt buckles and more honey get over to Artisan Alley right smack down from Whidby Jewelers at 199 West Jefferson St., in Madison! They also have great t-shirts, pottery (the bacon cooker is oh-so-cool), art, scarves . . . The list goes on! Check it out y’all! If your momma is nuts ‘bout fashion, honey check out Barkin’ Dogs Shoe Co. and Amelia’s located at 172 South Main Street in downtown Madison! They have so many great fashions to choose from! Check out those fantastic sandals in the Barkin’ Dogs ad! I NEED THEM! Oh and check out the Brighton flips! I’VE ALREADY BOUGHT MY PAIR! Love, love, love it! Honey and my Momma loves Pandora charms, bracelets, necklaces and earrings and the place to find it is at Belles, Beaux & Gifts located at 115 South Main Street in downtown Madison across from the post office! I just love poppin’ in there to see all the beautiful Pandora and fabulous things for the table and home! Plus owner Theresa Bishop has a great sales table in the back! Y’all get over there immediately and check it all out! Oh and don’t forget Perk Avenue is havin’ a fantastic Mother’s Day Celebration on Sunday with Baked Ham or Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Squash Casserole and homemade yeast rolls! Plus Momma gets a free dessert! Love it! Y’all head over there at 111 West Jefferson St. on Mother’s Day for a great lunch! Can’t wait! Meanwhile, the Mother’s Day Rooster is callin’ from Rutledge to make sure we all know ‘bout the great Mother’s Day ideas at LilyBeth’s like those fabulous indoor/outdoor pillows and shotgun earrings! I just love this shop! Check it out located at 106 West Main St., in downtown Rutledge! Reflections Salon in Rutledge can fix Momma’s hair just right for this Mother’s Day weekend celebration! Book me immediately! Plus you’ll get $5 off any service! Call 404-863-2555! Can’t beat beauty! Hey and Yesterday’s Café, located at 120 Fairplay Street, in downtown Rutledge is always a great choice for a Mother’s Day celebration and owner Kris Bray says Momma’s get a free slice of heaven dessert! What? That’s right y’all! Go get it! Oh and if Momma’s wantin’ a more casual flair this Mother’s Day, The Caboose in Rutledge has the best ding dang Reuben sandwich there ever WAS! And, I ain’t lyin’! But, honey if Momma wants y’all to grill her up a supper, get over to Neighbor’s Market in downtown Rutledge and buy her the best ding dang steaks you’ll ever find! Love it! Did you feel that? Honey there’s lots of movin’ and shakin’ goin’ on over at The Co-Op of Rutledge! I was in there the other day and about had a fit! Honey there have been lots of changes and now the Co-Op is sellin’ antiques, art, dinnerware, floor cloths and fabulous plants! I’ll have more on the Rutledge Co-Op next week ‘cause I’ve flat got to scat! Y’all check out the Rutledge Page in this week’s Citizen! But before I go, there’s a new realtor in town! That’s right! Ok so husband and wife team Allen and Julie McGinnis have opened McGinnis Realty & Appraisals located at 135 West Washington St., in Madison and y’all are gonna love their new office! They completely renovated the interior of the space and added fresh paint and a new awning to the exterior! It looks fab! McGinnis Realty also operates an office in Monticello! Check them out at www.mcginnisrealtyga.com! That’s it for the Biz Buzz y’all! Be good to Momma and I don’t mean maybe, shop local ‘cause it’ll mean more to Momma and have a beautiful weekend! I’ll see all y’all next week!

Biz Buzz By Dianne Lively Yost Lord have mercy! Momma’s foot stompin’, fire spittin’, head spinnin’ mad as all get out! Sassy Sista’s done talked PawPaw into takin’ Momma’s credit card away! That dang Sassy Sista told him Momma and I were participatin’ in too much exorbitant, superfluous spendin’! Why I oughta . . . Just wait til I get hold of that measly meddlin’ Sassy Sista! First Momma’s gonna slap her to Sunday then I’m gonna jerk a knot in her chain! Anyhow, all hell’s done broke loose at the home place! I’m talkin’ grandma’s china’s gettin’ slammed against the fireplace and Momma’s on a cookin’ strike! Talk ‘bout a budget battle! No biscuits! No grits! No crispy fried chicken! It don’t get no worse off than that! Hey! Y’all wipe despair-ish look off your ding dang face ‘cause the Biz Buzz has a bona fide solution! We’re gonna spike Sassy Sista’s UGA Tailgate Party Cola this weekend before the Tennessee game with some of Momma’s super rare Whippin Whiplash White Lightnin’! Sassy Sista’ll get so shnockered she’ll make Cooter Brown look like the Queen of England! Then she’ll get busted by the Athens Police! Can’t wait! More details next week . . . In the meantime, I’ve done found PawPaw’s Mad Money Stash! TOUCHDOWN! And just in time too ‘cause honey lots of new businesses are flat poppin’ up all over the place! Well don’t just stand there! Put down those peanuts and LET’S GO! First stop is Dixie Seafood which is openin’ at 10 a.m. this Thursday! Ok so they’re located on Hancock Street next to the Madison-Morgan Courthouse in downtown Madison! Right! So I had to pop in there today to check it all out and honey owners Lori Sheldon and Kevin Power have got it goin’ on! Plus a lot of the seafood they’re sellin’ was caught by them! Honey Lori is an expert lobster catcher! I kid you not y’all . . . these lobsters were caught local honey! And, they’ve got lots of it! In fact, my son Harrison has requested lobster for his 14th birthday bash supper this weekend! Yum! Ok! So they’re also gonna have fresh shrimp from the Georgia Coast, crab and all sorts of fresh fish! I flat can’t wait to get my lobsters! Y’all go check it out Thursday and over the weekend! Next up is The Hub in downtown Madison located at 125 West Washington St., in downtown Madison next to Scoops! Y’all won’t believe this but I swear I just popped in there and have already picked out the perf, perf, perf winter poncho! Owner Shirley Northrop, who has an extensive retail background in Highlands, N.C., has got this shop lookin’ fantastic! I love it! Y’all have got to check it out! It’s slated to open Wednesday or Thursday or this week! Honey, The Hub even has FUR! I’m talkin’ vests, hats, scarves and more! Plus it has women’s pants, skirts, tops and more! Y’all get over there this week and check it all out! You’re gonna LOVE IT! Right so! The next new business is The Barn At Oakleaf Farm! Ok so I know y’all remember that fabulous Say Yes! wedding magazine by Lake Oconee Living that we published in February! Well the cover wedding took place at The Barn At Oakleaf Farm and honey they got so much exposure and interest from future brides from the Say Yes! wedding magazine that they are now transforming the barn into a beautiful rustic wedding destination! Owner Lissa Phelps is partnerin’ with Hundred Acre Farms to make the barn a highly demanded wedding and event venue! Ok so we’re all gonna get to see this beautiful space for ourselves on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 1 p.m. til 5 p.m. for an Open House! The Barn At Oakleaf Farm is located at 2230 Sandy Creek Road in Madison! Y’all can get directions from their beautiful website at www.oakleafbarn.com! I can’t wait for this open house! Check out their ad in this week’s Citizen! Oh and they are gonna offer a wedding tasting by Beyond Details and wedding cakes by Sweet Afternoons! Say Yes . . . to the Open House at the Barn at Oakleaf Farm! See you there! And, speakin’ of Say Yes! . . . We are currently gettin’ ready for the 2013 wedding issue that will come out in January! Oh and the premium advertising pages are all OPEN so y’all give us a call at 706-342-7440 to reserve the back, inside front and other premium spots! Oh and to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, The Spa at the James Madison is offering a complimentary 30-minute spa service (facial, massage, manicure or pedicure) to breast cancer survivors on Oct. 16! So make your reservation and celebrate life and good health at the spa! The Spa at the James Madison is located in the Madison Markets campus at 218 West Washington St. in Madison and you can call them at 706-342-7000! Dang! Outta time. Outta space. Y’all be real sugary sweet to Momma! And, I’ll see all y’all next week with lots and lots of fantastic Biz Buzz!

Art, Artists and Art Lovers Gather at Town 220!

Last night was the opening exhibit of Aislin's Bouquet From the Garden of the Fall. Celebrating the Garden as metaphor and inspiration. This exhibit will be on display at Town 220 in Madison, Ga., until Jan. 29, 2011 and is a must-see exhibit of fantastic art! Exhibiting Artists: Greg Benson, Andy Cherewick, Tex Crawford, Dana Downs, Erin Duncun, Ryan Griffin, Ann Hamlin, Steve Hinton, Matt Holcomb, Don Jolley, Robert Lowery, David Jenkins, Mary Frances Flanders, Mary Leslie, Melin Foscue Miller, Masakatsu Nakagawa, Barbara Odil, Marshall Reddoch, Brian Reade, Father Anthony Salzman, Sam Seawright, Jeanne Wesson and Lamar Wood! The slide show below does not do this exhibit justice. You must see it for yourself! You'll be so glad you did!

Art Celebrating the Garden at Town 220 in Madison

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ABC Network World News With Diane Sawyer in Madison

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World News With Diane Sawyer Highlights Madison

Rhonda Smith of the Spa at the James Madison in downtown Madison Georgia is gonna be a bona fied star on ABC Network's World News With Diane Sawyer tonight, Oct. 6 or tomorrow Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. Rhonda is one of three Georgians the network is featuring about a story they're doing on Georgia Work$, a Georgia Department of Labor program designed to offer on-the-job training. Y'all check it out!

Pictured above is ABC Correspondent Steve Osunsami of Atlanta with Madisonian Rhonda Smith! Of course Steve has his copy of Lake Oconee Living magazine!

Fall Kitchen Tour

Thanks to all of the FANTASTIC shops, businesses and restaurants that advertised in the Citizen's Fall Kitchen Tour Supplement! We can't do what we do without out! :)

Biz Buzz Movie Night, Madisonolopy and More!

Biz Buzz
By Dianne Lively Yost

Coffee on the front porch! Ahhh . . . a blue, blue sky with a cool Fall breeze! Honey it just don’t get any better than … Momma! Oh My Ever Livin’ . . . Somebody pinch me! This is far, far too fantastical! I’m talkin’ coffee-spurtin’-out-of-the nose FANTASTICAL! Where in the Sam Hill did you get that silver DeLorean DMC-12 that’s been modified into a Time Machine powered by radioactive Plutonium to generate 1.21 gigawatts of power that fuels the Flux Capacitator device? I absolutely LOVE it! Come on Momma! Let’s head back in time to June 29, 1993 when the Georgia Lottery was first launched and win the ding dang ticket! Goodbye poor modest lifestyle! Hello filthy rich luxurious fab world! I reckon I’m gonna have to learn to speak all hoity-toity! Note to self: Get Rosetta Stone’s Rich Southern People language learnin’ CD set and sign up for Charm School at Perfectly Polished for Adults! Let’s go Momma! I can already see the diamonds flashin’! Two minutes later. WHOOSH . . . .WHOOSH! Now that’s what I call a ROUND TRIP! Hey! The house looks the exact same! I thought we’d be livin’ in a Mega-Mega-Madison-Mansion! Ding dang it, Momma! What’d you do with our lottery winnin’s? What’d mean you thought I had it? Well shoot fire!
That’s right y’all! Saturday, Sept. 25 is Movie Night featurin’ Back to the Future! It all starts at dusk so bring a blanket, your best friends, a cooler, picnic or whatever ‘cause this is gonna be so much fun under the stars! Check out the ad and calendar listin’ in this newspaper for the list of sponsors and more intel! Oh and Ella’s Sweet Shoppe located across from Town Park is gonna stay open durin’ the ENTIRE movie servin’ up fab treats! Can’t wait!
Hey! If I can’t be a mega millionaire in real life I’ll just play one on my very own MADISONOPOLY board game! Y’all heard me flat right! Jennifer Palmer of Madison just popped over to the Citizen to give me the scoop and it’s flat awesome! Ok so the deal is this: The First United Methodist Church Preschool came up with the best fundraisin’ idea ever! So anyway, they are creatin’ our very own Madisonopoly Board Game that features local businesses and landmarks! Jennifer says this has turned into so much more than a fundraiser! I mean, y’all! It will be a collector’s item! A piece of history! We’re all gonna have to get this game for Christmas! It’s only $25 and you can pre order now! There will be a limited number made so get it immediately! Plus if you’re a local business and want to be part of this fab game or to order the game, call Jennifer at 919-649-0976 or call the preschool at 706-343-9988. And you’d best hurry ‘cause game spots are goin’ fast! Oh and guess what the money is gonna be? Madison Downtown Dollars! Oh and Madison artist, website creator extraordinaire and designer Chris Cook is designin’ the game! I flat can’t wait! Ok Chris: Please, please pretty please make up a card that says: You were just Buzzed in the Morgan County Citizen’s Biz Buzz Column - Move five spaces! I flat love it!
Hey and speakin’ of good news, the Ice House Restaurant is fixin’ to reopen! That’s right y’all! Ok so Rich and Donna Pesce, owners of three Luigi’s Pizza restaurants located in Lake Oconee, Covington and Dacula are now operatin’ The Ice House Restaurant in Madison and The Tavern (soon to be known as Magnolia Gardens) on Lake Oconee! The Ice House menu ain’t gonna change much ‘cause honey you don’t fix what ain’t broke! The best part is that we’re gonna get back some jobs that were lost when the restaurant closed! Check out the story in this week’s newspaper and keep look for reopenin’ updates in this column!
Who needs a DeLorean when I can win me a 1978 Alfa Romeo convertible? Yay! Y’all! This is the coolest car EVER! Ok so the deal is this: The Companion Animal Rescue Inc. is sellin’ tickets to win this fab car for $100 per ticket! They’re only gonna sell 200 tickets so your chances of winnin’ are right good! For tickets, y’all call Donna Prior at 706-818-0144 or head over to Laughing Moon or In High Cotton for tickets! Won’t the Biz Buzz look oh so cool drivin’ this car all ‘round town? Yes!
Hey and y’all don’t forget to check out the car show this Sunday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. til 4 p.m. in downtown Madison!
I flat have run outta space once again! But, don’t worry y’all! There’s tons more Biz Buzz to tell and I’ll Tell It next week! But, before I go y’all visit www.lakeoconeelivingmag.com and vote in Lake Oconee Living magazine’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Lake Oconee Awards! Ok! That’s a wrap! Y’all be real sweet to momma, shop local and advertise in the Morgan County Citizen if you want the newspaper with the super largest local circulation EVER! I’ll see all y’all next week: Same time. Same Number One Weekly Newspaper in the Great State of Georgia.

Biz Buzz Concert in Town Park, Barkin' Dog Shoe Co.

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Biz Buzz

Momma! Now don’t go slappin’ out-of-towners, but do you see that girl over there in the white go-go boots? Lord Have Mercy! The Fool! Outlaw! The fashion police are gonna throw her in the slummy slammer! Honey, every Southern girl knows you can’t wear white shoes after Labor Day unless you’re in the health care industry or unless it’s that slightly off-white color called Winter White! Dang! But, y’all! Thank goodness the no-white law don’t apply to everything ‘cause I flat can’t wait to put on my fantabulously fashionable and wickedly white jacket my handsome husband gave me for my birthday! Honey, this Tribal jacket rocks and there are still some left at Amelia’s located at 172 South Main Street in Madison! Anyhow it’s made of this fantastic white pleather that looks and feels just smack like leather! No one will know. I promise! Plus you can wash it! Y’all get over there and check out all the new fall fashions at Amelia’s like the new line Renuar! Talk about sexy jackets, skirts and tops! Mercy! Get me my handsome husband’s credit card before I have a conniption fit!
Ok! So since The Man made me work on Labor Day I made the best of it by doing what I do best: Shopping while pretending to sell ads for the Morgan County Citizen! Yeah! So anyway, I popped on over to Barkin’ Dog Shoes located at 172 South Main Street next to Amelia’s in Madison to see owner Vickie Hunt and check out the hottest boots to kick up a fuss in Morgan County! They’re those famous Frye Boots and honey I’ve got first dibs on the tall harness style! Ding dang y’all! As soon as I get me my Frye Boots, I’m gonna have to buy me a horse to go with them! And, then I reckon I’ll have to buy me some farm land and a barn! Lord! Then I’ll can get me some chickens and have my very own locally laid eggs! Talk ‘bout a complete outfit! Y’all get over there and check out those fab boots immediately! Oh but I nearly forgot to tell y’all the best part! Vickie is already workin’ on her spring line and honey we’re all gonna be starrin’ in the movie Walkin’ Tall! That’s ‘cause she’s gonna carry this gloriously chic brand called Born Crown and they’ve got heels, heels, heels and then some wedges! Oh. My. Gosh! Y’all are gonna love Spring!
New Tea in Town. Get your pinkies in position y’all! No! The Queen of England is not comin’ to Morgan County, although she sure dang should! The big news is that we’re gonna get us a proper tea room right smack dab in Madison! The Madison Tea Room and Garden is gonna be located in the former Madison Museum of Fine Arts building at 290 Hancock St., right down from the fabulous Madison Produce Co.! Ok so I spoke with owner Catherine Russel the other day and she said they’re gonna start remodeling in October and are shootin’ to open in December! Won’t that be fantastic? To get an idea of what it’ll be like, Catherine said for y’all to check out her Franklin Village Tea Room in Franklin, Mich., by visitin’ www.franklinvillagetea.com! It’s just beautiful! I can’t wait to see what Catherine is gonna do right here in Morgan County! Y’all keep watchin’ this column for updates!
Hey and Lorenze and Alison Tremonti of Ella’s Sweet Shoppe located at 191 West Jefferson St., in Madison wanted me to tell y’all they are hostin’ birthday bashes like nobody’s business! Honey, they’ll do it all so you won’t have to! Love it! Good gosh y’all! They’ve even got a life-sized Candy . . . I mean Ella’s Sweet Land Game for the kids to play! It’s oh so cool! If you haven’t checked out this fantastic new addition to Madison, you flat don’t know what you’re missin’! Delish gelato! Scrumptious chocolates! Classic candies! Birthday room! Lord have mercy! Hey and you can now help Ella’s raise money for the Morgan County High School Cheerleaders by gettin’ ticket to win a super fab $350 value prize! Ding dang! Tickets are $5 or 5 for $20! Perf! Go get it today!
Yikes! I’m runnin’ outta space and I ain’t done yet! That’s right! Madison Main Street Director Ann Huff wanted me to remind y’all ‘bout the concert in Town Park this Thursday night! Be there or be square! Hey and y’all all had best sign up to compete in the upcomin’ Chili Cookoff come October! The Citizen’s Hot Off The Presses team is comin’ back this year for a win so watch out! Check out the Chili Cookoff ad in this newspaper for details!
Hey and y’all don’t you dare forget to buy your tickets to the upcomin’ Fall Kitchen Tour hosted by the Madison Morgan Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 17 and 18! It’s gonna be fantastically fun! Call the Chamber at 706-342-4454 to get your tickets which will be good for both tour days! What a deal!
Whew! Made it out alive! I’ve gotta scoot over to the Citizen’s Sports section to get the scoop on last Friday night’s fantastic Morgan County High School Football Game! Y’all be real sweet to Momma, support our advertisers with your dollars honey and I’ll see all y’all next week: Same time. Same Number One Newspaper in the Great State of Georgia!

Lake Oconee Living Reader's Choice Awards!

Lord have MERCY! Voting has begun for Lake Oconee Living magazine's Reader's Choice Awards at www.lakeoconeelivingmag.com! The popularity of this magazine is nothing short of exciting! We had some 3,000 people submit nominations. I'm talkin' we had to get extra staff to help with data entry! We ended up with nearly 1,000 businesses in this year's survey! This is just one example of popularity, the broad circulation and world-class quality of Lake Oconee Living. We're so blessed to have the best editors, designers, writers and advertisers in Georgia working and involved with this important magazine! Y'all check out the website!

Citizen Biz Buzz

Check out this week's Biz Buzz column at www.morgancountycitizen.com!

Biz Buzz & Le Petit Jardin & Whidby Jewelers

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Morgan County Citizen Named No. 1 - AGAIN!

The Morgan County Citizen once again took home the First Place title in General Excellence in this year's Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Georgia Press Association! We won so many awards for writing, design, photography and coverage that I couldn't even count 'em! Congrats to our fantastic, honest staff who works so hard to cover our beautiful county and all of the people who live in it!