Sandy Springs business owners are being encouraged to display their seasonal spirit for the city’s first annual holiday decorating competition. The contest is a joint collaboration between Art Sandy Springs, the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce, Sandy Springs Hospitality and Tourism, the Sandy Springs Design Center and the City of Sandy Springs.

The competition is open to all businesses within city limits of Sandy Springs. Businesses must submit a registration form to enter the competition. Participating businesses will be judged on the decorated store fronts which are visible from the street, with décor representing the holiday spirit expressed in an inviting and festive way for all consumers and visitors to the community.

Art Sandy Springs will guide the judging which will take place over a two-day period: Tuesday, December 13 and Wednesday, December 14. Participating businesses are requested to turn on their lights at 5:30 p.m. on those days and keep them on until midnight. Judging criteria includes:

• Creativity and Originality
• Best Expression of Theme
• Best Use of Lighting
• Best Use of Available Space
• Overall Design Quality and Presentation

The winning storefront will be announced during the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce’s holiday gathering to be held on December 15 with a $1,000 cash prize provided by the Sandy Springs Design Center.

Competition guidelines and the registration form can be found at www.sandyspringsga.gov/sparkle.

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The voters have spoken and have approved Sunday alcohol sales in Sandy Springs. Earlier this year, your City Council took the steps needed to allow Sandy Springs businesses to sell alcohol beginning the first Sunday after ballots were certified.

Certification of the ballots was completed November 15, and businesses in Sandy Springs can begin Sunday alcohol sales this Sunday, November 20, 2011. Alcohol sales are permitted on Sunday between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

As you may have seen in media reports, not all municipalities will begin sales this Sunday. Roswell and Dunwoody are expected to begin sales on Nov. 20. Atlanta, Smyrna and Kennesaw are expected to begin Sunday sales January 1, 2012.

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Act 3 Productions, the professional-level community theater based in Sandy Springs, has won 11 Metropolitan Atlanta Theater (MAT) Awards. The honors were announced at a recent awards banquet and included Best Actress, Best Musical Director, Director’s Award and Best Overall Performance of a Musical. This was the first year Act 3 submitted works to be judged, and the organization won the most awards of any other Atlanta theater company in the competition.

“We are thrilled that our work and our actors were recognized by the Atlanta theater community,” said Patti Mactas, Act 3 Productions’ co-founder and winner of the Director’s Award. “Now everyone knows what we’ve known all along, which is that we are producing the highest-quality dramas and musicals and attracting some of the nest local talent available. Everyone at Act 3, including actors, technical staff, musicians, supporters and our audiences, shares in these awards.”

The honorees from Act 3 Productions are:

• Youth Award in a Musical – Roslyn Milne
• Youth Award in a Play – Jo-Jo Stein
• Best Choreography – Johnna Mitchell
• Best Actress in a Minor Supporting Role Play – Johnna Mitchell
• Best Major Supporting Actor in a Musical – Quintez Rashad
• Best Major Supporting Actress in a Musical – Kandice Arrington
• Best Musical Director – Lyn Taylor and Sandy Deebel
• Director’s Award for a Musical – Patti Mactas
• Best Leading Actress in a Musical – Maggie Taylor
• Best Ensemble in a Musical – Once on This Island
• Best Overall Performance of a Musical – Once on This Island

Great job Act 3 Productions!

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The Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce, the city of Sandy Springs and the Sandy Springs Hospitality Board have teamed up to start a campaign to boost business in the Roswell Road corridor and neighboring commercial centers.

“Higher-end retailers and restaurant owners tell us that Sandy Springs residents will go to Lenox, Phipps or Perimeter malls to shop and Buckhead to eat rather than support similar businesses on Roswell Road,” said incoming Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber chairman Rusty Paul.

Eat, Stay, Shop Sandy Springs encourages area residents and visitors to use the city’s retail and commercial outlets. The partners want to counter the notion Roswell Road is a traffic-cluttered area with outdated retail strips to be avoided.

City infrastructure and signalization improvements have trimmed Roswell Road commute times, and improvements coming to the Interstate 285 interchange later this year will help, the partners said in a statement. The Mainstreet Alliance is organizing Roswell Road property owners and working with the city on a downtown redevelopment plan to upgrade the corridor’s aging strip retail centers.

“To bring it all together, we simply need local residents to rethink Roswell Road and give some preference to its local businesses,” Paul said. “Even with improving conditions, Roswell Road has a lingering image problem.”

The Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce wants Sandy Springs businesses to display the Eat, Stay, Shop Sandy Springs logo. And the Sandy Springs Hospitality Board will incorporate the Eat, Stay Shop Sandy Springs theme in certain regional and national marketing programs.

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The fact that Sandy Springs is the corporate headquarters of many large companies, like UPS and Newell Rubbermaid, as well as home to a myriad of small businesses is a key factor in keeping the economy and housing market stable. The City of Sandy Springs is well aware of this fact, and, in an attempt to keep these businesses happy as well as attract new ones, Sandy Springs is cutting taxes on businesses by about $1.3 million. 

Two major companies were waiting to see if the tax cuts would pass before they made the decision to move to Sandy Springs, and so they should be opening shop in Sandy Springs in the near future, helping to create more jobs for the city.

The law passed in a unanimous vote on Tuesday, December 22, 2010, and it affects all businesses in Sandy Springs, big and small.

The new provisions inludes:

• Three cuts to the occupational tax
• The maximum amount a business can pay in any year has been lowered from $400,000 to $75,000
• Franchises pay taxes only on sales in Georgia
• 8% off the overall occupational tax for all businesses.

Basically, starting in January 2011, every business will save at least $300 on taxes – what a great present for the holiday season! 

For more information about the tax cuts, check out this article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber’s Business After Hours

The July Business After Hours will be held at Horizon Health Care Group which is located at 5942 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs on  Thursday, July 8, 2010, 5:30 – 7pm.

Business After Hours are generally held on the first Thursday of every month at a different chamber member restaurant/bar. Business After Hours are free for chamber members and their guests.

Enjoy an evening of networking with industry professionals in a comfortable, upscale and entertaining atmosphere.

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Nothing better than some locally grown produce for your family. Sandy Springs will be kicking on a new farmers market on May 1st.

Connect with local and regional farmers and experience the difference of freshly-picked fruit and vegetables. Sip a cup of freshly brewed coffee while you enjoy a crepe cooked right before your eyes, or an artisan pizza incorporating local ingredients is prepared for you. Sit for a while and learn from a master-chef while they demonstrate their cooking techniques, and then sample what has been prepared.

Locally grown produce, along with homemade jams, breads and other foods will be available at the market.

The market will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 every Saturday at 235 Sandy Springs Circle NW, Sandy Springs, Georgia 30328, which is the parking lot of the former Target shopping center at Sandy Springs Circle and Johnson Ferry Road.

In addition to fresh fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers, the Market will offer an assortment of other local and seasonal products, such as:

• Honey, jams, jellies, pesto, granola, salsa and other specialty foods
• Local Dairy Products, including specialty cheeses, milk and eggs
• Regionally raised grass-fed beef, pork or poultry
• Fresh Baked Breads
• Artisan Products

But remember to come early as the best produce goes quickly.

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• Presentation by Barb Giamanco of Talent Builders, Inc.
• Complimentary beer and wine
• Gourmet Hors d’oeuvres

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Location: Ashford Club
5565 Glenridge Connector # 100
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404) 459-2500
located at 400 & Glenridge Connector

Admission: $10 • Cash only
Dress: Business/Business Causal, no Jeans

Please RSVP to Amy Fernandez 400clubrsvp@gmail.com

The 400 Club for Young Professionals

What is the 400 Club?
The 400 Club, an initiative of the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber, is a group of diverse young professionals working together to develop and maintain a strong community of quality young professionals and provide them with a forum for socializing, learning and moving into future leadership positions in our community. The name – “400 Club” is a reference to the location of Sandy Springs and the Perimeter Area surrounding GA 400. The tagline “Movin’ on up” is an allusion to upward mobility within the business community.

Why attract young professionals?
Young professionals are the future lifeblood and potential leadership that will fuel the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber. With the right programs and events young professionals will be attracted to an organization that cultivates business skills, provides a forum for socializing and networking, affords mentoring and fosters growth. 400 Club members will yield future board members for the SS/PC. The 400 Club will be the seeds for tomorrow’s leadership.

What kinds of programs and events will there be?
The 400 Club will host programs and events that appeal to young professionals, demonstrating that the Sandy Springs/Perimeter area is a great place to live, work and play, including:

• Monthly Networking & Educational Programs at the Ashford Club
• Monthly Game Nights
• Special Events
• Wind-Down Wednesdays Concerts at Heritage Green
• Community Outreach Volunteer Activities
• Mentoring by SS/PC board of directors

How will the 400 Club be funded?
The 400 Club will be a self-sustaining organization, generating funding from some of the activities identified above. Sponsors for programs, events and general organization support will be aimed at businesses who want to reach and support the 400 Club demographic and lifestyle group.

Who gets to be a member of the 400 Club?
Membership will be offered to young professionals between the ages of 24 to 39. Although membership in the SS/PC will be encouraged it will not be a requirement. Beginning in 2010 a membership fee will be required. All SS/PC membership levels automatically enjoy 400 Club membership if they meet the age criteria.

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