sept._ oct. 2011

Chamber of Commerce Polk

www.polkgeorgia.com

ConnectionThe

Showcasing the best of Polk CountySeptember/October 2011

2 THE CONNECTION September/October 2011

The Whole World Is In Their Hands.

We want to help make the world a brighter place for our children. That’s why we are continuously focusing our resources towards numerous educational programs. Our employees donate their time to one-on-one mentoring programs throughout Georgia. After all, there is nothing more important to us than our future generation.

David Gandy, D.D.S.Charles Bobo, D.M.D.

109 East AvenueCedartown, GA 30125

OFFICE:

770-748-7736Fax: 770-748-4015

C O O S AD E N TA L

A S S O C I A T E S

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Your Smile Back!

Redmond Family Careat Cedartown

We can make a difference!

Jagdeep Singh► M.D.

◄Janet Ross MSN, APRN-BC

118 East Girard • suitE 104CEdartown, GEorGia 30125Monday-Thursday 8 am-5 pm • Friday 8 am-12 Noon

(770) 749-1005

It’s your health ...

September/October 2011 THE CONNECTION 3

Welcome to Polk County

Welcome To Polk County................................................ 3Events Calendar.............................................................. 4School Zone................................................................... 6

Table of Contents

Welcome

On behalf of the Polk School District Board of Education, as well as students and employees of our district, I greet you. Polk School District has a strong vision for what it believes Student Achievement to be. It is deeply rooted in the belief that ALL STUDENTS CAN LEARN. Our mission is to provide a quality education in order to prepare each student for the next stage in their life. Despite economic challenges, Polk School District continues to build a system that supports teach-ing and learning as it moves to make its mission become reality. Our aggressive approach to raising educational achievement for all students whether they are rural, minority or from low-income settings is to be celebrated. We know that students do not learn in a vacuum. They come to us with varied life experiences and it is our goal to utilize their experiences in the educational process. It is our task to provide opportunities that will increase knowledge and learning.

We are grateful for community support. Our many partnerships assist us in providing quality education to our 7400+ students. The school-community connection is extremely important in the process of students achieving and educators teaching. It is our goal to make our district one of distinction, not mediocrity so that all of our students will be prepared for lifelong success. It is also our hope to motivate students and advance those relationships that cultivate learning. This would not be possible without the collaboration of this community.

The employees of our district represent what is best about education. Their untiring support for student achievement is what makes Polk School District a thriving institution. Our employees have dedicated their lives to enhancing the lives of students. For this we are eternally grateful. Our employees continue to have a powerful impact on the lives of students.

The Polk School District Board of Education is committed to ensuring opportunities for all our students to be successful. Thanks to each of you for sharing in this vision.

Marvin WilliamsSuperintendentPolk School District

Marvin Williams


Event Calendar

About The Cover ... Nancy Harris, Rockmart Middle School teacher, visits student Christian Hamilton and his dad Stephen Hamilton during Math and Science Parent's Night. Sarah Williams and dad David Williams look over study material.

Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 24“The Four Elements “ExhibitionAn exhibition featuring artists with works dominated by one or all of the four elements; earth, water, air, and fire, is on display in the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center, 316 N. Piedmont Ave., Bld. 300. Gallery hours are Fridays and Saturdays, 10 am - 4 PM or by appointment. Admission is free. For further information call 770-684-5454 or 770-684-2707.

September 5GRITS Labor Day RideThe 2011 GRITS (Georgia Rails Into Trails Society, Inc.) Labor Day Bicycle and Roller Blade Ride is Monday, September 5, 2011. This is a fun event and not a race which consists of 13 to 62.1 mile rides or a roller blade option. Planned routes will accommodate the novice to the elite participants. For moreinformation visit www.silvercomet.org.

September 20-24Polk County FairKids of all ages will have a great time at the annual Polk County Fair, Polk County Fairground. From a midway filled with rides to food, music, livestock exhibits, an animal farm, arts and crafts, community and organization exhibits plus more, there's something for everyone.

September - November*Carlton Farms Corn MazeEnjoy a great fall outing navigating the 5-acre Carlton Farms Corn maze (1276 Cartersville Hwy. Rockmart) with over 2 miles of trail. For a different look try the maze at night. Don’t forget to bring a flashlight. In addition to the corn maze experience, other fun farm activities include: Hay Bale Maze, Hayride, Hay Jump, Animal Petting Barn, Corn Cannon, and Catfish Pond. For dates, time and other information call 770-546-5179.*


October 1Cedartown Fall FestivalThe Cedartown Fall Festival in the Downtown Historic District offers a day of old-fashioned community fun for the entire family. A parade, live bands, arts and crafts, food and more are sure to delight all ages. Hours are 9 am-8 pm.

October 6Small Business ExpoThe Polk County Chamber 2011 Small Business Expo is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6, 11am- 2pm, at the Historic Purks Building, 330 West Avenue, in Cedart-own. The Small Business Expo gives small businesses the opportunity to show-case their products and services to the Polk County business community and the public. For more information call Laura Bates at 770-684-8760, or email [email protected].

October 15Moonlight RideMark your calendars for October 15, 2011 when Georgia Rails Into Trails Society, Inc. (GRITS) holds the third annual Moonlight Bike Ride. Watch for more details coming soon at www.silvercomet.org.

Fall Art Classes in RockmartFall arts classes including Pottery, Whittling, and Decorative Painting are held in the Cultural Arts Center, 316 N. Piedmont Ave., Bld. 300, Rockmart. For information on dates, time, and registration call 770-684-5454 or visit http://www.rockmart-ga.gov.

Event Calendar

Fall…..the time of year for fairs, festivals, hayrides, autumn

leaves…..and pumpkins. Whether carved as a

jack-o-lantern, turned into a delicious pie, or used as a decoration,

this orange-colored fruit is synonymous

with the season.


School ZonePolk School District

Curriculum

Polk School District follows the state required curriculum for all subjects in kinder-garten through twelfth grade. The state’s curriculum is a guideline for instruction that helps teachers, students, and parents know what concepts and topics must be covered and mastered for a particular course. The curriculum establishes the minimum standards, and does not prohibit systems, schools, or teachers from adding material to it. Some systems may have curricula of their own, but they must include everything that the state requires.

The state curriculum is reflected in the current Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) for all grade levels and subject areas. The revised and strengthened curriculum will drive both instruction and assess-ment in Georgia’s schools, providing guidelines for teachers, students, and test makers.

Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE)

The CTAE programs are designed to give students hands-on experience and knowl-edge in many specialized career fields. Students are encouraged to participate in Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSO). These organizations provide op-portunities to demonstrate skills learned in class in a competitive environment, as well as exhibit learned leadership skills. As part of Polk School District graduation requirements, students are required to complete a career pathway. A career pathway is three or four se-quential courses in a specialized career interest area.

Polk School District offers career path-ways in the following areas: AGRICUL-


Event CalendarSchool Zone

TURE, ARTS AND HUMANITIES, ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION, COMMUNICA-TIONS AND TRANSPORTATION, BUSINESS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE, EDUCATION, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE, GOVERN-MENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTHCARE SCIENCE, MARKETING, and SALES AND SERVICES.

Gifted Program

The teachers in Polk School District are committed to the belief that education is a means by which students have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. We believe that all students have a right to educational experiences that challenge their individual development whether it is below, at, or beyond the level of their age peers. Polk School District provides educational programs that recognize and make provisions for the special needs of gifted and talented learners. In the el-ementary schools, Polk Enrichment Program (PEP) serves as the vehicle for gifted instruction. The middle schools offer advanced content/ gifted courses. Gifted eli-gible students are placed into the gifted program, as well as students performing in the exceeding level, and are interested, are placed in to these courses where space is available. The high schools address the gifted population through ad-vanced content and advanced placement (AP) courses.

EIP Program

Children start school at a designated chronological age, but differ greatly in their intellectual development and experience base. The Early Intervention Program (EIP) is designed to serve students who are at risk of not reaching or maintaining academic grade level. It provides additional instructional resources to help stu-dents who are performing below grade level obtain the necessary academic skills to reach grade level performance in the shortest possible time.

Special Education

It is the belief in Polk School District that all students will participate in challenging educational programs designed to meet their unique needs. These programs will result in increased academic performance and prepares them for employment and independent living. The exceptional student population in Polk School Dis-trict is served in each of our schools through a variety of delivery models in their least restrictive environment.



The Julia Dean Center for Exceptional Students was opened in July of 2006. The addition of this center to Polk School District has greatly enhanced the Special Education Program. It is an important resource for parents, teachers, and stu-dents on both sides of Polk County. The center houses our Psychological Services Department, special education administrative staff, and includes meeting facili-ties and a parent resource library.

ESOL Program

For the 2011-2012 school year, the Polk School District has an operational ESOL program in ten of our schools. Each program offers instruction by an ESOL-en-dorsed instructor. The English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program is offered to all limited English proficient students who meet the testing eligibility criteria. This program assists in the progress of the ESOL in an English-speaking classroom. Our goal is to have students succeed in all four language skills; speak-ing, listening, reading and writing. The guidance and immersion of an English-speaking environment allows our students to produce the necessary results for overall success.

Liberal Arts

Polk School District students are provided with the opportunity to explore various experiences in our elementary, middle, and secondary fine arts programs. Stu-dents can experiment with artistic media such as pottery, weaving, pen and ink, watercolor, charcoal, etc.

Polk School District also offers many courses for students inter-ested in the dramatic arts. Funda-mental, introductory courses are offered as well as technical the-atre, acting, and musical theatre.

Our Middle School Band Program lays the foundation for each high school’s marching and concert band. In addition to the band pro-gram, a choral program is offered at both high schools.



Title I

All of the schools in Polk School District are School-wide Title I schools. Title I is a program designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging State academic standards. The goal is to reinforce and amplify ef-forts to improve teaching and learning for students farthest from meeting State standards. Individual public schools with poverty rates above 40 percent may use Title I funds, along with other Federal, State, and local funds, to operate a "school-wide program" to upgrade the instructional program for the whole school. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parental involvement.

Athletics

The citizens of Polk County enjoy and support the many sports programs available to Polk School District stu-dents. Middle and high school students can compete in excellent programs for golf, softball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and wrestling in addition to the tradi-tional cheerleading, football, baseball and basketball programs. Programs throughout the county have been the recipients of many regional and state titles.



This past school year, Keep Polk Beautiful along with the Eastside PTO took on the task of creating an outdoor classroom. More than 150 volunteers worked on the project. Students, teachers, parents, grandparents, and community members all volunteered their time to make this project a reality. Food was donated and the volunteers received a t-shirt.

The outdoor classroom was created in an area located behind the back playground; this area, which once served as the nature trail, was expanded and cleared. Metal picnic tables and benches are located throughout the area providing space to conduct outdoor lessons.

This is phase one of the overall project. Next on the agenda is an outdoor amphitheatre setting. This is a beautiful area which provides a fun learning experience for Eastside students.

New Outdoor Classroom at Eastside Elementary



Westside ElementaryNew Friends

Due to the close proximity of Cedartown High School to Westside Elementary School, “we have utilized the talent of the high school students in helping our students, said Kathy Sanders. Aspiring educators from Alyson Reaves’ class worked with assigned classes at Westside helping students read, do math, take AR tests, and other tasks that the homeroom teacher felt the students needed. “We also had students from the CHS Key Club, sponsored by Shelly Buck, come one afternoon a week after school and tutor students need-ing extra academic help, commented Sanders.

Students received much needed individual attention during this time. Another group of high school students came down once a week and were mentors for children who needed a positive role model in their life. These students worked, read, played academic games, and just sat and talked paying special attention to their assigned student. “There were many lifelong friendships made between our students and the students from CHS during this year. We appreciate the partnership that we have developed with Cedartown High School. They made a difference in the lives of our West-side Wildcats during the 2010-2011 school year. We look forward to continuing this partnership during the 2011-2012 school year,” said Sanders.


Van Wert Elementary Award WinnerVan Wert Elementary is a 2010 bronze award winner of the Single Statewide Accountability System awards. In order to be considered for this award Van Wert

Elementary needed to meet 3 crite-ria: Stay clear of needs improvement status, demonstrate that at least 20 percent of students exceed standards in all test areas as measured by state CRCT assessments, place in the 95th percentile or higher statewide in the greatest student achievement gains. Van Wert is one of 22 schools in the State of Georgia to receive the award for the 2009-2010 term. Principal

Sherri Cox is pictured with John Cooper, assistant principal, and Superintendent Marvin Williams.

K-9s in FlightFirst and Third grade students that recently reached reading goals at Van Wert Elementary School were recently treated to a special show hosted by Dr. Carol Thompson, media specialist at Van Wert. Students who earned the title “Paw-Some Reader” attended the John Misita K-9s in Flight Show Extrav-aganza. The dog show consisted of high flying acrobatics, Frisbee catches, and tricks that amazed the student audience. The K-9 dogs have been seen on the Discovery Channel, ESPN, The Disney Channel, Animal Planet, and numerous other professional sports halftime shows. All of the dogs in the show were rescued or adopted. John Misita’s show promotes the importance of dog compassion and pet ownership responsibility.



Youngs Grove Elementary

Teacher of the YearHighlights of the 2010-2011 school year include Youngs Grove Elementary Teacher of the Year Renee Hopkins being named Polk School District Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Hopkins is an outstanding educator dedicated to the students of Polk County. She exhibits optimism, pa-tience, and encouragement to students and colleagues.

Family Science NightYoungs Grove had a family Science night for students and families (left). Attendants explored over twelve different stations that correlated with the Georgia Performance Standards. One student commented, “This was awesome!”

Literacy NightYoungs Grove held a night of exciting reading events. Students and their parents traveled to numerous stations and participated in hands-on activities. A variety of books were read aloud to students before each activity was completed.

Grant RecipientMs. Farrah Zuker, counselor, won a grant from Carroll EMC to support sev-eral programs for Youngs Grove. Ms. Zuker implemented a school-wide bullying program and a character-ed program. Both had a positive impact on the faculty, staff, and students.

2011 Youngs Grove ProductionStudents from pre-K through 2nd grade performed this year’s “A Tribute to America”. This program was a huge success!




Technology at Cherokee

Cherokee students and teachers are taking advantage of technology upgrades. Third grade students are working with handheld Renaissance Responders to answer questions from the teach-er. These responders allow for instant response which helps the teacher check for understanding.

Fifth grade students are using Neo2 respond-ers for writing assignments. Students are able to compose, edit, and print various writings through-out the year. These are also used for Math Facts in a flash and Accelerated Reader quizzes. Students in our lower grades use a Smart Table for an interactive activity. The SmartTable allows for several to use at one time.

Cherokee + Renaissance = A Great Mixture

Cherokee Elementary School Renaissance Program rewards students for good grades and excellent attendance. An annual fund raiser is the Renaissance Tennis Challenge, which is sponsored by local businesses. For the Renaissance award ceremony, each teacher selects one business sponsor and decorates their classroom door represent-ing that business.



Northside ElementaryBullying Education and Awareness

Northside Elementary did extensive bullying education and awareness last year with students, faculty and parents.

Northside counselor Greta Willoughby has been trained in the Olweus Bullying Prevention and receives resources from the Teaching Tolerance and AntiDefamation League.

Northside has received the No Place for Hate designation each year since Ms. Willoughby has been at Northside. In addition to these resources, Northside uses Character Counts and participated in No Name Calling Week last school year.

The art teacher did an art lesson reinforcing No Name Calling Week and the persuasive drawings were posted in the hallways. Posters describing bullying and appropriate responses were in every hallway.

Classroom guidance lessons were done on all aspects of bullying for grades k-5. The faculty regularly received handouts for their teacher handbooks about different aspects of bullying. A parent education night was held and all information was presented in Spanish and English, including a video that parents viewed prior to a group discussion.

Polk School District rules on bullying and its consequences were also presented to parents and specific sections in the student handbook were discussed. Northside’s protocol for reporting bullying was reviewed. The principal, counselor , and translator were available for parents with questions.



Cedartown Middle School

Cedartown Middle School sponsors activities and events throughout the year to help students achieve success in their studies and in their future endeavors.

Career Day

Club Day

College Fair

Egg Bowl

Spooky Reading Night



Take Five!

Rockmart Middle School has exciting plans for the 2011-12 school year. The theme will be TAKE FIVE! We celebrate our fifth year in the new Rockmart Middle School building this year and encourage each student to TAKE FIVE and

focus on learning. We will be expressing the thought to students that SMART is something you get by having confidence in yourself and working hard. To get SMART students should: believe you can, be prepared, work hard, ask for help and help others. The TAKE FIVE theme also goes along with our Jacket PRIDE from last year. PRIDE means being Prepared, Respectful, Involved, Disciplined, and Excellent.

Academics are always the focus at RMS. Students will continue to have 100 min-utes of math and reading/Language arts instruction daily. Students will be on an A-B rotation for Science and Social Studies, receiving 50 minutes 3 days a week and 100 minutes for each subject once a week, so that exciting labs may continue. RMS also plans to have a Social Studies and Science Fair this year to allow students to showcase their innovative ideas. Students will also find that

Smartboards have been installed in most every room and a new IPad Lab with 30 IPad’s has been purchased for the students to use.

Rockmart Middle School offers extracurricular activi-ties in many areas. Just a few are football, basketball, softball, baseball, band, cheerleading, soccer, golf, tennis, track, wrestling, volleyball, FBLA, FCA, Builders Club, Rock Town Steppers and many more. There is a place for every student!

Come see what all the excitement is about at RMS!



Cedartown High School Improve Pass Rate to 94%

Cedartown High School scored a 94 percent pass rate on the Georgia High School Writing (GHSWT) test which is given to all high school juniors by the Georgia Department of Education. The score for the 2010 test was a two per-cent increase from last year. This places CHS in the statewide “high performing school” category.

Junior class members (l-r) Ree Palmer, Austin Goggins, and Kristen Collier were among those that scored“exceeds” on the 2010 Georgia High School Writing Test.

The CHS writing test score is up by 16 percent from the 2007 score of 79%. This is a testament to the hard work of the CHS students, faculty, and staff who worked together in a school-wide writing initiative. During the first three weeks of school, subject-related writing activities were scheduled in each class at least once a week. Students only had three weeks to prepare for the writing test due to September 7, 2010 being the first day of school with the 160 day calendar. Teachers evaluated the work and posted useful commentary on examples of work for students to use as a model in each classroom. Weekly supplemental activities were provided to the teachers. These activities included corrections on “internet speak,” examples of good work, how to tell if a paper is on topic, and common errors made in writing.

The initiative was culminated with a practice test that was graded by members of the English Department and then distributed back to the students. Students in need of extra help were given a faculty buddy with whom to work. Principal Hal David stated, “I am proud of these outstanding writing scores! This is the third year our writing test scores have improved. At Cedartown High School our students, faculty, and staff are focused academic achievement. “



RHS Students Study Coastal Environment

Thirty-eight teenage marine biologists and four teachers from Rockmart High School participated in an intensive coastal environment field study at the University of Georgia Jekyll Island 4-H Center. The Jekyll Island 4-H Center is located just outside Brunswick, on the southern end of the Georgia Coast, adjacent to the Tidelands Nature Center. This pristine barrier island is an ideal location to study the dynamics of the coastal ecosystem.

The young scientists are members of the Kappa Pi Beta (KPB) chapter at Rockmart High School, spon-sored by RHS Biology teacher Shea Floyd. On their adventure, students partici-pated in hands-on studies in herpetology and ornithology (that’s “snakes” and “birds” for those of us who don’t speak scientifically!), as well as fish dissection and examination of the flora and fauna of the salt marsh, the dock, and the tidal pools. Students got their feet wet, both literally and figuratively, when they went trawling on a shrimp boat and seining off-shore. What was the response of the students to their grueling outdoor adventure? Two thumbs up!

KPB is an environmental club (part of Keep Polk Beautiful) whose additional activities include recycling cans and bottles at RHS, participating in the Rivers Alive! Clean-up in Rome, assist-ing in the creation of the outdoor center at Eastside Elementary with the Great American Clean-up, and canoeing on the Coosa River.


Landmarks and Historic AreasRockmart/Aragon

VAN WERTCreated in 1832 from the village of Cleantown, Van Wert was made the seat of Paulding County. It was known for slate, iron, gold and fertile farmland and served as the county seat until Polk County was formed from part of Paulding in 1851 and the county seat was moved to Cedartown. Van Wert was awarded a Historic Township of Georgia by the Department of Community Affairs.

VAN WERT METHODIST CHURCHBuilt in 1857 by Rev. Wm. Simpson, Van Wert Methodist Church is one of the oldest structures in Polk County. The Van Wert Church Restoration Group, led by Greg Gray, is renovating the struc-ture.

ARAGON-EUHARLEE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCHIn Aragon, the oldest church still in use in the County.

ROCKMART MURALThe mural was created in 1997 and painted on the side of Morgan Hardware on Marble Street. The mural was created by 180 volunteers over a three week period and was part of a celebration of Rockmart's 125th anniversary.

THE GOODYEAR MILLIn 1929, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company select-ed Rockmart as the site for one of its clearwater mills. They built a multi-million dollar plant on what is now Goodyear Street and gave Rockmart "the biggest boost it has ever received in its history." Goodyear sold the plant in 1987 and it is now owned and operated by Meggitt Polymers & Composites

GOODYEAR MILL VILLAGEIn the 1930s, Goodyear built a modern village with approximately 180 homes, two tennis courts, a baseball field and a golf course directly across the street from the mill.CITY HALL The Rockmart Municipal Complex located on N. Piedmont Ave, is now considered "City Hall". The complex includes the Administrative Services Building, Cultural Arts Center,Recreation Department, and Rockmart Police Department. The complex is located on what was originally the site of the Piedmont Institute College, which was replaced later by Rockmart High and Middle Schools which later became known as Rockmart High School. ROSE HILL CEMETERY/GAZEBOOn Elm Street, the land for the cemetery was donated to the town. The gazebo, constructed in 1891 is now considered one of Rockmart's most recognizable historic landmarks. The cemetery site also offers a spectacular view across Rockmart.

EUHARLEE CREEK/SEABORN JONES PARKA city park, Seaborn Jones Park sits in the middle of downtown Rockmart along the banks of the Euharlee Creek. The name Euharlee comes from the Cherokee or Creek Indians and means "she laughs as she runs."

DODGE & DAVIS AT PEEK SPRINGSNear Aragon's City Hall, camping place of General Grenville Dodge's 16th AC of McPherson's Army of Tennessee. Later, Brig. Gen. J.C. Davis' 2nd division, 14th Corps Army of the Cumberland camped here en route from Rome to Dallas, Ga. These troops were part of the right wing of General Sherman’s forces moving to outflank General Johnston’s army at Allatoona Pass. This resulted in 10 days of battle at New Hope Church, Dallas and Pickett’s Mill in Paulding County.

Main Office967 North Main StreetCedartown, GA 30125

770-748-1750

Downtown Office117 West Avenue

Cedartown, GA 30125770-748-1750

Rockmart Office131 West Elm StreetRockmart, GA 30153

770-684-7872

We are here for all your financial needs

• Checking Accounts• Savings Accounts• Debit Mastercard• 24 Hour ATM• CDs/IRAs• Safe Box Rentals• Auto Loans

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www.fnbpolk.com


LOCATION AND LAND AREAPolk County, consisting of a 312 square mile area, is near the center of the South's three largest industrial centers: Atlanta, 45 miles east; Birmingham, 85 miles west, and Chattanooga, 83 miles north. Surrounded on four corners by mountains, Polk County is a land of dramatic contrasts - from the city of Cedartown which lies on a gentle plain to Rockmart with its rocky hills and deep valleys.

GOVERNMENTPolk County is governed by a six member Board of Commissioners elected for four-year staggered terms. The chairman is elected from the board for a one-year term. Cedartown, the county seat, is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners who elect a com mis sion chairman from amongst board members and appoint a City Manager. The city of Rockmart is governed by an elected mayor and five council members who elect a City Manager. Aragon is governed by a mayor and four council members. Full-time police and fire departments are maintained in all three areas and the county for the pro tec tion of all residents.

INDUSTRYPolk County boasts a wide array of existing industry and takes pride in its success in new industry recruit-ment in the last decade. The top ten industries employee some 3,700 people and include both manufacturing and service.

CLIMATEA moderate climate with seasonal variation cre-ates an excellent environment for outdoor activity through out most of the year:January averageminimum/maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32/55 degreesJuly averageminimum/maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67/83 degreesAverage annual rainfall is 50" based on ten year data. Relative humidity is 69.7%.

POPULATION42,709 people reside in Polk County including 10,021 in Cedartown, 4,242 in Rockmart and 1,039 in Aragon.

TRANSPORTATIONMajor trucking lines and both CSX and the Norfolk Southern Railway system link Polk County to points in all directions. Hartsfield/Jackson International Airport is only one hour away while Cornelius Moore Airport in the middle of the county provides a paved and lighted 4,000 ft. runway. The new $15,000,000 state of the art Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport is only 8 miles from Polk County. Four lane Highway 278 east links Polk County to Atlanta via I-20. Other main arteries include U.S. Highway 27 and 113.

COMMUNICATIONSTwo newspapers, the Cedartown Standard and the Rockmart Journal, and two radio stations, WGAA Cedartown and WZOT Rockmart, keep county residents informed of local, regional and na tion al hap pen ings.

EDUCATIONEducational institutions in the county include six elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and a regional vocational-technical school. Two private schools are maintained and county res i dents have easy access to three additional private schools in a neighboring county.

UTILITIESGeorgia Power and Carroll EMC service electrical needs in Polk County and gas is distributed by Atlanta Gas Light Company and sold by several suppliers. The cities of Cedartown and Rockmart operate sewage treatment facilities and have their own water supply via a spring-fed gravity system in Cedartown and Euharlee Creek in Rockmart. The county’s water supply originates with three springs and one well. BellSouth pro vides a first-rate tele com mu ni ca tions sys tem and cablevision is provided by Charter Communications.

HEALTHCAREPolk Medical Center is located in Cedartown. Numerous physicians, dentists, chiropractors and other health care proviers are throughout Polk County. Immediate Care facilities are also avail-able.

POLK COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCEThe main office of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce is located at 133 S. Marble St. in Rockmart. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. The Chamber also main tains a Cedartown office in conjunction with the Cedartown Welcome Center at 609 S. Main St.. Cedartown office hours are Mon.-Fri., 8:30 am-5:00 pm. Call the Chamber office at 770-684-8760.

POLK COUNTY AT A GLANCE


Advertisers Index: To Advertise in The Connection

Contact Jennifer Garrett 770-748-1520 [email protected]

LaDonna Mears [email protected]

www.GNTC.edu • 1.866.983.GNTC (4682)GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.

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Coosa Dental Associates..................................Page 2Redmond Family Care..................................Page 2Georgia Power..................................Page 2First National Bank................................Page 20Georgia Northwestern Technical College................................Harbin Clinic..........Page 23Community Bank of Rockmart ......... Page 24


OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

133 S. Marble Street Rockmart, GA 30153

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For Advertising Information call Jennifer Garrett at 770-748-1520 or

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Editorial Content by: Deanna Strickland

Polk County Chamber of Commerce

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Chamber of Commerce PolkChamber of Commerce Polk

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