From the I
hope you’ll enjoy reading this, our annual green issue, as much as I have. Just take a moment and
think about what it means to live in the Chattahoochee Valley right now. We’re right out on the bleeding edge of some- thing incredible with the Chattahoochee River being returned to her wild state, creating the world’s longest urban white- water venue. Tat project alone casts a decidedly
green hue across the valley. Don’t you feel it? Pair this potential paddling place with all the opportunities for hiking, camping, boating, golfing, dining, entertainment, museums, shopping and sporting events, and now you’re seeing the reason you’ve chosen to live, work and play here. All this in our front yard, three and a half
hours from the mountains AND the beach and 90 minutes from all the good things available in big city, Atlanta. We have rea- sonable traffic hassles, great city services and comparatively low crime rates. I realize I have gone on a bit about life
in our bend in the river. Honestly, reading this issue of our magazine has just given me a rush about the good things we have at our disposal and has provided me the imminent scent of spring. And just imag- ine how great our digital issue will look
on your iPad! If the things I’ve already mentioned
are not quite enough, take a look at the two annual reports inside this issue. Our world-class Columbus Water Works con- tinues to represent that industry’s best practices for cutting-edge technology and top-quality water and wastewater sys- tems. The Community Foundation of the
Chattahoochee Valley, in its fourteenth year, is already managing almost 100 mil- lion in local philanthropic dollars. For a foundation this young and for a city our size, these numbers are spectacular. Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley are the envy of the state, and the fact that we have such a vibrant community foun- dation shouldn’t surprise anyone. Yes, we have our issues. We have home-
less people. Tere are hungry people and people who can’t seem to rise above pov- erty. Tere are too many people having babies out of wedlock and far too many high school dropouts. But, we also have the will to address these issues. Thanks for reading Columbus and the
Valley! Maybe you’ll find your “green” inspiration within these pages. If you do, get in touch via email, Facebook or Twit- ter and tell us about it.
Mike Venable Editor
EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS Mike Venable and Jill Tigner
mike@columbusandthevalley.com jill@columbusandthevalley.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR Callie Sprague
callie@columbusandthevalley.com
ADVERTISING SALES Judy Fernandez
judy@columbusandthevalley.com Beth Martin
beth@columbusandthevalley.com Amy Ramsey, Sales Assistant
amy@columbusandthevalley.com GRAPHIC DESIGN
Sixty Two Graphic Studio
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Josh Becker
Borden Black Cyndy Cerbin
Marquette McKnight Jill Tigner Billy Winn
Norman Winter
PHOTOGRAPHY Cyndy Cerbin
Mike Culpepper Norman Winter
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COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAGAZINE is published bimonthly for $15 per year by Chicken Din- ner News, Inc., dba COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAG A ZINE, P. O. Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902. Te cov er and contents are fully protected and may not be re pro duced in whole or in part without the writ ten con- sent of COLUMBUS AND THE VAL LEY MAG A ZINE. We are not responsible for loss of unsolicited inquiries, manuscripts, pho to graphs, trans par en cies, or other ma- terials. Tey will not be returned un less accompanied by re turn post age. Editorial con tri bu tions and let ters should be addressed to CO LUM BUS AND THE VAL- LEY MAG A ZINE, Post Office Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902. Copyright © 2003 by Chicken Dinner News, Inc. trad ing as CO LUM BUS AND THE VALLEY MAG A- ZINE. Postmaster: Please send address corrections to: Post Office Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902.
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